NYC

We left early in the morning to go to NYC. We got checked into our hotel, grabbed some lunch at Gray's Papaya, got our subway passes, and headed to Central Park.


I had lots of favorites on this trip, but Central park was a huge favorite!!


The boat house (seen in the movie 27 Dresses, where she wants to get married)


The trees had began turning for fall and were beautiful!






I loved how quiet it was in the park. It is an oasis in that busy, huge city.


We went on a carriage ride through the park, checking off another one of my "things I want to do".




We headed to FAO Schwarz to do another another one of my dreams: play on the big piano. It was a very cool toy store.


Later that night we went out to dinner and walked around times square




Then we walked around Rockefeller center and the plaza


Friday morning Michael and I got up at 4:30 and headed out to the Today Show. This was another one of my favorites. I watch the today show most mornings so it was really fun to see it in action. This pic is of Natalie, Al, and Lester. Matt and Meredith had the day off.


Here is Tim McGraw. He came out around 6 AM and warmed up before the show started and then he played again later.


Cheesy I know! But so much fun! We headed back to the hotel for breakfast before heading out for the rest of our day. I had some kind of freak allergic reaction and both of my eyes swelled up huge!! We went to a pharmacy and I got some medicine and eye drops. It was crazy! I still don't know what happened.


Then we went to see Lady Liberty.


The four of us with our backs to Manhattan


After lunch we went to Serendipity, another thing on my to-do list.


We shared frozen hot chocolate, mint frozen hot chocolate, and carrot cake. Everything was really good!


We saw Jude Law while we were there.


That night after dinner we went to the Magnolia bakery and checked off another thing on my list.


The next morning we slept until 8, as we were tired of getting up at 4:30 for two days. We headed over to the discount ticket booth on the lower east side. We waited in line there, secured our tickets, and went to lunch. Heather took us to this place, The Tuck Shop, they went there on a previous trip. It is run by an Australian guy. We had meat pies, sausage rolls, and lamingtons. So good! Took me right back to my childhood!


Michael and I walked over to Washington park, at NYU.


That night we went out to dinner at Ruby Foos in time square and then walked over to the theatre. I loved the show, our seats were great, and I tried to not sing along and annoy the people around me! :)


On the morning of our last day, Michael and I got up and took a cab over to Penelope for breakfast. I had nutella stuffed french toast- Delicious!


We headed over to the 30 Rock building, and went to the top. The views were incredible. It was crazy to me how big the park is.


Heather and I with the Empire state building.




We ate lunch at a street fair and then went to Crumb's Bakery. This bakery was one of the best I have been to. My cupcake is the one on the left. It was chocolate cake, filled with peanut butter frosting, topped with peanut butter and frosting chocolate frosting, and rimmed with peanut butter chips!


Outside the bakery. Every cupcake we tried was great. I dare say this was one of the best cupcakes I have ever had...and that this bakery puts magnolia, sprinkles, cuppies and joe, and sara sara to shame! Not that I won't go to those places, because you work with what you've got...but WOW! :)


We headed back to Central park before we had to leave. It was another beautiful, sunny day.


I loved the trip. I got to do so many things I have wanted to do and see. It was fun to see places that are in movies. I thought the city was a cross between Rome, Sydney, and London, and yet like no other city at the same time. There are things I would like to do if we go back that we didn't have time for and things I would like to do again. It was a good thing we walked so much to balance out all of the food we ate! I am glad to be home and in a place with a slower pace. I feel so blessed to have got to do so many fun things and come home to Oklahoma!

This weekend we went to Stillwater and met up with some of the girls from my grad school program. It was great to see them and meet Kara's new baby. I miss those girls a lot.


We went to see 'Where the wild things are'. It was different than the book, but still fabulous with a great soundtrack.


We went to Tulsa to celebrate David's birthday and went to Fuddruckers.


Followed by our first trip to Dave and Buster's. We had fun and got a little crazy with the tickets.

It was a great weekend- (minus the whole OU game thing). It was intense and loud at our house for a few hours Saturday! But it was a good weekend of doing things and also having down time. Saturday I cooked and froze 5 meals and prepared other meats to freeze to be ready to cook for meals. That helps me a lot during busy weeks to have meals ready to go. It will be a short work week for us this week, working til Wednesday, then we leave to go to New York Thursday at the crack of dawn!

Glitter pumpkins

We made our glitter pumpkins this weekend, and I was glad because last year I bought the pumpkins, but never got around to making them. Here is a little demonstration:


You need small pumpkins, glue- (I use "tacky" glue), fine glitter, brushes, and newspapers.


Brush the glue over 3/4 of the pumpkin (leaving the bottom for it to sit to dry)


Cover with glitter. When you are finished you will use the newspaper as a funnel to put the excess glitter back in the bottle.


More gluing


Green glitter


Leave for a few hours to dry. When dry you will turn them over and do the bottom of the pumpkin and then let that dry for a few hours.


And display! Happy Fall!

Slices of the weekend

I did the Race for the Cure bright and early on Saturday morning.

The Askew Girls and Me


Our group from church


My small group girls- minus one


We went out to celebrate with friends that our good friends Ryan and Heather are pregnant!


Heather at 3 Months! YAY, so exciting!


STAY AWAY LADIES HE IS ALL MINE!! :)
Michael before his intramural football game tonight.

We leave for NYC in less than two weeks! Can't wait!

Still here...

We spent the first weekend of September in Dallas. Michael had been waiting for the first OU game of the season for weeks!


Inside the new Dallas stadium


Bob on the jumbotron


In the lobby on of our hotel. Happy Birthday Michael!


Tailgating at the OU/Tulsa game


Crislyn and me at the tailgate


Boomer Sooner cupcakes!


My dad brought by some flowers to my work that he grew. It was a nice surprise on a hard day.


We spent this last weekend at Grand Lake with Heather and David. It was the first and only non-OU football weekend for a while. We had a great time sleeping, reading, and hanging out. It was the relaxing break I have been needing.
We've also been to the State Fair, celebrated birthdays, and we are planning a trip to NYC for October.
Happy Fall! One of my favorite times of year.

Happy Birthday

We got together tonight, with those who could, to celebrate my granddad's birthday at Johnnies in El Reno. 5 generations of my family have eaten here. It is an onion burger place that also has excellent coneys. It was great to spend time with family and go to one of our grandparent's favorite places. My cousin flew in Saturday from South Korea, where she is teaching English. We are 3 weeks and 6 days apart in age, we lived together in Australia, and were roommates in college until I got married. It has been so good to see her and have her here these past few days!


Here are some of my cousins and aunts and uncles at Johnnies. Happy Birthday Granddad, we miss you and we had lots of onion burgers and coneys just for you!

My legacy

Today was my Grandma Hartman's funeral, 7 short weeks after my granddad's. My grandparents were married for 63 years. I am filled with deep sadness and loss tonight and thinking about many things. She was my last grandparent to go and while she had not been in good health for years, her death was, at the same time, unexpected. A week before she died I was visiting her and we went to target, talked, laughed, and she talked a lot about how much she was missing granddad and how lonely she was. We had a lovely visit, and I never would have expected a week later that she would be gone. There are so many thoughts in my head and things I feel like at some time I should write down to record for myself so I don't forget.

Tonight I am thinking about the person my grandmother was. Some would say she was crazy at times...the things she did and said could be a book of their own. In spite of all of those things, she was a spirited, hard working, strong woman who loved her family like nothing else. She hated that we lived in Australia and were so far away. We loved her visits and she came bringing tons of things for us, among which was always enough crisco to make 40 or so apple pies to freeze for us to have after she was gone. She paid for my piano lessons for years, cooked massive amounts of wonderful things for our family gatherings, taught us to drive when we were 12 or 13 (or some other young age), rocked us (even when we were teenagers), and was always interested in what was going on in our lives. She had many dear life-long friends, and cared for many extended family members. While there were things about her that were not perfect there were many qualities that were so special. When I remember my grandma I will remember her fierce love for us that was unconditional, her cooking, her hollering and laughing, and the unique things she would buy for us that she thought we needed. I hope emulate some of her good qualities and be a person that has special life-long friends, is generous with everything I have, that gives quietly to those in need, that can cook and bake well, and raise my family up in the Lord.

Grandma was the hub of our family. I am wondering what things will be like with both of them gone. Sometimes it feels like this whole growing up thing is not so fun...I miss the innocent days of running and playing for hours on their farm land, fishing on their ponds, and hearing their stories of their lives in a small farming community. I will miss them forever...and always be impacted by their legacy of faith, marriage, and generosity. I am so proud to be a Hartman.


My grandparents house in Sayre. This farm was called "the home place". At this house I remember lots of Christmases, a constant supply of dr. pepper and candy bars, having cherry pie for breakfast, rabbit with squirrel gravy(not my favorite), quail, hours laughing in the upstairs room with my cousins, singing, and the town and home that my grandparents dearly loved.


One of the big trees in the drive way


My grandparents attended the Sayre church for many years. When Granddad died the verse that kept running in my head was Genesis 25:8- "Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people." My granddad also lived a full life, and towards the end of his life he suffered. I imagined him being gathered with the host of his relatives in heaven that had already finished the race.


Sunset across the western sky


I will always be reminded of my grandmother when I see the things she loved: butterflies, dishes, the state fair, sunsets, desserts, and her family.

Our week in paradise

Perfect, clear water. We saw dolphins swimming this day.


Grayton Beach State Park




Cupcake stand in Seaside...I should probably move down there and work here


At an Irish restaurant


Cheesy picture...I know, but great sunset!




Great sno cone stand outside of seaside. There was a darling girl running it, and we connected over the Twilight books. :)


Going out to Dewey Destin. We had been told to go eat here by several people. The motto there is, if it is any fresher it is in the ocean.


We checked out the camping lots. How much fun would this be!


Headed out to Seaside


Last night at the beach before dinner

We had a WONDERFUL, relaxing trip. We stayed in Sandestin, which is a few miles out of Destin, FL. I read three 'just for fun' books over the trip. We didn't have any plans for the trip other than to read, swim, spend time together, and relax. If you are a swimming/beach person, we liked these beaches as much or better than ones we have been to in the Bahamas, Mexico, or Australia. We might stay somewhere different next time, and not bother with the beaches in Destin, but we will definitely be going back!!

Yesterday I ate my breakfast on the beach and

Today I ate my breakfast in my car while racing to get to work!
We are back from an incredible time away, and I am hoping to lay low for a few days and relish the 'post-vacation feel' before it is gone. Lots of pics to post, here are a couple for now.

7 years

Yesterday was our 7 year anniversary! I can't believe it has already been 7 years! After work we went to dinner at Michael's Grill . Everything we had was really good.


The flowers Michael sent to my work


Us at dinner


Our complimentary dessert for "sharing our anniversary with them", the chocolate gateau. YUM!
We are leaving Wednesday evening to go to Destin, FL to celebrate our anniversary and relax at the beach. There is tons to do between now and then, but I can't wait to be on vacation!