Begin again in 2013

It has been eight months since my last blog post. Eight months. Over half of a year! I have shamefully let dozens of blog worthy moments pass by me. And I have no one else to blame than .... my children. The primary characters of my beloved blog are in fact the very reason I have not been dedicating time to write. I have, however, said to myself hundreds of times, "Tonight when the kids go to bed I am going to sit down and blog." Well it turns out after the kids go to bed the house needs picked up, the laundry needs tending to, the cat needs fed, I can actually talk to my husband for a few minutes without interruption, and I am tired. So sadly, the Hartsell blog has sat idle for 8 whole months. And now it is 2013, time for resolutions and new beginnings, and maybe for me to begin blogging again. A few people have told me they miss my writing and I miss it too. It's good for me. I type and tell our story, much of which the memory alone will forget as time goes on. I hope our kids read my blog one day and are able to feel the little moments of our lives. So, here we go.

Rewind eight months, oh my. Where to even begin? I'll touch on a few of the big moments thinking back to June 1, 2012 when Emily turned one year old. Now 19 months, she is a lovely little girl with a gorgeous face and feisty disposition. She is an intense little being with a serious opinion on just about everything and a warm, loving heart. She loves to give hugs and kisses and lay her head on shoulders. She can melt a heart in a minute, just ask Brent. She is age appropriately shy with others and scowls as her defense mechanism, telling them "no" when they say hi to her, but then a few minutes later will glance at them out of the corner of her eye and smile. She follows Anna's most every move and has adopted a love of dress-up with tutus and pretend jewelry. She has a sweet little raspy voice and has a handful of words, some of her favorites include "up", "baby", "burry" (which means cat), "mine", "bubble", and the ever so sassy "No!" She just started wearing pigtails, which makes her look like a little girl and sadly reminds me she is growing up too quickly. I could go on and on about Emily Grace, and she deserves it. She is a beautiful child and I hope to capture more of her on my blog so she can someday read our stories about her silliness, her sisterly spats with Anna, and her most joyful little spirit.

 Anna Marie, my darling girl, now a big 4 year old started preschool in September. Oh I was so nervous about her first time in school and so sad to let her go, wishing to hold on to her and protect her forever. I will never forget waving goodbye to her at the door of her new school, holding tears in my eyes and so choked up I could only speak in a whisper. And off she went, no tears at all and ready for her new adventure. She was amazing, so brave and confident. Until that moment it had been me and her, everywhere together. She was ready and she has done beautifully in school. She loves it. She loves her teachers, her new friends, snack time, and learning to write. It is a joy to pick her up everyday and see her smile and hear the stories of what she did, who she played with, what they had for snack, what she learned. Hard sometimes to hear stories of children's feelings getting hurt, but it's the beginning of witnessing life's lessons. Before school she was here at home with me, sheltered and protected and only and always loved. Now out in the real world, she has started to see hurt feelings and people not always doing what they should be doing. Brent and I often talk about kindness with Anna and that being kind is her most important job in life. And as we know, life can sadly be so UNkind. That's why I hated to let her go that first day of school. I would love to shield her from every bit of unkindness, hurt, and uncertainty. But I can't and now I have a preschooler taking on the world. Like Emily's pigtails, preschool has been a bittersweet reminder that Anna is growing up. Still my little girl who loves to cuddle with mommy, laugh with daddy, and snuggle with her stuffed animals. A little girl who is growing up to love princesses, singing and dancing, coloring in the lines, and going to school.

Three season changes since my last blog post, summer to fall to winter. Summer was warm and memorable this year. The girls both enjoyed swimming and we spent countless hours in the backyard. Simple fun with buckets and hose water. Then on to fall and the beauty of colored trees, one of my favorite seasons. Though it is always kind of sad to cover up the girls gently tanned skin and bare knees with long sleeves and pants. The girls loved the fall leaves, fall festivals, and Halloween. We had a costumed Tinkerbelle (Anna) and Minne Mouse (Emily) this year. Our sweet-toothed children thoroughly enjoyed their Halloween treats. Now we are enjoying (?) winter and Christmas has already come and gone. We just took the decorations down on Sunday night and the girls yelled "Bye-bye!" to the Christmas tree as it sat on the curb outside. I always find it hard to pack it all away, as Christmas brings a bit of magic and faith renewed. A refreshing, special feeling of anticipation especially now through the eyes of Anna and Emily, who soak up everything Christmas. The nativity was Anna's favorite this year and she eagerly learned and talked about the birth of Jesus. Very often we were actors in Anna's pretend play of the nativity. Anna is Mary, a Cabbage Patch doll is baby Jesus, Grandma is Joseph (my mom is a good sport), Emily is the shepherd, Brent is a wiseman, and I am the angel. A fine holy family we make, ha! Santa brought everything on the kids' lists, which delighted them immensely. We had a good snow over Christmas break and we pulled the girls around on their sled in the front yard. And now begins a long stretch of winter for me, the time after Christmas until the first signs of spring.

My parents relocated in September and now live only 7 blocks away from us. They moved from Hawthorne Drive in South Bend to Hawthorne Road in Grosse Pointe. Though the moving process has been an adjustment for my folks, we are so fortunate to live close to one another and we have enjoyed some really special times together already. It is nice not having to say good-bye anymore to my mom and dad after a weekend visit to South Bend. Now they are right here with us and we are a family. It is the everyday stuff we are able to share now - meals, Emily's hugs at the door, a quick cartoon with Anna before bedtime, going to church together, even the bits of chaos children can bring. My parents are popular visitors around here and Anna and Emily never tire of seeing them. They are so lucky to be able to grow up with Grandma and Grandpa nearby, an extension of love down the street.

So begins 2013. A new year now, preceded by the precious and special moments of 2012. Resolutions are made, which I'm not historically the best at keeping. Drink more water, pray more often, stay in touch with loved ones, exercise, blog more, get organized. I can tell you right now - that organized one won't last long and I'm not sure if it will even really begin. Two young little ladies around here will unorganize as fast as I organize, and to be honest I'm not sure I would have it any other way. I suppose a realistic resolution and an easy one for me to keep is to give 100% to my family, to be a wife and a mother, to love and adore them, and let them inspire me. And they will, I promise you. Happy New Year, to all of you.

Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.