I had so much fun doing cap and gown pics with Avery! We did sessions with Dalton and Erika and they turned out so cute! I can’t believe these kids are about to graduate!
Avery jammed his index finger tossing a football with Jonathan minutes before, hence the expression on his face.
Decorating their caps together.
We now have another adult living under our roof! It’s hard to believe eighteen years have come and gone since we became parents, but it’s true! Avery’s birthday was an emotional day for Jonathan and me. We woke up before any of the kids and each wrote Avery a heartfelt birthday letter, then looked through old pictures together.
We couldn’t be prouder of Avery. At eighteen, he is a good friend, a hard worker, driven to do his best, and a lot of fun to talk to! He balances school with sports, work, a girlfriend, personal interests and spends a lot of time with friends.
Avery’s favorite band is the Red Hot Chili Peppers, favorite solo artist is Kendrick Lamar. He enjoys following football, and of course, roots for the Seahawks. He doesn’t care for TV much, though he does play some video games with friends. Avery spends a lot of time in the gym or outdoors hiking, skiing, running, swimming and backpacking.
He is excited for college and has not decided what he wants to study yet, though he’s giving a lot of thought to the medical industry.
Happy birthday, sweet Avery Liam. We love you so much!
French toast for breakfast
Dalton stopped by to hang out and wish Avery a happy birthday.
We took Avery to 12 Moons Sushi at the Snoqualmie Casino, for birthday lunch, thinking he could do some slot machines on the way. We didn’t realize you have to be 21 to gamble at this casino because of all the bars, but he loved the sushi!
It’s ironic that Avery work his Red Hot Chili Peppers shirt to lunch. Kieron took a bite of the Thai Chili Pepper on his plate, and then Avery decided to eat his whole pepper, seeds and all. He subsequently started sweating, sniffling and drank all his water. Fortunately, he had creme brulee on the way to cool things down!
Last day as a seventeen year old!
It’s getting real!
A few old pics!
It’s crazy to think Avery turned seventeen this year and has less than a year until he’s an adult. I feel like we were just bringing our first-born home from the hospital not so long ago. At seventeen, this kid makes us so proud. He is such a hard worker and really pushes himself academically. He’s a great teammate, and participated in cross country, swim team, and track this year. He’s got lots of great friends who we also enjoy having over, and he helps us with errands and driving his siblings around. Avery is also great to talk to and is known for writing the sweetest things in cards. Senior year is going to be a whirlwind, but we intend to soak up every minute of it before this boy spreads his wings and flies! 
With Erika
An All Blacks jersey from Nana
Doing one of his favorite things
We celebrated with a party/sleepover with a few of Avery’s closest buddies
Lucas, Eli, Taylor, Dalton, Jones, Avery, Preston, Ethan, Parker, Ronnie, Crosby, Jacob, & Dallen
Last night as a sixteen year old
Avery celebrated a milestone birthday this year. He turned 16 and celebrated by getting his driver’s license that morning and driving to school.
At sixteen, Avery is hardworking, driven, a self-starter, and an all around good kid. He loves running, swimming and playing piano. His favorite class at school is cybersecurity and he’s also interested in sports medicine. We’re so proud of you, Avery. Happy 16th!
Boiled chocolate cake for the birthday boy
Avery drove himself to school after getting his license
Jonathan had to use the car after that. He snapped this pic of Avery walking into school with his new bag.
We celebrated with a party and invited a few of Avery’s friends.
Avery turned 15 this year. It’s hard to believe we have a child so old! At 15, Avery is such a fun kid. He’s a great student, a dedicated athlete, a super teammate and friend, and a wonderful son. He puts so much effort into everything he does, and we are so proud of him.
We celebrated with a birthday sleepover. We ordered pad thai and the boys stayed up late playing basketball, ping pong, foosball, and watching movies and playing video games.
Kieron had Seth over and they hung out away from the teenagers
Birthday morning crepes
Ice cream cake
