November 11, 2004 our daughter, Kristen and her husband Brian and their son, Clayton welcomed a precious baby girl into their family....Ava Grace! She came as a petit bundle of JOY! From the beginning she had us all wrapped totally around her finger!
She's extremely bright and articulate, she's funny, she's sweet, she's a bundle of energy! Her days are spent reading, playing the piano, playing with her little sister, Olivia, and becoming a wonderful gymnast, attending school and, her church, and a truly important venture.......dreaming of Paris! She loves learning all about Paris and so when I am with her, we always talk about Paris, the French culture, and other places she hopes to visit one day in France!
A Few Words for her French Vocabulary
Bonjour ~ Hello
Au-revoir ~ Good bye
S'il Vous plait ~ Please
Merci ~ Thank You
Oui ~ Yes
Non ~ No
Baguette ~ Long Bread Stick
Crepes ~ Very thin pancakes with filling
Ratatouille ~ vegetable stew
One day, I hope that she and I can travel together to Paris, the "city of lights" ......but until then, I have a few of my favorite pictures for inspiration that I took on one of my visits to France! One of my favorites is of the striking French couple enjoying a beautiful rose'. After taking the photograph, I noticed all the pinks in the picture!
Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923) the famous French engineer who designed the Effiel Tower in Paris, also designed the Statue of Liberty which stands in New York harbor!
Ava loves art and has always been interested in drawing and painting from an early age. Her paintings are already quiet impressive. Perhaps she will study abroad in France and refine her artistic gifts! France is famous for the beaux-arts, the many great painters, and sculptors! Already, she is reading French literature and last year she received a gift of The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
From Paris, her favorite city, I hope to take her to one of mine, St Remy de Provence! It is a beautiful village in the south of France in the region known a Provence. The photos above were from a trip in 2011. We'll board the TGV train from Avignon back to Paris and enjoy a few more experiences before our trip home.
Perhaps she and I can walk across one of the 37 bridges over the Seine!
Pops hopes to go also and play a few games of Petanque!
At nine, Ava is already planning many of the fun things she plans to accomplish in her life.
My hope for her is that she will continue to study about France and perhaps make French a second language she will be able to speak fluently. We will take a ride on a Bateaux Mouche with her down the River Seine! We will go the the top of the Arc de Triomphe and maybe walk up its winding staircase and see the excellent view of Paris! I hope to take her to the Louis Vuitton Store and let her select a purse for her mother! But mainly, we will just want to wander all the beautiful little postcard streets that make Paris so amazing! When we finish, we will wander through the Jardin du Luxembourg and set in the green chairs and let her write her own beautiful story of Paris while snacking on a few colorful macarons!!! Happy Birthday beautiful Ava! I love you with all my heart!
James 1:17. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights!"
God's blessings upon your sweet life always!!!!
