End of Summer

I think it is safe to say that the summer is officially over.  I have just enough time to sneak in these summery pictures and bid adieu to the warmth and bring on the crispness of the fall.  Our last hurrahs this summer came in the form of cousin Nate's 2nd birthday party, ice cream with friends to celebrate our first day of school and Touch-a-Truck this past weekend.

Ava spent most of her day at the birthday party going down the castle slide.  She was there all. day. long.  This girl even had a hard time saying goodbye to it to go and have cupcakes.  (Have I mentioned that she LOVES cupcakes?  Well maybe that's Mama - but whatever).  I even got the chance to go down some of the big slides and it left me pining for Wisconsin Dells and Wet  n' Wild.  I think it's safe to say we all had a great time with family that day!  As usual, I took just a few pictures…what?  You know you want to see them.  :)

Ava loves the "fountains"

Nate and his ladies - Ava and Zoe

I didn't do it, did you?  No, it was probably Nate.

Nate - chillin' on the ground

I did it, Mama!

Silly girl loves to splash

Our standard silly faces

"I puttin' my belly in the water fountain, Mama"

Grampie, Grammie and Uncle Steve - didn't bring their suits

Loves her "Unkie Steve"

Nate diving in for the cupcake

Sibling Love

Smiles with Aunt Kate

"Keesies for Unkie Steve"

Could be a Baywatch pose…haha

Birthday boy!

Love that sweet face

The queen in her castle - that she wouldn't leave

She's got this tongue thing going on lately

Finally a good pic with me and my sweet girl

See you later, Mama!

Sweet Zoe posing for me

One of my favorites - running through the waterfall giggling

Brian and Zoe

We met with our buddies the Eggerts for some ice cream to celebrate Ava's first day of school.  I may have saved my appetite for just cheese fries and a blizzard.  Haha.

Ava, John, Luke and Thomas

We rounded out the summer with Touch-a-Truck yesterday.  (Thank you Lisa for inviting us!)  Ava was in Heaven!  After she got over her initial fear of climbing into the machines (and got to see HUGE "dozers" as she calls them) she was all about them.  Every one that she got in had to have the seat belt buckled and she "steered" the wheels.  It was tough to pull her away.

She's so excited!

The tires were huge!  Crazy!

The perfect Ava-sized 'dozer - she's in Love.

"Heeeeeyyyy!"

So the next batch of photos will be fall fun.  I am so excited to get apples and pumpkins!  So far Ava is saying that she wants to be Darth Vader for Halloween - but a bird has also popped into the mix a few times.  (I think I will try to persuade her - who doesn't love lightsabers?)