VanEpps Reunion 2012

This past weekend was our VanEpps (my mom's side of the family) reunion up in northern Arizona. Our kids had a great time searching for treasure, running around outside to their hearts content, (You can't really do that down in the valley where we live right now, way too hot!) and being with a gazillion of their cousins. My mom's parents were able to make it too. They weren't sure if they would. My grandpa is now 92 and my grandma 88. Glad they were there though, I told them we couldn't have a VanEpps reunion without them! They have had a wonderful life with lots of adventures, four daughters, 23 grandchildren, and 37, I think, great grands with two more on the way. What a legacy. So glad we were able to make it.

Snowflake parade on Saturday morning

Hanging around the cabin

Minute to win it was a highlight Saturday night

Some blasts from the past. My aunt Diane blew up some pictures of a few of us at reunions from the past. So fun to see these pictures again.

Treasure hunt. Chase didn't leave this pit for over an hour and as a result whenever he was done he had found 5 dollars in change! Love his dedication. He's so focused

The boys checking out their loot

My brother and his cute April made it. So glad they did! They helped us represent the Peterson side of our family. Here they are with my grandma and grandpa with my girls (i love saying that!)

M grandpa and my Avery

My grandparents with most of their great grandkids

Cute brothers

Easton and his precious daddy. Easton has always been a daddy's boy. I don't blame him, Cort is pretty loveable.

The rocket was a HUGE hit (check out Easty's face for proof) :)

Handstand contest



Avery was a little angel and did this most of the time while we were there.

I LOVE this girl soooo much!

friends forever

Two weekends ago we were suppose to meet up with our dear Buchanan friends who had just moved up to Oregon about a year ago from Utah, out in San Diego, but at the last minute it didn't work out. (Extreme Sad face) We just couldn't NOT see them! And so lucky for us all, they were nice enough to drive out to Arizona from California and spent a day and two nights with us on their way up to Utah. So glad they did! We packed in as much swimming, (the kids headed out to the pool around 7:30 in the morning), games, toys, talking, that we could in those couple of days. We sure miss having them in our daily lives. Can't wait to do it all again.

Taylor, Liza and their American girl look a like dolls

Talan and Sarah. This pic will for sure be one of those that makes into their wedding video. WINK

Chase and Micah. Couldn't get these boys to look up from their battle bladers.

Easty and Lukey. This was as good as I could get from these boys too.

Eliza and Avery. Taylor was so excited for Eliza to meet her sister.

Eating ice cream on the driveway on our last night together.

 Good times and great memories. We love you Buchanan family!!

already

Today Avery is already a month old! Fastest month of my life. I'm trying to savor each moment with her and the other kids. Soon they will be back in school and life will get crazy busy, not that it isn't now, but this time is so precious and they are all changing so fast.
Avery at two weeks old.

Avery at a month. I already see so many changes in her. She smiled her first real smile yesterday. And I caught it on camera. And yes she is already losing her hair. It seriously was so long, we are talking like at least an inch. Hate to see it go. At her one month appointment, she weighed 10 pounds and is now 22 inches and a half long. She is in the 80th percentile for weight and 95th for height. Her doctor said she is basically the height of a two and a half month old baby. She is so long.

 first smile

Avery and Taylor doing a little photo shoot with my girls

Two week old Avery and My five kids. Never thought I would say that!

Avery on the fourth. So festive!

In between loving on these little ones Taylor and chase have been doing swim team and rocking it! They both have taken either 1st or 2nd in practically every meet they have been in. And last night out of about sixty kids
Chase qualified for the city championships! He will compete in that next week. Both Taylor and Chase are so much fun to watch. Can't believe swim team and summer are already almost over.

 At the beginning of June, Talan did a preschool play group with a friend that lasted a couple weeks, and for fathers day he made Cort the cutest picture and picture frame. As soon as he got home from school that day, Talan ran upstairs and hid it under Taylor's bed until the big day so Cort wouldn't find it. He told me he put it under Taylor's bed cause Cort wouldn't look there. Other than that all three boys have been playing lots of make believe and Legos. We love Legos around here!

Easton has gotten in some good DS game time, as well as following Talans every move.  this boy has definitely made the change from baby to little boy.

Easton and Avery. Love how much he loves her.

Cort's parents came out for a visit. The kids loved having them here. Grandma with my girls.

A good friend was going out of town and gave us some tickets for a Diamondback game. The boys loved every minute of it. Even Easton. Cort was hesitant to take him, since he's so young, but Cort said he chanted the whole time "go D-backs! Go D-backs!"

Over the past couple months, Cort has been so busy with his church calling and finishing his last semester of classes ever! At the beginning of August he will start rotations for 9 months and then officially will be a pharmacist! That went by fast, and then again it didn't. I've been enjoying my time as a mom. Trying to slow our days down and make good choices with our time. After getting very sick this past week, I am feeling good and getting anxious for some good family bonding time in the next few weeks. Avery's blessing will be the first weekend in August. I'm so excited for it. And we have a short trip planned out to Cali this weekend and a family reunion the following week. Plenty of more good times to come!

introducing

 Avery Leone Welker was born on June 17 2012 at 332 am. She was 9 pounds 5 ounces and 22 inches long. She made her arrival after only four hours of hard labor and about five pushes. She is a dream come true for all of us. None of us can get enough of her. Someone is always at her constant side. Easton gets so concerned whenever she cries and comes running yelling "don't cry Avery!" in his best baby talk voice. Taylor could hold her for hours and calls her baby cakes, which now Easton has started calling her, Chase's face lights up when he is with her. And his smile makes me smile. Talan constantly wants to hold her, and is very concerned about wanting to know what she is doing and where she is at all times, they all do. She is a perfect fit for our family.

 Last Saturday night after a week of contractions coming and then very discouragingly going, I felt a strong one hit around 10:30 pm. I remember thinking whatever it will stop and I went to bed. At 11:30 I woke up feeling another strong contraction and this one had a different feel to it. Just as strong as the one from an hour earlier, but I started to wonder, "could this be it??" I was four days past my due date and and more than ready to have this little one in our lives and outof my body. So I sat in bed and timed my contractions until about 1:00 am when they didn't stop I woke Cort up. We decided to watch them for another hour and if they kept going we would call the doctor. I had decided previously that I wanted to deliver this little one naturally this time around. Nothing against ephidurals I think they are awesome! But, as crazy as it may sound I wanted to experience the whole thing, pain and all. I wanted to know what it felt like without the drugs. Just something different. Cort was an amazing support system through it all. As we timed my contractions for that next hour, last Sautrday night, he massaged my back and reminded me to breath. I fell in love with him all over again. Around 2:00 am we called the doctor and he told us to head to the hospital, but told us not to deliver the baby between 9 and 10 in the morning. I joked with Cort when he hung up the phone with my doctor, Dr. Holmes, that he must be speaking in church around then. We called my Aunt Leone and she came and sat with the kids. I continued to walk around the house while we waited for her, in hopes that it would help move things along. On the drive there I started to feel lots of pressure, I remember thinking I need to go to the bathroom. We got to the hospital around 2:30 am. They took us back to a room, and first thing they did was check me. Before she did though I told Cort we shouldn't have come in yet. I should of labored more at home. I think we were both stunned when the nurse checked me and said your a 8-9 and ready to push! I was not expecting that I thought we would have time for pictures, talking, walking around the hospital, etc. etc. After that the next thing I knew the room broke into a panic. Not long after my doctor rushed in and asked "do I have time to change??" It all went so fast. It all felt a little surreal. Probably didn't help that me and Cort were both going on only about a hour of sleep. After about 5 good pushes and a pop (my tail bone breaking, which strangely enough I don't remember feeling it break, only heard it, I guess I was preoccupied with other things, but I can definitely feel it now :/) our adorable Avery was here! I remember watching my doctor flip her around and clean her up a bit and then he stuck her right on my stomach and I held her for awhile. Always my favorite part of having a baby holding them for the first time. As my doctor stitched me up I asked him "are you speaking in church today?" He smiled and said "yes between 9 and 10." I couldn't have asked for a more perfect experience. This little girl is for sure heaven sent. We all are in absolute love with her. We are so blessed. My heart is so full of gratitude I feel like it might burst. I love being a mom.
Best Father's Day present ever. I don't think I will ever be able to top this Father's Day again. What a joy to have her come on such a special day. She's so lucky to have Cort as her dad.

All clean. First bath.

Leaving the delivery room. A couple hours after her arrival.

Me and Avery. A couple hours old.

Meeting their sister for the first time. SO happy she's finally here. It was a long wait.

                                                  

Taylor couldn't be more excited. Finally a sister. :)

Nothing but love.

This is going to be one protected little girl. This picture was taken minutes after me and Cort walked in the door from the hospital. Earlier today, Talan was holding Avery and he said to me "awe she's so cute. Mom, can we keep her?" Nothing but love for this little one.

First day home from the hospital.

We love you Avery Leone!