Turner Tantrums

New Year's 2012

2012-02-08T08:30:00.001-06:00

We went to a New Year's party at my brother Chad's house, then Irene's house, then we headed over to Kevin's parent's house. We had a blast!

Train Ride

2012-01-21T10:07:00.000-06:00

Who's Engaged?

2012-01-20T11:29:00.003-06:00

Heather and Billy

Heidi & Jordan

Irene & Lou

My sisters Irene (30), Heidi (28), and Heather (22, next week) all got engaged, recently. We're soooo excited!!! Now, if only David Tutera would respond to Heidi's email she sent him...

The Dearest David (I figured "My" Dearest David would be too presumptuous),

I blame my parents. These two individuals, one a voluptuous and bubbly social butterfly and the other your typical bow-tie wearing computer geek, could not resist one another's charms and had nine (9) children-- same two parents, no twins, no adoptions, 20 years difference between the oldest and youngest. Even worse (for the pocketbook), five of these children are ladies. Oh it gets better-- over the past two months, myself and TWO of my sisters have gotten engaged to the loves of our lives (*note "loves" is plural-- no sister wives here). While we have been blessed in love, we are cursed with confusion, ever-growing bridal parties, and dreams of David Tutera's magic in our heads. Weighing in at just under 12 lbs at birth, I have been setting records since the day I was born (heaviest baby ever born in Round Rock, Texas- what what!). Now, I fear, I am about to break the record for the largest wedding party. Not only are all of my siblings close, but we are close to all of our siblings' significant others... and their families.. and on and on and on... It probably has something to do with the fact that when you have a family this big, you do not know where your family ends and the "others" begin.

Here are the details on the couples:

1. Heidi (28) and Jordan (27) (engaged October 29, 2011; together 4 years)-

I am Heidi Hartmann and engaged to the hilariously funny Jordan Harrison. We met in undergrad at The University of Texas at Austin (hook 'em) but did not start dating until law school. Four years later, we are engaged. I am the sixth kid and third girl to Lorraine and Al Hartmann. Currently, I practice labor and employment law, and Jordan is an in-house attorney. Do not let our boring choices in careers fool you, my romantic-at-heart Jordan proposed to me at the place where we had our first kiss ... a unisex bathroom (It was a law school Halloween party, and I wouldn't kiss him in public. Naturally, he suggested that we have our first kiss in the privacy of the unisex bathroom). Shortly after the proposal, we began planning our wedding and quickly became overwhelmed, BUT I did buy a beautiful dress! We have made our guest list and have determined our bridal party. However, I get heart palpitations when I think of making 13 bridesmaids bouquets. Because my family is incredibly close and very inclusive, we basically have a parade before I walk down the aisle. To clarify, my siblings and Jordan's siblings, along with their significant others, are going to walk down the aisle oldest to youngest (e.g. my oldest bro and his lady walk down the aisle, followed by Jordan's oldest bro and his lady... all the way until my baby sister and his baby sister walk down the aisle). After the family struts their stuff, we have a handful of close-friends (10+ years friendships) who will walk down the aisle. The easiest part of planning the wedding has been choosing the ring bearers and flower girls -- my adorable nephews and nieces, along with a family friends' kids (take a peak at the pic above-- adorbs!).

While Jordan and I currently live in Dallas, my hometown is Austin, Texas (a must visit city if you haven't been). My family has lived in Austin for 28 years now, and naturally, it is the perfect location for a wedding.

Heidi Hartmann & Jordan Harrison

Address Deleted

Number of guests: 220 current guest list

Location: Austin, Texas

Date: Fall 2012

2. Heather (21) and Billy (23) (engaged December 10, 2011; together 7 years)- These two lovebirds have been together since they were 14 and 15 years old. My dad says his kids are like penguins -- we find the one who is our mate for life and never look back. Heather is the eighth kid and the fourth girl. She works her little butt off with two jobs while in undergrad and is interviewing for pharmacy school. Billy works with computers and is completely musically inclined. These two are the most gentle souls I have ever had the privilege to know, and I am pretty sure that if you even added one colorful light to their wedding reception, they would name every kid Tutera.

3. Irene (30) and Lou (30) (engaged January 1, 2012; together 8+ years-- they stopped counting)- Irene is the sibling immediately older than I am. While we are two years apart, our birthdays are only a day apart. Accordingly, we shared birthday parties all growing up... so why not share a wedding?! Lou and Irene went to the high school prom together and have been inseparable since. If you aren't persuaded yet by how elegant and reverend my family is, at a high school party that was busted by police, Lou stood on top of a table with a radio blasting, "YOU'VE GOT TO FIGHT ... FOR YOUR RIGHT ... TO PARTY."

Lou's sentiments, ala the Beastie Boys, could not be truer today. As my sisters and I contemplate how to even begin planning and paying for our weddings, we are fighting for our right to throw the most fun, chaotic, and beautiful wedding party ... dare I say ... ever.

If you (aka the person who must screen these emails) have been kind enough (or bored enough) to read this, I thank you greatly for your time and hope this was at least somewhat enjoyable to read. Truly, I just love my sisters and their lucky other halves and know that this could be one spectacular wedding (or 3-day wedding weekend). While I may have knocked on the sister wives above, I do agree that love is multiplied, not divided.

Thanks for your time. Please let me know if you desire additional information, and I will be happy to provide it.

Happy New Year!

Heidi, aka Kid # 6

Christmas Eve & Day 2011

2012-01-20T11:03:00.001-06:00

We spent Christmas Eve at my parent's house, making stuffed cabbage, cookies, a gingerbread house, and eating. Christmas morning, we opened stockings at our house then headed to my parent's house around 6:30. We ate a big breakfast of cinnamon rolls and breakfast tacos, then opened presents. This year, most of the couples just bought for one couple, but there were still plenty of presents to open. We also just wore Christmas PJs from years past. We were missing Loui, Heidi & Jordy, too. After we opened presents, we ate a prime rib roast lunch, that was amazing, played a little, then headed to Kevin's parent's house. We ate a traditional Christmas dinner then opened presents. We were spoiled rotten everywhere we went. It was fun to see Jeff open up his new computer. I got a sewing machine, that I'm eager to start using. The kids have enough toys to last them a lifetime. Hayden got the 3DS he wanted, and Rowan got the Leap Pad games he wanted. I wish I could have gotten Kevin the Primo, he wanted. That night, Heidi and Jordy made it into town, and we got to see them, too. I hope everyone had a Very Merry Christmas!!

Getting Ready For Christmas 2011

2012-01-20T10:44:00.001-06:00

Here are some pics from what we did in December to get ready for Christmas. We made a gift basket for Hayden's teacher, went to our church party, saw lights (this house is the one that did the lights to the Angry Birds song and was featured on the Jimmy Kimmel show), got candy from Santa on the firetruck (close call, the boys were in the bath and had to quickly throw on clothing, outside), played with the Christmas Carolers (they sing We Wish You a Merry Christmas and are awesome!!) went to Taressa's bridal shower, dressed up for church, went on the Polar Express, and took Santa mustache pics with the gift the Shaw's gave us (sooo cute!).

Here's a link to see what the Christmas Carolers do. Seriously, They. Are. Amazing. My parents have had them for years, and they never sing it the same way, twice. They don't make them anymore, unfortunately. Nadia would play with them for hours each time she went over to my parent's house. My boys loved them when they were little, too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAo0iqxVpnA

December 2011 Misc.

2012-01-15T09:16:00.001-06:00

Here are some pics from the stroll on Georgetown, Hayden's Christmas lunch at school, and Christmas with Kent, Von, & Travor in Louisiana.

Rowan's Field Trip to Cox Farm

2012-01-11T17:41:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving 2011

2012-01-09T19:04:00.000-06:00

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Rowan's 4th Birthday Party

2012-01-08T09:10:00.002-06:00

Lakeline Mall pics with Santa

2012-01-08T09:03:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving Busy Bee Party & Nadia Pics in November

2012-01-08T08:58:00.000-06:00

Here are some pictures from Rowan's Thanksgiving party with his preschool group and some cute pics of Nadia. Rowan LOVES his preschool friends and is learning so much.

Trick O Treating 2011

2012-01-07T19:00:00.000-06:00

Wow! I love Picassa for uploading photos to my blog-it takes a fraction of the time. Hopefully, I can catch up on my blog in no time. Here are some pictures from Halloween night. Sticking with tradition, we went over to Brielle and Dan's house, ate her wonderful chili, chocolate chip and pumpkin cookies, Jill's zucchini bread, hot dogs, etc. then went trick o treating in their neighborhood. It was a wonderful night!

2012-01-07T16:54:00.002-06:00

Here are a few pictures from pre-Halloween. I had to find a new way to upload my photos to my blog, because they were uploading all weird, but I finally figured it out! Now, I can catch up on my blog. Thanks, Picasa!!

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2011-12-28T18:09:00.000-06:00

Turner/Giard Kids-Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T14:38:00.000-06:00

Here are the photos that Brielle and Dan took of the Turner and Giard kids for Chad & Molly's Christmas Gift for 2011. I'm having lots of blogger issues uploading photos, so I'm falling behind on my posts...

McHartmann Annual Halloween Party

2011-11-30T08:09:00.000-06:00

Here we are at the McHartmann Annual Halloween Party hosted by my brother Chad & Molly, this year. I didn't get as many pictures, as I would have liked. We had a spooktacular time, as always.

Dallas to Visit Heidi & Jordan

2011-11-23T18:00:00.000-06:00

In October, we went to Dallas to visit Heidi & Jordan. They live in an awesome condo in the middle of Dallas. My boys (and me) LOVED their jacuzzi bath tub. Nadia didn't like it. We got there Friday night and went and ate at Chuy's. They have a Chuy's like 5 minutes from their house, and it kind of reminded me of eating on the drag-with shops around it and lots of college-aged kids. Saturday, we drove to Fossil Rim and fed the animals. On the way there, we stopped to get gas and got the yummiest baked goods-kolaches, brownies, etc. At Fossil Rim, it takes about 2-3 hours to drive through the place, and you get to feed tons of animals by hand! We fed zebras, goats, deer, other horned animals, and saw giraffes, rhinos, ostriches, cheetahs, and much more. It was soooo cool. The zebras would stick their whole head in your car. About 2/3rds the way through it, their is an overlook and gift shop and restaurant. We stopped and ate and bought the kids souvenirs. I even let Nadia sit on my lap for most of the ride (the animals were scaring her, and there was no way she was sitting in her car seat for 3 hours at two miles per hour), and I loved it! Nadia and Rowan rode with me and Heidi and Hayden rode with Jordy & Kevin. Hayden was supposed to be on look out for the cheetahs and rhinos after the rest stop, and he loved sticking his head out of the sun roof. Of course, he has horrible vision, so everyone spotted them way before he did, but we let him think he was doing us all a favor and finding all of the animals. Saturday night, we went to the Texas State Fair. It. Was. Packed. We bought more tickets than we could spend. We ate fried mashed potatoes, fried snickers, fried corn dogs, roasted corn on the cob, turkey legs, lemonade, sodas, etc. Rowan rode the lady bug ride with Heidi, but we didn't realize that it was crazy fast! It really scared him. Hayden went in the Clown House with Kevin & Jordan. We got our pic with Big Tex, too. On Sunday, we went to the Aquarium in Dallas. It was like walking thru a tropical rain forrest or planetarium. It was really neat, but not super huge, so it only took a few hours to see everything. Afterwards, we went to eat at In-N-Out Burgers. I have to admit, I had some pretty big expectations for the place, and it didn't meat any of them. Seriously, I would rather go to McDonald's. The only thing that impressed me were the prices. There were very few options (hamburger, cheeseburger, fries, shakes, no kid's menus). There were very few condiments (I'm a "saucey" kind of girl, and the ketchup that they did have squirted all over me). I felt like I needed to salt everything. Kevin didn't like it, either. He didn't like the sesame seed bun, for one. That was probably the most over rated thing I have ever experienced, but I'm glad I was educated. Kevin is probably the most under rated thing I have ever experienced ;) Anyhow, back to Dallas. We drove home Sunday afternoon, nearly ran out of gas after being stuck in a traffic jam for over an hour, but we made it home, safely. We had a blast at Heidi & Jordan's cool condo and can't wait to visit again.

Sweet Berry Farms, Pumpkin Patch

2011-11-23T09:48:00.000-06:00

I love our biannual trips to Sweet Berry Farms! We had a wonderful time at the pumpkin patch. We took home a few little pumpkins, Hayden got a ghost pumpkin, and Rowan picked out a normal orange one. I got a turbin pumpkin, too. We all did the corn maze, which was tons of fun. Rowan, Nadia, and I cut flowers while Hayden and Dad did the hay ride. I loved the hanging gourds and watching the goats play. I'm already ready to go back in the Spring to pick strawberries!

Soccer Stars Fall 2011

2011-11-23T09:41:00.000-06:00

The boys were soccer stars, this year. Rowan played with the 3-4 year olds. He genuinely got one goal, this season. He did pretty well. He was a lot taller and bigger than most of the other kids (even though he was 3 most of the season), but he wasn't as fast as them. He usually was eager to get on the field and play. Hayden played with the 1st-2nd graders, so was one of the youngest in his group. He had a great, little team. He LOVED playing goalie and would score goals, occasionally. He was really good at blocking the other team's goals. He was usually reluctant to go to practice and games, but he always had a good time when all was said and done. He is taking the winter off (they don't have soccer in the winter) and Rowan will be doing indoor soccer. I sure love my little soccer stars!

Busy Bees

2011-11-23T09:35:00.000-06:00

Rowan started Busy Bees Preschool, this year. He absolutely loves it! We have a wonderful group of 3 boys and 2 girls. Every week, a new mom teaches at their house. So far, I've gotten to teach twice. One week, I was able to focus on spiders and another week I did the Very Hungry Caterpillar. It is lots of fun, and I have the cutest little busy bees in our group. Here are some pics from our spider day (one of the busy bee gals was home sick).

Sept. Misc.

2011-11-22T10:02:00.001-06:00

Here are some photos from September that I haven't posted, yet. I'm really trying to catch-up. We went to Nathan's Secret Agent Birthday party, went to a UT game with Kent & Elissa, went to Atlanta, Georgia for work-ate at Fat Matt's Rib Shack and went to the Coca Cola Museum, Atlanta Aquarium and saw the awesome whale shark, and much more.

Santa 2011

2011-11-22T09:50:00.000-06:00

Well, we got our picture with Santa at the mall early, this year. We weren't really dressed for it (especially note Kevin's shirt with "Scrooge" on it), but I'm glad it's over with. Nadia didn't want to sit on his lap, so Kevin and I ended up getting in the picture. The boys told Santa what they wanted for Christmas. Hayden originally wanted a Plants vs Zombies stuffed animal, but then he switched to a Nintendo 3DS, last minute. Rowan said he wanted another twilight stuffed animal (they glow stars on the ceiling, and he currently sleeps with a lady bug and turtle one that my sisters got him). Well, I hope they've been nice and not naughty....

The Party Continues

2011-11-02T14:35:00.000-05:00

After the Oasis celebration, we took our relatives to eat at The Salt Lick. All you can eat bbq. Later that night, we ate at Johnny Carino's. I was sad when they all had to fly home, and I hope they get to come back real soon. Like, maybe for a wedding for my sister who just got engaged ;) Congrats Heidi and Jordy-we love you!!

The Oasis-Surprise 40th Wedding Anniversary Party

2011-10-14T09:47:00.001-05:00

We surprised my parent's with a 40th Wedding Anniversary Party at The Oasis. Along with family and friends, my dad's sister, Mary Kay, and her husband George surprised my parents. They came all the way from West Virginia for the party. We chow downed on BBQ and cake, had an open bar (yummy cherry diet coke for me), and danced the night away. We took TONS of pictures, too. These are the pictures my camera took (minus a few with the red background from the photographer), but we had a professional photographer taking many more. It was a wonderful night! Many thanks to my siblings who made it happen and family and friends who came!

Here is the link to view the other photos from the night! Trust me-there are some good ones!

http://garzajon.smugmug.com/Events/Anniversary-party/18852855_xrwN4Z#1461121053_mFk5n54

Surprise Mom & Dad

2011-10-12T20:17:00.000-05:00

My parents had their 40th Wedding Anniversary, this year. The kids got their house painted for them, and boy does it look nice. My mom kept saying that she felt like she was on make-a-wish, she was so giddy about it. However, that was just the beginning. We surprised her by having her family (sister, her sister's husband, their daughter Erin, Erin's boyfriend Courtney, and my mom's brother Bill) fly into town all the way from Pennsylvania. We surprised her at Mesa Rosa (Thursday night). Friday, we went to Akira's for lunch and then went to Esther's Follies that night. It was the funniest show I'd ever seen there. I liked the Old Spice/Pres. Obama skit the best. More surprises awaited them that weekend, but that'll be a separate post. We had my cousin Erin and her boyfriend staying with us, but then our AC died. Fortunately, that didn't spoil anything about the weekend. Happy 40th wedding anniversary to the best parents in the world!!

Hayden's in 1st Grade

2011-10-12T19:53:00.001-05:00

Riverbats, perhaps???

I'm wayyyy behind on blogging, and I have tons of posts to do (story of my life). Anyhow, Hayden started 1st grade this year in Mrs. Haji's class. Only one girl from last year (Sydney) is in his class this year, but he is still able to see some of his old friends during recess. So far, he really likes his teacher. We just had teacher/parent conference and his teacher said he is doing great. He's learning how to be a good citizen (always doing his personal best), and he is already reading at the end of 1st grade level (which is good, because he is blind). He had a few days (he says 11) of shedding tears until snack time, but we think we are over that. He was excited to get his 20 checks this week for being a good citizen (cleaning kids' desks when they are ill, for example), and I think he gets to bring a stuffed animal (not stuffed bird) to school, tomorrow. So far, he seems to have less homework than last year (or maybe it just doesn't take as long to do, since he can read and write so much better). He went home sick, today (Kevin think he was faking it-diarrhea and headache), and we are going to discuss The Boy Who Cried Wolf with him. Hayden is such a sweet, smart, boy and I really don't want him to grow up, but I just know he is going to learn and grow soooo much, this year. Hayden, your momma loves you bunches and will still drop you off at the hug zone and eat lunch with you as often as you want ;)

Side note-Kevin went back to school, and his mascot is the riverbat.

Weekly Photos of Nadia with Fozzy (Weeks 48-52)

2011-09-10T11:22:00.001-05:00

Week 48

Week 49

Week 50

Week 51

Week 52

My angel Nadia turned one on September 10, 2011 (9-10-11). Where did the time go?!? To be honest, it will be a little nice to not have to worry about her weekly photo shoot (she doesn't like it-can you tell?). Nadia went to her doctor's appointment, and although I didn't get the weight, I'm guessing it was 22 pounds at most. She was in the 75% for weight, and over 95% for height. The doctor said she was actually underweight for her height. She looks like a super model baby ;) She is still in size 3 diapers and wears either 12 or 18 months clothes. Her shoe size is 5, and lately she has been loving to wear them. She is really good about keeping her bows in her hair, unless she is in the car. She still doesn't like car rides, much. She is turning into a really good walker. She loves being outside. She is still nursing and needs to be put to sleep (can't fall asleep on her own). We are lucky if she will take one short (30-60 min) nap a day. She usually sleeps from about 9:30-7:30. She still has the bluest eyes that are gorgeous. She doesn't talk much, and is generally pretty quiet. She says Ma! in the middle of the night if she is looking to eat. She is generally pretty quiet. She seems to play well with other kids and doesn't have the stranger anxiety as bad as my boys did. She loves to laugh, and I think it is so cute when she tries to dance and bob her head to the side with her crinkle-nose smile. We sing "girlfriend, girlfriend, you are my girlfriend" and "good morning, good mooooorrrrnning" to get her dancing. She got some girl toys for her birthday, and she loves to push her babies in her stroller or pram. She still just has her 8 teeth. She is getting so much better at eating table food, as long as it is cut up. If it looks like baby food (yogurt, pudding, mashed potatoes, etc.) she generally won't eat it. She still doesn't drink much, and actually prefers water to milk or juice. We are trying to get her to drink more whole milk, but she only drinks like an ounce or two at a time. Rowan loves her to pieces, and even says he wants to have a "Nadia" party for his upcoming bday, instead of "Spiderman", for example. Hayden is really good with her, too, and loves to play with her. Both boys can pick her up and carry her around and make sure she doesn't put anything bad in her mouth. The boys are also good at getting her to clap her hands, dance, smile, laugh, or even sometimes cry ;) She is one lucky gal, and we sure are lucky to have her!!

Happy Birthday, Nadia!!

2011-09-10T11:09:00.000-05:00

Nadia is one, today!! Hip, Hip, Hooray!! We had an angel-themed birthday party for Nadia. She turned one on 9-10-11. We took pics of her in an angel outfit prior to her birthday party. We had angel boxes with m&ms in them with Nadia's picture on them. We had angel ornaments with her picture in them. We had angel hair pasta and angel food cake. We mainly just ate. Nadia had a fun time opening up her presents. It was so much fun to see her get so many girly and pink toys. She loves playing with all of them. Nadia is quite the angel! Happy Birthday, my sweet daughter!!

Portrait Innovations Nadia 8/20/2011

2011-08-20T12:27:00.000-05:00

Here are Nadia's 1 Year pictures. The boys snuck in for 1, but I mainly wanted to get pics of Nadia for her year mark and upcoming angel-themed birthday party. Nadia will be 1 in just three weeks!!

Weekly Photos of Nadia with Fozzy (Weeks 44-47)

2011-08-19T12:07:00.000-05:00

Week 44
Week 45

Week 46

Week 47

Nadia is now 11 months old. She'll turn one on September 10th. I think Nadia looks tiny for 11 months, but maybe that's because Rowan was already over 30 pounds by age 1. Nadia just started to walk a few weeks ago, and now she walks pretty bow-legged. It's really cute. She will still crawl quite a bit, too. She really likes to wave and loves to point at and look at pictures hanging on the wall. She still has eight teeth and is getting much better at eating solids-preferably table food. We just started giving her a taste of real milk last week, and she seems to like it, so far. She still prefers to nurse, though, and she still nurses once or twice at night. She has yet to have formula. She probably weighs close to 22 pounds, and her one year check-up is on Sept 13th. She will comb her hair with a brush and even tries to comb others. She has a really cute laugh and seems like she is going to be a sweetheart. She still isn't much of a cuddler-unlesss she is sleaping. She is starting to get the hang of sippy cups, but she is much better with bottles. She will say "dadadadadadadadad" over and over and usually just says "ma" when she really wants me or wakes up in the middle of the night. She is a mama's girl, so far, but that may change when she's done nursing. She is starting to wear 18 months clothing, but she can still wear 12 months and size 3 diapers. My boys preferred Huggies, but she typically wears Pampers. She usually goes to bed when we do (around 10) and sleeps until around 7:30 or so. Her eyes are super blue-almost white in the middle. Her hair is starting to get fuller and lighten up, too. She loves to play peek-a-boo, and will play it with just about everything. We just love Nadia to pieces, and we are looking forward to celebrating her birthday, next month.

Hayden's 6th Birthday Party

2011-08-03T13:01:00.000-05:00

Hayden turned six on July 9th, and we had an Angry Birds Birthday party for him. We made paper mache' pig heads, angry bird cakes, boomerangs for our pig hunt, had an egg hunt to get back our eggs, found golden eggs for prizes (angry bird keychains), used water balloons and slingshots to get the pigs, played on the slip n' slide and kiddie pool, ate doughnuts, "pigs in a blanket", quiche and fruit salad, and had a great time with friends! Hayden has grown up so much this last year and got an Ipad for his birthday present. If you haven't played angry birds before, you can play it online on your pc at chrome.angrybirds.com. We love you, Hayden!!

4th of July Party

2011-07-29T09:59:00.001-05:00

Even though they didn't have fireworks this year in Leander or Cedar Park, we still headed to my brother's house for a get together and some Rudy's BBQ.

4th of July Parade

2011-07-22T09:39:00.000-05:00

Nadia's 1st 4th of July

Every year, my kids march in the neighborhood 4th of July parade. It is only a few blocks long, but the kids really enjoy it. To be honest, I really enjoy it, too. It was suuuuper hot this year. We bring candy for the kids to throw and decorate our wagons. More and more people have been showing up, every year. We saw lots of people we knew this year, in the parade. Afterwards, there are carnival-like activities in the park, including a petting zoo, water slides, foam, snow cones, and then the firetruck sprays water on everyone (we didn't wait around for this). There were tons of people at the park having a good ol' time.

The Salt Lick

2011-07-22T09:31:00.000-05:00

Heidi's boyfriend's parents John & Julie were in town, and we went with them to eat at The Salt Lick. Yummy!

Nadia Pics

2011-07-17T14:27:00.000-05:00

I like getting photos of my kiddos in the green towel in our bathroom. The lighting is good in there, and I think the pictures turn out cute. I'm the worst photographer, so I need all of the help I can get.

Rowan's Hair Cut

2011-07-17T14:22:00.000-05:00

New Do
Old Do

Rowan decided to cut his own hair as close to the scalp as possible. I caught him doing it. I gave him a short "1" buzz all over, and then we took him to his barber, Tye Cobb, to clean it up for him. At first, he was crying saying he didn't want to be bald like daddy, but then he realized that it made him look like a man. Rowan likes nothing more than to be like a "man", so now he loves his haircut. He's still waiting for it to grow back in a few weeks, though.

Weekly Photos of Nadia with Fozzy (Weeks 40-43)

2011-07-14T14:22:00.000-05:00

Week 40

Week 41

Week 42

Week 43

Even though Nadia looks more upset in each of these photos, she is actually getting sweeter and sweeter. She is trying really hard to do stand and hold on to things and pull herself up, too. Hayden walked at 8 months, and Rowan at 10 months, so she's definitely going to be a little slower than them. Of course, she was also a day late ;) She gets soooo excited if she stands up for a split second without help. She likes to bounce and scream when she's excited. She is really good at saying Mama and she even says Dada, too. She still seems so small to me. Size 3 diapers, size 12 months clothes, size 4 shoes (although she never wears them). She loves to get in the water-either baths or pools. She's starting to eat more finger foods. She likes cheese sticks, fruity pebbles, baby cheetos, refried beans, rice, avocado, and anything she can feed herself. She is still crawling really well. She is probably my easiest kid to take out to eat or to the grocery store. She sits in the grocery cart really well-even better than Rowan and Hayden do now. She's a little wiggly in restaurants and likes to sit on your lap, but she doesn't throw fits like Hayden did. She still really prefers me to anyone else, but she will let others hold her and play with her if I'm not around. She still puts EVERYTHING in her mouth, which scares me to death. She doesn't make dirty diapers but about once every 2-3 days (tmi, sorry). She likes listening to people sing at church. She still nurses every few hours and a few times at night. She still won't fall asleep on her own but you have to either rock or bounce her to sleep. She will fall asleep in the car, sometimes, and she is getting better at riding in the car without screaming. She has four teeth on top, and the outer teeth of her bottom four have popped through. She's got the prettiest smile and everyone is constantly saying how cute she is. We just love Nads, so much!

June Recap

2011-07-14T13:44:00.000-05:00

In June, we visited Kent, Von & Travor in Sulphur, went out on the boat, celebrated my birthday at Pappadeaux and The County Line, spoke at Girl's Camp, had my mom's Royal Bunco at my house, went blonde, and much, much more.

The Oasis at Lake Travis

2011-07-14T13:25:00.000-05:00

We went to the Oasis with Lou & Irene and Hayden really wanted to take photos, afterwards. Typically, he doesn't like taking photos, so it was cute to see him pose for the camera.

Potrait Innovations 6/28/2011

2011-06-29T09:24:00.001-05:00

I hope my nephews can find it in their heart to forgive me one day for subjecting them to photos with matching clothing, no less! They were great sports and we love them bunches!! They are handsome, too!

Bathing Beauty

2011-06-24T08:35:00.001-05:00

Weekly Photos of Nadia with Fozzy (weeks 35-39)

2011-06-24T08:07:00.000-05:00

Week 35

Week 36

Week 37

Week 38

Week 39

My baby girl is now 9 months old! She is about fed up with her weekly photos with Fozzy, too. It takes an army to get her to lie there without screaming. It's probably because she is so good at crawling and getting around now, that she doesn't want to lie still for one moment. At her 9 month check-up, yesterday, she weighed 19 15.5 lbs (50-75%) 29 1/4 inch long (90-95%), and FOC (head measurement) of 46.3 cm (95%). She's long and lean. Nadia has a cold right now, and she just got over her double ear infection, last week. She is starting to eat more finger foods, but it is still really hard to get her to eat baby food. Her top 4 teeth started to grow in a few weeks ago, and it will hopefully help her to enjoy eating, more. She still prefers to nurse, and we are trying to get her to drink water or juice, too. She loves to put everything on the floor in her mouth, so she has to be constantly watched. She definitely prefers for her mama to hold her to anyone else, and she can even say mama and call for me when I walk away. The other day at church, she was waving to people as I walked her down the hall. The boys still love her to death and like to call her Nads. Hayden cracks up at just about everything she does. Rowan just wants to pinch her little cheeks. She can pull her self up to standing, but she still hasn't tried standing on her own much. She loves baths and we weren't surprised to discover she loves getting in the pool, too. The boys have been starting to swim more without their live jackets on (Hayden is really good, Rowan just glides to you and doggie paddels a little). Nadia loves to get in the pool with them, and went skinny dipping yesterday with them, since we didn't have her swim suit and she insisted on getting in. Nadia seems to be happy most of the time, and she is constantly smiling (sort of like my sister Heather). I can't wait to see what type of personality she has. She's not much of a cuddler-in fact it is near impossible to get her to rest her head on your chest, even if she is asleep. She'll simply wake up or arch her back, if you try. Hayden was the same way. At least, Rowan will still cuddle me-64 lbs and all. Nadia sleeps pretty well and has been going to bed around 10 and waking up around 8:30, lately. She only has a hard time sleeping if she isn't feeling well. I cut more of her hair a few weeks ago to fix the back. She had really long hair that kind of blew in the wind over the rest of her hair, so I kind of gave her a little bob in the back. Luckily, she isn't afraid of hair cuts like Hayden was. She is still in size 3 diapers, and just yesterday I tried to sort out her 3-6 and 6-9 month clothing, because size 9-12 months is starting to fit her the best. Nadia now takes her naps in a play pen, since she can crawl off of the bed. We sure do love her!!

Cinco De Mayo at the McHartmanns

2011-06-18T08:23:00.001-05:00

Getting Ready for Summer

2011-06-18T08:16:00.001-05:00

Hayden's Kindergarten Program

2011-06-15T10:21:00.000-05:00

Hayden's school does a Kindergarten Program instead of a Kindergarten Graduation. The program was at McNeil high school, and it was really cute. Both sets of grandparents and some of my sisters came to support him. Each class had a different color shirt on to make up the colors of the rainbow. They sang songs, spoke, danced, etc. Hayden's favorite song was ABC Rock! They all wore sunglasses and bobbed their heads up and down for this song, and Hayden was adorable! In one song, Hayden had to wrap his arms around the people next to him and sway back and forth, which made me realize how little Hayden was compared to his classmates. Only one other kid in the whole Kindergarten wore glasses, too! I couldn't believe that. I'm so proud of Hayden and how well he did in Kindergarten, this year. He can read so well, and he is so much more mature. He learned that "you get what you get and you don't throw a fit" and he learned to love learning. I'm actually sadder now that Hayden is done with Kindergarten than I was when he started. I can't believe he won't be the baby of the school in a few months. I love you, Hayden, and I'm soooo proud of you!! You Rock!!

Easter 2011

2011-06-15T08:29:00.000-05:00

We had a great Easter, this year. After Chad & Molly had their early Easter party, the boys had Easter Egg Hunts at their soccer practice. Then, we went to our neighborhood Spring Fling. The boys had a good time running into friends and playing the carnival-like games. Easter Eve, the boys decorated eggs and cupcakes at my mom's house. Easter morning, the boys opened their baskets at our house, then we all got ready and went to church. After church, we went to my parent's house for lunch. My kids each had plenty of baskets and presents waiting for them, there. We had lamb, I think. We ended Easter at Kevin's parent's house for dinner and dessert. My kids were spoiled rotten, this year.

Soccer Star Spiderman

2011-05-21T07:38:00.001-05:00

Here he is webbing everyone!

Who Me?

Go Spidey!

So Flexible!

Seriously, Rowan is so much fun to watch play soccer. Even though he is probably one of the youngest on his team (3-4 yr olds), he is definitely one of the heaviest (60 lbs). He also thinks he's the real Spiderman every time he's on the field. He's one of the slowest runners, so he just hangs back and throws spider webs on everybody. My favorite time, was when he was wearing his spidey sunglasses and just stood on the field and slowly webbed the whole entire audience watching him play. He slowly moved his spidey webs in a half circle back and forth, until everyone was webbed. If a player gets too close to him, he'll touch his webs to their body, too. Back off, players! Soccer Star Spiderman is in town!

Seriously, How Cute Is Nadia?

2011-05-20T14:46:00.000-05:00

And, How Lucky Am I ?!?

Weekly Photos of Nadia with Fozzy (weeks 31-34)

2011-05-20T14:18:00.000-05:00

Week 31

Week 32

Week 33

Week 34

Nadia turned 8 months old on the 10th of May. She started to crawl at the end of the month. She still doesn't like to eat much baby food, but I think she's anxious to eat real food. Her tear duct stopped being clogged and constantly gooey at the end of the month, too. She got a double ear infection and has been on antibiotics. She is still in 9 months clothes and a size 3 diaper. She weighs roughly 19 pounds. She sleeps from around 10-7, and nurses a few times each night. She has yet to drink baby formula (Rowan never did), and I'm hoping she doesn't have to. My goal is to nurse her for a year. The only time it is a challenge is when I have to fly to Nashville and OKC once every three months. Every single time I've flown with breast milk, the airport security has handled it differently, too. I swear, I expect them to either taste it next time or ask for me to express some for them. Luckily, yesterday the security officer just winked at me ;) Nadia is super cute, and she loves to smile and laugh. She can stick out her tongue if you ask her to, too, and that ALWAYS cracks me up. It never gets old to me. Rowan seems to get a little jealous of her at times and will hit her or push her over. I have to keep reminding him that she is a real baby, even though she just looks like a princess baby doll. Nadia enjoys Hayden, and Hayden is really sweet and good to her. Nadia prefers to be held, too. She takes about 2 hour-long naps during the day, which are nice. She loves to put EVERYTHING in her mouth, so you have to constantly watch her and constantly clean and sweep. She will take a binky, occasionally, when you are trying to get her to sleep. We just love our princess, Nadia!!

Chad & Molly's Easter Party

2011-05-13T13:28:00.001-05:00

OK, so I had over 200 photos to choose from, and I picked probably 51 for this post. Sorry for the picture overload. Anyhow, we had a great time at Chad & Molly's Easter Party. The kids had a jumpy house, swimming pool, lemonade stand, sugar cookies, easter egg hunt, candy, etc. Adults had hamburgers, deviled eggs, hacky sacks, football, easter egg hunt, Siberian Orchestra tickets-for the winner, babies in baskets, big hats, candy, and lemonade. Good times! Thanks Auntie M & Uncle Chad!