Family Stuff

We've been a family on the move! So many things have been happening and it's been crazy: a good crazy, but a crazy none the less. First, we headed off to Tennessee-for the first time as a family of four-for Granny's 85th birthday. It was an adventure to say the least! 5 outfit changes in 8 hours between the two kids. But they were really well behaved and we can't complain. It was great to do the usual things like Wal-Mart and Skullbone runs, but also wonderful to have our WHOLE family together and also see family and friends that we haven't seen for years.


Joshua and Bells take a sunglasses break after meeting with the Chipman girls. Yes, they are married, no, that's not their last name anymore, and yes, they will always be "the Chipman girls" no matter how old they get.




Me and my mommy. I love her! She is my ROCK in dealing with the kids.


No Tennessee trip is complete without a trip to Skullbone! Bella was more excited about the hummingbirds than anything else. Then again, it's Skullbone-there isn't anything else!


Bells was thrilled to be able to swim at Erika & Stuart's (thanks, guys!) with her cousin April.


All the Warrens. I wish this picture was a little closer, but we know we were there!


When we got back, we celebrated Father's Day-Joshua's first as a dad of two-with his family. We got some great shots together-yay!






And here's just a picture of Ryan that cracks me up every time I see it. I think it's on his update, but I had to add it again. LOVE it!


And then there's Isabella. Where she gets half the stuff she does I'll never know. Well, you can see from the shots that follow.

We looked over one night to see that she had pulled Joshua's tube socks up as thigh-highs. The gross part? They were dirty. Eeeeewww!

I decided to enjoy one summer morning doing my devotions on our deck. So I headed outside with my books and sat in a chair. Bella comes out later with her own book to read: A History of the Modern World. Honestly.

We spent July 4th weekend at Nana and Papaw's place on the river. Bella donned her little swimsuit and spent a good hour splashing and getting swimming and rock-throwing lessons from Daddy. She adores Joshua and had gotten spoiled by him being off the whole previous week.

She was already soaked from splashing in every available puddle on the deck, so why she felt the need to use the umbrella at this point is beyond me.

We got to do a hands picture while we were there: Nana, Gamma, me, Bella and Ryan.

Joshua on his first day of the Police Academy. He was so excited to get there, and just as excited at the end of the day. God has truly blessed us through this: a higher-than-expected salary, an amazing insurance package which will allow us to put $560 a month toward bills, $2,000 in a health saving account courtesy of IMPD, and most Fridays off so we can have some family time. Thanks, God!

Again, Ryan and his crazy faces. Definitely my little monkey!

And yes, Isabella still sucks both thumbs and it's still adorable. It's her self-soothing mechanism. Now if she can just teach Ryan to have one...

My little girl turned two! We had a small party with Gamma and Gappa (she can't do the g-r sound yet). I made an Elmo cake and she opened her gifts: a booster seat from Gamma and Gappa and a Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner from Maga and Papa. Nana and Papa had bought her clothes, and we let her pick out anything she wanted from Target: she chose a big plastic dump truck which she LOVES.

Some cuddle time with my little man...(I should have photo-shopped my double chin out!)

And this was Isabella yesterday: she'd chosen her sundress to wear, but kept pulling it down to her waist. Then she put Joshua's running shoes on while playing with her dump truck and my polka-dot lunch bag. She's a hot mess!

Stay tuned for more Hasseld Family adventures!