This is Ava.
She is my brothers daughter, whom he and his wife, Michelle, first started their beautiful family upon Ava's birth, just over two years ago. This pic was taken at her recent birthday bash, where others may have a 'bounce-house', she got a 'Bounce-Castle'! A standing legion of a playful lot, her and her cousins, close friends, mum and dad, g-mas, g-pas, and even Uncle Ducky bounced around for some good 'ole fashioned body-slammin' fun!
I love this picture that Ana took. It captures the innocence of youth when all of life's surroundings are completely lost, and for a period of time, the focus is one thing.
It's almost surreal to think about how much more Ava has to experience in her life: school, making new friends, a new dog, a new cat, a new brother or sister(coming soon), her first trip to Disneyland, playing with the waves at the beach, horses, snow-globes, family trips, seeing snow and making snow-angels...don't eat the yellow-snow Ava.
Mix in: a scraped up knee, the big scary dog down the street, the jungle gym, staying out past dark, learning to ride a bike, another scraped knee, getting lost for the first time, homework, exams, finals, first-choices, final-decisions, first love and loss, first airplane ride, a job, car-payments, insurance, rent, top-ramen and mac-n-cheese only, more tests and exams, college, more tests and exams and more ramen and chili-mac, dating, more college, a career, deadlines, love and marriage, a house payment, a family, and the loss of a loved one or long time friend.
The list can go on and on for the many things that she will experience that will impact and forever remain as memories in her life. All the things in life that make for decisions who lead her to be who she is.
And between them all, never should any of them be taken away. They make you who you are Ava Helene Serrato. These things develop your mind, your soul, your body...your place in this big old world where all these things are taken for granted and sometimes left behind. Don't forget to jump and smile, and fall, and get back up, and live life.
After all...this world is just one big Bounce-House.
