Kimble Khronicles

"A Fresh Start" Update

2012-01-31T13:02:00.002-06:00

It's been nearly a month since my last post -- one that has started me on an organizing, simplifying frenzy.

Organizing makes me feel good. I like it when things are put away neatly in their specific spot.

So why did I have such a clutter problem???

Well, frankly, I'd like to blame it on a 4 year old, a husband, and 2 cattle dogs that shed NON-STOP, but the truth is... It's me. I get lazy.

That's definitely not something that I'm proud to admit, but you have to call a spade a spade.

The problem with that is, it only makes more work for me in the long run and who has time for that?!

In the past, I'd run out to the Container Store and spend money on cute little bins and gadgets to help me organize. But those bins and gadgets don't organize themselves! Justin would cringe a little bit each time I told him I was organizing "so and so" because he knew that that meant money out of his pocket.

I'm not saying that those bins and gadgets aren't helpful, they for sure are, but most of us already have an abundance of those things in our homes. And it's always best to use what you have!

A rule that I'm proud to adopt is to organize and simplify in a way that makes sense for you.

Make it easy on yourself!

So for the drawer in my kitchen, I've made it Charlotte's craft drawer.

She has always loved doing crafts in the kitchen and we had her craft bin (yes, a bin that I previously ran out to CS to buy...) always sitting on the kitchen table. It was convenient for her, but cluttered our table. And it wasn't the prettiest to eat next to!

I decided to move all of her random toys out of this drawer and designate it as a "craft only" drawer. It's perfect for us and I'm proud to say that after a month, she has used it almost every day and it still looks great! And the best part - she puts all of her crafts back into the drawer when she's finished!

The next item up for bid is my "catch all" drawer in the kitchen.

This drawer is directly under the phone and has been an easy drawer to put papers and other random stuff into. While cleaning it out, I actually found Justin's "hacky sack" from probably junior high. Lord only knows why that was in there...

I've always kept the foil, saran wrap, etc, in there and wanted to keep it that way. But I cleaned out the clutter and only kept things that were necessary to our needs and convenient for us.

I added the cork lining (something that I already had) to the bottom so things wouldn't slide around when we opened it. Again, it's directly under the phone, so having a notepad with pens and pencils were a must.

Also, Charlotte didn't have a place to put her things when she came into the house. Her backpack was all over the place! I had 2 hooks that I had put up a year ago, but they were out of her reach.

I dreamed up converting a bookshelf that is in the garage into a cubby for her, but knew that that was going to take skills and time and money...

So last week while cleaning the kitchen, realized that I had another hook that matched the other 2 already hanging there. And instead of buying or building a cubby, I could just hang another hook-- one that she could reach.

BINGO!

Why is it that some of the most simple things take the longest to realize?

Also, the message board in the picture was covered with pictures. Cute pictures, but it looked cluttered and it wasn't being used to it's full potential. I removed all the pictures and added things that were important: invitations, soccer schedule, etc.

Now, instead of those items being put in my previous "catch-all" drawer, they also have a home that we can quickly glance at on our way in and out of the house.

Lastly, our entertainment armoire.

This armoire was in the house when we moved in (almost 5 years ago). We bought it from the previous owners because we thought it was beautiful and we didn't have anything else to put in it's place.

I always wanted something like this to be able to close the doors and have all the electronics hidden.

Though it is beautiful, it towered over us in the room. It was really massive, weighed a ton and took up a lot of space.

I called a consignment store almost a year ago to see if they would sell it, but they said that "no one was buying those things anymore." WHAAA. WHAAAAA! That didn't give me too much hope. I then posted it on Craig's List but found no interest, until recently! I reposted it at an almost "give away" price and we got a bite! Truthfully, I would have probably paid someone to come in and haul it away!

The armoire even had dented our hardwood floors because it was so extremely heavy.

When the buyer was picking it up, I said a little prayer that firstly they could get it out of the house and then that they could get it to the trailer without dropping it. I envisioned them getting it outside, dropping it and then just driving off. But thankfully it all worked out well!

I also searched Craig's List to find something that would take it's place and found this darling piece...

We still need to fix our electronics around it, but I love the color, clean lines and simplicity of the piece!

(Forgive the bad pic, but it was taken from my phone the night we got it)

Sometimes, clearing the clutter also means clearing out the things that weigh you down and over power you. Even beautiful armoires.

I want to close with something that makes my heart happy and brings a smile to my face.

My golden finches have arrived!!

Always surround yourself with things that make you truly content.

A fresh start!

2012-01-07T10:11:00.000-06:00

It's been a calm week. We've come off the holiday high and have gotten back into our routine.

With all the joys and wonders of the Christmas season, there's a reason why it happens only once a year. We wouldn't be able to keep up with it all. No matter how hard we try to plan things, the holidays wear on us.

I welcome January. I welcome the newest of it. A fresh start!

The weather has been so wonderful here that it feels like Spring. We've been playing outside as much as possible to soak it all in. But this "Spring-like" weather is gearing me up for Spring cleaning.

Well, it's that or the abundance of toys we have in our house now...

With Charlotte's birthday just 2 weeks before Christmas, there's an overhaul of toys in December.
I reorganized her closet at the 1st of December in anticipation, but we just have too many toys. She has a large closet that has built-in shelving and fantastic Elfa drawers that pull out, but they are filled. There is also a "treasure chest" (wicker trunk) in our living room that's currently won't shut properly because it's filled over capacity. And also...a rather large drawer in my kitchen that is used as a 3rd storage place for toys. (I am not going to embarrass myself and post pictures of the proof - hopefully there will be pretty "after" pics!)

All of this extra clutter after December's passing has lead me pondering... how do we not let the extra things clutter our lives? What should I keep, what should I store, and what should I give away.

Typically I'm not a real sentimental person when relating to things but when it comes to Charlotte's stuff, I am. I fall into the category of wanting to save it "just in case we have another child" or especially with her clothes, remembering when and where and what she did when she was wearing them - particularly in the infant and baby stages.

But that brings me back to: what to keep, what to store and what to give away.

Lately, I've been reading an inspiring blog by Rachel Meeks, www.smallnotebook.org. I love how simple and real she talks about living. And I love what she posted last year about this topic.

I like her questions that she asks when deciding what to store:

How much was it loved?
How big is it?
How well will it keep?

That sounds simple and would truly be easy for me if I knew we weren't having another child. But there's only so much I can keep and store before my garage starts looking like her "treasure chest".
A friend joked with me recently saying that the moment we give it all away is the moment we'd get pregnant and have another baby. And she's probably right. haha.

At the end of Rachel's post, on the Small Notebook, she concludes with her "Golden Rule of Keeping Sentimental Things":

The fewer things you keep, the more special they are.

LOVE that! I think her "golden rule" would work for most aspects of our lives so I've decided to adopt it as my motto for 2012.

I vow to clear the clutter (not specific to toys) and keep the treasures that mean the most to us.
So, I will save and store the special things of Charlotte's, but only a few for keepsakes and a few for "just in case". But sorry McDonald's toys, you're out of here!

Well, I have my work cut out for me. I can never do this while Charlotte is around. It's one of those things, "out of sight, out of mind" but the moment she sees it, it's over and back into the toy abyss. So, my job will be waiting for me until she is back at school on Monday.

Until then.

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T00:00:00.000-06:00

It was a wonderful Christmas!

We had lots of fun playing games, playing outside and just enjoying each other.

Charlotte would had preferred that it snowed, but other than that it was perfect.

playing outside Christmas Eve

sword fight with Daddy

Our most favorite thing to do on Christmas Eve is to attend the candle light service at our church

I snuck in a picture of the service right before us. Sssshhhh! Don't tell - there's a no picture policy in church.

That bit of info I found out about 30 minutes after I had taken this one....

We were all excitedly awaiting Santa's arrival. My friend, Katie, had told me about an app that tracks Santa's progression throughout Christmas Eve. We immediately downloaded it and loved checking in for location updates - Poland, Madagascar, Finland, etc. It got really fun once we knew Santa was in the United States!

Charlotte woke up around 7am and called from the top of the stairs, "Is it morning yet"?

Santa knew Charlotte was really good this year. He brought her a "big girl" bike, and My Little Pony, Sesame Street and Strawberry Shortcake toys.

Nothing is greater than watching a child's joy on Christmas morning.

Justin equally loves her toys.

Our Christmas table

Once we had finished dinner and each taken naps, we were excited to play games and preform our band. I'm terribly sorry that I do not have a video to share of this moment. I assure you it was greatness!

Below was my attempt at the self timer...

We'll keep you posted on our next concert.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

oxox

Cookies for Santa

2011-12-26T23:30:00.001-06:00

This was our 3rd year to make cookies for Santa and we keep getting better and better.

Our 1st year, we were just learning. We had lots of fun with the flour... flour on the floor, flour on us, and about double the flour needed for the recipe. Then, not realizing I was doing the wrong thing, made a Royal Icing to decorating the cookies which turned out very VERY hard.

Our 2nd year, was also fun. Less flour and better icing, but I had colored the icing red and green and I had red and green stained hands for a few days.

This year I found a wonderful recipe on-line:

The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies

Who can resist a recipe with that claim? Not me! And I'm glad too because they were the best!!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

I halved the recipe for us and still made almost 2 dozen.

Her favorite part has always been rolling the dough

This year I heard a lot of, "I can do it without help".

I loved stepping back and watching her confidence. And she really did do a great job!

Our motto was to ice one, taste one, ice one, taste one.

Yummy!

Santa was extra lucky this year - not only were the cookies "the best" - they were made with

A LOT of LOVE!

Christmas Performances

2011-12-24T12:20:00.000-06:00

Charlotte's school preformed a sweet little program for the parents last week.

Her class sang 2 songs: Three Wise Men (and Women) and Alice The Camel.

At home, Charlotte had been going around the house singing a song about "Alice" and "humps", but I couldn't figure out what she was singing. They were both cute songs, but especially Alice The Camel with a surprise ending....she turned into a horse with no humps.

All the kids laughed when they sang that part.

At Spanish school, she and her sweet amigos also sang and danced.

Dancing to "Jingle Bell Rock" in Espanol con sus amigo Pablo.

Dance class performed last week at Northpark Mall.

They tapped to "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" and danced to "The Nutcracker - Chinese Tea".

All the girls were so good! I worried that they'd be shy with so many people watching them but they were very brave and proud!

It doesn't get cuter than that.

Great job Charlotte!

Reflection

2011-12-20T17:44:00.002-06:00

Today's post is about reflection.

Christmas is just days away and our schedules are busting at the seams trying to get everything done. Trying to get those last few Christmas cards in the mail, last few presents bought.

And I know I'm guilty of getting caught up in the parties... the presents... the planning.

Then family asks, "what do you need this year for Christmas", and we all have lists a mile long.

But the truth is we already have everything we need.

We have each other.

We have our health.

We have a happy home.

I was looking through photos on my computer and came across these that I had taken in October.

Nothing special was happening that day. No big craft was planned. No play date was schedule.

Yet, thankfully I knew there was enough beauty in the moment to grab my camera.

I remember this day very well. It was just us. Just my sweet girl and me.

She had grabbed her tea set and picnic basket from her room and came down stairs and told me she wanted to have a picnic in the backyard. And asked for me to get a blanket.

We drank water but pretended it was tea.

We probably stayed out there for less than a hour, but the memory of that time will be with me always.

So for today I am reminded to pause, take a breath, and enjoy what we already have.

We already have everything.

4th Birthday

2011-12-19T15:46:00.002-06:00

Charlotte Rose is 4.

In 4 years, we have had more joy than we knew was even possible. She has brighten our lives in countless ways - one of God's angels on earth.

I love hearing her talk and the creative way she says things. I also really enjoy watching the interactions of her and her friends. I could sit for hours listening to their sweet conversations. Imagination play is real big for them now. She comes home from school and reports who was the "mommy" and who were the "kiddos"of the day. One cute friend of hers, Charlotte N., calls her "honey" and "sweetie" and our Charlotte thinks that is so funny - she laughs every time she tells us.

I've also heard Charlotte playing in her room with her babies, telling them that a sitter is coming tonight because "Mommy has a meeting".... I laugh because obviously that is what I've said a few times when I've gone out to dinner with friends.

The night before Charlotte's birthday, while she was asleep, we blew up 30 balloons to put in her room and made a streamer banner for her to walk through when she got out of bed.

When she woke up I think she was a little shocked and called from the top of the stairs, "mommy... did you do this?" We have an Elf on the Shelf and though "Polly's" craziest stunt is hanging upside down, I think Charlotte was making sure we did this and not her.

Happy Birthday!

Her birthday breakfast was mini waffles with nutella and sprinkles on top.

I was scheduled to take snacks to her school for the week, so I played off her birthday breakfast. Instead, for the "peanut-free" rule, I used the amazingly fabulous spread that my sweet friend Heidi gave us -- Biscoff Spread. It's a yummy yummy spread that is cookie based --WARNING!! CAN BE DANGEROUS on the ol' waist line.

Charlotte's Latest Favorites

Favorite food: sushi and chocolate
Favorite sport to play: soccer
Favorite color: pink and purple
Favorite toy: my stuffed animals
Favorite song: Jesus Loves Me
Favorite book: All my new birthday books
Favorite television show: My Little Pony and Strawberry Shortcake
Favorite DVD: Alice in Wonderland
Favorite activity: Arts & Crafts
Best Friend: Callie (our dog) and Spencer Carter
What I want to be when I grow up: A dentist
I love: my dog, my dad, my mom, playing piano and guitar

Charlotte decided early on that she wanted to have a pajama party. She wanted to have her girl friends over for the evening for lots of fun, laughter and pizza!

We found a cute idea on pinterest and decided that was what we wanted for a party craft and favor.

No-Sew Fleece Pillows

They should have been "no-sew", but just like the pinterest idea, we also wanted to up the ante and make them extra cute. Thankfully we have a very sweet Grammie that offered to help sew the girls initial onto the front, but when she graciously agreed, I failed to mention that there would 19 girls at the party....

Yes -- 19 adorable, energetic 4 year old girls!

And, call me crazy, but I put on the invites that the parents could drop the girls off if they'd like. I thought, since it was close to Christmas, they could have 2 hours to do some shopping. I think the parents enjoyed it and I know the girls did. They felt so big being dropped off.

We had Tangled playing as the girls came in and played a game of "musical pillows" - a twist from musical chairs and freeze dance.

All of these girls are so precious! Charlotte is blessed to have so many sweet friends.

And then had story time -

sweet C.C. imitating story time

Birthday Surprise!

2011-12-18T23:08:00.002-06:00

Our sweet Charlotte recently turned 4!

For the past 2 years, Justin and I've been contemplating getting her something to play with in our backyard. We thought A LOT about a swing set and were astounded at how much the wooden play sets cost. I'm talking jaw-dropping prices! I even searched Craig's List and sent Justin on multiple trips to houses to view used ones. He always came back empty handed. It just never felt right.

We have a few friends that have swing sets in their backyards and Charlotte loves playing on them when she visits and we have a great park that is just a walk away. So, that led us thinking to getting something different. Something that's just as fun but different than what other friends have.

And, that led to a PLAYHOUSE!

With just a few google searches, we found a local guy - David Verrret - Backyard Mansions. He builds them as a hobby and has built many for local charities including Dallas CASA.

He came over one Saturday to meet with us and we immediately knew he was our guy. Not only were we all on the same page and equally excited, he has 4 kids who all attended or are attending Texas Tech! Got to love a Raider fan!

We told our parents about our plan for her and they graciously offered to contribute to the playhouse! A lovely surprise for us and very special for Charlotte to have such loving and generous grandparents.

Because this is David's hobby, he builds when he's not at work -- evenings and weekends. It takes him about 6 weeks to complete a house. He starts in his workshop and completely builds the structure, interior included - minus the flooring. We got to pick the design of the house, paint colors, and he even matched our house's window trim to the playhouse so that it would have just that little something extra.

Once finished in his shop, he has a special way of disassembling it and loading in a moving truck for delivery. He started on the Friday morning before her birthday and ended mid day Saturday.

Since this was a surprise for Charlotte - we didn't want her to see anything, so I asked her teachers if she could attend school that day. They graciously agreed and she had a blast. Friday is always our day to stay at home in the mornings relax a bit from the week but this Friday, we were out early! I took her to get donuts and then off to school. She was very happy to go to school because they study science that day and she got to make quartz crystals -- We maybe should attend on Fridays more often!

Below are pictures of the building process and Charlotte's first time to play in the finished house.

Us with David Verret

our girl's 1st time in her house

"someone's at the door"

"please come in"

Gram and Pater wanted to get her something for the house, so we found this darling couch that is the perfect addition.

Christmas Time

2011-12-14T23:37:00.001-06:00

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..."

No, not really - Except for the decorations, fun parties, wrappings and already crowded stores.

The weather here today was almost 70 degrees - though slightly rainy and cloudy, it could have passed for spring.

When I think of Christmas, I think of snow and cold! Living in Dallas for almost 12 years, I've learned not to expect the snow, but the cold is usually always here (if not added ice too). I started wondering what people in warmer states and islands think of Christmas time. It's definitely different from me. Do their kids watch the old 1970's annual showing of Frosty the Snowman? Have they ever seen snow themselves? I bet their version of Santa, isn't with the heavy red suit and thick black boots but of shorts, t-shirt and sunglasses. Maybe even a picture of Santa surfing the waves with his toy sack over his shoulder. Maybe even the reindeer surf too! That would be cool!!

Ok, enough with the rambling and on to the pictures...

A few years ago, I made this advent calendar. It was a kit from Michael's and has tiny pockets that you can put treats into. Charlotte loves to pull a chair up to it each morning to get the candy out for the day. I love it that she's enjoying it! I had something similar when I was little and looked forward to it each season.

Sweet friends.

Overnight stay at the Aldophus Hotel

Breakfast with Santa

FROSTY!

At the parade

And Char's favorite character...

Late Turkey Day Update

2011-12-14T22:15:00.001-06:00

This is a late Thanksgiving update, but I want to share the memories that I captured.

We drove the 6 hour drive to Borger with both 50 lbs. dogs in tow.

Of course Callie stayed close to her best friend...

Picture of dad - trying to teach him how pictures look so much better (real) without a flash.

My girly - I was cutting fleece fabric to make pillows for her birthday party and she took the remnants and made an outfit.

Watching the famous NYC Thanksgiving Parade and was very excited to see Hello Kitty!

Glad to get a picture of the 3 of us together on Thanksgiving. You really have to make a point to get a family pic! It gets hectic and when you're the one typically behind the camera, you often miss the opportunity.

Love this pic! With my Grandma and Papa

The Kimble/Weldon Men

Borger Horizon

Watching the sunset.

The Texas Panhandle has the most beautiful sunsets. Pinks, purples, blues, yellows and orange fill the entire sky. It's breathtaking.

11th hour Thanksgiving Craft

2011-11-23T20:52:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, at the 11th hour, Charlotte and I decided to make a Thanksgiving craft to take with us to Borger.

While at Michael's, shopping for other items (as usual!), found 3x4 canvases on sale 50% off! We instantly knew we wanted them to create something fun!

Once we sized up her hand size to the canvas, we quickly concocted a plan in our heads --

Traditional Handprint Turkeys

The supplies were very simple:

Canvas

Crayola Washable Kid's Paint

Paint brushes

Googly eyes

Glue

Yarn

Charlotte really enjoyed getting to paint her hand with the paint! I let her paint with the brown for the turkey's "body and face" and I painted her individual fingers with colors that she picked.

We let the canvases dry for an hour and then I painted a red gobble and orange beak. Then with an all-purpose glue, glued the googly eyes where she wanted it.

And drew the feet with a fine tip Sharpie.

We bought 6 canvases and only needed 5, so for the remaining canvas, Charlotte got to paint whatever she wanted.

I think my little artist really enjoyed painting on a canvas.

We wrapped each canvas in yarn to give to family.

Charlotte loved hiding them behind her back and surprising her grandparents with them!

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

It's Fall!

2011-11-20T20:02:00.002-06:00

Even though fall "officially" began in September, it's been so warm here that the leaves recently just began changing colors and started to fall.

Charlotte could hardly wait until we had enough leaves to rake so that she could jump in them!

I can't believe that November is already half way over and that Thanksgiving is less than a week away! Where is time going? I feel like my grandma by saying that, but the ol' saying rains true -

"time flies when you're having fun"!

I've been thinking about photography a lot lately. Mostly, thinking about how much I need a new camera and another lens to help me create the photos that I'm seeking, but when you have perfect lighting, you don't need anything else.

I am thankful for my life. And my beautiful family that I get to share each day with.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T22:01:00.001-05:00

from Minnie Mouse and her parents!

Charlotte's Halloween Party

2011-10-30T23:54:00.006-05:00

Tonight was Charlotte's Halloween Party!

A day that she's been planning for, for a long time!!

This was our 3rd year to host it and if you look back, you can see how it's grown since our 1st one.

Each year has got better and better! When we 1st began, Charlotte was just 10 months old and the friends that came were friends from college, neighbors and HPUMC's 1st time mom's group. Now, Charlotte's in 2 schools and has made so many wonderful friends that we wanted to invite each of them!

We are so thankful to each family that came! All the kids had a blast! From the bounce house to the glow bracelets, each kid was very content!

And thanks to Pinterest for giving me such wonderful new ideas this year!

Though these pictures may be hard to tell, the new pinterest ideas that I included are: the nacho bar, pumpkins lanterns, individual veggie cups, mummy juice boxes and mummy hotdogs.

The nacho bar consisted of: chips, black beans & ground beef (in the warming dishes), queso (in the crock) and in individual bowls: diced red onions, jalapenos, sliced black olives, shredded cheddar cheese and I put sour cream, guacamole and salsa in clear "mustard type" squeeze containers.

It was very easy to prepare and worked well with any dietary restrictions as guests could build their own nachos to their liking.

I didn't get too many pics this year because I was talking too much (imagine that!) but below are the pics that Justin, I and Charlotte were in.

Happy Halloween!

Cowboys Game

2011-10-30T20:47:00.001-05:00

Last week we went to the Cowboy's game!

Justin's firm had tickets and we took a sweet friends with us who works closely with Justin.

The stadium is so impressive! It is the largest thing I've ever been in. The amenities are phenomenal! Before the game I had a lobster & crab roll sandwich and a wonderful bloody mary!

We even saw some eating sushi!! Things you typically don't see at a stadium.

It's Jerry's World..... nothing else describes it better.

A good family pic before the game.

We had a super fun time, but someone didn't get a nap earlier and crashed during the game.

She was a trooper though and a great cheerleader!

2nd Annual Butterfly Hatching

2011-10-29T22:58:00.003-05:00

The Butterfly Guy came back to Charlotte's school this year and, as expected, was a HUGE hit.

We had such an awesome experience last year that we couldn't wait to have a chrysalis again. If you've never participated in a hatching, I highly recommend it! It's amazing to watch the chrysalis change colors and then emerge to a beautiful butterfly. And once the wings dry you can hold the butterfly and let it crawl on you - an obvious favorite!

I asked Charlotte what this butterfly's name should be, since we had Charlotte The Butterfly last year.

She decided that this year it's, Charlotte Sammie The Butterfly.

State Fair of Texas 2011

2011-10-28T09:33:00.003-05:00

Quite possibly our very favorite thing to do in the fall!

We look forward to it every year and have made this a super fun family tradition.

And in honor of the 125th Texas State Fair Anniversary, I've "antique" most of the photos below.

You can't talk about the Texas State fair and not talk about the fried foods. In 2009, we lucked upon the fried guacamole and fried smor's and those 2 remain our favorites today.

Shamefully this year, we visited the fried guacamole stand twice.

2011 Big Tex Choice Awards

BEST TASTE: Buffalo Chicken in a Flapjack

MOST CREATIVE: Fried Bubblegum

The rides in the Midway have always been Charlotte's favorite. Even 3 years ago when she was just a baby, she loved them. Each year since, she's gotten taller and has been able to ride so much more -- She would ride them all if height wasn't a requirement.

This was our 1st year to play "carni" games. Charlotte had previously watched a Max & Ruby episode where they had gone to the fair and Ruby won a panda and that made her aware that she could also win something. She immediately locked eyes with a Hello Kitty and knew that was the prize she wanted. Thankfully, Justin has a "good arm" and won his baby her Hello Kitty!

After 6 hours fun, we headed back to the car with 2 Hello Kitties, 1 Angry Birds Basketball, and about 1,000,000 calories.

Busy as Bumble Bee

2011-10-27T15:55:00.001-05:00

WHOA HORSIE.... this fall has started off in high gear! We have been busily running around from event to event and place to place. And well, if I'm honest, I wouldn't have it any other way. Our family works better when we're busy. We're more efficient and get a lot more done.

Thanks to all who commented on my previous school post. I appreciated hearing from each of you and it made me feel better knowing other friends are struggling with the exact same issue.

(it's better in numbers, right?!)

Let me give a brief update on the topic:

My mind changes daily, and sometimes hourly, regarding the issue. Each day when I drive pass our public school I see the darling children outside learning in the organic garden and think about Charlotte being there and how much she would love that. But then, I think about the private schools and how much I love them too and all the different experiences she would have there, but one mayor hurdle is their hefty price tag....

Obviously, we don't have a definite decision yet but we have a plan!

We are going to apply to 4 private schools, go through the admission process and see what happens come March 9th. March 9th is the day that the private schools mail out the acceptance letters and by then we will have investigated and thought through all of our options more closely and be able to choose the best plan for Charlotte.

Ok, enough about that.

We had a surprise visit from Jason and Abbi a few weeks ago!

Jason had got a ticket to one of the Ranger's play-off games and decided to come a little earlier to hang out with us and go watch one of Charlotte's soccer games.

We told him to prepare for an action packed game with nail-biting plays! ;)

She was proud to show off her skills!

Later that afternoon, Justin and I took Charlotte and Abbi to Owens' Pumpkin Farm.

We missed it last year because we ran out of time, but I'm glad we made it a priority this year. Both of the girls had a great time and there was stuff for each of them to do.

Abbi's favorite part was the animals - I see a Veterinarian in our family's future!

The following weekend we drove down to San Antonio to visit family and attend the KFGCMF golf tournament. There was a good turn out from golfers and the weather was prefect. It made for a fun day (nap included)!

That Friday night we went to the Alamo Heights football game and got to watch Taylor cheer ~

she is a doll!

It made Charlotte's day to get a hug from a cheerleader!

Looking at Schools

2011-10-12T22:33:00.000-05:00

Oh the time is here....

It is fall, and in Dallas in the fall when you have an almost 4 year old, you tour different schools for next year's placement.

This is a topic of much anxiety!

Let me begin by saying that I write this post in hopes not to offend anyone. But I write to let out my own frustrations and anxiety with this issue. As I've said before, I write this blog for Charlotte to read in the future. And because this is such a hot and important topic (one that is at the fore-front of our minds), I write this post so that she can one day see the intense thought process involved in the decision of her future. (Just in case it turns out badly . . . ha ha ha)

My sweet Charlotte, this is not a decision that your dad and I take lightly!

Here we go - 1st of all, private school in itself is so foreign to both Justin and I. We grew up in Borger, TX with a population of 15k and private school was not an option. There were 3 elementary schools and you went to one of them based on your address and then all went to the same junior high and high school. Justin and I did well at Borger High. Both of us graduated with honors and in the "Honor Society." However, when we went to college, Texas Tech, we don't feel that we were that well prepared. I will no longer speak for Justin, because he was a much better student than I was, but let's just say that neither one of us really thought that hard about our future as high school students.

Living in Dallas has many advantages when it comes to schools and opportunities. I like to relate it to all the restaurants here-- there are so many great ones that on a given night you can be stuck with the question of "where do you want to eat?" And similar to the decision with the schools, there are almost too many wonderful restaurants out there.

Also let me be fair by saying that we have a fantastic, "blue ribbon" public elementary school that is blocks away from our house.

And for me, that is where the dilemma lies....

Because of the history and reputation, I feel almost dumb not having the public elementary be my first choice. Charlotte is now at 2 wonderful preschools, one that includes Spanish immersion. She could stay at both of those school this coming year and then attend the public school beginning in kinder. That choice would not only be good, but would save us a ton of money.

Any person would ask me, "Isn't that option good enough?"

The answer is yes it is, but I'm seeking more too and honesty I'm scared of that route.

Everyone that attends the local public elementary LOVES it! In fact, they can't say enough about the community and the teachers. But then, some hesitate about the middle school after that. Though I know multiple families whose kids attend the middle school (and they say they are very satisfied there), but I can't get over the metal detecters at the school.

Here are my biggest worries with public schools:

that Texas is in a severe debt crisis and funding is coming out of the schools
standardized testing
and the fact that kids are growing up too fast these days

That said, I am rational and know that kids are kids and, no matter how much we would like to shelter them, we can't protect them from everything and they have to be mature enough to make they're own choices.

But I do feel that a private school will create a secure and loving environment while pushing Charlotte to succeed, which is what we try to do at home.

I feel that exposing toddlers and preschoolers to more in their early years will mold them into the person they will become. It blows my mind how much these kids today already know! They almost all know how to work an Apple device quicker and more efficiently than we do. Not only are the sponges, they are literally little machines!

There is currently a documentary floating around named, "The Road to Nowhere." Though I have not seen it myself, I have heard that it's about children these days being pushed too hard, with too much homework and too much extra activities. I understand the conclusion of the documentary is to let kids be kids. Let the preschoolers play through activity, exploration and creative imagination.

We all know that! It shouldn't take a documentary to tell us that. So why all the talk about it?

My thoughts are that we (especially in a city) get caught up in doing multiple activities. Why? Because there is so much to do! You really have to be pro-active and choosy when it comes to extra-curricular activities. Especially in the school age years. Also, I feel incredibly sorry for the public teachers. They are forced to teach for the damn standardized tests. Why? Because nowadays, the funding for the schools is in direct correlation to the testing scores.

All of this frustration is why I feel choosing public (at this time and in this city) for Charlotte would be a gamble. Again, I am rational enough to know that she would probably do well in public but, because she is our only one, we have the opportunity to look at other options.

And though both of us feel safe and comfortable with our public elementary, I worry that if we decide to then send her to private for middle school, she'll be behind in their current curriculum and the ultimate truth -- there are not that many spots available for admission! The most spots available are at the pre-k/kinder levels.

So far, we have looked at 4 privates schools. Trust me, there are many MANY more, but we're done. All 4 schools are great and we would be happy at either of of them. We are now in the application process and testing mode. (Testing for an almost 4 year old really means observation, but testing sounds fancier!) Once we "officially" apply and complete the process for each school, we won't find out anything until March 9, 2012! The day after my birthday.

I'll keep you posted on any changes or outcomes!

Let me close by saying again, that I hope I have not offended anyone. Talking to other families about this topic in Dallas is like talking about religion or politics. It's almost taboo with some people! We can definitely see both sides to the public/private debate, and we just want to do the best we can for Charlotte, and give her as many opportunities as we can.

I do not write this for any other purpose but to show Charlotte how much her mom and dad fretted over this issue. Though we have made many choices for her thus far, this is one of the biggest choices that will affect her directly. And with that said, that is why I am educating myself with multiple options.

We love you so much Charlotte!!!!!

State Fair Kick-off Parade

2011-09-30T23:21:00.000-05:00

Today was the opening of The State Fair of Texas 2011!

Justin's firm had a State Fair kick-off luncheon for the downtown State Fair parade. Of course, he invited his girls because he knows we LOVE parades! The streets downtown were going to be closed, so Charlotte and I decided it would fun to ride the DART train down. We told Charlotte last night about the parade, and she woke up early this morning excited and ready for the fun to begin.

Sweetly waiting for the train ...

I asked a man next to us to take our picture and though he tried to get Charlotte to look his way, this was the best he got.

Playing in Daddy's building

Justin's office provided all the State Fair staples: corndogs, frito pies, cotton candy and fried oreos. Not much on the menu for a non-meat eater, but this one was pleased as punch!

A Military Band started the parade off with a catchy circus tune.

All following pics are courtesy of Charlotte Rose.

I was real choosy and limited them down from about 163 to 3.

She's quite the photographer!

LIfe Lesson

2011-09-28T21:31:00.000-05:00

You know that feeling you get when you've missed church or Sunday school for a few weeks and the day you get things together to go, you think... "The message is probably going to directly affect me" or "God is pushing me there for a reason"?

Well, that was us this past Sunday. We had missed a couple weeks and then taught Charlotte's Sunday school class, but was in need of a good message that would speak to both of us directly --

Well, WE GOT IT!!

I don't think that I have ever been this emotional in church. I've heard great messages and have reflected on the meanings, but none have grabbed my heart like this did. This message held in it all that I've thought about for myself and as a mom raising a beautiful child.

Thank you NOOMA and Rob Bell for a wonderful message!

"Why is it that often when we get what we want, we still feel empty? We work so hard to succeed, but our lives just end up becoming more about us. Can success turn on us? Can we get caught up in a smaller world where our lives are all about the things that we want? Or is there another way to live? Where life is about more than just us. Where we see people in need and we do something about it. Where our world is expanding because we are sharing our success. And maybe in attempting to save someone else from their suffering, we find out that we are actually the ones being saved."

Below is the trailer that I've attached from youtube. If you'd like to view the whole film ( ~ 30 minutes), you can here for only $1.99. Trust me, it's worth it!

Around Here

2011-09-23T11:18:00.000-05:00

Around here we are getting into the swing of our fall schedule. School is a lot of fun this year for Charlotte! She loves going to her 2 schools and making sweet new friends. I love picking her up and hearing all about her day; she is much more detailed this year than last. On Wednesday after pick-up, she told me her friend Ned called her "sweetie" and she was embarrassed by it ~ Justin and I got the big kick out of that one!

Here is a 1st of school pic re-do:

On the "actual" 1st day, we were running behind and didn't get a great picture, so I was glad to get second chance. Maybe next year, I'll plan ahead and have a little photo shoot prior to the 1st day to prevent those 1st day stresses.

She had "homework" the 1st week of school....

Her class was assigned an "All About Me" project. We (maybe mostly me!) was very excited about it. We went to Micheal's and JoAnn's and loaded up on fun craft supplies.

Our favorite part, was the mini photo album we made to attach to the hand. It was filled with cute pics of Charlotte, family, friends, and of her hobbies.

Another project going on...

We recently have been updating Charlotte's room, wanting to make it more "big girl" and less baby'ish.

I thought that a bulletin board would be a fun addition so she could put pics, art, and all her birthday party invites she's been getting. I found a couple cute examples on Pinterest.com and then picked the one that I thought would be the easiest to make. Once we found the perfect fabric we were ready to begin!

Here's all the supplies that we used.

One tip for anyone who's interested in doing the same thing:

Krylon Spray Adhesive is REALLY REALLY Adhesive!

I underestimated it's strength and thought that once I laid the fabric down on the sprayed board, I would have time to readjust and straighten the fabric... BUT, that was not so! When I tried to pull the fabric back a little to readjust, the cork lining on the board came up with the fabric. YIKES!

Thankfully, my sweet Charlotte loves it anyways, even though it's a little crooked.

Our proud BIG GIRL!

She LOVES finding things to pin on her board! It's like Pinterest for toddlers!

The Bottle Shop

We recently found a cool local establishment that is fun for all ages! Not only do they claim to have over 500 different types of beers, but they also keep rootbeer on tap! And serve it in a frosty mug... YUM YUM!

Never a dull moment at our house!

Yesterday afternoon was filled playing beauty shop.

And we all really enjoy the chalk board door we made in the kitchen!

Here's latest note I found on there...

I will explain by saying that last year, when I remembered to get our favorite gravy and brine from Williams Sonoma for our Christmas feast, they had been sold out of it for months. And poor Justin was extremely sad not to get a good gravy! Since we smoke our turkey, we don't get the drippings you would from roasting one so it's best to find a good pre-made gravy that is just as good. And, even though I don't eat it, I'm told that William Sonoma's is the best!

Here's a pic of my trunk yesterday --

Yes, Justin I did get what you asked for and maybe a little more....

(We have a Halloween party coming up and needed to get start on the shopping!)

Tender Hands

2011-09-10T14:52:00.000-05:00

The weather has been almost perfect here. We are so overjoyed to have temperatures below 100 that we're trying to be outside as much as possible because I'm afraid it could change at any moment and want to soak it all in.

My sweet helper and I have been doing some gardening work to prepared our garden for fall planting. While pruning the herbs she found a ladybug! She was so excited and carried it so proudly -- exclaiming that she was now the Ladybug Girl (see book).

I kept reminding her to be careful and not to squish it, but once I stopped talking and started watching, she was doing that exact thing and being so tender with it.

This made me pause and think.... As parents of toddlers, we often times are too quick to comment or correct their behavior because it's so deeply ingrained in us to guide them. But if we step back and observe, we will most always find they are already doing exactly as they should.

Charlotte's 1st day of school packet included a brochure from The Stuttering Group. Though most of us already do what is advised on the list, it is a good reminder to all.

7 Tips for Talking With Your Child

Speak with your child in an unhurried way, pausing frequently. Wait a few seconds after your child finishes speaking before you begin to speak. Your own slow, relaxed speech will be far more effective than any criticism or advice such as "slow down" or "try it again slowly".
Reduce the number of questions you ask your child. Instead of asking questions, simply comment on what your child has said.
Use your facial expressions and other body language to convey to your child that you are listening to the content of her message and not to how she's talking.
Set aside a few minutes at a regular time each day when you can give your undivided attention to your child. This quiet, calm time can be a confidence-builder for younger children.
Help all members of the family learn to take turns talking and listening. Children, especially those who stutter, find it much easier to talk when there are few interruptions.
Observe the way you interact with your child. Try to increase those times that give our child the message that you are listening to her and she has plenty of time to talk.
Above all, convey that you accept your child as she is. The most powerful force will be your support of her.

School

2011-09-08T08:44:00.001-05:00

Aahh.... the beginning of a new school year. I find myself always looking forward to September mainly because of excitement I get from shopping for school supplies! There is just something about the abundance of freshly stocked supplies that makes me happy. And shopping for Fall clothes is pretty fun too!

I had plans to put up some festive school decorations throughout the house, but I guess from either time restraint or laziness, I just ended up putting new pencils in a small vase -- but glad because I really like how simple it was and soon will be moving on to Halloween decor!

Charlotte talked about school starting for weeks before. The summer was lots of fun, but all of us were craving more routine and structure.

First day of Spanish school.

I love that she chose to wear her Mexican dress on the 1st day!

I searched Pinterest for ideas for teacher gifts, but when I found this idea on a friend's blog I immediately knew that this was what I wanted to do. So cool!
The free printout is from Eighteen 25.

I bought the container from Micheals and filled it with with supplies from Office Depot and candy.

Love how it turned out!

First Day of preschool/MDO.

It's hard to believe that this is her 3rd year there.... time moves too fast!
We are very excited about her teachers. They have a great curriculum planned that includes Handwriting Without Tears and because both teachers love science, there are multiple "lab projects" planned. They've even ordered lab coats for each student! Look out Charlotte..... You're in for a huge treat!

We could not have asked for a better start of the year. Charlotte is getting so big and so sweet! She gave each teacher big hugs and then got busy playing.

We love you so much girly!

Reading List

2011-09-06T16:18:00.002-05:00

Charlotte wasn't the only one busily reading this summer...

In July, Justin and I got a wild hair to study and learn about American Culture. We decided to do this through art, poetry, literature, philosophy, religion and music. Our list to read is long and by no means was it confined to just summer reading as it will probably take a year to cover all of our topics.

I once read an article about Texas Tech's previous football coach, Mike Leach, and how he chose one topic to read and learn about each year and after the year was completed he'd move on to a different topic. I have always admired that discipline.

Unfortunately, this is a late revelation to me. Long ago, when I was in school, I didn't care about learning just for the sake of growth and learning. I studied the material for testing purposes and then quickly forgot and moved on to more interesting things like my social agenda. I get mad at myself now thinking how non-chalant I was and regret not being more disciplined.

Discipline is the key to it all.

Thankfully though, I did figure it out. And thankfully I care now. Caring about the world around me, what's in it and what got us to the place we are today.

Living is Dallas has it's advantages when taking on a topic like this. We have wonderful museums and galleries to visit and seeing art in it's original form and beauty speak to me in a way that words on a page struggle to do. I relate to art the way someone years ago taught me about wine --

"If you like it, it's good. And don't worry about what someone else likes."

For some reason that advice relaxes me and allows me not to get caught up in what I don't know, but appreciate what appeals to me.

I do have a hard time appreciating Abstract Expressionism like color blocking and Pollock's splatter painting. I think of it the way Olivia in one of Charlotte's books says, "I could do that in about five minutes". But the point is that I didn't do it and they did, right? And in turn furthered American culture.

I've attached pictures to some of the books that I've read (and am reading) thus far. My favorites are the classics. I got such a joy re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird and Gatsby. We're also reading Walt Witman and Robert Frost poems along with Ernest Hemingway's short stories.

My book club chose to read The Paris Wife -- though fiction, is based on factual events and followed along nicely to Hemingway's short stories.

And then there's the detour of all detours!!

The Hunger Games Trilogy

-- and no, I'm not above reading "younger reader" books.

I have to admit that just like the Twilight series, I totally got sucked in and anticipating the movie coming out in March 2012.

Thankfully, they were all fast reads and now I can get back on track with our American Culture plan and continue to work on my discipline....

Mr. Wizard's World

2011-08-24T10:40:00.008-05:00

The title may throw some of you off, but if you're a child of the 80's, you'll know what I'm talking about.

Don Herbert and his show, Mr. Wizard's World!

I can remember getting very excited to watch the show. It was on Nickelodeon and aired next to You Can't Do That On Television, the show famous for it's green slime.

Thinking back, I recall some of episodes that stood out to me: how many times one could fold a single piece of paper, what things float and what sinks, and how to make a volcano. Though, I believe his volcano was with a fuse and sparklers, I hope he'd be proud of our baking soda and vinegar one.

I've always thought science was fun and now that I think about it, it probably explains why the medical field felt so natural for me to pursue.

We are soon approaching the stage to start looking at and interviewing private schools for Charlotte to attend next year. And again, naturally, we are drawn to the ones that put a strong focus on science. Oh -- more on that later as I know it will be stressful!

A few weeks ago, we were watching a show on the National Geographic channel that was about the Galapagos Islands. Charlotte was as interested in it as we were but took special interest in the volcanos.

It was after that that we decided it would be fun to make one of our own, and waited until the weekend so that Justin could participate too.

I found this recipe on-line for us to follow.

I think Charlotte mostly enjoyed mixing the batter to make the dome of the volcano.

I don't have a pic of the actual explosion, just video and it's too long to upload. I have to admit that it wasn't that great of a show. The red food coloring that we added didn't get mixed up completely and never produced red "lava". And if we do it again, we will add more baking soda and less water to the recipe. Nevertheless, it was fun for all of us partake in ~ especially with Justin's added internet search of youtube videos of actual volcanic explosions.

Because the volcano was so-so, we moved to a fool-proof experiment of making a pine cone bird feeder. Something that I knew was quick and easy!

And EXTRA sticky!

This makes our 8th bird feeder. Can you tell we like birds??

Our trip to the Panhandle

2011-08-23T16:04:00.003-05:00

Our road trip was a success!

Charlotte and I got to be there for almost a week which was great because we got to see and visit everyone without feeling rushed. Justin flew in on Friday evening and joined in on the family fun.

One day, we went with Grammie to visit her friend that lives on a ranch. Charlotte loved getting to pet the beautiful horses. And collecting rocks... Lots and lots of rocks.

"Frosty"

And, we had time to try a recipe that I saw on Pinterest ~

Nutella Cookies

Nutella is a HUGE staple in our household and I knew immediately that this was a prefect recipe for Charlotte and I to bake.

Only 4 ingredients!!

Nutella, sugar, flour and an egg

She really likes to help in the kitchen and this was a recipe that she could do about 50% ALL BY HERSELF ~ which pleases her so!

The cookies turned out great!

We put them in a little baggie that she carried around handing out to each family member.

Oh sweet Violet!

Charlotte carried and snuggled Violet all week. Thankfully, Violet was okay with it, or at least acted like it.

And, sweet sweet Abbi. Charlotte was most excited to spend time with her, her only cousin.

When Charlotte wasn't carrying Violet, she was following Abbi around. Abbi was very sweet to her and they had a lot of fun together!

I did not get any of my grandparents in pictures, but I was most excited to be in Borger to visit with them. They can't get out much these days, so it was really special to get time with them.

oxox

An Instagram Roadtrip

2011-08-16T23:53:00.003-05:00

With one week left before school begins, we packed the car and left the big city today to drive home and visit family.

Here's my co-pilot

and my backseat pilot

We bought her headphones when we went on vacation to use on the airplane. She immediately thought they were so cool and now brings them everywhere. It still cracks me up seeing her with them on! I'm having flash backs of my head phone days in the 80's.

Aahh..... these cowdogs love it here!

They have plenty of space to run and roam free.

Goal Completed!

2011-08-16T22:45:00.001-05:00

On August 2nd, Charlotte completed her goal of reading 20 books from Launa's Little Library !

She was excited to place her stickers on the map after we finished each book. I'm beginning to see a little competitive streak in her and I like it!

(photo disclaimer: and nothing to do with the topic of the post --- this is a wonderful example of HORRIBLE cropping! To my defense, I had my prime lens on and could not zoom out, but I totally cut off her right hand. AND that hand was in the most adorable position! UGH -- live and learn!)

The prizes for completing the goal were a hot wheels car of your choice and a silver car charm to place on your book bag -- I don't know which one Charlotte was most excited about: the red car she chose or the bling added to her bag.

I praise Ms. Kliever for her love and commitment to the library. She has definitely made our library experience everything we dreamed it would be.

The variables

2011-08-10T22:49:00.003-05:00

Photography is art and beauty both wrapped up together with a pretty bow ~ Grosgrain, of course, not the stick-on kind!!

A great photo can make your soul sing. BUT.... a great photo takes studying your camera and LOTS of practice. I am not claiming that the photos below are great, but I'm proud of them because it shows that I am trying. For the past year or so, I've been reading up on my camera and trying to learn the tricks of the trade. Though there are some tricks, what I'm finding is that, because there are so many variables, you have to really know your camera inside and out.

And what I strive for is to take beautiful photos of my family -- photos that tell our story.

So I'm going to keep practicing until I get it perfect (or close to perfect).

A huge thank you to Bullseye and Tigger for modeling for me when Charlotte had had enough!

In the words of Norman Maclean:

"All good things.... come by grace and grace comes by art and art does not come easy."

A Day in Her Shoes

2011-08-09T11:57:00.002-05:00

What fun it is to be 3!

(excuse me - 3 1/2, as Charlotte corrected me the other day when a women in the store asked her age.)

Charlotte's days are filled with fun, creativeness, and imagination. I love love love being home with her and witnessing her growth minute by minute. We are especially thankful for the weekends when Justin gets to play too as he brings a whole new element to fun!

In the blog world, I've learned (and constantly learning) so much about trying to capture the special moments in our family. Though I'm not a quarter as creative as some moms out there, I'm trying my best to preserve and capture the moments that I want to remember in the future. Time moves fast and this, hopefully, will allow me to stop for a moment and reflect on the cute, fun things that are important to her right now.

Last Saturday we had a family outing to the mall and Charlotte chose to bring her animals along. Everyone thought she was adorable pushing her stroller through the mall and would stop and ask her about her "babies". And each time she would say to me as the people passed, "they're animals, not babies".

But, I know she LOVED the attention!

Oh, I knew it was only a matter of time before she got sucked into it too!

The "it" I'm referring to are the planter boxes at Northpark that the kids climb onto and slide down. These are right next to the small duck and turtle pond that up until recently was all she was interested in. But my 3 1/2 yr. old, loves to do anything that older kids are doing (especially older girls) and thus, joined in on the fun. She was attempting to run up and reach the top of the planter box. Though she tried (AND TRIED), she just missed it. One day soon, it will be no problem for her, but now, she's just a few inches short.

Her favorite thing at Northpark is to have "pretzels and yellow cheese". Aunt Anne's pretzel sticks are very addictive and Charlotte is one of their biggest victims.

A daily favorite of hers is watching Sesame Street. While at Target the other day, we found this cute tee. She loves it so much that she wore it for over 24 hrs straight.

I'm taking a photo class now and one of the things that was taught was to stop saying "SAY CHEESE" when you take a picture. Because your result will most always look like this....

But regardless, I still think it's cute!

The Girl Loves Stamps

2011-08-04T23:43:00.002-05:00

Last weekend Justin and I were outside doing yard work (in the extreme heat) while Charlotte was inside watching a video. Or, at least we thought she was watching a video....

When I peeked through the window to check on her I saw pink ALL OVER HER.

For a split second the Pinkalicious book popped in my head, but as I got closer to her, I noticed it was stamps. She was beaming with pride until she noticed my reaction, which was quite the opposite -- I kept thinking -- Oh No, this is not coming off easily!

It is funny now to look at the pictures and wonder what was going on in her head as she was stamping her entire body?? Though I wasn't thrilled about it and FYI, it only came off after vigorous scrubbing, I admire her for her creativity.

Yes, Charlotte, I can still see you!

May you always be adventurous and creative, but next time, please use the hot pink lipstick I gave you instead.

Summer Vacation

2011-08-03T14:36:00.001-05:00

We recently returned from our summer vacation to Hilton Head, NC. We went with Justin's family to celebrate his mom and dad's 40th wedding anniversary. I think it's really neat that both of our parents celebrated their 40th within months of each other.

We are blessed to be surrounded by their love and commitment.

Below is my favorite picture! I love Charlotte's facial expression and her excitement.

I was committed to getting a good picture of the 3 of us while we where there to have and use for our Christmas card. Last year, we had a "professional" picture taken and I was so disappointed by the quality that I swore I wouldn't waste the time and money doing that again this year (sorry, I guess I'm still a little bitter.) ANYWAYS...... I think I succeeded because I LOVE it!

Charlotte's 1st time in the ocean. She LOVED the waves! By the end of the week, Justin was teaching her how to boogie board.

We spent one day visiting Savannah, GA.

And, of course, back to the beach...

We had a great trip and created lots of memories. Charlotte's already looking forward to next year's beach trip.

My 5 favorite memories of the week:

1. Watching Charlotte's excitement for the beach
2. Building sandcastles
3. Riding bikes all over Sea Pines
4. Seeing alligators (from a distance!)
5. Quality family time

Nothing's Sweeter...

2011-07-13T14:56:00.000-05:00

than ice cold lemonade on a HOT summer day!

Per Charlotte's request, we made home-made lemonade and had friends come over to enjoy our refreshing drink.

My adorable helper at work.

I have to say (or brag) that it was really pretty tasty! Charlotte loved making it and said she can't wait to have her own lemonade stand someday.

As the boys were walking up to the house, Charlotte was yelling, "LEMONADE! Come get your LEMONADE!'

If she did have a lemonade stand, I know she would be very successful!

Summer Fun

2011-07-07T16:52:00.000-05:00

Summer is here and so are the H.O.T. temperatures.

It's temperatures like these that prompt me to ask Justin why we don't live in Maine but his answer is always the same: Because we live here. And then, as if I were reading straight out of a novel, I reply "but my soul resides there". A little dramatic I know, but drastic temps calls for drastic measures!

Even though, we are living with our daily forecast above 100, we are making the most of it and still managing to have a great time.

One of the 1st "to-do's" to check off my list this summer was to fix our kitchen door. This door is where I post all of our Christmas cards that we get so that everyone can see them when they walk by. This past Christmas, however, I used double-sided tape and when I went to remove the cards, the paint came along with it. The door looked polka-dotted for nearly 6 months, until I followed through on a great idea a friend gave me which was painting the middle of it with chalk board paint. I have to say that we are loving the finished product. Justin and Charlotte immediately were drawing all over it and leaving sweet messages. I recently had my fun too by listing fun things to do this summer....

This summer I'm still trying to convert someone in my family to loving snow-cones as much as me. I have always LOVED them and in high school worked at our local Summer Snow. I swore that Justin loved them too, because he always drove by back then and bought one from me. It wasn't until we were dating that I learned the only reason he would stop to get one was because my car was parked there and that meant I was working. oxox

Charlotte began learning tennis this summer. She goes to a clinic once a week for 3 1/2 - 5 year olds and is enjoying it. Justin and I are both amazed at the opportunities she has. Neither of us picked up a racquet until middle school aged. We enjoy watching her "play", and enjoy the margaritas that we order while we sit on the deck and watch.

My little helper at work. This summer, we're really enjoying making home-made pizzas. I almost refuse to order them from a local establishment now... unless, of course, time is an issue. But, I know Charlotte likes cooking and it's a fun activity to do together in the evenings. Her favorite toppings are cheese and mushrooms.

Learning to spell her name and write her letters.

Our trip to the Dallas Museum of Art. I packed a clip board, drawing paper, and a pencil and let her draw her favorite paintings that she saw. We made a lot of stops to sit and draw! What was interesting and educational was when we stopped at an African "boy" sculpture. She sat down and drew it very anatomically, laughing and asking if I knew what "that" was. Oh my little girly, please never grow up!

Camping out in the living room. Charlotte and Justin decided on this adventure together. My 1st question was, "are we sleeping there too"? Thankfully the answer was NO! But we did have a fun night with the teepee Grammy made and yummy s'mores.

Running through the sprinkler

Dancing with daddy is always the most wonderful!

Lakewood 4th of July parade

Ready to watch fireworks with friends. I think we're the only area in Texas that did not have a fire works ban. The drought conditions are unreal this summer. Texas needs R.A.I.N.!

Always a terrific show!

Having fun at a local Rec center with friends.

The highlight of this trip was that Charlotte got registered with the city's parks and recreation centers and was given her own ID card with her picture on it. I'm seeing a request for her own wallet soon!

And finally, the little gem we found in Lake Highlands, Launa's Little Library. It is the most darling library! Exclusively for children, this library is free to the public and ran out of Mrs. K's home. We went yesterday with friends, but went back today so that Charlotte could get her library card and book bag. AND... to check out 5 books this time. A little fact that Charlotte did not forget!

She joined her 1st reading club! If she reads (or read to) 20 books from LLL this summer, she gets to have a car charm placed on her book bag. Charlotte replied, "WOW!". A goal we'll be proud to complete!

Char and Mrs. K (the saint)

Juilliard's Knocking

2011-06-21T00:09:00.001-05:00

Ok, the title may be a wee bit exaggerated, but nonetheless, I'm just as proud!

I am so proud of Charlotte and her darling ballerina friends that performed their 1st ever "big" recital.....

Skidamarink

Here she is at dress rehearsal

After the dress rehearsal, we made sure to get home quickly, eat lunch and get a nap in before the show. After her nap, we had fun getting her ready. I slicked her hair back into a cute little bun and (her favorite part) she got to put some make-up on!

She performed wonderfully!

To her surprise, I had a bouquet of hot pink roses that matched her costume waiting for her when she was finished.

My Haven

2011-06-08T16:35:00.000-05:00

Everyone needs a place to go where they can relax, clear their mind, and be at total peace.

For me, it is no further than my backyard and my birds. I could sit for hours just listening to them chirp and sing.

I recently set up the bird feeders (pictured below) and have turned myself, Justin and Charlotte into avid bird watchers. We love to peer out of the back windows to see what birds are feeding. My very favorite bird has always been the female cardinal. I love her for her bright orange beak and brown/gray feathers, with hints of red in them. Two years ago, we were fortunate enough to have a family of cardinals nest outside of our kitchen window(here). Since then, we've seen many bird families come and go.

Our feeders now include:

Safflower -- for House Finches, Doves and Cardinals
Peanuts -- for Blue Jays and Sparrows
Wild Bird Seed -- for Sparrows
Suet -- for Woodpeckers
Apples -- for Mockingbirds (which they're not liking too much -- moving to grapes next)
And just added a Mealworm feeder in hopes to attract more varieties of beautiful birds

p.s. the Safflower feeder above is the one that has a sun engraved on it. Charlotte picked it out at the store because it reminded her of the sun in the Tangled movie. She calls it her "tangled feeder".

Below are pics are our summer garden.

It is PACKED! We are hoping for a lot of yummy veggies and pestos this summer.

Jalapenos

Eggplant

Basil, from my dear friend Heidi

Garlic

and 10 tomato plants of different varieties

And, of course, my Don Featherstone Flamingos. Aren't they so cool!!

End of school activites

2011-06-03T14:43:00.002-05:00

Wow, these days seem to be flying by!

School is out, the pool is open and summer is here. I thought spring had snuck up on me, but summer really came up and bit me. The last few weeks, Charlotte and I finally got our flowers planted and actually designed a rose garden this year. Preferably we should have planted a few weeks earlier, but we're keeping our fingers crossed and giving our plants some extra TLC in hopes they'll make it through our Dallas heat. (pics to follow).

Also, we got to do something that I've wanted to do for a long time. I took her to the Dallas Children's Theater. It was our 1st time there and we saw, Giggle, Giggle, Quack. It was extremely cute and held her attention the whole time. I really enjoyed watching her excitement as she watched the actors perform. She knew it was a special thing for us to do, so she carefully chose the perfect outfit, jewelry and purse for the occasion.

Splash Day at school during the last week
(A super cute picture, but the quality is poor because her teacher gave me this photo and I took a picture of the picture with my phone so that I could post it. I have got to get a scanner soon!!)

We had a few storms blow through Dallas a few weeks ago, so I went out and bought a lot of art supplies for Char to have fun with and to curve the rainy day blues. In other words..... to prevent from watching t.v. all day long, something that we had done too much of the day before.

And we were so excited to have Char's sweet friend Campbell come play. The girls changed probably 10 times into different outfits and had a blast in every one!

The same day, we were invited to a Princess Tea Party at Emily's house. These girls are the best of friends and always enjoy each other's company, especially when princess dresses and tiaras are included. Oh, the life of a 3 year old!

last day performance at Spanish school

Char's wonderful Spanish teachers that taught her not only spanish but self confidence too. She grew so much this year. We came a LONG way from hiding in the bathroom at the 1st of the school year (see here).

Thank you

2011-05-31T15:30:00.000-05:00

Thank you all for your comments/emails to my previous post. Your words lifted me up and inspired me.

I am thankful for you sharing your experiences and most of all, thank you for your friendship.

We are now back into our routine and back to living our life, which is a darn good life!

Especially through hard times, it makes me pause and appreciate the many blessings God has given us and with that,

I am so thankful; so so thankful.

Lemons to Lemonade

2011-05-19T23:40:00.000-05:00

This post is different from my normal postings. This post, I've questioned about even writing. But this post is real life and though most of my posts are upbeat, rosey, and fun, life sometimes throws you curve balls and you have to handle them the best way you can.

Justin and I had another miscarriage this week.

Yes, it sucks! Yes, it was painful! But, yes, we can move on.

The reason why I write this blog is to document ("khronicle") our lives at each significant, and sometimes that means painful, moment, so that Charlotte can look back onto this one day and learn about the love we have for her and for our family.

As we all know, a baby is an idea before it's anything. And that idea is very powerful.

Do I really want an infant right now? Do I really want to be sleep deprived? And do I really want to wake up at all hours of the night for feedings? Probably NOT, but what I DO WANT is a sibling for Charlotte! And she wants one really bad! She often talks about "my brother and my sister." Sometimes her brother "Connor" lives in Canada, and mostly she can't remember her sister's name, but that idea is in her head too.

What I can promise you sweet Charlotte, is that your daddy and me aren't giving up hope. We truly believe that God will bless us one day with another child, a sibling for you. In this life, we think we have our own plans, but they are never our own. And though I question why God would have me go through this yet again, I have faith that He has something better planned for us. In the meantime, we are going to continue loving you more and more each day and thank God that He made us a wonderful family of 3. And, maybe by the time we have another child, you'll be the age to babysit....

And I know you'll just LOVE that!

Celebrating 40 Years!

2011-05-19T23:39:00.000-05:00

May 7, 2011 was a very special day. It was my parents' 40th wedding anniversary.

I wanted it to be a day that was extra special for them -- to acknowledge that 40 years together is an amazing accomplishment. It is a testament to commitment and a gift to their kids!

Thank you mom & dad for loving each other and Jason and I so much.

We love you too.

Dinner at Fearing's. We had to have the best restaurant!

The staff and Dean Fearing were so gracious to us. Dean even signed the night's menu for my parents to take home and keep. Something that I'm planning on framing for them.

Tea Time

2011-05-19T23:38:00.003-05:00

The English have their tea time, this is ours.....

Fiesta!

2011-05-19T23:38:00.002-05:00

Last month we went down to San Antonio to visit family and to experience our 1st Fiesta.

It was quite an event!

Though we only saw a few days of it, we had no idea that Fiesta consists of 11 days of parties with over 100 events!

Also, we felt like we got the royal treatment, because on our first night we went to a great cascarone party at Steve and Randall's and then the next two days Gram and Pater got us tickets to the Battle of Flowers and Flambeau parades. It is good to know people that are in the know.

Charlotte napped each day and then partied until nearly midnight each night.

We had a blast!

First night -- Cascarone Party.

Second Day -- Battle of the Flowers Parade (Charlotte took this picture)

Third Day -- on the way to the Pooch Parade. Charlotte really loved tossing doggy biscuits to all the pooches. (There were doggy treats all over the road.)

Easter Baking

2011-04-24T16:18:00.001-05:00

This year, we tried something new and found that we LOVED it!

We made Resurrection Rolls; named that way because of their hollow center.

1 can Crescent Rolls

1/4 cup melted butter

2 T sugar

2 T cinnamon

8 large marshmallows

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Unroll each crescent triangle. Dip 1 marshmallow in melted butter, then roll it in the cinnamon mixture. Place cinnamon marshmallow in the center of the crescent triangle and roll it up, pinching the sides to seal in the marshmallow. Repeat until all marshmallows and crescent rolls are done. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden.

Let them cool about 10 minutes, then break open to see your "hollow tomb". I read Charlotte her Easter Story book while we were letting them bake so that it would all make sense and she could understand the true meaning of Easter.

Then later in the afternoon, we enjoyed making some yummy Easter cupcakes. Charlotte enjoyed sprinkling the tops the best!

ABC's

2011-04-24T15:46:00.002-05:00

As a mom of a 3 year old who loves to help cook, this activity proved fun and educational!

Charlotte needed help learning some of her letters, so I went to our local teacher supply store and purchased ABC cookie cutters. We made the dough together and then rolled it out 1/4 of an inch thick for the cookie cutters.

Before she chose any cookie cutter, I made her tell me which letter it was and then she could cut the dough.

What I learned was that she really knew more than she'd let on.... When cookies are involved, who wouldn't learn their letters quicker?

When we took the cookies out of the oven, we sprinkled rainbow decorating sugar on top. And, before she could eat any cookie, she had to tell me again which letter it was.

Taller

2011-04-11T11:48:00.000-05:00

The other day Charlotte was in her room playing and shouted for me to come see....

"I'm growing Mama!"

Spring

2011-04-04T12:08:00.001-05:00

Spring is my favorite time of the year.

I love our Texas weather in the spring - not too hot.... not too cold!

I love getting back to the yard work that's been neglected during the winter. The smell of grass, dirt, and flowers makes me happy! It's time to prepare our veggie garden for new planting. During the fall and winter, we had wonderful broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, swiss chard, and a few carrots:

I'm excited to see what our garden can bring us this spring! Hopefully, our next batch of carrots will turn out better than these....

Who knew that if you planted the seeds too close together that the carrots would mutate and grow together?? Haha, probably everyone but ME!! Oh well, live and learn! It sure didn't stop this cutie from enjoying them....

she's my best critic.

American Bandstand

2011-04-04T10:48:00.000-05:00

Oh their JOY for life and all that's in it!

I pray each day that that joy will always remain.

Delicious Recipe!!

2011-03-23T22:25:00.004-05:00

I don't have any pictures to show, so you'll just have to trust me, but this recipe tonight was incredible. Justin and I both LOVED it and will definitely be making it again (& again)!!

Garlic Shrimp & Veg on Herby Lentils - 2 servings

Jamie Oliver

11 oz - shrimp (raw& peeled)
2 - garlic cloves
7 oz - baby spinach
1/2 - med red onion
1/2 tsp - cumin
1 small bunch fresh basil
1 small bunch fresh mint
14.5 oz - can Lentils
4 oz - cherry tomatoes
1 - lemon
sea salt
fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to lowest setting (mine-170 degrees) and place your dinner plates in there to warm.

Place large saucepan on high heat and have a colander ready in the sink. Add spinach leaves to the pan with a splash of water and cook with a lid on for 30 seconds.

Take lid off and use tongs to move the spinach about in the pan until it's wilted, then tip into the waiting colander to drain.

Place a clean saucepan on medium heat and add a splash of olive oil.

Peel and finely chop the onion then add to the hot pan with a good pinch of salt & pepper and ad the cumin. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden.

Meanwhile, squeeze the spinach gently with tongs to get rid of any excess water and lift out of the colander. Transfer to the chopping board and roughly chop it.

Pick and roughly chop the leaves from basil & mint, discard stalks. Half the cherry tomatoes. Cut the lemon in half, then cut one half into wedges and out to one side.

Once onion starts to turn soft and golden, add spinach to the pan. Drain the can of lentils in the colander.

Tip the lentils into the pan and leave to cook over low heat for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, place a large frying pan on a medium heat. Peel and chop garlic and pat the shrimp dry with paper towel.

Add a splash of oil to the frying pan and when hot, add the shrimp.

Turn the heat up to high and fry the shrimp for a minute or 2 until browned on one side then turn over and add the garlic.

Fry for another minute or 3 until the garlic smells fantastic and the shrimp are pink and cook through.

Add the cherry tomatoes to the pan then season with salt and pepper. Stir together then turn off the heat and cover.

When the lentils are warm through stir in the chopped herbs and a good lug of olive oil, then squeeze in the juice from half of the lemon. Turn off the heat.

Get plates out of the oven and divide the herby lentils between them.

Spoon the garlicky shrimp and tomatoes over the top and serve with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over.

DO NOT let all these steps deter you!! It was fast and easy. I chopped the onion and herbs beforehand and total cook time was about 15 - 20 minutes.

Please let me know if you try it!

Happy St. Patty's Day

2011-03-18T14:24:00.004-05:00

Four years ago, we moved into our home during the largest neighborhood celebration of the year, St. Patrick's Day. We had to watch neighbors and passers-by all having a grand time, while we were lugging in heavy boxes and unpacking. It was that very moment that we decided that the next year and years following we were going to host an annual party at our house to join in on the festivities.

The first 2 years were lots of fun, but also experimental years of learning to how to host a party for 30 + people. ( Link to our 2nd party. )

And last year, we didn't host, because we left for Paris (oh la la!) that same day.

This year, it wasn't Paris, but I think it was our best yet!

Cheers to St. Patty's 2011!

Birthdays

2011-03-16T09:18:00.001-05:00

Everyday's a birthday at our house. Whether it be Ollie, the octopus; Bebe, the bear; or one of Charlotte's many babies, who's names are just "Baby", she makes it known each morning who we're going to celebrate that day. But in March, both Justin and I have "real" birthdays to celebrate and Charlotte was in FULL party planning mode.

When you're 3, a party's not a party unless there's a candle to blow out!

Justin had requested his favorite cookies, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip. We used the yummy recipe that I found here. The key when making any oatmeal chocolate chips cookies, is to grind the oats very fine before you add them to the batter. It will make them very soft and chewy!

Charlotte helped me decorate the plate for a perfect presentation!

Justin had a fun day playing golf with friends and then just the 2 of us went out for a nice dinner at Fearing's. I surprised him this year, by getting him a 35 year old scotch. He was a very happy man!

I think Justin took a couple pics on his phone, but during my birthday, sweet friends, Amanda and Erin took me to breakfast and then Justin came home from work early to send me off for a massage! It was wonderful! After that, we ended the day at our favorite Mexican restaurant, Mi Cocina.

The next night, more friends, Katie, Heidi and Erin took me to a fabulous sushi diner!

Just like Charlotte, I LOVE BIRTHDAYS TOO!

Soccer Star

2011-02-27T00:20:00.000-06:00

I laughed so hard this morning that tears were rolling down my face.

Charlotte recently joined a soccer team and they had their 1st clinic today.

It was the most cutest and most hilarious thing I've ever seen!

I never would have thought watching 3 year olds run back and forth was funny, but this was top notch!

Having a blast!

SCORE!

Strategic planning...

SCORE #2!!

Stole the ball right way from the boy!

Looking forward to 5 more weeks of this!

President's Day

2011-02-26T22:38:00.000-06:00

After the many days of school cancelations from the bad weather, I was surprised that Char's school was still closed for President's Day, but nonetheless, we made a fun (and messy) day of it!

A princess can play too...

2011-02-26T22:33:00.001-06:00

Crested Butte

2011-02-26T22:24:00.000-06:00

We recently had a fabulous trip to Crested Butte and are so thankful to the Bragalone's for offering their gorgeous mountain home to us!

However, we got very close to not being able to go because the weather was so awful here in Dallas.

Our flight was canceled a day, and then on the way to the airport (in the ice and snow), we got a FLAT TIRE! Then, once we (finally) made it on the plane, we were delayed for over 2 hours with the maintenance crew trying to get the bathrooms working and de-ice the engines.

We were seriously wondering if God was trying to send us a message, but we now know He was just trying to make it more adventurous.

The VERY BEST airplane/travel game! Melissa & Doug's Memory Bard

It was very entertaining for all of us. Both Justin and I learned that our precious 3 year old can kick our booties at it. She has a terrific memory!

So glad to be in Crested Butte!

Ready for Charlotte's 1st day of skiing. We enrolled her in a full day of ski school and she LOVED it! It was just her and one other girl with a sweet instructor from New Zealand.

Fun day, but I think someone's tired..

Hot cocoa was the best treat to end a busy day out on the slopes.

The Bragalone's beautiful view

Charlotte and Alex's 2nd day of skiing.

Riding the chairlift for the 1st time.

Both images are taken for far away to prevent Char from seeing us. I cropped them so that we could see her skills at going down the mountain.

Our Callie

2011-02-26T21:10:00.001-06:00

Callie is our best friend.

She is the sweetest, most loving, loyal dog we've ever known.

She doesn't mind well, barks too much and steals food off the counter tops and/or plates, but we love her anyways.

Dallas, frozen

2011-02-03T11:03:00.002-06:00

So this is what we've been dealing with the last 3 days.

Schools all over the metroplex have been cancelled all week and I'm not hopeful tomorrow will be any different because tomorrow morning it's suppose to snow! All of the newscasters are claiming Dallas hasn't seen a storm like this in recent memory. Growing up in the Panhandle, this was almost a norm. I remember being very excited when school was cancelled and running outside to build a snow fort with my brother or sliding with friends down the street. But living in Dallas for 11 years, we've seen snow just a small handful of times and mostly Dallas "cries wolf" when storms come through. This time however, they were right.

Justin's office has been closed, but he's gone in each day to get things done.

Charlotte and I did trek out on Tuesday, but we had to scrape ice of the gate for half an hour to get the gate to open so we could get the car out. Yesterday, we were so thankful to get invited to friends' house for some playtime and lunch! Other than that, we've been at home and are getting a little stir crazy!! Charlotte and I both love to get out and about and this is killing us. It's not the pretty, fun snowman making snow, but the terribly cold and slippery ice that you have to walk so slow so that you don't end up on your backside.

The ice is a couple inches thick in areas!

Among all the birthday parties that Charlotte has been creating for her animals, this is how we've been keeping busy (and warm)...

And lots of cuddle time!! My very favorite!!

No slowing down

2011-01-20T13:20:00.000-06:00

Last week, Charlotte was sick with a sinus infection.

I kept her home from school and though, when I'm sick, I want to lie in bed all day..... not her!

We did stay in pajamas most of the day, but other than that, she was very active.

Even helping with the ironing.

And no day (even a sick day) is complete without dressing up

Polar Bear, Lady, Giraffe and Bebe dressed up as well

This week, we're back to school and back to helping mommy in the kitchen. We made a wonderful veggie chili which can be found here. I prepared and chopped all the veggies and let Charlotte pour them in the pot. She loves being my Sous Chef. And what a darling Sous Chef she is!

Very appropriately, for career day at school, she dressed up as a chef. Unfortunately, we were the only ones that remembered so when she saw everyone else in regular clothes, she quickly removed her apron and hat.

It was heartbreaking to see her embarrassment. I wanted her to walk in, proud of herself. But, even at 3, peer pressure is hard.

Happy New Year

2011-01-07T23:27:00.000-06:00

We had a fabulous time ringing in the new year! We met friends at our country club and had a wonderful night filled with great food, drinks, live music, dancing and fireworks. My dear brother was in town to watch Tech's bowl game and babysat Charlotte for us. She was so happy to have fun Uncle Jason here and it worked out perfectly for us too! THANKS AGAIN!!

We are already one week into 2011 and things are going well. Like most people, my "typical" New Year's resolutions are to workout more, cook at home more, save more money (i.e. {yes, Justin, I do know what that means} spend less) and to stay organized. But because it's a new year, a fresh start, I want to take it a little further than "typical".

Though those are fine resolutions, it's the meaning and purpose behind the resolutions that make them "typical" and that's what I want to be different.

So, I want my workouts to not be focused on fitting into that tight pair of jeans, but because I want to be healthier on the inside. And, I want to cook at home more, not only to save money (which that will help because we spend way TOO much on going out to eat) but because I want to focus on family time and enjoying my little helper that LOVES preparing the food. I want to save more money because I want an added security blanket, not because I'm swooning after a hot new purse. Also, I want to stay organized because it makes me happy. I don't want to succumb to the laziness that often plaques me when putting things away. I recently heard Nate Berkus say that his home is always ready to be photographed. Now.... I know that the only photographing at my home is going to be done by me, but I LOVE the principle of his statement and want to incorporate it into my daily living.
And finally, although not mentioned above, I want to embrace the art and beauty that are all around us by slowing down, breathing deeper, and praying with a sincere heart and mind.

What are your New Year's resolutions?

Christmas Recap

2011-01-07T00:36:00.001-06:00

Now that all the Christmas decorations are put away and the house is becoming "somewhat' organized, I'm finally ready to blog again.

2010 was a very blessed year and we are thankful.

This Christmas was magical. Watching the excitement on Charlotte's face was pure joy.

So, even though, I was sad to pack away all the pretty sparkly decorations, I look forward to what God has planned for us in 2011.

We LOVE all the beautiful cards we get from friends and family!

Cookies for Santa

Just a little more sprinkles for....

ME!

Traditional El Fenix Christmas Eve dinner

SO many presents, we had to start opening Christmas Eve

Getting the turkey ready for the smoker

Santa's gifts

Our Christmas mimosa toast

"mini-mosa" sans champagne

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Can you see all those toys??

When I asked Charlotte what she was writing she said, "my tank yous".

She melts my heart.

Cheers to 2010!

oxox

My Little Party Planner

2010-12-21T23:03:00.002-06:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Charlotte was very excited about her birthday and very into planning for the event.

It began earlier in the summer when I found some cute candy themed invitations on sale. I knew since Charlotte LOVES candy, we could design any party around that. I was planning on having her party at the house until we went to a party at ASI gymnastics.... She loved the place and continued talking about it days later. So, we decided that we'd have her party there and still continue with our candy theme.

The only problem we faced is adhering to ASI's request of 20 invites.... But, Charlotte got to invite her friends from both of her schools, dance, and some church friends. And, we were thankful to have such a great turn out. Each time and new friend came in, she ran up to them and gave them a big hug. It was so precious watching her excitement.

Below are pictures of the planning and the day.

The cute party favors that Charlotte helped me make -- We found the little containers at The Container Store and filled them with jelly beans. Completed them with a sucker tied to the side.

Then, my favorite new tool to make quick and cute labels!! I bought printer ready sheets of white name tags and had Justin help me align the wording correctly. After that all we had to do was print them, punch them out with our new tool and put cute candy stickers on them.
I LOVE how they turned out!

Gum Drop Topiaries

After making the party favors, Charlotte was feeling very crafty and told me she wanted to make "something else". We looked on-line at images of candy themed parties and came across candy topiaries. We rushed to Michael's that evening and came home ready to create! After making a 3rd trip the next day to get more gum drops, we had 2 gum drop topiaries and a dum-dum sucker one.
Cute and Yummy!

Busy at work on her birthday making the cupcakes. Please excuse our messy hair, no make-up, and still in p.j.'s..... it was early!

Best friends ~ oxox

After the party, we headed out for Mexican food, yummy margaritas and one Shirley Temple.

She's 3

2010-12-16T12:28:00.000-06:00

It's hard to explain my feelings about my baby turning three. We have experienced so much joy in these last 3 years. And have learned so much from this tiny person. December 12, 2007 marked the day that changed us forever. We will forever be grateful that God chose us to be Charlotte's parents. Each day with her is an adventure that I will always treasure.

I went to the hospital the other day to visit a friend who just had a baby. Walking through the halls and seeing the new families made me remember that was us not too long ago. Oh, how scared we were! I remembered being nervous to change her diaper. Nervous to bathe her. Nervous I was holding her incorrectly. Nervous I'd break her.

She was so little. She seemed so fragile.

But, like every new parent, I got over the nervousness and into a routine.

AND.... now she's 3!

She is 50% in height and weight

Been potty trained since this summer

Can dress herself

Says too many words to count

Likes to tell "Knock Knock" jokes

LOVES to laugh, sing, and dance her heart out!

Favorite colors are PINK and PURPLE

Best Friends are: Mommy, Daddy, Callie (our sweet dog), and Spencer Carter

Learning Spanish

Our Charlotte Rose

1st Birthday -- Began walking

2nd Birthday -- Mom and Charlotte sick.

We had to cancel our birthday plans to Borger and Daddy quickly put together a small party at home for the 3 of us.

3rd Birthday -- TOTAL excitement! Charlotte LOVED preparing for her birthday. She loved helping me with the invitations and all the party decorations. She's quiet the party planner!

Little Ballerina

2010-12-15T17:08:00.000-06:00

Last Saturday, we had Charlotte's 1st ballet recital. She was very excited for the performance and practiced her 45 second "Jingle Bells" routine until it was perfect. She got very confident in her skills!

Until she saw the room full of people....

But, she pulled it together and got through it!

Daddy had a rose waiting for her when she was finished.

oxox

Children's Medical Center Holiday Parade

2010-12-15T16:33:00.000-06:00

This was our 1st year to experience "Breakfast with Santa" at the Adolphus Hotel downtown. We met our friends, the Campbells, and had such a good time, we're already making plans for next year!

The breakfast was a super fun way to start off the day. Santa was there, but didn't have glasses on, so he's wasn't the "real" Santa (explanation to follow in another post) and, therefore, skipped out on the picture taking.

But, there were lots of other activities for the kids to participate in, including: face painting, listening to Carolers, meeting Frosty, a clown show, and a yummy breakfast.....ALL before the parade began!

You can read about the history of the parade here.

Enjoying the clown show

FROSTY!

In our seats, just before the parade began

We LOVE the huge balloons!

Parade Highlights:

350,000 parade attendees
Dallas' largest one-day event
PR and print media value of $1.2 million, with over 95 million impressions
Broadcast live on ABC affiliate WFAA, Channel 8
Syndicated coast-to-coast to more than 90 million households throughout December
Broadcast on the Armed Forces Network
Opportunity to create themed promotional campaigns in connection with the parade to drive sales

Information courtesy of Children's website.

Late Thanksgiving Recap

2010-12-14T21:54:00.001-06:00

We drove to Borger for Thanksgiving and, before I get too behind in postings, I wanted to post some fun pics of the weekend. We got to see lots of family and had lots of fun. We made a point this November to slow down and be thankful for what God had given to us. Thanksgiving day was a celebration of all those wonderful gifts.

During the drive, we pulled over on the highway to let Charlotte see and pick real cotton. She thought it was great. She picked some for everyone waiting for us in Borger.

Our packed car......

Wonderful to see those that we hadn't seen in a while.

Had fun playing games

Beautiful Panhandle sunset

Played with sweet cousins

"My Little Tiniest Blankets"

2010-11-21T23:00:00.002-06:00

Getting Charlotte to sleep has ALWAYS been a process.

I'm convinced that whoever made up the expression "sleeping like a baby," never had a baby!!

Charlotte LOVES having things around her. She'll go to sleep only to wake up a few moments later because she needs Doggy or Piggy. A few days ago she found the fabric swatches from when we were having her crib bedding made and has now added those to her nightly loot.

Tonight, after putting her to bed, she called for Daddy to go back up there because she needed her "little tiniest blankets"; meaning those swatches (see below in the baggy). After he gave her those, she saw a couple more items that she also needed.

When she was a newborn, we were told not to add anything extra to her crib......

Well, that's changed a bit now!

Metamorphosis

2010-11-20T00:00:00.004-06:00

At Charlotte's school, they had the "Butterfly Guy" come visit recently. He visited last year too, and though I'm sure she thought it was interesting then, we did not participate in the "home" hatching.

We did, however, participate this year and had so much fun doing it.

They presented this tiny chrysalis in such beautiful packaging: a tiny clay pot with moss covering the top, decorative sticks for the chrysalis to hang from and a little added touch from the grosgrain ribbon and card with projected birthday of the Monarch hatching.

Here is the chrysalis within a few days from hatching. Note the gold markings on the chrysalis; those are natural from the caterpillar in making her cocoon. (Notice: I say "her" because Charlotte was convinced it was a female butterfly)

Just a day away from hatching...

Within an hour of hatching....

Voila!

She's here!

I left home to pick Charlotte up from school and we came home to this!

When I asked Charlotte what she wanted to name her butterfly, she answered, "Charlotte the Butterfly". Of course, what other name would she name her. I was pulling for Marty the Monarch, or even Molly the Monarch, but we settled on Charlotte the Butterfly.

Here, both Charlottes are, getting to know each other.

Charlotte was so very proud of her butterfly and was so gentle with her.

We got a really sweet video of the 2 right after the butterfly's wings were hard enough to hold.

Here, Charlotte the Butterfly, has been set free in our Japanese Red Maple in the front yard.

We like to think now that she is well on her way to Mexico for her migration. I ended up telling Charlotte that Charlotte the Butterfly's mom and dad came to pick her up and was taking her to Mexico for the big butterfly party. She seemed to understand that logic but then quickly stated that she was going to get her butterfly wings so that she could go to the party too.

Got to love how smart and quick she is!!

Justin and I totally enjoyed this process as much as Charlotte did. We're looking forward to more butterfly hatching in our future.

It's also very appropriate for the presenting of the new blog design. I went back and forth trying to decide what to do and finally found a great company through my cousin that assisted me with the entire process. They were super great to work with and would HIGHLY recommend them to anyone that would like a "redo".

Special Moments

2010-11-15T21:24:00.004-06:00

We create a lot of special moments in our little family. Unfortunately, I don't have my camera by my side at all times to capture all of them, but I have captured some really good ones. And I hope Charlotte can look back on this blog one day and know not only that we love her a ton, but that we think she's a really cool kid (or "big girl" as she would preferred to be called).

I took a photography class a month or so ago and though it has helped, it has also caused me to mess up more and added frustration. I love it, but like everything, it takes lots of time and practice. I wish it were easy! I wish that the 3-hour class I took instantly transformed me into a fabulous photographer! I wish that I didn't have to take 101 pics just to get a few good ones.

AND, I wish that my brain would understand it all!

I hope to take another class soon, but for now, I'm trying to stay off "auto" mode and pray I get lucky every now and then with a good shot.

One of Charlotte's favorite pastimes.

We met friends at the park and, as always, had a super time.

We got to go to San Antonio for the KFGCMF 3rd annual golf tournament this year. We stayed with Gram and Pater and had a wonderful time. LOVE this picture of them!

Char and I tagging along with sweet Ainslee and Taylor

our beautiful girl, she's got her daddy's eyes

Last month, Jason stayed with us for a couple nights while the Ranger's were HOT in the playoffs. We had a great time with him! Charlotte had a "to-do" list for him upon his arrival and didn't care that he had tickets to PLAYOFF GAME. She wanted him to: dance, sing, cook, dress-up, color and play hide-and-seek. Thankfully, he scheduled her list around his game and that made her VERY happy. We LOVE uncle Jason!!

Char had been wanting a robe....

She sees her daddy in his every morning and wants to be cozy like him. A couple weekends ago, we went to the mall and found her one at Macy's. She loves it so much that most nights she ask if she can sleep with it on.

I am thankful the weekends when the 3 of us can hang out in the mornings in our cozy robes!

OK.....this is one of the pics that brings frustration! How adorable would this be if it wasn't blurry? UGH! Shutter speeds and f-stops sound simple when you're learning about them, but when you're trying to take a cute picture of an almost 3 year old playing in the rain, with an adorable expression on her face, IT'S HARD!

So, I switched back to auto trying to catch a cute (non-blurry) action pic of her.

{practice.....practice.....practice}