Avery's 5th Birthday!

Over Memorial Day weekend we traveled up to Minneapolis to celebrate Avery's 5th birthday!  Can't believe she is 5 and headed to kindergarten, where has the time gone!?!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY AVERY, we love you so much!  

The first day there (Avery's actual birthday), Nana, Auntie Kristy, Kins, Avery and I headed to the Mall of America (my first time!) for some rides and a special birthday lunch for Avery. I wasn't sure at first what Kins would think of the rides, but she had a blast!

Avery, Kins and I on the bus ride...this was our first ride and she was a little uncertain at first...

...but ended up loving it!

Auntie Kristy, Avery and Kins on the balloon ride

Nana and Kins enjoying the Blues Clues ride

Avery's special lunch was at the American Girl Doll Restaurant!  It was adorable, pink everything, and even a special high chair, cups and saucers for the dolls!  Avery loved it, and we all had a great lunch!

Our lunch table, minus Auntie Kristy 

Kins cheesing it up

Mom and her big 5 year old!

For dessert, Avery got an ice cream sundae, complete with a candle!

Kinsley got one too (minus the candle), and dove right in!  :)

Yum!

5 going on 15!?!  :)

After lunch Avery got her face painted with a big 5 on top!  :)

When we got home from the Mall of America, there was another surprise waiting for Avery...a new trampoline from Nana and Papa!  She was super excited, and the kids had a blast playing on it the rest of the weekend! (of course, I don't have any pictures of that)

Avery and Uncle J

Kins cuddling with Papa

Papa and his two granddaughters

Avery brushed my hair all weekend long, and called me Rapunzel!  :)  Kinsley joined in as well, but really only created more tangles for Avery to brush out!

Playing with Papa

The two twerps!  :)

Benny loves his Papa!

The next day we all went for a swim at Nana and Papa's hotel pool (inside of course, it was WAY too cold for any outside swimming!)

Bennett and Avery had a blast in the water!

Kinsley, on the other hand, stuck to the sidelines!

Papa throwing Avery!

Bennett trying out Kinsley's (hot pink) floatie!  :)

Our attempts at getting Kins into the water didn't go so well...she cried and cried!  Strange...she loved the water last year!

Took a quick pic with Nana and Papa before more tears  :)

Much happier watching the action

Avery and Kins sharing snacks after the pool

Playing with good friends next door!

While in MN we had some professional pictures taken of all three kiddos!  Avery and Bennett did great, but Kinsley refused to smile the entire time!!  What a stinker!  This was as good as we could get with the three of them!  Oh well, still cute...


Avery and Bennett were nice enough to give Kins a present for the ride home, she loved it!  :)



Whew!  Long ride home...Kins had to take a pit stop on the way into the house!  :)