Glasses!

Big news this month is the addition of glasses to Avery's repertoire.  It turns out that the poor girl has been walking around in a fog for the past three years.  When she went in for her three year check up with her pediatrician, she failed the eye screening.  So we made an appointment with a pediatric ophthamologist where we found out that she has a significant asigmatism.  I think that she's adjusting much better than I am.  I have to keep reminding myself that there a so many children out there that have much worse things to deal with and that we are very luck to have a healthy and happy child and another on the way.  If glasses on my three year old is the biggest crises I have to deal with, then I am pretty lucky!

Avery seems to really like them.  As soon as we left the doctor's office with them, she climbed into the car and said, "Mama, your car looks so clear!"  That made me a little sad for the way she must have been looking at things for the past three years, but again I just tell myself that it could be much worse!  She's doing great with them, but I guess only time will tell!

Cover Family Reunion

Jeremy and I were in charge of planning the annual Cover Family Reunion this year.  We decided on a change of pace and location would help to make it more appealing for some this year and settled on Branson as the location.  Jeremy, Avery and I headed down early to make sure all of the details were attended to and to make it a mini vacation for the three of us.  Once we had all of the reunion details ironed out, we took Avery to the Butterfly Palace.  There was a bungee cord jungle/maze that Avery just loved.  She went through that thing for an hour almost.  

Then it was time to see the actual butterflies.  This blue one is the one that Avery liked the most.  She really wanted it to land on her, but she just couldn't hold still for long enough.

After this butterfly landed on my head, Avery was obsessed with getting that blue butterfly to land on her head.  So, we fibbed a little bit to her...

We had her stand on this bench really still, and then we told her that the blue butterfly landed on her head.  She believed us and insisted that I take a picture of the butterfly on her head.  Oh, the things we do for our children...that fib will probably come back to haunt me when she asks to see the picture of the butterfly on her head.

 The Butterfly Palace had these little bugs for the kids to ride around on through the area where the butterflies were...so cute!

On Saturday, we went to Silver Dollar City with Grandpa and Grandma, Chelsea, Nic, Brooke and Jack.  It was so hot, but we managed to survive.

We used the rides to help us stay cool.  Anything that had water or was indoors some way was a ride that we were all over.  This one was indoors on a little river...a nice break from the 100 degree day!

There was also this super cute rolller coaster for kids that Avery insisted on riding.  Since Jeremy isn't fond of roller coasters, I was going to ride with Avery, but luckily for me Nic volunteered to take Avery.  I think Jeremy felt bad that Nic had to take her so he went too.  Avery, however, wanted to ride with Nic instead of Jeremy.  So, in the front car is Nic and Avery with Jeremy riding alone in the car behind them.  Avery loved it and it was hilarious watching the two guys take Avery on it.

After the roller coaster, Avery conned Chelsea into riding the Dumbo ride with her...this kid loves an amusement park!  Look out Disney World, Avery is just getting warmed up!

 One more ride with Chelsea...bouncing frogs!

At the end of the day, we managed to find a ride that Avery could go on by herself.  She thought that she was big stuff riding that thing alone.

We had dinner out with the entire reunion after our day at Silver Dollar City.  We were at a little diner that had live music, and Avery and Jack decided to entertain us with their dancing.

 We had a great time at dinner...what a good way to close out the reunion.  We didn't end up parting ways until Sunday morning, but dinner Saturday night was the final group activity.  We actually got someone to take a big group shot this year...we're quite a big group!  Until next summer...

Father's Day

We had a fantastic weekend in Clinton celebrating Father's Day.  We started off the weekend with a hanger party celebrating Jeff on his pilot's license.  Avery was completely enamored by the airplanes.  She's seen Papa fly above the house before, but I'm not sure she really understood that it was him in the airplane way up in the air.  I think this clarified things for her a little bit.  Chris and Beth were even generous enough to let her climb into their plane...she loves pretending to fly like Papa!

Saturday provided Avery with an opportunity to practice her swimming skills.  I'm so glad that she's taking to the water so well and that she likes it so much.

She has made so much progress.  We started swimming lessons with her afraid to put her face in the water, but as you can see, she has moved past that.  She loves to swim under the water.  She has a little trouble staying afloat, but I guess that will come with time and practice.

Jumping in is her favorite part...she tells you how far back to scoot (way farther than she can swim) and then goes.

The water was a little cold, as evidenced by the blue lips, but that didn't stop her.  I had to make her come out for a little while to warm up.

She then took a little "rest" in the sun to combat the blue lips!

Happy Father's Day Papa...it's a picture of Avery of course!  What more could a person want?!!

After some time with Nana and Papa, we went to Grandma and Grandpa's for more celebrating.  We got there shortly before Avery's nap time, so she was tired and easily convinced by Great Grandpa to cuddle with him (with some milk and Blankie of course).

 More presents...and again, pictures of Avery!  Can you pick up on the theme?  We're a little Avery-centric around here!

A Father's Day picture of four generations of Cover kids!

One last Father's Day present for everyone...it's a BOY!  We will be welcoming a baby boy into our family in October and couldn't be happier.  I have suspected so for quite some time now because of how different this pregnancy has been from Avery's.  I have been sick from day 1 and more exhausted than I have ever felt in my life!  At first we were going to let it be a surprise, but we decided that we weren't sure.  So we had the ultrasound technician write it down in a card.  However, I was able to discern the sex while watching the ultrasound, so Jeremy wanted to know too...we didn't even make it out of the doctor's office before confirming what I had thought all along...we're having a boy!  

A Whole New World...

So, we're watching Aladdin on TV the other night and the song "A Whole New World" comes on, you know the one where Aladdin and Jasmine take a ride on the magic carpet and sing.  Anyway, all of the sudden Avery starts to kind of whimper like she's about to cry.  We ask her what's wrong and she whimpers, "I wish I could have a magic carpet to take rides on!"  Where does she get this stuff?  So, Jeremy says "I'll be right back" and heads to the garage.  A few minutes later he comes back and tells Avery to close her eyes because he has a surprise for her.  We go to the garage where Jeremy has made a "magic carpet" for Avery.  He's added a rope to an old furniture dolly that we have and put some old rug on top of it.  She couldn't be happier!  So Jeremy pulls Avery up and down the sidewalk on her magic carpet while she sings the Aladdin song.  These are the memories I'm most grateful for...a magic carpet ride late one summer night!