The Hartman Family

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's . . .

2012-02-01T21:59:00.000-07:00

I can FLY!!
Buddy's latest night time ritual as he repeats "again, again"!

Snow Days!

2012-01-22T08:40:00.000-07:00

Josh and Nico - Best Buds

I was going to crop this picture to get a close up of Nico, but I was amazed with how the view looked from the front yard of our new house! We are too lucky!

Sam, Maurie, and Josh starting to roll up a snowman!

Happy 4th Birthday Maurie!

2012-01-09T08:21:00.000-07:00

Ready to open some presents!

This was excitement over the pink box! Who knew?

Maurie helped me decorate her cake. Of course her request was PINK!

We are so lucky to have our "Snicker-doodle-pants!"

She adds such a spunk and a new dimension to a house of boys!

I really can't believe that she is four years old!
Happy Birthday Maurie!

Merry Christmas!

2012-01-03T15:44:00.000-07:00

Christmas Tree 2011

Christmas was lots of fun this year with all these little ones! We enjoyed Christmas morning at home and then enjoyed some time at our new ward (cookies included!). Later we spent some time with family. We have been very blessed this year!

Christmas Morning:

Josh and Sam ready for action!

Maurie was so much fun this Christmas! She was full of smiles and squeals!

Buddy's favorite thing was the apple at the end of the stocking! He had taken a bite out of everyone's apples within 20 minutes!

Elf on the Shelf!

2011-12-01T16:40:00.002-07:00

Way too much fun!

Pumpkinland!

2011-10-19T17:07:00.003-06:00

We went to pick out pumpkins and play around a bit!

We loved the hay ride and the corn pit!

Full of Adventure!

2011-08-25T22:23:00.003-06:00

Up the canyon for a picnic!

Buddy's new play toy - the couch!

First unexpected splash!

To "top things off" - Nico always puts his plate or bowl on top of his head when he is done eating!

This little guy never stops! We love him to bits!!

First Day of School!

2011-08-25T22:18:00.002-06:00

All excitement and no fears or tears this year!

Josh is super excited for all-day school (mainly because of recess and lunch)!

1st grade and 3rd grade - what a blast!

2011-08-15T22:28:00.000-06:00

Maurie's summer days have been spent with her "best friend" Jane that lives next door!

Time flies!

2011-07-26T21:13:00.003-06:00

Little Bud reaching new heights!

Most of our summer has been spent controlling our tornado of trouble! Little Buddy loves to hear the word "no." His face lights up with excitement and off he goes!

Toilets are usually the worst:)

Maurie having fun in the kiddie pool with her brothers!

We have also enjoyed some outdoor fun, swimming lessons, piano lessons, a trip to the Aquarium in Sandy, the zoo, fireworks galore and friend time. We are also in the middle of construction again as we are ripping apart the old kitchen downstairs and changing it into a bedroom!!

The fun never ends!

Happy Birthday Little Buddy!

2011-05-27T21:36:00.000-06:00

Nicolas turns ONE YEAR OLD!!!

I can't believe the time has passed so quickly! Nico is a happy guy and we are enjoying every moment!

The boys still marvel that babies can't ever get in trouble (consequence wise) even though they cause so much trouble!

We spent the day at the zoo to celebrate! Nico was amazed at all the animals. I think his favorite was the train ride and the giraffes. We were lucky to have Grandma come with us to help out with our big group!

Christmas Fun!

2010-12-11T21:56:00.000-07:00

We had a fun Christmas get together with the Jeppsen side! Here is a shot of all of the cousins!

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

2010-11-24T09:07:00.001-07:00

SIX MONTHS OLD!!

Here's our"little" already beginning to sit up by himself!

Halloween!

2010-10-31T21:33:00.000-06:00

Josh - Mario, Alicia - Cowgirl, Little Buddy - Toad (from Mario Bros.), Maurie - Princess Peach (from Mario Bros.), Sam - Anikan Skywalker (from Star Wars)

We had a great time trick or treating this year. My niece Alicia came with us which helped keep track of everyone. We got caught in a hail storm after the 2nd house so we detoured to a pizza place for dinner and then went out again later when the rain calmed down. Maurie was the cutest by far as she rushed to each door saying "trick or treat" and then "thank you very much Grandma" or "Grandpa". One of our neighbors was dressed in a black pant suit and Maurie insisted that she was Cinderella and kept saying how pretty she was and "thank you Cinderella". Pretty funny!

Ted and Sam went out after the rest of us gave up and they collected a big bag full of candy!

I dressed up as a witch (but of course there isn't a picture to show for it:))

"So Pretty!"

2010-10-12T21:17:00.002-06:00

With the change of seasons and therefore the change of clothes, Maurie has become obsessed with how pretty she looks in her new outfits! This is one of her favorites for church! Thanks Grandma for making this!!

Pumpkinland!

2010-10-01T21:08:00.000-06:00

I was able to tag along with Josh on his trip to Pumpkinland with his kindergarten class this year! We had a blast going through a corn maze, seeing farm animals, playing on the playgrounds and picking out a pumpkin to take home!

Josh at the playground

Maurie would have stayed on the swing the entire day if she had the choice

Nico at his best!! This little guy spends more time in his stroller than any of our "littles."

Soccer RULES!!

2010-09-18T17:39:00.002-06:00

Josh is loving soccer this year! (Although he still says that his favorite part is the treats!)

I took my brother's idea and told Josh that I put super power powder in his drink while he was one the field. The next time he was put in, he managed to get the ball and head for the net to make a goal! Way to go Bopper! (Thanks for the idea Jeff and Heather!)

Is It Still SUMMER!!

2010-09-18T17:37:00.002-06:00

Some sprinkler time after school!

First Day of Kindergarten!

2010-09-03T19:48:00.003-06:00

Josh is SO excited for Kindergarten!!

I am just thrilled to have our favorite teacher - Mrs. Morgan!

First Day of 2nd Grade!!

2010-09-03T19:45:00.002-06:00

Sam is pretty excited to start a new year of school! Thank goodness his first day was full of excitement when he explained that his new teacher's math game was SO MUCH BETTER than his 1st grade teacher's!

Three Months Old!

2010-08-27T20:06:00.000-06:00

Chubby McChub Cakes!!

(Nickname made by Sam)

Nico has been such a fun baby!! He is the center of attention for everyone in our family!

His latests are enjoying stroller rides to and from school, laughing, rolling over (front to back), and watching his family make fools of themselves while they try to get him to smile and laugh!

Pebble Beach

2010-08-19T13:46:00.002-06:00

Point Lobos Beach

Garrett, Sydney, Maurie, Caitlyn, McKell, Josh, and Sam

Great America - Snoopy

We had a wonderful vacation to Pebble Beach, California this summer thanks to the Weight family for inviting us!!

Pictures

2010-07-20T14:10:00.002-06:00

At the request of some, I am putting up a few pictures since I haven't had the time to sit and compose any posts lately!

Nicolas Leo Hartman

2010-05-31T10:39:00.000-06:00

Our "little buddy" as the kids call him was born Thursday (May 27th) at 3:58 pm! He weighed 8 pounds 8 ounces, and measured 19 1/2 inches long! We are so glad that he is home and he is doing well! Isn't he a cute little stinker!

IT'S A BOY!!!

2010-01-23T08:03:00.002-07:00

My first pictures! Due first week in June!

Christmas!

2010-01-01T07:51:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Christmas full of excitement and family! It is sure fun to have kids this age to enjoy this day!

Snow Day!!

2009-12-08T15:14:00.002-07:00

We have finally had enough snow to enjoy some play time outside! Even Maurie is having a blast! We have also been walking/riding in the sled to school! We love the snow (at least when we don't have to drive in it!)

My First Primary Activity!

2009-12-04T15:21:00.000-07:00

We just had our final primary activity for the year (my first since my new calling as Primary President)! We had a lot of fun "building our eternal families" with a relay race (each person had to play the role of a family member), Captain Moroni came and told us the title of liberty story and then we made our own title of liberty flags, and then we topped it off with building ice cream sundaes!! It was lots of fun! I never thought that I would like being in Primary! But I do love it!

Decorating the Tree

2009-12-01T15:01:00.000-07:00

We had a lot of fun decorating the tree this year! Sam made a list of tasks for us to complete in time for December! It consisted of putting up the tree, putting together the electric train, putting up the outside Christmas lights, taking a rest (thank goodness), putting away the fall decorations, and putting up the countdown calendar! We were very busy that day!
And we have only had the tree fall over on Maurie once:) She is learning to not pull off the ornaments!

Happy Halloween!!

2009-11-04T15:11:00.002-07:00

2009-10-19T10:09:00.001-06:00

Go Green Gators!

2009-09-24T13:12:00.001-06:00

Here's my soccer crew! I have had fun coaching Joshie's team this year!

My Three!

2009-08-19T15:44:00.000-06:00

This is Maurie's latest! She can find a pair of underwear like she is Sherlock Holmes! She loves to put them on her head! (I just hope they are clean!!)

Sam already for his first day of First Grade!!!

I don't have many mixed feelings about him being gone most of the day, I am looking forward to a peaceful house!

Josh's first day of Pre-School with Mrs. Suzan! He had so much fun, he wish he could go everyday!

Digital Scrapbooking!

2009-08-17T16:08:00.003-06:00

One of my latest things now a days is digital scrapbooking! I have been having so much fun doing this that I have been neglecting my blog. For that I apologize, but I am thrilled at the stuff I am accomplishing now that I have been scrapbooking on the computer. Here is a sample of my first published book! I hope to send off Josh's baby book this week to be published!

http://www.heritagemakers.com/projectBrowserStandAlone.cfm?projectId=979989&productId=1&projectSponsor=457785

Our latest mishap!

2009-08-14T15:46:00.001-06:00

Poor Bopper gets the brunt of all the injuries around here. I guess that happens when big brothers are involved!

Josh and Sam went to their cousins house for a sleep over! But Josh got bumped off the slide and ended up going to the instacare. Luckily in Orem they stay open until 10pm! Anyway, he has a buckle fracture by his wrist! It was hard for me cause I had to stay at home while Maurie was sleeping while Ted went and met his brother Donny in Orem to help Josh!

But, Josh is a perfect little patient, and the next day when the doctor was putting on his hard cast Josh was laughing and giggling at all of the doctor's silly troubles (like dropping the gauze and getting their thumbs stuck to each other for a minute!) It was cute!

The next day Josh crashed around 5pm from staying up so late at the doctors. He is pretty proud of his red cast!

Winding up summer!

2009-08-13T15:57:00.000-06:00

We have been trying to get everything in these last few weeks! The boys enjoyed swimming lessons and they each passed their level! Hooray!

We met my friend Melissa and went to the $2 Tuesdays at Thanskgiving Point! This is a picture of Sam, Josh, and Maya on the bridge! Some of their favorites were feeding the fish, having a picnic, going on top of the waterfall, and playing in the water at Noah's ark!

We also finished our library reading program with a fun party with goodies, we have had many water days outside with our waterslide and irrigation! And we have gotten together with family and friends!

We are now looking forward to school starting! Sam will be in first grade and Josh will start Pre-school! Needless to say, I am excited to have some peace and quiet around the house!

Happy Birthday Joshua!!

2009-07-27T15:29:00.000-06:00

July 20th - 4 years old!

Bopper on his new bike!!

Bopper blowing out the candles on his hot wheels world race cake!

Chicago continued...

2009-07-05T08:45:00.006-06:00

We took so many pictures at the "silver bean" at Millenium Park, but this is one of my favorites!

All in all we had a wonderful time in Chicago!

Our last day we went to where Ted grew up and visited with family friends! It was fun to see his old house and imagine that little boy running around in the "woods" behind his house imaging all kinds of adventures!

And who would of thought that out in the middle of nowhere we would see Mater from the Disney movie. This was the best picture I could get since it took me forever to dig out my camera. We tried to catch up with him but he must have pulled off somewhere! It sure made Josh's day though!

We certainly had a great time but I must say it is great to be back home!

Chicago!!

2009-07-05T08:09:00.004-06:00

Our next adventure was in Chicago where we met up with Donny (Ted's brother) and his family!We forgot our camera the first day so this is our second day. We started off at the Hancock building and saw amazing views of the city, beach, and lake!

Sam recounts his time at the top of the tower as one of his most favorite things, but at the same time he says it was the most boring as he listened to the recorded tour. Josh on the other hand had a lot of fun playing with the interactive headset.

Sam and Dane - We then went to the famous Gino's East for some deep dish pizza! Anyone who knows me and pizza will understand that they put way too much sauce on:)

We spent some time at the beach!

We then went to the pier and had fun watching the pirate boat depart, playing at the funny mirrors, walking clear to the end, seeing the biggest ferris wheel ever, and then ending up inside the children's museum for endless fun!

The day before we went to the Field Museum and went to the pirate exhibit. There we saw the biggest pirate treasure ever!! So it was extra fun to see pirates taking their hostages away for an adventure!

I think we could have spent a whole day at these mirrors, we were all laughing so hard!

Ahoy!

Ohio Adventure

2009-07-01T07:49:00.000-06:00

This last week our family was able to visit Ted's parents on their mission in Cleveland Ohio!

Our kids were SO excited to see them! We enjoyed our visit and it was definitely hard to say goodbye again!

Here are some of our highlights!

This was taken at the Johnson Farm in the room where Joseph Smith did much of his work.

We spent one day in Amish Country. It was amazing to learn a little about their culture and also see the beautiful things they make (furniture, baskets, cheese). Who knew you could make chocolate cheese that tastes better than fudge!

We walked across the street from Mom and Dad's apartment to the shore of Lake Erie!

We enjoyed a tour of the Kirtland Temple!

Show Me Your Teeth!!

2009-06-22T09:43:00.001-06:00

I finally got this on camera!

Sam's "Walking Report Card"

2009-05-30T09:38:00.000-06:00

Sam performed for us at his graduation celebration! I can't believe that he is done with Kindergarten! It has been such a fun year and his teacher was excellent. He was "a lot of sad" to say goodbye.

Black Eye!

2009-05-29T09:28:00.000-06:00

Maurie fell over and hit her eye on one of the condiments in the kitchen door. At first I thought she was over reacting, but the shiner was quick to show and it lasted at least a week.

A New Decade!

2009-05-19T20:58:00.000-06:00

Happy 30th Birthday to me!!

I can't believe that the 20's are gone. I was hoping they would last forever!

I am excited though for the things to come! As a little child I remember when my mom was 35 and I thought she was ancient (no offense of course). It is amazing how perspective changes!

Happy Mother's Day Grandma!!

2009-05-10T09:00:00.002-06:00

We Love you!!!

A Day At The ZOO!!

2009-04-21T08:58:00.006-06:00

We decided to take advantage of the nice weather and spend some time at the zoo! The kids were so excited to see the animals and ride the train! Josh's favorite animal is the giraffe! Sam's favorite animal is the camel! And by Maurie's reactions, I think her favorite is the monkeys!

Sam and Chase enjoying the train ride!

A day in the sun!

Me, Maurie and Josh on the train!

Maurie's first go at the carousel!

Josh was a smiles as he rode on his giraffe on the carousel! Notice Peyton in the back on the right, she was so nervous and scared. I felt helpless, Heather stayed off with her baby and I was clear across on the other side so all I could do was yell words of encouragement! (Needless to say I am glad that she was able to stay in her seat the entire ride!)

Having fun with the cousins! I think Peyton was still in shock from the carousel that she opted to stay in the stroller for pictures!

Our First Go At Stitches. . . or Staples!!

2009-04-16T20:41:00.003-06:00

Joshie and Sam were rough housing with each other today on the couch while I was painting my bedroom ceiling! Josh got bumped off and hit the coffee table. It wasn't as melodramatic like it would have been with Sam who probably would have passed out from lack of oxygen because he cries so hard. Josh on the other hand acted like he just got a bump on the head. He did cry though when the doctor used lidocaine. Four staples later our poor guy was all smiles when he received a sucker and a coupon for free ice cream!

Did I mention that two hours before this happened I had to call poison control because I caught Maurie sucking on the end of the boys toothpaste! Luckily the tube was nearing empty anyway.

Did I also mention that ten minutes after I put Maurie to bed tonight she started wailing , so I went in to check on her and there was blood all over her mouth and all over her teddy bear. I thought to myself "what could have possibly gone wrong now?, do I get another trip to the doctor!!" Luckily (for me at least) she had just bit her lip and it was bleeding like crazy!

What a day!!

Happy Birthday Sam!

2009-04-13T20:56:00.001-06:00

I didn't think it would happen this early, but all that Sam wanted for his birthday was money and a cake! So needless to say it was the easiest birthday I have ever had to do!!

Sam is very proud of the lego race car he picked out for one of his presents!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T21:20:00.000-06:00

Maurie with Easter goodies!

The kids had a fun Easter this year!

The Easter egg hunt was a classic, even Maurie got a lot in her bucket!

The Museum of Art at BYU

2009-04-10T21:05:00.000-06:00

While Dane was with us we went to the BYU Museum of Art to see the Walter Wick displays (better known at my house as the "I Spy" guy). The boys had so much fun that they recreated their own version!

Cousins!

2009-04-02T08:40:00.003-06:00

Aren't these guys little handsome devils!

I thought I would sneak a picture while they were all together!

Maurie's First Tooth!

2009-03-23T12:22:00.001-06:00

Maurie's teeth are coming in full force now! Right now she has three teeth with two more about to come! About time right?!!

Hurray for Spring

2009-03-22T10:14:00.002-06:00

Spring has brought about such joy and renewal. I love this time of year where things start anew. Our flowers are starting to bloom. Our apricot is now "popping". I finished pruning three trees yesterday while the kids played in the sand box and on the swings. Maurie is so easy and she doesn't eat sand or throw sand or play in dirty corners like the boys did. She loves the dog and our cat. Our pets are quite entertaining to watch outside. Brinkley chases George around the yard, and when I play with Brinkley our cat gets jealous and tries to get the dogs attention by chases him and enticing him with a dash here and there. George kept me entertained while I pruned because he would run across the yard and up in the tree over and over again just to say hi! pretty funny
This last week was busy but fun. Ted and I celebrated our 8th Anniversary!!! and we had a fun time in Salt Lake while the kids stayed at my parents. I am lucky to have married such a sweet (and of course, manly) guy. We are excited for the next 8 years +!! Also this week, Ted and I both had eye appointments, Sam performed in a "friend" musical for school, we bought a chest of drawers for our bedroom so we could fit more clothes and limit the space, I textured our bedroom ceiling and shampooed our carpet, the kids and I went to the Dinosaur Museum and 3-D movie, I had my first basketball game for the Spanish Fork City league, Ted was preparing for a work related trip. Needless to say, we were busy and I forgot to get my camera out!!

Too busy!!

2009-03-05T20:51:00.001-07:00

Beware of amateur construction!!

I have been occupied the last few weeks with mudding, painting, and replacing old lights and wiring new recessed lighting in our basement!

Nearly all of my time has been spent remodeling, so I apologize for not keeping up with my blog!!

Here our a couple of pictures to show our progress!

(Our walls used to be stripped down to the cement due to our flood last year, and there used to be two oblong flourescent lights that were randomly placed and wired!)

With some advice from my brother Mark I turned the breaker switch back on this last Wednesday and our house did not explode! I must admit I was a little nervous of causing a disaster!

Next comes texturing the ceiling, painting the walls, and putting up moulding!

Eating Habits!!

2009-03-05T20:41:00.004-07:00

Maurie is at the fun age where she wears most of the food that is put in front of her! She is also a great artist with her food and she creates beautiful designs on the table and wall!

I have taught her a bad habit in drinking her milk from her cereal bowl! I have done this with each child because it prevents huge messes!!

Ribbons and Bows!

2009-02-05T20:46:00.001-07:00

Maurie finally has enough hair to play with!

One Year Old!

2009-01-09T15:10:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pictures of Maurie walking, she is very entertaining!!

Birthday Morning!!

2009-01-09T15:05:00.002-07:00

I can't believe that Maurie is one year old today!! The time flies by way to fast! She has been such a joy to our family this past year! This picture is a repeat of every morning as we all bundle up to take Sam to Kindergarten. Happy Birthday Snicker-doodle chocolate-chip cookie strawberry-shortcake pants!! We love you!

Our Snow Fun!!

2009-01-08T15:16:00.000-07:00

The boys have been having a blast in the snow this year.

Here are some of there adventures!

Maurie is Learning to Walk!

2009-01-05T08:38:00.000-07:00

Maurie has started to walk short distances. Each day she gets a little braver!

Ward Christmas Party!

2008-12-21T20:32:00.003-07:00

Do you think Santa knows that I've been a little naughty?!!

Josh was rambling on and on before he even got on Santa's lap!

"Who is this jolly man?"

We had a fun ward breakfast for Christmas this year! Don't you just love our Santa! All of our kids were excited to sit on his lap! Even Maurie had fun!

Snow Day!

2008-12-16T21:01:00.000-07:00

Sam starting to make a snowman!

This is the first time he has been able to make a decent sized ball without help.

Josh decided he would be better off making a snow angel!

Jeppsen Christmas!

2008-12-13T20:44:00.000-07:00

We had a fun Christmas party at my parents house! We did so many things I don't know where to start! Most important though is that all of the cousins had a blast!

We decorated gingerbread houses, had pizza, played in the fresh new snow, listened to Grandma read a cute version of "The Night Before Christmas," and we exchanged presents.

We are blessed!

Josh and Ted made a cute log cabin gingerbread house with delicous licorice rope fences!

Sam and I worked on a stable of sorts!

I haven't played in the snow for awhile, so it was fun to run around a little bit!

Joshie was a dare-devil on the sled!

I couldn't resist putting this one in - He is just too cute!

The grandchildren intent on Grandma's story!

Almost Stitches!

2008-12-06T20:27:00.001-07:00

What happens when Mom tries to get ready and leaves the boys to play alone?

Luckily I had some skin glue and some butterfly bandaids! Josh was brave as always. He sure had a pretty black eye the next few days!

Our Trip on the Polar Express!

2008-12-04T15:13:00.000-07:00

Sam and Josh in front of our passenger car of the Polar Express (Heber Valley Railroad). We had an excellent time with the kids and with cousins!

Waiting to board the Polar Express!

We were cozy inside the train! The kids wore their pj's just like in the movie!

Chase, Peyton, Heather, and Jeff

Marlee, Barrett, Kirsti, and Paul

Hot Chocolate and Cookies made by Mrs. Claus!

Our host, the "Reindeer Wrangler" read us the Polar Express and kept us entertained by singing carols and telling us funny stories and christmas jokes!

We spotted Santa at the North Pole!

(Look closely out the window.)

We had such a fun time!!

WALL-E

2008-12-03T15:20:00.000-07:00

Sam really wanted me to put these pictures on the blog! He built this 95% by himself. It is supposed to be WALL-E (a robot from the new release movie).

Our Christmas Tree this Year

2008-12-03T14:54:00.000-07:00

Sam and Josh were thrilled to help assemble the tree this year!

Doll Obsession!

2008-11-24T20:59:00.003-07:00

Maurie has loved dolls since she was just a few months old! Anytime she sees one she smiles from ear to ear!

Last weekend Ted and I took the kids to the store and let them look around at the toys so they could make a list for Santa. Well, I decided to see what Maurie's reaction would be down the doll isle. I wish I would have had my camera, because she was going nuts. People were staring and laughing at how funny and cute she was! And it was cute until we started to put the dolls back and started to walk away, and then she went nuts on the other end of the spectrum and starting yelling and crying. She even rammed her head into the shopping cart handle because of her overwhelming sadness! It was pretty funny! (I hope she grows out of this!)

Maurie's first reaction is always a big hug!

Her second reaction is usually her snicker face because she is lucky to be holding the bestest thing in the world!:)

And when she can't contain her excitement, her next reaction is to mutilate the poor thing with slimey kisses!

Construction

2008-11-24T20:55:00.002-07:00

Sam keeps telling me that he wants to be a "constructioner" when he grows up! We have been building a variety of things with our play mats lately. Maurie has had so much fun crawling through these tunnels and houses!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2008-11-11T13:30:00.002-07:00

My most handsome guy is 34 today! This wonderful guy brings me a smile everyday! I am more thankful for him than for anything else in this world! I love you Honey!

Sam's Halloween Class Party!

2008-11-11T13:24:00.002-07:00

Toilet Paper Mummy!

I volunteered to help with Sam's party. I was in charge of the goblin's guts!

We got a few interesting faces!

Halloween!!

2008-10-31T21:26:00.003-06:00

(Sam-Batman, Josh-"piderman", Maurie-Pooh Bear dressed as a pumpkin, Becca - yikes:))

We had so much fun this Halloween! I was reminiscing how last year I was flat on my back (pregnancy issues with Maurie) during Halloween and how I missed walking around with the boys. So I took advantage this year and Ted and I took the kids around the neighborhood for trick-or-treating! They were so excited about every piece of candy that they received.

These guys are perfect ages for this kind of stuff!! It was great!

Poor Maurie!

2008-10-31T21:12:00.003-06:00

Maurie has been subject to a lot of dress up this halloween. She is definitely a good sport!

(And these were the only ones I took pictures of!)

Sam's Kindergarten Halloween Program

2008-10-30T15:30:00.002-06:00

Sam's Kindergarten Class

(Sam is in the top left corner)

Sam chose to be a fire fighter this year!

JACK-O-LANTERNS

2008-10-30T15:12:00.002-06:00

We had a fun family night and carved pumpkins!

Dad helped Josh with his "happy" pumpkin and I helped Sam with his "scary" pumpkin. We followed their instructions to make these pumpkins just perfect. Both Sam and Josh were brave enough this year to touch the pumpkin guts!

Doesn't each pumpkin reflect the personality of their maker?!

Nintendo Bonding!

2008-10-30T15:09:00.001-06:00

It is rare to see these two this close to each other without them being on the attack!

Cowboy Bopper

2008-10-30T14:23:00.000-06:00

Isn't he too cute! Josh is enjoying this season of dress-up!

Sugar Cookies!

2008-10-16T12:44:00.002-06:00

Decorating Sugar Cookies

Rachel and Scott brought a bunch of halloween shaped cookies for the kids to decorate!

Mark and Taneil came with Landon, Luke, and Lily to join in the fun!

We had a lot of fun even though our house was torn apart (downstairs remodeling)!

Kindergarten Trip to Vineyard

2008-10-16T12:27:00.002-06:00

Pumpkinland

I volunteered to help out with Sam's kindergarten class on their exciting trip to Vineyard (west of Orem). Everyone had lots of fun and no one got lost! :)

Sam and Josh

Joshie in his true form!

In the corn maze! Sam, Nicholas (from Sam's class), and Josh.

Maurie endured the adventure!

Sam in the hay house.

The boys had a lot of fun playing on all of the fun setups. They were also able to pick out a pumpkin to take home!

Snicker Doodle

2008-10-16T12:18:00.003-06:00

My toothless wonder!!

Maurie received her nick-name "Snicker Doodle" because she always wrinkles up her nose into a snicker! I was just now able to capture it on camera!

Three of a kind!

2008-10-08T19:08:00.002-06:00

Even from behind they look the same!

(Josh, Maurie, Sam)

Ted's brother Kyle Just had their first baby!

2008-10-08T15:34:00.001-06:00

Isn't he cute!

Way to go Liz and Kyle!

Maurie Nine Months

2008-10-08T15:28:00.001-06:00

This is the expression that we get a lot of lately!

Our Quick Trip to Georgia!

2008-10-08T15:17:00.002-06:00

Ted and I (and Maurie) were able to go to Georgia to take part in Tonya's baptism this last Saturday! Thanks to my parents for taking the boys for a couple of days!

(Ted, Becca with Maurie, Tonya, Devin with Allyson, Elliott, Barrett, Nicole)

It was great to spend time with family!

Our Hummer!!

We got some sweet wheels at the rental shop since they were short on stock!

(I will never own a vehicle like this, it was pretty much awful in every way!)

Devin and Tonya took us to a Mexican Restuarant following the Baptism!

Maurie having fun during conference!

Daddy we miss you!

2008-09-22T13:05:00.001-06:00

The boys wanted to send a letter, but I thought this would be easier!

Love you!

2008-09-16T15:40:00.000-06:00

CRAWLING!!!

I apologize for my goofy voice, but what do you expect!!

Maurie is no longer content to just sit around anymore! There are just too many things to explore, and too many ways to bother her brothers!

We had good timing in getting new carpet downstairs just yesterday. Maurie has been enjoying the big open rooms (I think I am enjoying the soft floor more than anybody!). These are a couple of pictures of our biggest room downstairs that we had done.

You may ask why we took down the walls and left cement in its place?!

The answer is: we found black mold from a past flood and decided better now than later!

So needless to say one of our next projects will be to put up new walls (with insulation this time)!
The projects only seem to multiply!!

Here is Sam showing off the new stairs!
He expresses several times a day . . . "I love that carpet very much, it is way great"

Sam and Josh have already claimed the biggest space for train tracks!

I will show pictures of the bedroom that we are finishing a little later when it is more complete!

Fun with Maurie!

2008-09-16T15:14:00.002-06:00

Maurie has been a lot of fun lately! Here she is helping me out while I put groceries away! (Actually, it was a way to keep her content so I could put the groceries away!) Maurie can now wave and she can mimick your noises . . . "ba ba, da da, ma ma," etc...

She has also turned into a mama's girl lately and cries nearly every time my back is to her! :)

A Typical Morning!!

2008-09-16T15:11:00.002-06:00

It is a good thing our kids like to get up early! It makes taking Sam to school just after eight o'clock not too terrible! This picture is a repeat day after day! Aren't they cute little stinkers!

Sam at school! Mom and kids play!!

2008-09-16T15:06:00.002-06:00

Josh having fun being a big brother! He always takes care of his "snicker-doodle-pants!"

I have been having a lot of fun with just Josh and Maurie while Sam has been at school! It is fun to have some 1-on-1 time with my little bopper! Maurie has also started to get on a better schedule these past couple days!

Grandma and Grandpa are gone for 18 months

2008-09-15T11:34:00.002-06:00

We said our final goodbyes to Grandma and Grandpa today as they drove away to Cleveland! It will be quite an adjustment having them away for the next 18 months! We have been so blessed having them live so close! We are very excited to hear of their experiences and also see the blessings as a result of them choosing to serve!

Good luck Mom and Dad!

Last Summer Day

2008-08-27T21:23:00.002-06:00

We met my friend Melissa and her daughter Maya to the Dinosaur Museum and the Farm Country the day before school started!

Maya, Josh, and Sam have always seemed to get along very well!

The wagon ride at the farm was one of our highlights!

I had to put Maurie in the blog too since she is usually stuck behind the camera with me!

It was fun to go and spend more time with Mel again! Thanks for the fun idea!

Sam's First Cub Soccer Game

2008-08-27T21:08:00.002-06:00

We decided to let Sam play soccer with a bunch of our neighbors' kids in the Springville City Cub League.

This is Sam getting ready to kick-off!

This is one of the many repeated reactions that Sam had during the game when things didn't go his way (i.e. "I didn't score a goal," "I couldn't kick the ball," etc... ).

Josh found some friends to run around with during half-time!

Sam's First Day of Kindergarten

2008-08-27T20:43:00.004-06:00

The big day finally arrived! Sam was very excited to go to the "big" school this year.

My "little trouble maker" is not so little anymore!

"Hmmmm, I wonder what I will learn this year?"
Play dough kept Sam occupied as I dropped him off! I don't think he even noticed that I was leaving!! Later that night Sam told me that he was brave while he was at school. I asked him why and he said that there was a time that he "really needed me" and I wasn't there, but he didn't cry!

Sam's good friend Micah that lives next door took most of Sam's worries away as they ran off to school and into the classroom. It is fun to have some friends that Sam is already familiar with in his class, and also great to have a walking buddy.

My favorite thing that Sam told be about his first day of school was while we were walking home he quickly turned to me with a perplexed look and said "Mom, Mrs. Morgan (his teacher) didn't teach me how to read today!" I told him that it takes more than one day of school to learn how to read, but I think he was a little disappointed!! All in all, he is very excited to go back tomorrow!

2008 Garden

2008-08-25T13:42:00.002-06:00

Sam and Josh have been faithful little helpers this year in our garden! They have enjoyed weeding, watering, and picking the veggies! This year we have focused on mainly corn and tomatoes. We had to take this picture to show Sam just how big the corn was in comparison.

Our New Piano!!

2008-08-20T09:54:00.003-06:00

I never thought the time would come that I actually would want to sit down and play the piano voluntarily! I actually am really excited to have found such a good deal on a piano (from our neighbor who is moving). I have already been playing all sorts and the kids are even enjoying it!

Sam and Josh have had a great time making up songs and listening to some of their favorites!

Getting Big!!

2008-08-20T09:45:00.002-06:00

Maurie (7 months) has been getting more and more fun as she gets bigger! She is definitely a social bug as she hates to be left behind! Maurie has collected many new nicknames the past few weeks, our favorite of which is probably "snickerdoodle, chocolate chip cookie pants!" I have no idea how that one came to be other than Ted and Sam enjoy putting long combinations together! Some others include "doo," "doodle bug," and "baby girl."

Our Trip to Denver, Colorado

2008-08-20T09:02:00.004-06:00

Who would ever put such beautiful children in jail?

Ted and I were able to take our kids to Denver, Colorado at the beginning of August. Ted had some work there and we followed along. We let the boys pick out our adventures each day and so that mostly involved trains! The picture above was taken in "Tiny Town." This place was filled with miniature houses of all kinds, including a jail!

Tiny Town also had a miniature coal locomotive that we all were able to ride on!

Our boys loved the ride and could have gone all day over and over! We ended our day at Tiny Town by watching the conductor switch out trains and put the black locomotive on the round-about turn table and put the engine in the miniature shed! It was a blast for the kids!

We also went to a train museum in Golden, Colorado (just outside of Denver) close to our hotel.

Our trip was great, but Josh ended up getting sick with a variety of issues and we were out of commision for the next two weeks! Thus no blog entries until now!

Joshie's 3rd Birthday

2008-07-23T12:44:00.003-06:00

Josh saying "cheeeeese" for the camera

Josh is a big Mario fan, so he was thrilled when he opened Mario Kart!

We had a fun birthday party with cousins to celebrate Josh and Cousin Barrett's birthdays! They enjoyed water games, dinner, cupcakes and presents! Thanks everyone for coming and for helping! We had so much fun!

Sam sporting the water protection hat!

Once Sam put this hat on, he was able to run around freely (without getting water on his face or in his eyes) and get a little wet!

Barrett taking aim!

Chase and Sam ready for a gun fight! It was nice of Grandma J. to bring water guns!

The funny part!

Josh and Mom went to the toy store to spend some birthday money from Grandma and Grandpa. I let him pick one toy and this is what he came up with! I tried over and over with different things like thomas trains, puzzles, excavator claws... He was relentless and he just had to have this funny thing! He has been willing to share so we have all had a turn looking like a goof ball! Maurie gets the brunt of it though.

Maurie has not minded one bit looking like an alien child! We even went on a short walk up the street and back with her wearing the funny hair!

Swimming Lessons

2008-07-16T20:20:00.002-06:00

Sam and Josh have been enjoying two weeks of swimming lessons!

Sam thinks he is so brave and Josh doesn't realize any risk!

Practicing part of a swimming stroke - "airplane"

Josh having a blast!!

JULY 4TH CELEBRATION

2008-07-13T08:38:00.006-06:00

We had a lot of fun with our extended family these last two weeks!

Most all of Ted's family was able to spend several days here!

We had a surprise night for Mom and Dad Hartman to celebrate

their retirement and their upcoming Mission to Ohio!

The night was filled with great food, volleyball, get-to-know-you

games, and face painting by Aunt Lisa!

Sam sporting a camouflage look!

Josh wanted to be a race car!

It was fun to play volleyball again!

FOURTH OF JULY

We had a huge rendition of fireworks at Grandpa's!

Maurie was all smiles for the show!