Life with the Starrs...

7 Years...

2012-01-08T21:49:00.000-08:00

Caleb and I celebrated 7 years of marriage on January 2nd. We also realized that we have been in a relationship for 9 years. I was trying to figure out how to write a blog about Caleb without being super cheesy but I don't think that I can. I am crazy about Caleb. He is the perfect fit for me. He is as calm as I am crazy. He is as slow as I am fast. He is patient and slow to speak and slow to become angry. I am....well, maybe we don't need to go there. I get excited about Caleb. I love to call him in the middle of the day because I miss hanging out with him and telling him things that I think are interesting...which might just be that I saw a cool bird or ate a good sandwich for lunch. I love to go on crazy dates and adventures. I love that we try and get away on a kid-less vacation every year just to be together. I love that we talk...a lot! I love our friendship. We both know a side of each other that no one else knows I want to be able to look back on this post when we have been married for 17, and 27, and 57 years (in blog book form of course) and remember the things that we have always loved about each other. I have some pictures from our wedding and past anniversaries over the years to share.

Wedding Day. Huge Flowers!

Cutting our cake on our first anniversary. Caleb looks like a baby.

Somewhere in the Smoky Mountains with Shaun and Holly on Anniversary #2.

#3 Ava was 11 days old in this picture. We look exhausted but we went to dinner anyway.

Bucca Di Beppo for #7

2012

2012-01-08T20:31:00.000-08:00

So yes, 2012 came. We spent New Years in bed watching a movie and at midnight I looked at Caleb and said "Hey, wake up and give me a kiss...it's a new year." I am ready to see what 2012 will bring. I think I should do a high-lights of 2011 blog...it was a busy year!

New changes on the horizon are that my current job with the GA Law Center will end in March. When I say that I LOVE my job it's an understatement. I love working with clients to prevent their homelessness. I love everytime a person trusts me enough to sit down with me and share their story. I pray that I will know the right resources to point people to so that they can have the best outcome possible. I LOVE my job. When I took this position, it was a 30 month contracted position. At the time I thought, "30 months is a long time!" Well, in adult world, it turns out it's not that long! So a new chapter of work will begin in the spring for me. I am not sure I am ready:).

What will 2012 look like? I have been thinking a lot about my hopes for this year. We sat around and talked about hopes on Wednesday night at our weekly community dinner. I loved hearing what people are hoping for in 2012. Off the top of my head, I shared that I wanted to read more (this was a goal I came up with on New Year's when talking with some friends). I also realized that to do that, I will have to change some current things in my life. That led to hope #2...Be less chaotic! I tend to fill life up. Each moment has a plan and if that plan falls through, there is usually a back up plan. Please don't think that this makes me an awesome "planner." It doesn't. It just means that we really like people and we like to do stuff so between those two things...chaos happens. I don't want to change this much. I love being active and having people around and traveling and dreaming of new ideas! I just want to have more time to be still...more time to read...more time to sit on the floor and build towers with Ava and Jay...more time to share about the day with Caleb...more time to reflex on God and what He is doing all around me.

So, I anticipate 2012! I anticipate lots more dinners with friends and neighbors. I anticipate lots of dates with my husband. I anticipate Ava learning how to read. I anticipate Jay walking. I anticipate seeing kids I love graduate high-school. I anticipate talking about God and his goodness with those around me. I anticipate a new role for work. I anticipate more neighbors moving into Pittsburgh. I anticipate growing in depth with friends. I anticipate growing in my love for Jesus.
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Quotes from my child...

2011-11-17T11:57:00.000-08:00

Currently, I laugh a lot about the things that pop out of Ava's mouth...I don't want to forget them, so I blog them...

After her best friend Zachary moved to a new class, we were driving to school and Ava says "Mom, I don't think I want to go to school today...I am not in the mood to make new friends today." This was said just like a 13 year old girl would say it.

"Oh my gosh mom, seriously! Do you really think that shirt matches those pants."

"Mom, I have NOTHING cute in my dresser to wear."

"Mom, you are talking loud to daddy...ok, you say "daddy, I am sorry for talking loud" and daddy you say "It's ok..no problem."

Ava heard me giving my dad a hard time for getting old. She said "On no mommy...pops is old?! Does that mean he is going to heaven?! Who would Nana live with? That would not be good."

Currently she also loves to tell me on a daily basis "Mommy, I have a really good idea..." Which usually ends with a visit to a friends house or a trip to Target.

I need to write them down when they happen...I already forget ones from last week!

Parenting moments...

2011-11-17T11:45:00.000-08:00

The day each of my children came into my life is permanently etched in my mind. I can remember each detail and the moment I held both of them for the first time. I remember thinking about the things I was excited about for each of them...my dreams and hopes and expectations. Ava was a very peaceful infant. She didn't cry much...she ate, she slept, she cuddled. She was pretty easy...until age 2. The year from age 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 was my hardest year as a parent so far. We struggled with attitudes, fits, complete melt downs, and tears (on both our parts). I constantly questioned (and continue to question) what we are doing as parents and how to raise this strong-willed, confident, and opinionated child well. This past week we had another complete child-parent melt down moment. Ava was being incredibly selfish and I was about at the end of my rope...did I mention she had been screaming for about 20 minutes at this point? One of those dreams I talked about is that my kids would be willing to hold their "stuff" loosely and willing to give freely...super easy, right?:) I have noticed lately that Ava is very concerned about getting "stuff." I know we have perpetuated this and I wanted to figure out how to end it. I told her that she had to go home and pick something out and give it away to someone...I don't care what it is, but you have to give it away. She said to me "Maybe I can pick out something I don't like and never use." Wow. Our sin nature is rough even as kids! She was pretty mad at me and told me for the first time that I was a bad mommy. Yikes. After about 20 minutes she apologized and said that maybe we could start over (this is what she says when she knows she is in trouble for a bad attitude). She went into time out and I went and prayed that I would survive until Caleb got home. After a few minutes I went to check on her and asked what she was doing. She told me "I am asking Jesus to come into my heart." I asked her what she meant and then we got to talk about Jesus being the Savior of her life. We prayed together for Jesus to forgive her of sin and for Him to be with her each day. This will just be one moment in Ava's spiritual journey but it was a huge moment in mine. To be able to pray with my almost 4 year old and have her aware that God loved her so much that he sent Jesus to die to take away her sin was a priceless moment. We will keep talking. We will keep praying...she will keep asking questions but I am grateful to get to be a part of the amazing journey she is on. The next day she asked if she was being a good listener. I told her yes and she said "It's because Jesus lives in my heart and I am trying to be a good listener." My prayer for you dearest Ava...as you read this many years from now...is that you are still making decisions and looking at life through the lense of your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Girls Night...

2011-11-05T08:05:00.000-07:00

I was super girly as a kid. I hated to get dirty. I would make other people put my bike chain on my bike because it was gross. I did my hair for fun. I wanted to shave my legs when I was 9. I begged to get my ears pierced for a year! I wore fake finger nails that I would bite off and then put in my desk at school (so gross and weird). I planned out my outfits a month at a time and read incredibly girly books. I liked boys and always had a "camp boyfriend" each summer. One day...I guess sometime in Junior High when all things go a little cooky, I stopped. I never wanted to shower. I wore my hair in a wet pony tail to school every day. I organized sporting events in the mud. I broke up with my junior high boyfriend because I didn't want to "settle down." I was allowed to shave my legs but decided it was all of a sudden "unnecessary." Early high school was a great time of building confidence in who I was in Jesus and how God has made me. Then, late high school hit and I got a boyfriend. I let this become a huge part of my identity. I lost so much of who I was and lost site of the things that I valued about myself. Through a lot of prayer, this relationship ended by early college. By mid college I was back to normal Ashlee but with a new passion to talk to girls about being free to be who they are! When I was pregnant with Ava and we found out she was going to be a girl, I started to pray that she would know God and also have confidence in who she is as a beautiful creation of Him. If any of you know Ava, at this point, my prayer was answered. As a parent though, I pray that we can shape her confidence into a humble knowledge that she is made by God and that He has a great plan for her life. This then leads me into girls night. Like I said in the beginning...I do love girly things. I was talking to several of the girls from our neighborhood about having a girls night. We decided we would watch High School Musical, eat snacks, paint nails, talk about girl stuff, and play games. I want to celebrate with them the things that make them unique as women. The beautiful things about being a little girl that obviously go far beyond watching girl movies and doing hair/nails. About 17 girls showed up. We had a question box where they could write down questions. I was not expecting the heaviness of the questions being asked. Many we didn't read out loud because it wasn't the setting. It was a reminder to me about how much women need each other. How much we want to know that other people are thinking and feeling something similar to what we are thinking. We want to know that we aren't alone. I love girls nights. I love the talking and sharing that comes from them. I pray for the girls in my neighborhood. I pray for their innocence. I pray that we get to keep having these beautiful times together to know each other more.

House Gatherings...

2011-11-05T07:34:00.000-07:00

I think I have already mentioned our Wednesday night house gatherings. I love them. Each Wednesday night we have anywhere for 5-25 people show up at our house from our neighborhood. It's a time for neighbors to get to know each other and come together to share a meal. This past week we had a full house. Our house is not so big. The three rooms of living space that we have max out pretty quickly. We also aren't very clean people so Ava and Jay's room/playroom was a disaster! There was an extra mattress on the floor, toys everywhere, and about 8 kids. But, the beautiful part is that they didn't care...no one cared about the lack of space or mess of dishes or that we ran out of dishes and started using kids plates. We were all just there...present...a part of the conversation. I loved watching our older neighbors interact and encourage the teenagers. I laughed listening to Shaqwanda (who I met during my first month in Atlanta during Mission Year) "jones" with Angleo, our friend that often stops by to chat, grab a snack, and keep an eye on things for us. I loved hearing Ms. Betty passionately share from her heart of her experiences with faith and church and how God is so personal and real to her. I REALLY loved that Karim made us all buffalo chicken tenders! They were incredible. I love that Annia and I get to cook together every Wednesday night. I share these things to remember them. Many times I have been discouraged that we bought our house right before the housing market crashed. I have wanted more space to be able to host gatherings of people. I have wanted more space for people to be able to have a place to stay if they needed it. This week has been a good reminder to me that this space that we do have, can still be used. We prayed the first night that we moved into this house that we would see it not as "our" house, but as an open place where people could gather. I guess that's still my prayer.

Solitude and My Life...

2011-11-05T07:07:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was able to attend the Mission Year solitude retreat with our team. I was looking forward to this time because I rarely have moments alone. In my head I know that solitude is important for all people and that includes me and my somewhat extroverted self (hehe). The problem is that I don't make time for it. We have some really great things going on in life right now and I am excited about all those things so I just keep going. I don't stop, I don't reflect. Don't get me wrong...I am thinking ALL THE TIME! Caleb and I have a joke that I am always thinking and processing and analyzing and dreaming about something. He on the other hand can be still...both in body and in mind. We also read The Way of the Heart this past month by Henry Nouwen. He says the following:
"In order to understand the meaning of solitude, we must first unmask the way in which the idea of solitude has been distorted by our world. We say to each other that we need some solitude in our lives. What we are really thinking of, however, is a time and place for ourselves in which we are not bothered by other people, can think our own thoughts, express our own complaints, and do our own thing, whatever it may be. For us, solitude most often means privacy."
I realized that this was very much my idea of what I wanted out of solitude...just moments alone. He goes on to talk about solitude being vulnerability...a nakedness before God. He says,
"In solitude I get rid of my scaffolding: No friends to talk with, no telephone calls to make, no meetings to attend, no music to entertain, no books to distract, just me-naked,vulnerable, weak, sinful, deprived, broken-nothing."
It hit me so clearly my need for this. I desire quiet time with the Lord but most often this is done around something else...squeezed in among the business of life. My heart longs to love the people around me. I feel a burden to love and be loved. I am filling my schedule not with things but with people. Nouwen then draws us back to what he calls "The compassionate ministry." Thomas Merton describes a group of monks who spent much time in isolation in the following way as he describes there quest not to drown in the sinking ship of their society:
"They knew they were helpless to do any good for otherse as long as they floundered about in the wreckage. But once they got a foothold on solid ground, things were different. Then they had not only the power but even the obligation to pull the whole world to safety after them."
My mind was drawn to line...On Christ the solid rock I stand! As much as I love to be engaged with friends, neighbors, family, co-workers, etc, I will drown without Jesus. The people I love with drown without Jesus. I want to know more of Him, I want to share more about Him, and I want to see Him more through those in my life. Since I so easily forget the lessons God is teaching me and so easily start to flounder, I wanted to get these things written down...

Fall in Atlanta!

2011-10-11T14:56:00.000-07:00

It's finally fall in Atlanta. It's my favorite time of year. Pretty much October 1 through January 2 is full of more exciting things than I could even name...apple picking, pumpkin patches, my kids birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and our 7 year anniversary (and much more!). The fall is a time that it's so clear in nature how much life is changing and evolving. The leaves and their beautiful colors remind me of God's hand in the natural order of how things are supposed to change! Watching my kids this year has been amazing. Ava has always amazed me with her crazy personality and funny sayings. At almost 4, she doesn't change as much physically but she comes up with something new everyday that she is learning. Today she said "Mommy, aren't you so glad to have me around to help with Jay? What would you do without me?" She also said yesterday with as much attitude as a teenager "Mommy, this is hte only cute shirt I could find in my drawer to put on!" Jay on the other hand is constantly changing physically. He has outgrown most of his clothes and now he crawls, pulls up on things, and walks around holding on to anything he can find. He may be the happiest little guy ever and always greets us with lots of smiles. For Caleb and I, we feel like we are on the cusp of change. We are ready for God to move us in one direction or another. We have been looking for a new church home for several weeks. We continue to pray for wisdom but often feel lost in finding answers. We attended Trinity this past weekend and heard a GREAT sermon from Kris. It made me miss having a church that we call "home." He talked about the Gospel of Sin Management. If we correct our behaviors and sins then we will find favor with God and He will pat us on the head and say "good job." This is pretty much the opposite of the true gospel...a gospel that says "you can't earn my love, because I love you inspite of your sin!" I think sometimes I spend so much time figuring out what is the next step for us, where we need to serve, how to correct my often pitiful attitude, etc. These things are important at times, but they are not what God is desiring for me and they aren't why Jesus died. He died to forgive sins and give us life abundently. I want to live in light of this promise. I want to seak to serve my heavenly Father and from that have a life that pours out service to others. So, as much as I am still struggling with the unknowns and the inevitable changes ahead, the pressure is off to find the perfect solution. I serve a God who freely gives Grace...even (and especially) when we have no idea what we are doing!
In other news...One of our first neighbors we met during Mission Year moved in across the street from us a few weeks ago. Anne and her family were like family to us and even though it's been several years since we were all involved in each others lives, it feels so familiar to have her living close again and I am so grateful. We head to Indianapolis this weekend to the Christian Community Development Association Conference. I am super excited to spend time with the other Mission Year staff, hear some great teaching, spend time with Caleb, and dream a little bit about what we want this next year to look like. I leave you with pics from the last month or so!

Anniiyah, Makayla and Ava have all gotten HUGE!

Karim Graduated from High School!

We got to go on a double date with the Henley's.

Ava has been LOVING dance class!

Andra took a family picture for us that included Jay

All 11.5 of us went to the Pig restaurant!

Ava and Christopher had an AWESOME time at sweetwater!

This is the classic Jay face!

I can't help but be excited...

2011-09-03T20:08:00.000-07:00

This week we welcomed two new couples to Atlanta for a year of Mission Year married. We also celebrated 6 years of being in Atlanta with Steve, Becca, Drew and Diane this week. Last night at the opening dinner I shared what I was excited about for this year. I said something off the top of my head but I started thinking about it more once I left the opening dinner. What AM I excited about for this team? I am excited for a year to watch them become a community. As I set with my Mission Year team this week sharing stories and laughing about our year, I can't help but think about how much work it took for us to become a community! But now...6 years later, we sit with our 5 (almost 6) kids sleeping soundly and we are as comfortable with each other as we could be. I am excited for them to get to know their neighborhood and neighbors. I drove through my Mission Year neighborhood this week and had to stop three times to get out of my car and hug people that I have known since I lived in Atlanta (I LOVE Atlanta). I am excited for them to use public transit! I learned a lot while sitting on a bus. I am excited for them to stay up late playing games and laughing together. I am excited for them to read books that will challenge them and cause them to ask questions about the world around them. I am excited for them learn how to live with less (which includes grocery shopping on a very small budget). I know that I am an easily excited person, but seriously, this is good stuff! More than anything though, I am excited to see Jesus come alive in them as they live out this call to love and be loved...to serve and be served...to listen and learn. I am excited to see them cling to a Saviour who cares more about their neighborhood and injustice than they ever could. We leave tomorrow morning for Orientation in Chicago. This is the beginning of what will be a really exciting year! I feel blessed to be part of it all!

Dear Friends...

2011-08-10T23:19:00.000-07:00

One thing you don't want to hear at 1:30 am is "Mommy-Daddy...I had an accident." So I am still awake after cleaning up a pretty sweet mess. I am struggling to sleep tonight. I lay awake thinking, processing, and praying. I am asking questions that have no answers...
Over a year ago our great friends Drew and Diane introduced us to Adam and Becca. They had been working in Atlanta through a ministry and wanted to move into downtown and live incarnationally in a neighborhood close ours. They didn't know exactly where yet, but we were totally praying it would be close to us. You see...they are awesome. They have an incredible heart for God and for people. They also have a spunky-sweet-full-of-personality 2 year old that hit it off with Ava immediately. This past winter, they started working on their new house which amazingly enough is about 2 minutes from our house (and if it's less than 90 degrees I could totally walk). We have loved having them so close and have been so encouraged by their heart for the neighborhood, Jesus, and how they love and are loved by those around them. After a LONG journey they were able to close on their house last week in time to have their new baby son Caden. When Caden was born, they found something wrong with his heart. You can read their blog for more details Stanley Blog. Our hearts ache for our friends as they go through this unthinkable--scary--time. I find myself praying constantly and bring distracted all the time thinking of them and their sweet boy. This week in my girls bible study we were studying Daniel and the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. I was so challenged by my own faith as I read this story. They were told to worship other Gods and their response was “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” Do I trust that God can deliver us from the fire? I am praying with faith that God can heal Caden. He is the same God that rescued these men from the fiery furnace and performed miracle after miracle. Please join me in praying for my friends. I pray to the one and only God-the Healer, Redeemer, Savior, Restorer. I pray for faith as I wrestle with questions that can't be answered. I am so grateful that I serve a personal God who loves people 100x more than I ever could.

Hot time, summer in the city...

2011-07-07T10:30:00.000-07:00

We have had an incredible summer so far! We have made many trips, had lots of visitors, enjoyed fun summer things in the ATL. We have celebrated with friends who have gotten engaged, started new life adventures, gotten pregnant, and had babies.

This past weekend we were able to drive up to Caleb's parents house in East Liverpool, OH for a long weekend. It was a 14 hour drive there and 14 hour drive back. I think the kids handled it better than I did. Every time we make a trip to the midwest and back there is a little part of me that thinks "why do we live so far away?" I think that part of me thought that 1) this would all just get easier after a few years or 2) we would end up moving back to the midwest to be close to family. Well, neither of those things have happened and honestly, I don't forsee either of them happening. We are at peace with our decision to be in Atlanta. God has given both Caleb and I jobs that we love and a depth with our community that we could have never imagined. Some days are harder than others but most of the time, I can't imagine being anywhere else.

Ava continues to make me laugh everyday. Her most recent hilarious thing is playing bop-it. Her record now is 26 in a row, which I think is impressive for a 3 year old. She has also memorized what the bop-it man says and will repeat things like "Is this your first time playing bop-it, you're out."   She also watched Mary Poppins over the weekend and sings the chimney sweep song and A Spoon Full of Sugar repeatedly. We plan to put her in dance class this fall and I am sure she will love every minute. Today she asked me "mom, wouldn't it be silly if Cinderella met Mary Poppins?" Yes, it would.

We are also looking with much anticipation toward friends moving into Pittsburgh! Yes, that's right...more people in Pittsburgh! Our street is incredible and our neighbors are awesome and I look forward to my Coleman St. neighbors being able to all welcome our new friends to the neighborhood. We have longed for more community in Pittsburgh and the thought of other believers being so close is more exciting than I can express!  Pittsburgh has become even more empty in the 4 years we have been there and it's so neat to see God move in others hearts to want to move in!

Here are some pics of our trip to East Liverpool. Enjoy.

Jay and Ava shared a little bath time.

The Starr family at the wharf.

Boys hanging out...Jay is so big now!

Who doesn't love some chili cheese fries from the hot dog shop!

Such a happy guys! and he loves his sister!

Paddle boat ride.

How funny is it to put a baby in a life vest?!

Hanging out with grandpa!

Time with grandma before we boarded our paddle boats.

Hilton Head 2011

2011-06-13T13:09:00.000-07:00

Since I discovered that I can turn my blog into a book at the end of the year, I am going to blog a whole lot more! This years annual beach trip included the Henleys and the Niederfringers. It was a great time. 11 people, 2 bedroom condo, too many trips to the beach where kids were covered in sand, yummy food, great fellowship, limited melt-downs, SOOO much sunscreen, wonderful bike rides, sand castles, naps, and Sequence. We love Hilton head.

6 months...give or take a couple weeks.

2011-06-13T12:28:00.000-07:00

We finally had Jay's 6 month doctor appointment. Our "little guy" is 19 lbs and 28 inches long! In case you are wondering...that's a pretty big kid. He is so happy and has been eating a lot of different food already. Here is a good picture of him and his happy self.

Jay's Dedication

2011-06-08T22:18:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture from Jay's dedication. We also wrote a letter to him that I am going to share here because then it's somewhere that I can't lose it when one day, I want him to read it:)! Also, it will help all the family from back home feel a little like they got to be a part of the dedication.

Jay,
We want to celebrate today the miracle and gift God has given us in you. We want to dedicate you to Lord knowing that He is the giver of life and it is He that has entrusted you to us for a short time. You come into this world helpless, in need of care and love and protection. But we, as your parents, commit to so much more than that. We commit you to the Lord and we commit ourselves to bringing you up with a love and reverence for Him and also to have a deep love for people.
We named you Jay after your mommy’s grandpa. He was a man of God who loved life and loved those around him. He was joyful and always had a song to sing and a joke to tell. He was generous and kind, giving to anyone that needed anything. He was wonderful husband and father and though you will never meet him, we want you to know the meaning behind the name we have given you.
Your mother and I are very different but one common characteristic is our heart for people. We want our children to also have a heart that longs to love people. God has a heart that never gives up but always works to make beautiful and make whole that which is broken and lost….a redeeming heart. This is why we chose Redeem as your middle name. We have been redeemed by the blood of Christ and want our children to also know that our Redeemer lives and He can redeem that which is broken and lost.
We are so thankful for you dearest Jay. Your life so far has been filled with smiles and cuddles and happiness around your big sister. You are loved by your heavenly father and you are loved by us. You are also loved by a wonderful community of friends and believers who are here today to hold us accountable teaching you about our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Our prayer is that you will know Him and desire to serve him as you grow into a man. We are glad you are our son! Love, Mom and Dad

The Call...Our Mission Year Story.

2011-06-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

It was 6 years ago this week (give or take few days) that I got a call from the Mission Year recruiting department. "Hey Ashlee, just wanted to let you and Caleb know that you are accepted for Mission Year in the fall and we are excited to have you guys in Atlanta." Excitement, panic, joy-emotions filled my head and heart. We were really going to do it. We had decided that if they accepted us, we were headed to Atlanta. I called Caleb and we immediately began preparations (such great planners we are!).

p.s. (R)This was the picture I sent with my MY application. I guess I was REALLY enthusiastic (and liked hot pink?) Somehow, they still accepted us:) The other picture is our last night in our K-town apartment eating cereal out of anything we could find.

It all started during a spring break trip to Atlanta. We connected with the Mission Year married team who was living on Atlanta's Westside. They shared their hearts with us and told us about their year of serving. We got to meet Leroy Barber who came to their apartment, bought us pizza, and got me hooked on this idea of taking a year of my life (and my husband's life) to live intentionally, love Jesus, and love the people around me. Sounded simple, right?:). After MANY conversations, Caleb and I were sure that this was what we had been looking for. We knew we loved the City, we felt called to serve the poor, and we loved Jesus a lot. When else were we going to have the chance to give away all our stuff (for some reason I guess we weren't thinking we might actually NEED "stuff" when we got done with Mission Year), quit our jobs, and move to a new place to serve alongside people with similar hearts for ministry?

Our next call...this time it was Jeff Delp (one of our City Directors) telling us that he had found the house we were going to live in. "Excuse me, 1 house...for all three couples?" I guess they had decided to "try out" putting the married teams in one house. I am now more grateful for that call than I could describe. Our time of intentional community produced 4 of the most amazing friendships we have ever known.

And then there was the call to my parents..."Mom and Dad, as it would turn out, we love it here and really feel like God is calling us to stay in Atlanta." It only took one year for us to realize that this was home.

We now get to serve with Mission Year in the role of Mission Year married City Directors. We could not be more excited to see teams arrive this fall and watch them begin a journey that so deeply impacted the direction of our lives. Not everyone stays in the city and that is totally fine but no matter where you go after, life will be different. We are different because of a decision we made to take a year away from everything we knew and trust that God had a plan for us.

Grateful..

2011-04-11T23:15:00.000-07:00

It's 2 am. Our house is very still and quiet as Caleb and the kids are soundly asleep in their beds. I am so grateful for all three of them. Caleb has a quiet strength that I could not begin to express. He encourages me every day with his patience and his desire to love me in the ways that I best understand love. I knew 8 years ago that I loved this man. I knew that I wanted to spend my life with him but I don't think I had a clue of how incredible God's design of marriage really could be. Easy all the time? Not even close, but so rich and full of beauty and Grace and forgiveness. I am grateful for Caleb. And then there is Ava...Oh my little spunky, full of personality little girl. Each day, she amazes me at her words and her thoughts and how she is starting to see the world. She makes me laugh more than any 1 person ever has. She is more social than I would have thought possible at age three. Each day as we get out of the car she will say to ANY child walking down the street (even if we don't know them) "want to come over to my house?" She wants hugs and kisses al the time and will say to me anytime I leave the house "I love you so much!" I am grateful for Ava. And now we have Jay. He has been a bundle of cuddles and smiles. He also LOVES people (specifically me right now). If you look at him, talk to him, pick him up, or waive a toy in his face...he immediately starts to move his whole body in one huge movement. He started laughing at Ava, who gets up in his face and says "Hi baby...it's your big sister" in the squeakiest-highest pitched voice you could imagine. I am grateful for Jay. I am grateful for our community in Atlanta and the friends that God has placed around us here. As we continue to pray for direction about where God is leading us, I don't want to ever stop being grateful for these things. It doesn't mean that I achieve an attitude of being grateful all the time, but it's my prayer that as I read back through these thoughts, they can be a reminder to me.

Life with 2...

2011-03-12T19:11:00.001-08:00

Jay is three months old. I can hardly believe it. The transition to two kids has been pretty easy. We did 1 and then 3 and now 2. A little out of order, but we did feel pretty prepared for some additional craziness. Tonight we have the girls and I was even more reminded of how different life is with lots of kids. To be honest, I kind of love the crazy. All three girls are sleeping on the floor in Ava's room and they all look so sweet. Hard to believe that only an hour ago we were reeking havoc on a Zaxby's. Ava has been super funny lately. She has fits that drive me but then she says hilarious things. Yesterday she said "Mommy, maybe when I throw a fit or cry, you could just pray for me." Oh darling, if you only knew how much mommy prays for your fits! I am back to work a few days a week and really loving my time back. I know the kids are well cared for and I get to do something I love.

Jay has been an incredibly happy baby. I feel like his whole body smiles when he smiles. We are still working on the whole "sleeping at night thing" but it's so easy the rest of the time, that I don't really care.

We got to take a trip to Disney World with mom and dad which was awesome. Our friend, Mike Fitz from HC, showed us around Magic Kingdom for the day and we had a blast. My favorite Ava moment was right after she got off the roller coaster and said "That was crazy...that roller coaster made my tummy feel better."

Right now we are in the midst of participating in lent. We each have chosen things to give up in order to focus more on Christ during this season. I am praying that during this season, we will continue to have more clarity about what God is doing in our family and that he would direct us toward what he would have for the future.

Here are some pictures from the last few weeks...

Things that make us "us" (or Things That Make Us Not Real Adults)

2011-03-12T18:55:00.000-08:00

Today I was realizing that I struggle keeping up with "the little things." I have determined that most of these things are the daily responsibilites that come with being an adult and a parent. I started coming up with a list of such things that I thought I would share. I feel like in college, most of these things are acceptable but somehow, we have just not been able to quite "get it together." If anyone would like to offer us help, we would take it:)
1. We have been missing some clean laundry lately. We are pretty sure it's in a bag from a trip to Florida almost 2 months ago that we never unpacked...this bag is currently missing.
2. I have only washed my hair 1 time in the last 7 days.
3. Our van has fast food cups dating back at least 1 month.
4. Our van...it deserves it's own number but I have no idea how to begin describing it.
5. I had to ask a friend to make Ava a lunch for school because I was out of bread to make it myself becuase we hadn't grocery shopped in 3 weeks.
6. I found a pair of pants of Ava's under the couch today...they were size 12 month. She is 3. Guess they have been there a while.
7. I found a bag of poppy clothes from Jay from Christmas....last week.
8. Ava hasn't worn matching socks in months...nor have I.

I can't blame any of this on multiple kids or a crazy schedule....it's just who we are. I am going to keep this list so that in a few years when we are way more responsible, I can look back and say "oh what kids we were back then."

And baby makes 4!

2010-11-30T06:47:00.000-08:00

CAUTION: Birth Story details...I wanted to write this down while it was still fresh. I am sure that Caleb and Diane remember more than I do!

We went to my midwife appointment yesterday morning at 8am. I was 9 days overdue and our midwife had already discussed breaking my water at this appointment. I was 5cm dilated and fully effaced. I was also strep B positive and she wanted me to get at least 1 round of anti-biotics before the baby was born. Well, the midwife had been on call all weekend so a brand new midwife walked in the office. She said that Margaret was sleeping and Anjeli was out of town. At over 41 weeks, I did not want to talk to another person about our birth "plan" (if you can call it that...hehe). Anyway, I got really sad. She left the room to get something and when we came back she said, "Margaret is here!" Seriously, HUGE answer to a pray that I didn't even specifically pray. Margaret had no doubt that she wanted to break my water and sent me over to the hospital to get my anti-biotics. She broke my water at 12:30 and realized there was Meconium in the fluid. This being the case, even the thought of a water birth wasn't an option (hospital policy). I was fine with that. She also breifly thought that the baby might be breach. Again, not awesome to hear. Around 3:00 I started feeling contractions. Once they started, they were fast and intense. I am not sure the progression from being 5cm at 12:30 and being 10 cm by about 4:30 because I only felt the contractions for about 1.5 hours before I started pushing and Margaret never really told me where I was at...I remember hearing her say "your in transition " after about an hour of feeling contractions. None of us can remember how long I pushed....somewhere between 30 min and an hour???? At 5:38 after about 2.5 hours of labor, we were able to meet baby Jay. He was not small! I did promise to never birth another child again so we will see if I change my mind. Having Margaret as the midwife and Caleb and Diane there for support was incredible. I had a bad experience getting the epidural with Ava and wanted to have a natural birth this time. Margaret did her thing and Caleb and Diane were just able to support me and it ended up that no epidural was needed (and I will be the first to admit that I probably wouldn't have survived a marathon labor without some drug intervention!). I feel great today and even though I have not slept much because of constant medical staff interruptions, I have a good amount of energy! Atlanta Medical was fabulous and the staff was amazing. I am grateful for a healthy baby boy and to be home after 24 hours.

Waiting and Advent...

2010-11-19T06:44:00.000-08:00

Advent...a time of expextant waiting and anticipation. I have been looking up ideas for Advent for our family this year. Last year, we tried to read with the girls every night for advent and talk through what Christmas is really about. They were old enough that Anniiyah would read her children's bible and Caleb and I would read out of another book. This year will look different having a 3 year old and a newborn, but we want to start our advent traditions while they are young. Thinking about what advent means at the end of pregnancy brings up many similarities...I am in one of the greatest periods of "expectant waiting and anticipation" that I ever feel. When I was pregnant with Ava, I was having her so close to Christmas that I read a lot about Mary. What must she have felt like? All the anticipation of your first child?! I thought about how I would feel if Caleb told me "Honey, I am going to take you on a long trip on a donkey...I mean I know you are 9 months pregnant, but we have to do this!" This time, being pregnant so close to the beginning of Advent, I think about how I prepare to celebrate the coming of Christ this year (and each year). Caleb and I tend to not be the most "prepared" people in general. I am just excited that it's two days before my due date and I actually have my stuff in a bag and we found the car seat (which I cleaned off from Ava finally)! I think about how I prepare my heart for this Advent season. Am I waiting in anticipation to celebrate Christ coming to this world as a baby? To be honest, my heart is pretty self focused and I am thinking more about "not being pregnant" than anything else. As I continue to wait for the arrival of baby Starr, I pray that I am able to prepare my heart a little more for the season that we are about to celebrate. NOTE: I am still VERY ready for the baby to be here and I am pretty sure he is never coming out...but why focus on that:) I found a picture from last Christmas when we set up our tree with the kids. They kept breaking things and would say "OH NO! Christmas is broken!" Excited to have new Christmas pics from this year...I really enjoy the Holidays!

Progress?

2010-11-10T10:06:00.000-08:00

Well, today was our 38+ week midwife appointment. Ava was so sweet at the appointment. They always let her hold the doppler thing to listen for the baby's heartbeat. Once we heard it today she looked up at Caleb and said "Daddy Daddy, that's my baby brother...it's his heart!" Caleb and I had been in serious discussion about if I should ask her to check my "progress." At the last minute, I decided to ask her...I am 3cm dilated, 80% effaced, and some other things I don't understand completely. Caleb's fear is that if I know how I am progressing, I will freak out and constantly think the baby is going to be born in the car (this may have been my reaction with Ava). Needless to say, I am not freaking out and know that I could still have a LOT longer before we get to meet baby boy Starr. It does however inspire me to get a little "responsible." I am going to sit down and make a list of things to do....such as...pack a bag, get the bassinet and car seat from friends, pack something for Ava, etc. I am grateful for friends who want to take walks and who bring dinner over when I am clearly not cooking, and take my child for a few hours so I can rest. We decided very last minute to have carpet installed in the bedrooms so in the next two days we need to move everything out of both rooms, paint the kids room (which involves picking out paint colors today), carpet needs installed, and then everything needs moved back. This may have been an ambitious project to try and accomplish in a 5 day period of time (Sunday we decided that we might want to get carpet, Monday the guy brought samples and we picked a color, Tuesday the carpet was purchased, and Friday it's being installed). I am very much looking forward to the arrival of baby boy Starr...after Friday:)

Conversations with my two year old...

2010-11-08T12:46:00.000-08:00

Lately Ava has been saying funny things. Since I know I will forget them...I need to write them down.

Saturday:
Ava walks into the kitchen with something inside her pajamas. I ask her what it is and she says "It's my baby...want to feel him move?" Then a few minutes later she unzips her super cute footed jammers and says "Welcome baby brother....he's here!" And out comes Mr. Dog (posing as baby brother).
Later that night...
Ava was reading books to Mr. Dog on the floor before we were getting ready to leave. She wanted to bring the books (and the rest of her set-up of blankets and pillows) with us. She asked if I could carry the book and I agreed. She looked at me and said "Thank you Mommy, you are such a big helper!"
Today:
I had lunch with Ava and Caleb during my work day. Here is our conversation as we were driving back to the office:
Ava: Mommy are you coming home?
Ashlee: No, I need to go back to my office and work on a consent agreement.
Ava: Can I come help you?
Ashlee: I thought you just said you were tired...
Ava: Oh yeah...well, you can call someone else to come help you then...but not Carrie because I took her to the airport last morning...
Ashlee: That sounds good...(pulling up to the office now).
Ava: Don't forget to call someone if you need help...it's ok to get help.

2 more weeks...

2010-11-07T17:28:00.001-08:00

Well, we are down to the end of the road on this pregnancy. Our bedroom is cleaned! We still don't have a name nor are we registered at the hospital...but we can have a water birth if we want to because we are certified in that! I am sure there are many other things that I haven't thought about for time #2 but I figure we can figure it out after he is here.

I have been sick a lot lately with stomach ailments but now feel a ton better! I have been processing a lot what a second baby will be like for our little family of three. Ava seems to adjust well to change but she is much older now than she was when the girls lived with us and has so many more opinions! She is excited about baby brother. Yesterday, she put her dog inside her footed pajamas and then told me she was having a baby and I could feel him because he was moving. Then she pulled him out and said "Welcome baby brother...he's here!" I have some anxiety about the actual "delivery" part because I know it will be very different this time than the first time (seeing the midwives is very different than the doctor I saw the first time). Regardless, in a few short weeks, we will again have a newborn and I am convinced that I will sleep more than I am sleeping now...even if he cries a lot at night! It's a good thing that I have a few years to figure out what to do with a boy!

Work has been so good lately and I continue to be grateful for me job. I am happy to have a good bit of time off to spend with Ava and the baby but will miss working with my clients. I continue to see so much injustice as it relates to housing. I wish that I could be a part of a bigger picture for change. I drive through my neighborhood and see so many empty houses and then I work with clients who are losing their housing and get calls every day from people who are homeless and need housing....why can't some of these things come together! I never run out of things that I would like to be a part of...I pray often for wisdom that I can discern where God has really called me to invest.

Speaking of....We have talked a lot about foster care lately. We are praying through what it would look like to be foster parents again. We don't have the option in the house we currently live in, but again as we drive around and see huge houses sitting empty I can't help but think about our future as parents for children who don't have anyone to care for them. We just need a bigger house:)!

I leave you with a few pictures from Halloween...a holiday that was not celebrated by my family growing up but that we have been able to have fun with as Ava was a little older this year. We don't want to take lightly some of the evil that is present in our world, but we don't have to be a part of that. Bring on the candy and cute costumes! This was actually the first time that Caleb or I had ever been trick or treating as well as Ava's first time! We enjoyed ourselves and were excited for the friends who invited us to tag along with their 2-3 year olds as well.

No blog for a LONG time!

2010-05-20T08:02:00.000-07:00

To describe the last 5 months....

Change. Adjustments. Joy. New Jobs. travel. potty training. tantrums. Lots of singing!

Going back to life with 1 child took more adjustment than I thought. At times I think it was harder to adjust back to 1 child than it was to adjust to having three instantly. We are excited that baby Starr #2 will be here in November. It's been a good year so far with Caleb, Ava and I. Our house is still filled with kids which makes life good for Ava. She misses the girls a lot but luckily, we have a couple girls that live next door who are about Anniiyah and Makayla's age that she gets to play with a lot.

Our newest challange has been potty training and the "2 year old attitude." If I survive Ava being two, it's a small miracle. She is more fun than I could have ever imagined but she has been become much more challenging than I thought. I keep telling myself "this will pass."

Caleb and I got a chance to go to Puerto Rico alone for 5 days. It was incredible to have so much time together. Soon I will post pictures of Ava and our beach trip with the Henley's.

I wrote the above post in May and never posted it. Oops! It's now October and it's been almost 10 months since I have updated. I miss posting on the blog because it's a great way for me to go back and read about what I was thinking and feeling at different points in time....and for the 4 other people who read it, you too can know what's been going on. hehe.

This year we made it through potty training, transition to a big girl bed, removal of the pacifier, 34 1/2 weeks of pregnancy (so far), Caleb being on disability for 2 months, a new program at my job that took insane amounts of energy, multiple short term service groups, and about 10 trips all over the country. Life has been good and full.

Ava continues to be full of energy. She tells stories and sings songs constantly. Her favorite story is about when she was born. She reads through her baby book and says "This is when I was crying and they gave me to mommy and I was so happy....and this is when Nana and Pops came to take care of me...and pops had a mustache!" She thinks that dad's mustache is hilarious and let's be honest, what mustache isn't hilarious! Yesterday she kept singing a song called "I'm a stick." We have no idea what she is talking about but she just keeps singing. She started preschool this year and gets to be in class with her best friend Zachary and another friend named Sam. We hear some other kids names mentioned but not often. Some days I feel like she is so easy and other days, I want to pull my hair out by her lack of listening. The girl always has an agenda and she will tell me what a good "plan" for the day is. I am nervous for her to grow up:).

Caleb has decided to apply to be a City of Atlanta Fireman. I have a LOT of mixed feelings about this but overall, I am excited for him. The application process was SUPER long and took us almost a month to compile all the documents needed but he got an email last week saying that he need to come to a mandatory orientation for the physical exam...so I guess that's a step in the right direction. We are both praying that God will lead him to know the best decision to make. He LOVES Habitat so much but it doesn't seem to be a sustainable place for the future (have I mentioned how much insurance for our family costs! blah!....the city provides great benefits).

I continue to love the Georgia Law Center more than I can describe. I knew pretty early on in Mission Year from working at Central that advocating for my clients was something that I loved doing. I am grateful to be able to enjoy work and also get plenty of great time with Ava since I am only part-time. I am anticipating meeting the newest member of our family in the next 5-6 weeks. These past few weeks have been really long and I am ready for pregnancy to be over. We still don't have a name so he continues to be "baby boy Starr." I am also excited to watch Ava get to be a big sister. She is very excited for "baby brother."

We have been able to continue our relationship with Anniiyah and Makayla and I love them so much. Continue to pray for their adjustment to home and lots of siblings and another new school (they moved again since being back with mom) and visitation with fathers. It's a lot for kids to handle.

And once again...we prepare to transition to a new phase of life...the newborn stage! I have a feeling that Ava will be all up in baby brothers business all the time! We have been working on being gentle. She told me the other day "I won't hurt baby brother...I will be careful!" She asked me yesterday if baby brother was crying in my stomach.

I will post some pics soon and hopefully update about baby brothers arrival!

Home Alone..

2009-12-18T22:26:00.000-08:00

Tonight Caleb and I are home alone without kids for the first time in two years. I always talk about just wanting moments of peace and silence but it's feels weird. Caleb and I love time just together but tonight feels different. I started to write this whole blog but I am just not sure I can right now. We dropped the girls off with their mom tonight. We both felt a level of peace knowing that this is how it has to be for now. We pray. We wait. We hope. We don't pray that the girls come back to live at our house. We pray that they can be healthy and thrive with their mom who loves them. We pray that we can continue to love them in a different way now that we are not serving in the role of their parents. Oh how precious are these girls to us! Thank you for your encouraging words, and text messages, and phone calls, and facebook comments! We can't tell you how much we appreciate them all. We are Indiana bound tomorrow!

The end?

2009-12-08T20:40:00.000-08:00

It was exactly one year ago today that I got a call saying that Anniiyah, Makayla, and their brothers and sisters were taken into the states custody. We began calling social workers trying to figure out how we could have Anniiyah and Makayla come live with us for "a while." We didn't know what "a while" meant and at the time it seemed indefinite. Over the past year, we have had many ups and downs in dealing with the state and what our role is for this family and what the future would look like. We have had countless meetings to figure out what the best thing would be for all the children involved. We picked up the girls and about 15 garbage bags of their stuff 10 months ago today. Life changed a TON that day. We became parents of three kids instantly. I have said several times over this past year "I am really young and really inexperienced and I just don't know if I have the ability to do ALL this." God has been so faithful to us in equipping us to do what we needed to do. By His strength, we were able to be a family of 5 who actually made it to school and work on time, had a semi-clean house (it's all about perspective), and were able to get most necessary things accomplished. It also helps that we have had an incredible community of people to do life with!

Yesterday, I got a call saying that the state was granting custody back to the girls mom as of December 18th. I knew this was more than likely going to happen, but it instantly brought a flood of emotions. I am glad that reunification is happening. The girls love their mom and she loves them. I pray that this will be a healthy transition for the entire family. My heart hurts though over the family that I am losing. I know it's selfish but I love my family of 5. I love hearing "mommy, I missed you so much when I was at school today" every day from Makayla. I love Anniiyah's clumsiness as she flings herself all over the house. I love that Ava tries to do everything that Makayla does and follows her around like her shadow. We have only had them for a little less than a year but our family feels complete with them. I know that in some ways, life will get a lot easier. I realized that I spend countless hours of the week dealing with fits, and getting Makayla to eat, and doing hair, and redoing hair, doing homework, all those other things that come with having a 7 and 5 year old. Yesterday though when I was driving home, I couldn't think of any of those things. I could only think of all the incredible things that these girls bring to our lives that we are going to miss. I kept thinking...is this really the end? Are they really not going to live with us anymore? Yes, they are going home and will not be here everyday but I know that this is in no way the "end" of anything. We have loved their entire family for four years and we will continue to love their family...and their family loves us! I needed my time to cry yesterday but today I feel more peace. We said a year ago that we would do whatever we needed to do, for as long as we needed to do it. We will continue to love Anniiyah and Makayla and their mom and all their brothers and sisters... The next couple weeks will be full of emotion as we prepare to take the girls back home but I am praying that we will all feel the presence of our Savior. We were shopping last night and looking at Christmas stuff and Anniiyah said "Mom, don't forget the most important thing about Christmas...Jesus!" So true! What a great time of year to be constantly focused on the birth of Christ and on His life...I know I am going to need that over these next couple weeks! Thank you for all our support and encouragement!

Video's for Christmas

2009-12-06T08:01:00.000-08:00

Here are a few video's from the past week or so. The first video is after we broke a snowman when puting up the Christmas decorations. Ava put her hand on her head and said "oh no, Christmas is broken!" It was super cute and I tried to get her to do it agin. The next video is of Makayla performing her favorite song.... I would post more video's but it takes SOOO long to get them to load.

A blurr....

2009-11-12T20:25:00.000-08:00

Oh my...The last month has been a blur! I will give some highlights and obviously post pictures!

The girls began weekend visits with their mom. We continue to pray for healing and restoration for these precious girls. I wish we could know what that actually means. They are struggling to understand what is happening. It's a lot of transition for them to be with us for 5 days and mom for 2.

* Went to Indiana for Aunt Kourtney's wedding. Kids and parents were all very tired by the end of the journey. Great wedding and we are excited for Kourtney and Brandon to start their life together!

I also got to be the matron of honor in Tricia's wedding. Tricia and I have been best friends since 8th grade and it was an honor to share in her and Chauncey's special day. Big marriage month!

I have started to come to the realization that our family may soon by changing. It was exactly one year ago that we started talking and praying about what our role would be in the life of Anniiyah and Makayla and their mom and their siblings. We had conversations with friends and felt called to do anything we could to bring them into our family. We knew that it was likely temporary. We also knew that we wanted them to be with their mom if possible. This past year has not been easy but God has been very real to us. He has showed us that we need to let go of trying to control our lives. We can't plan...we have no idea what tomorrow might look like. Evey Sunday night I feel like we start over. For all the hard, I look at my beautiful girls and I am so thankful I got to know and love them as much as I have. The level of joy that they bring to our home can't be described. Court is December 8th and we are thankful for your prayers. I wish I could tell you exactly how to pray but I am still processing.

On a lighter note...we are getting excited for Christmas. We are going to do something special with the girls for advent every evening becuase we want to instill in them what Christmas is about.

I wish I had some good videos to post of all the dancing that goes on in our house these days. My favorite moments are when we are all hanging out and the girls and dancing and singing at the top of their lungs. Ava loves hte Little Mermaid and sings "Part of that WOOOOORRRRRLLLLLDDDDDD" at the top of her lungs. Makes me laugh every time! Makayla and Ava love to find anything they can use for dress up (for ava it's a floppy pink hat) and they follow each other around the house with a shopping cart. OH the life of three little girls!

Pumpkin Patch 09

2009-10-10T17:10:00.001-07:00

Tonight we went to a pumpkin patch somewhere outside of the city. It was a lot of fun and the girls had a blast. Some of my highlights are as follows:
1. Carrie getting yelled at by the worker at the pumpkin patch and then him following us around micromanaging us.
2. Anniiyah announcing that she couldn't trust daddy anymore because he left her in the haunted castle
3. Carried telling a 6 year old boy "please do not talk to me" because he too tried to reprimand us.
4. Getting to walk out into a real pumkin patch and cut out our own pumkin.
5. After finding a pumpkin and letting Anniiyah hold it she was instantly exhausted and told caleb that he was breaking her muscles by making her hold it.
7. Caleb "milking" a fake cow.
6. At Waffle House afterward Makayla asked the waitress to open up her Mayo packet and put the mayo on her burger. We said "makayla, we can put your mayo on for you, the waitress doesn't need to do it" and makayla says "but I want her to do it, she is my best friend."

Fall is here...

2009-10-04T19:29:00.000-07:00

In this picture the girls are Hannah Montanna and Ava is Lilly and Caleb is Bobby Ray and I am Hannah's mom and Anniiyah says "and Becky, you can be our #1 fan."

I haven't blogged in a while so I won't try and catch up. Fall is finally starting to hit Atlanta. I LOVE this weather. The next couple months are why I love Atlanta so much! The girls are continuing to enjoy school and life. We have a lot of hard moments...moments where life doesn't quite make sense for them. I wish I had magic words to help them better understand what is going on in their little lives but most of the time, I need someone to explain to me what's going on. We continue to hold on to the fact that 1. God is faithful and 2. He is present in their lives and in our family and 3. He loves our girls more than we ever could. I wish I wrote down on the funny stuff that they say but I can only remember a couple for now....Anniiyah is a little sponge. She absorbs all kinds of information and then talks ALL THE TIME!

Anniiyah: "Daddy, the good stuff is good...you know what I mean."

Caleb: "I really have no idea."

Anniiyah: "This bead stands for Pentecost...Pentecost is when God gave the people the Holy Spirit and they spoke in other languages."

Makayla: "That girl is crazy...FOR REAL"

Ava: "Movie and popcorn....boots, boots, boots!"

I start my new job at the GA Law center tomorrow. I will be the Eviction Prevention Casemanager (or something like that...still figuring out the title). I am really excited. I feel like my gifts are used so much more when I am working with people. The next month is going to be very busy and very full but I am excited for weddings and fun with family and great friends. Here are a few pics from the last month...

Beach 2009

2009-08-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to Hilton Head Island this past week with the Henley's. It was amazing and as relaxing as possible with three kids. We took lots of trip to the ocean and took a lot of bike rides. Thank goodness for a really nice McDonald's play place that we could ride bikes to. All our girls LOVE the water. Enjoy some pics.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1....

2009-08-29T10:53:00.000-07:00

This week is usually a big week for us every year... Even though we didn't know her yet, 5 years ago yesterday, our little Makayla came into the world. 4 years ago this week, we moved into our first house in Atlanta. Hard to believe that we would love it as much as we did. 3 years ago we settled into our new life post Mission Year, while we continued to live in community in South Atlanta. 2 years ago we bought our house and embraced Pittsburgh as our new community. 1 year ago we were still getting used to our new little baby and all the changes that come with it. This year, we have three wonderful kids that we are raising and loving and enjoying life with. I always have strong emotions when I think of 4 years ago when we pulled up to 911 Hank Aaron Drive. We had no idea what God was going to do after our one year commitment to Atlanta. It's hard to believe that so much of our life is still impacted by God leading us here to do Mission Year. Last night as we all stood around our table singing happy birthday, I looked at Makayla who was SUPER excited about the cake, the candles, the presents and the attention. She looked so happy and so innocent. I love my girls so much. I love celebrating special times with them. I know that it might not be forever but for as long as I can, I am going to keep loving them with all my heart. Below are some pictures of the party. Enjoy!

Good Days....

2009-08-17T20:30:00.001-07:00

Today was a good day. After months of confusion over the case with the girls, I feel like we have some clarity. I continue to pray for peace and wisdom but I felt like God was present in our meeting with DFCS today. We will continue to be the "fictive kin placement resources" for the girls because it's the healthiest option for them and us. We know that we are as permanent as we are allowed to be. We know God is in control. We will have our girls as long as we are able and if/when something changes, we trust that God is present. We continue to pray for stability but we know that the state can't mandate stability. Stability for our girls means being there every night when they go to bed...it means praying together, reading together, growing together, laughing together...it means kissing scrapes and mending hurts. We are a family for now...and I love my family so much! Tonight I was leaving the house and Makayla looked up at me and said "but mommy, I really REALLY want to go with you so very much." How can you turn that down?!

I wish I could capture all the precious moments that take place in our home every day. Tonight, Caleb started singing a song from the Little Mermaid. I joined in making it a duet and Makayla would chime in with any word that she knew. Pretty soon we look over and Ava is singing at the top of her lungs. We all stood in the kitchen belting out at the top of our lungs "PART OF THAT WORLD..." I want to always remember these moments. Moments where I sit down on the couch rest and instantly have three girls "resting" on top of me. You know...there are good days like today where we sing and dance and laugh...and then there are bad days when we clean up poop off the floor for the 10th time...but I will take the good days and the bad days because that's part of loving each other. But...I will take singing over poop any day.

Back to School

2009-08-14T21:11:00.001-07:00

Anniiyah and Makayla started back to school this week. It's going to be a challenging year but we are trying to be as prepared as possible. Anniiyah loves school and was instantly organizing her desk as soon as we got there. Makayla was....well, let's just say she was NOT organizing her desk.
We have been working on behavior a lot lately and having a lot of attitude checks. We sing a song that goes something like "Who's business is that business?" Anniiyah informed me this week that she really likes to be EVERYONE's business. She also lost her first baby doll named Lucy and when her mom bought her a new doll she decided to name it "Lucy II." Such a funny girl.

We went to the Zoo this week and the girls loved it. They have such a good time exploring and seeing new things. Makayla would walk up to all the different areas and say "OH my gosh...look at that!" I wish that I wrote down all the funny things that they say becuase I laugh at them all the time but then I forget it by the next day. Enjoy some new pictures.

The Starrs take on Savannah

2009-07-31T15:32:00.001-07:00

We took mom to Savannah for an over-night trip. It was great to hang out in Savannah and then spend the day on Tybee. It was the first time the girls had seen the beach or the ocean. It was a little exhausting to have three little ones in the ocean at one time but we all survived.

Ava wanted to sit in her own seat anytime we stopped. Many tears were shed over getting in her carseat

Ava was a hot mess!

Sitting by the river

Ava thought that hiding in the closet was awesome.

Sitting in one of the many squares...

It was a little hot for Ava. She was not happy without her "paci"

We Miss Catherine and Crystal

2009-07-31T14:51:00.000-07:00

Happy first month of travels! The girls each have personal messages for you. Send us more pictures with our ducky friend.

Ava has been doing lots of new things. She talks a lot now. She is excited to see you all again.

Anniiyah is about to start 1st grade. She is changing a lot and growing up. She has a new writing journel where she writes her emotions out and draws pictures about them. Last night she drew Caleb yelling at her and she had tears all over helself. It was really funny.

Makayla continues to be sassy. She has been watching this video of herself and copying her actions from the video. She will talk along with what she says in the video.

The Starr family continues in our crazy ways. Life is busy...We still go through lots of food, diapers, hair products, and guacomole! We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Cows

2009-07-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

So if you go to Chik-fil-a on cow appreciation day dressed like a cow, you get a free meal. Yeah! So here we are...dressed like cows...for the second year in a row.

New Phases...

2009-07-08T12:32:00.000-07:00

Ava had to sit in time out today for the first and second time ever. She bit our friends son and then tried to bite me. Where did she learn to do that? It's such evidence of our sin nature to me. She is a sweet little kid but when she wants something, she will do anything to get it. I feel like we work hard every day to teach good Jesus-like character to our kids. Some days are harder than others:)!
On another note...we have been enjoying the heat in Atlanta...or maybe not. We have been going down to the Centennial Park Fountains. Here are a few pictures...

Forgot the quotes...

2009-06-27T11:49:00.000-07:00

Ashlee: "Anniiyah you get a cookie for finding Ava's pacifier for me, Makayla you get a cookie for brining in the trash from the van, Ava you get a cookie for eating all your lunch..."

Anniiyah: "Mama Ashlee, are going to eat a cookie?"

Ashlee: "No, probably not"

Anniiyah: "why not, you do lots of good things every day!"

Anniyah: "Umm...Ashlee, I think baby Ava wants you to buy her this toy mail box"

Ashlee: "are you sure that you don't secretly want me to buy that mailbox for you?

Anniiyah: "No, Baby Ava looked at it like she really wanted it."

Anniiyah: "Ashlee, I just want us to be best friends"

Makayla (sitting at the breafast table, singing at the top of her lungs): "TOMORROW TOMORROW, I WUV YA TOMORROW....YOU'RE ONLY A DAY AWAY"

Blogging...

2009-06-26T20:44:00.000-07:00

I was on a blogging kick for a while. After a minor break, I will try and resume. Things with the kids has been so busy lately. We have been on many trips lately which has been great and tiring at the same time. We are about to leave for another trip to East Liverpool next week. The girls are all doing well. Anniiyah and Makayla are in a summer program and Ava and I are getting to spend a good amount of time just the two of us during the week. Many things have been happening wtih the girls case (which I will not detail in a blog) but continue to pray for wisdom in next steps. You can also pray that we will trust God for control with their lives instead of trying to keep control ourselves. I will end with some pictures and my favorite thing...kid quotes!

We spent a great week with great grandma

Ava likes to walk around in high heels

Hair Washing night.

Ava learned to do flips and she loves to do them!

Makayla held the flag at her preschool graduation

Ava's first corn on the cob

They Love each other.

Family day at Makayla's preschool

Peace Like A River...

2009-05-17T21:59:00.000-07:00

It's quiet in my house right now. I only hear the dryer which is on it's 25th load of the weekend. My days kind-of run together lately...beautifully, tiring, wonderful, hard, days a lot of times. As I type in the silence, I think about the normal noises in my house. At any time you will hear kids talking, singing, playing, or sometimes even arguing:). From Makayla I will hear "mommy" about 100 times a day...From Anniiyah I will hear her singing one of her made up songs that everyone needs to listen to, but no one else is aloud to sing along with. From sweet baby Ava I will hear the words "help, cheese, and doggie" repeated over and over again. The girls have been with us for a little over 2 months. In some ways it seems so much longer than that. I feel like we are starting to get into the flow....there are a lot of things that could be really hard about all this and I realized after a visit from the girls mom this week that I feel peaceful. A LOT is up in the air right now, but I know that God is present with us. In a devotional once the author talked about the idea of "peace like a river." I had sung a song a when I was a kid that talked about that, but never thought about the fact that rivers aren't super "peaceful." Most of the time they are rushing and changing and forcefu. A river can bend and twist in ways you aren't expecting. I feel that kind of peace right now. I pray that I the Lord will continue to give me a peace that is so clearly from Him becuase I often don't know which way things are going to "turn" next.

Tongiht Caleb and I got to go to a movie with friends for the first time in a LONG time. It was really nice to be out without anyone who needed something from me but at the same time, I love taking our kids with us places. I love how they think everything is so new and exciting. I love how everytime we get in the car, they all start dancing to "their song." Another big occurence of the night was that Ava pooped in the toilet. It was kind of a fluke but it's more and mroe exciting. I am not the mom that gets excited about poop becuase it's VERY exciting to me.

a few more pics...

2009-04-26T13:09:00.001-07:00

Nana with the girls on Easter Sunday morning.
We love to snack.

Painting at the children's museum.

Starting to eat like a big girl with a spoon!

trying to protect our hair by putting underwear on our heads. It didn't work so well.

4.5 years later...

2009-04-26T12:37:00.001-07:00

Last night I watched the DVD of Caleb and I's wedding. There were a lot of pictures of us sitting on the same steps as this picture below. What a different picture 4.5 years later! I am pretty sure in the picture below Makayla is mad at us, Ava is losing her mind, and Anniiyah is cooperating for the sake of the upcoming Easter Egg Hunt. Somehow, this is the best Easter picture of all of us that we ended up with:).

This week has been challenging. A few things happened that were completely beyond our control but they are things that could have drastically changed the current picture of our life. I have a hard time giving up control of life. Even when I have so clearly seen God's faithfulness to me over and over again, I want to fix things myself. I pray that I will go to my knees more and seek my Savior for the answers to hard questions. I pray for patience when the answer is not as I think it should be. I am so grateful for the picture of our current life. I don't know why God calls each of us to different things and different places but I want to cling to Him through every step. As I watched our wedding video, I was reminded that Caleb and I stood on the steps of my dad's church and said that we wanted to love the Lord and love each other and that we would see where that would take us. Only a few years later, it has taken us to Atlanta, kept us in Atlanta, and given us three wonderful girls to spend our time loving. In the midst of laundry, cooking, cleaning, mending, kissing hurts, sitting people in time out, rescuing little people from potential danger, I am trying to remind myself that these things can be done for the Glory of the God that I serve. The journey continues...

settled?

2009-04-15T07:35:00.000-07:00

It's been a month now that the girls have been with us. I think we are as "settled" as you can be with three kids. I feel like I am learning a lot with all this. Here are a few things that I think I have learned and that I am still learning...

* bed time is beautiful for a lot of reasons...we all pray together and read a story. Makaylah names every person we can think of to pray for. It also means that Caleb and I finally have a chance to connect...I realize even more how important that time is.

* Follow-through is really important when it comes to discipline. I am still working on this one.

* Toe nails and finger nails are ALWAYS growing!

* Those same finger nails are easier to clip when there is just a little bit of peanut butter underneath them:).

* a 10 hour road trip is manageable with enough Beyonce'.

* a six year is old enough to get herselfed dressed but not old enough to find the motivation to make it happen at 7am.

* Anything is better if it gets a kiss from Mama Ashawee.

* a 4 year old can be as sassy as any adult I know...

Here are my most recent cute quotes and conversations...

"I Love daddy Caleb so much...I just want to hug him and not let him go"

Makaylah: "It's my Uncle Shoe"

Anniiyah: "No, no he all of our Uncle DREW'S"

Makaylah: "Nope, he just MY Uncle Shoe"

Anniiyah: "Ashawee, I don't like when she says that he not my Uncle too"

Makaylah: "Kourtney, is that your brother?"

Kourt: "No, this is Brandon...I am going to marry him."

Makaylah: "You going to marry your brother?"

Kourt: "He is my fiance'"

Makaylah: "Brandon is your Beyonce'?"

Anniiyah: "Dear God, Thank you for the world, thank you for all my friends, thank you for the way you care, thank you for the friends we share." (she is on a "rhyming her prayers" kick)

Makaylah (walking through the target parking lot): "Ashawee I love you...oh no, oh no...."

Ashlee: What? (looking down I notice that her pants have fallen to her ankles). I hate it when that happens!

Early Mornings

2009-03-22T04:35:00.000-07:00

Caleb calls our stroller "the baby train."

I have never been a morning person (as all my family and friends can tell you). I tried to create Ava into a late morning girl as well. It worked well for a while but really she has always loved the morning. She wakes up happy and excited to start the day...shaking her crib until I come in and then squeeling in delight when she sees me. Everyday the second we take her out of her crib, she begins waving. I don't really know who she thinks she is waving to, but none the less...she waves. The great part was that on occasion, she would sleep in some...8:30, 9:00, it was awesome. With three children, I feel that my days of sleeping until 8:30 are long gone. Yesterday, Ava woke up at 7:00 but I got her to lay back down in my bed with me. About an hour late I hear a wisper outside my door...I see two little heads peaking through the cracks saying "Ashawee....we're hungry....can you make us oatmeal." Anniiyah and Makayla then decide to crawl in bed with me. Somehow during their "quiet" entry into my bed, Ava stays asleep. For the next 5 minutes we all lay in silence until I hear "Ashawee....can I watch Dora...." Time to get up and start the day.

Saturdays are tiring. Caleb is at work and I still haven't learned the art of entertaining at home. I am getting better but still feel like I need to take all children out of the house for some grand adventure. Yesterday that included a fabric store (where we got yelled at for touching too many things), big lots (where we had to have a lot of talks about how you can't always get what yo want), family dollar, and a bridal shower (I spent my time there chasing Ava...thank goodness for lots of friends who were also helping me chase children). It's now Sunday and from 7am to 8am I have gotten almost an hour of alone time. I hear little voices though and I am sure breakfast will need to be made soon. I will end this entry with some quotes from the week...

Anniiyah: "This girl at school had the same backpack as me and then this other girl had the same name...it's just all freaking me out!"

Makayla: "Sometimes, baby ava just gives me a headache."

Anniiyah: "In the morning, before school, Caleb gets us up and Ashawee just sleeps and sleeps and sleeps."

Makayla about hearing the song Bye Bye Bye: "Oohhh...that's my song!"

Dancing Queen

2009-03-18T06:17:00.000-07:00

change is good...

2009-03-17T06:44:00.001-07:00

I am making it a goal to write more on the blog. If for nothing else but to look back and be able to reflect. This past week held a lot of change. We now have the priviledge and responsibilty of loving 3 girls. I have felt a lot of things over the last 5 days. I am excited....I am scared...I am tired...I love each of my girls so much. At this point we know that our arrangement is not permanent, but we are going to love as much as humanly possible, teach them about Jesus as much as possible, grow with our girls as much as possible, and seek the face of Jesus while life takes on a lot of new shapes. I am sure that things will feel more normal after a couple weeks and I need to remind myself that I know plenty of people with three kids who are perfectly fine!

Last night when Caleb and I layed down in bed we started going through the day yesterday and the course of events...Here is a little rundown for all of you who are far away...
* Woke up to three very hungry kids...2 are NOT morning people and 1 thinks the morning is very funny
* ate breakfast, got dressed and began working on hair...
* after a little complaining and a lot of grease, the hair project was complete...
* 2 girls got loaded on strollers while the other sat on the toilet...for 45 minutes...
* After the toilet situation, we were going to be VERY late for the first day of school but what can you do????... (PART 1 of our day was all before 8:30 am).
* Got to school and I filled out paperwork for 1 hour! Caleb chased two little girls around the school office until finally we couldn't take it anymore...he signed what he needed to sign and took the little girls home...
* I finally left the school and walked home in the rain...this was the first time I had been alone in 4 days....
* I worked for a the rest of the day while caleb cooked, cleaned, did nap time, grocery shopped, and picked up Anniiyah from school
* We ate dinner with friends which was awesome becuase it was two more people to love on our girls (and us) and two more sets of hands to wipe noses, bottoms, and anything else that needed to be wiped:) (Love the Henleys)
* Finally we made the cookies that had been promised the night before...
* With cookies in the oven, it was time for baths...(Aunt becky assisted becuase i was holding the battery cord in the back of my computer to try and get it to turn on so I could get the files that I needed)
* After two cookies each (and one that got snuck to Ava while i was still holding the battery cord in my computer) it was finally time for a bed time book and bed...
* All girls to sleep by 8:30 and time to survey the damage from the day...
* By 10:00 the living room, dining room, and Kitchen are all up to Starr cleanliness standards (these are VERY low standards by the way) and we can sit and visit with Aunt Carrie who brought over hair products...
* 12:00 am brings about bed time becuase in 7 hours....here we go again! it was a good day...

SuperBowl Sunday

2009-02-01T15:57:00.000-08:00

This year, we are in Florida for the Super bowl. Caleb is of course excited about the Steelers. We are wearing our gear and giving off as much "mo-jo" as possible. We have lots of wings, snacks, and enthused fans:). I am the most excited about an hour of the office that is going to come on when the Super Bowl is over.

Ava is getting really good at walking, though she only chooses to do it when she wants to. Here are some videos.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-29T19:16:00.000-08:00

It's hard to beliee that last Christmas we were just getting used to having baby Ava around and now she is crawling around and "talking" and loving Christmas time. We have spent our time traveling from Kokomo to Columbus and soon we will be back in Kokomo. We hope to spend at least one night relaxing and celebrating our 4 year anniversary. Nana will be on Ava duty for the night and it will be her first night away from us. Here are some pictures from our break so far. For all those we have been away from...we are looking forward to seeing you some day soon! Merry Christmas!

We went to a light show in Columbus and ava was having a great time.

The Starr Family

Reunion with great friends!

Bundled up for the light show

CUte little Bunny

Family Pyramid

Trying to keep up with Ava (who was crawling away at the time)

Ava wasn't feeling the family picture

he he...

We all put on my mom's cheesy christmas sweaters and wore them on Christmas Eve night.

Ava's First Birthday

2008-12-21T16:22:00.000-08:00

A little taste of Ava's first birthday party...15 adults...15 kids...a good time was had by all!

changes

2008-12-02T06:43:00.000-08:00

Taking our picture in front of a beautifully decorated Christmas home!

DIane and I made Thanksgiving Wreaths!
Family Picture on Thanskgiving...or maybe the day after

Ava sitting in her perfect little rocking chair at Ann's

First Thanksgiving for both babies!

Enjoying a pre-thanksgiving snack

Wow! All the changes a year can bring. Last Thanksgiving I was pregnant and waiting for our "baby girl starr" to arrive. Now she is here and quickly approaching 1 year old! I thought about blogging some more thoughts but Ava has been sick for 5 days and I am just too tired to think of awesome things. So here are some pictures since I haven't been so good at posting lately.

New Blue House that our amazing friends and family helped us paint one weekend!

AVa loving Ikea

Ava loves time with Daddy

2008-11-05T07:09:00.000-08:00

Two pea's in pod...
Mike and Mike

Ava's first burrito...

Stealers family...

10 months old tomorrow!

2008-10-20T18:33:00.001-07:00

Getting back to her Indiana roots!

Hay and pumpkins

standing with a pumpkins help

she loves to eat!
Supporting her favorite sports team

Ava is 9 months!

2008-09-29T07:58:00.000-07:00

Biter Biscuit

2008-08-31T18:41:00.001-07:00

I gave Ava a "biter biscuit" for the first time this week. I was at Kroger and saw them for the first time and they seemed like something that she would enjoy. I was right...she LOVED it. These are some pics I took after she devoured the first one...

It's been a while...

2008-08-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

Sleeping with Mr. Dog as a pillow
fancy time
Ava with her pipe!
family fanciness
green dress baby
Family picture that is my new favorite
Drawing
new toy
So excited!

Ava's new favorite thing is to stand up in her crib. She cries when we make her come out.

California!

2008-08-02T21:15:00.000-07:00

Plane ride #1...we had been flying for almost 7 hours!
Ava liked sitting in a seat by herself (well, with her dog)

First walk in California
Ava would not wear her sunglasses

Sweet Shades

sand in our toes

looking a little special

Ava loves the beach!
SUN!
This was about 5 seconds before she crashed on her face.
YEAH!
Ava learned to block the sun from her face using a card, or anything else she has in her hand.

"OH my goodness, I love the fish"
Ava loved Crystal's aquarium.
eating my hand with Crystal
Sleeping on another walk...

Ava sleeping on the Santa Monica Pier
Sunset on the beach
the pier
Showing off our muscles...
Happy girl on the beach...

Looking at the Hollywood sign...little smoggy.

Fountain Head!Early morning breakfast...
Ava needed a little coffee since she got up before 6:30 most mornings!

Ava and I were in Santa Monica with Crystal for 4 days. It was beautiful and we had a wonderful time! Ava thought it was a good idea to wake up REALLY early every day so we all had some great breakfast every morning. We spent a total of 12 hours on a plane, lost 2 pacifiersand 2 spoons, saw 3 innapropriate "instances," had 2 restaurant meltdowns, walked 200 miles, ate countless amounts of good food, and got first class seats on the way home. Good trip! Thanks Aunt Crystal!

7 Months Old!

2008-07-23T12:06:00.000-07:00

A little moring reading...in her boy pajamas...
Ava likes to eat books more than read them...
She was actually sick today but not in too bad of a mood.
Pre-crawling stance

Nana Visits...

2008-07-02T08:02:00.000-07:00

Ava won't go to sleep without her dog!
YUM! I love my prunes.
Ahhh...i am so sweet.

She really wanted to eat the flowers.
she also wants to eat her shoe!

I love my nana!
Notice the pinky finger...so dainty!
Sleepy time...I played with so many people today.

Hilton Head

2008-06-24T08:10:00.000-07:00

We took a trip with the Henley's to Hilton Head this past weekend. It was a lot of fun and also Ava's first time in the ocean (it was way too cold last time for theocean). We decided Ava is lucky to have already been to the beach twice in her 6 months of life. Ava is the only one that left without a sunburn. Mama Anne took great care of us and it was so nice to relax.

Yeah for the beach!
Ava loves the water...she liked hte pool much more than the ocean. Trying to eat sand..
So tired...Thanks for holding me Allison.

trying to surf

Henley's

Me and Diane right before we took a LONG walk that ended in blisters ALL over my foot!

Friends, Family, and my teeth!

2008-06-19T12:06:00.000-07:00

Ava is getting teeth. She currently has two little guys. She dealt with the whole thing pretty well...until the last week. I am ready for the teething phase to be over with. Currently Ava and I are sitting our chair and she is trying to help me type. Shockingly, she is not so helpful. Here is a video from today so you all can see how huge she is now. Six months goes by really fast.

Hanging out with dad...I love Monday's

2008-06-05T12:09:00.000-07:00

Ava Eats

2008-06-02T07:24:00.001-07:00

Check out Ava Eating kind-of real food...if you call "real" food rice cereal and milk:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybUywYvQHI8

Hanging out in the park...

2008-05-22T08:11:00.001-07:00

Aunt Kate's Wedding...

2008-05-14T06:54:00.001-07:00

"where did everyone go..."
Nervous about the upcoming plane trip...
Grandpa Wes' hat...
Hanging with my new uncle...
Trying to eat Great Grandma Starr's purse...
Uncle Dave and Grandma Starr
Couple picture! No one wants to see this anyone...."where is Ava?"

Starr Ladies...
Newly married...kate, not me...
Brother and Sister...
Family pic...my head looks like it's glowing...
Ava was more interested in eating Kate's flowers than in taking a picture...

Dr. Update

2008-05-06T19:49:00.001-07:00

As of today, Ava is 25 1/2 inches long. She is also 13 lbs. 13 oz. Her head is in the 91st percentile for her age. The doctor said everything looks good and she was very impressed that Ava can suck on her toes!:) I only cried a little this time when she got her shots...Caleb held it together for Ava's sake...he was crying a river on the inside.

It's getting hott!

2008-04-30T11:24:00.001-07:00

bath in a bowl
shoppin...

"DAD!"
"I love a good bath..."
Sweating in New Orleans!
I can hold my head up even though it is very large!

Sunday Hat...
My bear that mom recently found that I love!

The Amazing Roll Over...

2008-04-22T08:47:00.000-07:00

my many travels...

2008-04-16T08:29:00.000-07:00

Miss Attitude...

TV is making me stupid....
But I like it....

Hair night...
uncle jordan...before i made him mad with my gas...

hanging with holly

a few more....

2008-03-25T13:20:00.001-07:00

Easter Hat
Twins!
Being Wide awake at 11:00 pm
"Hey, what's going on?"

Happy Easter

2008-03-23T19:09:00.000-07:00

Easter Egg Hunt
GRRR...I'm gonna get ya...

A nice bath after a long day...
visit from my friend Jayma
Sleeping at Sweetwater while mom and dad took a hike.
My Easter Dress

Lookin cute on one of my many trips to target!
I love Nana's visits!
Chillin

Beach Vacation

2008-03-12T10:31:00.000-07:00

And 6 becomes 8!
The girls and the babes...
Hanging with the Henley's
Early morning trip to the beach...still in my pajamas!
Life at the beach is exhausting...
The calm before the storm.

2 months old and very expressive!

2008-02-27T09:31:00.000-08:00

Ava is pretty happy at this point except when she is in the car. She has been doing a lot of painting at the Henley' s lately and she is very good at supervising the job we are all doing!

Happy Valentines

2008-02-15T11:57:00.001-08:00

Ava's First valentines day! We even had an outfit for her to wear...so ridiculous.
Smiling at dad

Hanging out with my friend Shaqwanda.

Cutest picture ever!

2008-02-11T13:24:00.003-08:00

Ava is staring to be much more alert these days. SHe loves to lay on her mat and kick. She is starting to hold her head up a lot more as well. She is also making it longer at night without eating which helps me be much less tired. We love you all and miss you.

Back Home again in Indiana...and other family fun!

2008-02-02T16:06:00.000-08:00

Ava is starting to get more expressive every day. She is holding her head up much better and she laughs and smiles lots!

Holding my head up! I am getting soooo big.

Uncle J--"I don't travel"

I love my nana and papa.

Kate and Nate came to see Miss Ava for a few days.

Hanging out with Grandma.

growing bigger...

2008-01-31T18:26:00.000-08:00

Party in my crib?

Happy Baby

Hangin around the house...

2008-01-12T14:16:00.000-08:00

Chillin!

My Aunt Kourtney bought me some sweet boots!

I was only happy for about 2 seconds in my jean skirt and boots.

The new year...

2008-01-07T17:03:00.000-08:00

Ava is looking intense before watching the Steelers game with dad!

Dad and Ava hanging out before the game.

Sleeping like an angel...she is good at sleeping during the day....

Hiding from all the pictures!

This is Ava wide awake during the night!

Taking a family nap after a long night.

Ava Wide Awake

2007-12-31T09:46:00.000-08:00

Ava is becoming more awake during the day and ever more awake at night! She and her dad get a lot of bonding time between midnight and 4am.

Hanging out with mom!

ok, so she isn't awake here but it's a cute picture!

First trip to Piedmont Park!

Her crib that she hates!

1 week old!

2007-12-27T19:54:00.000-08:00

Ava will be 1 week old at 12:54 am! She had a very busy day today!
Hanging out with Grandpa before he returns to Indiana.

Ava's first experience with Christmas lights at Stone Mountain.

Gotta love Atlanta and how we love coke!

Spending some quality time with Daddy. This is her normal sleeping position because Daddy can't stand to hear her make noises!

Bath time.

Ava is not so excited about the end of bath time.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-25T13:46:00.000-08:00

New Pictures from Christmas: ourstarrfamily.shutterfly.com/action/?a=0QZNWzVu0bMXJg

More Pictures...

2007-12-23T17:47:00.001-08:00

click here for more:http://share.shutterfly.com/action/pictures?a=67b0de21b3582cb1a463&sid=0QZNWzVu0bMXFQ

Ava Day 2

2007-12-22T17:11:00.001-08:00

Ava LOVES to sleep! She was awake through a lot of the night but it wasn't bad. She likes to be cuddled and held. Caleb can't sleep when she is making noises...even happy noises. It's pretty cute!

Ava Grace Starr is here!

2007-12-21T19:44:00.000-08:00

Ava Grace was born at 12:54 on December 21st, 2007. She is very wonderful and we are enjoying getting to know our little girl. She already has a mind of her own!

Christmas Cookie Party

2007-12-11T07:21:00.000-08:00

Please note: the wall is not longer a big hole!

We made 9 different kinds of treats

Making White Chocolate Covered Pretzels! So Yummy!

Gingerbread houses

2007-12-02T12:23:00.000-08:00

Zachary did not want to sit on my lap for a picture so this is him flying through the air during our picture.

The girl houses= the best houses- we really know how to use the candy in strategic ways!

This is the second annual Gingerbread house making party! You can see the bottom three very well.

Thanksgiving

2007-11-26T08:30:00.000-08:00

We spent this Thanksgiving in Atlanta. It was nice to relax, head up to the mountains, and enjoy the last of the warm-ish weather. It was 50 degrees one day and I was wearing 2 pair of pants....I am becoming weak to the cold! We missed our family and friends this year but we are excited that baby starr (still no name) will be here soon! Count down=19 days!

Our Beautiful Christmas tree! Pay no attention to the unfinished hole in the background!

Hiking at the Ocoee...site of the 1996 Olympic game Kayaking events...very beautiful!

Thanksgiving Morning! Getting ready to go to the Barbers!

Here are some photos of the kids from Halloween!

2007-11-01T12:19:00.001-07:00

Makalah didn't really like Halloweeen!
Anniiyah was super Cheesy the whole time!
Kamira was one of 200 Pumpkins at the mall.
Sassy Princess, crazy Bee, Uncooperative Elmo.
Post Breakdown!