Meet the Hartmans

Part of me uses this blog to brag about my children and give fun updates about my family.
But I also feel that I use the blog as therapy or maybe b/c I talk so much, it's a way to talk without boring my family to death or more importantly my poor husband who I wake up at night to tell him, " Don't forget we have to be at the party at 1pm tomorrow" or " Did you pay the water bill?" or " I was just thinking do you have a blue shirt to wear on Easter?" or his favorite, " I think someone is in the house, can you go down stairs and check?" I probably don't tell him enough (or ever) He's a Saint!
If you aren't a family member reading this blog I probably should explain a few things. I LOVE MY FAMILY. Seriously, I never went through that phase most kids go through, where they don't want to hang out with their parents or any other family members. I have always always loved being with my family. Now, when I say family I don't just mean my 5 immediate family members (whom I absolutely think are the most amazing people) I mean all 43 of the Hartman's. This might be hard for people to understand but hopefully you'll get a better understanding as you read this.

I might start jumping all over but try to bare with me,

My Uncle Tom passed away only a few weeks ago, January 27, 2008 Link and since this day my Family is changed forever. That day Doylestown Hospital's ER was packed with Hartman's. All of us were there in minutes, right out of bed in our pajamas to say our goodbyes. Not one of us gave it a second thought we knew where we needed to be. That day has frozen time for us and I hope things are never the same again, b/c if they are then in my eyes we didn't love him enough. I hope we can all just put one foot in front of the other and keep him with us each day, in our memories, stories or pictures that we carry in our wallets, cars, and homes. Watching my grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins try to wrap their minds around this is unbearable, especially my Aunt Colleen, Kirstin, Ryan, and Matt. Trying to imagine any family function without him is inconceivable.


To help you understand how devastating this is you need to know a little history about my family. Since I can remember every other weekend there has been a family party. Our summers were spent at the Swim Clum with all my cousins and our Summer vacations were spent with the same 43 family members up the mountains for a week and recently down the shore. Now remember this includes all 19 of my cousins, their now spouses(CJ, Frank, Rob, Megan, Erick, and Sean) and their 6 children (my 2nd cousins). I know it's crazy, but a lot of fun!! Also, we are all always together at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. When you invite one Hartman, you get them all. My cousins and I are all really close, it doesn't matter if you 2 or 22. What's nice about this is that we all grew up together, whether it was me going to one of George's fraternity parties or hanging out with Tara and Rob when CJ and I were dating, to David, Casey, Kelly and Kristin all hanging out at the bars when they started to turn 21 or even, going to Kylie's school x-mas play, somehow, we are always together. And I'm pretty sure none of us would have it any other way. But none of this would be this way if it wasn't for two very special people, My grandparents.



My grandparents at the hospital when Travis was born

My Grandparents, George(Pop) and Kay(Gram) lived across the street from me growing up and still live across from my parents. They had 5 children, George, Amy, Scott, Tom and Chris. They have 19 grandchildren, the oldest (me) 29 and the youngest (kamryn) 2 1/2 and 6 great-grandchildren. My grandparents are the most amazing people. They are the perfect example of love, marriage, and family. They practice what they preach. They are truly in love and in May will celebrate their 54th wedding anniversary.


My Pop - He can do anything and everything. From raising what my mom calls, a small farm in the back yard when they were kids, to fixing anything in the house, he could put an addition on a house if he wanted to (he practically did up the mountains), he is funny, quick witted, and sensitive (side note- when I was little and home sick from school, he would come over and give me a quarter. Even when Travis was born he came to the hospital with 2 quarters- well 1 quarter and a nickle, his vision isn't so well these days). He can mow a lawn like no other, his neighbors probably think he's a landscaper. Even at 80 he is still the one person, my mom and uncles go to if they need to talk or advise. Growing up there was always one of my uncles cars in their driveway and still to this day.


My Gram - I love this woman. Besides my Mom and sister of course, she is my very best friend. She can put me in my place while giving me a hug and kiss better then anyone else. She's been doing this for 29 years. I have a great relationship with my Gram. She is first on the list of people I call for anything or even just to talk. She has a strong faith in God and has instilled that in my entire family. She is a great listener and a wonderful friend. She is my mom's very best friend. Gram was there for all important shopping moments in my life, 1st communion, prom dresses, and wedding (of course). She raised a wonderful family, that loves and respects her very much. My Gram is so unique, she is kind, understanding, non judgemental, and is quite a fire cracker (she raised 4 boys and my mom what do you expect).

My grandparents are the backbone of this family. Because of their values and love for each other we are extremely close.

Now My parents:



Amy - What a woman. She can do it all. Like her brothers my mom is extremely quick witted. Growing up, she was always two steps ahead of us. We couldn't get anything buy her. She knew where we were, how we got there, who was there, and what we did wrong before we even put two feet in the door. She mom is a peace maker. She loves to find common ground. She won't talk mean about anyone, if Heidi and I would start talking about someone my mom would give us a look or say "Don't judge anyone, you never know what life holds for you". My brother said "You can't describe Mom, you have to know her, to know how wonderful she is." She worries about everything, she worries about worrying. She is always willing to drop what she is doing to help me, Heidi, or David with anything. Especially my brother who she describes as her "favorite child". Growing up my mom would never understand when Heidi and I would fight. She would say " I always wanted a sister, and all you two do is fight". My mom would always say I don't want to be your friend, I'm your mother!! But now that we are grown woman with our own families I consider her like another sister. So whether my Mom likes it or not, she has two sisters me and Heidi (and 5 gibson sisters). My mom loves her brothers, she just beams when then walk in the room. She looks the most like my Uncle Tom and Uncle Scott. But my Mom loves no one more then my Dad, this year was their 30th wedding anniversary.


Dave- My Dad, My hero. I know I'm 29 but, I still feel the same way as when I was little. My Dad is better then your Dad. Poor C.J. he has a lot to compete with. I am always saying that's not what my Dad would do or maybe we should call my Dad or My Dad wouldn't say that, or call my Dad and ask him what he thinks. CJ tells me all the time, I'll never live up to your Dad, but the funny thing is my Dad says the same thing about my Pop. Anyway, my dad is the best, he is a hard worker, and will do anything for anyone. If someone says be here at 5:30am he's there at 5:25am. If my Mom wants a ice cream sandwich at 2am he will go get it for her no questions asked. He is a mr. fix it like my Pop (CJ's working on it). He can get up early and work late and is still smiling when he gets home. He's the guy in the grocery story that will look in your shopping cart as say " Hey pork chops, good choice". When we were little my Dad would sing to us in the car, you are my sunshine. To this day that is still my favorite song and I now sing it to my kids. Most importantly my Dad loves my mom. He loves her the way every girl should be loved. If you don't know my parents you would assume they were still dating the way they are together, it is really cute. My Dad made dating extremely hard for me and not because he was a jerk but, b/c he was willing to sit down with me father to daughter and tell me to my face how much he loved me and what he wanted for me. That made a huge difference in my life. Because my Dad loves my Mom so much (and vice versa) it made me realized I never had to settle for anything but the best. I deserved to be respected and loved, and shouldn't stand for anything less. My parents have always come first in each others lives and still do.


My Aunts and Uncles.

Uncle George/Aunt Denise, Uncle Scott/Aunt Diane, My parents, Uncle Tom/Aunt Colleen, Uncle Chris/Aunt JoAnne



At our wedding it was really important to me to let these ten people(my parents,Uncle George and Aunt Denise, Uncle Scott and Aunt Diane, Uncle Tom and Aunt Colleen, and Uncle Chris and Aunt JoAnne) know how I feel about them and more importantly how they affected my life.
I wrote this little note to all of them and put it in frames on their table at our wedding.

Thank you for being my family
For teaching me that family is not about having to get along, but how.
Thank you for being my friend and relative.
For teaching me every relationship is unique.
And sometimes the best thing to say is nothing at all.
No one person is perfect, but together you have made a perfect family.
I have truly been blessed to share our wedding day with the ten people I admire most.
And I thank God that he made me part of this family.

After this long winded post. I hope you understand a little more about how close my family is. We see each other at least once a month if not every other weekend. If their isn't a family party then we are making plans to get together, whether it's happy hour, or a game night, a cookie exchange, eagles tailgate party, going to see someone leave for a prom, going to support family members at black and white night, or sit through a 2 hour dance recital, we are always together. The loss of my Uncle is devastating. He was so funny always the life of the party. I speak for all the girls in the family when I say, we loved to bring boyfriends to a family party so Uncle Tom could tease the hell out of them. It wouldn't be a party if my uncle wasn't telling a dirty joke or telling my sister that my Dad didn't know anything. He was a wonderful man. So next time you open our blog and see my uncle's picture please remember the kind of a family he comes from and that their are 43 Hartman's missing him everyday.