Easter & Mother's Day {2011}

These two holidays seemed to run together for me this year. I was just telling Orion the other day how fast I feel like time is going by! I can't believe it's May already, but on the other hand I am so looking forward to this summer and all we've got planned.

Let's start with Easter, shall we.

Easter weekend we'd planned to go up North to visit friends. But like a told you a couple weeks ago our car had other plans, so we didn't make the trip after all. I was bummed, we'd been planning it forever and I was looking forward to it. I was still determined to have a great Easter weekend. Saturday night before we took Ava to Urgent Care, she hadn't been feeling good all day, and I thought she had pink eye. Sure enough we walked out of Urgent Care with a diagnosis of pink eye and a script.

Sunday she was feeling ok, after taking the meds. We decided to go to church and "see how it goes." By lunch time she was done for, and we went home so she could get some rest. Here she is in her Sunday Easter best:




some cute bunny ears my Mom got her.

This was Ava's second Easter. This year obviously she was way more into the basket. She went straight for the Puffs and didn't care about anything else in it.


thank you Target dollar section for making her Easter basket dreams come true.

She was feeling a little better after a nap, so we played a little bit.


And we relaxed. She was pretty sick that weekend so we cuddled a lot! Which is always ok with this Momma!


Next up, Mother's Day:

Orion and Ava made me breakfast in bed. And then I heard Orion come in the bedroom and he was telling Ava "give the card to Mommy." I looked up just in time to see her throw it on the floor and she walked out of the room down the hallway. It was pretty cute. Orion went and got her and she sat with me on the bed while I ate. The card they gave me was musical and she had fun opening it and closing it letting the music play.

Ava's cute dress is from Rhonda Designs. I won it a couple weeks ago from a blog giveaway. I love winning cute stuff for her.



She's really into "reading" these days. She frequently will grab a bunch of books and plop down and open them, and close them and move onto the next one. We spent the rest of the day by the pool.



It was so nice to sit and relax. Later we headed out to Desert Ridge and window shopped and I went to JoAnns to get some stuff for a project.

Hubby made my Mother's Day awesome and let me buy $1.29 worth of felt! He let it slide since we'd already decided not to get gifts. He's so great like that!

Iowa Visit {Spring 2011}

We visited Iowa back in February when we flew home to interview for a church. It was such a blessing that while we were there interviewing they let us sneak some time away to visit our family. We hadn't seen them since before Christmas and my heart was aching to be near them, laugh with them, and share some every day life with them.

To my surprise there wasn't an ounce of snow left in Iowa. I was looking forward to Ava playing in it and taking some cute photos. Please note, she still has yet to discover snow. But, I won't complain because we Worleys will take sun over snow any day.

my mom with Ava. And I love this picture with all my "sisters." one by blood and the others by marriage. I am lucky.

my precious nieces. they are so beautiful and wonderful. and they love Ava to death.

I struggle so much with living so far from home now that Ava is in our world. Before when I was a single girl it didn't bother me. When Orion and I were first married and living in Minnesota I knew there would come a day when we wouldn't be just a drive away. I miss being near them. I miss being able to come over to their houses whenever I want. But when we are home, it's the most amazing feeling to be around the people who we love and love us too. We cram as much in as we can, see as many people and soak up all the goodness that is family.

my brother and his wife they love Ava so much! I am so thankful for them.

they threw a little birthday party for Ava while we were home.

And a few hours later we threw a engagement party for my brother and his fiance' Jordan.

And one of the biggest blessings about being home was that my sweet friend Jessie and her little boy Jimmy made the trip to Iowa to visit with us. I miss her so much, and it was so good to see her. I can't wait to go stay with her in June when I make a trip back to Minnesota.

Ava and Jimmy will be married one day. We're crossing our fingers for an arranged marriage!

My Aunt & Uncle, they are so awesome! I just love them. Let me tell you a story, when Orion and I got married they gave us the same champagne glasses they drank out of from their wedding. She wrapped them up and included a note that looked exactly like the paper from the person who gave them to them for their wedding. They passed them onto us. It was such a beautiful gesture and I loved having that little piece of them on our big day! They have such a legacy.

My sister in law Jessie, and my future sister in law Jordan. Aren't they adorable! I just love them both. I'm so lucky and blessed that my brothers chose amazing ladies to marry!

I'm looking forward to seeing family again this summer when we travel to Oregon for our family reunion.

Other things may change us, but we start and end with family.



What A Father Won't Do

For his little girl........................

May include, but is not limited to.............

Wearing the fuzzy bunny ears for his girl. 

Aren't Daddy's the best!! 

{DIY} Blog Make Over

You may have noticed a few changes around the blog, and wondered if you were in the right place! Don't worry, you are!

I wanted to update my blog header and change out the pictures. The old ones were a bit out dated and they didn't include Ava and we had to change that. The last time I updated my blog was in December of 2009 the lovely Stephanie of Dirt and Lace did it and she did a wonderful job. I knew I wanted to do a whole new re design but couldn't afford to have someone else to do it for me.

So I set out to put my own skills and HTML know how to work. And a bit of work it was. Deciding what style I wanted was easy then hunting down the images I wanted to use and text was next.

Let's take a look back at the before:

My style has changed, as I have changed. The old blog didn't reflect my style now today, if you walked in my house I don't think it would reflect my home. And that's kinda what I wanted to go for, the blog is an extension of myself just like a home.

Here's what it looks like today:

I am pretty in love with Quatrefoil! I started Googling pattern images till I found one I wanted then uploaded it to Blogger. I had to change my layout a bit till I got the size and style I wanted.

I found all the side bar images and banners online and uploaded them to Picnik to do my editing and adding text. Next I uploaded them to a photo sharing site Photobucket or you could also use Flickr, they automatically will generate an HTML code for you.

Then I tweaked the codes and attached the links I wanted them to link back to.

Then saved them all and added them one by one to the blog. I get going on a project and don't like to stop until it's right and finished. I stayed up like all night Saturday making it just right. I'm not an HTML expert but I am pretty excited and happy with the blog design I came up with. It was completely free, all I needed was a little time.

I think it reflects more of my style and personality. Just what I wanted!

What do you guys think of the new Worley House?!! I gave my photography website and the Ava's Closet blog mini facelifts too. You can check them out here and here.

Linking this Project Up with these Ladies:

Get Your Craft On with Today's Creative Blog

Tuesday's Treasures

Happy Birthday to my {SWEET} Mama!

Today is my Mother's Birthday! I hate you break it to you all but I HAVE thee best Mom in the entire world! She truly is the best! I wouldn't be the person I am today with out here. My Mom's birthday falls during Mother's Day weekend every year and every year we get to celebrate her twice! As I think and reflect on who she is not only as a Mom and Mother I get overwhelmed most of the time thinking about how selfless she is.

One of the greatest things she taught me what how to love others, care about them, and be completely selfless. She loves deeply and cares deeply for people. It's a quality I admire most about her. She's one of the hardest working people I've ever known and goes after her dreams too. She's given me the confidence over the years to try new things and "go for it!"

She makes me laugh like no one else, I think fondly of different memories through out the years where she has made life such a joy to live with her. I probably could go on and on all day long about the most amazing things about her, but the things I love the most about her are the little ways she loves me.

The trips to Sonic and Subway. The shopping trips. The vacation memories. The nights around the dinner table where we all laughed till it hurt. The way she's my biggest fan and has always cheered me on. The way she picks out the perfect and best cards for any occasion.

The way she loves my daughter. I love seeing them together. I love seeing my Mom as a Grandma to my own child.

(pictured: Ava & my Mom, Me & My Mom, my SIL Jessie, my Sister Larrah, Mom, my future SIL Jordan and Me.)

Happy Birthday Mom! I love you more than I can ever express, more than you probably know. Thank you for loving me so much, I couldn't have asked for a more kind, gentle, caring, funny, love able Mom! We love you so much and miss you!

Love,
Andrea, Orion and Ava xoxo



Blog Roll Monday: Little Miss Momma



I have to admit, I just found this blog a couple weeks ago and I LOVE IT! You're going to think I'm nuts but when I find a new blog I like I catch up on every. single. post! I can't just start from when I found it, I read the entire thing! This blog was no exception, as soon as I started reading I had to keep reading. And I'm glad I did.



Ashely is a wife, mother, designer and much more! Her blog is filled with funny stories about her sweet boy and husband. And lots of pretty things from her Etsy shop, and DIY projects. What I think I love most about Ashely's blog is her pure, humble honesty. It take guts and courage to share with the world some of the stuff she write about, and I admire that about her.

My heart broke when she shared her secret, but it also smiled with joy as I was able to understand this a little bit more as I read her experience. I am so thankful for this post. 

This Momma also has killer cute style! You can check out her weekly fashion posts on her blog too. Now that's Motherhood, is one of my fave posts.

Jump on over today and say hello and Meet Ashley, tell her I sent ya!

Check out the Little Miss Momma Etsy Shop here. I have the adorable mustache necklace. It's so cute!

Happy Monday!!

Happy Mother's Day

This is my second Mother's Day with my sweet girl! I woke up today to breakfast in bed and the sweetest card carried in by my Hubby and little girl. She made me a Mommy and I am forever grateful for that. She makes my heart smile so much!

I saw this quote on Jess's blog and I just loved it! 

"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new." ~Rajneesh

Becoming a Mom it's changed me so much, and I am so blessed. She makes me better, she loves me unconditionally, she makes me a Mamma! 

{photos from our shoot with Carrie Fay}

To my Mama today on Mother's Day thank you for being such a BIG part of my life! I love you more than words can say, and I'm so blessed to have you as a Mother. Love you!