THE CARVAJALS

Happy 2nd Birthday Sugar Bear

2014-12-01T11:02:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday to our sweet Sugar Bear! We all adore you and can't imagine life without you. You have made these past two years so full of joy and laughter. You keep us on our toes and keep us giggling. For the most part, except for your occasional toddler tantrum, you have an easy-going, go-with-the-flow personality. You're eager to get the day started, happy to take a nap with Baba (your lovey) and ready to tackle what our busy afternoons have in store for you and your sisters.

We had planned to have a big Dora bash at the park, but the weather didn't cooperate. We made a game-time decision to keep it simple at home. And you were perfectly content with that.

These girls love their baby sister so much.

Oh my goodness! You all are singing to ME?

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A Halloween to Remember

2014-11-19T11:53:00.000-08:00

Halloween was a very long and sugar-coated day that began the night before with some pumpkin carving action.

We opted to only carve one this year. We chose to do a Gospel Pumpkin as seen here at one of my favorite blog, Happy Home Fairy.

Ready for school!

The day began with the all-school Halloween parade.

Let's keep the fun going with their class parties.

Bring on the Halloween bingo!

And bring on the sugar!

Finally, Sugar Bear gets to join in the fun, as Belle.

Our three princesses, Merida, Belle, and Elsa.

She was so excited to wear dangly earrings!

She was so excited to wear a fancy dress. I'm just happy she wanted to wear it.

She was so excited to trick-or-treat!

Before trick-or-treating we crossed the street to partake in yet more festivities.

Another Elsa. Let's see how many more we can count tonight.

Hello Wine Country!

2014-11-03T20:18:00.000-08:00

Mark's birthday wish was to spend some time in Napa. His wish came true! The weather was perfect, the views were spectacular and the company was so much fun!

Hello San Francisco!

Being tourists

One of our favorite stops for lunch.

This is where we met up after his bike ride through the hills of the wine country

"Where shall we start?"

A yummy but spontaneous first stop at Geyser Peak

Loved our accommodations!

Our cozy cottage

After a great workout, we needed some Bouchon goodness!

Eeeeee! Our morning goodie basket arrived!

Ready to stock up for our picnic lunch

First stop....Cakebread!

"Do you think this one will fit in my suitcase?"

"Where to next?"

Enjoying a picnic lunch at Louis M. Martini

An incredible view from Viader

Touring the estate at Stags' Leap

Taking a break at Pine Ridge

Learning about the vines...but ready for a nap.

One more tour through the Pine Ridge caves

First Fieldtrip

2014-11-01T11:13:00.000-07:00

These cute kindergartners took their first field trip of the year to Devine Acres. It was a perfect fall day to explore this farm and learn more about animal farming as well as Christmas tree and pumpkin farming. The pumpkin painting and hay ride were fun. The maze and gemstone mining were great fun too! But I must say, they were just as excited, if not more, to ride the bus to and from the farm. Thankfully, parents were not allowed to ride...phew!

Another Longhorn Weekend

2014-10-30T20:01:00.000-07:00

We made it up to Austin for another game. Thankfully we had some time to spend with family before the game making it a full day of fun.

A sweet visit with Great Grandma in the morning

Lunch out with the cousins

"All mine!"

Walking off the pizza

A dinner picnic in Mimi's backyard

At the Top of the Hill

2014-10-15T19:55:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Superman is 40! He definitely doesn't look like it! But as Isabella optimistically told her daddy "You're at the top of the hill now Daddy. It's all downhill now." The girls were so excited to make a cake for their daddy. It was either a cinnamon roll cake, a rice crispy treat cake, or a brownie cake. They chose the latter.

Only a homemade brownie cake would do for this 40 year old.

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Go Horns!

2014-10-02T19:49:00.000-07:00

We're ready for football season! And we're ready to brave the heat to root for the 'horns! The big girls made it to the first game while Mimi babysat the little one. The big girls had a blast cheering with their cousins even though their team was getting spanked.

Sugar Bear's working on getting her horns up. No, that's not a "Gig 'em".

"Is it time for the band yet?"

At the alumni center. Hopefully these girls will one day be members too.

"A sparkly longhorn please"

The experience wouldn't be complete without a foam finger.

Cousin time!

Birthdays for Princesses

2014-08-31T11:29:00.000-07:00

After a few weeks of deliberation, the big girls decided to come to an agreement about their birthday party theme. They chose to have a princess party. This was by far the easiest party to throw. The girls had so much fun with their friends and cousins getting their nails painted, hair curled, and makeup applied. Then they got to pick out a princess dress to wear. Punkin wasn't shy to belt out "Let It Go" on the microphone and get the karoake started. Sweet Pea wants a princess party again next year!

Last Week of Summer

2014-08-28T11:56:00.000-07:00

Here are just some photos I captured during our last week of summer. Our highlights were a visit from Nana and a visit to the nail salon. Turning five is a big deal in our house. Our Punkin has been waiting patiently for five years to paint her nails. So to celebrate, the occasion the we all went for manis and pedis!

Lunch at the gym

She had to bring her backpack along.

This plasma car has been the best thing for years

It's so cute to see what a five year old keeps in her purse. Chapstick anyone?

There's that backpack again. She's ready for Sea World.

We love the Sesame Street gang! But "Where's Melmo"? say Gianna.

After waiting for five years, she finally sees color on her fingers and toes!

She's loving this!

Beautiful!

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We love our visits with Nana!

These Irish twins are both five years old. Well, for a couple of weeks anyway.

First Days of School

2014-08-23T10:49:00.000-07:00

We consider this year to be the girls' first real schoool year. Punkin will be in Pre-K (which is called Junior Kindergarten at her school) and Sweet Pea will be starting Kindergarten (which is called Senior Kindergarten). This is their frist year to go five full days a week. They were both a bit unsure of whether or not they were excited to start school. After having a summer packed of lazy mornings and fun camps, it would be back to early mornings and a strict schedule. They also weren't sure about starting at a new school this year.

Unfortunately, Sweet Pea came down with pneumonia a few days before the first day of school. So, Punkin had to be brave and go by herself. Sweet Pea ended up going the second day of school and then having to stay home again on the third day. After a weekend full of rest, she was able to get back to school on Monday.

The feedback was good, and so far, we haven't had any tears in the morning. Well, maybe some tears from Mommy. It's sad to see them go each morning knowing that they're growing up. I won't have them home during the day doing Mommy School until June. Sugar Bear and I will miss them.

It Was Bound to Happen

2014-08-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

So this post doesn't have a photo to go along with it, and you'll be happy it doesn't. I had to blog about this incident before it was soon lost in the mess that my mommy brain can be much of the time. After arriving home from picking up Sweet Pea from her last day of Pine Cove Camp, the three girls shuffled in from the garage and started for the playroom. I caught them on their way up and escorted them back downstairs into our bathroom because all three desperately needed a bath. I am a single parent tonight because the hubs went fishing. On nights like these, I like to get the girls bathed, fed, and to bed on time so I can paint my nails and watch a chick flick. So in they go. All three into the garden tub. The little one likes to stand up and fill her blue plastic bowl (that's a souvenir from one of the hospitals we delivered at) from the faucet and pour water on herself over and over again. I know, I know, I'm wasting water but it helps to have her distracted so I can bathe the other two. Well, as I'm lathering up Punkin, I hear grunting coming from Sugar Bear's side of the tub. Yup, sure enough, there are two jumbo egg sized poo poo balls floating in the water. The big girls have no idea what's just happened as they continue to sit in the tub and play with the baby basketball hoop and balls. I debate on whether or not I should grab my phone and take a picture. It's hilarious. Two girls are clueless, one little toddler is still playing with the faucet as if she's done nothing wrong and there in the background are two poo poo balls floating right behind all of them. I finally decide it's not safe to grab my phone and I can't hold in my laughter anymore. The big girls ask what's so funny. After I show them what just joined their bath, they jump out of the tub straight into the shower screaming like the little girls that they are. Poor Sugar Bear has a look of confusion on her face. She never understood what all the commotion was about. Dropping a load or two in the tub was no big deal to her.

Just Some Silly Shots

2014-07-17T12:41:00.003-07:00

Don't have much to say today. Just that I love these girls and their very different personalities and hilarious and not-so-hilarious things they have been doing these summer days. I pray each morning for extra patience, grace and energy to get through these thirteen hour days that we spend together. I pray that they start on well as soon as one comes down the stairs in her jammies and sporting her bedhead at 7am and that we end well as we kiss their sweet-smelling freshly washed forehead and tuck them in bed at 8pm.

Random Pics of Sugar Bear

2014-07-15T12:35:00.000-07:00

This girl knows how to shop and push. Hmmm...where did she learn that?

She loves her baby dolls.

Being a good mommy and taking her baby for a stroll

She's proud of herself that she can now jump

If there's a handbag near, it won't be long before she's toting it.

Sugar Bear plus Play-doh equals a big mess for mommy to clean up

SPorting her biggest sister's wedges...on the wrong feet.

Waiting patiently for her sisters to wrap up their swim lesson

July 4th

2014-07-05T12:30:00.000-07:00

Our holiday was spent with cousins at Sea World. It was definitely a scorcher that day, but we were still able to have fun watching a ski show in the shade, getting wet on a frightening log ride I am happy to never go on again for the rest of my life, picnicking under the oak trees, cooling off in the splash pad and finishing up with some cotton candy. We headed home and rested before joining some friends and family for dinner at a food truck and some spectacular fireworks. It was a happy fourth of July!

Summer Days

2014-07-01T12:24:00.000-07:00

Summer days are for:

Enjoying homemade popsicles on a hot afternoon where clothes are overrated

Slow mornings

Overnighters with silly cousins


Cookouts at home

Opportunities to become better swimmers

Accomplishing goals

Having more time to focus on passions

Family Reunion

2014-06-29T12:26:00.000-07:00

We headed to El Paso to reunite with family to celebrate two birthdays. Nana turned 70 and Sienna turned 5! The four days were packed with fun activities, from a breakfast birthday party to a fajita fiesta to family photos. It was so great to see all eleven cousins together for the first time. The last time we all got together the last three cousins hadn't been born yet. So it was time to reunite and take another family photo. The Fiesta honoring Nana turned out great. And she's such a good friend and neighbor that all but one of her invitees showed up. The restaurant was packed with over 60 people but everyone seemed to have a great time. The cousins had their own table sprawled with iphones, ipads, sticker books and personal gaming systems. Whatever it takes sometimes, right?

We all had a great time catching up, celebrating, and watching the cousins have fun. I only hope it doesn't take another three years for us all to come together again.


Crazy cousins

The birthday girl and Denise

Grandpa Rami and Sugar Bear

Rebecca and Superman

Never thought of using a bathmat as a blanket

RIck, Brisa, and Noah

Diego and Sweet Pea enjoying their cones

The 11th one is missing. She's fast asleep already.

Nicolas and Sweet Pea

Saturday morning cartoon time

Ready for the fiesta

Nana's house was "flocked" for her birthday

50 something flamingos hanging out for a day

Sienna's 5th birthday celebration

Benjamin and Sweet Pea

Sweet Marco

Enjoying their shaved ice

Memorial Day at the Lake

2014-06-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

This Memorial Day was spent at Lake LBJ in Marble Falls. A big thanks to Uncle Ray and Aunt Bobbie for inviting us and being amazing hosts. The girls had a great time hanging with the Bumba cousins, McGarity cousins, and Schmid cousin. We fished, swam and took boat rides. It will be a memorable trip even though it was a quick one. I might always remember this trip as the time when Papa was sucking on live worms...yuck!

Enjoying the sunrise and the morning silence

She had no problem catching her breakfast

Cousins ready for a ride

Just hangin' by the water

End of the School Year Madness

2014-06-09T11:16:00.000-07:00

I can't believe this school year is over. What helps to believe it is to see how much Sweet Pea has learned during this year of kindergarten. She loved going to school each day and would many times not turn around to say good bye as she strutted into her classroom ready to get the day going. She is such an extrovert and social butterfly that it would bring her to tears when she had to stay home on sick days. She could do without much of the school work, but she was always looking forward to being with her friends. There were nine girls and six boys in their class, and all the girls and boys were so sweet and got along all year long. Isabella never really had a best friend, like she did the year before, but this year she had many great friends.

The school year ended with a class party at the Boy Scout lodge just a short hike away from the school. The mommies worked together to make this "festival" themed party as fun as possible. The party was over four hours long so we had to have plenty of games, activities, and munchies to get them through it. The kids all get along so well that there were no problems keeping them entertained.

Centerpieces were adorable

Drinks were ready

Prize buckets were eager to get filled

Here come the kiddos!

Games were cute and clever

Faces were painted and repainted. You'll notice hear that Sweet Pea was Hello Kitty.

Ready to chow down!

We will miss Mrs. Bartnett!

Ready to head home with her goodies. Now she's sporting a butterfly face.

Lauren and Sweet Pea

The gorgeous graduate

She sung her hear out, recited her lines in the microphone and received her diploma and bible.

What a great year!

Our Ballerina Beauties

2014-06-01T11:02:00.000-07:00

Well the girls have taken ballet for an entire year now. It was their first year to take classical ballet. They had taken ballet folklorico last year and had loved it, but we were ready to have our Saturdays back and they were ready to put on leotards and ballet slippers pretty much since they could walk. Isabella has been begging to take ballet since she could talk but we didn't want to start her before she could understand why it was so slow. We knew her idea of ballet probably would not match with what she'd experience this year in class.

Well, class was on Tuesday afternoons, and as soon as we'd leave class, she'd say "Mommy, how many more days until next Tuesday? I can't wait until my next class!" Victoria on the other hand, wasn't as enthusiastic to go each week, but with some bribery (aka lollipops) she was able to finish the year strong.

The year ended with a performance entitled "Museum". Each ballet class danced to a song that reflected a famous painting. It was very impressive, and very long. Sugar Bear behaved herself in the extremely well despite the two and half hour perfomance. God answered our prayers there. The girls danced their hearts out. We were all so proud of them. Neither one had any stage fright.

Primping before the performance

Getting gorgeous

Ballerina #1 is ready to perform

Ballerina #2 is eager to go

So excited to get on stage!


Nana came into town to be in the audience

Also ready to witness the show were Papa and Grandma

Ready for an encore were Mimi and Mack

So proud of my budding ballerinas

Baby sister was proud as well

The girls with their besties

All the girls

How Does Your Garden Grow?

2014-05-05T10:41:00.000-07:00

This year's garden is out of control. We have had to give many of our vegetables away to our neighbors because we can't keep up with the amount that are harvested. We can all only take so much zucchini bread, summer squash saute, and cucumber salad. Are we fertilizing? Heavens no! I can't imagine how big they'd be if we had fertilized! "What's our secret?" the neighbors ask. I guess it's the sweet nothings we whisper to them when we water them. You've got to talk to your veggies.

An Easter Brithday Celebration

2014-04-22T19:28:00.000-07:00

The big day finally arrived! He is Risen! We celebrated in Austin with family from both sides. What a treat it was to have such a big gathering of family. We are so thankful to The Bumbas for hosting us all in their beautiful new home that was just perfect, especially for an Easter egg hunt. Their yard is so big they will probably be finding forgotten eggs for weeks to come. The dinner was delicious as were the desserts. Not only did we get to celebrate Christ rising, but it was a double celebration with Mimi's birthday. Which cake should we have? Both of course, as most did. What a fun day it was beginning with a great church service and ending with an egg hunt. How delightful it is to watch the kiddos so excited to find their eggs and open them. Love it!

Pink was the color of the day. A big thanks to Mimi and Mack for everyone's Easter outfit!

Look at this beautiful outdoor feast!

She sure does love her Papa.

Auntie Marissa and cousin Avery

Auntie Brisa, cousin Noah, Uncle Rick

Mimi and Mack

Superman himself

Uncle Jonathan and Uncle Zack

Opening her first Easter egg ever!

Taking a break

Happy with her findings

Comparing contents

All the cousins

The hostess with the mostest and the birthday girl

Easter Parties

2014-04-21T19:12:00.000-07:00

We had our own fun here at home on the days leading up to Easter with crafts during the day and family devotionals at bedtime. But the girls were eagerly counting down to the big day. Their school parties helped make the days go more quickly. Each class had their own egg hunts followed my a party in their classrooms which involved games, crafts, and chowing down. By the end of it, they were both sugared up on Peeps and cupcakes. So almost as soon as they got home, their Easter baskets suddenly disappeared for a couple of days. Hmmm...I wonder what happenend.

Playing Easter bingo

Punkin with her two best buds

Sweet smiles

Sweet Pea and some of her pals

Cute girls

A February Full of Fun

2014-02-21T14:17:00.002-08:00


This cute little one is supposed to be a 100 year old lady for the 100th Day of School. When did this day become such a big deal? Sweater (baby sister's closet), shirt (Goodwill), skirt (homemade), purse (Goodwill), folklorico shoes, necklace (Mommy's closet)

Writing out her valentines while drinking hot cocoa

She was greeted by a yummy Valentines Day breakfast

Good morning! Where's my heart toast?

Loving her sprinkles

Ready for a fun day at school

A kid-friendly romantic Valentines dinner table

Coupons for the big girls

Goodies for our three little valentines

We put the girls to bed an hour early and broke out the Caymus to have an uninterrupted Stay-at-Home date

Superman made an incredible filet mignon. Who needs Ruth's Chris.

Ready to rope and ride at the rodeo on President's Day.

Yee haw!

Hook 'em!

Christmas Day

2014-02-20T12:47:00.003-08:00

In three days, we were in three different cities. We spend Christmas Eve in Austin celebrating Great Grandma's birthday. We were home for Christmas Day to wake up and find out if Santa had come. And we headed to El Paso on the 26th. Phew! It was a busy time but we didn't want to miss seeing anyone. Next year everyone can come to us :)

Shake shake shake!

A gift from Santa!


What could it be?

Sugar Bear's getting some help from her big sis. I love how excited Sweet Pea is.

Ready to go see a Disney show in El Paso

Loving on their Nana

Sugar Bear having some alone time with Daddy and Grandpa Rami while the big girls are at the show.

Grandpa Rami's ready to babysit

You can always count on dessert at Nana's house.

Yummy!


Heading home just in time for the big game.

Great Grandma's 85th Birthday

2014-02-20T12:26:00.004-08:00

Here are some sweet photos from Great Grandma's birthday celebration at Mimi's house. Mimi had a nice spread of yummy fixin's and a surprise visit from an amazing quartet of mariachis. Great Grandma was so surprised, and it even brought her to tears.