I could not have asked for a better weekend with my loved ones. It felt great to vacation and separate myself from technology. One of our getaway rules was leaving technology behind, and I'm glad that we did. Saturday presented rain (and chilly weather), which was fine, but we got out and explored the outdoors. I was reminded of my love for the West coast during our getaway, and I am proud to say that I'm from here. There is no other place that takes my breath away like the Coast of Oregon or the lush Evergreen of Washington state. It's nice to see Justin appreciating some of the things that are so close and dear to my heart. I plan on bringing Ava bug back to Cannon beach this summer, and a lot of other hiking trails in Portland. The fact that Oregon is a tax free state doesn't hurt either. We love the state of Oregon and can't wait to return!

Ava has been able to spend a ton of time with my family this weekend, and that's always a good time. From the moment I woke up this morning, up until now, I have felt like such a Queen. I woke up to breakfast already made, I got the sweetest cards from Justin and Ava, and some of the sweetest gifts, including flowers from my daddy. Justin bought me these reusable, pink chevron bags, with photos of Ava and I plastered all over them (thank you shutterfly). It says Happy Mother's day mommy on the bags, and they seriously brought me to tears. His gift was so thoughtful and supportive of my "going green" movement. I will rock these bags everyone I go! I plan to use them on Wednesday when we head out to do Ava's cake smash photos. You guys have no idea how stoked I am for these photos. Chloe, has offered to do some nursing photos of Ava and I while we are in her studio, and I am getting so ancy for them. I'm almost positive Chloe Photography is going to be our new family photographer. She does some amazing work, and I'm delighted I found her. We got the cake ordered and all set up on Saturday, and I have a feeling it's going to be beyond beautiful. For those of you in the Puyallup area, make sure you check out Wanna Cupcake in downtown Puyallup. The customer service was excellent, and the cakes/cupcakes are even better!

Overall my weekend was great. I got a lot of great photos from our vacation, and a lot of photos from today. I have so much love surrounding me, it's completely moving. I couldn't have envisioned a better first Mother's day, and I am already thinking up a special Father's day for Justin. Justin will be in school over the next month, and I will be involved in a lot of FRG functions for his company. Hopefully that won't limit the amount of blog posts I put up. I still plan on blogging daily until Ava's big day. I'm really excited to be interacting with his new company, and even more excited for all of the toddler play dates Ava will have. I still can't believe we have just six days until Ava bug is one year old. I plan on sharing some of the photos we have taken from her session on Wednesday, so be on the look out.

Happy Sunday all, and happy Mother's day to all of the wonderful mama's out there!

 ♥- Leilani

My Veteran and our daughter

BEFORE I POST ANYTHING.. I want to say, thank you. I am so thankful for our military members and the freedoms they allow us. I am completely humbled to be apart of the military community, and I will remain forever grateful for the sacrifices they have made. I want to give a special thanks to my husband; five years and two combat tours later, he's still just as proud to be serving such a great nation.

I realized due to the long weekend, I have been slacking on the daily thank yous. Here they are!

Day 9 - I am thankful I know how to love, and accept love in return.
Day 10 - I am thankful for my marriage. I have never been so selfless in my life.
Day 11-  I am thankful for my pup, Cooper. He has taught me how to get dirty, and like it (sometimes)

This weekend has been a busy one! Between cleaning this house out, and getting Ava adjusted to new changes, I have barely had a moment of free time. I made a video of the past 5 (almost six) months of Ava's life. I wanted to share that with all of you, I hope it warms your heart, as much as it does mine.

If you watched it, you'll see Ava took no time warming up to her highchair, bowls, or spoons. We also gave her one tablespoon of deluded apple juice this evening. She seems to be very comfortable with her sippy cup, and within minutes, she was sipping juice down. It was such a wonderful feeling, seeing my daughter pass this milestone. I'm excited for this week! I get to pick out Ava's first foods, shop for Thanksgiving, and make Bug her Thanksgiving tutu! We made a trip to Carter's today, and purchased some "my first" Thanksgiving accessories. 

This year will be the VERY first time I make every dish myself. I complied a Thanksgiving menu, and I'm hoping all the soldiers we are having over, LOVE my cooking! 

Hopefully tomorrow we hear some good news about where the compassionate reassignment is; we are beyond ready to know the outcome. I really can't believe we are almost halfway through November. the time is moving so very fast. In the spirit of being proactive, I have been looking up ideas for Ava's first Birthday. We know we want a Ballerina theme, so I just kind of pinterested from there. We are wanting to do cake pops, a smash cake, and a decorative cake for all of our family and friends! (if we are in Washington) I found a company in Puyallup, i really love. Here is a few pictures from their work. 

Wanna Cupcake does great work! I'm really hoping we end up at Fort Lewis. Alright, this post was longer than I expected. I'm off for now! I hope everyone enjoyed their Veteran's day! Happy Monday all!

 ♥- Leilani