lucky #7

welcome to the world,

ella jane anderson

we are so glad you are finally here!!

this makes the count 2 nephews and 7 nieces.
congrats to nate & lauren! congrats to aunt lindsey & uncle brad- we get one more round pink fat squishy little person to love :)
woot woot!

2008 vs. 2009:

2008/2009:

#roommates:

17/5

#states lived in:

3/1

#boyfriends:

5/1

#husbands:

0/1

#countries visited:

0/3

#new states visited:

0/1

#times i cried to myself:

300/65

#jobs:

4/1

#nieces/nephews:

6/9

#cars owned at one time:

2/3

#perfect weddings:

0/1

#times attended disneyland:

4/a bajillion.

basically 2009 rocked.

thanks for changing years. here's to 2010!!

poor lil guy...

matthew and his little happy pumpkin.


my nephew matthew, who is 6, was in a sledding accident yesterday. he ran into a tree and has a fractured skull and jaw. he's a primary children's in SLC and is going to be there for a while, for observation and make sure his brain bruising doesn't keep bleeding, etc. our prayers are with him & his family. we just love that little bugger so much! he knows all about egyptian pharoahs and star wars jedi and harry potter and is the funniest busiest little blondie on the playground.
we love you matty!!
get well soon, buddy.
any prayers and thoughts would be appreciated.

aren't my nephews so darling!?

blogger baby

i have a new blog baby. to go along with my new email baby.
one good thing about having a last name everyone spells wrong is that all the emails and blog URL's aren't ever taken. ha.

www.barttels.blogspot.com.

my grandmother

i got a gift at my bridal shower addressed "to lindsey love, grandma rebecca."
well. that gave me a start. my grandmother has been dead many years.
i then realized that this was going to be a gift that was once hers!!! i was so excited to open a box with three beautiful decorative plates. they were safely stored until i had a proper place.
BUT today i found an awesome plate holder at homegoods! and for a mere $6.99 and a $6.00 can of black spray paint (it was a weird brass color but i saw the vision) this is the final result!!
i was alone when i hung the plates up with care. i got to reflect a second & look at the beautiful plates & think how lucky i am that i have a little bit of grandma becky in my very first kitchen. :)

(gets choked up with happiness.)

my husband, the plumber.

brad wanted to install a new shower head and extender than makes everything taller. i said cool. he's tall. he'd like a shower head that hits higher than between his shoulder blades.

tuesday: purchases anything needed. i shower in the event that it becomes a fiasco.
(thank goodness.)
wednesday: i come home from work and a late appt (around 7:30) and this is what i find:and most especially this:"tomorrow, tomorrow," my husband, the plumber, says. "it wouldn't stop leaking, i had to take it down. i'll ask mike (our awesome manager) to help me tomorrow."

thursday: i come home and nothing's changed. every tool is sitting exactly where it was wednesday. i panic. we're having company over- i need to at least wash my hair. i do the "wipe with washrag & baby wipes & wash hair under faucet" bathing method.
friday: i realize i feel gross half way through my work day and call to make sure my husband, the plumber, has fixed the shower head so i can wash when i get home.
"i'll do it this afternoon after work," my husband, the plumber, says.

i then realize
WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE CONCERNED IN OUR HOUSE THAT WE HAVEN'T SHOWERED IN 3 DAYS???
doesn't HE want to shower?? i am then very concerned at the lack of concern of my husband, the plumber. boys are gross.

luckily i came home to this: and a freshly washed this:brad. my husband, the plumber.

it's beginning to look a lot like...

a poor, pathetic, happier than church mice, newlywed little christmas. :)

so maybe i get umcomfortable, okay?

room full of people i don't know. check.
trying to talk to people & being kinda rejected. check.
having nothing to say. check.
sticking to brad's side like glue. check.

sometimes i am totally comfy & happy & outgoing & talkative & its awesome. i feel like myself and can talk to strangers & feel confident. i prefer this. i enjoy this. :)

but once i've vomited, gotten a migraine or cried at the thought of going somewhere, being with people i don't know or have had an awkward or bad encounter with, there's no way it can turn out to be pleasant. my mind has a hard time overcoming my matter. i have to warm up for a long time. i really really want to like you, and for you to like me, i just feel awkward.

what if i have to go see people tomorrow i had an AWFUL HORRIBLE experience with last time we saw each other and i'm already having anxiety about it?? i got a headache as soon as brad said we were going. he didn't ask bc he knew my vote. tricksie husband.

advice cyber friends?
help.

santa baby

i thought and thought. i looked at ideas. i found the PERFECT thing to do: thoughtful. fun. lasts for more than one day. AND as of lunch today...

brad's gift is FINISHED

!!!!!!!!!

you have no idea what a christmas miracle that truly is. ALL our shopping is DONE. and we still have a week :)

i shall celebrate by eating my favorite greek salad. delish.

seen in local irvine ralph's.....

donuts cookies cookies cookies vodka wine. ha.
someone's having a hard day.

al gore invented it.

you know what was nice? when mrs. barttels discovered that our apt had a lovely neighbor with unprotected wireless internet. brad & mrs barttels could surf, pay bills, print off restuarant coupons, look up words on google, etc whenever we wished!

you know what wasn't nice? when "our" internet- tho still unprotected- would not work anymore. i'm sure it's more irritating to those who pay for it... but maybe not.

brad thinks this means we should get a cable/internet package... but mrs. barttels does the finances & thinks we get enough football on regular channels. ;) ha

anyone have one of these layin' around?

I'M RELIVING IT ALL OVER AGAIN!!!

i love my photographer.
i love my husband. i loved our wedding.
and looking at these photos makes me giddy and excited & SO THRILLED all over again!!!
visit rachel's blog here to see the magic!

well that proves it

if you beg cry plead pray hope and do all that you can do to sell a car, and you finally resign, come to terms, relax, stop trying and decide to keep it bc its a good car anyway- it will suddenly sell.
the barttels now are normal people with two cars. three cars for two people really is a bit on the ridiculous side, even if one of them is a work car.
i now get to drive the civic. dirty and mistreated by a boy. poor car. i shall show it some love. :)
conclusion: prayers get answered, even if 8 months later.

it IS a pretty wonderful life

FHE 12/7/09:

The Plan: meeting with new friends for a $6 movie on the Seal Beach pier @ 8.

Ruby's was having a retro deal: $2.70 for a burger and fries. there is a Ruby's on the Seal Beach pier. how convenient! NATURALLY the barttels jump at the deal.

BONUS! it is FREEZING and raining & windy & cold so almost NOONE braved the freezing pier so ruby's was lovely warm & not busy, despite the deal.

since it was cold NATURALLY the barttels purchased larged delicious cups of peppermint hot chocolate after dinner. & walked down main street arm in arm. then they sat in an uncrowded old theatre, eating popcorn, with new friends, watching one of the best movies ever made:

(yes i took a picture in the theatre. it says welcome to bedford falls and the guy's head in front of me is the black hump. i wanted to prove i was really enjoying such a classic in a theatre. i was so happy i could pinch myself!)

movie and dinner and a lovely evening for 2: $20.00. priced to perfection!

calling all yogis!!

looking for a truly relaxing, fun and cheap yoga retreat!? check out Amara Bliss!
a few of my good friends, yoga instructors & fabulous women, have finally seen a dream come true! please check out their new yoga retreat company website! they have a mexican retreat coming up in march- who wouldn't want an all inclusive, 6 night stay in a little mexican village, do yoga on the beach at sunrise/sunset and have one-on-one time with amazing yoga instructors??
love it.
brad & mrs barttels wish they could go!!

a merry murderous saturday

last saturday was a blast from start to finish. brad worked, mrs. barttels exercised (shocking! i know!), met for breakfast, did some needed shopping, came home and got to enjoy football & the company of rodney and lisa ashton- we miss and love them so much! then to top off the day we got to enjoy a murder mystery party that was just tops!! thanks to our hostess, amy, for a fab evening, delicious dinner and even some leftovers to take home!
kudos to brad and nick for picking the right murderer, aubrey & jeremy for my fav costumes & farrah and tk for playing their parts so well! i'd definitely be interested in doing another someday!

blast you sappy country songs!

i try to avoid christmas music on the radio like the plague at this point in december, bc about a week before the holiday i find myself tired of it. i also refuse to listen to mediocre artists tarnish the beautiful music of christmas on soft rock stations. BUT sometimes i listen to the radio, and when i'm lost in thought i can get sucked in without knowing.

today one minute i'm singing country, "hey!, white liar..." and after a moment pondering car insurance, i find myself tuning back into the radio.

oh no.

its one of THOSE songs.

the kind that you love to hate and hate to love and wish you didn't know every word and not only is it CHRISTMAS but its COUNTRY CHRISTMAS even worse it's SAPPY COUNTRY CHRISTMAS!!

next thing i know i'm all choked up, crying "sir i wanna buy these shoes for my mamma please..."

baha.

am i the only one out there....

i'm going to say this, but before you judge, read it through!

it's not that different being married.

wait wait! don't go. here's my logic:

women are emotionally based. i've been emotionally married/committed to brad for a long long time. that's why it doesn't feel very different.

bc emotionally i've been watching movies, taking out trash, going on walks, driving in cars, making dinner, talking, laughing, spending time, planning, budgeting with brad, and only brad, for what seems like forever. so its only natural we continue doing so and just share the bed, couch, apt and cars & last name officially now!

which to some might seem like a let down to some bc marriage should be this GREAT! AWESOME! EXTREME! change, but for me it is another peaceful, very undramatic, quiet and calm reminder that this is just how it's supposed to be. :)