Ava turns 2 today!!!

Good morning 2 year old!

A birthday kiss from Daddy

Happy Birthday TWO you, sweet Ava!

Yeah for openning b-day presents

My little pony, caterpillar, cute outfit and "talking" toilet

Ava's favorite NICU nurses!

Joy, Vickie, Linda, Verna and Renee

Dolphin Cove was Ava's room in the NICU

Renee was one of Ava's favorite nurses!

I still can't believe that Ava is two years old! What an amazing two years it has been. Mommy and Daddy woke Ava with a big birthday hug and kiss! This morning we had a little birthday cake and a few presents. Her biggest present she got was her new, learn to potty, talking toilet. We are gradually going to work on potty training....but no rush! One of Ava's favorite b-day presents was a larger then life Very Hungry Caterpillar!

After a fun morning with the three of us, we all headed up to the NICU to see the nurses! It was great because all of Ava's favorite nurses were all working the same shift today. These nurses have such a speacial place in our hearts. They were such encouragers and supporters to us while we were us in the NICU for those challenging 57 days!

It has been a great day and I am so very thankful! God is great and greatly to be praised!

Snow Day, Fun Day!

Yeah for a snow day!

Not happy about posing in the snow!

Mommy and Ava enjoying the snow

Mommy and Ava's snow covered boots!

Since we had a great snow Christmas day afternoon and evening, Ava, Mommy and Daddy had a great time the morning after Christmas, playing in the snow. Ava was not too sure of the snow at first but then got really excited about stomping around in the snow!

I want to leave a legacy!

Click pause on the play list in order to watch this video

I was reminded of this song today as I was with my family in our Abbey Family Gathering that we have every two years. It made me think about the legacy that my great grandfather Theodore Abbey left. I never had the privilege to meet him, but from what my grandmother and my mom have told me, he was an amazing Godly man. He has truely left a legacy of faith with not only his children but his grandchildren, great grand children and now even his great, great grandchildren. I hope when I am in the prescence of the Lord one day, I hope that my great, grandchildren, are living for the Lord like my great granddaddy Abbey's children are living today!

Christmas: 2010

Making cookies for Santa

Look what Santa brought me!

Princess 4-wheeler

My First Computer

Rocking Horse

McClellen working on her yoga

All the Abbey great grandkids

Ava, McClellen, Nathan, Kate, Isaac, Emily, Hudson, Timothy, Jack, Erin, Elizabeth

Me-Me and Bob-Bob with all their great grandkids

Our house Christmas night after the snow!

Every two years our extended family gets together. It is the Abbey Family gathering. In case you were wondering that is why my name is Abbey. My grandmother Me-Me's maiden name is Abbey, so that is how I got my name. My grandmother Me-Me, growing up had three other siblings, Me-Me (margie), Ruth, Bill and Ted. Fun fact the four children were childhood friends of Truett Cathy of Chick fe La. Another fun fact my great Uncle Ted (who is in Heaven now), had a paper route as a child with Mr. Cathy. Adam, Ava and I were glad to be in attendance this year because the last time we had the Abbey Gathering, I was on bedrest, being pregnant with Ava. I was again reminded today, how far my little family, and especially my miracle baby Ava has come these past two years!

Today was started by Ava waking up to see what Santa had brought her. She was a good girl this year and got a Disney Princess 4-wheeler, rocking horse, My first Computer, and an Elmo playdough toy. We had an added bonus this Christmas because Grammy and Doc spent Christmas Eve with us and helped us enjoy Christmas morning together. After seeing what Santa brought, we got ready and headed for the family reunion. It was so fun, getting to spend time with extended family. This evening with had an added surprise, with a white Christmas. At our house we had about 2-3 inches of snow, and it is beautiful! Today was just another reminder of just how many blessing God, in His graciousness, has given to me and my family!

Funny Little Girl

Look at my funny face mom!

The flash is going to hurt my eyes

Okay, I'll take a serious one now

On Tuesday night Daddy had his office Christmas party. Ava and I were got to go too, and join in on the fun. While we were waiting for the food, I tried to take a picture of Ava. She decided to show off some of her new funny faces. We werer all laughing and the more attention she got the more funny faces she made. What a little character...I love her so much!

Farm Party: 2010 at Sharptop

Sharptop 2010

All the children had a great time on the playground

And playing together inside

Time for dinner together

Not so successful kids picture

Caleb and Ava watching a movie together: they were over the

all the chaos of 12 children running around!

In the rocking chair- 2009

Same rocking chair- 2010

Sharptop sign- 2009

Sharptop sign- 2010

This weekend was the annual farm Christmas party. We again had the party up at Sharptop Cove, a Young Life Camp in North Georgia. This year we were up their from Friday through Sunday morning. It is nice to have it up at the camp because in the evenings when the children went to bed the adults were able to hang out and catch up with each other.

The farm party began as a way for all the guys that lived together at "the farm" during their college years to stay in touch. Now 15 years later, all but one of the guys are married and all together there are 12 children, ages 6 years old to 3 months. The farm party is always a great time of reconnecting and the guys to get to spend some time having some male bonding.

Ready! Okay!

Perfect cheerleader hair!

What to do? What to do, when Ava is just over a cold and I now have her cold? Plus it was freezing and drizzly all day. You do what girls do...you play with different hairstyles! Ava sat still as I gave her the perfect cheerleader pony tail! She only has to wait about 3 more years until she can cheer as an Acworth Warror!! But when the time comes she will be READY! OKAY!

A Very Merry Medcalf Christmas

Mommy, Daddy and Ava

Doc and Grammy

Mommy and Ava

Daddy and Ava

Ava checking out her loot

Two matching cousins

The cute cousins: Ava, Hudson, McClellen

Mr Baseball....Hudson Medcalf

Celebrating Jesus's birthday!

Ava taking a rest in Hudson's sleeping bag

Playing with Mommy's old doll house

Even though I now claim the Cooler last name very proudly....I was born a Medcalf, thus the title of the blog post!

This past weekend we had a very Merry Medcalf Christmas. Daddy, Ava and I drove up to Greenville to celebrate Christmas with Grammy, Doc, Brad, Carri, Hudson and McClellen. It was so fun seeing the cousins playing together. Ava had a little cold this weekend but was a trouper during the celebration. At lunch Doc and Grammy had a birthday cake to celebrate Jesus's birthday. Even with all the presents and celebration, I love how Doc and Grammy always put Jesus first in our Christmas celebrations.

Since we were at Doc and Grammy's house (where Mommy grew up), Ava had a great time playing with Mommy's old dollhouse and kitchen. I will have to admit that I again got teared up when I saw Ava playing with some of the same toys that brought me so much joy! We all had a great weekend, celebrating Christmas together!