Carla's 3rd Birthday Celebration

Our sweet baby girl is 3 years old!  Thinking back over the last year, there have been so many milestones, changes, and fun times.  Here's what's going on in her world:

• Her imagination has exploded and it is a hoot to listen to her play with her dolls and toys.  She does more independent play and instead of me and Frank having to "talk her friends" she does the talking for them. For example, when she had pink eye there was lots of talk amongst her dolls if everyone's eyes are ok and if they need to play the "eye drop game," as we call it.  
• She loves, loves, loves to draw spending long stretches of time drawing things like people with eyes and legs, spiders, swings, bridges.  She holds her pencil perfectly with her right hand and will be completely focused on her drawing.
• At the playground we are amazed at how well she can climb everything without any help and she runs laps around the track.
• Other favorites things are doing puzzles, playing dolls, playing doctor, playing bear hunt, swinging, baking, reading books, making up stories.  Her favorite things to watch are Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Dora the Explorer, Sesame Street, and Frozen.
• Favorite things to eat - Cereal, macaroni and cheese, just about any and all fruit especially raspberries, hummus and carrots, spaghetti, pizza, yogurt.  She says her favorite vegetable is broccoli but doesn't enjoy eating it when offered.  
• She's still a super sleeper going to bed around 8pm, waking up at 7am, with a nap from 2-4pm.
• She has a kind heart and if someone is hurt, sad, or sick she wants to comfort them.  
• She actually does pretty well with sharing things with other people and taking turns.
• She can count, knows her letters, rhymes (with actual words and making up silly words).
• She is potty trained!  
• She definitely has her own style!  Frank and I gave up the battle of clothes and are just happy she's wearing anything.  Some days she wears pajamas to school and a dress to bed.  She enjoys wearing non-matching socks.
• She became a BIG SISTER!  This really has been one of the most fun things to watch as their relationship grows.  She is fiercely protective of him.  If he cries she dotes on him, brings him toys, and sings "Hush Little Baby."  He is her biggest fan and she eats up his adornment by repeatedly doing the same things over and over again as he laughs hysterically.

Her 3rd birthday was a big celebration and we partied the whole month of April.  When I asked her what she wanted for her birthday she said, "Pink puppies, fairies, and bouncing."  When I asked her what flavor she wanted her cake she said, "Pink cake!" with a look in her eyes saying, "Duh!  Pink is a flavor!"  So that is what she got!

On her actual birthday she was served her birthday pancakes and we jumped at Jumpoline.

3 Years BIG!

She celebrated at her school and, of course, needed fancy cupcakes.

And then there was party day!

With how wonderful everything turned out, it's hard to even remember the first party being canceled due to Frank having the flu and and this party being jeopardized with her developing a fever the prior afternoon and me getting knocked out with a migraine the night before.  It's a miracle that this party happened and I have to give extra special recognition to Frank, my sister and her boyfriend, and my mom for stepping up to get everything done.

Carla's Official 3 Year Measurements:

Weight: 30 lbs (50%)

Height: 37.25 in (50%)

Springtime

We've been spending as much time as possible outside these days.  We explored the Faerie Woodland Trail at the Zilker Botanical Garden.

There was the annual petting zoo at Carla's school.

We hiked the Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve.  Joseph rode in style while Carla walked up and down our entire 1 mile hike all by herself!

We traveled with the Makis and the Bonzeks to Wimberley renting a house on the Blanco River for a weekend.

And, of course, we are spending as much time as possible at parks with friends and on our swing at home.

Christmas 2013

Christmas 2013.  What a busy, full-filled time of year!  There was a visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus.  Joseph was brave enough to pose.  Carla, on the other hand, passed on the opportunity.

Carla had a Christmas pageant at her school starring as a sheep.

There was gingerbread house making and eating.

We made cookies with the cousins.

We spent time with Frank's side of the family.

(Notice the Dads wrestling in the background.)

Getting ready for a night walk.

Two smiling Josephs

We spent time with my side of the family at my cousin's husband's ranch getting all those great grandkids together.

And then there was Christmas morning.

Kluthawaii

I got the bug to get back to blogging so I'm going to try to do some catching up.

We had the joy of traveling to beautiful Maui for my cousin's wedding on November 1.  The island was amazing and what made it even more special was getting to spend a whole week with the entire Kluth family on vacation!

On the airplane - Maui or bust!

The first part of our trip was spent on the west side of the island in Napili and Kapalua where the wedding took place.  Oh the beaches!  GORGEOUS!  Carla couldn't get enough.  She could spend all day there - building sand candles, boogie boarding, splashing in the water.  Joseph was so into the beach that he wanted to eat it up, literally.  So we had to keep a close eye on this little sand eater.

"Emmie is the best!"

Aunt Banana and Uncle Dylan deserve awards for the amount of time they spent playing with the kids!

Dude time with Uncle Dylan.

Jenna and Reece's wedding was absolutely gorgeous but really how could it not be in Maui?!?  Carla served as one of the flower girls and impressed everyone with fulfilling her duties and then some.  This little lady actually walked down the aisle and stood at the front with the wedding party during the entire ceremony!

The beautiful bride and groom!

All seven Kluth cousins with Grandma....there was lots of reminiscing, especially about Vacation Bible School at Grandma's house for a week every summer.

She was out of control on the dance floor!  She'd dance with Dad and then when he got pooped I would take a turn then when I was tired she went with Aunt Banana.  She wore us out!

The last couple of days we moved over to the east side of the island to Hana.  It's a gorgeous drive through a lush rainforest down a curvy road that in parts only has room for one car to pass at a time.  It takes minimally 2.5 hours to drive only about 45 miles but that's if you don't make any stops for hiking, waterfalls, beaches, ocean cliffs, or banana bread.

This trip was amazing!  Can we please do this again?  Any other family members want to get married or renew their vows here???