Tuesday

I've not been a very good blogger. I'm sorry loyal readers (i.e. family!)  We are doing well, no need for concern.  Life is just...  going.

Graham is at such a fun age.  He's talking ALL.THE.TIME.  And, I'm not sure if you knew, but he is a genius (smile).  He knows most of his letters and sounds.  He is loving his race cars and his basketball hoop.  His dad got him a baseball cap last week and he's loving that too.

He and Grace are playing together now and it's so much fun to watch.  He is starting to understand what pretend is so we often have a puppy dog around.  He is a good eater, but doesn't care for meat much. I can't get him to eat hardly any.  He does love his mama's meatloaf!

Sis has been enjoying winking.  Shane told her that winking means "just kidding"  So many many times a day this is what I hear.

"Mom, MOM, MOM!  Tomorrow we are going to a park.  We are Mom.  We are. Mom? Are you watching me? (she then winks, which really looks more like a facial twitch!)  Ha! Mom, did yo you see that?!"

Repeat over and over with different places we are going.  Last night on the phone she told her dad that she is grown up and 16 now.  (wink wink!)  We have to work  on teaching her that winking can't be seen over the phone.

Grace is a good eater too.  She does not like potatoes or things mixed together.  She really likes honey greek yogurt, toast with strawberry jam, pasta with no sauce, and eggs.  

We are working on respect at our house.  She's really getting her independence and often expresses her displeasure by yelling or fussing.  Once she gets something set in her mind she hates to have it changed and she's getting a bit sassy.  But she's also been cleaning up her room so well and clearing the table after meals.  We have a brave, independent, strong willed, helper.

There you go, a little update for ya!  Happy Tuesday!

Fantastic Friday

 We've been doing a lot of this lately.  It's been so cold outside we've been staying warm and hanging out.

I thought I should add a picture of sister here too.  She loved wearing Grandma Shirley's hat around the camp house.  She's also adopted a blanket given to Ella.  It's kind of replacing her beloved chi chi (we call her lovey a chi-chi, yes, I know what chi chi means in spanish!  We called it that because it's written on the tag!)

Shane was gone for a week.... and... we survived!  It was a good week. He had some time away, and I started focusing on eating right and exercising.  It's such a mind battle for me, but I had success this past week and that feels good. I'm hoping to continue that trend for me.  It's so easy for me to eat when I'm happy, sad, lonely, bored, you name it!  I'm praying the results keep showing and that they will be motivation for me.

Happy Friday!

My littles

I found these sweet videos today.  Enjoy!

Snow Days

 Here are some more pictures of our snow days.

 Fort building with Dad.

 And Frosty making too

 hanging out (he never complained about his hat, but really... could he even see?!)

Everyone had to try out the fort!

Who needs sleds when you have your body? (they LOVEd going down the hill on their bellies!)

6 months

January 5th marked 6 months since Ella's been in Heaven.  I have noted each month since she died. Sometimes with acknowledgement, sometimes just quietly by myself.  On January 5th I had some music on and 10,000 reasons by Chris Tomlin came on. Here is the first verse and chorus:

Bless the Lord, O' my soul

O' my soul, Worship His Holy name

Sing like never before, O' my soul

I'll worship Your Holy Name.

The sun comes up

It's a new day dawning

It's time to sing your song again

Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me,

Let me be singing when the evening comes.

Oh, this song is so, so precious to me.  I listened to it on that day and realized that I have made it six months.  There were days when I thought I wouldn't.  There were days an hour felt like years and I didn't know how I'd make it to evening. But my prayer was and still is that when evening comes, I'll still be singing His praises.

It was a bittersweet day.  We went sledding as a family and had such a great time.  The kids had so much fun going up and down the hill.  We worked on a snow fort and a snowman.  We were a family, making great memories.  Seriously fun.  I couldn't help but think that if Ella would have been here, I would have probably been inside with her.  Shane would have taken the kids out and there would be no pictures and I wouldn't have had those great memories.  If she would have been her it would have been different.  Such a mix of feelings.  I know I can't live in the "if" and "what would have been" moments but it just hit me that day that our life is moving on and it's different than it would have been and different isn't always bad.  Just.... different.

A recreation of A Christmas Story.  Ha!

Burying sister's feet in the snow. (we were safe, no one panic!)

Go here to listen to the whole song. 10,000 Reasons

One Day.

Once upon a time The Hartman Family went South for a week.  Upon arriving at their destination they realized that 12 inches of snow would be tricky to drive through to get to their house. 

 They tried.  It didn't work.  They didn't die.  (someone may have been wondering if they were going to, others were cool as cucumbers. Can you guess who was who in the car?)

It was also discovered at that time that the youngest child's winter coat was left at home.Not the best parenting move.  The youngest child was dressed in his mama's coat and carried up the hill.  The oldest child trucked along all by herself.  Only falling three times.  

 The father got a tractor and started plowing and shoveling and plowing and shoveling. Three hours later, he was able to drive the truck up the driveway.

 The Hartman kids made it inside and cuddled up under blankets while waiting for their Daddy.

The End. 

Christmas

I have so many fun pictures to show you of the the kids sledding but I haven't finished Christmas.  So. Here.  :)

The kids and I made Christmas cookies.  There were sprinkles everywhere. 

"a few" landed on the cookies.

Grandpa Brad came and brought Lowes to us!  

The workers got busy doing construction.

There were real hammers involved.  I was a little nervous but everyone still has their thumbs!

Look at that pretty face.  

Graham even got in on the action!

The finished product!