A special visit

Back in March my Aunt Karen and Uncle Jim came in from Indiana to visit. This was there first time to meet Carly, though they are devout followers of my blog and are able to keep up with all of our crazy happenings via "Thirteen Love".

We spent an entire day with them - visiting, catching up and just relaxing. It was a wonderful time and I am so glad they made the long trek to Texas to visit us and that they were finally able to meet Carly.  

Turning 2 is Tutu fun

Shame on me. Shame. On. Me.

I spent a ton of time and energy planning Carly's "Tutu Birthday Party", but I barely took any pictures. Boo for me.

Regardless of the pictures (or rather, lack there of), we had a great time.

This year was break-down free!

Carly had lots of friends and family there to celebrate with her.

Cambree, Emily and Carly were all born within a 3 month span.

Carly's role models - the ever-trendy Landri and Carsen. 

Aunt Cathy (and the twins in her belly) were there, too!

Bailey was all smiles (even after getting smacked in the face with her own hair bow). 

She gave her future husband, Jonah, rides on the back of her quad while Hudson supervised. 

Future family!

The bigger the mess, the more fun that was had, right? She had a LOT of fun!



Thanks to everyone who made Carly's 2nd birthday extra special!

Belated Birthday Blog Post

There is a difference between a bad mom and a bad blogger.

Just because it took me nearly 2 months to post pictures of Carly's first birthday doesn't make me a bad mom. It makes me a bad blogger.

Our sweet Carly Dilyn turned 2 (holy cow!) on March 13.

She weighed in at a whopping 23 pounds.

She wears size 24 month shirts, but 12 months pants and skirts.

She is well on her way to potty training (knock on wood).

Her personality is really shining through and she is the LIGHT of our lives.

We spent the day doing what I she loves best. We shopped.

We hit up the Mattel Outlet and got not one, but TWO...trikes? Bikes? Whatever they are called, we got tow because they were such a good deal and so that there would be an extra one at our house for other kids to ride. (Update on the bikes coming in another blog...stay tuned!)

We also tried to find some tennis shoes that Carly could wear with her braces. No luck. Crocs, Crocs, every day Crocs.  But we did find a Minnie Mouse balloon on a stick. Lola hates it. She gets bonked in the head with it alot.

Carly D also got an awesomely cute patio table and chairs.

We had her birthday dinner at Olive Garden. I tried to snap some cute pics while we waited for our table. These are the best I got. 

Happy Birthday, sweet Carly Dilyn. We love you!

Wicked Weekend

A long, long time ago (early March), I took a girls weekend and headed to San Antonio with some friends. We spent an entire afternoon shopping at the Outlets in San Marcos. Let me tell you, I could have shopped those shops for a week! If you haven't been, GO!

The weekend brought some firsts for us.

It was my first time to encounter a "multiple choice"  flusher.

Rachel nearly had her first anxiety attack when we picked up lunch in a restaurant with an overflowing toilet, re-heated pizza and an incessant cougher patron. 

Karol convinced us to "thread" our eyebrows for the first time. 

While sitting by the pool, I rolled up my pants and let my legs see sun for the first time since last summer. My legs blinded the poor sun.

And, the whole point of the weekend - we saw Wicked for the first time!

Fun times, girls. Fun times. 

Still Besties

Carly and Lola are still Besties - even if all of the hugs are a bit of a beating for Lola sometimes.

Like Mother Like...Blogger?

Carly got a "leaptop" (Leapfrog laptop) for her birthday. She loves to pretend to blog just like her mommy. When you push one button it says "new blog entry".

Love. It.

Fabulous Finds Friday

The only thing I love better than a good deal is bragging about it.

We all know that I love to read. Freddy, unfortunately, does not share that same passion. I remember the excitement of checking out library books as a child. Freddy remembers checking out all of the cuts and bruises he got from playing outside. We hope that Carly loves both the outdoors and a good book.

I have been eyeing the Tag Junior since Carly was born. But $30? When I am not sure if she is ready for it yet? So, I waited. UNTIL...Until our trip to Walmart this past Sunday. Freddy headed for the register and I headed for the clearance section. There it was. In all of it's Leapfrog glory. The purple Tag Junior. And the most beautiful part was the price tag. $13! I was so proud of myself that I practically skipped my way to the register. No exaggeration.

Yes, I realize that the picture quality is horrendous. I had to take it with my phone because my camera is STILL in the shop. Tomorrow, it will have been THREE WEEKS! I just got off the phone with the repair place and they said that they expect it to be another 7-10 business days. Boo! My fingers are still crossed that they can't repair it, or can't get the part and have to replace the camera - under warranty - with an upgrade!

I will also try to upload some pictures from the memory card this weekend. But don't hold your breath because it is a busy weekend - again - for the Clarks.

April To-Do's

Hello, April. You make me feel...ambitious.

But first...How did I do with my March to-do's?

I scrubbed the kitchen floor (the day before Carly's birthday party - BAD idea. I should have waited) and sent not five but SIX cards to people that I care about. I have in hand a recipe for a yummy salad complete with homemade dressing. Once I make that, all of my March to-do's are done.

On to April. Dare I tell you everything I want to get accomplished? Will you be disappointed if I fail you again? Oh, well. It can always carry over, right?

1. Stain the Adirondack chairs I got for Mother's Day last year!

2. Complete my "shelf project" - you'll just have to wait for pics of that one.

3. Clean the carpet in the living room

4. Take pictures of all of our TVs, jewelery, etc. for insurance purposes.

5. Get a library card (so I can download e-books to my Kindle for FREE!)

6. Do something - anything - with the landscaping/flower bed

So there you have it. What's on your April to-do list?