More summer fun and Miles First Birthday!

Our little birthday boy on his 1st birthday! He looks like he knows what he is supposed to do with that smash cake...

The cake that Ava picked out for Miles online. She knew she wanted him to have a dinosaur cake and picked one out on Google. Good job Ava!

The little ones seemed to have a really good time. Here are Jay, Blake, Layne and Sofia playing in the playroom.

Layne and Sofia, such precious girls! Watch out girls, he is definitely going to be chasing you one day soon!

Welcome to our party!

OK, so he knew exactly what to do with his cake!

We have NO idea what this look is for!

Look out Nathan, Miles is wanting to share his cake with you. Our kids are so lucky to have the best cousins they could have ever asked for!

So far, he is really enjoying this whole "birthday party" thing!

He looks like we let him open gift bags everyday. I promise we don't!

Ava was such a good big sister. She helped Miles open his gifts and would actually give them to them.

This gift from his cousins was the hit of the party. Even the big kids loved it!

Cars are always a great gift. Miles loves playing with them takes them with us everywhere.

The little kids having fun in the bouncy house! This thing has definitely paid for itself!

Miles is finally big enough to get in on the fun!

Wheeeeere's Miles???

A very pensive Ava.

Brad taking the bigger kids for a ride on the gator (since they were too big for the bouncy house). I don't know who had more fun, the kids or Brad and Pete?

Ava taking Miles for a spin on his birthday. They went all over the yard. Every time Ava would stop and then hit the gas again, I was sure they would get whiplash!

The best part of birthday party's....putting together the gifts!

Nathan enjoying the watermelon and, apparently, getting a jumpstart on Halloween!

Ava and her cousin Hayden enjoying watermelon with Pito.

Ava trying out one of Miles' gifts.

Olivia, Nathan and Hayden playing with the racetrack. This must have an appeal for kids of all ages.

Later that evening....cousins Hayden and Olivia and their parents spent the weekend with us....Ava and Hayden had a great time playing their "phones". They had the best time playing spelling games and letter games. They play SO well together. They played Play Doh, Phones, Sang songs, played in the bathtub, colored, etc...not ONE single arguement, tears, nothing. Awesome!

They even let Miles play with them in the tub and singing songs, etc. He is starting to feel like a big boy!

All these new toys and what do they want to play with?

Trying to get a shot of all 6 teeth!

Such a sweet boy! We have no idea why he holds his bottles this way. No matter, we are phasing them out to go sippy-cup-only!!! Yeah!!

The "free" pictures that the fire department here takes each year! They do such a great job!

Ava took swim lessons again this year from a friend of ours. She loves Miss Kara!

Learning to put her face under water.

On her "own" on the noodle. Practicing kicking!

Jumping in and going under!

Miles taking a nap on Daddy. My sweet, sweet boys!

Miles: "What the ..... is this?"

Pink pancakes!!! (Miles had Blue pancakes. See above.)

Our three little angels. Brad captured this picture of them wading in the water on a very hot day this summer!

Ava hot and sweaty! You can almost see her scar on her left cheek (right side of photo) from her burn, but when she isn't sweaty, you can't even see it anymore!

The three oldest cousins holding hands. I actually took this one and LOVE it. They are getting big so fast.

Bless their hearts! They were so hot!

Little Sweet Pea!!! This is my attempt at being "artistic" with our camera!

There is NO telling what they are getting into here. They are such good friends!

Ava read herself to sleep reading Horton Hears a Who and, like any good parents, we left the book right where it was!

The kids playing in the blue sand. Ava was busy making friends and Miles, of course, had to taste the sand....by trying to DRINK it.....several times!

Kinley got her Braces!!!!! She is growing up so fast!

Ava's summer dance recital. This number was from her "Hip Hop" class. It was to "Who let the dogs out". Too cute!!

Her "Tap, Jazz, Ballet" performance was also very cute. She actually "performed" more in this number.

Miles was busy using Granny's walker prior to the performance and entertaining the audience.

Ava's first manicure and pedicure. She was so funny. She kept looking over at me and saying, "Mommy, they're washing your feet!".

She also loved the fact that the water in the tubs was colored.

Miles trying to ride a tricycle that is a bit too big for him yet.

Ava LOVES her annual visit from Maddie Rae. She talks about it almost until the next visit. They had such a good time this year. They ate pizza and cupcakes, played outside on the waterslide and swingset, played play doh and colored. They are getting old enough to really play together now.

There is a mirror to the left of this picture.....notice the girls "checking themselves out" in it!

Such big girls!

Miles hanging out in the background.....He was having a blast!

Miles taking Ava's dollhouse apart so that he can get into it. He is a lot stronger than he looks!

I am going to show them this when they are older and fighting all the time!