the day's

caroline kate & FREE stuff!!

2012-01-14T18:03:00.005-06:00

hello all...well...it has finally happened. caroline kate is open on etsy!!! click here for the link.

and to share the excitement, i have decided to do a little give away. yep, i said it...FREE stuff folks!!! all you have to do is this...link caroline kate's etsy site to your blog, mention it on facebook, or tweet about it.

then either leave me a comment here on the blog, via fb, or at the new company email address: carolinekatedesigns@gmail.com. do all three and you are entered three times! woohoo...

that's it....and one of these beautiful goodies will be yours. thank you so much for all your support over the last few months\years. it is because of the encouragement of amazing friends like you that i have finally taken this step...so THANKS! now get out there and spread the word!!! :)

this IS the life

2012-01-10T13:10:00.002-06:00

what in the world have we been up to?!

i seriously have no earthly idea! christmas break was a blur. we spent time with family, feasted on yummy food, traveled a bit, played outside, stayed up late, watched movies, slept in, etc...but now it is time to get back into the routine and head back to work\school. but not before i post one last glimpse of our break. not anything earth shattering, just some lovely times i want to remember...

like me practicing with the new zoom lens on the camera. trying to sneak up on the kids...and them laughing hysterically when they caught me.

or how excited bauer was for the razorbacks to play in the cotton bowl. he wore his uniform all that day and when prompted to show how a razorback plays football would strike this fierce pose.

on a much sweeter note, a few days after new years he brought me this.

a chocolate donut covered with a mini airhead and a gummy bear. hmmm....i asked "what is it?" his reply, "baby jesus just borned in his blanket in his baby crib."

and my sweet big girl vivian...how big she is getting!! i found her downstairs quietly working on her drawing skills....SO SO proud of that talented girl.

and a very rare but beautiful appearance by miss josie. i promise you we must have the best luck with dogs. diagnosed with cancer four years ago (it's just a tumor on her leg about the size of a golf ball) she is still going strong!

like i said...not much earth shattering going on here...just enjoying the days with our day's. as b likes to say, "this IS the life!"

matching cousins or six just ain't gonna happen.

2011-12-31T21:00:00.011-06:00

as a christmas gift, gege found matching outfits for all six grandkids.

let the photo session begin, eh? well here is the deal. i have yet to take a picture of six kids that i thought was worthy of printing. i figure i need to give it about another five years and then i might have a sporting chance. ha! so i thought why not use this opportunity to at least practice individual shots.

always the ham, and ever photogenic, setler 4 1/2.

a failed attempt at six, at least they are all happy, right?

spunky funny frances at 21 months.

sweet and very serious about her swinging, daylee at 19 months.

giggly oldest grandchild, vivian 6.

wild but kind, bauer 4.

handsome and hilarious, hayes 19 months.

the big three (please don't even think i got a little three shot).

and all six with our matriarch. like i said...it was fun, but don't expect a group shot for at least three years.

unwrapping

2011-12-31T21:00:00.007-06:00

on the 28th the cousins arrived and after an amazing christmas meal complete with joan's yummy dressing and turkey, the unwrapping commenced. bauer was pretty pumped to have "matching dude shirts" with setler.

but possibly even more exciting was vivian's new lalaloopsy silly hair!!

hayes man, always easy to please, was content with eating his wrapping paper. sweet silly boy.

and miss v was kind enough to help frances unwrap her gifts.

which included pretty earrings (for future pierced ears) and a sweet baby giraffe doll.

afterwards the kids all lined up for pictures with their stockings...is everyone looking? it MUST be a christmas miracle!!!

oh wait...picture time is over...this is the classic mother-take-my-picture-in-a-hurry-so-i-can-play-with-my-toy-now smile.

outside

2011-12-31T20:55:00.005-06:00

the day after christmas we headed east to the granday's house.

we didn't really have anything specific planned...just time with family.

the thing is...whenever we are there, my children are OBSESSED about being outside!

which fairs well for me, as long as they will take a few moments to oblige their photo-taking obsessed mother. ;)

sometimes the posing is a bit contrived...

but sometimes i capture them in their true element...like having fun on gege and pawpaw's swingset.

or playing with "wheel-y things".

or pure bliss.

or sibling love.

or older sibling admiration.

or...or...well...pure cuteness!

ditto for these swinging little monkeys.

christmas

2011-12-25T22:03:00.005-06:00

today was the best christmas i can remember.

we didn't go anywhere.

but we sure did have a lot of fun.

there weren't a lot of expensive big gifts.

but some very special visitors.

some yummy unexpected treats.

a hiesman pose or two (of course!).

and much much love. like i said....best christmas to date! :)

christmas eve

2011-12-25T22:00:00.012-06:00

i might be guilty of trying to pack too many things into one day....just maybe. so i admit this christmas eve was no exception. BUT...it turned out to be one of the best busiest days ever! we started off the day with my hs roomies: aunt cyn (and her fab man uncle kyle) and aunt jenny (and her fab hubby nick and sweet baby max). after a great breakfast, and some much needed catching up...we all needed to hurry and head to out to see our families, but not before we captured our annual asms-aunties photo!

next stop aunt kaylynn's and uncle nick's. where we were joined by my nephew, cody, and his beautiful wife, ashely...

and LOTS of presents!

this was really frances' first experience with christmas (she was so tiny last year) and man did she love it! my favorite part though was watching how excited vivian and bauer were FOR her.

and of course, how sweetly and patiently uncle nick opened every single package. (why in heaven's name do they insist on packaging things like they are going to need to survive an atomic bombing?!)

bauer was super thrilled to get a cool knight's cape.

and vivian couldn't wait to get home and start reading with her new tag.

did i mention there were LOTS of presents? ;) but of all the pics...this is still my favorite.

vivian telling uncle nick thanks. every single time i see it...well...i feel it, and it make "my heart smile" as my wise older sister would say.

yep...heart smiling! :)
soon it was time to head home and prepare for our own santa visit.

bauer had the job of deciding what santa needed. cookies, a cutie, and a glass of water. elfie approved. (apparently for the record, santa is "tired of milk, it makes his belly hurt and big.")

next we threw out our reindeer food (thanks, ms. lauren)...

and finished our letter to santa and headed to bed...can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!!

santa visit

2011-12-25T21:58:00.004-06:00

what sweet little children waiting to see santa.

uh-oh...maybe the line was a bit long.

because some people started making silly faces.

awww...one little girl is still acting sweet.

finally...our turn. the boys were up first.

then it was the big girls turn.

then that sweet baby.

ummm...i'm thinking she isn't in LOVE with that man in red.

yep. i'd say she saved her "silly" face for the group picture. teehee....

ice skating...again

2011-12-25T21:56:00.005-06:00

we had a chance to head back to the rink again...

this time with a very special guest...daddy!

b was his normal pro skating self...and mommy, well she opted out this time. ;)

it was a great way to spend saturday morning with the bigs.

and what is THAT, you ask?! why...a friend snickers of course (a first for our family)! miss vivian is mad because she thought i wasn't going to share...

trust me...find someone to share with...even though it is delicious, one bite is plenty!!

winter break

2011-12-25T21:45:00.006-06:00

i'm not sure who was more excited about winter break. me or my children...to start it off on the right foot we had our favorite dinner. snacky plate!

we have had so much fun doing absolutely nothing...

like playing dress up...

or having friends over to play

or just sleeping late and watching movies.

oh yeah frannie is having the time of her life with BOTH brother and sister home.

i guess that IS something to cheer AND text about!! ;)

school party

2011-12-25T21:41:00.002-06:00

these are some of vivian's best school buddies. you might even say they are the three musketeers of sorts.

so i'm sure you can imagine their excitment when it was time for their first big class party.

i feel so blessed to be able to be v's homeroom mom...and am looking forward to many more fabulous school parties in the future. :)

tis the season

2011-12-25T00:16:00.001-06:00

just because i case you didn't get your card....merry merry christmas from our family to yours! :)

elfie lilac flash day.

2011-12-14T18:47:00.005-06:00

just like when children are naughty, apparently full names are needed for naughty elves as well. so you can imagine my surprise when i heard vivian scream elfie's full name. uh-oh...somebody is not happy...

oooohhhhh...BAAAAD elf!!

but wait...says little frannie...it was just a celebration of how happy he was that we have all been good little girls and boys.

well that make for a much happier crew!! :)

and to all...

2011-12-12T21:36:00.000-06:00

a good night! ;)

the nutcracker

2011-12-11T19:45:00.009-06:00

today was such a special day. it was something i have been looking forward to for quite sometime....

after a beautiful lunch at e's bistro (seriously folks, check it out. it is delicious!!),

where we were joined by the beautiful aunt kaylynn.

we headed to the robinson to see the arkansas ballet's presentation of the nutcracker.

when i was a little girl this was an annual traditon....and SUCH a big deal.

it was exciting to carry on the tradition.

and can you believe we added a new tradition?! having our picture made with clara and cast. how exciting!! :)

lego my saturday

2011-12-10T17:59:00.006-06:00

hmmmm....what to do on this gorgeous saturday??? i KNOW...go to the clinton libray and see the "art of the brick" exhibit.

nathan sawaya is the artist and i must admit it was really very cool.

trust me...even this one liked it (regardless of what this picture says!).

the boys thought it was funny to mimic some of the legomen. here bauer is trying to "take my head off".

and clif is lifting the dark cloud...

my favorite though, might be vivian playing peekaboo with this guy

she, of course, loved the kitten.

there were also lots of other cool things. a story book coming to life...

multiple skulls.

mt. rushmore.

and last but not least...a razorback.

since we were there we decided to check out the rest of the library. the oval office was a hit.

and vivian got right to work in the cabinet room.

but sweet frances was a bit bored....at first the zipper held her attention. fascinating.

but then i caught her doing this and i knew it was time to head to the park.

however, we did get one last picture by one of the cool trees before we were off to our next destination...

"this is the life"

2011-12-10T17:38:00.004-06:00

after the museum we decided to head outdoors and enjoy the gorgeous (albeit cold) weather.

whew...glad to be free of that stroller!

trio of trouble.

big kids had a blast running and rolling down the hills.

frances even gave it a go a time or two.

vivian wanted to take a pic with the new camera.

but soon the balance beam called and she was off again.

after all that playing what better way to end the afternoon than with a yummy late lunch at flying fish.

it was then that our sweet boy, as he enjoyed his fried oysters and fish, summed up our entire day...."this is the life." yep...it sure is.

lack of frannie

2011-12-10T17:26:00.003-06:00

someone mentioned there has been a lack of pics of baby girl*. she's still around...just very busy, and a bit hard to catch on camera.

she has been spending a lot of time caring for HER babies, sweetly covering them up and telling them night night.

occasionally, she will pause to pay HER mother a bit of attention and give a cheesy grin.

but then it is back to business...loving and taking good care of her babies. i'm glad somebody appreciates my job!!
*these pics were taken after a morning shower, hence the wild, curly hair.

backflash v. flashback

2011-12-09T21:34:00.004-06:00

why do they call them flashbacks? i think they should be called backflashes.

because you turn your back for a second and in a flash a year has passed...your bald tiny baby is a big fuzzy haired toddler, your sweet boy is a superwild superhero and your first born is a kindergartener. like i said...backflash.

ice skating adventure

2011-12-08T21:53:00.009-06:00

i love this crew. i know...i know...i've said it before. and you know what?! i'll say it again. tonight these besties got to try out their skills at ice skating.

can you believe this little guy was the best? he LOVED it!!!

everyone else had a lot of fun too.

although this young lady takes after her mother, i'm afraid. teehee...

and this frog prince (after slipping and sliding on the ice) decided he'd had enough. fine by me...i got to spend a little special time and take his sweet picture.

someone else was not so easily removed from the ice.

after the obligatory christmas tree shot...we were off to grab a quick bite, and see some lights. after the enchanted forest, and the crazy blow-up house we hit our favorite, the walk down village complete with mrs. claus.

this was ruby and trip's first time.

but veterans v & b showed them how it was done.

what a wonderful way to celebrate the season.

i do believe it is beginning to feel a bit like christmas.

surprise snow

2011-12-07T17:58:00.002-06:00

we had a little bit of a surprise when we woke up this morning. SNOW!!

it was just a dusting (as my sweet yankee cousin would say). so by the time v got home from school it was almost gone.

do you think these sweet children cared??

i think not!

first night's lights

2011-12-06T20:09:00.004-06:00

well here it is...in all its francesproof glory....the tree. after much debate we decided we would much rather enjoy the christmas season, and not constantly be vigilantes about breaking the tree. at first i was sad. i have an amazing collection of glass ornaments collected over the last fifteen plus years...all with special meaning and memories. but guess what? this tree has been even more amazing!!

first of all this pretty little lady and i helped come up with all the designs for all the handmade ornaments.

AND i found a bunch of old ornaments (unbreakable) from my grandparent's old tree, not to mention a lot from when i was a kid that i had made.

then this sweet fellow and his handsome daddy joined us girls and we all made ornaments one saturday. a bit becky home-ecky? you betcha. corny? uh-huh. funniest, most memorable afternoon in history? AB-SO-LUTLEY!

and now that the tree is complete what is there to do next? but to eat an early dinner, don our finest pj's and hit the road for the annual tradition of night lights.

the sweet babies are ready to go!

first stop, what our family calls the crazy house. this is actually about three houses down from where clif grew up. teehee...i'm betting my master gardener mother-n-law would NOT approve.

it drives clif mad, but i kind of like it...in somebody else's yard of course.

and these guys liked it, too...let the holiday season begin!

oh yeah...

2011-12-05T18:41:00.002-06:00

somebody got a new camera. let the picturepalooza begin!!!

the tree

2011-12-03T22:10:00.005-06:00

where in the world is that baby girl headed on such a mission?

why to cut herself a christmas tree, of course!

motley's tree farm is lovely. it includes a cool tractor ride for kids, a saw and tie downs for your tree, and a free cup of hot cocoa. (not to mention they are highly organized and clean, and you know how momma loves that!)

after a quick stop in the gift shop,

we were off to find our perfect tree.

vivian thought this was the sweetest little "vivian" tree.

but we searched on....

next bauer found the perfect frances tree...but i thought we might need a bit bigger.

vivian almost had to take things into her own hands, but alas we found the perfect tree...

and brought her home! what a fun adventure!!

on a side note: yes, i cut the tree...yes, this is the only shot of me cutting the tree. yes, this is why you don't see me often on this blog. when i asked clif what this was about he said, "i thought it was a really good shot." ummm...yeah. ;)

dinner with popa

2011-12-03T22:06:00.002-06:00

part of the reason i have been so out of touch (beside working, and room mom, and mother of three, and LIFE...) is because popa has been a bit under the weather. several months ago he had open heart surgery and it has just taken a bit to get readjusted. he isn't quite a 100% but is doing better and we are thrilled that he and dotdot have gotten back into the routine of coming to eat dinner on a regular basis (even if mommy is a bad cook).

yep, even cheesy agrees...we love popa and dotdot!!

falling.

2011-12-03T21:58:00.002-06:00

i cannot believe how much i fall in love with these precious babies every day.

the fact that god chose them to be my children amazes me.

i cannot wait to see how much more i fall in love with them tomorrow...

turkey day

2011-12-03T21:52:00.003-06:00

how else do you start off thanksgiving but in the kitchen?

and with three precious little children that we couldn't possibly be more thankful for?

it was a wonderful day...

with lots of food (of course)...

and giggles...

and family. we are truly blessed and thankful!

gobble gobble.

2011-12-03T21:41:00.001-06:00

i couldn't help but try the healthy turkey alternative project.

ummm....bauer maybe had a little too much fun...

yeah for healthy turkeys!!

oh my miss v

2011-12-03T21:39:00.002-06:00

this little miss kills me. seriously. she is too funny for words...and so advanced for her age. for example: this is how excited she gets every week at kroger. we have a newly renovated cheese department that carries over a 100 varieties. who would think a 6 year old would care??

but every week she carefully selects a new cheese and asks the lady what it best goes with. last week we had apple wood smoked gouda, this week sage something...she could tell you i'm sure.

and a couple of times a week we do a little homework in our science book. this week we talked about animals and how they move: swim, fly, run, and crawl. the obvious answer: fish, bird, dog, etc. see below for vivian's answers.

and then when i asked what that was on the alligator she replied, "remember when we went to the zoo with pawpaw and gege and i was three? the alligator then had a stick on its head." wow...i better take a refresher course before this kid hits junior high!

woopigsooie!

2011-12-03T20:59:00.005-06:00

when the hogs came to play in town we decided it would be a good opportunity to take the kids to their first tailgate.

the kids were pumped and couldn't wait to call the hogs.

football+razorbacks=one happy bauer.

we even managed a family shot (why did i not take my glasses off??? ugh.)

calling the hogs...

and with our favorite cheerleader, miss emily (yep, the same one that was in our wedding. yep, we are old!)

frances may have had the best time...because she fell asleep on the way home and didn't wake up until the next morning!!

which allowed the big kids to enjoy their surprises in peace! hahaha....

an early thanksgiving

2011-12-03T20:24:00.007-06:00

a couple weeks before thanksgiving we decided to head to the day's. (warning the rest of these pictures are totally out of order!)

when we arrived joan had a full thanksgiving meal ready and it was delicious! she even made the big kids these awesome pilgrim collars to wear. :)

bauer made an awesome self portrait.

frances enjoyed some yummy gege sketti. ;)

one day we all packed up in the rv and headed to the nashville farmer's market. it was gorgeous!! this is vivian showing her surprised\happy face.

our delicious personal pizzas baking in gege's new oven.

vivian pointing out her fav, tomatoes, at the market.

pawpaw's girl and big rv helper.

our little harley dude.

see? simply gorgeous!!

mommy's girl fell asleep in her lap in the rv.

frannie getting her gege love...and NOT loving the camera.

gege and the bigs at this amazing park beside the market.

vivian's artwork: a crab.

during the rv ride. they were so excited not to have to ride in car seats.

b at gege's yummy thanksgiving meal.

my 9.999.876 attempt at a picture of three. not. gonna. happen.

three generations of day men. :)

and my personal favorite. bauer is in love with his beary...and apparently clif had one when he was little too, named farfuff. don't you think this should be his new profile pic?? ;)

kindergarten camp

2011-12-03T20:21:00.002-06:00

vivian's class put on an amazing production of camp kindergarten and wouldn't you know our girl had her very own speaking part!

she was one of the five little hot dog chefs....and she looked SO cute!

brother was extra extra proud...

and vivian and her friends did a great job!

this & that

2011-12-03T19:31:00.005-06:00

we have had a very busy few months and lots of things have been going on:

frances has learned to read. okay, not reeeeally...but it has been that long since i have posted. ;)

bauer before school being...well...bauer.

ironing man.

sweet cheesy girl.

please take note, this is not because it was cold. indeed it was so hot that our mosquitoes were still in full force in late november, and this was his solution to protect himself from bites. seriously...i can't make this stuff up.

also, if you know our family at all, you know clif works like a mad man and never leaves home without his computer. one day bauer had this out when i called him. his reply, "just a sec mom, i'm taking an order on my computer." ha!

frances mad because i won't let her eat fifteen cookies in a row. i'm evil like that.

possibly the most exciting thing has been that frances has learned a new cool move. THE CHEESE! this is what she does every single time you pull out a camera or iphone.

miss v had "all about me day" at school. we made a big poster with lots of the things she loves. she even labeled them all by herself.

we also had a few playdates with school friends.

and a quick trip to the er. yep...i said er. bauer fell at school and what should have been just a busted lip ended up being almost twenty stitches. (it was so deep they had to do multiple layers.) thank goodness beary was there to help our big man out.

first field trip

2011-12-03T19:30:00.003-06:00

vivian had her very first school field trip...

to the pumpkin patch!

her friends from class, presley and riley, were there and they loved the hay mazes.

sweet v spent lots of time feeding the baby goats.

it was such a great adventure....even the bus ride with buddy james was lots of fun! :)

it's a wild wild world

2011-12-03T19:28:00.003-06:00

luckily this halloween we had two awesome zookeepers to help wrangle the wild beast. :)

i love you.

2011-11-10T20:43:00.002-06:00

the big kids and i play a little game sometimes. we say, "i love you" and then we quantify. it might be my favorite game ever. sounds crazy, eh? tonight's game:
me: v, i love you this much (spreading my thumb and pointer finger about a half inch apart).
v: oh yeah? well i love you thiiiiiis much (spreading her arms as wide as they will go).
me: okay. i love you big as a house.
v: and i love you big as the earth.
b: oh yeah....i love you big as a dinosaur earth.
me: hmmm....i love you big as the solar system.
v: i love you all of space and the solar system.
b: i love you 100 dinosaurs space and sonar systems.
v: i know I KNOW!! i love you big as god's hand.
b: ooooohhhhh yeah, yeah....i love you as big as god's dinosaur hand!
:)
best game EVER!

2011-10-26T19:42:00.002-06:00

lately i have had a lot of crazy big projects...and felt a bit like i am going under.

it is all i can do to save face and just hold it together.

so i have decided to just take a moment, and laugh about it.

but i promise i will be back (in full blog force) very very soon! :)

football season

2011-10-15T13:02:00.008-06:00

yeah...not really a subject you think i would blog about, eh? but i've been reflecting a lot lately about how my life seems to be flying by...and what better way to put my thoughts into words than with a little seasonally appropriate football anecdote?

in my teens...i cheered/danced from the sidelines.

i wore school colors, pinned my "crush the cougars" (or whatever alliteration they had for the week's team) ribbon to my much too short skirt, and giggled at silly boys. my only worries were whether or not i knew the all the moves to our half time routine, if i had both pompoms, and how hard would that chemistry test be on monday morning?

in my early twenties...i hung in the grove.

parties began on thursday night and didn't end until the wee hours of sunday morning. i wore my cutest dress, high heels, and my steady frat boy's blue blazer when it was too chilly. we chanted hotty toddy, gossiped about the girls who stood while they smoked (gasp!), drank bourbon and cokes, and ate abner's chicken.

we were blissfully high on the fact we were "adults", and blissfully unaware we had no idea what that really meant.

in my late twenties...i was a newlywed.

saturdays were reserved for us (also newlyweds to the REAL working world), we soaked up the time together. we would snuggle on the couch and dine on big plates of clif's favorite foods i had made (okay, sometimes ordered in). and in between smooches and him yelling at the television, i would fall asleep in his lap.

occasionally we would go to the park with our "kids" and play a bit of football ourselves. we felt like seasoned veterans, but were just beginning.

now i am in my thirties...and even though i rarely sit through an entire game, i still love to have it on every television in the house. as i fold the clothes, rush to get ready for another birthday party, finish sewing a halloween costume, working on one of my volunteer projects, or sorting through a lesson plan...i still love those sounds.

the announcer calling fourth and ten, the roar of crowd when their team almost intercepts the ball, that crisp smack of the players pads, the band playing the time honored fight song.....and when you add to that clif hollering with all his heart, explaining to bauer why the ref is nuts, and vivian teaching frances to cheer for the rebel razorbacks. well, i do believe this is the best season yet...

cousins

2011-10-05T21:30:00.008-06:00

i keep thinking about this weekend...

and how great it was to be with family, in the quiet peacefulness of our lake getaway. i also keep thinking about all the laughs and fun...although, these two boys might have had the most fun of all.

they skipped rocks (or rather threw them)...

and posed patiently for their sweet mother/aunt...

made adventures for themselves and for mr. beary...

and laughed...

and in the midst of it all, cousins became life long friends.

my own favorite childhood memories involve my cousins. big family gatherings with lots of food, lots of laughing, and lots of fun and games. not a lot of money, or technology, or fancy toys...just simple people loving each other and the time they had together.

i'm not sure when we will be able to getaway again, but for now....

the secret happiness i have from the wonderful memories made this weekend, will hold me over until next time....

treehouse for 12

2011-10-02T18:56:00.009-06:00

that's a whole lotta folks, eh? what in the world are they up to....

they are headed here.

for this handsome guy.

and this pretty lady...because this year our patriarch and matriarch both turn 60! months ago su and i decided we would plan a little getaway...and we found this place.

a treehouse right on the lake. remote, gorgeous, big....perfect.

so we packed the cars and brought the oldest granddaughter,

the big boys,

and all...

three...

babies!!

we took lots of hikes, ate, played games, ate, laughed, had a few mini photo sessions, ate, and made lots of memories.

even mia had a good time.

happy happy 60 to our gege and pawpaw.

we can't wait to see what the next decade will bring.

facebook killed the blogging star

2011-10-02T18:36:00.005-06:00

i'm just saying...that's all. once i load it onto the computer and post it to a social media, it's totally dropped from my radar. and because the blog is for my family, and our memories...well...i just gotta get focused! ;)

i mean what if i forgot to take note of these cuties enjoying some yummy breakfast before school?!

or the amazing surprise that came all the way from nebraska coutesy of bobbie? can you believe julie's uniform matches vivian's EXACTLY?! down to the buttons and pockets!

or a super fun day spent with cousin jackson.

how about our favorite cheerleader at soccer?

or this? yeah...i'm not sure what exactly this is....but clif and i have a rule that they are NOT allowed to sleep on the floor. i must say, technically this isn't the floor. ;)

my man b

2011-09-17T19:00:00.004-06:00

this is my guy.

and this weekend he has been sick.

but between the loads of vomit laundry, cold rags for fever, sippies of "gatormade", and medicine...there have been some of the best moments in recent memory.

after 36 hours of mommy cuddles, a little help from our favorite caped crusaders (movie, circa 1966), a few of our favorite books, quilts, and the handy iphone...

b went from a very sick little man to our sweet smiling boy.

yep....our sweet silly smiling boy.

and i know that in a mere 24 hours he won't remember NEEDING me, and wanting me to not leave his sight for a second.

but i can guarantee you this...momma will remember.

sleepy friday

2011-09-16T09:07:00.003-06:00

my littles are a bit under the weather....but with cute smiles like that, who would have guessed?!

fall soccer starts (again)

2011-09-14T11:56:00.004-06:00

yep, it's that time of year...to dust off all the gear and head to the soccer fields. but wait....

this year the team has a new player...BAUER!!! this child has practically been raised on the sidelines, and god bless him, has been dying to play. this year his wish came true.

not only will he play alongside his sister, who apparently is too fast for her old photog mother, but also with our other new team member...

cousin SETLER!

i can't wait for another great year of friends, fun, and of course snacks. ;) the first game actually went pretty smoothly, v made two goals and b made two, also. (in micro it counts even if they are in the wrong goal, right?!)

can't wait to see what the rest of the year holds for this soccer crew! :)
(please excuse my hair, it was SO humid and hot AND it drizzled on us...not the best look, but a family portrait is so rare it had to be published!)

best birthday brunch ever

2011-09-10T12:59:00.003-06:00

let the birthday celebrations continue...

this morning vivian and half dozen of her sweet little friends met for brunch at our local bistro. miss presley was first to arrive and very excited.

and of course, bff ruby was there, too.

first course was potato soup with rice crackers.

vivian said it was AWESOME!

next they had mini croissants with chicken salad and fresh arkansas fruit, yummy!

but the group really got pumped when the third course showed up...

key lime pie with whipped cream and special handmade white chocolate hearts!!

it was a great time filled with lots of friends.

when we got home there was one final surprise. brother had made a special treat for miss v....strawberries (her favorite fruit) and birthday candles. he made these all by himself and even sang her a special birthday song.

:) what a perfect day!

fiesta & siesta

2011-09-10T06:30:00.003-06:00

when we asked v where she would like to eat for her birthday she immediately said, "mexican!" so that's what we did. and i do believe in honor of her birthday...a miracle occurred....everyone looked AND smiled at the camera!!!!

we decided to invite just family and a few friends (both new and old), but somehow that turned into over thirty people. oh my...

these are just SOME of the kiddos. (yes, two miracles, they're looking, too.)

after their tummies were full we headed home where these three sweet friends got ready for some sleepover fun. aawwwww...aren't they cute? but wait...let's zoom out a bit...

SOMEBODY was lurking, wanting to be one of the gang.

and you know what? these sweet girls welcomed him with open arms....that's why i love this crew!! :)
and just for the record: when we asked bauer to come upstairs to take his bath his response was, "excuse me ladies. don't worry, i'll be back in a minute." heheeee....

september 9th

2011-09-09T11:19:00.003-06:00

we woke up extra early today, because our sweet big girl, sleeping in her new jammies with her friend julie, is finally six!

here she is before school. where has that tiny baby gone?

and with her family presents. bauer got her catwoman (so she could play batman with him), and frances picked out a fancy new outfit for julie. daddy and i supplied the donuts and the new razorback shirt.

i think frances' favorite things were the donuts.

maybe the birthday girl's too! we love you sweet v. you are growing into such a kind hearted little girl. it is a joy to watch you everyday. your giggle is infectious, your wisdom beyond your years and your smile a reminder of the blessing god has given us the privilege to raise...happy happy birthday to our big girl!

air hockey mania

2011-09-09T11:14:00.002-06:00

because v and b have birthdays that are so close together, sometimes they get a really cool shared gift. this year gege and pawpaw went all out and got them an air hockey table!!

it has been a HUGE hit. even miss frances loves it.

and of course our big athlete...he LOVES all sports! in fact, it has been SO popular around here that the other night as the bigs were winding down and watching their 15minute before bedtime show, this is what i found.

i'd call that a VERY successful gift!

all aboard

2011-09-09T10:55:00.004-06:00

on the 30th (big man's actual birthday) we took him to a very special new place.

all aboard. a new restaurant that delivers food by train right to your table! and even though i am a horrible mother who took no pictures...

our sweet aunt su did...and even managed to capture this beauty.

and this one.

and these three crazy hooligans! ;)

the football: year 4

2011-08-30T13:05:00.004-06:00

today bauer is four. per tradition, every year we have his picture made with his daddy with his football, just like the day he was born. this morning.

at age three.

at age two. (see i told you he didn't always have a ton of hair.)

at age one. (ahhhh....look at the thunder cookies!)

and as a newborn. man, that ball is really shrinking!!

in addition, i think i need to record the fact that this year bauer's instinct wasn't just to hold the ball and pose. we had a couple takes, one of which involved some sort of heismann thing?! oh my...i hope i'm equipped to handle this growing boy! :)

the littles first day

2011-08-30T12:36:00.000-06:00

on monday, the littles had their first day of school.

big sister was so excited for them...and they were pretty excited too!

here is our big boy, bauer who will be in the 3 year old class. wow...how he has grown!

but wait...i thought baby frances was going to school...ohhhh, THAT is baby frances?! and she is in the toddler class? say it ain't so!!! ;)

daddy and his little dude.

frances attempting to get her cheese on. god bless her, she just doesn't have it quite down yet.

but she gets an "a" for effort!

and look on this special day the unthinkable happened. a picture with the elusive mommy!! :)

sunday funday

2011-08-30T12:08:00.007-06:00

sunday we woke up very early (not that unusual now-a-days), and decided to head to the zoo (VERY unusual). cooler temperatures were predicted, and we knew our weekday trips were behind us now that we have a kindergartner.

our first stop...the penguins.

they love those silly cutout penguins! :)

the dudes...enjoying themselves as well.

my girls checking out my favorite animal...the giraffe.

and even though they SAID it would be cooler, by the time we reached the end it had neared 100 heat index. so miss frances decided to check out the misters. (check out daddy's face in the background...LOVE it!)

and just for the record, bauer has been scared of this gorilla for YEARS!! but all of a sudden he MUST have his picture taken with it...i was happy to oblige! and when i turned to get a sweet picture of miss f in her stroller, this is what i saw...

if the baby is checking her email via iphone, i guess that meant it was time to leave. ;)

next we headed to popa and dotdot's for a little more birthday celebrating. we were excited about the batman cupcake ring, but little did we know THIS was waiting in the other room...

a BATCAVE!!!! i have never seen anything so awesome...apparently neither had batman, because before we could get home...

he was out. :)

big bauer's big birthday adventure

2011-08-27T17:29:00.003-06:00

a certain little boy will be four on tuesday....yep, our big man b!!! to celebrate we decided to have his best buddy, trip, spend the night. but before we could embark upon our all-things-dude adventure...we met up with aunt kaylynn so that vivian could have an all-things-sparkly-and girly adventure for HER birthday (yes, it's just around the corner, too)!!

i think she was a bit excited, no? ;)

and speaking of excited...our first stop for bbbba? chuck e. cheese. (lord help me.)

they. had. a. BLAST!!! i, nor the camera, could keep up.

next it was a little dinner at gadwall's with a very special birthday cupcake. the sweet birthday boy's reply, "thanks guys!!" :)

i do believe they loved the icing most!

but know what causes even more excitement amongst four year olds?!

a brand new captain america costume!!

what a great start to being FOUR! :)

week in review

2011-08-26T20:23:00.005-06:00

one of these pretty girls started her second week of kindergarten...the other one, well she had a busy week too! ;)

we started the week with a photo shoot. we are working on a special project for someone's birthday. i do believe this little girl has got the smile on cue down pat.

later in the week, as this knee socked cutie headed out the door...

the littles and i headed downtown to the rivermarket to meet friends. while we were there we roamed the farmer's market and picked up some fresh peaches and tomatoes. and soon after, we were ready for our fun adventure at the game and fish museum.

bauer really loved the oars,

and even though this picture is blurry, i think you can tell someone else did too!

because the temps had reached near 100 we thought it might be a good idea to finish our day at the splash park. frances dove right in and LOVED it.

and even though it took hersh a few minutes, he was having a blast too!!

i just love this picture...it really sums up these two: always in motion!!

and do you remember bauer boxer? well...he's back. punching away at the water....what to do with that child?! :)

new do

2011-08-26T20:15:00.005-06:00

we have been working on a few new hairstyles. this one i stole from a fellow blogger...

and pinterest. not that i am a bit prejudiced, but...

that is one cute kid...if i do say so myself!! :)

day four

2011-08-18T21:16:00.003-06:00

oh how i love that sweet girl!

and oh, how she LOVES kindergarten!

today's lunch was pretty plain jane...but wait....

there was a little hidden surprise, thanks to my new found friend, foodoodles!

after we dropped big sister off in the big carpool lane (lordy mercy, i may never get the hang of that!) the littles and i were off the have some fun.

that baby boy is really getting just too big, too fast...

wow...and this one is growing even faster!! and before i could take anymore pictures, our playmates showed up.

the super sweet day cousins!! miss dj loves striking a pose.

and look how these babies have grown. weren't we just preggo, aunt su? i guess it is time to get out those bricks... ;)

boxer bauer

2011-08-18T21:08:00.003-06:00

we briefly interrupt this first week of kindergarten to bring you....boxer bauer. wednesday afternoon, bauer was very very tired, and after several attempts at talking him out of a bad mood i simply sent him to his room to work it out himself. and this is what emerged...

just so you know...that is a polo sweater vest (backwards), his sister's uniform under shorts, grey church socks, and a pair of thick mittens....which are OBVIOUSLY his boxing gloves!! he even swiped the three foot bolster pillow off our bed to act as his punching bag. (which our friend, who is a father of three boys himself, kindly offered to hold.)

i probably should have been mad...but with this sweet face and his flair for creativity...i have to admit...i was IMPRESSED!!

day three

2011-08-18T21:01:00.003-06:00

little miss kindergarten day three. ummmm...i'm guessing this is a dance pose?!

on wednesday i was able to leave my office a bit early and meet this sweet girl for lunch. can you believe on day three she has already made lots of new friends?

but no worries, she still likes hanging with old mom, too!!

oh...and today's lunch was princess themed. those are grape blueberry swords, and we pretended the teddy bears were her soldiers. teehee...

and what better way to finish hump day than to walk home from school with some old friends. yep, i'm thinking we've got this school things down pat!!! :)

second day

2011-08-16T15:42:00.007-06:00

wow...these kiddos are really loving getting up early!! who knew? while these two sweet babies cuddled and watched cartoons our big kindergartner got ready for day number two!!

doesn't she look precious?!

even baby sister is getting so big so fast. she has now learned how to smile for the camera!!!

and just for posterity...here is v's lunch for day two. a peanut butter sandwich with sprinkle hair, raisin eyes, mike and ike mouth, and a pink marshmallow flower bow...just like miss v's!! she LOVED it. :)

it was a great day. the littles and i had our first full day of just us. we went to the park and jog\walked a couple miles and spent some time with popa and dotdot before heading home for lunch and a quiet afternoon. not a bad day, at all!!

first day

2011-08-15T15:47:00.004-06:00

my teeny tiny sweet girl...who apparently is not so teeny....started kindergarten today. after getting dressed in her hello kitty purple knee socks, skort, and purple chuck taylors...she requested a breakfast of pancakes and sausage.

and after a big good luck hug from aunt k,

and a few pictures with mommy,

and daddy.

she was ready. sitting in the kindergarten section waiting to be called to class. i know, i know, in this picture she looks like she is SIXTEEN!!!

which is why in this picture is looks like i have been crying (because i HAVE!! just for the record i removed myself while i gained my composure!)

the best part, by far, was when i went to pick her up. as i stood and watched her teacher walk the class to the front of school, i saw by baby girl's big BIG smile! when i asked her how her first day went her reply was simple, "yeeeeeehhhh!!! GREAT!!!" i couldn't ask for anything more! :)

meanwhile...

2011-08-15T15:41:00.002-06:00

the little kids had a great day!! since aunt k came to watch them this morning while daddy and i took vivian to her first day, we decided to make the most of her visit...

after a few errands we hit the park.

and after a week of 100 plus temps, it was a beautiful day.

this little girl was far too busy to be bothered with having her picture made...

but i did convince this sweet big boy to give me a smile! :)

ruffin ranch

2011-08-12T16:24:00.003-06:00

today we made a little trip to see aunt k. they have 10acres and a LOT of big equipment (uncle n is an excavator). very sweet, big cousin cody came and took the little ones on a few rides.

although they were equally as happy just climbing and playing (i know her eyes are closed, but this picture cracks me up!)

and just exploring. bauer had such a great time i'm sure disney world would be a far second! in fact, when we were less than a mile from the house b said, "mommy, i miss cody. take me back for a ride!"

pretty sweet. :)

kindergarten carnival

2011-08-12T16:15:00.004-06:00

or at least that is what i THINK it was called. it could be called "my mom is going to have a heart attack because i am going to big kid school". anyhow, yesterday was the day that we found out who v's teacher would be this year...and here she is:

sweet miss f.

here is our big kindergartner in her assigned seat.

and with her sweet friend, miss p. only two more days until school starts...never fear...she is R.E.A.D.Y!!!! me on the otherhand...well, there is always xanax. ;)

the dentist (again)

2011-08-12T16:09:00.003-06:00

dr. dan is the best!!

mr. b was ready...

so was miss v.

the were both really brave and got great reports.

have mercy...they are both getting so BIG!! as a reward we went to have mexican food with a special guest...

aunt kaylnn!! the best reward anytime.... :)

the real toy story

2011-08-02T20:20:00.003-06:00

my grandparents (well mainly my grandmother) saved a lot of things. surprisingly, one of them was tickle-me-elmo. i have no idea why...but i could never bring myself to sell or donate him. so there he sat...until the other day, when this little girl discovered him.

and oh-how it made her smile and giggle!! and then made ME smile and giggle thinking about how much my children were loved and wanted by those grandparents (even before they were born)!!

yep miss f, THAT is just pure bliss!! :)

100+ days of summer

2011-08-02T20:07:00.005-06:00

our heat wave is official underway...so we have tried to add some more indoor fun to our repertoire.

sibling silliness is always a hit. :)

and so is beauty parlor.

during which, frances sported her very first dog ears.

we have even made a couple of trips to the movies.

and once (when we saw the smurfs) we even had a special guest...daddy!

but sometimes folks, we just have to use our imaginiton. like this...well, this is....well....i had to ask. the reply:

"trying to sneak past the security guard, mom!!"

well of course you are!!! ;)

bubblefest

2011-07-29T13:43:00.004-06:00

bubbles...bubbles....bubbles!!!

museum of discovery put on a little bubblepalooza...and these kids enjoyed every silly minute of it.

and might i add...so did i.

:)

weekend.

2011-07-25T15:18:00.003-06:00

every weekend there are parties, priorities, and such....so it is nice every once in a great while when you just get to enjoy your friends and family. my beautiful friend steph and i have been trying to make lunch plans since....well....since her last birthday, and this saturday it finally happened.

we were also blessed with a mini-reunion of sorts with the smith family. although all the original smith kids have passed, my mother's generation is still going strong.

we were even able to visit with bobbie, who came all the way from lincoln!

unfortunately, on sunday frances had a bit of a summer cold and we were unable to attend the cookout. at first i was worried, (i'm not a fan of being sick in the summer) but then frances explained to me it wasn't anything a little double fist of milk couldn't cure. ;) i think we may have an ole miss co-ed in the making...

blessed "day-lee"

2011-07-17T19:03:00.003-06:00

this weekend these six little beauties gathered together to have a little fun.

play a little ball...

play a little with each other...

and play silly when their parents tried to get a group shot. :)
how blessed we are to call these children ours...

friends, cousins, & vbs

2011-07-14T12:30:00.004-06:00

today was the last day of the "shake it up cafe" at vbs. (and can you believe those sweet kiddos let frances be a part of their picture?!)

lots and lots of friends from school were there....

along with one of our favorite cousins, setler.

and vivian's friend, julia.

but my favorite part might just be the goodies they brought home. along with their bible verses and crafts they also made aprons and chef hats. vivian's had the cutest pattern....and bauer's...

well, he gives all new meaning to the "naked chef".
;)

perfect get-away

2011-07-12T22:33:00.006-06:00

spur of the moment we decided to head to the in-laws for the fourth. i must admit we are very blessed, it was the perfect little family get-away retreat.

these two cuties, loved gege and pawpaw's screened porch.

and have i mentioned my mil the master gardener? everywhere you turn there are these amazing plants.

and a FABULOUS garden, full of yummy home grown veggies.

this picture totally makes me smile. i remember quite well being totally enamoured with my grandad bauer's garden.

truly....just beautiful.

yep, her too...

and him! ;)

there was also lots of time in their pool.

um yeah...that's the pool. ;)

on the fourth gege had prepared a little surprise...fun patriotic goodies...

and glow sticks!

after a festive trip around the block as part of the neighborhood parade,

we enjoyed a yummy fried catfish dinner, surrounded by

joan's gorgeous flowers,

and grandbabies. :) perfect.

g.g.p.s.

2011-07-12T22:23:00.003-06:00

that's right...gege garden photo session. at first he wasn't that into it...

but since miss f,

and miss v were looking good.

he decided to give it a whirl too.

i must say...for spur of the moment...

they turned out pretty well...

and it was even kind of fun.

gorgeous babies...gorgeous gardens...

okay...fun while it lasted...i knew it was too much to ask for a group picture.

:)

insta-vaca

2011-07-12T21:55:00.003-06:00

we recently took a little mini-vaca to nashville to visit the in-laws. while there i re-discovered my love of instagram (an iphone app). it was the perfect way to capture a photo a day to remember our lovely little getaway.

day one.

day two.

day three.

day four.

day five.
yep. simple. perfect.

it's an iphone summer

2011-07-12T21:47:00.005-06:00

sometimes you can't get to your camera fast enough so an iphone will just have to do...and sometimes, just sometimes...you get a gem.

like these best friends celebrating ruby's 6th birthday with a little swimming...

and a little candy land.

or this crazy little man and his new mustache.

or frances' undying love for chili...

and afternoon naps.

vivian's newly painted toes in her newly white sandals.

a sweet boy after a day at the pool.

and of course, his sweet sisters.

and maybe best of all, three lazy children, enjoying some cuddle time with each other and their mommy. :)

dance recital 2011

2011-07-12T21:32:00.003-06:00

the good ship lollipop was this year's dance...

and look at that girl salute!

sweet dance friends: allison, hannah, mckenzie, v, caroline, & selah.

what a pretty girl...no, i'm not prejudice! ;)

and per tradition, brother brought his favorite dancer flowers.

i'm sorry people, but this is reality (and it really cracks me up!). frances had had enough....

so you can understand why we were okay with her looking the other way during our family photo. ;)

dallas vaca: day five

2011-07-12T21:22:00.002-06:00

and then...it was over. time to take some final pictures.

time to have some final giggles. time to head back home...

even these girls seemed a bit sad.

and to think it began many years ago...with these two cousins.

i just can't help but wonder, after watching our families continue to grow...

and still carry on the traditions our grandmothers and mothers set for us...

what this next generation will hold. :)

dallas vaca: day four

2011-07-12T20:16:00.010-06:00

wow...and i never said i'd have four kids. ;) after a quick breakfast at the crowne, and OF COURSE a few pictures...

we headed to the nature science museum. (in NO order what-so-ever...)

vivian at the water tables.

miss f and luke.

big b with big big duck.

v digging for fossils.

bauer and luke hunt for shark teeth.

since luke is now taller than me (ahem...) he was able to be the bubble maker.

the king.

i still love these cool hot air balloons.

one of the many dinosaurs.

frances exploring.

my all-time favorite picture of the whole trip!!!

fireman bauer.

the crew and t-rex.

and rebuilding t-rex's foot.

evolution of dinosaur to bird (very very cool)

yeah....me too, frances...only daddy can't carry me on his back while i nap...sigh.

okay, you know i had to TRY the bubble thing...i still got the moves, just fyi.

big b in big hand chair.

miss f awake and loving all the attention.

um, yeah, still loving it.

exploring the grounds on the way to the children's aquarium.

silly bauer.

nick being amazed, maybe at the creature, maybe at the fact he was allowed to touch all of them. ;)

touching away.
after a very LONG morning we headed back to the hotel for a refreshing nap and swim.

miss v has really turned into quite a fish.

sweet daddy loving his sweet baby. (and coincidentally, this is where the "fish gene" comes from and yes, it IS dominant!!)

silly frances.

trio of trouble.

big ball, little baby.

yeah, still crazy baby.

next we cleaned up for one last picture and, oh yeah, dinner.

and can you believe afterward these girls still had the energy to play? alas, their mothers didn't which is why there aren't pictures. ;)

dallas vaca: american girl store

2011-07-12T19:53:00.005-06:00

after much debate, we finally decided it was time for a very special trip within our trip. vivian had been saving her pennies (literally, folks, we pay her in pennies) for quite some time, and after we emptied her piggy bank and had a few BIG discussions (one involving an advance in birthday money from popa)...we were off to the american girl store!

after pouring over the catalogs for more than six months, vivian new EXACTLY which doll she wanted (although her evil mother made her walk the entire store twice before i would let her choose). but in the end, julie, the girl of the year from 1973, was the pick.

here vivian is handing over the big $100....i don't think i smile as big when i spend that much. ;)

but i might if i knew it was gonna make this girl that happy!!

of course big cousin natalie was there to enjoy the moment.

and mommy was there to capture the two new best friends later that very night. :)

dallas vaca: day three

2011-07-12T19:30:00.006-06:00

legoland! really that should explain it all...

miss vivian was chosen from the crowd to get the lego machine cranking.

the entire city of dallas was re-created including texas rangers stadium,

south fork,

and of course, the grassy knoll.

my favorite part was the 4-d movie. complete with showers, smoke and even SNOW!

i'm not sure what theses kiddos favorite parts were...

they were too busy to decide!!

after a lot-o-legos....

we headed out for a quick bite at the rainforest cafe.

where everyone got a balloon animal. man i love that cute smiling wild beast...oh, and the lion, too!

dallas vaca: day two

2011-07-12T19:16:00.001-06:00

we started monday at my favorite dallas stop: the world aquarium. seriously...just go, it's great!

this year we have 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11. whew....that is exhausting just typing it...but aren't they cute?!

the best thing about the aquarium is that everything is so interactive....a sloth might just be hanging out in a tree right over your head!

or the sting rays might be just splish-splashing away.

and the indoor three story rainforest (even though it does a doozie on my hair), i LOVE it!

"why no mommy, i would NEVER pull your ponytail while you carry me around!" :)

the oldest and the youngest cousin in the shark tunnel.

the crew on the bamboo bridge.

flamingos and the boys.

daddy does backpack duty, too! and what does all this fun lead to....

some snoozing kiddos! :)

dallas vaca: day one

2011-07-12T18:46:00.005-06:00

we started this summer with a bang...our annual bender-day vacation! so on a very nice sunday afternoon we loaded up these beasts and headed out...

after a quick six hours we were all checked in and waiting...

and waiting...

and ohhhh....what a wonderful reunion it was!!! so much so, that all i managed to capture on camera was this one shot. but i think it truly captures the moment...let the photopalooza begin!!! :)

a little business venture....

2011-06-17T21:37:00.007-06:00

hello everyone! i think it is about time to make a little announcement (nope, sorry, no bun in the oven, here!!)...

i have been waiting for sometime to officially open my etsy shop. as most of you know, i have been sewing for friends for years.

it is such a fun and creative way to express my deep love of textiles! so without any further ado...

i welcome you to "caroline kate" a little brand that i have been secretly working on for over a year, but will be officially starting over the next few weeks.

i will begin by offering just nap mats (pictured above) for $20!! if you have ever priced these before you know this is a STEAL! this set includes the nap mat cover, a coordinating pillowcase, and an attached ribbon tie that doubles as a handle for easy carrying! here is how it works. you provide the fabric (i will specify yardage) and i provide the labor...easy as that! please feel free to contact me at somerclarkday@gmail.com with any and all questions. in the near future i will be adding more items (take a sneak peek below) but until then, i look forward to hearing from you! and please...check back often for give-aways, and updates! :)

super duper hero capes.

sweet and sassy baby items.

perfect and practical pillowcase dresses. (did i mention they are reversible?!)

custom brother sister creations.
happy shopping!
:)

*photo credit the fab whitney loibner.

summertime!!

2011-06-05T10:23:00.004-06:00

it is finally here....summer! (well at least in our books) we have been spending lots of time here, on our new swing set (thanks lee's)...

and here, running through the sprinkler with friends!

and by the way, don't you wish you could rock a bikini like this girl?!

of course we also love meeting friends at the pool...here is saturday's crew.

sweet sister giggling in the shade makes me smile...

and who wouldn't love these red headed cuties, sydney and kate?!

but even with all those day genetics, sometimes we need to head indoors for a little cool down time. our favorite place is the historic argenta district library with miss kathy and her crew. they are currently signing people up for the summer reading program and will have fun activities like crafts, puppet shows, story time, and much more all summer!! check it out here....and we will see you there!

m^3

2011-06-05T10:10:00.002-06:00

our weekend was filled with lots of fun:
1.mulhearn birthdays...

our sweet niece and nephews celebrated their birthdays this past weekend. daylee and hayes will be one in june and setler turned four in may. unfortunately, this was the only picture i took...but it really sums up how much fun everyone had at the party!

2. memorial day camping with gege and pawpaw...
joan and greg drove the rv down and everyone gathered for lots of fun and grilled goodies. the babies three.

the big kids three.

and the silly three! i'm not sure who had the most fun, the kids or the grown-ups!!

3. max is 80!!...

and to wrap up the weekend we had a little birthday celebration for popa who turned 80. (i know the cake says 81, dotdot said that was one to grow on.)

it was a marvelous, merry memorial day weekend!!!

bye bye bradford

2011-06-05T10:03:00.002-06:00

ironically, i took this picture just a week before...a week before what you ask?

a week before this. ugh. we loved our beautiful pear tree, but one day while clif was working at his desk he heard a crack-crack-crack and a boom and looked out the front window to see this. it was gone. :(

and even though it was sad, and vivian cried (as did i a bit), it was kind of fun watching our cute axe men work. :) thanks to everyone for lending a hand.

last day of school

2011-06-05T09:49:00.003-06:00

another year has FLOWN past...this was v's LAST year in preschool.

these sweet girls...eva, vivian, julia and meredith...have learned so much in the last year (not the least of which is how to pose for a cute pic!).

miss frances had a great year too...

as did big brother, bauer! in fact, bauer has already asked when school starts again. ;) i feel confident the little ones will enjoy another great year with these fine teachers....however...

this big girl will be headed to elementary school. thank to the fabulous mrs. kay for preparing this class for big things next year.

say hello to the class of 2023!

little miss ingenuity

2011-05-25T07:42:00.003-06:00

isn't the saying, "necessity is the mother of all invention"?

wh-wh-what??? of course...i HAD to ask. the reply, "mom, i have to get the BACK of my hair!" strangest part? i'm jealous i didn't think of it first!!

alice in wonderland

2011-05-22T10:23:00.004-06:00

i have been meaning for some time to take vivian to the ballet. however, i had an inkling that she wouldn't be able to sit through an entire production of the nutcracker (heck, i'm 34 and i get antsy....yep...i admit it....i'm that uncultured! ha!) so when i saw that the arkansas festival ballet was putting on a production of alice and wonderland, i jumped at the chance. we called our friends, the green's, and bought the tickets.

and can i just say....IT WAS WONDERFUL!! vivian said it was her favorite (even better than any of the plays we've seen this year), and i absolutely agree! the costuming was amazing, the dancers were elegant, and the story, filled with characters all sizes and ages, was relevant and funny! vivian was so excited to meet the fabulous cast....like the cunning cheshire cat,

the completely captivating caterpillar,

and of course, alice. :)

plans

2011-05-20T13:10:00.002-06:00

today i had a plan. we would get up, get dressed, tidy the house and head to a friend's house. let's just say it didn't quite go down like that! i had misunderstood when i was to arrive, and ended up leaving the house AN HOUR early. what were we going to do for an HOUR? we were dressed like bums, so we couldn't go inside anywhere, and frankly, the thought of unloading, and reloading everyone was just more than i could take. so i thought for a second...hmmm...i quickly made the decision to take a quick drive to my grandad bauer's old neighborhood. my sister and i sold his house a few years ago, and i hadn't been there in a while. let me interject here that i have some amazing memories of the time i spent as a child at his house. every year my parents would travel overseas for two weeks...and we spent that time with my maternal grandparents, the bauer's. shannon and i would eat raviolis (a rare treat that grandad would, of course, divide equally as we waited anxiously), ride our go-cart (yes this was in THOSE days, before helmets and safety reports), eat pawpaw surprise ice cream (i later learned was a can of fruit cocktail blended in ice milk), and spend hours in his garden picking vegetables and climbing all his fruit trees. we would also help our grandmother can or freeze, or play dress up in her slips and heels, or make tents from sheets on the covered back porch....in short it was heaven on earth for two little girls. we also spent a lot of times at the neighbors, the kitchens'. no, they didn't have little kids our age, but they had a swing, and horses, and would let us ride along on the lawn tractor. they were our grandparents, too. i can even still remember the way their house smelled...and i loved it! so today just as we approached the turn, imagine my surprise when i saw a woman in mrs. kitchens' side yard. i thought, surely not...she must be in her late 80's by now...and that lady is pushing a wheel barrel!! but after circling grandad's i took a second look and decided to pull over. i got out, and took off my glasses...not sure she would know me since we hadn't seen each other in several years. i smiled and said, "mrs. kitchens, i'm not sure if you remember me, my name is....." and that was all i got out before she said, "SOMER!" and grabbed me for a big bear hug! in just a second, i was ten years old again...overwhelmed with that wonderful aroma, blanketed with memories and wrapped in this sweet woman's arms!! it took me a few moments but i asked if she would like to see the babies, to which she replied a resounding, "YES!" and before i knew it....we were taking a walk to see the horses, check out the garden, talk about the neighbors, recall stories of fun times at my grandparents, and of course...

swing on that swing. it was surreal. it was wonderful. it was just what i needed. a loving embrace, a moment to remember and reflect, a detour from MY plans, a chance to "be still, and know that HE is God." (psalms 46:10)

wednesday

2011-05-18T15:02:00.004-06:00

we had lots of errands and appointments today, but we tried to make it fun. the kids always love a visit with their favorite dr. deed.

and who doesn't enjoy a yummy chik-fil-a lunch?

but i guess it was just too much...truth is, i can't blame them, this is how i feel after a big day too!!

bye bye pre-k

2011-05-18T14:45:00.002-06:00

last night was pre-k graduation (pics to come), but the really sweet part was when we got home. vivian wanted to try on her new "kindergarten pants". i said sure, and while we were at it, we tried on the shirt, some new shoes, and accessories.

she is all ready....probelm is, i'm not sure IIII am!!!? ;)

our family zoo

2011-05-16T11:28:00.001-06:00

because we were unable to head to the zoo on friday, we decided to go on saturday. this meant we could have a very special guest....DADDY! the kids were so excited (as was i)...and what better time to debut our first photo of our family of five at the zoo!! :)

of course this was also daddy's first chance to see the penguins.

b very sweetly taught daddy all about the different penguins.

while vivian demonstrated how some penguins are as big as kids.

it was unusually chilly for may, so our sweet baby f just wanted her mommy. (which i didn't mind.)

and speaking of babies and their mommies, look who has lots of new babies...the groundhog family! they are SO cute. and speaking of families...sometimes in the animal kingdom life is so very reflective of human life.

take for instance the brother and sister gorilla.

ummm....yeah.....
;)

lucky mommy

2011-05-16T11:11:00.005-06:00

every once in a while there is a moment with your child that you want to burn into your memory forever. thursday was such a day. after a long morning at the jumpers, and a picnic, we headed home to lay frances down and have some quite time. imagine my surprise when my almost four year old came and crawled in my lap and started gently petting my cheek. we talked for just a few minutes and then he said, "i love you pretty mommy" and nuzzled into my chest.

and that was it. he was out. just like when he was a baby. (luckily i had the camera sitting on my bedside table.) i knew i should take advantage of this child free time and do laundry, start dinner, etc....but i also knew this was a very rare occurrence. my sweet rambunctious boy doesn't sit still often. so i just sat, quietly holding that boy, and thanking god that underneath all that big boy exterior, he is STILL my baby.

detour

2011-05-16T11:05:00.003-06:00

friday morning the kids and i had planned to head to the zoo...when we arrived, however, the line was across the street, and there were fire trucks and ambulances everywhere. i STILL don't know what happened...but i decided it might be a best to take a detour.

we all agreed upon the "jumpers". i was a bit leery of how frances would do...i guess my fears were for not. she LOVED it!!

as did this little boy.

it was a "super" detour for sure!!

and the truth shall set you free...

2011-05-16T10:58:00.003-06:00

last week i tried to take a picture of the girls as part of a thank you for our sweet friend.
it was NOT going to happen. frances wanted to play with her new favorite toy...the iphone.

and then she wanted me....so how come these are probably my most favorite pictures of the week? ;)

"mudder"

2011-05-09T08:59:00.007-06:00

i do believe this was the best mother's day on record. seriously. there was no running around, just a relaxing weekend with friends and my sweet family....AND we managed to even get a picture of that allusive creature known as "mommy"!!!

the festivities began with presents the kids made at school. vivian graciously agreed to be the photographer while i opened gifts. this is the wrapping for vivian's gift (which incidentally was a beautiful hand towel with her hand print).

and this was her attempt at a photo of she and i with said towel. :)

bauer made a lovely teapot, with a poem and tea bag included. so very sweet.

and sweet little frances (who was so proud of her gift she couldn't have her picture made) made a picture frame with all three of the kiddos picture in it. i might or might not have cried at how excited they were to give me their gifts!

then on saturday night, after a beautiful day of sunshine and yard work, and a date with my hubby. the kids gave me their big present...with a little help from daddy...a jewelry box complete with their photos! after a great night's rest, and a wonderful church service, we headed to my dad's where he and dotdot made burgers and the kids played. then i was sent home to take A NAP!! while clif pressure washed the house. WOW!!! i was so spoiled!!! thanks to my wonderful husband and kiddos, i KNOW i can make it another year until i pee in privacy again! ;)

rockin and rollin birthday

2011-05-01T09:31:00.002-06:00

yesterday we attended t. lee's 5th birthday party. it was a "everything wheels" party and even frances got in on the action.

bauer had such a great time on v's bike that i couldn't even get him to slow down for a good picture. (i have a feeling there will be a lot of "action" shots in this child's future!)

but the most interesting (read: HILARIOUS) thing of the day, was the new way they teach kids to roller skate.

with a walker! i'm sorry, but isn't this the very definition of adolescences meets geriatrics?!

easter "day" style

2011-05-01T09:24:00.003-06:00

sunday after church, per tradition, we headed to the mulhearn's.* i didn't get many pictures, but i think these really sum up the day. ;) bauer meant business when it came to egg hunting...look at that action shot!

although he had some pretty stiff competition from davis, setler, and vivian.

and can you believe the easter bunny brought a bounce house? i do believe those cousins are enjoying themselves!!
*i have no idea how this wasn't published early...sorry for the out-of-place order.

kindergarten round up

2011-04-28T14:03:00.003-06:00

this is vivian. she is our soon-to-be kindergartner, and today was kindergarten round up. sigh...
i decided it was a very good occasion to introduce vivian to one of her grandma carolyn's favorite places...the victorian tea room. so i picked her up early and we went for lunch. she was SO excited, and was a very VERY big girl. she drank tea, and had red wine dijon brisket and fresh fruit.

when i asked if i could take a picture, she said, "sure...get one of my good manners, please!" ;) i must say i was very impressed. when the waitress asked if she would like a cup with a lid, she said no thank you. very polite, but very grown up. she didn't raise her voice, or wiggle in her chair. she kept her napkin in her lap, and even commented that the flowers were "lovely". it was as if i could see her growing right in front of my eyes. sigh....

it was a very special lunch, one i know i will never forget, for a multitude of reasons. but possibly my favorite moment was when the dessert tray arrived and vivian was asked to pick her favorite. after careful consideration she chose the "sampler", which was a combination of FOUR different desserts! i said, "that looks really yummy, i bet you will really like that!" to which she replied, "i think so too! but mommy, what are you going to have?" "honey, when ladies lunch they share dessert." "mommy, i don't know about that part!!!" hahahaha....sigh. :)

finally we headed to the school, where the kids were sent to check out classrooms while the parents listened to the principal and teachers talk. this was the only picture i got of sweet miss v, but i think it sums up her feelings of the day. when i asked her as we walked to the car what she thought she said, "mom, i LOVED it!!" i'm so glad to hear it........SIGH!!!!!!

easter best dress

2011-04-26T17:19:00.003-06:00

i love these sweet babies.

and even though they REFUSE to pose for a decent picture.

they still are the cutest things i have ever seen.

the family picture was a no-go as well. (yes, i wear glasses. we have a screen at church that provides lyrics, i can't read it without them. and yes, i am old. and yes, i forgot to take them off.)

but back to these hooligans...

i really believe it must all stem from this cute man. (surely not from moi?!)

as they get older it really doesn't get any better...look at how vivian wanted to pose!

at least she offered to take a grown-up picture afterward. ;)
happy easter, everyone!