And There Goes The First Part of 2025!

 My Dearest Avery,

SO SO much has happened since I last wrote to you! We had a wonderful Christmas and you got a new bike! And then after Evan opened his birthday gifts, we whisked off to the airport for our trip to Calgary and Banff! You had a blast in your snowboarding lessons ice skating but I think you liked dog sledding the best! It was truly a magical trip! Then we came back home for some Olympic Development Program games, which were just amazing - such great talent that you got to play with and I think you held your own. Your team made it to the semi-finals but not the finals, which was great. There was a really tough team from North Texas in your bracket.

Then we went back to reality with soccer practice and horseback riding. You had another scare at riding, where you fell off of Daisy when trying to take a jump because she balked at taking the jump. It was a really windy day and she had been having her allergy medicines modified so we think that has had something to do with her attitude lately. She's been tough on you but you've been good at taking control. It's really powerful to see. Recently, she took a jump and then turned a full 100 degrees to the left because she was scared of someone else in the arena (saw them out of the corner of her eye) and you stayed on and gained control to stop her! Amazing progress and a good confidence boost (even though it left you sore for a few days). 

School started rough in January but you've improved throughout the year. You're working really hard and it's paying off! You were hanging out with Emily Mae a lot at school but she got into a group that liked to be physically rough with others so you backed away from that friendship - you're still friends but not as engaged 1:1. I like that you're making those decisions for yourself, finding what's the right balance for you and sticking up for yourself and your friends. Recently you've started hanging out a lot with Izelda (Izzy) who is adventurous and a really good tennis player. She's been a lot of fun for you - she recently had a birthday sleepover which you were going to go to but you got food poisoning (of all things)! You were able to spend some time at the sleepover in the morning but still not all the fun you thought you were going to have.

Finally, just a couple of weeks ago we got back from our spring break Disney Cruise to Catalina Island and Ensenada. You got to swim and eat your heart out, you learned to sail, and you got to dress up as Captain Minnie, which you hated until you got to make your outfit your own! Overall, you really enjoyed that trip!

In home life, you're watching Family Matters (from Dad's and my childhood) and reading a lot of books on your own, like Wayside books and natural disaster books - you graphed volcanic activity one night recently! We're trying to support your interest in STEM-related learning so you're going to go to a Natural Toxins camp at the UofA this summer, in addition to all the soccer camps we have planned! I also credit your reading to Evan with his new interest in reading on his own too. I'm so proud of you - that is HUGE! I also took you to the dermatologist because you've had under-skin acne on your forehead that we can't get rid of. She said it was from the start of puberty (this shocked me)! We have a prescription lotion for it and it's slowly working its magic but not before some boy at school kept pointing it out to you. Kids can be so mean sometimes - we talked about how that means more about how he views his own body than anything about yours. He also commented on your chest which was totally out of line so I told you if words don't work you can use your KenPo on someone like that. You were shocked but what breaks my heart is I know this won't be the last time something like that happens.

Here's your life in pictures right now...

Guess where?! :)

Ready for a day on the mountain!

Paying in CAD!

Private lessons for you and Evan

LOOOOOONG gondola ride!

On the way to dog sledding

At the top of Sulphur mountain

Ice skating at Lake Louise - you and I were skating buddies and you talked about Modern Family the entire time!

Hiking

Resting while dog sledding

Dog sledding! You loved this! You even got to drive it for a bit!

Flames game for New Year's in Calgary!

#10 for the ODP team!

Ft Lowell Shootout

Your team decided to be gangsters in the parade at Ft Lowell Shootout

Medals! You helped your team get lots of medals in the Ft Lowell Shootout Olympics

The juggling event at Ft Lowell Shootout

After a loss on the ODP team - your coach Gabby was trying to cheer you up!

Tough competition

And....that's a foul, Avery :)

Lunch with a teammate when the team didn't make the championship by a hair

Practicing with friends

You have a pen that makes these things!

USWNT came to Phoenix so many on the team came to see - we all met up at half time

Getting dolled up as Captain Minnie at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique on the cruise

You didn't like most of it because they treated you like you were a child

But you figured out how to make it your own! This is my favorite picture from the cruise

Learn to sail excursion at Catalina Island on the cruise

New bikes!

Lovely Calgary restaurant before we headed to Banff

Phoenix airport! Getting excited!

Flames Game

Calgary airport - saying goodbye

Christmas Day!

USWNT game - they beat Columbia!

Pirate night on the cruise! They gave us the bandanas!

Ensenada was wet!

At the live theater on the cruise

All aboard!

Conga line at Tiana's on the cruise!

Bluewater restaurant on Catalina Island - best fish tacos I've ever had!

This was when you were too sick to go to the sleepover - you got to go in the morning and you got this stuffy as a party favor!

A favorite gift - from Aunt Cara - Arsenal's 3rd kit

Another favorite! A sewing machine!

You've gotten in the habit of sneaking into my bed in the mornings - usually next to Dad

Ready for a game on the cruise

Kids space on the cruise

Getting ready to get on!

Oh my heart!

Shirley Temples at the lounge

You were in the top bunk for the cruise!

Sailing the boat all by yourself! You did great!

ODP team!

Medal for juggling!

Lake Louise lunch at the Chateau - that place was fancy!

Lunch with and old friend of mine and her family in Calgary

Our dog sledding guide!

Professional pictures from the cruise:

Well, my dear. If the past few months have taught me one thing it's: life is short; book the trip! We have had so much fun and you're definitely growing into your adolescent phase with some eye rolls and embarrassment but you're still the loving and fun Avery that we all love. I know you can't wait for the end of the school year - it will be here before you know it!

All my Love,

Mom