I'll be with you shortly...

sorry little blog, but you don't have WordTwist, PathWords, or Scramble that I am currently obsessed with on Facebook...I'm working on uploading the last 2 weeks photos now! I hope to see you soon-you'd be so proud of my WordTwist score! ha ha ha

Our 1st cousin is here!

December 7th, 2009

(Notice it's the same date as Eden's Party)

And yes, I did stay awake at the hospital all night to get to meet him...I ended up watching him be born(After 4hrs. of pushing Morgan lost all sense of privacy!!LOL) and no he wasn't born until after 5am
*********************
So Eden and sissy were very willing to share the party balloons with Conner at Auntie's bedside and left the Birthday cupcakes in Auntie's room in honor of this "birth-day" celebration day! Luckily they weren't actually born on the same day since Eden's is the 23rd, but we have always celebrated hers the first Sunday in December to have a break between the Holidays is how this happened!
*******************************

Hallé getting to hold her cousin Conner Joseph for the first time

Eden's first time holding...she said her favorite was his feet and cute blue hat!
Hooray....I'm finally an Auntie; can you tell I'm excited and obviously had a very large Carmel Frappacino w/ vanilla and extra carmel on top from Starbucks!

Happy Birthday Baby Conner!

You are perfect...We are so glad you are here

1 minute old.....amazing

In the NICU...30min. old
"I love you auntie sarah..!" :) ..."I love you too pretty little baby"

Justin and Morgan...Proud Dad and Mom having her first glimpse of Conner

Soaking Issues & Adhesives...

My kids are in love with showering in the stand up shower now at our new place which is obviously not a bath tub and so I've had to create "mandatory soaking days" today they enjoyed the garden tub for extra splashing room...because no matter how hot, long, or soapy the shower...kid toenail dirt wins every time....



Speaking of something that wins everytime! I'm having soaking issues with some abandoned Cheerios out of Hallé's breakfast bowl as well.

Am I the only one that has really hurt her finger trying to scrape cemented Cheerios off the wall? This little friend on our wall stayed for a couple days because the girls were so impressed by it's strength that defeated their mommy that it became Eden's own mission...

I'm happy to announce that she finally won without any injuries.

Am I also the only one who has ever seriously considered smashing up a bowl of cheerios with water and getting a patent for the most amazing and chemical-free household adhesive ever? Don't laugh (or steal my idea) if I'm posting pictures tomorrow of my experiment because it just so happened that Hallé killed our last poor little glue stick (no art supply stands a chance against my Claire-Bear!) and I'm brainstorming storage container options as I type.

Perfect Parenting for Monkeys!

This little monkey was ready for Christmas Decorating....

...and this little monkey was too!

This little Monkey got to go up on the roof top...

...but this little monkey stayed on the ground

So... thiiiiiiiis little Monkey cried "wah wah wah".....
until she changed her Mommy & Daddy's mind around....

Back to school for Mom & Dad...

Eden's 1st Report Card!

Daddy & Mommy just had the "sweetest" and most adorable experience yesterday...attending our first "parent/teacher" conference with Eden's Kindergarten teacher; Mrs. Stumph. She is wonderful and made us feel like she loved Eden and thought she was wonderful too...

(Who doesn't think it's wonderful to have someone tell you all the great and creative things your kid is doing...!?!)

I'm sure that there are things that go down in parent/teacher conferences that leave moms and dads heartbroken or frustrated; for that "absense" I am sooooo grateful and we thank God for healthy children!

We giggled when Mrs. Stumph told us how Eden was supposed to be sounding out & spelling a sentence to describe a picture she had drawn; when asked "Eden did you write this?" She replied: "No, Jadyn (Beauchamp) :)-such a sweetie- told me how to spell it because I didn't know...but I didn't ask her, she just told me, I didn't ask her, she just told me....." Mrs. Stumph laughed with us and we didn't know what was cuter; the fact that Eden had no idea that it wasn't ok to take others answers just because they were unsolicited, or the fact that the answers given were still adorably "wrong"...

I wish life stayed full of that simple confidence

"to give and receive help you can never be wrong!"

love of pies....in His eyes

~~Granny Joey, we are thinking of and praying for you up there in the I.C.U. in Seattle after your emergency surgery and "life flight" to a middle of the night 6 hour surgery. We trust your doctors but ultimately have our hope in our Perfect Physician and His graceful timing despite our earthbound eyes. We are thankful for your skill and love of pie making as well; we pray we will be able to share a slice with you again! Our hearts will ache to have you miss these holidays with us and "baby conner's" big birth-day" whenever he chooses that to be...Yet your absense feels like nothing compared to the scare we had all night of losing you...You are loved and we are Thankful~~

"We're Rollin' in the Dough!"

That's Right....it's our favorite time of year....
Bulk Pie Making Time!
Ok, for those of you who know me...Yes, it has a lot to do with the fact that I love eating Pie dough! If you say "gross" then you don't have my pie dough recipe! "Thanks Mom." ( I think she actually entered it into a contest when she was in high school and won!)....I also have my grandma's lucky parring knife which I'm convinced is the ticket...j/k Maybe I should keep it a secret?!?
-Too late...the girls are already experts!

They're busy at it so put your orders in now..

"They're not ready yet Will (l)....."

See....Look at them, you just have to taste this dough!

Sprinkles and all???
(no matter how much influence I assert I can't convince them that sprinkles aren't appropriate on "everything"...maybe I'm wrong!?

(Thank you Anya & Tracie for the personalized aprons) *******************I didn't get a picture of it...because it was hazardous to bring the camera into the kitchen after the flour started flying and shortening all over our hands...

However, Eden did make her very first little pies. (she's been doing it for years, but this time-no hands from Mommy) She made them in these little ceramic heart shaped dishes, it was sooo cute to watch her roll and transfer in into the little dish and attempt to "flute" the edges. Then when I was off in the bathroom washing about a cup of shortening off of Hallé..lol,- Eden totally surprised me and took the Saran wrap and covered all 8 pie crusts that we had rolled and arranged in the dishes and needed to cover and freeze...I was so proud of her (& thankful I didn't have to do it)Making Pies with the girls will always be my very favorite thing to do together; it's messy, delicious, and always makes me grateful that I have loved ones to share them with...I hope it will continue to be one of theirs throughout the years. I truly am blessed with the sweetest and most adorable daughters, a wonderful family and perfect best friends. When I think of those that God picked to let me share afternoon laughs & tears with, Starbucks caffeine relief breaks, and holiday stupid human tricks with...I know I am blessed! When I have those days that I feel "just average"...I look at my "power team"...you know who you are, and I know in my heart for the ump-teen million-th time how lucky I am as "His child" to share my God's Eye view! "Thank you God for letting my eyes be open to your small and purposeful things in life-especially for my babies and pies!"

Hallé's Music!

Hallé as some of you might know, pretty much lost all of her ability to speak last Feb.08. It happened after what seemed like endless ear infections; the Doctor said she had become completely "hearing impaired" and had to undergo the surgery for tubes in her ears...she had lost most of her vocabulary down to about 3-4 words. After surgery; she began "double" talking again over the past 8 months developing a HUGE vocabulary....just no enunciation. "ma-ma" "da-da", etc.....including her own name "Hau Hau Ha Ha" = "Hallé Hatke" :)
This may sound silly, but last Thursday driving home from Mops she asked me why there was writing on her cup (I'd had to label it with marker) and I said "so your teachers know what your name is." And she replied: "Wha Mama?" (What is her favorite word right now.) I said: "so they'll know your name is Hallé Claire Hatke"
That's when the music happend....out of the blue she just said her name for the very first time at 27months old... Hal LEE C L AIR E... And for those of you who I've made be our audience you will know why I separated them. She ENUNCIATED every sound so separately and adorable that it made me cry to hear her little voice say a sound (her name!) for the first time so clearly. That was her first word that she pronounced the beginning and end of! Yeah Hal! I was so proud and grateful at the same time after the long road she's had with her ears. It breaks my heart everytime I can't understand her and after laying on the ground and listening with all my heart...I still can't understand her (it's rare..Eden and I are pretty good interpreters at this point)...and then to watch her melt into a crying puddle of frustration after repeating herself so many times! I know she can do it; she's working so hard! I'm just so relieved to see the light at the end of the tunnel I hope. She is proud of herself too and will show off anytime to anyone. I'd post a picture, but you just can't capture that sound of her saying her name! It's music to my ears!

Hallé's Nap Gone Bad?

A series of "MOM" screams brought me into her room while I thought she was napping today.... she is full of adventures, but this one got away from her!

.....Trying to fit into the baby dolls playyard gate & completely stuck!

"thank you mommy for not assuming I just needed to cry it out...."

"Sis and Mommy had to hold me in the air and tug it off my bootie...No cheers & rears for me for awhile!"

Books and Boots!

Eden says to tell everyone "I can read!"

She just sat down with me today and made it thru about 3 of her little beginner books and shocked even herself! Thanks Auntie for those Dora Phonics books (3 years later they're coming in handy!!!) It's really amazing to try and remember back when I was little "what was life like before I could recognize words?"... I'm excited for the world of reading to open up to her. Plus she's just so darn cute trying to lip/sound out the words slowly with a lisp and fat lip and missing teeth! They've been learning those high frequency words in class and it's helped her so much get thru those little words that are naughty and break the rules we say!

This is us on our way to go walk around the neighborhood hunting for puddles today....Brrrr! We are excited for a good reason to wear our rain gear and boots and made some good splashes!
(L) Will (Pronounced Wiw by Hallé)-12months old who comes to our house Wednesdays and Thursdays to play..The girls ADORE him and vice versa.

HTML Savy?!?

Ok, I don't know if savy is even close, but I've finally got the concept ( I said concept not the know how) behind html codes... I don't know how to find all the codes I'm looking for yet, but thanks Heather I'm happy I finally was able to make the playlist at the bottom of the page with our favorite songs! Hope you all have some time to leave our screen up or minimize it and enjoy the music; the girls and I really love them all! My brother will be so proud that I've finally added music and created my first "playlist"...If you have a blog site, let me know. It seems like a fun and easy way to keep up with family and friends.
The sweet little baby I've been watching now is Layla, who's blog site (Hoppe Family is a link to the right)....you have to check out her hysterical halloween photo shoot!...and of course my best friend from Highschool Erin (Courtney) Fay's twins "Hannah & Clara" are always hysterical to look at their photo shoots and bloopers...link to the right as well in case you didn't know whose link that was.

Tooth Fairy Time

So glad that we got her Kindergarten School Portraits taken by Courtney ...Because Eden has one less tooth to Photograph, AND brush the Halloween goodies off of. (Her 3rd now) She was rough housing with her friends and knocked her top loose tooth out, loosened another, and split her lip. Lot's of blood on the Seahawks jersey was her biggest concern! She lost her tooth at the Dron's house again like last time

(Just glad she didn't swallow it like last time)!

Her Fat lip is covering most of the tooth gap, but she lost the tooth below it as well last time! Can't believe how grown up and adorable she sounds talking now.

Eden's Christmas List:

1. Tooth
2. Tooth
3. Tooth

Halloween 2008

After I did up Hallé's face and explained to her why I was drawing on it and showed her in the mirror, she just kept pointing and saying...
"Heeeey, look mine bear nose!"

I think Eden's whole outfit she got with Grammie Beth this year evolved from her love of these silver shoes she got last year from her Grandma Jolene..and her desire to use Grandma's silver hair glitter in her hair! I'm grateful she has such "sparkly grandmas!"

Our First Trick-or-Treaters...(L-R)

Eden, Hallé, Sydney, Grady, and Justin the Ferocious Lion!

(L) Cousin Zain the MONKEY!
Cousin Aiden-4 months old!

"Let's go Fill These Bags!"

"Who are these people with animals and tree ornaments on their heads...& what did they do with my Grammie & Grampie?????"

Hannah Montana, "Super Mom", & Pooh Bear!

Here come the candy hunters!!!!

(L-R)
Jaedyn, Ella, Peyton, Zoe, Michael, Eden, Hallé, Abby

This photo below was taken by the Tri-City Herald & posted on their Photo Gallery of downtown trick or treating... (R) Eden as Hannah Montana in downtown Kennewick with her TinkerBell friend Abby and the rest of the gang following behind!

"Fill my Hunny Pot Please!!"

We had to explain to Hal after she got the hang of this that they wouldn't just keep filling her bag if she just kept standing there with it open...

(Turns out we were wrong...she did get the most candy by the end of the night!)

Here are the girls "enjoying their TREASURES!"

Don't worry Uncle Paul we've been brushing all hours of the day!

Daddy had one last minute costume idea for Hallé...to try his on...

i love you Hallé, but NO MULLETS ALLOWED!
(Thank goodness the billybob teeth didn't fit!)

Eden Loves Soccer! Oct. 2008

This is Eden on her first day with the Parks & Rec Soccer Team she is on for her first time! She is loving her new little team that plays every Saturday, she even goes to school with a couple of the kids on her team. We love cheering her on and have no problem finding the little pink "prancing" soccer player when she is out on the field! I don't know if she or us giggle more while she is out on the field...she grins and just loves chasing and prancing around that ball. Her favorite warm up game is "Sharks & Minnows" and she got to be a shark today! Today was special because all of her special friends came to watch and brought hot cocoa and pom poms to cheer her on.

We were even so lucky to already have our friend take her portraits in her sparkly pink shoes, with pink ball, and pink shin pads.

We had to capture this love of soccer and the color pink colliding because after her first game day....She never took them off from 10:00am all the way thru her grandma's Birthday party and managed to get her pajamas on and I walked in and realized coming out the bottom of her purple comforter were some sparkly pink and white cleats that she slept in ALL NIGHT LONG!

Did I mention that her water bottle is pink & white too?

She thinks the team cheer and "High Five Line" she is doing here in this picture are great as

well as Daddy getting to be coaching with her.

Hallé's "1st Year of 1st's!"

~Hallé Claire Hatke~ 

• 
  
  1st Dress and  sunhat at the Hospital...

Carolyn brought us a beautiful preemie dress that I never wanted to take you out of. We took you to Tyson & Chi's wedding in it 3 weeks later and felt like we were carrying around a pink angel to show off.  You wore home from the hospital some adorable little beach sandals with pink bows on them that we went out and bought as a family on March 7th after we went to the Ultrasound  and found out that you were a little girl;  "our Hallé Claire-Butterfly" as your sister got to name you that day when she waved at you on the screen and saw you playing peek-a-boo and sucking your thumb on the monitor.

• 
  
  1st Bath at home...

This is the same spot and same little tub we gave Eden her first "family bath on the floor" in....This time I think there was A LOT more soap and splashing involved....Thanks Big Sis!

• 
  
  1st Morning you were at home...

 Eden was Sooo excited that she set up all her books and a little chair and your bouncy seat in the hall and just kept reading to you and showing you animals and things (this story time was also facing the bathroom so mom could get a shower with peace of mind knowing you were safe)

• 
  
  1st Stroller Walk...

Mommy was so happy to be getting us all out for some fresh air that we walked to the park(really I wanted to walk to Walgreens for some Butterfingers because my supply had run low. You can lol but I was serious... Yet I don't think my c-section or daddy would have been too kind about me walking that far in the heat!) Eden pushed her own stroller with her beloved "Char Bear" It felt like this magical moment of realizing I had TWO kids and I just wanted to stop everyone driving by and say "look at me, I'm out with two beautiful little girls - and they're MINE!!"

- I am so grateful -

• 
  
  1st Slumber Party...

Mommy and Daddy had to give you a "crib curfew" at a very young age because you and "sissy" would have snuggled inside the pink princess camping tent all night. Your sister adores you and you were very taken by any of her lullabyes she sang to you. Especially "You are my Sunshine" which we all sang to you the 9mo we had to wait to meet you!

• 
  
  1st "Dog Pile" with Dad and Sis...

 (still hunting for the file with this pix...)

Still one of your favorite places to be and one of our favorite pictures ever!

• 1st Smile... (4 weeks old-I caught it on camera )

 

(maybe you just were smiling about the baby spa bouncy seat from the twins that sang while it was vibrating your bootie and massaging your back..mommy likes to think it was her!)

• 
  
  1 MONTH OLD...

(still looking for the file with this pix)

• 
  
  2 MONTHS OLD...

Mommy took this picture of you on a Sunday morning that she had alone with just she and you to get ready and take 2 month old photos.

The "Stamps" Story...I don't have a picture of this because I didn't have my camera at that time. A couple weeks after this photo you were in that bouncer out in the front room and I was on the computer in the bedroom. Eden came to me and said "sorry
mom I put stamps on Hallé." Thinking that she meant postage stamps because I had just given her stamps to mail some letters, I said "oh well, just please go take them off honey." A couple minutes later Eden came back in and said "sorry mommy
they won't come off!" At that moment I snapped out of my mommy brain fog and heard you making squirming noises and realized that you didn't sound like you were in the living room in your bouncer anymore. As I began to run from my
bedroom I look down and saw you (my little infant!!) laying sprawled out on the carpet-stripped down naked except your diaper (and you had been FULLY clothed with socks, shoes, onesie, etc.)...moved across the house by a 3 yr. old and
happy as a clam. It was then that I looked closer and asked Eden why she had taken all her arts & crafts "stamps" (not postage stamps!) and STAMPED all over your body; across forehead, cheeks, hands, arms, belly button, all over
your scalp, and then taken a purple marker and connected all the stampings with purple lines!!??!! Eden said "Oh mommy, I just wanted to make her beautiful!"
She knew that we were going out to a special dinner that night and apparently that was how she was getting you "fancy" to go out. Unfortunately the waitress thought you had a rash and another woman asked if you had a birthmark on your
forehead because the red stamp was a bit too permanent between your eyes! And there began

"The adventures of the Hatke Sisters!"

• 
  
  1st Dress-up Play...

• 
  
  1st Boating Day...

Even though we thought it was a wonderful idea to get to take you out on Papa's boat for the 1st time; your poor tummy did not think it was wonderful. A half hour into the ride after having nursed before we headed out, you started projectile vomitting all over me from motion sickness-Poor boo boo and we were only going slow because we were fishing. You still looked cute and we cuddled you anyways.

 

• 
  
  3 MONTHS OLD...
Grandma Jolene was just holding you facing out and walking around the house and this is how you took your nap on her that day that you turned 3 months old!

• 
  
  1st Giggle... 3 months old

Mommy and Eden made up a silly song "Hallé is growing BIGGER, BIGGER....and when she does grow we just say NO!! NO NO NO..don'tcha ever grow", and would jump up with our hands in the air! I'm sure if anyone else had seen us they would have thought of more things to say than just giggle!

• 
  
  1st Christmas...

(stilll hunting for this pix. also!) 

You were "cast" as Baby Jesus in the Bethany Christian Assembly Christmas Production in Everett. Eric & Lisa were Mary & Joseph and got to cuddle you. It was humbling to worship our Savior & King with the hundreds gathered there that morning; you three that day were the representation that drew our hearts to cry out in adoration to the most perfect gift giver that ever existed. I love you Hallé, (& Eden!) and thank God for you as my most perfect "gifts" I've ever been given.

• 
  
  1st taste of baby food... 5 MONTHS OLD on Christmas Day!

You got some sweet potatoes and applesauce that you absolutely loved...it was kind of special to have had the anticipation to celebrate your "first food" on Christmas Day with everyone around watching you.

• 
  
  1st cracker at Hubby's Pizza with Mom and Dad...

There is actually a whole video of this being your first time out with just mommy and daddy and you and getting to know that you were a "big girl" in the highchair with the saltine cracker..you just kept stopping and cooing and giggling while you ate them...it was "cracking" us up!

• 
  
  1st NEW YEARS DAY "tea" PARTY... 

In Eden's famous purple and pink walled room with the tent she insisted on sleeping in every night, so we disassembled her bed and said okay! "Cheers and Rears Forever!" 

I feel like the most blessed mom in the world.

 1st crawling...6 MONTHS OLD

You were so adorable and very focused on a big sparkly hot pink hair tie of Eden's that I was shaking just out of your reach. I caught a photo of you in motion, but the rocking back and forth to just think about moving forward was so funny and "lengthy" before this actual CRAWL/SCOOT happened!

• 
  
  1st sitting...

You loved this musical drum and to be able to play it the "fun" way was a huge motivation in you sitting this day.

• 
  
  1st Valentines Day...

Eden loaned you her "Char Bear" (that she named after Great-Grandma Char) for the Valentines Day Party we had with all the little friends over and lots and lots of heart bears around. We also mailed out hilarious black and white valentine photos cards from you and your sister, but I photoshopped in hot pink lipstick all over both your lips. It read "Sending Big Smooches your way on Valentines Day!"

• 
  
  7 MONTHS OLD...

Now you're a crawler (no more belly scooting!) "Thanks Daddy for the 10lb. carpet pad it makes my work easier..."

• 
  
  8 MONTHS OLD...

• 
  
  1st Moving Day...

You and your sister loved wrinkling up the packing paper to make noise and you would hide in the boxes if I left them turned over on their side. Eden tried to let you help decorate them with stickers, but it was nap time!

• 
  
  1st Easter...

 (Matching Sister Dresses& the famous shot like your sissy in Grandma Jolene's big Purple basket)

9 MONTHS OLD... You always wanted to carry around a HUGE apple!?!

1st Walla Walla Balloon Stampede... Your sister Eden won the "cupcake walk" which included winning this miniature Hot Air Balloon that you both LOVED for weeks.

1st MOTHERS DAY... Yeya!~twice the kisses now!~

10 MONTHS OLD - 1st Picnic at Courtneys...

1st "Diving in a pool" - head first of course...

1st Camping Trip to FishTrap...

1st time discovering a sprinkler...

1st time walking with the Push Toy... (You can thank your Papa for this "take two" photo with a diaper ON)

• 1st Popsicle... (You've always loved to share with "Nini")

• 11 MONTHS OLD... Your gear to combat crawling in summer!

• 1st time being the "Dash Dog" in motorhome...
• 1st Family Trip to FishHook...

• 1st time watching/pointing at Fireworks at Columbia Park with the gang...

• 1st week that you took your steps for a BIG APPLE and Daddy's ice-cream...

• 1st time sqeeling through doing "Bella Dancerella" Cheerleader DVD...

We love getting to be apart of your adventure Miss Hallé!