2014 reflections

As always it was fun to review our year through my favorite snap shots:

This time last year I was wrapping up my management position and stepped into an even more part time role of doing some consulting and training in order spend more time with these two. Even with the hard and sometimes long days that can come with parenting little ones, the times I lost my patience, had Disney songs stuck on repeat in my head and answered the question "Will you play with me?" for the millionth time... I really have loved this year and this time with them.

In March we traveled for spring break to visit the family and spend time with cousins in Houston.
We visited the zoo and had a good time together. 

We celebrated Ava turning 4!

and Rhett turning 1!

We celebrated them with a joint family party at the house. 

We watched Rhett start walking and talking.  

Another year of Ava enjoying all things princess and girly except for once in a while when she liked to mix up with mowing, playing in the dirt or catching bugs. I love that this picture captures her so well at this age. 

In the summer Ryan surprised me with my first real Camera, I am hoping in 2015 to venture off of manual mode and expand my photography horizons. 

In June we went on a family vacation to Branson with the Askew crew.

Ava surprised with all the rides she would ride at Silver Dollar City now that she has reached the first height limit for the bigger rides.

No good vacation is quite complete without lots of pool time.
Ava took swim lessons again this summer and loved time in the water. 

Road trip fun!

Allie got to come visit us for several days in the summer!
To a 4 year old girl, there's pretty much nothing cooler than your 11 year old girl cousin.

We went to Houston over the 4th of July for the Bell family Bash
and got to get to know our newest cousins, Emilia and Hudson.
They are some of our greatest joys for the year to have both of them arrive safe and healthy! 

Ava told us she wants to be a cowgirl when she grows up
but she's pretty conflicted because she really loves babies and
 she told me she's just not sure if she can ride her horse all day and take care of baby
maybe 2015 will bring more clarity for her on her future endeavors.

No summer trip to Houston is complete with out lots of pool time. 

The kids always loved time with their grandparents this year. 

Rhett loved the fireworks this year and we loved watching his shock and awe face. 

We also traveled down to Duncan for a Day trip to meet up visit with Matt and Lori and made a trip to the kiddie park there.  (Rhett seemed excited to ride the train and wanted to sit on the bench next to me but as soon as it started he crawled up on my lap, such a marker of this stage - Let me do it myself, wait I need you)

Rhett's increased mobility over the year lead to lots of shenanigans and I am sure there will be more to come in 2015. 

In the fall Rhett started MDO two days a week at Ava's school.

and Ava returned to preschool as one the big kids. 

I took the kids down to Orr Family Farms again for some Fall fun. 

Rhett loved his first hayride!

We went with an Alice in Wonderland theme Halloween after Ava watched again and again in the fall. 

We hosted a bon fire night with  some friends in our back yard. 

Over Thanksgiving we updated our Bell family kid pictures. 

There are 5 more members of this crew since the last time we did this group picture a few years ago. 

In December we took Ava ice skating for the first time and enjoyed our usual holiday family time in Broken Arrow.

A tiny frog on the drive way. 

I feel like these last two pictures are my favorite of the year and really capture this year for us. They symbolizes the joy of watching their relationship with one another grow and the wonder and magic of this stage of life we get to share along side them. Not all the days were filled with magic there were plenty of messes to go along side it- moments I lost my patience, or they fought with each other, Rhett broke things, or put another random something in the toilet, having tantrums at the same time or the literal constant mess making and cleaning cycle that is never ending at this stage. but I think when I look back on 2014 with all its mess and magic, the magical moments -the moments of Ryan and I making eye contact when they do something hilarious, or being there for the moment they accomplish something new, hearing MaMa for the first time or spending an hour on the drive way in awe of tiny frog that came to visit, those are the parts I am tucking away for keeps. 2015 will be a big year for our house with someone starting kindergarten, someone potty training, and changes I am sure we don't even know about yet. I hope I'm finding that sweet place of wrapping myself in this moment and not mourning what has passed or anxiously awaiting what is next because I know that is the surest way to miss the magic of right now and right now is pretty great.