I love my Papa!

Stylin for you Aunty Megs

Girl's Rooms

I realized when I posted the picture of Angel's new bed, that I love the girl's rooms. They are two of the most peaceful, colorful rooms in the house and so much fun to decorate. Angel's furniture is my sister Megs old furniture that Jason sanded and stained and looks so cute now. Her bookcase my grandfather made last year and Marmee made her curtains. Emma's room has been the nursery room, Angel's first room. I love the green and lavender and Marmee made those curtains as well. The wicker dresser used to be my baby sister Alli's and the white shelf was mine growing up that my dad made. I realized as I was taking the pictures that I have done a big cross-stitch for each of the girls....due to how long those projects take and my limited amount of free time, this new little baby girl might have to get something smaller!!! AAHH, guess I need to start looking!

FIVE bucks well spent!

This past weekend a neighbor (thanks Linda!) called to tell us a house down the road had a toddler bed and mattress for sale. So we drove down and took a look. The bed had quite a bit of crayon marks on it and was covered in stickers that had been on there for awhile. It was also a bit wobbly due to missing bolts, but Jason said everything looked fixable so we decided to take it. They wanted ten dollars for it, but when I looked in my wallet I only had five. We told them that we would be back with ten, but then they said they would give it to us for FIVE BUCKS!! I spent a good hour using a Magic Eraser to clean all the crayon markings off and then used LOTS of goo-g0ne and a Pampered Chef stoneware scraper to get the stickers off. A little 409, some polish and Jason bought new bolts and tightened everything up....we had a beautiful brand new looking wooden toddler bed and mattress....for FIVE BUCKS. Angel and Emma were both very excited (Emma likes to call it her bed) and had fun "helping" fix it up. Angel is enjoying her brand new big girl bed a lot and loves to help make it in the mornings!!!

Resting after hard work
The brand new bed!!

Angel's Music Request

Angelica: "Mama, can I listen to some crunchy music?"
Me: "Some what honey?"
Angelica: "You know, crunchy music.....like Let's Go Girls!"

I laughed so hard....she definitely is our daughter...requesting COUNTRY music and wanting some Shania Twain!!!

OH BOY

We just got back from our ultrasound appointment.....

....and....

Angelica and Emma are now officially big sisters to a....

...beautiful and healthy and cute little body...

...adorable two little feet...

...and BABY SISTER....IT'S A GIRL!!!!

So another little girl joins the Hartsell clan. We are so excited and blessed that everything looked strong and healthy....from spine to brain to heart...amazing...even got some great shots of the umbilical cord. Amazing to see those arms and legs moving about. Her heart rate was 162 and she weighs about 12 ounces right now. We tried to get some shots of her face but she was laying facing my back and no matter how many times I rolled over we could not get her to move...she was too comfy. The first pic above is of her body area/profile which I labeled below: She is laying face down so you see the side of her face and ear, and she is resting her hand on her head, so arm is bent. The second picture above is her two tiny feet, no explaining necessary.....SO CUTE. She had them crossed over each other most of the ultrasound. The last picture is the GIRL shot....I labeled below as well...back view of her bum and two little thighs! So now back to the drawing board for girl names!! The ultrasound based on weight and measurements gave due date of November 15th versus the 7th....but that could be based on small size etc...so will be interesting to see if doctor changes it at all when I go to my next appointment. (funny though because that was the due date we calculated originally based on our NFP charting!!!) Either way I am *guessing* (hoping) I go early anyways...Angel was one week early and Emma was two!!! So looks like beginning part of November....It was a little bittersweet ending the ultrasound, I love watching and seeing the little one....unless necessary I probably won't see this sweet little girl until I can kiss her little face in about 4 months!! Thanks for all the prayers...keep them coming!

Why Not?

When you can't decide which bib to wear, why not wear them all??

Big Day

Tomorrow is the big ultrasound day....3:45...so excited...please pray for a healthy baby, this is the first chance we have had to see this little one!!! Any guesses, boy or girl???

Happy Birthday Poppy!

(I love this picture taken last year on Father's Day, me & dad & two of my sisters)

Today is my dad's birthday....we love you!!! Look forward to celebrating this weekend and hope you got your birthday message today, but here it is again:

Happy Birthday Kim!

Happy Birthday to Jason's sister, Kim. We hope you had a wonderful day and congratulations on getting into nursing school!!! Miss and love you!

Happy Birthday Mom!

(Sorry Mom, Angel LOVES this picture!)

Today is Jason's mom, Mary Hartsell's, birthday. What a year it has been!! Hard to believe that this time last year we were just learning about your breast cancer diagnosis and treatment plans. And now a year later you have successfully made it through surgery, chemo, radiation and nearing the end of your total treatment. I have been so humbled and amazed at your example of acceptance and patience and faith that you have shown through this whole experience. So many of you prayed and participated in the Daily Envelope project I did for her and I know it helped make this year even more manageable! We are so thankful and blessed that you are feeling better and to have you in our lives. I pray and hope that this next year is a healthy, happy and a little less hectic one for you!! Wish we were closer to give our love and hugs...can't wait to see you again. Happy Birthday....go celebrate...you DESERVE it!!!

Congrats Peck Family!

My friend Ellie delivered a healthy, beautiful baby girl this morning at 2:01am. Miriam Thérèse weighed in at 7 pounds 13 ounces....and I can't wait to meet her and see more pictures. I originally met Ellie through Coffee and Diapers and feel very blessed that we have become friends....just hope they can find a way to move to Bremerton from Whidbey!! Ellie - get rest and talk to you soon!

A Beautiful Post

We met some dear friends when we lived in Virginia Beach, the Cunningham family. I enjoy visiting their blog, Home Sweet Heart, to keep up with them. This past Sunday, Maria had a beautiful post for Fathers Day, Happy Father's Day to my husband, which I just have to share. I have fond memories of Chuck too as he gave me my first REAL job working in the Voter Education Department at Christian Coalition and I learned a lot and have some great memories working for this caring and hard working man. Maria, a beautiful post and a beautiful family!

Never Ending...

Sunday night we were driving home from my parents house and lately our entire car trips are filled with Angelica's never ending WHY questions. She asks WHY all day long...no matter what the response is or how clever we try to be with our answers. While it is fun to watch her little brain in action, I have to admit it gets very TIRING explaining every explanation and then explaining that one and so on. However, I just have to share this conversation as it made me smile and chuckle...it took place between Angelica and Jason. (Angelica also always addresses the person she wants to ask a question of....and instead of continuing on with her questions, waits for you to respond so that she knows she has your attention...)
Angelica: "Papa?"
Jason: "Yes Angelica."
Angelica: "Do cars get boo-boos?"
Jason: "Well, they get broken sometimes and we have to fix them to make them better."
(Jason has been spending a lot of time fixing our cars lately...)
Angelica: "Oh, but you can make them better?"
Jason: "Yes, most of the time I can."
Angelica: "Why most of the time?"
Jason: "Just because." (which we find ourselves saying a lot lately)
Angelica: "Papa..."
Jason: "yes Angelica"
Angelica: "Why do we have two arms and two hands?"
Jason: "Because God made us that way"
Angelica: "Why did God make us that way?"
Jason: "God make us in His image and likeness."
...long pause so we were thinking that satisfied her....
Angelica: "No, Papa...I know why he made us that way"
Jason: "Why?"
Angelica: "Because God thinks we're special!"
Jason: "that's right Angelica." (we both started laughing because this is from the Sandi Patti CD she loves, The Friendship Company....but at least she is listening!) After about a minute we thought that was the end of that conversation...
Angelica: "Papa?"
Jason: "Yes Angelica"
Angelica: "Why does God think we're special?"

...you get the point...never ending...all day long!

Fathers Day

We had a nice and relaxing Fathers Day, spending it with our family. The day was a bit chilly here and actually had some rain and thunder (which we never get)....we went to Church and then to PopPop's grave where we brought flowers (Angel LOVES putting them in the water) and we said a prayer and Angel sang him a song. Then we headed over to my parents house where we enjoyed the day....both the girls (and Aunt Caitlin) enjoyed a nap and the guys got some golf watching and baseball watching time....we had a nice dinner and desserts and Jason is very excited about his new double jogging stroller!! I am so blessed to be living so close to my dad still and so blessed to have such an incredible husband who daily makes sacrifices for his girls and does it so lovingly....love you lots and Happy Fathers Day!

Saturday Morning Sweets

Workin the Wedgits

My mom had gotten Angelica a set of the wonderful WEDGITS a bit ago, but Emma is starting to LOVE them. She will spend a long time building them up and knocking them down. If she gets to a point where one doesn't fit, then she knocks them down and starts over. It is fun to watch her little mind and hands work and we look forward to getting the additional sets to go with them. I highly recommend these for kids!! (and the music in the background is BOZ, which the girls LOVE and mom sometimes has to turn off because the songs get stuck in my head!!...he is like the green Christian version of Barney)

So Proud

I have been working on identifying the letters of the alphabet for awhile now with Angelica....she definitely likes and knows some better than others. Last week, we were working really hard on writing the letter "A". I did tracing and coloring and silly ways to remember how to write it. Saturday, I was having Angel color thank you notes she needed to get out and all of a sudden she said, "Mama, look I did my name!" I looked over at the card and she had drawn the letter "A" all by herself!!! I was so proud of her and then she signed her letter A on all the thank you cards. Caitlin.....her first letter "A" is on the back of your card, so I may steal it back to keep in her baby book!! Now we are working on "B"....so much to learn and love watching it all unfold!!!

Our Garden Helpers

This year, Jason rented a 10x20 and 10x10 garden plots that our local community offers in a new garden patch they created. The dirt was not great so Jason spent a lot of time tilling it over, getting rocks out, and putting new garden soil and compost in it...and finally got all his vegetables that he had grown in the greenhouse in the dirt!! Angel and Emma have enjoyed helping go check on the garden and water it, plus there is a park they built for kids that they enjoy visiting as well. So we hope to have lots of produce starting in July...probably more than we know what to do with!!!!

Pretty in Pink

A week or so ago, a friend and I went to get pedicures done. I had not had one or painted my toes since my sister's wedding February 2008......so Angel was very curious about me painting them and what color I would choose. She enjoyed looking at them so much she wanted to paint hers too....so the other night she sat very still and we picked out a pretty pink color...she hasn't wanted to wear shoes or socks much so that she can see her "pink toes".

An artist's interpretation...

Angel has been loving painting lately...although we usually have to try and do it when Emma is sleeping because she would just love to get messy with the paints!! Angel showed me this painting and when I asked her what it was she responded, "Mama, it is a merry-go-round or course!" Silly me, of course it is!

Small Successes

I have been wanting to do this for awhile now, so here is my first contribution: (you list three sucesses no matter how small that you feel you reached each week)


1) Had my 18 week OB appointment, heard a healthy heart beat of 150 and scheduled the big ultrasound for Friday, June 26th. Thanks for the prayers and please keep them coming!

2) Did a major grocery shopping...you know the kind when you wait forever for stuff and then realize you need everything...so thanks to my sisters for watching the kids and allowing me to get this done! (My hubby thanks you as well!)

3) Have gotten caught up on a lot of picture organization. I backup pictures on CDs from Costco (like negatives today) and then print of thumbnail versions and label CDs and papers with numbers so I can always find pictures easily. Will have to take pics to explain better....but this has helped a lot with digital pictures to always find the ones you need and keep it all organized. Now to finish my albums and scrapbooks....and trying to think of a neat way to organize some pics for the kiddies to take with them one day...any ideas? Also managed to clean and organize the entire pantry and video cabinet!