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Check out Ethan's new trick!

Better late than never!

I know, I know...I've gotten waaay behind on blogging...not cool. So here are some pics from the Fourth of July and such...

Me and Ethan at the 4th of July breakfast at church

(even though it was at 8 am, we were still hot and sweaty! ugh!)

Me and Kelly at Melissa's 4th of July party
(She's 7 1/2 months along...and it's a girl! Isn't her belly is so cute?)

Me and my sisters
(Jill, pregnant Kelly, and Melissa)

Me and my bff Caroline at Kelly's baby shower
(and the little cutie is Mali Su)

Me and Kel again, at her baby shower

She had on the cutest shirt! It wasn't maternity, but it fit over her belly just right. It's hard to find stylish maternity clothes :( ...Anyway, we had a lot of fun and Kelly got a bunch of good stuff. The tiny baby girl clothes were just adorable! Thanks Melissa for letting us party at your house!

Ethan wants to tell you something...

I was playing peek-a-boo with Ethan yesterday during breakfast and he got so excited! I love when he wakes up happy =)

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Growing up fast

Ethan's 18 months old now and he's been talking a lot lately...and I love it! I haven't even tried to count how many words he can say, but here's a little sample for everybody:

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Sometimes I let Ethan go play in his room...unsupervised. For those of you who know me, y'all know this is kind of a big deal. As you can see, he makes a bit of a mess, but I've finally decide that it's no big deal and it's not the end of the world. (Imagine that!) Plus, it keeps him busy, so it's worth it to let him trash the place. I went to check on him and found him laying on the floor like a big boy, and trying to color with a AA battery. It was so cute and 100% mess free!

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Party in Hemphill!!! Woohoo!!!

Last Saturday we went to Hemphill in honor of my brother-in-law's graduation. He's an RN now and we're so proud of him! They threw a great party and the kids had so much fun running around outside. It was really nice to have everybody together, as it doesn't happen very often. Thanks Jill and Johnny! We love partying in Hemphill!

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my sister-in-law Kelly, Ethan, and me
(...didn't recognize me without the pink hair did you!)
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While everyone was eating, Ethan thought he'd be sneaky and try to get in my mom's car. Didn't work out so well...but he didn't give up...

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Tugboat Island

This past Friday, Ethan and I went to Tugboat Island with my mom, my sisters Monica and Rachel, and my neice and nephews. Tugboat Island is this really nice park in Port Neches. When we got there we saw a cool water park right next to it that we didn't even know about! It's like a bunch of fountains for kids to play in. The kids were kind of bummed that they didn't get to play in it, but we didn't know to bring swim suits. We'll have to be better prepared next time. I did let Ethan try it out though. I stripped him down to his diaper so he could get wet. He was a little scared, so he pretty much just got his feet wet. I think his favorite part was getting to explore on his own in the park. He had a lot of fun getting dirty and he can't wait 'til next time!

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MY NEW CAR!!!

...just kidding. This black beauty actually belongs to my dad's friend, but I couldn't resist pretending it was mine. So I had to take a picture. We look so cute together!

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High Heels

Ethan's been trying on shoes lately and it's pretty hilarious. I love seeing him walk around in huge tennis shoes; he looks like a clown! Here's his latest attempt with high heels:

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Ethan's very coordinated and likes to stack things. He stacked up four of these spice containers the other day...very impressive!

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horses, carousels, and merry-go-rounds

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Here's what we've been up to lately...

Ethan and I went to the park! There's one right by the library...nothing fancy, but he really liked walking around and picking up things off the ground (like rocks, or "balls" as he calls them).

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Here's Ethan at Nana and Granddad's. He's got a chocolate mustache...and he's showing off his belly.
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Apparently those Baby Einstein videos are paying off...Ethan's got skills when it comes to the piano.
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We went to Hemphill to visit my sister Jill and her family. They have two horses and Johnny let us ride 'em! It was so much fun, I felt like a kid again! Thanks Ratcliff's, we had a great time!

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My sister Rachel, and my neice Katherine got to ride together.

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Ethan really fit in with the country crowd.

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Ethan and his cousin Bryn.

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The Southtexas State Fair was going on for 2 weeks and my in-laws were so sweet to invite us. I took Ethan into the petting zoo and they had some really cool animals. Ethan was kind of scared at first, but then he warmed up to 'em.

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They had a miniature horse...

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a camel...

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goats...

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a pig...

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and a kangaroo! (He's kind of hiding in the corner.)

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I rode with Ethan on one ride, but I get motion sickness really easily, so his uncle Todd took him on the carousel for me. He was scared for the first half of the ride, but was eventually ok with it. In this picture, he's trying to hand me his blanket so I can hold him, lol.

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Ethan and uncle Todd

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Of course, Ethan had to try some fair food. I think he's eating lamb. Jonathan and I took Ethan another day and tried squirrel on a stick, alligator on a stick, cheesecake on a stick...pretty much everything on a stick...and who doesn't love funnel cakes, right? So we stuffed our faces and had so much fun. But, next time I'm riding the ferris wheel :) .

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Home Sweet Home

Ok, I know I should be posting about how Ethan and I are back from Ohio and what we're up to...buuuut, I haven't been taking any pictures since we've been back, so that'll have to wait. In the mean time, here's a bit of fantastic news that I thought I should share:

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This is the window unit in our living room. It looks like it's older than I am, which is probably why it stopped heating (conveniently, in the middle of winter). So, we told our landlord and he brought over a couple of space heaters to keep us warm at night until he could buy a new one.

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While I was in Ohio, Jonathan told me the landlord decided not to buy a new window unit...but put in central air/heat instead! Woohoo! I love it! I feel so fancy now! This is such a HUGE improvement. Now our bathroom isn't freezing at night when it's time for Ethan's bath. Now the whole house is comfortable all the time and I am SO very grateful.

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I love seeing these guys in all the rooms. I like to just look up and smile at 'em. :)

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Our latest field trip...

Yesterday Sarah and I took the kids to Cosi (pronounced CO-sigh). It's a science museum for kids, but adults like it too. They have everything from rat basketball (yes, actual rats that are trained to play basketball...not sure why, but they do), to a play area where kids can pretend to be doctors, build with giant blocks, or play in the kitchen. We spent the whole time in the play area so the kids could just run free and do as they please. Ethan and I had a great time!

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He was trying to ride around backwards. It sorta worked.

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Ethan loves to push stuff around. Strollers, shopping carts, cars...pretty much anything.

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This machine blows air, so when you put balls on it they float! Pretty cool huh!
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Ethan and Roman

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Thanks for bringing us Sarah! It was super fun!

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...and the fun continues...

This week we brought Kate and the boys to the mall again to play in their fancy indoor playground. As usual, they loved it.

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Ethan loves pushing this baby doll stroller around the house.

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He decided to climb in it and wait for someone to give him a ride.

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Here's Allie pushing Ethan around.

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Ethan really never gets tired of riding in the stroller.

(Sorry about the sideways view, I was trying to give it an artistic point of view.)

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It's been awhile since I've gotten Ethan to really crack up. I thought maybe I'm just not that funny anymore...but this video proves it, I've still got it!

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Here's what's up...

Soo...we haven't been on any spectacular outtings lately, but we're still having fun. Here are a few cute moments I caught on camera...

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Ethan never turns down a piggy back ride, and his cousin Kate (she's 4 1/2) is always willing to let him saddle up. I guess you can never be too young or too small.

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Ethan and Roman were trying to hold hands in the kitchen, it was so cute! Unfortunately, when I pulled the camera out, I got this action shot instead. I thought it was still worth blogging.

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Here's Ethan eating some grapes and showing off his funny face.

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Until now, the only sign language Ethan knew was the sign for "no".....hmm, go figure. BUT, with the help of my sister Sarah, and her little boy Roman, Ethan learned a new sign! He can sign "more", for more food whenever he's hungry...which is pretty often. :) I know it seems like such a small thing, but it really makes things easier when Ethan can communicate what he wants. He picked it up really fast too...seems like he was signing it the first day we showed it to him. I'm thinking that means he's a genius. Anyway, right now we're trying to use the sign for "drink"...well, it's technically "milk", but whatever . I hope I can teach him several signs while we're here...wish me luck!

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We're in OHIO!!!

Ethan and I have really been needing a vacation, so we decided to go to Ohio to visit my sister Sarah and her family. We got here Tuesday the 17th, so we haven't even been here a week yet, but we're already having so much fun! We left our house at 7:30 am, we got to the airport in Houston at 9:30, and our plane boarded at 9:45 am, so we had just enough time to check our bags and walk onto the plane...whew! Needless to say, I was a bit stressed about missing the plane and traveling with a baby, but Ethan was great! He kept waving to people on the plane, saying hi, and then would make his funny face for them (if you haven't seen it, just wait...there are lots of pictures!) He watched Baby Einstein half of the time, so that really helped. We fly back to Texas on March 9th, so we've got plenty of time for more fun...and hopefully we can keep y'all up to speed with more blogging.

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Ethan and me on the plane

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Our view from the plane, just as we were landing in Columbus.

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We let the boys ride in this little car at the grocery store. I thought Ethan would really like it because there's a steering wheel and a little tv inside with Bob the Builder cartoons...but he just kept trying to climb out the front windshield. Oh well!

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It's so cold here and Ethan doesn't own any real coats, just jackets, so Roman let him borrow his big puffy coat. He looks so funny!

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Ethan tries to smile for the camera...I love it!

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This is Ethan's funny face! He squints his eyes, wrinkles up his nose, and smiles as big as he can...it's my favorite face! He does it aaaaaall the time now. Pretty much anytime he meets someone new he turns on the charm and shows them his funny face.

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Ethan got some new big boy jeans when we went to Target the other day. I thought his outfit was so cute and grown up, I just had to take a picture.

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Roman and Ethan are just 6 weeks apart (Roman is older), and they've been getting along so well. I'm so glad that they're friends and don't mind sharing their toys. This was Ethan's first time to share the bathtub and he loved it! Roman taught him that if you splash like crazy, it gets even more fun!

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Ethan looked so cute today in his fancy church clothes!

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He was trying to make his funny face again!

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Sarah and me after church today.

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This video is of Roman and Ethan at the mall. They have this really cool play area that has lots of toys to climb on and crawl under...and it's free! This spaceship is obviously their favorite part.

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Thanks so much to Jonathan for driving us all the way to Houston. I know that was a long time to be in the car. We're missing everybody, especially Little Jerry, (Ethan's favorite dog), but we're so grateful to be able to spend some time with the Lunts.

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All aboard!

Lately, we've been having really great weather, so Ethan's been able to play outside a lot...which he loves! His Aunt Rachel rigged up a ride for him the other day. It's so cute, you have to see for yourself...

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Khalil & Aaliyah

It seems like time has been flying by, and Khalil and Aaliyah are getting so big! Aaliyah turned 1 year old on December 19th (she's just 4 days younger than Ethan), and Khalil is 2 1/2. (For those of you who don't know, Khalil and Aaliyah are my brother Travis' kids). Anyway, their mom is out of town for a few days, so the kids are staying with my mom. Ethan and I went to visit them this morning and I just had to get pictures of their cute faces! (Also, I thought you out-of-towners would appreciate some pictures, since y'all don't get to see them very often...... you're welcome!)

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My mom holding Ethan and Aaliyah

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She was ready for a nap and REALLY didn't want a photo shoot.

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I love this picture! These two are such opposites when it comes to being grumpy. Ethan whines and fusses, and Aaliyah has a total meltdown, lol.
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Khalil

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Sleeping

Ethan's been on a good schedule for awhile now. He usually wakes up at 10:00 a.m., naps for 2 or 3 hours at about 3:00, and then goes to bed around 11:00. It's perfect for us because sometimes Jonathan doesn't get home until 10:30 at night, so then he can see Ethan before he goes to bed. Another reason I love having him on a schedule, is that I know when I get a break to excercise, or clean the house, or just relax. He's usually so good about naptime and bedtime, he almost never cries about it. I just tell him it's time to sleep, then I give him his blanket, and lay him in his crib. A lot of times, he'll take his blanket off my shoulder and put it in the crib himself! I guess that means he's ready for bed (and he knows he'll need his blanket for that). After he's been asleep for awhile, I go check on him to see if he needs to be covered up. Here are a few sweet pictures of what I see when I walk in...

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He likes to chew on the tag, and he fell asleep with it sticking out of his mouth!

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Ethan can read! (almost)

Ethan loves books, and often reads them himself. Here's a little sample of his advanced reading skills...(sorry, it's so dark, my poor camera does the best it can.)

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Christmas Day

On Christmas Eve night, I opened my presents from Jonathan. I was so excited! He got me clothes, gift cards to my favorite places, and a few things for the house. I love that he's not afraid to shop for me, he always knows what I'd like. The next morning, Ethan woke up and saw that Santa had brought him some toys. He was super excited and couldn't wait to play with them. After that, we went to the Ochoa's where we got to open even more presents! The rest of the day we ate, visited my parents, and then ate some more. It was a great Christmas, I can't wait 'til next year!

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Me, Jonathan, and Ethan

(Jonathan bought me that shirt for Christmas, he's got good taste!)

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This is after we opened presents at my in-laws. Jonathan's excited about his new toothpaste.

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Ethan got a Fisher-Price barn from Santa. I grew up with one of these and I'm so glad they still make 'em. He really likes it.

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Ethan's playing with his new toys in his new gingerbread pajamas.

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Ethan's not into dolls (thank goodness), but apparently he likes to kiss them every once in awhile.

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My family had their Christmas party on the 23rd. Unfortunately, Jonathan had to work, but Ethan and I had fun opening presents anyway. Oh, and my parents got us a vacuum cleaner! It was on my Christmas list and we desperately needed one, so it was the perfect gift. I've been using it almost everyday and I love it! Dirty floors are one of my biggest pet peeves. Seriously. I'm much happier with a freshly vacuumed house.

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There's me and my little man opening presents. He's gotten really good at it.

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Here he is talking on his new cell phone that he got from his cousin.

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Here's my sister Jill with Bryn, and me with Ethan.

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Wouldn't you love to get him as a present?

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We're so lucky to have such wonderful people to spend the holidays with. Thanks everybody for the thoughtful gifts and the fun parties! It was the best Christmas ever! (...well, it was definitely in the top 5, for sure)

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Ethan's First Birthday

Ethan just turned 1 on December 15th, and he had a spectacular party! We celebrated at my in-laws' house with fajitas and cake with ice cream. All of Jonathan's siblings were there and even my parents got to come. We're so grateful to have family that live so close, especially at times like this. Thanks to everyone for your generosity, Ethan loves all the new toys!

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He was a little sick that day, so he was in a daze for some of the pictures....still cute though!

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Ethan's enjoying his cake.

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Me and Ethan

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Cousins Dario and Aiden with Ethan

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Aunt Rachel and Ethan

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He fell asleep on the ride home. Poor little guy was all partied out!

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Ethan loves Baby Einstein, so I copied the Baby Einstein caterpillar for his cake. I made a delicious cool whip and cream cheese frosting, and a white cake. It was my first time to use fondant and it looked perfect.......then after 30 minutes the colors started to run! Oh well, we still ate it.

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Happy Birthday Ethan! We love you so so much!

--Mama and Daddy

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Ethan's 1st Thanksgiving

I'm a little behind with the blogging, but here are a few pictures of Ethan's first Thanksgiving. We went to my parents' house that morning, then to Jonathan's cousin's house, then to Jonathan's parents', then back to my parents'. Whew! We were definitely busy, but it was a fun day! (sorry, I only took pics for part of the day)

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Granddad and Ethan

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Uncle Todd, Aunt Emily, and Ethan

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Aunt Taressa and Ethan

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Aunt Laura and Ethan

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Cousin Nicholas and Ethan

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Cousin Ava

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Me and baby Laila (Brian and Emily's newest baby)
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Me, Jonathan, and Ethan

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