Jamis Micheal Hartman

Born May 20, 2009 at 7:32am
Weighed in at 7lbs 11oz
Length 20 inches

Momma, Daddy, and baby are resting happily after a LONG morning. How lucky we all are AGAIN!!! =)

She's SEVEN! My first born is seven years old. Man, where has the time gone!? How did I get here? =) I swear it was yesterday that I was hiding my engagement ring from my parents when I brought Kip home for the second time EVER. And now I have a seven year old daughter, a to-be five year old next month and and a three and a half year old that is trying to age right along with his big brother! What am I to do!? Enjoy, I guess! =)

These past few weeks have flown by! Izzy had another very successful birthday party in the church gym. Scott, Kimmie, Keegan, and Sanona came up for Junior Olympic swimming and actually got to stay longer than four days!!! Though it still WASN'T long enough!!! Grandpa and Paana had a "Spring" get-together that WAS NOT a birthday party for Grandpa Steven! And, of course, Easter!!! I know I should elaborate on these wonderful events, but I'm going to let the pictures speak for me.Toby fell asleep between Izzy and Aiden. When they got up...he stayed there...=)


Kip finally got to have chocolate! He gave it up for Lent and now he's enjoying Reese's all over again!!!


They did smile for this shot, but it wasn't nearly this telling...=)


How many kiddos can YOU fit in hula hoop?


Blowing out candles on the polar bear cake with Toby's help!


Baby Joy feeding Uncle Kip...=)


Auntie Kimmie and Keegan


Baby Joy playing with Paana's flowers.


Her momma got to play too!


Paana helping with buttons


Dessert at Paana's!!! Yay!!!


Paana and Grandpa Steven


Mmmm...more dessert at Paana's!


Mmmmm! Dinner at Paana and Grandpa's!


Izzy helped make some yumminess!!! =)

It's been two weeks already!?

Wowsers, I cannot believe it has been two weeks since I last posted here. Spring Break was already two weeks ago and it went by in a complete blur! Kip and I had the wedding in Homer. The kiddos had their respective vacations, Izzy's first sleepover with a school friend, Aiden FINALLY got to go spend the night with his cousins in Wasilla, and Toby got to spend the weekend with Uncle Drew and Marla! Man, they came back exhausted and incredibly happy! Yay!

Both Toby and Aiden were able to spend the weekend watching the ceremonial AND official start of the Iditarod (YAY! Lance Mackey! Mr. Three Peat!!!), but surprisingly enough, they did not run into each other. They thoroughly got to enjoy being themselves. It was great!!!

Izzy was taught how to drive a snowmachine BY HERSELF! Thank goodness it was a small one! She also got to play a DS for the first time. That's a Nintendo, right? =) I never thought I would be out of the loop when it came to kids stuff, but I think I've seen one of those things twice. She's, of course, completely infatuated with it now. Oh my....

Kip and I attended Jason and Rachel Wall's wedding in Homer, though it was more of a job for me and a night with the guys for Kip. He took it very well, especially when I had said it was going to be a great getaway for us. I did not realize how much work it actually was to shoot a wedding. The photos turned out wonderful! I was lucky enough to have my teacher with me, talking me through every lighting set up and background shot, though, looking to me for final decisions and answers to questions from the couple and their family. It was a phenomenal learning experience for me. I think I have found my calling. Kip was told I looked completely in my element the night of the wedding. It was wonderful!!! I am so grateful for my supportive husband. =)



p.s. I TOOK THOSE PHOTOS!!! WOOHOO!!! ;)


I can't believe that was just the START of our spring break. The rest of the break we pretty much fell out of contact with the outside world. The boys ended up with ear infections, one right after the other. But we were able to push through it and hike/sled Ptarmagin Pass in Chugiak and ice fish on Mirror Lake. The sun was out in her full glory giving us a glimpse of the warmth to come.We painted the boys' room so it is no longer plum purple. (YAY!) Now it is light blue with one medium blue wall. Kip took the night I was working to redecorate it and get all the boys' posters and artworks up on the walls. We put the furniture in when I got home. --The kiddos spent three nights sleeping together in Izzy's room. The first two nights were fun, by the third, though, they were ALL ready for their own beds! LOL!-- The bunk beds are now against different walls and it looks like a wonderful little boys room with a train table, toy box, and book baskets! It was a job well done! =)St. Patrick's Day was thrown in there too and though it was a quiet gathering this year, we still had a wonderful time! We had cornbeef and cabbage, Irish Soda Bread that Pat made with the kiddos before dinner, shortbread, Guiness, John Powers, green beer, and green iced and sprinkled cupcakes. It was quite the food party!!! Oh! And don't forget the tattoos from Grama! =)
As for now, we're settling back into the groove of school. I can't believe we are on the downward swing towards summer vacation. It's going to be another busy one, but it's going to be wonderful!!! =)
Super Tilly!!!

The Fairy Princess is casting spells with her magic stick wand upon the evil Fairy creature at her feet! That was her story she made up and her Daddy was, indeed, a fairy for his daughter! LOL!

This picture was taken by Marco Gutierrez. He is my instructor and after we finished up with the wedding party, he took the time to shoot a few of Kip and me.

Spring Break is just about here!!! Yay!

It's coming! It's almost here!!! =) Spring Break is within reach!!! Tomorrow morning I head down to Homer to prepare for my first wedding shoot(well second, but the first was YEARS ago). The whole ceremony, reception and everything!!! I can't believe it! I'm SO excited and incredibly nervous!!! I'm going to be driving down tomorrow morning with a fellow photographer (Man, that sounds so cool!!! LOL!). We'll be mapping out our course of action for the wedding and family photos on Saturday.

Kip and I have successfully farmed out the kiddos to a point where if they were not able to go to their respective places they would be incredibly disappointed (this was my plan so Kip could relax and enjoy the fact that we'll be adults all weekend. WOOHOO!!!). The funny thing is, I don't know how to pack to be an adult! LOL! I keep getting distracted trying to be sure the kiddos have everything they'll be needing over the weekend. AH! Motherhood! =) Really I do believe this is going to be a fantastic weekend for all five of us! As well as for Tilly (she'll come down to Homer with Kip). Izzy gets to have her FIRST sleepover with someone other than family! Aiden FINALLY gets to spend the night with Jacob and Emily! And Tobias gets to spend the weekend playing with Uncle Drew and Marla! =) I think Uncle Drew is as excited as Toby is for this weekend!!! So I told Kip that if he decides it's too much for him to make it down, he STILL has to take the kiddos to their places because if he didn't he would be in the DOGHOUSE! =)

Well wish us luck! I best get back to packing!!! *hugs* to all!

Here you are Grama, the photo for which you've been asking!!! =)

What a Weekend!

Well, as I sit here letting my weekend sink in all I can think of is how lucky (and incredibly exhausted *smiles*) I am!!! Friday was a Girls Night Out for a Bride-to be (for whom I am taking wedding photos in TWO WEEKS!). Saturday was a lazy DAY, a GREAT night of work, and a too short (for me, not her) birthday party. And Sunday was a wonderfully long day hanging with my daughter as she competed in the Junior Native Youth Olympics as one of the Chugiak Rams! Goodness I'm so happy it's Monday!!! LOL! =)

It was a marvelous weekend and Isabelle did so well! We are so proud of her!

The first event was the Kneel Jump and she made it to her feet!!! Something she was unable to do before practices at school! She had great form and made it up!!! Yay! We'll work on distance later! ;)The second event was the Stick Pull and she won the pull twice! Check it out!!!


Isn't that cool!? =)

The third event was the Seal Hop and she went 5ft 5in. She loves this event! And we learned an extra tip that is going to help her cross the gym next year!

These Games are so much fun and we realized that we have a lot of work to do for next year, but this year was a phenomenal learning experience and a day that I FINALLY got to spend with my daughter!!! I didn't realize how much I miss her! I am incredibly lucky to have my Isabelle! She makes her Momma BEAM with pride!

So enjoy the photos & video! I have a lot to do after such a busy, out-of-the-house weekend! =)

*hugs*

My Oh My!

Holy cow what a week! And its only Wednesday! Aiden has been sick with a sore throat and tight cough. Toby went to the doctor yesterday after having the same cold Kip and I had for more than a week and now he's got an ear infection! There have been sick people in our house since the week before the Superbowl! Will we ever be healthy again!? Good thing Isabelle has been able to stave off any sickness! Unfortunately, she has been stuck having to put up with all the sickies in the house! Man I'm ready for good health! =)

We are gearing up for the Junior NYO on Sunday! Isabelle has had practice before and after school for the past week and a half and she's doing very well! She told me after the first few days that when she moved her tummy hurt. And I told her she was sore from using her muscles. I don't remember being sore when I was young, probably just because I didn't realize what it was! It still makes me giggle realizing how much I am responsible for teaching her. Well maybe not giggle, but it sure makes me reevaluate! But I digress...=) Isabelle's coaches are her two gym teachers and they say she works hard everyday! She's been the first one there after school and I'm sure she would be the first one in the morning if she didn't have to wait for her brothers and I to get in the car! She is becoming incredibly self sufficient! Well, once you kick start her in the morning (she's like her Momma!). But once she is dressed and fed, she gets her things gathered and she's ready to go! She makes me so proud! One day she'll actually get to know that. =) For now she has to watch me corral two boys who would rather not do anything I need them to do...=) The stinkers!

Well, I had best get going. Aiden and I have some books to read!

Here are today's pics!

Daddy caught us enjoying our Saturday afternoon watching Black Beauty! I LOVE this time with the kiddos!!! =)This is Toby working at school. He is doing so well!!! For those of you who don't get to see him all that often, you are going to be floored when you get to see his new personality! He's a HAM!

Isabelle has taken up the role of reading to the boys when Momma and Daddy have to get stuff done around the house. It's wonderful! She loves to read and the boys, as you can tell, adore listening! Tilly seems to enjoy it too! Though I think she's more there for the physical closeness! She's a snuggler!

Playing with the webcam!

So while we waited to Skype Grama and Grampa the other day, I pulled up photo booth on my computer and let the kiddos play in the camera for a bit. I'd go through and explain, but these pics and video pretty much do the trick...;)Okay, so maybe I joined in a little bit too, but check out this video I put on when I ran to grab the dental floss and the kiddos thought it was still just taking pictures when it was actually recording them!!! Hahahahaha! Sorry, it's in thermal, but they were enjoying playing with the different effects...I think kiddos like to look different! It's wonderful, isn't it!?