First Ice Skating!

Ava has been asking about ice skating for over a year and she had some Christmas money from her great grandparents that she received at Thanksgiving (Grandma I knew you would read this so wanted you to see how much she enjoyed the gift!!) So we headed over to Mitch park Saturday for a special afternoon of fun. Despite the cold, she loved just about every minute of it, it was a special first for sure. I asked her if it was everything she hoped it would be and she smiled so big when she quietly nodded yes as we were leaving. Definitely a day to tuck away for keeps.

Getting started!

.

So excited!

working on their ice dancing routine 

This strategy seemed to work the best, dad's hand on the coat, a little safety net to avoid a face plant. 

I loved those tiny legs in those tiny skates, by the end of the time she was trying it all on her own. 

Even watching them refinish the ice had some magic and wonder to it.

Hot chocolate break.

Thanks to Aunt Amy for keeping Rhett, he's not quite ready for ice skates just yet.  

Rhett: 19 month update

 Rhett turned 19 months over the weekend! More little boy is emerging daily as his baby is fading more and more. He's starting to put two words together here and there. My favorite Rhett words right now are "baff" for bath, "Maaaalk" for Milk, "Maame" for Aunt Amy, "wook" for look. His most said word is "sister". He wakes up saying "sister" and wants to see her first thing. They told me at his MDO today he had a hard day kept saying Mama and they said she'll be back soon and asked him what else they get him and he then started saying "sister". He's doing good with not touching the tree but throwing balls inadvertently has been more of the hazard. He loves to rare his arm back and then come really close to you to play catch. His favorite book he wants to read each night right now is "I love you stinky face", there is a cyclops in it and he loves when we turn that page he says enthusiastically "bear!". I don't know where the association comes from but we just go with it. He loves to fold his hands when its time to pray. I had to move the dog food up on the pantry shelf, he figured out the latch this month and I kept finding him snacking on it. Avocados are still his most favorite actual food. So excited to for Christmas with him at this age and stage.

He would stay outside all the time if I let him.

He loves bath time.

I love him in this little man sweater.

Happy 19 months brother bear! 

Happy Halloween!

Alice in Wonderland has been Ava's favorite movie the last few months so it was an easy theme for Halloween this year. I found a great Etsy find for Ava's dress and then I made Rhett's white rabbit costume with a lot of help from hot glue and spray adhesive. 

Mayfair Trunk or Treat

Our Alice in Wonderland themed trunk

Getting ready! 

Rhett 18 months, Ava 4 and a half years old

Rhett at 18 months

Rhett turned 18 months yesterday:

It's a word explosion time. I've lost count of how many words he says and almost daily he says a new one he hasn't said before. 

None of his canines are in but he has one molar all the way through and one partially through.

He loves pizza, avocados, pretzels and cookies

He loves to wave hi to people and has several ladies at church he will reach his arms out for every time he sees them. 

He is sweet, observant and determined. 

He naps once a day for an hour or two

Ryan's boss gave him a football recently and he loves it and throws a fit when we won't let him take it in the bath or shower.

He has learned to take a wooden puzzle and set up as a ramp on the bottom section of the coffee table in order to climb on top of it. 

We've never had an ER trip with Ava but thinking we might with him some day. He gave himself 3 different black eyes this month, all minor but all involved his climbing or running shenanigans either falling or running into things. 

His favorite book is Little Blue Truck

After a smooth run the first day, he had a rough first month adjusting to Mothers Day Out in September: Being tearful off and on during the days, not eating much of his lunch and then hardy napping. He's teachers and I worked on some things to help with nap time and after some adjustment time now daily I get reports of what a great day he had. We've even had some tear free drop offs the last few times where he will reach out for his teacher when I go. 

Happy 18 months Brother Bear! 

His "say cheese" face

Hair is getting lighter and lighter, his eyes are blue with flecks goldish yellow. 

He loves Rory...

not sure Rory loves him but she tolerates him well. 

Pumpkin Patch 2014

This week the weather was beautiful and after our first attempt was thwarted by random bad weather the week before, this day was a pretty great sunshine day to head down to Moore, Oklahoma for some pumpkin patch fun. 

It's a tough decision which one to choose. 

Best one I could get of them together

Our favorite activity is the jumping pillow.

Rhett was happy to play in the sand next to the jumping pillow

Excited for his very first Hay Ride. 

Rhett and those overalls makes my heart smile. 

Ava was on an intense search for the "perfect pumpkin". characteristics for consideration inlcuded roundness, cleanliness and how good of a "handle" it had. 

Now it's officially fall. 

Disney on Ice

When the fair was here we decided to take Ava to see Disney on Ice for the first time. 

Aunt Amy kept Rhett so it was a special night she had has all to herself. 

I think this may be our first family picture of 2014. 

Ava picked out her favorite princess dress for the night to wear. 

We enjoyed a little fair fun with our walk through the animal barns on our way to and from. 

This boy and his mom offered Ava an up close meet and greet of their cow "bubba".  

She sweet talked her usually fiscally minded dad into a "show light".
She was pretty captivated by most of the show, it was fun to watch her watch the show, love this age of magic and wonder. 

Home

I'm reading The Nesting Place and the book Wild right now. Interestingly I didn't plan it and doesn't appear on the outset that they have anything to do with one another but I think at their core they are about the very same thing. It's that thing we all long for that place we call home but more so that place we feel home, which is so much deeper, richer and sustaining than just brick and mortar. So our home and all the different layers of that concept is on my mind a lot right now. A deep part of me desires and finds much fulfillment in creating home for our family from the throw pillow down to the good night rituals. I love that home can be about that space you share with those you love but it can also be in so many other places where you feel that sense of safe love and belonging.
I am inspired to look at home through a new lens here a few glimpses of "home" right now:

Tiny frog = big entertainment around here.
The ages right now of so much wonder in discovery. 

PBS and snack time

These two love summer night bike rides

Home - that just right place for us right now between city and country that we love.

Bare feet in the backyard, our kind of summer afternoon fun. 

 a visitor in the front garden, spiders in the house - gross, spiders in the garden -kind of beautiful

Ava's famous garden stew 

The perfect place to sit and read while babies play

She doesn't make in pictures much anymore since the kids arrived, our first baby is now actually pretty old. I read Ryan the average life spans of dogs her size and bread the other day and told him he should start preparing himself, he would hear none of it, as ornery as she is, she has been a part of this home from our early days. Her name is one of the first words our children spoke. Home right now is her sitting in her favorite spot, looking out the window.

Favorite voices of wisdom right now:

"Joy comes to us in ordinary moments, we risk missing out on joy when we get to busy chasing down the extraordinary." Brene Brown

"Most of us simply need to learn to see the beauty in the imperfect. Because life is gloriously messy. You can learn tips and tricks to help keep your home more put together and beautiful Or you can accept the fact that your home will be imperfect and that each season of your family's life will bring different kinds of beautiful messes. What if you already have everything you need to have the home you've always wanted?"

- A few of my favorite lines so far from The Nesting Place.

Rhett - 16 month update.

Rhett's 16 month update

He has several new words he says regularly now: 

Baby, help, wa-wa for any kind of drink, up, yes and no to add to ma-ma, da-da, hi, bye and Rory. 

He's started making some animal noises - he has a pretty cute growl, meow and woof-woof. 

He loves any kind of pasta, still love avocados, fruit smoothies, and his newest obsession -Harvest Cheddar Sun Chips. I got on to Ryan the other day for giving him the bag to walk around the house with, turns out Ryan didn't get if for him, he went into the pantry and helped himself.  

Still trying to condense his naps to one afternoon one. Some days still has two, some days just one.

He loves to call for Rory and will yell "Rorrrry" while bending down and slapping his thighs. 

He has preferences for certain books at bed time, saying no and shaking he's head if it's not one of his preferred favorites. 

He has the best eyebrow raised surprise face.

He's in that phase of wanting to explore and be independent
but the next moment crawling in my lap when he's tired, unsure or afraid. 

It was awfully quiet in there, so I went to check...