8 Years

I KNOW!!

Its been FOREVER since I've posted anything on this blog. By now I'm writing to cyberspace as most of you have forgone coming here to check for updates. Have no fear, I'll be writing again very soon.

For now you can check out http://picasaweb.google.com/justinhat and www.amephotography.net/harper for some new exciting pics of our baby girl!

Also check out, www.littleacornkids.net. We are finally finished with our new devotional books! More on that later.

Too Long

Hello All!

Sorry it has been so long since I've posted anything. We are finally here in Claremore, OK! Between moving, getting settled in I haven't had the time to sit down to post a blog.

Harper is doing really well. She is finally starting to sleep a lot better at night. We still are having problems with her wanting to stay awake and play at 2am, but otherwise she is a peach. Here is a picture we took at the beach, isn't she adorable?

Check em out!

Harper is only 4 days old and I've got over 200 pictures of her.....I am in FULL Dad mode. I was never much for printing digital pictures, I thought it was pointless owing to the fact that they are right there on the computer. Now, however, I can easily see myself spending hundreds of dollars in printed pictures of my daughter!

Click here to see why!

Home Again, Home Again

FINALLY! We are home. After being in the hospital 24 hours a day since 7:30pm Sunday we are EXTREMELY relieved to be home.

We came home today around 5pm. We have had a great time unpacking and introducing Harper to her new home. She is eating really well and her and Archie are best friends. He likes to be close to wherever she is in the house.

Kari is doing great, sore and exhausted, but great. She is excited to be able to sleep in her own bed tonight, take a shower in her own shower, eat her own food and wear her own clothes (NO MORE GOWNS!)

And me? I've never been happier! I LOVE being a Daddy! This has just been the greatest experience of my life! I LOVE my beautiful little girl! I also LOVE capitol LETTERS and exclamation points!!!!!

A big thanks to all of you for your prayers.

As Promised!

Hello All!

As promised here are some fabulous pictures of our new wonderful Harper.

She has been such a good baby so far. As you can see from the pictures on the right she has already been the subject of her Grandparents attention (Thanks Momma Hatfield, Momma McFarland and Daddy Hatfield!)

We really want to thank you all for your constant prayers. Kari is doing much better. She is still feeling some soreness from deliver, but in general she is doing very well. If things go well tonight (C'mon Harper EAT!) we'll be able to go home in the morning! YAY!

By the way if I'm missspelying woids....I AM TIRED!!

Introducing...

Meet Harper Grace Hatfield, our beautiful baby girl!

Harper was born 7:57am, July 10th. She was 6 pounds 5 ounces, 20 inches long and absolutely beautiful in every way!

We're Here!

Its finally time! We are at the hospital! Kari is being induced tonight, so please keep us in your prayers. Baby Hatfield will either arrive tonight or sometime tomorrow. Keep checking back for updates! (And hopefully pictures)

Not Yet

Just dropping in to say "Not Yet." I know! You must be thinking, "Will they EVER have this baby?" Believe me, we are right there with you!

Keep us in your prayers, it really could be any day now. Keeping checking back, I'll update just as soon as we know something!

It's all about the Palm Sweat.

You're in a dark crowded room. All around you there are strangers sitting in pairs and large groups, gathered for a common purpose. All eyes are straining forward. The sound is cranked up. You're nervous, "Is it going to happen?"

The previews roll by and the movie reel begins to tell its tale. You're so nervous, more so than you've ever been. "It really could happen!" Slowly and with great patience you begin to move your hand to the arm rest, palm up. "Come on. Come on." Half way through the movie the moment arrives, CONTACT! "Hello, command we have contact! The bait is taken, Mission: Hold Hands has officially been accomplished!"

Seconds later, contact is broken. All of your effort has been ruined! The culprit? Your friend and mine, sweaty palms.

It happens. Why? God's funny little joke on humanity. Sweaty Palms. We get nervous, we sweat, that sweat congregates religiously like a gospel meeting in the palms of your hands. How do I know this? I've lived the life my friends.

Here lately it seems I walk around with sweaty palms on a consistent basis. Kari and I are mere WEEKS away from Baby Time USA, and the anticipation is killing me! Every time I leave the house I'm on pins and needles. My phone rings and (It doesn't matter who it is) I answer, "Are you on your way? How long do I have?" Then the phone slips from my grasp because of, you guessed it, sweaty palms.

So, what gives you sweaty palms, or your equivalent? Have a seat and share.

The Front Porch

Have you ever lived in an older city? By which I mean a city that has been established for quite some time. Anderson, SC (where Kari and I currently live) was founded in 1826 and I would consider Anderson, at least the original Anderson, an older city. Cities that have been around since the 1800s are different than the more modern cities we live in today.

The streets are different. The shops are different. The homes are different. The way they are put together suggest a different way of life. I always find it interesting to take a walk through the older parts of Anderson. You get a feeling for the way things used to be. What do I mean by that?

The biggest difference in the layout of homes in old Anderson and the newer parts are the front porches. In the older parts of Anderson all of the houses have front porches with walkways extending out a short distance to the side walks running the streets. You can just imagine a time when people walked everywhere they went. You can envision a time when people came calling on these homes and were invited to sit there on the front porch and pass the time talking. The pace of life was much slower. People took more time to talk to one another. Your neighbor wasn't someone you avoided making eye contact with on the way from your car to your door, but someone you trusted and cherished.

Today our homes are entered from the back or from garages. The fronts of our homes are uninviting. The pace is much faster and we don't have time to pass the day in pleasant company. Anymore, if we have porches they are hidden away in the back and rarely used to entertain guests.

So here we come to it, my ironic attempt to reclaim the past. This blog will be my virtual porch. Here I would like to share some of my thoughts with you, my guest. Don't be shy. Come on up the walkway, sit down, sip some tea and lets talk. Welcome, to the Front Porch.