The Gardiner Family

100 Days of Kindergarten

2012-02-06T18:50:00.000-08:00

One of the things I love about Adell's school is that they consistently are doing fun things with the students. Today Adell's class celebrated their 100th day of kindergarten. They all dressed up as if they were 100 years old. Dropping Adell off for school was pretty comical. All these cute little kindergarteners were walking to class dressed as if they were elderly. They were so adorable! I wish I had thought to bring my camera to the school and get pictures of all the different "100-year-old" kindergarteners.
They had a big party filled with various activities that centered around the number 100. They did things like 100 fruitloop necklaces, 100 item picnic and more. It was great!

Utah Natural History Museum

2012-01-18T19:05:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for something to do with the family - I strongly recommend a visit to the new and improved Utah Natural History Museum. We had a great time with the girls. The exhibits are incredible and so much of it is designed to be kid-friendly and interactive. Adell said, "this is totally my kind of thing!" She's already begging to go back. Even Hannah, who is notorious for being a wet blanket on these types of outings, couldn't help but love the museum.
Here's a few of the girls favorite things:

Adell:

- The huge dinosaur exhibits!
- The mammoth and giant sloth.
- The indian ruin sight (that you can play and hide in).
- The different plant exhibit books that you could press a button and smell the plant.
- All the different bugs you could look at through the big magifying glass.
- The butterfly window display.
- The sand/water table.
- The dinosaur puzzle.

Hannah:
- The floor that changed colors when stepped on.
- The live ant hill.
- The big spider! (Tarantula)
- The water tables with the bugs you could catch and put in a basket. (We had to literally pry her away from that one)!
- Sitting in her hole on the indian ruins.
- Watching the brine fly larvea.

Mia:
- All the people who stopped to stare at her and say, "Oh, she's just so cute!"
- The floating earth globe that changed colors.
- Touching the water and sand.
- Watching the ants run around in the glass dome.
- Eating her toes while Adell and Hannah played in the indian ruins.

Adell's Achievement

2012-01-18T18:53:00.000-08:00

Adell won second place in the Reflections Contest for her school! She was so proud of herself. It comes with a trophy and everything - she's always wanted to win a trophy!
This is a major accomplishment, especially since she was the only kindergartener to place. She had submitted a painting she had done using Dad's paints and canvas paper. The theme was "Diversity means..." so she decided to paint a whole bunch of people of every type and color. She called it "Everyone is Colorful."
We are so proud of our little artist! I can't believe what a wonderful artist she is becoming. She obviously gets that one from her dad.
Congratulations, Adell!!! We love you so much!!!

Yearly Interviews 2012

2012-01-04T18:58:00.000-08:00

Name: Adell Marie Gardiner
Birthday: September 3, 2005
Present age: 6 years old
Birthstone: Sapphire
Favorite color: Gold, silver, red and blue
Favorite food: Macaroni and cheese, pizza, (she also still says Chinese dumplings, but she's never actually tried them)
Favorite beverage: Rootbeer (still), grape juice, cream soda
Favorite treat: Cake and ice cream
Favorite animal: A bat for Halloween, a penguin for Christmas, a chick for Easter and hamster, because she now has two.
Best friend: Fiona, and also everyone in her kindergarten class - especially Weston
Future occupation: Veterinarian or photographer (for the news)
Greatest fear: Spiders and Black Widows
Favorite movie: Muppets
Favorite television show: Wild Kratts (PBS)
Favorite game: Don't Break the Ice, or Soul Callibur (she plays it with Dad sometimes), Angry Birds
Loves: Playing with sisters and friends, Grandma (either one), animals, bossing Hannah around, kindergarten, reading, love, cute things, family, stuffed animals
Favorite things: Rosie and Posie (her pet hamsters), her little sisters, warm pajamas
Hobbies: Art, Gymnastics
Dislikes: Gross stuff, spiders
Greatest challenge: cleaning her room and keeping it clean
Favorite toys: Camera and everything she got for Christmas
Words that describe Adell: Smart, kind, independent, helpful, loving, cute, funny, energetic, cheerful, fun, outgoing, determined

Name: Hannah Claire Gardiner
Birthday: September 17, 2008
Present age: 3 years old
Birthstone: Sapphire
Favorite color: Blue
Favorite food: Potatoes (she also likes bananas and yogurt)
Favorite beverage: Apple juice
Favorite treat: Halloween treats!
Favorite animal: Tiger
Best friend: Alyson and everyone in her preschool
Future occupation: Professional color-er
Greatest fear: Monsters
Favorite movie: Tangled
Favorite television show: Blue's Clues
Favorite game: SpongeBob?
Loves: Music (singing), preschool, Adell, her baby sister (Mia), pajamas, playing with Adell, playing with Grandma, playing with anyone!
Favorite things: Snacks, watching shows on Adell's TV, Mommy
Hobbies: Painting, singing, gymnastics
Dislikes: Adell bossing her around, not getting her way
Greatest challenge: Going poop on the toilet (big struggle!)
Favorite toys: Barbies, squinkies
Words that describe Hannah: Adorable, bossy, controlling, sweet, little, lovebug, playful, silly, helpful, friendly

Name: Mia Lynn Gardiner
Birthday: June 3, 2011
Present age: 7 months old
Birthstone: Pearl
Favorite color: Pretty sure it's pink...just kidding, I have no idea...
Favorite food: Sweet potatoes
Favorite beverage: Mommy milk
Favorite treat: Cheerios
Favorite animal: What's an animal?
Best friend: Adell (always make her laugh), but really everyone is Mia's best friend - she's never met a person she didn't like
Future occupation: Member of the "Cheer-up" squad
Greatest fear: Hannah poking her in the eyes
Favorite movie: Not into movies much
Favorite television show: Nah, doesn't watch TV
Favorite game: Peek-a-Boo
Loves: Smiles, Mom, Dad, sisters, new foods, Grandparents, warm baths
Favorite things: Soft blankets, cozy pajamas, meeting new people
Hobbies: Sucking on pacifiers, napping, smiling, laughing
Dislikes: Being hungry, being cold
Greatest challenge: Learning to crawl
Favorite toys: Plastic bags, boxes,
Words that describe Mia: Sunshine, joyful, happy, cheerful, sweet, cutie, love, sweetheart, calm

Christmas 2011

2011-12-31T20:24:00.000-08:00

Before: (about 6:00 AM)

After: (about 7:30 AM)

Ah, the whirlwind of Christmas! It's hard to believe it's already come and gone. Adell is already planning for next year.

Here's just a few highlights:
My step-sister, Adrienne, made these adorable aprons (above). Along with the aprons came an activity kit that included new paints, paper, stickers and other supplies. We seem to go through a lot of art supplies in this house. The girls have been running around wearing their aprons all week.
Here's the traditional offering we left for Santa the night before. He even left a note thanking us for the cookies!
Adell shows off her new Ariel doll.
Adell and Dad checked his stockings to make sure he did receive a lump of coal. Good news, he didn't receive coal! Instead he got some new paints and treats!
Poor Hannah was so sick through Christmas, it really ruined it for her. It took us quite a while to finally coax her into opening her presents. She spent most of Christmas curled up on the couch sipping Pedialyte. It was awful! We all felt just terrible for her. Mom got her Christmas wish: a Kindle Fire! The only problem is that I haven't gotten much of a chance to use it because Adell and Dad can't seem to stop playing Angry Birds.

We had a wonderful Christmas, despite poor, sad, sick little Hannah.
I loved that Christmas was on Sunday this year, and that we had the opportunity to attend Sacrement meeting. It really helped put everything in perspective and feel the Christmas spirit as we celebrated Christ's birth. We are so blessed to be able to enjoy Christmas as a family. I love the Christmas season. It especially fun to be able to watch my girls as they enjoy Christmas.
How grateful I am for our Savior Jesus Christ, and for his mortal ministry here on earth. I love reading the Christmas story to my children and hearing how much they love baby Jesus. I'm so blessed to be a mother.
Merry Christmas, everyone!

Rosie and Posie

2011-12-20T09:08:00.000-08:00

Meet the newest members of the Gardiner family! Rosie and Posie!

Santa delivered them to Adell yesterday, leaving a note that explained they needed a good home and Santa knew Adell would take excellent care of them. She was absolutely thrilled. They are super sweet and will even let Adell hold them and pet them. They run all around the cage and love to snuggle up in their little pink house. Adell and Hannah can't take their eyes off them!

Above: Posie is the brave one. She's most willing to allow Adell and Hannah to handle her.
Below: Rosie is a bit shy, but she likes to peek out from the tunnel and watch the action.

Adell loves being a "new mom." She's actually been a bit emotional about it. She's just so excited! These sweet little hamsters will have the most attentive owner ever.

"Mr. Grinch" Kindergarten Program

2011-12-18T20:10:00.000-08:00

For 20 glorious minutes the kindergarteners of Renaissance Academy put on what just might have been the best presentation of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" ever in Christmas history! (At least that's my opinion, anyway) There's just nothing cuter than a stage full of "Who-ville" kindergarteners putting on their best performance for eager parents and grandparents. And, of course, Adell was absolutely one of the cutest.

Adell was fully committed the her role as a "Who" in Who-ville. She sang all the songs with enthusiasum and gave her two-sentence speaking part everything she had. I'm thinking she just might be a natural born actress!

Wedged between her two best friends, Gabe and Weston. Yes, they are boys, and they are her best friends. Don't worry, however, she makes it very clear that she are just boys that are her friends, nothing more than that. They all like to play "superheros" at recess, and well, the other girls are just a bit too reserved when it comes to superhero combat. She has informed me, however, that Weston has admitted that he likes her...maybe I'll have to have a chat with his mom...

I wish I could have recorded the entire thing, but battery power didn't allow that. It was also pretty difficult to secure a good location for pictures and such. Space was limited, and turns out that every parent in the room was willing to battle for prime seating. Grandma actually took most of the photos, and she had to fight pretty hard to get them.

Great job, Adell! A super-star in the making!

Gardiner Family Christmas Party 2011

2011-12-18T19:54:00.000-08:00

We had a very special guest this year at the annual Gardiner Christmas Party - that's right - Santa Claus!!!

The kids were so excited to see him walk through the door, accompanied by "Mrs. Claus" who also played the accordian. Who knew?

The girls eagerly awaited their turn to sit on Santa's lap. Hannah went willingly, incoherently whispered something that she wants for Christmas (but nobody seemed to catch it) and then jumped off and ran away. Guess the man in red still intimidates her a bit. She was so speedy, that I wasn't able to get a decent photo, but that's okay, maybe next year.

Adell jumped right up on Santa's knee and launched into her prepared speech about why she's old enough and responsible enough to have her own real live hamster for Christmas. Santa seemed impressed with her obvious preparation for such a thing, and after a quick glance at Mom for the official approval, he promised her since she's been such a good girl, she can plan on a hamster under the tree on Christmas morning.

Mia tolerated Santa. As you can see, she was a little concerned about the strange guy in a red suit holding her. But she didn't cry, she just looked slightly mystified.

The Gardiner party was great. The perfect way to boost that Christmas spirit. Filled with good family, good food, treats, games, talents, and love. Adell was brave enough to sing "You're a Mean One, Mr Grinch," which she and I have been working on for a little while. Wade recorded it on the new camera, and as soon as I figure it out, I'll post the video.

Merry Christmas Gardiner Family!

The Graduate!!!

2011-12-15T07:05:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Wade!!! At long last, he's now graduated with his MBA!!! It's been years of hard work, study, papers, groups projects and statistics, and he's finally finished! We went to Texas Roadhouse last night with the family to celebrate. It's so awesome to know that he's really done!

It's truly an incredible accomplishment, and the best part is we get to have Daddy home more. Wade's really looking forward to no longer having to stress about homework - losing every weekend and all his spare time to that never ending pit. What a relief!

We'll be posting the diploma on the wall as soon as it arrives!

We love you, Daddy! We are so proud of you!

Snow Day

2011-12-13T12:00:00.000-08:00

When you wake up and there's snow outside, you better hurry and get out in it! Adell was beside herself with glee as she took in the frosty scene this morning. She demanded her snow attire, grabbed her reluctant little sister, and off they went to enjoy the snowy morning. Hannah was braver than usual as she followed Adell around the yard, but once she decided she was too cold to stay outside, she marched back into the house, despite big sister protests. Adell spent most of the morning enjoying the weather. She topped it all off when she built her snow family, complete with grass hair and leaf eyes. Of course, they deserved a picture or two with the camera. Adell's enthusiasum for life always amazes me. That's why she's always so fun to be around, because she just makes life exciting - no matter what.

Growing up...

2011-12-13T11:41:00.000-08:00

For whatever reason I'm suddenly awe struck by how grown up my girls are becoming - especially Adell.
She announced the other day that she prefers to do her own hair, and I grudgingly turned over the hairbrush. After years of begging, she finally lets me comb her hair without a battle, and just as quickly decides to take the job off my hands. What's even more sad is the fact that she can fix her own hair better than I can...I guess hair styling has never been my forte, and you think I'd get better having three little girls...
I pulled out the camera just to snap a few pictures, because today they are just looking so much older to me and I'm so scared that my time with them is running out. Oh, how I love my sweet little ladies...

Fixing her own hair these days.

Maybe it's the backpacks that make them look so much older to me?

At least I've still got a few years with this one.

It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without...

2011-11-25T19:53:00.000-08:00

Grandma.

Homemade Pumpkin Pie!
Cousins!
Action!Competition. Family support.
Accomplishment.

Expressing gratitude. Indulging.

Snitching leftovers.

Happy Thanksgiving 2011!!!

First Bites

2011-11-25T19:20:00.001-08:00

We started Mia on rice cereal a couple weeks ago. I planned to go really slow with introducing solid foods. My plan was just a little rice cereal in the mornings, then progress to a little before bedtime.
The first time I tried it, I realized my plan might require some acceleration. She acted as though I'd never fed her a decent meal in her entire 5-month-old life! Just like a little bird, she popped her mouth open and began following the spoon. After a few days of enthusiastic response to rice cereal I tried a little applesauce. Since then we've progressed to sweet potatoes and squash. She also likes to mouth bits of stale wheat bread (feels good on tingly gums).
She's very interested in watching us eat. At dinner time she'll watch us from her bouncer and reach out whenever she spies us putting the spoon to our mouths.
I've increased her "food training" to giving her some rice cereal and a small jar baby food twice a day. She's still happy to be nursing, but she's always extremely excited to see me getting out the bib and baby spoon. If I don't get the food to her awaiting mouth quickly enough, she grunts and cries in frustration.
It's nice to see such enthusiasm about life. Mia seems to really appreciate the new things that come her way. I hope it's a quality that lasts.
I just love her.

Oh, Christmas Tree!

2011-11-18T09:47:00.001-08:00

Is it too early to put up the Christmas tree? If you say yes, then, well...you are a scrooge. It's not too early for us, so we did.
Trying to be sentimental, I recorded the girls hanging their ornaments. I just want to remember those cute little voices growing more and more excited about Christmas. And then I just have to post this brief video. If you can watch the whole thing and not bust out laughing when Dad randomly bursts into song (Frosty, the Snowman) than your a stronger person than I am. Sorry, honey, for some reason, it just strikes me as funny.

Happy Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T20:44:00.000-07:00

Another Halloween has come and gone. We're all doing what we can to soothe our aching tummies, full to maximum capacity with candy and sweets. We had lots of fun packed into the day. We visited Grandma Maree's work, and of course Daddy's work too. We had Halloween parties for everyone. And then, of course, we had Trick-or-Treating throughout the neighborhood.
What a fabulous Halloween! Adell actually declared, "Best Halloween Ever!"

Cornbelly's 2011 - 3rd Attempt

2011-10-24T19:33:00.000-07:00

We visited Cornbelly's at Thanksgiving Point this year, like so many other Utah County citizens. It's was actually the third time this month we've tried to go. The first time it was closed, the second time it was too expensive (long, sad story for another time) and by the third try, the girls were so skeptical they didn't actually allow themselves to believe we were actually going until we were standing in front of the cornmaze with wristbands in place.
We met up with the McMurray clan, which was a fabulous thing to do. The McMurrays include a lot of our favorite people, so there were smiles everywhere. Like magnets, Fiona and Adell joined at the hip and didn't separate for the rest of the day. Hannah didn't care about anything else, as long as Alyson was there with her. All the old favorites were there, including the Princess Area which Hannah would have happily chosen to live in from now on if such an option existed.
They've also added several new activities, like bounce houses, and wooden playsets. Needless to say, the kids had plenty to keep themselves entertained.
Adell braved the inflatable monster this year. In the past she's made it to the mouth, but refused to go any farther. This year she was bound and determined to make it through the entire monster. She insisted on taking Grandma, and together they marched into the monster. She apparentely did fine, right up until the end when there's a loud noise she wasn't expecting, she grabbed Grandma and insisted they make a hasty exit. She was proud of herself for making it as far as she did.
I expected Hannah to balk at the "scary" set-ups, but she didn't. In fact, nothing seemed to even worry her in the slightest. This was actually due to the fact that she was bound and determined to do whatever Alyson did. She was so focused on following her, that she didn't even notice the scary parts. It was so cute to watch Hannah holding Alyson's hand wherever they went. I was worried it might annoy Alyson a bit to have such a tangible shadow, but she didn't seem to mind. She's gotten pretty use to Hannah's adoration for her.
We played and played, and just as it started to get really crowded we headed out for lunch at JCW's. We applauded my mom for having thought to come as early as possible in order to avoid the UEA crowd.

Thank you, Cornbelly's. We can't wait until next year! Oh, and please don't raise your prices anymore!

Giggles for Big Sister

2011-10-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

A simple game of peek-a-boo? No way, it's about the silliest thing Mia's ever witnessed in her entire 4-month-old life!

Family Photos...a good attempt anyway...

2011-10-03T13:41:00.000-07:00

Here's the first attempt at family pictures with Wade's new camera. Given the fact that he has no idea what he's doing and that Cascade Springs was swarming with people, I think it turned out to be a fairly decent picture.

Do you like Hannah's hair in her face and Wade so obviously using the camera remote? Well, we sure did try!

Guest Blogger

2011-09-29T19:43:00.001-07:00

Special guest blogger: Adell M. Gardiner
(all photos taken by Adell)

When I grow up I want to be a photographer (and toymaker, and hairstylist, and teacher). Here's some things I like to take pictures of:

My baby sister, Mia. Sometimes she drools.My bedroom. I made my bed just for this picture.
My little sister, Hannah, even though she wouldn't share her chocolate chips.
Mia sleeping. She does this a lot.
My mom, Mia and Hannah. We like to go to the mountains.
Daddy taking a picture of me with his new camera.
Hannah eating her lunch.
My schedule. I do it every day.
That's all for now. I'll take more pictures and put them on the computer later. Thanks for looking at my pictures!

Hannah's 3rd Birthday!!!

2011-09-17T19:37:00.000-07:00

Hannah turned 3 years old today!!! We've had so much going on over the past few weeks, we thought a nice quite family birthday would be best, so of course, it ended up being a loud, crazy, fun-filled day complete with tears, smiles, and frosting.
Adell helped me prepare for Hannah's big day the night before. She helped me decorate the house, wrap presents, and make a birthday poster. She was so excited for Hannah to start her big day, that she promptly ran into her room at 6:30 AM and brightly woke up a bewildered Hannah.

Hannah stumbled to the kitchen, lead by Adell chattering away, and sleepily took in the birthday scene. She smiled and seemed please by the decorations and presents, but it was a while before we actually convinced her that it was her birthday - she just assumed it was all for Adell...again...
Once was really did convince her it was for her, her smile got bigger and brighter. Adell practically shoved her to the table to get her started on opening her presents. A delighted Hannah opened one present and saw that it was a Blue's Clues DVD. She was so thrilled with her gift, that she leaped from the chair and headed down the stairs to watch her new show, ignoring all the other brightly wrapped gifts still waiting on the table. Adell ran after her, but I called her back. I told her it's Hannah's birthday, so we need to let her decide when to open the gifts. She'll get around to it when she's ready. There's no rush. I could see Adell had to work really hard to muster up her patience with that one. After about 30 minutes, the suspense was just killing Adell. She kept sneaking down the stairs to start begging and pleading with Hannah to please come open the rest of her presents.
Eventually, after the show was over, and Hannah had eaten a leisurely breakfast, she gained more interest in the other presents.
She carefully peeled away the paper, one little strip at a time, and carefully examined each gift. It took every ounce of control Adell had to watch this painstaking process and not just grab the presents and tear them open herself.

She got a dollhouse, which kept both Adell and Hannah occupied for most of the morning, and a Tinkerbell doll - which Adell informs me she actually really wanted for her birthday, but didn't get one...
Later that afternoon we joined up with cousins Emma, Hayden, and Erica. Since Erica's birthday is the day before Hannah's, we ended up making a sort of joint party out of it. They had a bouncy house and a few minute-to-win-it games. We had cupcakes and ice cream and sang each girl a chorus of "Happy Birthday!" Hannah loved it, but what she loved most of all, was the fact that her favorite person in the entire world was there - Alyson! Hannah is absolutely enamered with her older cousin Alyson. Every family event is spent following Alyson around, doing whatever Alyson does, or begging Alyson to do what Hannah wants to do. It's so funny. She absolutely LOVES her. I called Kristy just to make sure Alyson could be there today, because I knew Hannah wouldn't be truly happy on her birthday unless Alyson was there. And it did make her whole day. Hannah was completely delighted to have Alyson at her command.

After peeling the girls away from the party, we came home and had dinner with Grandma Maree and Grandpa. Grandma Maree is yet another person Hannah can't get enough of, so she happily bossed Grandma around and played with her until poor Grandma couldn't walk anymore.
By the time bedtime rolled around, and maybe a little past it, Hannah was victim of "too much birthday," and went to bed screaming and wailing. After a few minutes of bedtime meltdown, I went into her room to check on her. She was still sniffling, but more reasonable. All she asked for was her new Tinkerbell doll and a sippy cup of water. I obliged, and she fell asleep before I even left the room, smile on her face, Tinkerbell clutched in her hands.
Happy Birthday, Hannah! We love you!

Bear Lake 2011

2011-09-07T19:38:00.000-07:00

Our Annual Trip to Bear Lake - the wrap-up:

Hannah and Lydia take a nap on the tube.

We may have forgot to bring candles for Adell's birthday cake, but she's got a good imagination.
Mom, does it ever get to be my birthday?

Mia discovers her favorite thing in life - Grandma!

Grandma discovers that hiking with kids is a lot like herding cats.

Hannah's scavanger hunt turns into just picking wildflowers and putting them in the bag.
Adell masters the log bridge.

Hannah figures she can do anything Adell can do, she'll just take a reluctant Grandma with her!

Staying behind Daddy seems like a pretty safe idea.

I just love how sweet Hannah looks in this picture.

For years we've teased my mother about her claim that she once saw a moose at Bloomington Lake. We were always so sure what she actually saw was a cow. After discovering a real moose in the pond just around the corner from the lake, we'll never doubt her again.

Adell completes her scavanger hunt at Bloomingtom Lake. She also refuses to be in a family picture, and we never do figure out why.

Hannah decides to try to bury herself in sand after watching Adell, but quickly changes her mind when we offer to do it for real.

Grandpa buries Adell in the sand.

Adell's 6th Birthday!!!

2011-09-07T19:11:00.000-07:00

Adell has officially turned 6 years old!!! She had a fabulous birthday full of presents, parties, cake, Grandparents, ice cream, and more presents. She couldn't stop grinning!
This year she had a party at the Lehi Legacy Center. She was allowed to invite six friends (one for each year). The Legacy Center was great; we had a party room all to ourselves (complete with decorations), pizza and soda pop, cake and ice cream, and lots of time to swim in the pool. There was only one major problem...five minutes after we arrived, someone apparently went to the bathroom in the pool (it wasn't anyone from our party). They had to close the pool for about 30 minutes to clean it.
Initially, we were pretty bummed, but it worked out okay. By the time we finished with all the pizza, presents, cake and ice cream, the pool was clean and open once more. And, hey, at least it made it more memorable.
Silly me, however, totally forgot the camera and I have no pictures of the party....ugh!!!
Adell loved being with her friends, and they were all great sports about the whole thing. Another lesson in how adaptable kids really are.
Adell received many presents, and loves them all. One of her favorites (she's been just begging for) is her new pink Bella Ballerina shoes. If you don't know what Bella Ballerina shoes are - go to the Sketchers website and watch the ad.
She's been spinning around in them at every opportunity. It's too bad she's not allowed to wear them to school, but then again, it's pretty obvious why that rule exsists. As a tradition (which I stole from my sister), Adell was crowned "Queen of the Day," and therefore was allowed to make all the decisions - everything from what we eat that day to whether or not chores will be done. She turned out to be a gracious and kind Queen.
Happy Birthday, my sweet Adell!!! There are not words to describe what this little lady means to me - I need better words. Her sweet spirit radiates in our home and always keeps us on our toes. Thank you, sweetheart, for giving me the fabulous gift of motherhood six years ago. I love you so very much!!!

A Week of Firsts

2011-08-29T11:55:00.000-07:00

Because we've had a multitude of "firsts" in our family lately, it feels like a good time to highlight just a few of them:

Adell starts kindergarten!

Adell has been waiting for this day for 6 long years! At 7:00 AM she was awake, dressed and ready to start her first day of kindergarten (her class doesn't start until 12:00 PM). She was literally bouncing with anticipation and asking me every five minutes if it was time to leave. Finally, we drove to the school. I took my camera, wondering if I'd be the only parent clicking the camera and crying because she just looks so grown-up. I wasn't the only parent like that. What a relief. Perhaps a bit overwhelmed on the first day, but Adell absolutely LOVED kindergarten, and couldn't wait to go back for day #2.
Congratulations, sweet Adell! How we love our little kindergartener!

Hannah starts preschool!

Perhaps she's a bit young to be going to preschool; she's not officially 3 until September 17, but I decided she's my daughter and I'll do what I want. So, yes, Hannah is going to a neighborhood preschool two days a week. We went to the open house, just to test the waters and see if she thought it was a good idea. She walked in, saw the toys and kids and teacher and books and colorful posters, then promptly began to shove me toward the door saying, "bye, Mom!" I don't think she'll have a problem with separation anxiety.
I just felt like Hannah really needed her own thing. Adell has kindergarten, Mia takes a lot of my time - and there's nothing that's just for Hannah. Now we load up in the car and Hannah is happy to declare that she's also going to school, just like her big sister. She's just so cute and tiny as she packs her little backpack up the steps and waves good-bye to me. I just Love her!!!

Mia laughs!

I feed her, burp her, change her diaper again and again, comfort her, rock her, bathe her, devote everything I have to her - and who does she decide to bestow her first giggles on? Why, Daddy, of course.
It's okay, really, I understand that's it's hard to look at Daddy and not feel like laughing.

Wade survives statistics!

For the past several weeks Wade has endured the torture of statistics. This is his first and final statistics class. Oddly enough, it didn't convince him to change his career path.
Once a week he'd come in after his 4 hour class, looking as if he'd just been dragged through a war zone, and collapse on the bed writhing in agony. I tried to help him with his homework, but I don't know if I really helped all that much. He assured me that just the fact that I was there suffering with him meant a lot. I was providing moral support.
We'd put the kids to bed, then spend the next several hours beating our head against the wall in order to make some sense out of his assignments. He'd bring them home and show me what we got right and what we got wrong. For not actually being in the class with the instructor, I thought I managed pretty well.
I'm happy to report that he survived, and is happy to never again have to face statistics.

Kari gets an uninterrupted nap!

For the first time since Mia was born, I had the luxury of taking a 30 minute nap without any interruptions. It was bliss, and I might have to do it again.

Wade Conforms...

2011-08-17T18:13:00.001-07:00

Shocking everyone, including me, Wade came home last night with a cell phone. Since Wade is pretty much anti-technology (for a variety of reasons, just ask him), I was nothing short of stunned. It's one of those prepaid tracfones - nothing fancy - not a smart phone, but for Wade, it's huge.
He brought it home with a plan in mind. See, the truth is that he wants to go hunting with his newly purchase bow (another long, expensive story).
It's actually an attempt to buy me off, since he plans to go hunting this weekend, alone, for 2 or 3 days.
Before I could throw my typical fit about him being alone in the canyon without any means of communication, he pulled out the phone, grinning triumphantly.
Before I could launch into my typical fit about him leaving me alone with 3 kids all weekend, he launched into his sudden desire to take me to see a play or something...you know...date night?
So, did his buy off work? I'm not sure yet. I guess I'll have to see how impressive date night turns out to be...

When there's nothing to do...we go to the zoo!!!

2011-08-17T17:46:00.000-07:00

Next week school begins. We figured one last fun, just-because-it's-summer, activity was a given for this final week. So, we called up Grandma (because certainly she'd want to join in on the fun), packed everyone in the car, and took a trip to the zoo. We figured we'd take it slow - sticking to an easy kid-friendly pace. When the kids got tired, too hot, too grumpy, or too hungry, we'd call it a day.

The girls both love the zoo. Adell, however, really LOVES the zoo! She brought with her a pencil box filled with markers and a small notebook. In it, she determinedly filled the pages with pictures of every animal she saw. Trying to be thorough and quick, she'd plop down on the hard concrete in front of the creature's cage, and draw furiously.
Because she took it all so seriously, we all did our best to be as patient as possible with our artist, who clearly had way too many animals than her little hands could possibly handle.
Hannah had a bit more of a positive experience with the zoo than she had the last time. She was well rested, full of energy, and had a full stomach, so that made for a much better zoo trek.
Mia slept through most of it, and what she didn't sleep through she grinned at. We had several people offer to buy her and take her home, but we refused to sell her. I did consider charging admission to all her adoring public. It got pretty hot by early afternoon. Once the girls all had bright pink cheeks, we figured it was time to head home. All three girls fell asleep in the car before we even pulled out of the parking lot.
A successful trip to the zoo!

Impromptu Scavanger Hunt

2011-08-10T13:09:00.000-07:00

Keeping Adell and Hannah occupied this summer has been a real challange. Both girls are so full of energy, I'm constantly trying to come up with creative ways for them to vent the excess. It's been especially difficult now that I've got three kids to pack around with me.
Adell and Hannah are actually pretty good in the car and when we go out, the problem is just the cold hard math of it - I just can't manage all three. Adell loves to go swimming, but I can't see how I could possibly do that with all three kids. Adell can fend for herself pretty well, but Hannah still requires a great deal of assistance, and I can't very well leave the baby while I manage Hannah.
I've learned that I can only handle one objective at a time. For instance, I can take a trip to the shoe store and buy new shoes, but I can't tack on more than that. It's shoe store and then home. There no such thing as stopping at Wal-Mart on the way. I must have a clear point, a single destination and then I must come home. Going to the grocery store, I can handle, if that's all it is. Unfortunately, for Adell, the grocery store doesn't hold her interest the way it once did. She'd rather stay home and be bored than go to the store.
Adell told me she was bored today, so I quickly devised a plan. She loves scavanger hunts, so I grabbed a sheet of paper and came up with a little scavanger hunt she could do at the park. We loaded up the car and went for a picnic in the park. It turned out great. Adell and Hannah ran all around the park finding their various items and checking them off the list with a big red marker. If there's a record for fastest completed scavanger hunt, I'm sure that Adell and Hannah just broke it. Adell was quite creative. For example, when she was searching for a cell phone, she didn't waste her time looking for someone who might be talking on their phone. She just marched up to a random stranger and asked if she could please look at their cell phone. When she was looking for a little brown bird, she notified all the kids in the park. Pretty soon she had a mass of kids searching for birds and reporting their findings to me. We found a lot of birds that way. By the time she was halfway through the list, most of the kids in the park where following her around, anxious to assist her. It was so funny. I just couldn't believe my little leader of the pack - convincing the entire park to come to her aid. After lunch and some quality park time, the scavanger list was finished. For a reward I'd promised snowcones. The other kids who'd offered their assistance perked up at the mention of snowcones. Since I couldn't provide snowcones for the entire park, Adell ran around granting cookies to the kids that had helped her. The entire bag of cookies was gone in a few seconds.
We left the park and drove straight to a little snowcone place near our house. We all ordered our favorite flavors then raced home to eat them before they melted.
It was great fun. With Adell and Hannah both starting school in a couple weeks, I'm just know I'm really going to miss these carefree days, complete with scavanger hunts and snowcones.

Meet Toothless...

2011-08-05T13:11:00.001-07:00

I know what to get Adell for Christmas this year - that's right - her two front teeth!
From the moment Adell figured out how to crawl, the world became her jungle gym. We often tease her about how she doesn't seem to be capable of walking in a straight line. It's not that she's klutzy, really, she just tends to choose the more interesting path. Take a typical sidewalk - straight, no hills, no bumps, and Adell can find a way to make it more exciting. Instead of walking straight down the sidewalk like a normal person would likely do, she bounces, skips, jumps, leaps, dances, rolls, cartwheels, balances on the fence, hops from the curb, or any other way she can manage to not walk straight.
She's never been one to hold back. Everything she does it 110%. I actually think it's a good quality to have - her fearless nature - the fact that she'll try anything, and yet, it also proves to be her fatal flaw. All the bouncing, skipping, and jumping leads to numerous accidents. She's constantly covered in scraps, bruises and cuts. If she survives to adulthood, it'll be a miracle.
I'm realistic, of course, I know that kids will be kids and that kids fall down a lot. Adell, however, takes it to a whole new level. We are constantly nagging her to please be careful! She's a bit on the reckless side. She's easily distracted, and rarely pays attention to what's in front of her. I remember when she was a toddler being so frustrated with her. I'd take her to the store and she'd just take off! She also never seemed to "look before leaping," she'd just go! I had to devise a plan of action anytime I took her anywhere - things like "parking lot rules," and "must keep Mommy in line of sight." As she's gotten older she's improved some, but she still has a hard time remembering to watch where she's going. She doesn't think - she just does! Since she never does anything half way, her accidents tend to lead to all levels of various injuries.
She's had a black-eye, a deep cut to the forehead (resulting in a nice little scar), split lips, lost fingernails, a rolled ankle, and numerous other minor injuries. She's never broken a bone...yet...
Everytime a new bruise appears, I sigh and hope no one turns us into Child Protective Services.
At 18 months old, she face-planted on the concrete, consequently breaking her right front tooth clean in half. There was no saving the tooth. I remember picking her up, and racing to the dentist - Her mouth full of blood and half of her tooth in my hand. The dentist strapped her down and proceeded to cap her little tooth. The cap lasted for about 8 months, but one bop in the mouth (Daddy accidently got her with the soccer ball) and the cap was history. From that point she's been without a right front tooth. Her left tooth has been on the fritz all along. The dentist suspected it, also, had suffered trauma from the concrete battle and would likely suffer the same fate as the left. It's held on longer than I even thought it would, despite several additional catastrophes and blows to the mouth.
Then the other day, we went with Grandma to Monkey Island. It's full of bouncy houses and slides - Adell's dream world. About five minutes after we got there, Adell came to me with a sad kind of look on her face. Her mouth was full of blood, and I just knew...
Sure enough, the left front tooth was flapping in the breeze, not quite out, but I knew it was toast. To make things worse, her two bottom front teeth were also loose. Apparently she'd bashed her mouth into a rope while climbing one of the obstacle courses. I hugged her and dried her tears, I assumed she'd like to go home, but no, she wanted to keep playing.
We showed Daddy her wiggling teeth when he got home. He offered to pull them out, but Adell preferred the dentist to decide their fate. I worried all night about her. She's about to start kindergarten and I worried that a gapping hole in her mouth might lead to self confidence issues and possibly interfere with her speech. In the middle of the night I was online reading horror stories about kids her age who had broken and knocked out their teeth.
By morning I was a nervous wreck, and I wanted to get her to the dentist ASAP. Surely there would be something they could do for her, right? At the dentist, they cleaned and x-rayed all her teeth. The dentist examined her mouth, looked up at me and smiled, "no cavities!" That's great, but I just stared at him, "but what about her loose teeth?" He laughed and said they'd likely all fall out by the time the weekend is through. I voiced my concerns I'd been fretting about all night. He told me the teeth were on their way out anyway - the permanant one's putting pressure and dissolving the roots - that's why they were so easily knocked loose. She'll be 6 years old in a few weeks, and that's the age when teeth fall out.
Oh, I guess she is. I forget that she'll be a year older than most of her classmates.
He assured me that within the year her classmates will all have similar toothless grins. Her permanant teeth look fine and healthy, and should come in without any problems.
What a relief! The dentist gave her permission to wiggle her loose teeth to her heart's content (something I had been discouraging up until that point). He also advised me to contact the Toothfairy and tell her to get ready - Adell will have some teeth for her very soon.
So, get ready for Adell's toothless grin, sounds like it'll be arriving very soon. All I have to do now, is convince her that her permanant teeth won't grow back and she won't get a second chance with them, so please BE CAREFUL!!!

A moment of relief from "Mommy Guilt"

2011-07-22T08:55:00.000-07:00

I suffer from a condition I like to call, "Mommy Guilt." It's my suspicion that most mothers suffer from "Mommy Guilt" from time to time - some probably more than others. What is "Mommy Guilt?" I'll describe what's typical: I look at these three sweet little girls and think, "Lord, what are you thinking? I can't raise these girls!" I want to nuture them, I want them to make good choices in life, I want so much for them, and I don't know how to do it.
I lie there at night (when I'm not up with Mia) and my mind goes wild. I feel like I'm not measuring up. I'm not doing enough...or being enough for them. I lack patience, sometimes I yell (okay, a lot of times I yell), and often I just feel maybe it would be best to run off into the desert.
I love them so much and I want to do what's best for them, but maybe I'm just not a capable mother. Is the Lord really trusting me with his special daughters? I feel so enormously inadequate. Why can't I just be better, do more, be more?
They are growing so fast, and I only have so much time with them. I want to make the most of it - I don't want any wasted days, but yet, I feel that happens often. Will my relationship with my daughters be strong enough to survive the teenage years? Will they remember what I'm tried so hard to teach them?
"Mommy Guilt" is all consuming. Sometimes I feel incapacitated by it. Maybe they would have been better off with a different mom - a better mom...
And then tonight, before I succomb to "Mommy Guilt," Adell comes into my room. She wants to show me something. I follow her downstairs to her room. Her room is tidy and her bed is decorated with her favorite blankets and pillows - she has cleaned her room for me. To top off the good deed, she gives me a homemade card she's made. It's a picture of her with me, and it says, "I love you," as only Adell writes it. Tears fill my eyes, and Adell's concerned, she doesn't understand why I'm crying. I tell her, they are happy tears.
I hug her tightly, and tell her I love her. I thank her for making my day, and tell her I'm so lucky to be her mom. She is beaming. I post the card on the bulletin board where I can see it every day.
Later, I head into Hannah's room to check on her. She's alseep in her little bed, clutching a book tightly. I do a photo book for our family every year, and I recently finished one. I came in the mail today, and Hannah has not let go of it since I showed it to her. She's asleep now, holding the photobook. She says she loves it because it has pictures of our family and she loves to look through it over and over again.
For tonight I let go of the "Mommy Guilt," and just enjoy my girls. It's moments like these that keep me going.

Mia's Blessing

2011-07-18T11:54:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we were able to celebrate little Mia with our families. Wade was able to give her a name and blessing - it was very special.
I loved that our families were able to be there to share it with us. Mia was perfectly patient and quiet for her blessing and throughout the day (though it's not surprising since she's such a calm baby). She clearly didn't like her dress so much, but she endured and I took it off of her as soon as I could. I love her dress - it's the same dress worn by both Hannah and Adell on the day they were blessed. It's become a sweet tradition.
The blessing was wonderful. I felt the Savior's immense love for Mia as Wade spoke the words. I loved that it spoke of her strong spirit and that she has been chosen for this generation. I have felt her calm, sweet spirit and I know that she is a choice daughter of God.
Last night as I put my girls to bed, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace and gratitude. I'm in such awe as I reflect on the blessing my Father in Heaven has given me. To be the mother of these beautiful girls is absolutely amazing.
We had a wonderful day. I'm so grateful to everyone who came to support our family. It's these times, when we get together to celebrate life, that I'm most grateful for, and will always remember.
Of course, Adell will say the best part was playing in the pool. We had left the pool out from the night before when we'd had some friends over. The kids were all ready to jump in with their Sunday clothes on. I was able to suit up most of the girls with old swim suits of Adell's. Unfortunately, the boys were out of luck. After a long, emotional day for everyone, we settled down and looked through the baby books and photo albums as we told Hannah and Adell about the day they were blessed and how special it was.
We are truly blessed.

Beautiful Mia - second addition

2011-07-07T13:51:00.000-07:00

More beautiful pictures of little Mia -

Beautiful Mia

2011-07-06T12:07:00.000-07:00

My very talented cousin took these photos for me. I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I do!

Mia's Story

2011-06-30T01:15:00.000-07:00

This post is for journaling purposes, so, beware, it's a bit lengthy:

It was Thursday morning. I was tired, but then again, I'd been tired for many months, so it wasn't really anything new. This pregnancy really took a lot out of me. I'd been dragging for a while. My hands and feet were swollen, but again, this wasn't really a new thing - they'd been kinda doing that for a while.
My pregnancy discomforts including the swelling, the fatigue, the aches and pains, and a new one for me this time around - sciatic nerve pain. I asked my doctor what I could do to help relieve the pain. His advice: "have the baby." Well, thanks.
I was prepared to wait out one more week. My due date was still 6 days away, and the doctor gave me the grim news that it didn't look like I'd be going into labor any time soon. That's to be expected. Both my girls went a few days past their due dates, and I remember being just as anxious to be done. I tried to remember what it feels like to be able to bend over. It would come - I just had to manage to scrape together a little more patience.
I concluded that the swelling and the fatigue, which seemed more intense this morning than before, was likely due the the birthday party I'd hosted for my mother the day before. I had spent the majority of the day on my feet - cleaning the house, decorating, and making food and cupcakes - so it was to be expected that I'd have a little more discomfort than usual. I just figured I needed to take it easy.
My head felt a little funny, but again, I blew it off.
My mother called me to thank me for the party and check on my mental state, she checks on me daily - bless her. Because she's my mother, I quickly launched into my "poor me" list of complaints. What would I do without my mother to complain too? She was concerned, and suggested I get in touch with my doctor. I back-pedaled and insisted I was fine, just tired. She didn't buy it and continued to encourage me to at least call my doctor just to be safe. I told her I'd get around to it eventually.
After I hung up the phone, I put in a call to my doctor, feeling a little silly - I was sure they'd just tell me to hang in there and feel free to call back when I felt a contraction or two. I talked with a nurse, who suggested I check my blood pressure at the nearest grocery store and contact them if it turns out to be high, but she didn't seem overly concerned, so I kinda blew that off too.
I was too tired to even consider packing up the girls and heading to the store. I'd just rest today and if things got worse, then I'd act. I layed down for a while, but it didn't last long, since my girls were not about to take naps all day and insisted I play with them. I did notice an odd sense of vertigo wheneven I tried to lay down. It felt kinda like the room was spinning. There was also a faint headache forming behind my eyes. But I still wasn't about to drive to the store - I was just too tired...
It was a few hours later, and after a few worried phone calls from both my mom and sister, my mom showed up at the door with games and puzzles ready to occupy the girls. She planned to park there for a while and insisted I drive to the store and get that blood pressure checked! Very well, I'd go.
So, I drove to the store and waddled to the pharmacy. The blood pressure machine was there and waiting. I sat down and let the machine bruise my arm. Turns out my blood pressure was a little high...hmmm....
I returned home and reported to my mother. She gave me the "I told you so" look.
I then phoned the doctor's office again and reported to them. The nurse was quite for a moment, and then said, "how soon can you get here?"
A few minutes later, the girls were packed into Grandma's car and I was headed to the doctor. The nurse checked my blood pressure several times. After a few attempts, she kindly asked me to take a few breaths and try to relax. Apparently that didn't help, because she then decided I needed to see the doctor. The doctor breezed in the room, looked at my chart and asked how I was feeling. I told him my head felt strange, the headache was getting worse, and the swelling in my hands was making it difficult to even hold a pen. If I were being honest, I was feeling pretty miserable.
He looked at me for a moment and then said, "how do you feel about having the baby tonight?"
I was quite surprised, I hadn't really considered that an option. I thought it through quickly. It would be really nice to be done...however, I wondered how I felt about being induced a week early. I have always been more the type to let nature take it's course. Isn't it better to "let the apple drop when it's ripe and ready?" I'd always preffered the senerio where I wake up at 2:00 AM, place a knowing hand on my belly, then gently shove Wade until he's awake and say, "honey, it's time!" And then, was it right for me to mess with fate - shouldn't I let my baby be born on the day it was intended? What if I messed up the stars alignment by forcing my baby to be born on the wrong day? Being induced felt a lot like cheating...
But I didn't really want to spend another week feeling the way I did, and the doctor informed me - if my blood pressure was already on the rise, it would only get worse until I had that baby. Induction was really the safer option. Of course, I'd want to do what was safest for the baby.
With a flourish, he signed something in my chart and instructed me to head to the hospital. He'd call and let them know I was coming. I was concerned, however, since I was only dilated to about a 2. The doctor had originally told me the week before that they prefer to induce only if you are dilated to a good 3 or 4. I asked the nurse on the way out if this increased my chances of ending up with a C-section. She said it was unlikely, but I might be in for a long night.
I went out to the waiting room and decided it might be a good idea to contact Wade about all of this. Unfortunately, it was 5:00 PM, which meant Wade was likely on the road, heading home to an empty house. We don't have cell phones (I know, we're a little strange), so I had no way to contact him until he reached the house. I called my mom instead and informed her she'd probably need to keep the girls tonight since I was heading to the hospital to have the baby.
Then I drove myself to the hospital. I laughed a little about that. I wasn't really "in labor," however, so it doesn't really count.
I got to the hospital, and waddled to the nurse's station. Their eyes got all wide as I approached. "Don't worry," I assured them, "I'm not in labor." I explained that I'd been sent here by my doctor to be induced. Apparently they hadn't gotten that call from the doctor yet. As they shuffled around and tried to decide what to do with me, the phone rang. It was my doctor - and yes, I was really there to be induced.
They set me up in a room and gave me a gown to change into. They were pretty busy, apparently I wasn't the only one who decided to have their baby that day. The nurse said it might be a while before they were available to get me going. I said I'd be patient. It took them about an hour to get to me, but it worked out okay, since it gave me time to contact Wade and inform him of the situation. He was a bit surprised, and told me he was on his way - but was I really going to choose the week he had his final to have the baby? Yep. Get over here.
By the time they were placing my IV, Wade came in the room. He was thoughtful enough to have brought me dinner, and I gratefully reached for it. Unfortunately, the nurse said food was forbidden if I wanted an epidural during this delivery. I briefly debated - pain relief or full stomach? I decided pain relief was probably a better choice...but I was really hungry...
Wade felt bad for me, but didn't have too much trouble eating all the food himself. After they got me all hooked up and Pitocin dripping into my veins, the nurse informed me she'd be in to check on me every hour or so, in the meantime, all we could do was wait.
I remembered my last labor - when I gave birth to Hannah. How nice it had been. I went into labor in the morning, arrived at the hospital at about 12:00, and had the baby by 5:00 PM - I went home the next morning. Easy! I really hoped maybe this labor would be similarly easy. I don't particularly enjoy being at the hospital. Since it was already evening hours, I was really hoping it wouldn't end up being at all night ordeal.
Of course, things didn't go my way, and it did turn out to be an all night ordeal.
We waited and waited. Wade watched game two of the NBA playoffs. I was pent up in the uncomfortable hospital bed. The nurse checked on me periodically. The doctor showed up and check on me too. Hours passed - no progress.
I could certainly feel the contractions getting stronger. The nurse said I could have the epidural whenever I felt like it, but I hesitated because I didn't want to further compromise my already lacking progress - epidurals tend to slow things down even more. After a while, the nurse came back in and suggested I go ahead with the epidural now since anesthesiologist was available. I agreed. He came in and got everything ready. He and Wade chatted animatedly about the basketball game that was just wrapping up. I was a little worried about how distracted he was with the game while placing a 10-inch needle in my spine, but he assured me he had twenty years of experience and he could place an epidural with his eyes closed. I believed him, but if he could please keep his eyes open I'd appreciate it.
I got my epidural, just as Miami lost the second game, and settled down in hopes that things would somehow speed up. They didn't.
By midnight, I was frustrated. The nurse check me and cheerfully reported that I was progressed to a 3 and 80 percent effaced. That didn't sound like much to me, and I groaned. She insisted it was good news, but I didn't buy it. The doctor returned and re-checked me, only to report the same thing. Internally I was cringing. Wouldn't it just be my luck to end up with a C-section after all? I wondered how long they would let me not progress until they ended up wheeling me to the operating room.
Wade was still watching TV, still not tired enough to pass out on the uncomfortable couch/chair thing he was sitting in. I felt bad that he could do nothing but wait with me, but then again, at least he was at liberty to do things like eat and walk around the room.
The doctor and nurse went away again, assuring me that things were fine, no need to be worried. Wade gave up and tried pulling out the "hide-a-bed" type thing they had at the back of the room. I continued to punch and squirm in the hospital bed in efforts to make it more comfortable, and we both tried to get some sleep.
At about 3:00 AM something started to change. Despite the epidural, I was starting to really feel the contractions - they were gaining intensity and were actually quite painful. I hoped that was good news. The nurse came in 20 minutes later to check me. She was pleased to tell me I was now at a 5 and 90 percent effaced. That still didn't seem like enough progress to me, but at least it was something.
She sent a little man in to boost my epidural and help with the pain, but unfortunately it would be about 20 minutes before it would take effect. I thought I could deal with that.
The next hour and a half were pretty miserable. I went from a 5 to a 10 in little over one hour. They continued to up the epidural, but my body was in such hyperdrive that the epidural couldn't seem to keep up. I was in a good amount of pain, and I became increasingly grateful that I wasn't a pioneer trying to give birth in a wagon.
My body was changing so fast that I also ended up with severe nausea and I couldn't control my useless heaves. The nurse felt sorry for me. She kept handing me clean vomit bags and disposing my used ones with a sympathetic expression. Just before 5:00 AM, she declared that I was complete and ready to have the baby. I rejoiced quietly, and then vomited again.
The doctor hurried in and told me it was time to push. I locked my lips and prayed I wouldn't vomit on anyone. Three and a half pushes later, the baby was out! I could see a tiny little baby body - I did it! My relief was so intense that I almost forgot one of the key points I'd been waiting for - the big annoucement of the gender. I'd waited nine long months, and now it was a ???? but I was so focused on my new found relief I forgot to ask. Wade was the one who reminded me - "it's a girl!" Oh, yeah, I was waiting for that!
Another girl! Yea!!! Of course it was a girl, I knew it all along! No, not really - I honestly had no idea. People have asked me that - did I just know...deep down inside? Nope. Total surprise for me.
Wade got the honor of cutting the cord, and then she was passed to me. She was so beautiful! And so quiet! She hadn't even cried yet. I wondered if that was cause for alarm, but she was fine, healthy, breathing, pink, all of that...
She was just still and quiet. She had her little eyes open, and she simply looked around, as if she was pleasantly surprised to be out.
They weighed her, measured her, and even pricked her little foot, but she still was quiet. She continued to just look around. She weighed 7 lbs 5 oz, almost as big as Adell had been. The nurses commented on her unusual silence, but said she's just as healthy as can be - maybe she's just a quiet baby?
I quietly rejoiced again, and then vomited. One of the nurses hurried off to get me something for the nausea. They passed the baby back to me and I stared at her for a long time - just soaking in the warm, peaceful feeling. I felt her warm little body - a new little life - truly awe inspiring - she was here at last! Wade asked what I was going to name her. Our deal had been if it was a boy, he got to pick the name, if it was a girl, it was up to me. I knew what I wanted to name her - Mia! He agreed - it just fit. I asked him if he was disappointed to have another girl. He shook his head and sincerely said, "no." All he wanted was a healthy baby, and that's exactly what he got. Who could ask anything more?
We both took turns holding her and staring at her. I was tired and hungry, but I also intensely missed my older girls and I was eager to show them their new little sister. It was 5:00 AM, so too early to call anyone, but I wasn't sure how long I could wait! It was also probably a good idea to wait until I was finished vomiting and cleaned up a little before I had any visitors.
As we held our new little bundle, we considered whether or not to call. We'd talked to Wade's parents way back at the beginning of the night, and I was sure they were anxious to hear the results. Still, it seemed cruel to call anyone at 5:00 AM. We decided we'd wait until it was a little more of a reasonable hour. By 6:30, I decided it would be okay to call. Turns out everyone was waiting for the call and would have been just fine with getting a 5:00 AM phone call. Wade's poor mother hadn't slept at all.
After we notified everyone of our new arrival, we settled down and stared at her some more. She was still so quite, I still hadn't heard so much as a peep out of her.
My mom arrived with Adell and Hannah right on cue. The baby was washed, pink and happy - I was cleaned up, fed, and no longer vomiting. It was perfect timing. The girls were both thrilled to meet their new sister. I felt my heart glowing as I watched them pile on the couch and eagerly hold out their arms to hold the new baby. Adell was beaming as my mom helped place little Mia in her waiting arms. Watching all three of my girls on the couch together - it was just the ideal moment - so right - so meant to be. I suddenly had a whole new appreciation for Eternal Families. Without a doubt I just knew that we were always meant to be a family - my sweet girls and my dear husband. It couldn't have been more perfect. How sweet it is to count blessings and feel that warm glow of gratitude.
Wade and I both had some reservations with this pregnancy. It was hard to put emotional investment into something that had so much potential for sorrow and grief, especially coming off so much disappointment. It had been a long road of miscarriages, and resurfacing feelings of loss with our son four years ago. The relief and joy we both felt to have Mia arrive safely, with health and vitality, was beyond measure.
I know, beyond doubt, Mia is a special daughter of God. She is a gift to our family. The last few weeks have been full of joy that seems to radiate from this tiny person. When I think about how blessed I am, I'm overwhelmed. God truly has a plan for each of us.
Later that night, after the visitors had left and Wade had taken the girls home for the night, I sat holding my new little baby. I couldn't stop staring at her sweet little face - so pure and innocent. I'm more determined than ever to be a good mother to my sweet girls.
It's these moments I'll always remember and be grateful for.

Introducing...

2011-06-04T13:11:00.000-07:00

Mia Lynn Gardiner

Born: June 3, 2011 at 4:51 AM
Weight: 7 lbs 5 oz
Height: 20 inches

Congratulations Team Pink!
I promise to post details soon! I just need a little time to catch my breath!

The Art of Surprise

2011-06-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

It was a long day of sheer endurance for many of us yesterday. My mother officially turned 60, and I had the bright idea to try to set up a surprise party for her. It was a great idea, and I think in the end - it all turned out well, but getting there was a struggle. Because of school and work, we couldn't have the party until that evening, which meant a long day of my poor mother feeling alone and neglected on her birthday.
The party was at my house, which meant I had to work at keeping my mother away since the house was full of give-aways like cupcakes and decorations. She didn't make it easy. Leading up to the party was hard enough, but the actual day of her birthday proved just plain painful. My siblings were all in on it and coming to the party, as was Marc, so no one called my mom to wish her happy birthday. The only birthday wishes she recieved was from a few long lost friends on facebook - which, as we all know, doesn't really count since the network sight reminds everyone that it's your birthday.
I recieved this sad little call in the early afternoon from my poor mother. No one had called, no one had even said anything, and even Marc was being vague and evasive about making plans to celebrate that night - claiming that mowing the lawn was a higher priority. I was nervous to talk to her, since I'm not very good at keeping secrets and I really didn't want to give anything away. I was certain that if I spoke too long, something would slip. I tried to be as evasive as possible without sounding guilty, but it was hard. She talked about how she had this free afternoon and no one seemed to want her company...maybe she could drop by for a minute and see the girls...I lied through my teeth, telling her Adell had a Primary Activity and we'd be gone all afternoon - so DON'T COME OVER! She sadly said, "okay," and I felt pangs of guilt wash through me. She was just so sad!
Immediately, I called my sister for some reassurance. She told me she'd just recieved a similar sad little call and she, too, had to lie about how she "just hadn't gotten around to calling her yet." We were concerned about the heartache we seemed to be causing her, but agreed that it would be worth it in the end. All we had to do was endure a few more hours, we could do that right?
We felt even worse for poor Marc, who had to endure the worst of my mother's apparent neglect on our part. Fortunately, he now has a job, which kept him out of the house for the good part of the day, and all he'd have to do was endure a couple sad phone calls and a little less than one painful hour after he got home.
When the time finally arrived, everything was ready. I went to my bedroom and closed the door, picked up the phone and called my mom. She answered (with the same sad little tone I'd heard earlier - maybe a little more sad) and I immediately launched into my second lie for the day. "Mom, I'm worried that my water broke and I need to go in and be checked. Could you possible come over and stay with the girls?" My noble mother didn't think twice, and agreed to make a beeline for the house, even though she'd finally talked Marc into talking her to dinner and they were just headed out as I called. She'd endure starvation and a lack of birthday fun because my needs were greater. I got off the phone as quickly as possible, since I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold it together.
After and few minutes, we all heard that little knock on the door. The kids all scattered about the room in eager anticipation. "Places, places, everyone," I hissed as I took my place to open the door. Everyone worked hard to be quiet, Adell launched herself into the nearest hiding spot she could find. I opened the door, and in stepped my mother.
The crowd cheered, "Surprise!" And a long day of neglect and abuse ended for my very surprised, very relieved mother. And, no, I wasn't really in labor.
Happy Birthday, Mom! Turns out we really do love you after all!

Team Blue vs. Team Pink

2011-05-18T07:43:00.001-07:00

I'm now about 3 weeks away from my due date. I'm eager (to put it mildly) to meet this new little baby, and even more eager to finally find out if baby is a boy or girl. I've been patient, but I'm ready to find out!
Many people have asked me if I've had any sort of intuition about the gender. Do I "feel" like it's a boy or girl? I honestly have not. My guess is as good as your's. There's been no magic insights or special flickers of intuition. However, I do wonder if any of you out there have had any such preminitions. If you have, I want to know what your prediction is.
Therefore I'm starting a little contest. I want everyone out there to take a guess at what baby's gender is. Over the next 3 weeks I'll be making a list of "teams." You can either vote for Team Pink (girl) or Team Blue (boy). You can be assured that Wade and I have no more information that you do. A few weeks back, I ran across someone who was pretty confident I knew something I wasn't sharing - really I don't! I can't keep a secret anyway, so if I knew - believe me - you would too.
If you participate in the vote, I promise to reward you with some type of prize. I'm not sure what yet, but you will receive something. That is, you'll receive a prize if you come to see me sometime after the baby is born and if you've picked the correct team.
I'll be keeping a running list of each team as members join. You can call me, e-mail me, or comment on this post. I can't wait to see what everyone thinks! Good luck!

Trouble - and Hannah "nose" it

2011-05-13T10:41:00.000-07:00

I’d like to issue a serious warning to all the moms out there. Don’t purchase these:
What are they, you ask? Well, they are Styrofoam decorative beads. They are used as decorative filler in vases and containers. I bought them as Adell and I were collecting the things we’d need to make our Mother’s Day gifts. We planned to make cookie bouquets for her grandmas, and for that we needed some type of pretty filler to cover the foam supporting our cookie flowers.
Adell mentioned they looked like bubblegum, but we agreed it would not be a good idea to eat them. As we put together our bouquets, I quickly began to regret purchasing the beads. They are so light-weight that it makes them nearly impossible to work with. Even your breath will send them scattering about. They also stick to your fingers as you handle them - from the static. I spent a long time chasing little pink beads around my kitchen and trying to convince them to stay in the basket with the cookies.
But with all that - that’s not the reason to avoid purchasing them. The real problem became apparent with Hannah’s experience.
My mom had invited my sister and I to lunch at Olive Garden since she’d received a gift card for Mother’s Day. We worked it out so that I could leave the girls with Marc and we would carry on to meet Kristy at the restaurant.
I arrived at their house a little early to give the girls a chance to play with Grandma before we left. We all sat at the kitchen counter, having a conversation and being mindful of the girls as they went about their various activities. Hannah had ordered cheese from Grandma’s kitchen and was sitting in the chair by the counter. Placed next to her was the remains of Grandma’s cookie bouquet. The cookies were long gone, but the basket, the pink beads, and the sticks remained. I saw Hannah admiring it. I could tell the pretty pink beads were appealing to her. I thought about Adell’s remark that they looked like bubblegum, so I cautioned Hannah, “now, those aren’t candy, Hannah, don’t eat them, ok?” She looked at me and smiled, which I took to mean she understood my warning.
Well, Hannah didn’t eat the beads. She’s actually old enough to know not to put strange things in her mouth. Apparently what she doesn’t (or didn’t) understand was not to put strange things in your nose. We’ve all heard those stories - beans in ears, pebbles in noses - but I had always sort of assumed that type of thing happened to other people - not to me. Just as my mom and I resumed our conversation I saw Hannah out of the corner of my eye pick up a tiny pink bead. Before I could even make sense of it, I knew something was wrong. Her face turned a delicate shade of pink and she looked pretty guilty. It was amazing how quickly my brain made the connection, even though I didn’t actually see a bead go up her nose. “Hannah,” I asked as calmly as I could manage, “did you just put a bead up your nose?” She looked at me, her face turned tragic, yet her answer was strangely controlled, “Mommy?” That was all the confirmation I needed. I stepped over to her and peered into her left nostril. Sure enough, I could see one of those pesky beads wedged in there. It didn’t look too deep, so before I allowed myself to feel anything, I requested a pair of tweezers and tried to tell myself I could easily get it out.
I tried once, but Hannah wasn’t having it. Her odd calm had escalated into panic. I whisked her off the chair and layed her on her back. I tried to restrain her while delicately shoving the tweezers into her nostril. Despite my confidence, my efforts failed. I only made things worse, but wedging the little bead further in. That was it for me, I could see that I was not going to be able to get it out on my own and I wasn’t about to keep trying and make it any worse.
My mom was already grabbing shoes and cell phones, ready to sprint to the ER. What a predicament. We were suppose to meet my sister in 15 minutes, but Hannah obviously needed this taken care of. Kids seem to have a way of timing these things just wrong.
We threw a protesting Hannah in the car drove in the direction of the hospital. My mind was racing, trying to think of a way to avoid an expensive ER visit. Along the way, my mom called our regular doctor’s office “just to check.” Thankfully, the doctor agreed to take a look, but we needed to hurry since he was preparing to take off for lunch. Well, we were already in the car, headed for the office, so we could be there pretty quickly.
After a little speeding and a few traffic violations, we made it to the doctor. Hannah’s protesting was getting louder and louder. She’d heard the word “doctor” too many times, and she didn’t seem to agree that was where she needed to go.
We sat in the waiting room, and Hannah continued to wail and yell out things like, “I don’t want doctor!” At this point she was also starting to realize how uncomfortable it was to have such an object shoved up her nose. She desperately tried to rub at her nose and force it out. I tried a couple times to look in her nose and see if the bead had made any progress, but she refused to allow me a decent look. It was clearly still wedged in there, since she had a slightly visible bump to prove it. I rocked her, and tried to calm her, but she was pretty hysterical.
After waiting for what felt like an eternity, we were called in. The nurses insisted on preliminary things like weight and temperature. I was running out of patience. My mom continually pulled out a few of the little beads she’d brought along for an example and tried to show the nurses, “see these! She has one in her nose, and we just want it out!”
After fighting Hannah through a few of these silly little preliminary things, the doctor mercifully walked into the room. He must have been waiting for us and decided he was done waiting for the nurses to finish. I sighed in relief to see a familiar face. My regular doctor wasn’t in, but this was a doctor I still knew and trusted. I was immensely grateful they hadn’t shuffled us off to some assistant.
He instructed me to hold Hannah on my lap while he took a look. Since I don’t have much of a lap these days, that quickly proved not to work. He did get a good look, however, and he gave a “hmmmmm….” My mind raced at the possibilities. I was thinking, “great, we’re going to have to sedate her! We’re going to have to take her to the ER and spend all day trying to get this little bead out of her nose!”
Fortunately, the doctor felt he had a pretty good chance at getting it out. It took myself, and two nurses to restrain a screaming, flailing Hannah while the doctor carefully inserted some long tweezers into her tiny little nostrils. He pulled out the tiny pink bead, and I couldn’t help but cry out in relief. I’ve never been so happy and horrified to see such an innocent looking object.
After carefully examining both nostrils, the doctor declared Hannah’s nose free and clear. Hooray!!!
Poor Hannah was still screaming bloody murder as we thanked the doctor profusely and hurried out to the car. We drove home elated that we’d avoided the ER visit after all. We even still had time to make it to our planned lunch.
We got back to grandma’s house and decided to test it out and see how Hannah would do before taking off to lunch. Despite her red swollen face (from crying) and tired eyes, she was quick to run to the sandbox and destroy Adell’s sand castle and then order her custom-made hotdog from Grandpa. Ah, yes, she’d be just fine.
So, we snuck off to Olive Garden to meet my sister and enjoy our lunch. Of course, the number one topic of our lunch conversation was the weird and wacky things our kids do - like stuff decorative beads up their noses.
After lunch, I took Adell and Hannah back home. Everyone took a nap. Hannah gathered all her favorite things, and marched off to bed. She’d simply had enough for one day. Tonight I’ve snuck into her room a couple times, just to check on her, and kiss her little cheeks. My little Hannah, thanks for making today such an adventure.

Preschool Graduation

2011-05-04T10:27:00.000-07:00

Adell finally graduated from preschool yesterday after three long, strenuous years. Well, the first year probably doesn't count, since it was more of a playgroup than actual academic preschool. Because her birthday is in September, she missed the dealine for starting kindergarten when she turned five, and had to endure an additional year of preschool before she'll finally be turned over to the public school system.
She was a little disappointed a first - mostly because she watched her cousins and neighborhood friends all start kindergarten while she was left behind, but she LOVES preschool - so her disappointment was short-lived.
She spent the previous year and a half going to Young Achievers Preschool. Her teacher, Miss Angie, was fabulous, and I fully intended to have Hannah attend her school also. However, financial problems made it impossible for the school to continue, and shortly after Christmas, we had to find a preschool to fill in the remaining academic year, since Miss Angie will no longer be offering preschool.
We found a great alternative with my neighbor, Miss Kelly. She runs the cutest school. Even though she was a little sad about leaving her previous school, Adell easily fit in with Miss Kelly and warmed up to her in no time at all. She loved all the new friends she got to meet, and especially loved that a few of the kids were kids she already knew from the neighborhood.

As I said earlier, yesterday was Preschool Graduation. From here - it's off to kindergarten in the fall. Adell tells me she's absolutely ready for it! She's learned so many things from school already. She knows her ABC's backwards and forwards, she even knows how to read and recognize many words. She knows her math and likes to count. She know colors, patterns, opposites, cutting skills, and much more. She loves to learn!
I'm really excited for Adell to start her academic career and see where she goes. Thanks to all the teachers who helped Adell master preschool. Congratulations, Adell! We love you so much! Next year, Hannah will join the world of preschool.

Remembering John William Gardiner

2011-04-25T07:30:00.000-07:00

"...weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." Psalms 30:5 Today we remember our sweet son, John William, as we said hello and good-bye to him on this day four years ago. It's difficult for me to sum up the past four years; I don't know if I can.
I've gained a immense gratitude for the blessings of Eternal Families. I relish in the sure knowledge I have that our son waits for us. I feel uniquely grateful the experience that leaves me striving to be a better person and serve my Lord with all my heart, so that I may indeed be reunited with John.
My feelings of sorrow still remain. I think of him often, but I am also very grateful for the brief moments I had with him - moments that forever changed my life, and touched me in a way nothing else can. I think about how curious it is that this new life we are anticipating will be born only a few days apart from what was originally John's due date. He would have been born around June 11, and this baby's due date is June 8. As it happened, John was born 6 weeks earlier than expected.
Thinking of the similarity in the timeline also reminds me that the Lord, indeed, has a plan for each of us. I felt that John fulfilled his Earthy purpose by touching our lives and gaining a mortal body. I also feel that he has great and important work for the Lord which he now serves diligently. The Lord has a plan for him, as he does for me and my family. I feel that the birth of this new life gives proof of that. I feel it is a special gift for our family, and I cherish it.
Losing John was very difficult for me. How grateful I am for our Savior and the comfort he has given me. I'm truly blessed with the love and support of family and friends - all those who have shed tears with me. I truly love my son. I'm grateful to be a mother and be able to hug my sweet children. I feel his presence often, and I know he waits for us.

I like to post this video every year on his birthday. I like to try it out with new songs that have touched me in some way. If you've watched it before, bear with me. This song is "Homeward Bound" sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It was introduced to us by Wade's father. Now matter how often I hear it, I always feel the warmth of the spirit in the lyrics and melody. I hope you enjoy it.

Happy Easter 2011!!!

2011-04-23T18:53:00.001-07:00

The Gardiner-Monster family: (Left to right) Mommy, Adell, Hannah, Daddy

and don't forget Baby Gardiner-Monster:

As eggs, we also enjoy scuba-diving: (Left to right) Hannah, Adell, Mommy, Daddy

Princess Tea Party

2011-04-19T07:28:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to post a few pictures I took at the Lehi Library yesterday. The Library hosted a Princess Tea Party, and we've had our tickets posted on the fridge for 3 weeks! The girls were very excited to dress up in princess dresses and go to a party.
They got to hear stories about princesses, dance with rainbow ribbons, make princess crowns, play a princess matching game, and enjoy some delicious snacks. The best part about it - totally free!!! These kind of things make me happy to live in a community like Lehi.

If at first you don't succeed...

2011-04-17T20:21:00.001-07:00

After months of frustrating attempts at potty training Hannah we seem to finally be making progress. I'm extremely pleased and relieved to report this.
We started potty training way back in January. I thought she seemed ready enough and I loved the idea of having her well trained before the baby arrives and further complicates things.
Hannah seemed enthusiastic about the whole idea, willing and submissive, so I thought it wouldn't be to hard to set her on the track to success, all I needed to do was get her focused and directed.
Unfortunately we encounted some unexpected setbacks, like a flooded basement the day after we'd started training. I couldn't train her with the house being in such disaray, so we halted the training and waited. Once the house was in order, I made a second attempt, only to be thwarted by Hannah catching a bad cold. I waited until she was healthy and made yet another attempt. Unfortunately by this time, Hannah was confused and not nearly as willing. She screamed, "no!" everytime I even mentioned the potty. I stuck it out for a while, trying different strategies I thought might work, but she was so resistant, that I gave up after a while. I thought maybe she just needed a break from the whole thing.
The clock was ticking, however, and if I wanted her trained before the baby arrives, she'd better get on board soon. I waited for a while for her to "deprogram," and then I revampt my potty plan. The break helped, she was much more willing, and even seemed excited about it, but her progress was minimal - if anything at all.
I combed the library and researched the internet for any promising potty training method. I tried again and again with Hannah to break through and see some success. Nothing seemed to be working, and I was only getting more and more frustrated.
I tried sending Adell to Grandma's for the day and Hannah and I would be trying the whole "24 hour" plan, but by the end of the day, the only thing I had done was clean a lot of carpet and do a lot of laundry. I tried following her around for a week to get to know her patterns then scheduling "potty sessions," but it proved too hard to be consistant and keeping her in the bathroom for the recommended time was nearly impossible. I tried star charts, toys, stickers, treats, everything - nothing worked. She just wasn't getting it.
My last resort was a 3-day potty training program given to me by a friend in the ward. It sounded pretty involved, but if it worked...
I made the preparations and started the first of three long days. By day three I was ready to give up. Not one single success. That was it, I was throwing in the towel. By this point I couldn't see how to continue and her lack of progress was more than discouraging. I'm 8 weeks from my due date, which is also compromising my efforts. It gets harder and harder every day to race to the bathroom, pull, push, cramp and squat and do all the things necessary for a potty trainee.
I took the night off and went out with my mom. I vented my full frustration. Is she just too young? Am I pushing too hard? Should I keep trying or just wait? After getting it off my chest I decided I would put potty training to rest for a while. I'd let it go. After the baby arrives and life settles into a workable routine, we'll give it another go. I didn't like the idea of changing so many diapers in combination with the new baby, but what choice did I have? I also didn't like always feeling frustrated with Hannah, I don't like feeling like I'm mad at her all the time. I discussed my conclusion with Wade and we agreed put potty training of hold for the time being.
It was that next morning Hannah woke up and yelled "pee-pee!" Well, I ran to her room and whisked her away to the bathroom. Surprise, surprise, she did exactly what she was suppose to do! I was floored. Maybe it was a one time thing? I got her dressed, and we celebrated her success, however short-lived it may be. I gave her M&M's and stickers and then we ate breakfast. I thought it must certainly be some sort of one-time deal. Low and behold, a few hours later she'd had another success!
I'd mentally already written off potty training, so I was still trying to figure out how to handle this new development.
The weekend passed, and while she still had a few little accidents, she's been mostly dry and happy. I can't explain it. It's like someone all the sudden flipped the switch. I was giving up - I'd already decided...I guess it was really Hannah's decision after all...

Adventures at Hogle Zoo

2011-04-17T19:22:00.000-07:00

We took a spontaneous trip to Hogle Zoo on Saturday, and had a great time. Joel and Jessie called in the morning to invite us, and since we had a long Saturday ahead of us with no set in stone plans, we agreed to tag along. The weather report was promising and we were anxious to do something outdoors.
Wade gave Adell the good news and she sprinted to her bedroom to get dressed. She gleefully returned, dressed and ready after only about 5 seconds. I don't think I've ever seen her get ready so fast. Hannah was gaining excitement as she picked out words like "elephant" and "lions."
One the way to the zoo, Adell did her best to inform Hannah of exactly what to expect. She plotted out the day for us, deciding which animals we should visit first. She was so excited she could hardly contain herself. To make it even better, Grandma Maree was going to be joining us. Adell could hardly believe her good fortune.
We met the group at the front gates, and away we went. We were a bit concerned about the weather. Despite promises of sunshine and higher temperatures, the sky was overcast and raindrops seemed to be leaking out. It wasn't unbearable cold, however, and we all decided we'd rather it be a little on the chilly side than blazing hot.

Adell and Breanne hatching from an egg.

We all marched through the zoo, visiting the elephants, the tigers, the monkeys, and more. Adell would enthusiastically cry out whatever she saw next, "I found a monkey, Mom!!!"
Highlights included the baby elephant (bigger than the last time we visited, but still very cute), the wolves that watched us from on top of the hill, the giraffe eating hay from a suspended rubber ball, the baby monkey hanging on its' mother's tummy, and the cluster of bats eating from a fruit dish.
The weather proved to be in our favor. It was actually quite pleasant to be outside. The animals were more active than I've ever seen them, thanks to the cooler temperatures. Instead of hiding and sleeping, they were pacing, prowling, eating, running, and even playing with each other. It was a lot of fun to watch.
Adell was delighted. She loved every animal we saw. She probably could have watched the baby elephant for hours. She carried a map of the zoo around with her and informed us all about what was coming next.

Hannah also enjoyed seeing the animals. I've been eager to take Hannah to the zoo, because she seems to have a real love for animals. Hannah was happy to see Grandma and seemed to enjoy seeing all the animals, but I had been in such a rush to pack everything we needed that I forgot to pack a stroller. Her little legs had a hard time keeping up with everyone and she got tired pretty quickly. She insisted on being packed around, preferrably by me or Grandma.

For the first little while I didn't mind so much, but it wasn't long before the physical strain was getting to be too much. I kept trying to encourage her to walk on her own, but the more I pushed, the more clingy she became. We tried distracting her with all the animals, but she still clung to my legs and tried to hoist herself up. She was getting grumpier and more tired as time passed and I finally insisted on a lunch break. Her mood greatly improved after she'd eaten, and I felt a little stupid for not having thought of that sooner.
Despite some setbacks with Hannah, we really did have a great time. Adell hasn't stopped talking about it since we got home and is already asking when we get to go again.
The only real negative was that much of the park seems to be under construction. It appears that they are renovating a large portion of the park and a lot of the exhibits are temporarily removed. We still felt like we saw a lot of animals, but it also felt like there were a lot of things missing. The lions are gone, the bears are gone, we never found any zebras or cheetahs. I imagine these animals will return when the contruction is complete, but it was hard not to be a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to see that Hogle Zoo is finally making a real effort to improve animal habitats - that's been long overdue, but if half the park is under construction, maybe they shouldn't be charging full price admission. Oh, well.
When the zoo is fully restored, I'm sure we will make a return visit.

FYI

2011-04-05T11:32:00.000-07:00

I've had several people call me with some serious concerns about our choices in baby names. Just in case you are among those kindly concerned people - let it be known - it was only an April Fool's joke. We're not really naming the baby Jimmer or Rulon or Abcde, or Ta-Da. Gilda...hmmm...maybe...

Top Pick Baby Names

2011-04-01T08:11:00.001-07:00

After careful consideration, we've finally composed our list of finalist names for Gardiner Baby #3. We want everyone to know that we have given this a great deal of thought. We'd like to share with all of you the final possiblities for the names we've chosen to bestow upon our unborn child. Together as a family, we've chosen the names we think will best suit this sweet little baby soon to be joining our family. We welcome your feedback.

If Baby is a Boy:

Top Pick Name #1 - Jimmer
In honor of the man that took BYU further than they've gone in 30 years, we've chosen Jimmer Gardiner. We love the name. Both for it's historic meaning and for the name itself. It just sounds right. We thought it would be an amazing experience to grow up with the same name as this incredible athlete who gave us back our faith and hope in BYU basketball. Who knows? Maybe the name will provide the inspiration, and he'll turn out to be the next basketball prodigy.

Top Pick Name #2 - Rulon
We've all been inspired by Rulon Gardner's efforts on this season's "Biggest Loser." That's why we are seriously considering naming our little boy after him. Even better is the fact we even have the last name to go with it (minus the "i" in Rulon's case). There are members of Wade's family that even claim distant relation to the retired wrestler, (though this has never been confirmed). So, it's possible we are simply passing down a family name that will be long cherished. A former pro-wrestler, a gold medalist, and successful weightloss competitor, what better name could there be?

If Baby is a Girl:

Top Pick #1 - Gilda
This is the name Adell fell in love with after hearing it on the PBS Kids show "Electric Company." We had agreed to allow Adell to participate in name her new sibling, and so - Gilda Gardiner it is. Since we wouldn't want to disappoint Adell, we'll keep our promise. It's unique, and we all like that. The name "Gilda" sounds almost magical, which might even indicate this baby will turn out to be a witch (not like a scary one, of course, I'm talking about the good kind, like in "Harry Potter.")

Top Pick #2 - Abcde (pronounced: Ab-see-day)
Isn't that a beautiful name? We loved it the moment we heard it. The best part is that it's educational as well as beautiful. As soon as this little baby understand how to recognize her name, she'll know her ABC's also!

Top Pick #3 - Ta-Da (pronounced: Ta-dash-da)
Words can't describe it. It just sounds so perfect! Like presenting the most glorious prize! Ta-Da! Here's Baby Gardiner!

That's the list. We'd love your help in deciding which one gets to be the baby's name. And please, if you are expecting a baby soon, don't steal any of these names before we've had the chance to decide.

Celebrating our 9th Anniversary

2011-03-25T20:36:00.000-07:00

Wade and I are celebrating our 9th Anniversary. What an incredible journey it has been for us. We've oversome so much and accomplished so many great things. I look forward to the future years with eager anticipation. It's amazing to look back and see the Lord's hand in our lives; how he has guided and directed us.
Here's just a few things I'm thinking about:

- How incredible it is that Wade understands me so completely; often better than I understand myself.

- Love is something that really does grow and flourish if you take the time to nuture it. I love Wade more with each passing day. It seems I'm always finding new things to admire about him.

- Wade's unfailing Testimony of the Gospel and his love for his Heavenly Father are truly an insiration to me. In watching other loved ones struggle and deal with so much heartache, my determination to never take such a thing for granted is increased. How blessed I am, and my children also, that Wade honors his Priesthood and strives to live his religion.

- It warms my heart as I watch Wade read comics to the girls each Sunday morning. The girls adore their father. They see him as gentle, warm, and loving. He's so good to them. Their little faces light up in anticipation as soon as they hear Dad come into the house after a long day at work. Adell eagerly jumps into his arms and begins the full account of her day, she doesn't want him to miss anything. Hannah grabs his hand and begs him to take her out to the swings, because only Daddy does it exactly the way she likes. I wish I could adaquately explain to them how lucky they are to have such a great dad.

- How grateful I am that Wade willingly works so hard so that I might stay home with our children. That's something that's very important to me - to be home with my kids. I can't thank him enough for doing all he can to make that possible.

- How sweet it is to look back on these years and see the makings of our little family. Together we have these two beautiful girls and a new spirit joining us very soon. I love to look at my kids and see what Wade and I have been blessed with.

- How I love those quiet evenings, when the girls are asleep and Wade and I can sit on the couch and have time to ourselves. I love to talk with him, about anything, about everything, about nothing - just to talk and enjoy his company. I love to hold his hand and sit close to him. I love just being with him. No matter what has happened during the day, I always feel better sitting by his side.

- I see Wade not only as a husband, but as a friend and a partner. He is someone I can always count on - my rock and foundation. He helps keep me grounded. He's always quick to offer advice or help me see something with new perspective. He's the first one I go to if I need help with anything. He supports me and strives to help me. I love that he makes me want to be a better person. He sees the good in me, even at the times I can't find it myself.

The reason I love being married is because of the person I'm married too. Thanks, Wade, for an amazing 9 years. I can't wait to see what the future holds for us. I love you so much.

St. Patrick's Day Cookies

2011-03-17T18:56:00.000-07:00

Note to self: Before promising to make shamrock cookies on St. Patrick's Day, be sure that you actually have shamrock cookie cutters.
After that lesson was learned, we made St. Patrick's Day fish, stars, and circles instead, but at least they have green frosting!
Oh, and yes, Adell is in a swim suit - that's a whole story in itself.

That Sneaky Leprechaun

2011-03-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

We are eager for Spring here at the Gardiner house. As soon as the sun hit the valley for the first time in months, we were ready to hit the park. Friday was full of sunshine, and we spent most of the day outdoors - just soaking it up. We hoped for a repeat on Saturday, so Daddy could enjoy a sunny day with us. Unfortunately, the weather on Saturday refused to be anything but overcast and rain. It was still significantly warmer than it has been in a very long time, so we didn't let the clouds dampen out spirits.
Turns out Mom had a dream the night before. In that dream a sneaky little leprechaun showed her a treasure map. In the morning Mom did her best to remember the map she had seen in her dream, and with markers and paper - wrote it all down. Armed with our map, we were off to the park to see if that leprechaun really left a treasure for us to find.
We grabbed a few things at the store for a spontaneous picnic. We enjoyed eating cookies and chicken near the pond at the park. The park is still pretty brown and lifeless looking, but ducks still swam about the pond and it was warm enough to run around without heavy coats.
After our picnic, we pulled out the treasure map and began our hunt for treasure. We followed the map to find ten different clues that eventually would lead us to treasure!

Here's the treasure map Mommy the leprechaun showed Mommy in her dream.
Armed with the treasure map, Adell begins to hunt for clues.
Here's a clue Adell found! Only nine more clues to go!
Daddy reads the clues are Adell looks at the map. Which way should we go next?
Even Lynzee helps sniff out clues.
Adell finds another clue!
Daddy helps Hannah search for more clues together.
That sneaky leprechan may have misjudged just how big the park really is. Even though we lapped the pond at least three times, the girls were happy to stretch their legs. Their energy never failed! Mom and Dad got a good work out keeping up with them!
"Daddy, look! I found another clue!"
Adell searches the bench for another clue promised by the map.
Hannah shows us her enthusiasum for the treasure hunt.
Adell pulls off clue #8 - getting closer!
Hannah is just happy to follow Adell around as she finds clues.
We found the leprechaun's treasure at last!
Daddy opens the bag to reveal the treasure!
Adell shows us the treasure - Golden bunnies!

After we found the treasure, we headed for home - just in time - the rain began to fall just as we got in the car. Good thing we found that treasure in time!

Adell changes her mind about kindergarten...

2011-03-07T19:23:00.000-08:00

Ever since Adell turned 5 last September, and has watched her cousins and friends all go off to kindergarten, she's been anxiously awaiting for the day to arrive when she also will get to experience kindergarten. Sure, preschool is nice, but kindergarten is where the big kids, like her, really belong.
Today was a special day. I took Adell to the doctor in order for her to recieve her kindergarten wellness check-up, oh, and also her vaccines. I called the elementary school the other day, who reminded me that such things were necessary in order to register her for school. So, off we went.
The last time Adell needed any vaccines was about a year ago. I remember it was a joint appointment with Hannah, and Hannah got the worst of it. I asked Adell if she remembered that trip to the doctor. She remembered getting shots, but she couldn't quite recall if they did actually hurt, and if they did hurt, she wasn't sure how much they hurt.
She told me not to worry, that she planned on being brave and wasn't concerned about the shots. Adell has always been the fearless type, so I didn't worry too much about the vaccines bothering her. She did ask me what to expect, and I told her that it would be a little pinch, and that it would be over fast - no big deal. She believed me whole-heartedly.
It turns out the "kindergarten check-up" is a bit more involved than I realized. Thankfully, Adell was very cooperative, and politely did all the strange things the nurses asked her to do, like go potty in a strange little bowl, stand on one foot for ten seconds and then the other, identify shapes from a distance to see if her eyes worked, and stand straight as a board while they measure how tall you are. She was even on board when the nurse told her she'd need to prick her finger to obtain a little blood for a simple test.
Adell sat obediently on table while the nurse arranged the things required - a cotton ball, a tiny glass hermatocrit tube, and micro-lancet. She told Adell to pick a finger and she'd quickly prick it and that would be all. Adell held out her chosen finger and waited. PRICK! Adell laughed. I sighed in relief. "That didn't really hurt at all," she said. The nurse began squeezing her little finger, while Adell giggled about how silly she thought it was that she was taking her blood. After a few hearty squeezes, that little finger refused to yield any more blood. The nurse squeezed and squeezed, but there just wasn't going to be enough to fill that tiny tube.
Without any real warning to Adell, she calmly pulled out a much bigger lancet, grabbed Adell's finger and PRICK! Adell's face froze in complete shock. "THAT HURT!" She cried, bewildered. She then burst into tears and questioned the nurse about why she would do that. The nurse apologized, but continued to collect the blood - there was plenty of it now. Adell continued to cry and shout out comments of shock and betrayal. "Why did you poke me again?" "Why did you need more blood?" "That hurt so much!" "Please don't do that again!"
It was just a couple minutes after the second poke, while Adell continued to express her sorrow and outrage, that I noticed her lips had taken on a pasty white color. I watched her in alarm - the color from her face drained completely. She was white as a sheet. Around her eyes - rings of gray, drops of sweat beaded on her forehead. "Adell, are you alright?!" I panicked. Adell looked at me and started to try to pull away from the nurse. She squirmed and complained that her tummy hurt a lot.
The nurse looked up, she'd been too focused on the blood sample. "Oh, dear!" She cried. She stood up and instructed Adell to lay back. Adell layed back on the table, her head on the little pillow lined with paper. My hands stroked her forehead and brushed her hair back. The nurse grabbed a bucket and handed it to me, I was too shocked to understand why she was handing me a bucket. She then asked the other nurse to get some water. I stood there, hovering over Adell, trying to comfort her, holding the little pink bucket.
The nurse finally told me to use the bucket in case Adell threw up. Oh, I get it now. I helped Adell drink some water and told her to just rest and relax for a minute. The worst was over, she was already feeling a little better. I looked up and asked the nurse if this was a common occurance. She answered, "oh, yes, especially with these little ones." I wasn't sure yet what my feelings were about this nurse, I was just worried about Adell.
After a few minutes, when it seemed like Adell was likely to recover, she hurried out the door and told me the doctor would be in shortly to finish the exam. Once she left, Adell was moaning things about how she didn't want shots anymore and she didn't feel like being brave. She told me she didn't want to go to kindergarten anymore, she changed her mind. I tried to reassure her that this would all be over soon, and she wouldn't have to worry about it again. She asked me if that was the last poke she'd have to endure. I hesitated...she still had four vaccines waiting for her. I told her the worst was over and they wouldn't take her blood again. "Promise?" She asked. Well, I couldn't lie to her, so I told her she still needed her shots, but they would be fast and I would stay right with her. She began to cry again and begged me not to let them hurt her anymore. She didn't want to go to kindergarten anymore!
It was then that the doctor entered the room. I sighed in relief. I love my doctor. That's why I've fought all these year agaist all the insurance companies and various long distances that have tried to pry me from my trusted family doctor. He delivered me as a baby, he's been our family doctor all through growing up, and he remains my family doctor today. I just know that sooner or later he'll end up retiring, and I dread the day. For now, however, I will continue to insist on seeing only him.
He came in the room and everything was better. He was so kind to Adell and quickly had her giggling and showing off all the big girl things she can do. Turns out she's tall for her age, as I already suspected. She'll likely be amoung the tallest in her class. Where she got that, I have no idea - I've always been the shrimp. She's slender too, but not too slender. She has perfect vision, excellent hearing, and unusually strong legs. He told me to be sure to take advantage of her althletic build and get her involved in sports. She's also highly coordinated, and very bright. I was beaming with pride at my little girl - of course, she's the best and brightest of them all! And Hannah will be no exception - if she's my kid, she's the best there is!
After the doctor left the room, in came the nurses sporting four scary looking syringes. Adell cringed and began to panic. I assured her it would be over quickly and I would be right her with her. We layed her back, I covered her eyes, and held her close. It was over quickly, but she still felt it, and she was trembling and crying with all she had in her. I told her it was over and that she'd be just fine. The nurses offered her a prize, which quickly halted the tears.
It was Hannah's turn next, and she knew it. I scooped her up and she went stiff as a board. She'd just watched her sister endure this torture and she wasn't about to undergo the same. I held her tighly and they administered the vaccine. Fortunately for Hannah, she was only due for one vaccine today. She cried, but quit when she also was offered a prize from the prize drawer.
Driving home, I promised both girls that we'd all go home and put on the most cozy pajamas we have and watch a movie. And then, we simply had to stop by McDonalds and reward ourselves with ice cream. The girls earned it by being brave. I earned it because I'm the mom and I braved the kindergarten exam too.

Storytime with Hannah

2011-03-06T18:56:00.000-08:00

Hannah loves books. She loves to read them to herself, she loves to read them to others, and she especially loves to have them read to her. Today she is reading me stories from her library books.

Getting bigger and better...

2011-02-24T07:52:00.001-08:00

I'm just a couple weeks away from entering my third trimester, and I'm surprised that I'm actually feeling a little sad about it. Of course, I'm anxious to meet the baby and bond with this new little person - but it's just all going so FAST! I feel like I can barely keep up - like someone has their finger pressed to the fast forward button.
I've really been enjoying this pregnancy. Well, maybe not the first part so much when I was so sick, but now that I'm feeling better, it's just been nice to sit back and enjoy the experience. I love to feel the baby wiggle and kick at night. I love to watch my growing belly. I love to watch Adell grow more and more excited as the reality starts to become more absolulte. I'm going to miss having this little life inside me.
Maybe it's been extra fun this time around because I found I could really let go of the stresses. I could just enjoy pregnancy for what it is. I also think it's largely because of Adell. She's been so supportive and accepting of this pregnancy, it's a maturity I feel is beyond her years. She loves to touch my belly and feel the baby "knocking." She's eager to help me set up the baby room and pull out all the baby things from the basement.
She's taken great care to ensure we have the perfect name for the baby. She's still pretty set on "Twinkletoes." It's my fault really. I suggested the name one evening as a joke, and she took it to heart. Now she's determined we call the baby "Twinkletoes."
I've tried to suggest other names, but her mind is made up. She did finally give in enough to allow us to name the baby "Twinkletoes" only if it's a girl. If it's a boy, she'd like to name him "Spot" or "Jack-Jack." I try not to laugh, but I kindly suggest that "Spot" is better name for a dog, and we've already met our quota of "Jacks" in the family. She tells me she'll still think about that one.
Hannah might be a little tricker to convince that having a new baby is a good idea. For the most part, she's oblivious to the upcoming addition. She'll be just three months shy of her third birthday when this baby is born - still pretty young. I don't know what her reaction will be. I'm going to try to be braced for just about anything. Right now, I try to tell her about the baby in Mommy's belly, she just points to it and says, "baby, cute!"
When Hannah was born, I remember worrying about Adell's reaction. For the most part, Adell simply ignored Hannah for pretty much the entire first year. She acted more like the new baby was a mild inconvenience that kept Mommy more occupied than she would have preferred. As Hannah grew old enough to play with, she was suddenly a lot more interesting - and a bit of a pest, but we are working on that one.
I'm trying all the tips and a tricks I've come across to help Hannah adjust. Like setting up the baby's room early so she is use to it, and enforcing all the "big girl" things that Hannah can do. We'll see how it all goes.
Over the past few weeks, I've felt an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for the things that I have. I'm so very blessed to have my beautiful girls and my loving husband. I just don't know what I'd do without them. The Lord has given me so much.
Many people ask me if I have any particular insights or feelings as to whether the baby is a boy or girl. I honestly can't say that I do. I just don't have any impressions. I suppose if I were to have to pick one, I'd say it's a girl, but there's no real reason for that - just that's what I know and understand. Also, because Wade is such an avid sportsman and hunter, it seems prefectly appropriate that I provide him with all girls.
So, we're moving forward, things are going great. I couldn't be happier.
Adell took this picture for me. She was pretty impressed with herself.

Valentine's Day

2011-02-15T09:04:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Adell had the warm fuzzy jar filled within record time. As a reward I agreed to let her have a little party. She decided she wanted a Valentine's Day Party with all her friends. So, we went forth with the plans. The big day arrived and Adell was so excited she couldn't sleep all night.
We had delivered invitations the week before and we were expecting seven little girls to show up dressed in princess attire and ready for a Valentine's Day Tea party.
We spent all morning decorating the house, baking cookies, and getting everything ready for the party. Adell helped me make the house sparkle and shine. She hummed happily to the radio as we worked, barely able to contain her excitement.
She was pleased with the way things turned out, the house looked great! When her friends arrived we did all sorts of fun things like make candy necklaces, decorate placetags, frost cookies, and paint our nails.
We played a game of "pin the heart," and then sat down to enjoy the tea party. Complete with red sparkling punch (the "tea"), freshly decorated sugar cookies, converstaion hearts and marshmallows. As we enjoyed the elegant tea party, we listened to music from the Nutcracker. The girls were all delighted with the party, and they all looked absolutely adorable in their princess dresses. Near the end we had about 15 minutes to spare, so we pulled out the Barbies and seven little girls went wild. I was pretty surprised how thoroughly they were able to cover the house in Barbie attire and accessories.
It was a successful party. The girls all seemed to have a good time. Adell was thrilled. By the time it was over I was exhausted. I always forget how much work these things take. Adell helped me clean things up and then we watched a show while sitting on the couch - I was snoring before the previews were finished. I think it might be a while before I attempt another party. I need a good while to recover.
It's sure fun to have Adell around. She takes the holidays so seriously - she just gets into them 100 percent. As one holiday finishes she begins asking about when the next one is and how we can make it special. She's already planning Easter.
She surprised me on Valentine's Day morning by waking me up and dragging me down to her bedroom. She had cleaned and organized every inch of her room as a Valentine's gift for me. I was so touched by her thoughtfulness. She's such an awesome kid.
Hannah loved Valentine's Day too. She mostly loved running after all the big girls during the party and licking the frosting off her cookie.
I sure have wonderful girls, how did I get so lucky?

Water and Brain Damage

2011-02-08T20:06:00.000-08:00

Something felt wrong when I went to bed last Wednesday night. I wasn't sure what it was, but the extreme cold weather was wigging me out. Northern Utah was in a cold spell - some areas were 0 degrees and below. We were snug in our house, but still, there's been no question - IT'S COLD OUTSIDE!!!
Our house faces point of the mountain just off SR-92, if anyone is familiar with that area, they would understand that we get some pretty strong winds. Our house regularly gets slammed with extreme rain and snow, combined with the strong winds, our house gets pretty "weathered." We've had a few weather related issues since moving here. Fences being blown down, the garage buckling under the wind pressure, snow drifts that literally blocked the front door, ice plastered to the window seals and freezing the doors shut, branches and other odd things blowing through the yard, and a mailbox destroyed on the curb.
At around 6:00 AM I woke up because I thought I heard Hannah. I grabbed my robe, stumbled to her room - before I got there I noticed a strange sound coming from the opposite bedroom (the future nursery). I traced it to the corner, but couldn't see any reason for the noise. I thought maybe it was just the wind - we get some pretty loud winds.
I went in to Hannah's room, picked her up and went to the basement. She likes to watch Seasame Street in the mornings, so I sat her down and turned it on. The odd sound from the bedroom was even louder in the basement. I followed the sound to the door of the studio. My socks encountered moisture, and were quickly soaked through. My first thought was the dog, but I quickly noted that my 6 pound poodle couldn't likely produce this much liquid, and it was icy cold. So, not the dog - what is it?
I opened the door to the studio and my heart fell to the floor. The room was immersed in icy cold water, and water was pouring from the ceiling. That explained the noise, which I now understood to be a gushing waterfall in my newly finished basement. I ran in the room, the water now to my ankles and tried to examine the "source" of the flow. It made no sense to me, it just seemed to be pouring out of the ceiling and the walls, particularly in the northeast closet. I ran upstairs to alert Wade of the river in the basement. He quickly ran to the water main and shut it off. The water, unfortunately, just kept on flowing. After a few minutes the water turned into a trickle and stopped gushing from the ceiling.
What a fabulous way to start the day. Adell (who woke up after hearing all the commotion) and Hannah came to investigate, and began happily sloshing through the water as if we'd provided them a wading pool. I went upstairs to start the phone calls.
After convincing the girls to stop playing in the flood water, Wade left for work - he was not in a very good mood. I sent the girls to Grandma's house while I sorted out the mess.
After a long day of phone calls and random people trotting through the house, the problem was fixed and guys with big machines were pulling out the water.
Turns out the problem was a joint pipe that leads to the front sprocket which had frozen and cracked, causing the remaining pipe to split. Water was probably gushing out of it for most of the night. The plumber said the pipe was improperly insulated, which is why it froze.
In order to get to the pipe and fix it, the plumber had to saw holes in the wall and ceiling. It was positively painful to watch him cut into the brand new ceiling of our beautiful little studio. The first cut he made resulted in residual water gushing down and drenching the poor guy head to toe. I offered him a towel.
Six days later we still have the heavy fans and de-humidifier running. The constant loud hum has driven all of us a little bonkers. I'm thinking, however, the worst is over.
It's been hugely disruptive to not have access to the basement - especially for Adell, since that's where her bedroom is located. The entire house feels like it's been turned upside-down.
The girls have been good sports about the whole thing, however, for which I'm grateful for. Wade and I haven't had nearly as good of an attitude. It just seems like these things tend to happen at the worst time possible.
Thank goodness for insurance. Thank goodness we are all safe and the house will be easily repaired. Thank goodness for Grandmas who don't mind getting a phone call at 7:00 AM asking if she can take the girls. And mostly - thank goodness it's over!

Note: These pictures were taken after a lot of the initial water had been extracted. The initial flood water was a lot more impressive looking - believe me!

Hannah Unplugged

2011-02-01T19:19:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago, Hannah said good-bye to her beloved binkies. To anyone who knows Hannah, they know what a huge impact this has been on her little life. The two-year-old who literally had a love affair with her binkies - so efficient in her binkie technics that she could spin them in her mouth, completely hands-free. It certainly wasn't her choice to say good-bye, and she still misses them greatly.
Hannah packed around 3 different binkies, one by one the binkies went missing. As I was anticipating, one bedtime finally arrived when we couldn't find the last binky. She had been down to one for a while, and I knew it wasn't going to be long. We searched the house, combing through every corner and crevice. I searched all her usual "binky spots" and even the least likely places, but to no avail, the binkies were gone. She's had a few close calls in the past - days when I couldn't find them, but they had always managed to turn up by bedtime. Not tonight, however, they really were gone.
I eyed her father suspiciously for a while. He's been on a quest to rid Hannah of her binky habit for a while, even threatening to throw them away. After checking the trash bins, and Wade fervently promising he had nothing to do with the binkies mysterious disappearance, I believed him.
I know that Hannah is too old for binkies - really, I do. I'm too soft hearted when it comes down to it. I hate causing such heart-break. Wade tells me it's harder on me than it is on the kids, but in this case, I didn't buy it. It was like that with Adell. I stressed for weeks about what her reaction would be when we pulled the binky plug. Turns out, when the day came, Adell asked about it a couple times, then shrugged her shoulders and went to sleep. Not one tear was shed.
But with Hannah - I knew her addiction was far more emotional than her sister's. She loved her binkies with whole hearted devotion.
So, the binkies are lost, nothing I can do, and bedtime is here. I took Hannah up to her room, and we proceeded with the usual bedtime routine. She brushed her teeth, we read stories, and I tucked her in. "Where's the binky, Mommy?" She asked me, sweetly. I carefully explain to the toddler, in a calm and reassuring tone, that her binkies are lost and we can't find them. She'll have to do without them from now on. She looks at me patiently. Is it going to be that easy? I kiss her, turn out the lights and head for the door. Before I escape I hear, "where's the binky, Mommy?" I sigh, head back to her bed and reasonably explain it to her one more time. Tears fill her eyes as I explain. Before I'm finished, she cries, "go find them, Mommy, please?" Well, now we are both crying. I kiss her, tuck her in again, and say I'm sorry. I leave the room.
The rest of the night is filled with Hannah's sobs and repeated desparate plea for her binkies. Every hour, I hear "binkies, Mommy, please?" Then she cries and cries until she falls asleep again, another hour goes by and Hannah wakes up and starts over again. I cheat a couple times. I ran in her room and tried to comfort her, but it didn't help much. I search the house again around 2:00 AM, but I don't find any binkies.
I gave up after that, Hannah fell asleep. She's quiet until about 5:00 AM. I picked her up and we watched Seasame Street together, both of us are crying about the binkies.
After that first terrible night, she was doing better. She still asked for them, and shed some tears, but she seemed to accept that they were really gone.
It's two weeks later. Hannah has made it through her binky withdrawals, and today she is happy and binky free. She actually sleeps better at night, no longer waking and looking for the binky she dropped off the side of the bed.
I know it's for the best. She's fine, and it's one more step in saying farewell to her baby days. It's amazing the comments we've received since the binky was removed. Now that people can actually see her face, it's impossible not to fall in love with Hannah's beautiful little smile. Her speech has improved too. In fact, she never stops talking. I have to say, it's nice to be able to understand her better, and be able to see her face without the interuption of the binky.
It's for the best. But heart-break is never easy, and this was true heart-break for Hannah.
I'm hoping it will be some time before she experiences such heart-break again, but when it does happen, I know I'll be there with her - crying together and maybe even watching Seasame Street at 5:00 AM.

Sledding

2011-01-19T08:26:00.000-08:00

Adell's absolute favorite thing to do in the winter is sledding. Santa brought her a sled for Christmas and she's determined to get good use out of it. She received a sled last year, which promptly broke on it's maiden voyage. This sled is a bit sturdier, and Adell claims is also the fastest one out there. Hannah also enjoys sledding. She was brave enough to allow Adell to take her on one little hill, but after falling over at the end of the run, she lost enthusiasum. From that point on, she'd only go if Daddy was with her.
There was a man there with his family taking pictures with his expensive camera and happily took these shots of our family sledding the hill. He was kind enough to e-mail them to us afterwards. I love them so much, I just couldn't decide which ones to post, so I made a slideshow to showcase all of them. I love these type of memory making adventures! Enjoy!

It's a.......

2011-01-13T14:17:00.000-08:00

HAPPY HEALTHY BABY!!!

And because that's all we are asking for, we've decided not to find out Baby's gender. Isn't it nice that we've added just a little bit of mystery to your life? In all honesty, I don't care whether it's a boy or girl - all I want is a healthy baby. I'll admit, however, it was almost unbearable temptation to peek during the ultrasound. I had to literally close my eyes when the technician had to check out that area. I did ask her at the end if she knew the baby's gender, she just smiled and said, "I've got a pretty good idea."
Why did we decide to wait? A few reasons. Really, the key reason is mentioned above. We just wanted to celebrate a new life and a healthy baby, we don't want to celebrate the gender. The other is that I've always thought it would be fun to get to through the delivery and hear the doctor exclaim, "It's a.....!!!!"
My sister and husband decided to let their last baby be a surprise. At first I thought I could never be that strong, I'm not the most patient person, and I'd just have to find out - but the more I thought about it the more I liked the idea.
So I went to the ultrasound, held my breath, closed my eyes when instructed and remained strong.
My concentration was pretty scattered anyway, ultrasounds give me panic attacks these days. I'm still recovering from that particularly traumatic one a few years back. I have to just sit there and force myself to breathe at a normal rate until they give me the "all is well" clear. There was only one brief moment of panic when the technician was having trouble viewing the heart and had to get the doctor for a closer look. I swear, the time it took her to walk down the hall and get the doctor, was FOREVER!!! I just layed back and closed my eyes and tried not to think about anything. That old familiar tightening in my chest was creeping in on me. Fortunately the doctor had no problem viewing all four chambers of baby's perfectly healthy little heart. Whew! What a relief. After I started breathing again, I was happy to watch the rest in peace.
Baby's tiny little foot

On the way home, that old Savage Gardens song came on, "I Knew I Loved You Before I Met You." It seemed a perfect way to sum things up. I'm so excited for this new little baby! Adell's pretty convinced that she's going to have a baby brother, I don't know how or why she's so sure, but she says she "just knows." We'll have to see if she's right. Sometimes I think siblings have special insight when it comes to things like this. I asked her if she would be disappointed if it turns out to be a little girl, she answered, "No, it can be a girl, that's fine, but it's not a girl - it's a boy." So, we'll wait and see!

Yearly Interviews 2011

2011-01-01T17:36:00.000-08:00

Name: Adell Marie Gardiner
Birthday: September 3, 2005
Present age: 5 years old
Birthstone: Sapphire
Favorite color: Red
Favorite food: Macaroni and cheese (she also says Chinese dumplings, but she's never actually tried them)
Favorite beverage: Rootbeer (still)
Favorite treat: Rootbeer floats or anything chocolate
Favorite animal: Deer (especially really big bucks, like her Daddy)
Best friend: Holly or Fiona
Future occupation: Toy maker
Greatest fear: Monsters (or going to bed without a story)
Favorite movie: Lilo and Stitch
Favorite television show: Wordgirl (on PBS)
Favorite game: Hungry, Hungry Hippos
Loves: Playing with friends, Grandma (either one), animals, singing, make-up (especially sparkles and glitter), bossing Hannah around, preschool, whatever holiday is coming up next, parties
Favorite things: Nail polish, glitter, collecting various things, snow
Hobbies: Drawing and writing letters, spotting deer with Daddy, anything that involves being outside, dancing
Dislikes: Hannah always following her around, melting show (especially before she's had the chance to play in it)
Greatest challenge: Learning how to read - but she's doing great!
Favorite toys: Webkins kangaroo, toy mouse, Squinkies
Words that describe Adell: Growing up, chatter-box, independent, beautiful, imaginative, energetic, sweet, helpful, playful, brave, super star, funny

Name: Hannah Claire Gardiner
Birthday: September 17, 2008
Present Age: 2 and 1/2 years old
Birthstone: Sapphire
Favorite color: Pink (we think) - she seems to think every color is called "pink"
Favorite food: Bananas (still), pizza, cheetos (she still likes just about anything you put in front of her)
Favorite beverage: Rootbeer
Favorite treat: Anything chocolate
Favorite animal: Dogs (Lynzee)
Best friend: Adell
Future occupation: Singer or whatever Adell ends up doing
Greatest fear: Being left out
Favorite movie: Childrens Songs by Baby Genius
Favorite television show: Elmo's World
Favorite game: Anything that involves her chasing or being chased
Loves: Adell, Mommy, Daddy, Lynzee, Grandma's house, adventure
Favorite things: Binkies (I know, she's getting too old for them, but she just LOVES them!), blankets, pillows, teddy bears, she also loves anything to do with princesses
Hobbies: Coloring, singing, watching shows, reading books, following Adell around
Dislikes: Sitting still in church, people taking her toys (or even eyeing her toys), Adell bugging her, anyone talking firmly to her (she tells them "stop screaming!")
Greatest challenge: Potty Training
Favorite toy: Little People Animal Farm
Words that describe Hannah: Curious, terrible two's, sweetheart, loud, singer, cute, miniture, lovebug

And so that I may have this actually written somewhere, here's a few New Year's resolutions:
- Update food storage! We are sadly behind in this area and I've run out of excuses. I made Wade buy me some shelves so I literally have no more excuses. Time to get prepared.
- Be more financially ready. We doing pretty well in this area, but there's always room for improvement. We're making some financial goals, such as paying off the house in 10 years. I'm beefing up my efforts for coupon hunting and bargain shopping.
- Be more spiritually minded. Prayers and scripture study daily. Adell is great about this, so I'll use her for inspiration. Last year I made a goal to implement FHE weekly, and we've done great! So, now it's time to really step it up and keep our home a happy, spiritual place.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-27T14:51:00.000-08:00

Christmas was a lot of fun this year - full of people we love and fun memories to cherish. Rather than write it all out - I'll let the pictures do most of the talking.
Adell concentrates on the Nativity scene on Christmas Eve. We read the story and talk about the birth of Jesus.
Adell reads the note Santa left thanking her for the delicious cookies she left out for him. He also tells her how impressed he has been by Adell and Hannah for being such good girls this year.
Adell gives a big smile Christmas morning as she discovers all the presents Santa brought for her and Hannah.
Adell is happy with her kangaroo webkins. (Her favorite gift)
Hannah discovers how fun it is to rip into the wrapping paper - at last!
Daddy gets a special gift from Santa - socks!
Hannah admires the beautiful new blanket she got from Grandma Maree.
Time for a nap - with her new blanket and pillow - Hannah decides to go ahead and test them out.

We love this holiday season. We especially love learning about the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ and the joy he brought to the earth. We are so thankful for our wonderful family and that the love of our Savior resides in our home.

Thank you Santa! Time to say good-bye! This Christmas season has been wonderful, and we'll wait for you next year!

A Dance Performance for Pirates

2010-12-15T07:43:00.000-08:00

Adell performed in her first ever dance recital last night at Pirate Island Pizza. Her dance group was easy to identify - a multitude of little girls dressed in red. They were all super excited to perform.
Adell's 3 minute dance routine performed to Alvin and the Chipmunks, "Christmas Don't Be Late," was more than enough to leave me beaming with pride at my little girl - looking so unbelievably grown up, and yet still so sweetly child-like. And of course, she was the cutest, and best dancer in the group (in my opinion anyway)!
Adell's dance class is conveniently run by my awesome neighbor, so it was fun to see most of the neighborhood all show up to watch their little dancers. We could have easily just called that our ward party!
Needless to say, the place was packed with eager parents and grandparents, so that made getting any decent pictures a bit of a challenge, but I managed to at least get a few.
Great job, Adell! I look forward to many dance recitals yet to follow.

Christmas Party Weekend

2010-12-13T07:33:00.000-08:00

Highlights from a weekend full of Christmas parties:

Friday night - Cybersource Employee Christmas Party

- Forgot to bring the camera, but probably wouldn't have taken many pictures anyway.

- Watched a lot of people get really drunk and then try to sing karaoke. (We didn't participate.)

- Catered by Rodezio Grill, yum!

- Over 400 people trying to share one pool table.

- We sat with some great people that kept us laughing all night. We all made a point to make fun of all the drunk people.

- Wade won a $50 gift certificate to Best Buy.

Saturday night - Annual Gardiner Family Christmas Party

- The Lone Peak High School Choir performed for us - and they sounded awesome! (They are headed to Carnegie Hall this year!)
- Enjoyed Maree's Spicy Bean Stew...it was heaven!

- Everyone ate my Merry Cherry Salad, even the kids!

- Adell sang Silent Night (she's been working on the words for some time now) and I played piano for her. She sounded so beautiful, and I still can't believe how brave she is!

- Richard performed a concert for us on the piano. It was over 30 minutes of piano music, but it was beautiful.

- I tried to play the flute.

- Shelley and Carolyn have a 30 minute discussion over the pulpit about past Christmas disasters and why they've decided they now like each other. We all question their sanity just a little bit.

- Hannah ended up locked in the dark Relief Society room for almost an hour before we found her. She was pretty upset, but safe and sound. She's still working on forgiving me.

- The kids all received goody bags, which Hannah has now been dragging around for 3 days.

- It was so nice to see everyone. There have been a lot of trials in the Gardiner family this year. We all enjoyed being together and sharing some Christmas cheer.

- No one ended up in the ER this year!

Sunday night: My Family Christmas Party -

- Adell and Daddy constructed a magnificent gingerbread house together.

- Adell shared her talent: a puppet show she's been working on for weeks! The kids all loved it, and she was positively beaming!
- All the kids show off their gymnastics moves in Kristy's gym.

- An impatient pregnant lady demands dinner (that would be me.)

- Grandpa Marc sings Elvis (Blue Christmas) with back-up singers (Toby and Scott).
- We attempt to have a spritual moment before tearing into the presents - at least we tried.

- Adell amazes everyone when asked why we celebrate Christmas and answers, "because that's when Jesus was born."

- Hannah ditches the party and spends most of the evening on the bathroom floor playing with the bath toys.
- The girls loved their gifts from Grandma and Grandpa. Hannah insisted on sleeping with her Jack-in-the-Box, every now and then we'd hear it going off during the night. Adell has been playing with her Sqinkies toys and singing Christmas carols.

- We all enjoy Bonnie's rainbow salad, apparently it takes about 10 hours to make.

- Everyone eats the cookies Adell and I made, yum!

So, in one crazy weekend, we complete another year's worth of Christmas parties. Until next year...

Christmas Dresses

2010-12-02T07:17:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I'm in no way any type of photographer. In fact, I have no idea what I'm doing with a camera. I just point and click, and hope it turns out okay. I tried taking a few pictures of the girls in their new Christmas dresses. They are far from professional, but fortunately the girls are cute enough that it doesn't matter.
I just wanted to post a few of these, because I love my girls so much. I'm blessed to be the mother of these two beautiful little ladies. They fill my life with such joy. They are both sweet, kind, silly, beautiful, and so much more.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-28T19:06:00.001-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year! It was full of all the things I love about Thanksgiving - people you love, good food, and lots of memories to share. Adell's core focus for weeks has been the Thanksgiving Day feast, complete with turkey, so she was especially delighted to see the day finally arrive.
Hannah loves to eat, so this was definately a holiday that won her immediate approval. We spent Thanksgiving with the Gardiner's this year, and it was a special year, because everyone was able to be there. The food was fabulous, and despite a minor morning sickness set back earlier that morning, I was very glad to be able to enjoy the wonderful food. We all ate too much and then kicked back to enjoy the day. Adell got to make an apple turkey with all the kids, which she has proudly displayed now on our kitchen counter. Hannah liked the apple turkeys too, but mostly because she got to eat all the marshmallows. Grandma Maree found these gorgeous Christmas dresses for all the girls and we made a goal to try to get a photo with all the kids. We realized pretty quickly that the photo shoot should have been our top priority as soon as we all arrived rather than wait until late in the day - the kids (especially mine) weren't as cooperative as they might have been earlier in the day. We tried, though - that's what matters.
What a wonderful Thanksgiving Day! I feel like we have so much to celebrate this holiday season, and so much to be grateful for. Mostly I'm grateful for the wonderful family we have - family that we get to spend the holidays with. Truly we are so very blessed! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

My annual battle with the Christmas tree

2010-11-20T19:08:00.000-08:00

So, we have this old artificial Christmas tree that's spends most of it's life in the farthest corner of the basement. We bought this glorious tree several years ago for $20.00 - my mom's company was clearing them out, and it was an easy deal. Since that time it's survived all of our many moves, being stuffed and squished into various bins and stored in various dirty and dusty places.
Wade calls this tree "the hybrid gone wrong." It's basically a combination of every type of pine tree squashed into one. It has blue spruce, a little conifer, and even some bristle cone pine in there somewhere. In other words, it's not the prettiest tree on the block.
Every year I pull this rather pathetic looking tree out of the basement and get to work to try to somehow make it look beautiful. I argue and fight with it for most of the day until it finally becomes an acceptable looking Christmas tree. Every year I think about throwing it away and buying a decent looking tree, then I talk myself into giving in one more year and I go to work.
By the end of my battles with the tree my hands are filthy. I'm not sure exactly what is on the tree that's so dirty, but my hands always look like I've ben rubbing newspaper for hours. It takes many hours of washing and scrubbing to get whatever it is off. Along with that my hands and arms will be covered with red welts, nics and scratches. They sting and feel raw and red for weeks. In fact, it takes until about Christmas day for my poor hands to recover. So, even though I may fight the valiant fight, I always end up with a few battle scars in the end.
Today it was determined we would put up the tree. Wade's out of town for a couple days, and we're looking for something to do for some Mom and daughter time. I had to keep things as low key and stress free as possible since I'm still recovering from my little hospital visit this past week, but I kinda forgot what and ordeal putting up the tree was.
Well, it took all afternoon, but now the tree is up and decorated. It took hours of straightening branches and stringing on lights, but Adell says it's the most beautiful tree she's ever seen, so I must have won the annual battle after all.
The girls are so excited for Christmas this year. It was really fun to watch them decorate the tree.
Together we strung on all the ornaments and Adell got to place the star on top. We had a great time. Holding true to tradition, we then turned down the lights, made some hot chocolate, and drank it while listening to Christmas music and staring at our now beautified Christmas tree. Hannah ran off with the ornaments she liked the best, but after some convincing - they all made it back to the tree. They may not stay there, but tonight they sure looked pretty.
Adell likes to remind Hannah that Christmas is coming very soon and tell her all about Santa Claus and most importantly - baby Jesus.
I'm really feeling the Christmas spirit this year, I think it's mainly because the girls are so excited. I just love this time of year.
Is it too early to put up the tree? Not in this house!

Who could ask for more?

2010-11-15T07:30:00.000-08:00

For those of you who have been hiding under a rock for the past few weeks, and may still not be aware - I'm pregnant! It was probably the worst kept secret in the history of secrets, despite my original intentions. We planned to tell everyone around Christmas time, when the pregnancy was feeling a little more secure. Wade's idea was actually just to see how long we could really go before someone finally figured it out. Well, it didn't last very long.
This is my fourth pregnancy, and it seems my body already knows what to do. I had a distinct baby bumb before I hit five weeks. I started thinking I probably wasn't going to be able to hide it for very long.
At five weeks my pants were already tight, by eight weeks I couldn't button my jeans. I comb through the closet every day trying to find something besides scrubs and sweats that I can wear. The choices are less and less every day. Even the whole rubberband trick isn't working as well as it once did. I'm hesitant to pull out the maternity clothes. For one thing, thanks to my September babies, it's completely the wrong season - and then I'm still trying to convince my waist that I don't really need maternity clothes yet, but I think I'm losing that argument. I knew things were bad when a woman at the library, who was five months pregnant, asked if we might be sharing the same due date.
Adell pats my swelling belly just about every morning and says, "don't worry, Mom, I won't ever tell you that you're fat!" Thanks, I think...
The other big give away is the fact that I've been so plagued with morning sickness. I suppose I should be grateful. Turns out morning sickness is a good indicator of a viable pregnancy, but it's hard to remember that when your face is in the toilet. Anyone who had regular contact with me over the past few weeks probably noticed something was up. I hate being sick. Even if I wasn't LDS, I still don't think drugs and alcohol would ever have appealed to me. I really hate feeling out of control. These past few weeks have really thrown me. I just wasn't expecting it at all. I've never been this sick with any of my pregnancies, and I was always under the impression that morning sickness typically improves with each pregnancy - I guess that's wrong. From day one I've been flipping back and forth between ravenous hunger and too sick to even look at food, or some weird combination of both. I stare at the open pantry trying to come up with something that sounds appetizing enough to eat. I also have to decide if whatever I do eat is going to be worth it - since it was likely to be coming back up.
Adell has been pretty horrified at my inability to keep food down. One day during lunch, I made a bee-line to the garbage can after only a few bites of whatever we were eating. Adell watched my "episide" in horror. "What's wrong, Mom," she kept asking me (while my head was in the garbage bin), "didn't you like your lunch?" When I could finally speak again, I explained to her that it was the baby making me sick. She looked concerned and confused. "Why would the baby want to do that?" She asked, but I couldn't really answer her.
Most of the world probably thinks I've lost my mind. It's been hard to function like a normal person. I'm tired, moody, and sick - and I forget just about everything. People call me on the phone, trying to figure out what's wrong with me. Fortunately, there's light at the end of the morning sickness tunnel. I'm just a couple weeks away from making it through the first trimester, and things seem to be gradually improving. My sanity is slowly making a come back, and I can finally eat again without sprinting to the bathroom (most days).
Now that things are looking more positive, I'm finally able to let myself get excited about this pregnancy. It's been a long, difficult year - full of emotional ups and downs. I feel like I've been holding my breath for weeks, just waiting for something to go wrong. In fact, I've been so hesitant to form any emotional attachment that I didn't even tell Wade about it until I was two weeks in (though he was pretty suspicious).
We have a little picture of this new life posted on the fridge. It's a nice little reminder of all the things we have to be grateful for. The Lord has truly blessed our family. We are so excited to meet this new little life and add to our little family. Thanks to everyone who has been so supportive during these past few weeks - dealing with my insanity isn't easy.

2 + 2 = 4 kids, 1 crazy Mom, and many, many lessons learned...

2010-10-30T20:30:00.000-07:00

We've been pretty busy around here for the past 8 weeks. One major reason is my nieces, Emma and Erica, have been staying at our home. From Sunday evenings through Friday afternoons, Emma and Erica were in our care. Yes, this included both day and night, (it always surprised people whenever I clarified that part).
Their parents were in the midst of the Election Cycle - a very important and extremely busy time for their business - that comes around every other year. If you've never worked at DataWise during an election year - or more specifically the 3-4 months preceeding an Election, you cannot fully understand or appreciate what they are dealing with. Basically, the work overflows - it's a never ending stream of projects, trending, tracking, and so forth - 24 hours a day for 3 solid months. The staff works 24 (or more) hours a day just to try to keep up with the demand. You don't sleep, you don't eat, you always end up sick, and the work doesn't stop until that blessed day when the voters cast their ballots and the elections are over. Dana and Donni have survived several election cycles, and it never ceases to amaze me. I worked only one cycle, and it just about did me in.
So, for that reason, Emma and Erica would be staying with us. It seemed the most stable arrangement for the girls (ages 4 and 1) and the best way for them to cope with the election cycle. Their older brother, Hayden, would stay at home - since he is in grade school.
When I was deciding whether or not to take this on, I tried to keep in mind that this would be an adjustment - not just for me but for everyone involved. I thought I was prepared - ready for the challenge. How hard can it be to go from 2 kids to 4 kids overnight? My sister has four kids - and she makes it look down right easy! Friday evening - as I watched Emma and Erica return home with their parents for the last time, I remembered feeling that mental preparation 8 weeks ago. I laugh at myself now. I had really had no idea what I was gearing up for. I think I did pretty well for the most part, but there were certainly many, many surprises and challanges I hadn't thought of.
Let me share a few lessons I have learned, and hopefully they will constitute some form of wisdom for the future.

Lesson #1 - Perhaps we should have gone with a mini-van...
This past January, Wade and I bought an SUV. It's a Nissan Pathfinder, and we felt good about the choice. We didn't want a mini-van, but we did want something with more room. We anticipated our family growing and thought the third "pull-out" row in the back would be great for that. We had a variety of other reasons for making the choice, and in the end we were happy with it.
Here's what I didn't think of: Carseats. In order to access that third row seating, you must find a way to get back there. You options are to either fold up the second row seat (probably that was the manufacturers intentions) or you can climb over the seats. Of course, we never intended for anyone to have to climb over the seats, but we didn't think about carseats. I noticed this problem when we put Hannah's car seat in, and unless you want to pull out the seat belt, remove the car seat, flip up the seat - your only option is to climb over. It wasn't such a big deal with only two kids, one side was for Hannah's carseat, and the other was for Adell's booster seat, we didn't really even need the third row. Then I'm trying to load up the car with four kids, and this little problem becomes a huge dilema. Now I have a carseat for Hannah, a car seat for Erica, and two booster seats for Adell and Emma. Well - Emma and Adell can sit in the back (third row) easy enough, but unless I wanted to remove the baby's carseat every time (not really an option, expecially when I'm already holding the baby), the girls either climb over everything, or I pop the back hatch and they climb in though the back of the car. I got some strange looks when I'd drop them off at school. I'd park the car, get out and open the back door, the girls would climb over the seats and hop out the back. The girls were great about strapping themselves in, for which I am grateful, since that would have only further complicated things.
Loading and unloading the car was always a challenge that often made me break out into a cold sweat. I just couldn't ever be fast enough. I couldn't get Hannah out, get the baby out, help Adell and Emma without worrying that one would run off before I was done and get hit by a car. Anytime I went anywhere I had to plan very carefully before trying to get everyone out. By the end of 8 weeks, we had in down to a science and I could successfully load and unload the car without having a panic attack.
Now I finally understand why people with young kids buy mini-vans. Lesson learned.

Lesson #2 - Everything takes four times longer than it did before.
I figured we'd have to adjust our internal clocks a bit just to stay on schedule, what I didn't realize is that four kids means everything takes four times as long to accomplish. Loading and unloading the car took as long as 20 minutes. Meal times expanded, instead of 15 minute meals, they become hour long ordeals. Getting ready for bed took up most of the evening. Bathtime alone took over an hour. In fact, I quickly learned that unless I wanted the kids to end up in bed at 10:00, I'd better start baths, stories, and pajamas at 6:00. With Wade's help I could have all four kids in bed by 8:00, but it was always exhausting. I really began to wonder how these mom's with 4 or more kids ever get anything done in a timely manner. The routine we set did help, but I had to finally accept that more kids means more time.

Lesson #3 - Thank God for Grandma
When I told my mother I was taking this on her first response was, "you're going to need a lot of help." I disagreed at first, so sure I could handle it. My mom came to the house almost every afternoon for an hour or two, just so that I could run to the store if I needed, or accomplish something I wouldn't normally be able to. I can't tell you how much I came to appreciate opening the door and finding my mother there, arms full or puzzles and a little treat for each kid. The kids, of course, always loved it when Grandma came over. In fact, Hannah got so used to seeing Grandma on our front porch that she assumed it was Grandma every time she heard the doorbell ring - and she'd run to the door calling, "Grandma!" It was great to get all the grocery shopping done for the week without having to take all the kids with me (something I never actually tried during all 8 weeks). Grandma was also kind enough to host a few sleepovers (for the older girls), and provided a few dinners when I just didn't have the time to cook anything. During the four days Wade spent on the deer hunt, I could never have survived without the dedicated help of my dear mother.
Thanks, Mom. The check is in the mail.

Lesson #4 - Some things just aren't worth it...
As I mentioned above, I never did try to take all four kids grocery shopping with me. I just couldn't do it. I thought I'd lose my mind, or worse, lose one of the kids. There are somethings that just were not worth the effort of loading up the kids and embarking on my own. Somethings are not worth the stress they bring. For example: I took them to McDonald's for lunch one day, since it was rainy outside and we needed something fun to do. I decided at the end, however, that we should have just stayed home. The resturant was packed. The girls didn't have a lot of fun because the play area was freezing, and it was so packed with loud, obnoxious kids. The play equipment was wet (or something like that) and the girls keep falling and getting hurt. The resturant was also pretty dirty and I had to completely wipe down a high chair for Erica, just to make me feel better about putting her in it. In the middle of playtime, someone threw up in the middle of the play area (not one of the kids with me, fortunately) and kids were tromping through it without realizing it. The smell was horrid, and the girls were all pretty grossed out. We quickly packed up and went back home. That was the last day we braved McDonald's.
Cornbellies at Thanksgiving Point was another thing I later decided wasn't worth it. It was hugely expensive, for one thing, and it was packed with people. We waited 40 minutes in line just to buy our tickets to get into the stupid thing. We waited and waited in lines just to go down a slide. I had a terrible time trying to get the girls to stay with me. They would all run off in different directions and I knew I'd never find them again if I lost track of them. I felt like putting them each on a leash! They all wanted to do different things at different times, so I was always dragging one away from something to try to keep up with the one running off to do something else. And then one has to use the bathroom while to other two are already heavily involved in something else...sigh...
Truthfully, the girls did have fun, and I suppose that's what matters, but by the time we left for home I was exhausted, angry and frustrated.
Not worth it!

Lesson #5 - Some things are worth it...especially if they are free.
One thing I did each week, and looked forward too, was Storytime at the Lehi Library. It's free, it's only 30 minutes, and they offer it several times a day, several days a week. We'd make an effort to go everything Thursday morning. The girls loved it. The loved singing songs, hearing fun stories, and getting to pick new library books each week. It was an easy place to take them because it's so kid friendly. I could just sit and relax for a few minutes while the girls enjoyed storytime. So, yes, there are things that are worth making an effort for.

Lesson #6 - Don't get sick.
If there's any way to avoid getting sick during a time like this - do it! Around week 5 I came down with a monster cold. Wade was shocked that I was so sick, especially because he didn't end up with even a sniffle. Usually I'm the one who bypasses whatever plague comes our way and Wade ends up in bed for a week. I've always been a little smug about it actually. Well, I paid my dues with this one. I remember waking up with a sore throat one morning and it was downhill from there. I was weak, head was pounding, super stuffy, coughing, hacking, nose pouring, and exhausted. If that's not bad enough, Wade left for the deer hunt that very morning I was getting sick. So, I was sick as a dog and left to deal with all four kids on my own. My blessed mother helped me a great deal, but it was still a very rough week. I was so worried I'd end up getting the kids sick. Despite feeling terrible I ran around the house disinfecting every surface, doorknob, toy, and wall I could find. I tried to touch the kids as little as possible. In the end, both Hannah and Erica ended up with runny noses and slight coughs, but it never got worse than that - so hopefully my sanitation efforts paid off.
After a week of misery, the horrible cold just wouldn't ease up and now I had pain radiating through my head and cheeks. I escaped to the doctor who confirmed it was a raging sinus infection. He gave me an antibiotic injection and sent me home with oral antibiotics. I took them faithfully, but it was still another week before I saw any real improvement. Every morning I would wake up and think about ripping my head off and throwing it out the window.
The kids were all about as understanding as they were capable of being. Emma and Adell got out the toy doctor kit and worked together to try to fix me. It was all I could do to get out of bed and mush my way through the day. I felt horrible - like I was shortchanging the kids - but I muddled my way through it all and eventually I felt better.

Lesson #7 - We Discover Hannah's Darker Side.
Two major things happened to Hannah during this time. One, she became and official two-year-old, and two, she discovered Mom's lap was often occupied. Hannah has always been gentle and docile. She's always so laid back and easy going. I never would have imagined that she had a "mean" bone in her entire body.
Now that Erica was living in the house - Hannah's claws came out. If I was paying too much attention to the baby - Hannah would throw herself between us and wedge her way into my lap. The first, and only thing, she'd ever say to Erica was "no, no, Eri!" I remember being absolutely shocked on that first day - Erica innocently playing with the magnets on the fridge, Hannah entered the kitchen and spied Erica. She watched her for a few moments before crossing the room and shoving Erica to the floor - so fast that I didn't even have time to react. I couldn't believe my sweet little Hannah could ever behave that way!
From that day on I worked and worked with Hannah to try to get her to be nicer to Erica. We made significant progress in the end. Hannah would allow Erica to play with her toys without ripping them away. Erica stopped having a panic attack every time Hannah entered the room. It took some time and effort, but eventually, I think that may have even been on the verge of friendship.
I guess even Hannah bears the makings of a toddler, and jealousy is a challenging emotion!

Lesson #8 - Sometimes We All Just Need Some "Alone Time."
Adell quickly took on the role as Emma's personal entertainer. She worked very hard to keep Emma occupied with toys and games at every minute of the day. I tried to remind her that it wasn't her job to keep Emma entertained, and that she didn't need to work so hard. Emma doesn't mind playing by herself from time to time, but Adell didn't listen to me. She just keep trying and trying to find new sources of entertainment. One day I found Adell sitting on the couch looking depressed. I asked her what was wrong and where Emma was. She told me Emma was in the playroom by herself. She said, "Mom, I'm just so tired of playing with Emma!" I told her that probably what she needed right now was just some "alone time." She agreed and went upstairs to her room, closed the door and spent a good hour by herself. The poor kid puts so much pressure on herself. We later had a little talk about how we all need "alone time" once in a while. After that Adell would announce every now and then that she'd met her limit and needed some quality "alone time." That was fine by me, and Emma didn't mind either, in fact, even Emma needed her "alone time," once in a while too.

Lesson #9 - The "Art" of Sharing
Sharing became a big issue in out house. Adell and Hannah are far enough apart in age that we haven't had too many sharing problems yet. Now that we had four kids in the hosue, all similar in ages, sharing became an issue we couldn't ignore. We had an entire FHE about sharing and played different games that promoted different ways to share. It did seem to help, but we still had plenty of moments when I had to step in as referee and break up the fight over some toy someone didn't want to share. Hannah was the worst - she'd hand a toy to Erica only to rip it away from her whenever Erica would try to take it. I had to remove Hannah from the scene until she was ready to be nice and share. It felt like a losing battle at times, but in the end Hannah was actually sharing with Erica and not just ripping things away - and that was serious progress! Emma and Adell did better, because they are older and have learned a little more about what sharing means. The hardest part was that Emma was always so quite and willing to let Adell take over. I had to constantly remind Adell to let Emma choose what she wanted to play with and not just be bossed around and told what to do and what to play. Emma would just take it, and allow Adell to boss her around, unless I stood in and said something. I reminded Emma that she didn't always have to let Adell get her way, but mostly Emma would just smile and say she was fine. In the end I figured as long as Emma was happy and I at least made the effort to keep things fair, that was good enough.

Lesson #10 - You Kinda Get Use to Them
Erica and Emma went home, and they won't be coming back. Our 8 weeks together are over. I'm not sure, yet, how to feel. I think to sum it all up: I got pretty attached.
Mostly we've been sitting around the house wondering what to do with ourselves. Adell already is missing her friend, and playmate, Emma. She keeps asking me if she gets to stay at Emma's house now. Hannah goes around the house asking, "where's Eri, Mom?" She seems to think I've just forgotten about her and I need to go get her from the crib. It's nice to have the responsiblities over with, but it also feels a little sad. I'm already missing Erica's morning smiles, and Emma's singing. It's a good thing they are related to me so that I will still get to see them occasionally. Emma is still going to be attending preschool with Adell, so we'll still get a little time with her.
I know that their family is happy to be reunited and finished with another long election cycle. I'm happy they shared their girls with me for a short while. I still can't believe how fast it all went. I feel like I just blinked and it was all over.
In the end I would hope we are all a little wiser, a little kinder, and better off because of the friendships we've made. We'll keep a special place in out hearts for Emma and Erica and always be grateful for the chance we had to get to know them a little better. Hopefully they will remember this time as a happy one, and know that we all love them.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

2010-10-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

It's Daddy's birthday today! Though he may be seriously outnumbered by all the females in the house these days, and certainly, we all drive him crazy from time to time, we just want to remind him that we LOVE him so much! We're all working hard to make this day special for him. Thanks for putting up with us, Dad. Happy birthday!

Celebrating Hannah's Birthday

2010-09-19T19:57:00.000-07:00

Well, Hannah is officially two years old. I'm still getting use to the idea. We celebrated with a little party. Both Grandmas were able to be there, and Hannah could not have been more delighted. Hannah seemed thrilled that the attention was finally all on her for a change (she's waited patiently through many birthdays).
We ate frosted pink cupcakes, Hannah's favorite! She already knows the color pink. She watched me make the frosting and was pointing at the mixer excitedly shouting, "pink, pink!"
Adell was gracious about Hannah's birthday and was willing to let Hannah have the spotlight for the day. She reminded Hannah it was her birthday about every 6 seconds through out the day and continually gave her birthday hugs, which Hannah could only tolerate for so long.
She sang along with us as we sang "Happy Birthday," and blew out her candles with a little help from big sister. It was probably the cutest thing I've ever witnessed. She opened all her presents and went zooming off - pushing the new buggy stroller she received from Grandma Sharon. She also received an oversized pink bouncy ball (Hannah LOVES balls) and sing-along shows from Grandma Maree. Adell's self-wrapped gift was a special surprise, a cute stuffed elephant.

The smile on Hannah's face was huge and never faded until she was asleep in bed that night.
She also received a couple new shows from Aunt Kara which she happily watched the next morning. What a fabulous day!
I can't believe my baby girl is 2! I've been thinking about her as a snuggly little baby and how much she's grown! She grows more and more beautiful every day. Her big blue eyes, and sweet smile would melt anyone's heart - it's a fact! Oh, how we love out sweet Hannah Banana!

Happy Birthday, Hannah!

2010-09-17T07:17:00.000-07:00

This little lady is two years old today! It's hard to believe she's already two! I can't begin to imagine life without Hannah. The day she was born she brought with her so much joy and love and it's only grown. She wears happiness like a warm blanket, always armed with her sweet smile and willing hugs. We love this little lady so much! Happy Birthday, my little Lovebug, may it be filled with happiness!

Temporarily MIA

2010-09-08T15:04:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a temporary leave of absense from blogging for the next couple months. I'm going to be pretty busy chasing after four little ones and I'm not going to get a lot of blogging opportunities. I might try to post a few little things here and there, but only if fate magically determines an hour or two or free time. I just didn't want anyone to think we fell off the edge of the earth or anything! If anyone wants to come visit us, we'd love the company! I'll be back in a couple months.

Adell's Carnival Birthday Party

2010-09-05T19:22:00.000-07:00

Adell is now officially a 5-year-old, and she's pretty proud of that. We had a great big party to celebrate the special day. It ended up taking on a bit of a carnival feel - complete with a princess castle bounce house, pinata, cupcake station, face painting, and magic show. Okay, so maybe I went a bit overboard, but it was worth it. Anyways, you only turn 5 once, right?
I'm not exactly sure how many kids actually ended up at the party, but it was plenty. Adell was completely overwhelmed and delighted at all the friends that came for her birthday. We only suffered a couple minor meltdowns, it's a lot of pressure for a five-year-old. We were able to pull it together and just enjoy the party. Adell really loves her friends, and she was grateful to all of them for coming.

The bounce house was a big success. Unfortunately, it was 95 degrees outside, so the kids got pretty hot bouncing around. They all had bright red faces and we went through many gallons of water. Despite the heat, the kids had a blast.
A big party highlight, of course, was Magical Grandma. Her magic show included a mischievious ghost named Mortimer, a magic coloring book, and a magic box that made things disappear! Magical Grandma was definately full of magic! Hannah took a break from the heat and sat with Magical Grandma after the show. I think she wanted to make sure it really was Grandma. Here's a collage featuring the face painting art of Jessie Gardiner. Talented, isn't she? Needless to say, it was a huge hit with the kids. Special thanks to Jessie for all the hard work - the kids look absolutely amazing! The only difficult part was trying to convince Adell that we had to wash it all off before church in the morning (it was pretty smeared by that point anyway, but still - there were plenty of tears when we had to give her the final wash).
One of the pictures repeats, but I can't seem to fix it - oh well, such a pretty butterfly is worth seeing twice.
Jessie paints Fiona's face and she becomes a butterfly!

All the kids were able to decorate their own cupcakes at the Cupcake Station. There was every color of frosting and all types of sprinkles. They even got to put a candle or two on top! It was fun to show off the beautifully decorated cupcakes, but even more fun was eating them!

Everyone took a couple swings at the pinata. With so many kids giving their very best swings, the pinata didn't last very long. The toys and candy that spilled out went even faster!

We're so grateful to everyone for coming to Adell's party and making the day so special. I love making memories that will hopefully last! I loved every minute of it, and I hope all the kids did too!

Happy 5th Birthday, Adell!!!

2010-09-02T07:08:00.000-07:00

Five Wonderful Things About Adell: (One for each year)

1)She has an outgoing and social nature. No matter who you are, or what you look like, if you're willing to play, Adell will be your friend for life. She makes friends everywhere we go. Whether it's the cashier at the grocery store, or the guy that comes to fix the sprinklers, Adell's always eager to make a new friend. Her friendly nature is just too hard to resist.

2)She gives the best hugs and kisses. Every morning I'm greeted with a hug and a kiss. Bedtime always includes a goodnight hug and kiss. If anyone in the family is feeling down, Adell's hugs are sure to lift their spirits.

3)She's one smart cookie! Adell is always very eager to learn new things. She's so excited to be focusing on reading this year - she can't wait to read! She's also incredibly creative and has a huge imagination. No matter what she's facing in life - she can find a way to make it fun. She's already an accomplished artist (drawing and coloring especially) which makes her artistic father very proud.

4)She's a wonderful big sister and good example to everyone. Adell always tries to do the right thing. She's kind to her sister and is always very concerned about teaching Hannah how to be a good girl. She loves Jesus and tries very hard to be like him. She never forgets to say her prayers.

5)She radiates sunshine. It's hard not to feel happier when Adell is around. She's always so cheerful, it puts everyone in a better mood. And that's a good quality to have, especially on Mommy's grumpy days. She always makes me want to be a better mom and better person.

Of course, there's many, many, many more wonderful things about Adell - this list just scratches the surface.
We sure love our little sunshine girl. I can't help but reflect on the past five years and this journey we've taken together - learning to be a family. I love to watch her grow up, but also, it makes me a little sad to see how fast it's all going. I wish I could just lock her in a time capsule and keep her my little girl forever. I guess every parent wishes that. Maybe it's the fact that her birthday is really here, but lately I look at her and she just looks so grown up to me - she's not a little baby anymore! How did this happen?! It makes me realize that I really need to make the most of these precious years with her, every moment counts.
We love you, Adell! Happy Birthday! May all your wishes come true on this special day.

I know why they call it Starvation...

2010-08-16T19:34:00.000-07:00

Starvation Reservoir - no other name would be more appropriate.

Adell has been begging us to go camping this summer. She's never officially been camping and it's an experience she's been craving for some time now. We made a promise to her that we'd go camping at least once this summer - that means "real" camping - including sleeping in a tent and sleeping bag, smores over the campfire, and looking for shooting stars in the night sky.
So, for the weekend we planned to take a real camping trip. We planned it with Wade's folks, and Joel and Jessie (and the kids, of course). I don't particularly enjoy camping - okay, if I'm being honest, I really hate camping. I've tried to like it, but I just don't. I can endure for Adell's sake, and I'm figuring it's something I'm just going to have to develop a good attitude about - because being married to Wade means you're expected to at least go camping once a year. Adell was so excited - so, I gritted my teeth and prepared myself mentally. As we planned our little trip (just one night, I can handle that), someone had the idea to try out Starvation Reservoir. Apparently it promised unbelievable fishing and a sandy beach for the kids. I knew nothing about Starvation, having never been there - but I know a lot about it now.
If you drive up to Strawberry Reservoir and keep going for about an hour or so, you eventually hit Starvation. The scenery changes drastically from green pine and mountains to dry, hot cedar trees and dirt. The closer we got to the lake, the more barren and dry the land became. If you think of Death Valley, add a few cedar trees, and throw in a lake that really looks like it's not meant to be there - you must been in Starvation Reservoir.
We reached our "camp sight" and got out of the car. It wasn't looking any better. Turns out Starvation is mostly made up of wind and dust, which didn't stop blowing in our faces the entire trip. There were no trees, no grass - just dry, hot sand, rocks and angry looking weeds - concrete would probably have been more comfortable to sleep on. For some reason, other people were planning to camp there too, and our tiny little designated plot was bordered wall to wall by RV's and campers. I couldn't believe that out of all the barren land around us the camp sight was so unbelievable squished and crowded. I looked at Wade and said out loud, "you've gotta be kidding me!" He didn't really expect us to camp here, did he?
No one in the family was very impressed with the proposed conditions we'd be spending the night in, but one thing you learn when you marry into the Gardiner family, is that they are determined and stubborn - even if that means suffering it out. I tried everything I could think of to cut our loses and somehow avoid spending the night in this wasteland - I tried begging, pleading, complaining, grouching, demanding - all to no avail. This is were we'd be camping. I sighed and mentally set my tolerance clock.
I worried a lot about Adell, because I wanted so much for her first camping trip to be successful and fun. Ground fires were prohibited, so there didn't seem to be a way to make smores like we'd planned. The heat was a problem, especially because there was no where to go for relief (no trees, remember?), and the wind threatened the tents. I didn't see a way to salvage the situation - we'd have to just try to make the best of things.
By noon the next day, I'm happy to report our survival. Turns out we did have a successful trip. I'm counting success by the fact that we were able to do everything I was hoping for to make it a real camping adventure and the kids all had a great time. We were able to find some old wood and make a fire in the ancient BBQ stand, so we were able to make smores. The stars made a grand impression that night - we could even see the thick band of the Milky Way. Grandpa told some stories to the kids, and they all looked so cute wrapped in blankets - bright eyed - at all Grandpa's impressive stories.
The tents stayed upright, and we even managed to get some sleep. Like so many kids, Adell has a talent for being able to sleep soundly under and conditions, so she slept happily all night wrapped up in her little sleeping bag. Hannah did well, considering the wind waking her a few times. I'm always amazed at how resilient children are. I stared at the ceiling of the tent and waited for exhaustion to eventually take it's toll. When morning came I was relieved to see the sunlight, but I must have gotten more sleep than I thought because I was surprised it was already morning.
The beach was a highlight for the kids. The water is pretty warm and the sand is perfectly moldable, so they had a lot of fun getting wet and muddy. Hannah loved getting her feet wet in the water and playing in the sand with Grandma.
Lynzee, the dog, probably had more fun than all of us combined. She acted like she'd just been freed from prison. She ran all around the beach, eating little scraps of whatever she could find (I gave up trying to stop her after a while), she ran through the water, explored the camp grounds, and rolled around in smelly things. She was truly in Doggy Heaven.
The kids all got some quality time on the boat. Adell was grinning from ear to ear and giggling - begging Grandpa to make the boat go faster. Hannah hated the boat - not surprising. I thought perhaps she'd warm up to it after a few minutes, but she clung to me like a koala bear and screamed the entire time - every bump and wave just made her cry louder. I gave up after a few minutes ant they dropped us off back at the beach - where Hannah was much happier.
Turns out the fishing wasn't what it had promised to be either. The guys went out early in the morning, and came back with just a couple tiny little fish. I felt a little bad about that - just a little.
By noon my tolerance clock was timed out and ringing. I basically ripped down the tent, stuffed everything in the car and began honking the horn. We drove home tired, dirty, but surprisingly - we were all laughing about our silly little camping trip. We passed Strawberry Res. on the way home - looking green and so much more inviting. We decided the important thing was that the kids all had fun - and they really did. Adell was already asking when we'd be going back by the time we got home. I see more camping in our future - preferably just not at Starvation Reservoir.

The shoe just won't stay on!

2010-08-09T13:40:00.000-07:00

Adell tries again and again to get the tiny shoe to stay on the doll, but it just keeps slipping off! Urg!!! Finally she throws the doll down and sighs. She's having trouble identifying the emotion she's feeling. She asks me, "Mom, why am I so...so...urg!!!" I tell her she's feeling "frusrated." She looks curious and asks, "what's frustrated?" Hmmm...how does one describe the feeling of frustration? So, I just tell her, "it's how your feeling right now - it's how it feels when that little shoe won't stay on." She is thoughtful for a moment. "I hate feeling frustrated," she concludes. All I can do is laugh at the conclusion and the expression on her face. "It's not a very pleasant emotion, is it?" I ask. She just shakes her head and tells me she hopes to never feel frustrated again. I smile and laugh a little...internally I sigh because I know she'll, indeed, experience more frustration in her life, as we all do sometimes, and I think, "get use to it..."

The Eberhard family comes to visit

2010-08-01T19:39:00.000-07:00

In the picture below: (left to right) - Adell, Breezy, Eric, and their two girls Gracie and Alyssa.
A few years back, Wade was going to school at the University of Utah. We lived near Liberty Park in Salt Lake City - just about 10 minutes from the campus. I was working full-time and Wade was busy in school. The McKay ward we attended had only about 70 members (our Provo ward consisted of over 500 members)! Despite the size, the McKay ward was one of the most incredible wards we'd ever been a part of. It will always be near and dear to our hearts. We welcomed our first born, Adell, into the world while living there and have many, many fond memories.
The members of that ward were truly an inspiration to us. One of these incredible families - the Eberhards. Eric and Breezy have two beautiful girls, their oldest is just a few months older than Adell.
We ended up moving out of the McKay ward rather quickly and, unfortunately, lost touch with the Eberhards for a time, but, thanks to Facebook and blogging, Breezy and I were able to reconnect.
Eric recently returned home from serving in Irac. We were happy to hear he made it home safe and sound. His devotion to his country is truly admirable. Breezy is a super strong woman who has somehow been able to cope with Eric being absent for months at a time. I look at both of them with a sense of awe - I don't know how they do it.
We were able to have them over for dinner last night, and it was awesome to be able to see them again. Afterwards, Wade and I talked a lot about how blessed we've been to encounter so many amazing people in our lives. The Eberhards are an amazing little family.
Breezy and I wondered out loud all night about why it is we don't hang out more, and decided it was certainly time to fix that.
Thank you to the Eberhards for coming to our home last night. It was so nice to be able to spend time with your family.

Adventures in Bear Lake

2010-07-26T19:46:00.000-07:00

We drove out to Bear Lake this past weekend, and stayed with my parents in their time-share lodge. It's become an annual tradition in the family - the only problem is the entire family has become too big and we end up having to divide the time so that each family gets a chance to stay at least a few days. We were able to spend some quality time with Grandma and Grandpa and spend our last day with Kristy, Ian and the kids before driving home Sunday evening.
Our first stop was Willard Zoo in Logan. It was on the way and we had a feeling the girls would love it. They did love it! Hannah especially loved all the animals. If you're ever in Logan, put the zoo on your list of must-do's.
In case you were wondering - Adell was pretending to be a sleeping duck in the picture above.
We had a fabulous time, and the weather could not have been more perfect. We took a hike to Bloomington Lake on Saturday morning. The lake is absolutely breath taking. The water is crystal clear and reflects the rocky glacier cliffs on the opposite end of the lake. We were fortunate enough to beat out the rush - and had the whole lake pretty much to ourselves. It was amazingly refreshing and peaceful. There's just something about being in the beauty of nature that is so restorative to the soul. We played in the water a bit, and climbed around on the rocks. Adell was brave enough to cross some logs to the other side of the river. She stood on the highest rocks and enjoyed the view. Both the girls dipped their toes in the icy water.
We also enjoyed some quality time on the wave runners. I won the trophy for "story of the day" by being an idiot. Determined to be brave and daring I thought I'd try one of those fancy 180 degree flips - it didn't look so hard. Well, turns out you have to actually know what you are doing in order to pull off that type of stunt. At full speed, I cranked the wave runner hard to the right. Next thing I knew I was in the water. I didn't flip the wave runner...just myself. I was alone, fortunately, so no one in the family saw my comical flight into the water. I plunged to the surface, thanking my life vest, and swam back to the wave runner - which was just sitting there all calm and innocent looking. I hauled myself back on and took a few deep breaths to try to calm down the racing adrenaline in my veins. I did notice the fishing boat some 300 yards away from me - everyone on board the boat was rocking with laughter. Trying to gain back a little dignity I started the wave runner and took off for the beach. I was a bit disoriented and shaken, so of course, I had a lot of trouble actually locating the correct beach. After checking and re-checking my location, I finally found my way back. I got off the wave runner, shaking, missing my sunglasses (they are now floating around somewhere in the middle of the lake), and looking like a drowned rat. The family expressed their concern during their peals of uncontrollable laughter. Wade suspects just a matter of simple physics - I just don't weigh enough, nor am I strong enough, to hold myself onto the wave runner and pull off the flip. Physics along with gravity take over and I'll just go flying off. He may have just been saying that to make me feel better. Whatever the reason - it's not something I'll likely be attempted in the future. Adell had a much better experience on the wave runners this time around. The last time was at Deer Creek and the weather and water were icy cold. She was much happier with this warmer calmer weather. The water was smooth rather than choppy, so the waves were much less intense. She went out with Wade twice, and once with me. She only stayed out with me for about 10 seconds before telling me Daddy was a better driver and I was going too fast (we hadn't even gotten past the buyou, and I hadn't even hit the gas yet).
Wade and I went out together, after my ridiculous fall, and I let him drive. Turns out he is a better driver than I am...
Hannah enjoyed playing on the beach - eventually. It took a good hour before she actually came out of her shell and participated in all the fabulous things the beach has to offer. Hannah is so much more timid than Adell ever was, it always surprises me. She finally stood near enough to the shore to allow the waves to brush her toes, but she refused to go any further. Wade tried a couple times to pick her up and walk out into the water with her, but she went into panic mood a soon as her little feet hit the water. She enjoyed playing in the sand, but even that had it challanges. The sand was hot in a lot of areas, so she'd cry if the hot sand brushed her skin at all. The majority of the beach is covered in tiny little shells, which makes it a bit rough to walk on. Hannah didn't like walking in the sand without her shoes, but her shoes would get sand and little bits of shell in them and she didn't like that either. Keeping her happy was a bit of a challange. So very different from Adell who ripped off her shoes the minute her feet touched the sand and plunged head first into the cold lake. She rolled, swam and jumped with unbounded enthusiasm. Hannah did warm up to the beach quite a bit by the end. It helped a lot when the cousins arrived and she had more kids to run around with. She particularly likes Alyson (Kristy's 7 year old) and followed her around happily.
Wade and I took and good long bike ride (the bikes belong to my parents) by ourselves after the kids went to bed. It was fabulous. We both enjoyed the fresh air, full of various mountain and lake scents. It was cooler in the evening, which really made the ride pleasant. We returned to the lodge and decided we'll soon be investing in a pair of bikes we can use at home. I forgot how much I enjoy riding a bike.
We are home now, and both Wade and I are stiff and sore - mostly from the wave runners. My fall didn't seem to cause any serious damage, but my back is a bit tender and sore. We were all very happy to see our beds. The first thing Hannah did when we got out of the car was run to her crib and beg for someone to lift her into it. Adell is already asking when we get to go back to the lake.
So, thank you to Bear Lake, for a fabulous get-away. We'll all be dreaming about fresh raspberry shakes and the beautiful aqua blue water. Until next year...

One Great Big Happy Family

2010-07-16T09:03:00.001-07:00

So many cousins!
Grandparents and grandkids!
Morrey siblings - what a good looking family!
Morrey siblings and spouses - good looking people married to even better looking people.
Mom and Marc and all the siblings.

All pictures by Kimber.

British Invasion

2010-07-11T19:38:00.000-07:00

The past couple weeks have been spent with our British visitors. Derek, Helen, and their sweet little boy, Jack, made their way across the pond to spend their vacation in Utah.
We did our very best to thoroughly wear them out while they were here. My wonderfully prepared mother made up a chart - yes, an actual chart (color coded and everything) - for planning reference, so our Brits were sure to miss nothing. Since we live 7 minutes away from my parents, we were able to join most of the daily adventures. I worried a few times that we may have overdone it, but we were all so determined to get as much fun in as possible in the limited time we had available. We'd never before actually met Jack, so we were careful not to waste valuable time.
We did just about everything Utah County has to offer - plus a few extra things we could manage to squeeze in.

Thanks to the chart - we had at least one adventure planned for each day of Derek and Helen's stay. Each morning Adell would wake up and ask, "what's the plan for today, Mom?" The list included the Dinosaur Museum, Kangaroo Zoo, Highland Splash Park, numerous family BBQs, July 4th fireworks, family photos with the whole family, a trip to AF canyon so Jack could experience Smores, Bridal Veil Falls, daily destruction of Grandma's house, Deer Creek and the Jet-ski, Thanksgiving Point, Cowabunga Bay, Chuck-E-Cheese, and various others. Needless to say, we kept Jack very entertained. I think we all maxed out on McDonald's food - we're probably good on that for at least a year or so.

Adell got along well with Jack, for the most part. They both have strong personalities, so of course, we had a few meltdowns and "too tired" moments, but all said and done, I think they consider each other friends. They both tried very hard to build a friendship in the limited time they had. Adell asked me where Jack had gone shortly after they left. I explained to her that they were one their way home to England. Her lip pouted out and she began to cry, saying she didn't even say goodbye to him - and she didn't get to have a sleepover (I'm not sure why she had come to the conclusion that a sleepover had somehow been promised). I told her we would follow Jack on the blog and that hopefully we'll see him again someday soon.
Jack is a cheerful little lad with a huge personality. He seemed pretty amazed at the vast number of cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents and friends waiting to meet him. We had him over at our house one afternoon while his parents did some shopping. I kept asking him questions just to hear him talk, he has an adorable little accent.

One of the biggest highlights of the visit (in my opinion, anyway) was Girl's Night Out. My mom, Kristy, Helen and I all went out to a show. Many months ago I discovered Helen was, indeed, a Twilight fan. As soon as Eclipse tickets were for sale, I snagged four seats and waited patiently. We all went to see it without our husbands so we could thoroughly enjoy the experience - only worthy Twilight fans were allowed. Helen and I happily discussed Edward vs. Jacob in hotness - Jacob won. I only wish the movie had been longer - I wasn't ready to be done.

It was great to see my brother again. It's been so long! I loved meeting his sweet family and hearing about their lives in England. We had a family photo taken shortly after they arrived. All the siblings were together in the same place - I honestly can't remember the last time that happened.
We're sad to say goodbye to Derek, Helen, and Jack, but it was sure nice to see them. We made some memories at least, and we got to know Jack. We'll miss them, and hope we see them again soon!

Homer Duncan Family Reunion

2010-07-10T19:17:00.000-07:00

We spent the day in Ferron at the Duncan Family Reunion (Wade's mother's family). Despite the fact Wade and I have been married for over 8 years, there are several members of the Williams/Duncan family that I had not even met until this day. It was nice to get to know everybody.
Ferron is a tiny little town with not much going on. In fact, the majority of Ferron's traffic today was due to our family gathering. It was interesting, however, to see the sights from Maree's childhood.
The kids didn't think much of the family historians brought in to speak to the family, but they LOVED the water balloons, face painting, and shooting marshmallows through cut-off PVC pipes.

The wonderfully talented, Jessie, brought her face painting supplies and delighted the kids with elaborate designs. I couldn't resist asking her to paint my face also. Adell was so thrilled with her new face, she cried and cried at the end of the day when we had to wash it off. I considered letting her keep it on for a while, but it was smeared and nearly faded out by the time we returned home. Adell was sad, but when she saw the already messed up design in the mirror, she agreed it was better to wash it off. We'll likely be begging Jessie for a re-do at the next family event.
Hannah enjoyed the reunion, but was pretty worn out by the end of the day. It was a lot of driving and entertaining. She enjoyed following around all the big kids. She ran around trying to eat all the marshmallows during the "war." She was all grins and smiles for the most part.
It was a successful reunion, and everyone had a good time. We are certainly lucky to belong to such a wonderful family. Let's hope it won't be another decade before the next reunion!

Independence Day

2010-07-06T08:43:00.000-07:00

The kids: Breanne, Adell, Tanner, and Jayden - watching Lehi City fireworks from the top of the playset. And, yes, they are all wrapped up in blankets! It's July and it's cold! Other than that detail - we all had a great time.
I'm so grateful to live in this country. As Americans, we are truly blessed. Happy Independence Day!

Moab

2010-06-20T20:32:00.000-07:00

We recently took a weekend trip to Moab. I haven't been to Moab since I was a child, and Wade couldn't ever remember being there, so it seemed like the place to go. Adell's quite the little hiker, so we figured she'd do just fine. We worried a little about Hannah, but with our "all-terrain" stroller, we figured we'd manage. Turns out our stroller really isn't so "all-terrain," or maybe it is, but Moab slickrock is just a bit too much "terrain." All in all, however, we did pretty well. The best part about our trip to Moab is that Grandma Maree came with us! The girls were absolutely thrilled to have Grandma with them, and didn't leave her alone for even five minutes. Adell was delighted to have Grandma read her stories and play games. They both love her so much - they just couldn't seem to believe their good luck that Grandma actually was coming on the trip with them. Wade and I have this superstition that comes into play everytime we try to plan any trip or adventure - whatever weekend we choose to go will be the weekend the weather will be bad. Well, the superstition played out as expected, and of course, it rained throughtout the weekend and didn't let up much until we were heading home on Sunday. We made the best of it, however. Friday was actually quite pleasant, the storms seemed to be surrounding and threatening us, but the weather remained warm and was easy to tolerate. We drove out to Dead Horse Point - the storms surrounding the canyons were quite breathtaking. It was a rare treat to be able to see the area during a storm. It rained on us a bit as we explored Canyonlands, but it made the views absolutely incredible. Hiking along the extremely steep and rocky cliffs with Adell brought back a lot of childhood memories. I thought a lot about taking a trip to Bryce Canyon when I was about 7 or 8 years old. My mother's white face stands out in my mind as she begged me to stay on the trail and quit wandering so close to the edges of the cliffs. I remember thinking how silly she was - of course I wasn't going to fall! Well, here I am, 20 years later with a child just as fearless and crazy as I was. And, here I am - just like my mother did with me - begging her to stay on the trail and away from the unbelievably high cliffs. I even heard my mother's phrase escape my lips - "this child is determined to give me a heart attack!" My mother will read this and probably decide that it serves as pay back. By Saturday morning the weather was a bit more brutal. It was pretty chilly, and the sun didn't seem to have any intention of showing up. The wind would pick up and make things pretty miserable. Adell insisted on staying wrapped in a thin little blanket I just happened to have in the car. Being a prepared mom - I did remember to bring our jackets...I just forgot to bring any warm clothing, like pants and long sleeved shirts. Our jackets were okay, but not quite enough. Hannah was braver than the rest of us, but even she got pretty cold. We hiked a couple of the easier trails in the arches, and then took a good break in the car to warm up. Even with the chilly weather, we all decided it was still probably better conditions than Moab's typical blistering 100 degree heat. A definate highlight was Sand Dune Arch. It this incredible arch sandwiched between two huge sandstone walls, this creates no escape for the sand that errodes from the sandstone. So, basically it creates the world's most awesome sandbox. It was also nice because the rock walls served as a barrier to the wind and it was not as cold, so we could play without freezing to death. The rain had left a nice little wet layer of sand that was easy to manipulate and build sand castles with. We could have played in there for hours. The sand is soft and feels good between your toes, so I took of my shoes and soaked my feet in it. Hannah enjoyed rolling around and getting all red (the sand is red). Adell built castles and found little caves to hide in. It was great! Despite the weather, we were able to see almost everything we wanted to see in Arches National Park. In the evening we enjoyed eating at some of the local returants, and the food was fabulous - especially since we'd all worked up such huge appetites.
Even with the weather being not so great, we had a great trip. It was fun to see all the amazing sights, and Adell is still talking about the big arches she found. Moab is an amazingly beautiful place - the incredible views just blew my mind. I think we'll be going again when the girls are a bit older. We'll have to see if the weather will finally cooperate.

The Apostle that came to our family gathering

2010-06-19T19:38:00.001-07:00

Whenever we have family get-togethers we're sure to invite an Apostle or two. This time we invited Richard G. Scott, and of course, he came. Okay, just kidding, in reality, it was just coincidence that his family was celebrating a Baptism in the same Stake Center pavillion that we happened to be having our little get-together. We didn't want to bother him too much, but we all at least wanted to shake his hand and meet him. He was very generous and kind - and let us all take pictures with him. In fact, his family even asked me to take a photo of their family! I hope I did an okay job - my hands were actually shaking! I took about 10 photos, in hope that at least one of them will turn out okay. What an awesome experience it was to meet an Apostle at our family gathering!

Sad News

2010-06-16T13:49:00.000-07:00

It's been a very emotional week. I'm still having difficulty wrapping my head around everything that's happened. Today I received the final call that, indeed, I was experiencing a miscarriage. I'm not surprised because it has become more and more likely during this past week, but I'm still very disappointed.
I'm sad and frustrated, but I'll be okay. We are a bit concerned, as this is my second miscarriage in a row, but since we have no concrete answers as to why that is, I've chosen not to stress about it yet.
Thank you to everyone for your well wishes, they mean so much. While we don't always understand why these things happen, I do know that the Lord has a plan for a our family. We will live by the Lord's timing and trust that things will be okay.
In the meantime, I'm feeling pretty emotionally spent. I'm thinking I'll take a good break from the baby world and give myself a chance to recover.
I'm so blessed to have two beautiful girls that I can hug right now. I'm thankful to be a mother and be able to raise my family in the Gospel. I'm especially grateful for so many wonderful people in our lives that offer us so much support and love. How grateful I am to all of you. Thank you for your prayers and love.

Memorial Day 2010

2010-06-02T20:41:00.000-07:00

We celebrated a pleasant Memorial Day with the family this year. We visited John's grave this year and were touched to find his grave adorned with flowers and decorations from family members. Joel and Jessie's kids had placed drawings and a baseball, along with little blocks that spelled out his name. It was so sweet! Adell helped me create and little floral arragement with a sign with his name on it, and helped me place it among the flowers around his grave.
Since we were all talking about babies and new life - Adell thought it would be a great time to announce my pregnancy to the whole family - something we weren't prepared to do yet, but I guess that's what you get when you trust a 4-year-old with a secret. Thanks, Adell, for spilling the beans!
John is placed just below my grandmother, and we left flowers with her also. We were able to visit Wade's grandfather's grave in Pleasant Grove and see the beautiful arragements there.
We had a picnic with the family in our backyard in exchange for Joel and Grandpa Gardiner's help in building our playset. They didn't finish, but they gave us a great head start. Many thanks to Joel and Richard for the sacrifice!
One of the best things about marrying Wade was that I inherited his awesome family. I have the best in-laws. The Gardiner's are so supportive and welcoming. We sure love our families and are feeling especially grateful for them.

Girls Trip to Richfield

2010-06-02T19:52:00.000-07:00

My sister, Kristy, and I decided to take a little "Girls Only" weekend trip to Richfield. We packed up the girls and headed to Sevier County to meet up with my Dad and brother, Dana, and his family. Richfield is about one hour north of Beaver (for those of you familiar with the Utah layout). About 15 miles south of Richfield there is this tiny little town called Joseph. This tiny little town (more like a village, actually) is the place where my Dad grew up. I've never actually been to Joseph - the annual family trips had ended by the time I came around. So, I was eager to see my Dad's old stomping grounds.
The girls where super excited to embark on our little adventure. We stayed one night in a nice hotel in Richfield, and spent the day visiting my dad's old sights. We saw the house he lived in as a child - it's a tiny little white house with a staircase (that was a rare thing in those days). We also visited the Cemetary where my dad's parents (my grandparents) are buried. The cemetary is interesting. It's tiny, and there's not a single blade of grass. Different sections are fenced off to separate individual families. It's really quite pretty in an unusual way. My dad also showed us an area where many Morrey ancestors are buried. That's was a neat thing to see, as I don't know much about that side of the family. To our surprise we ran into my dad's cousin, Janice, and several of the extended family who had also come to visit the graves. Many of them I have not seen for many years, and some I didn't even know. Janice told us a few stories about the Morrey family. It was an awesome little spontaeous family reunion. We ate lunch at a little cafe located at the heart of big rock candy Mountain - this awesome little canyon that (due to the sulfur, I think) appears to have caramel poured over the rocky cliffs (hence the name). Along the way my dad pointed out "the lady playing the organ." Something his father always paused to show him when he was a kid. Take a look at the picture and see if you can see her in the rocky cliffs.
We returned to the hotel to enjoy the pool and just relax. The girls we so excited to be in a hotel, they were easy to entertain - in their perspectives - the hotel room was "just so cool!"
We had a great little trip, and we were so happy we made the effort to go. It was fun to have some serious girl time. The best part was getting to know my dad a little better. I loved listening to all his stories, and seeing where he spent his childhood.
Kristy and I managed to get ourselves lost on the way home. I'm still not exactly sure how we managed to end up so lost - but we were halfway to Denver by the time we figured out we were going to wrong direction. It turned a 2 hour drive home into a 5 hour drive. The girls were good sports about it - good thing I remembered to bring the portable DVD player, it saved our lives. We stopped a few times to give the kids a break, and eventually we righted ourselves and made it home. We blamed it on the fact that we had been so involved in our conversations that we forgot to pay attention to our surroundings - something we both tend to do. We felt a little silly - but we made it home, and all was well. It was a nice scenic drive and we had a good laugh at any rate.
All in all - a worthwhile trip!

Treasures in my pocket...

2010-05-27T08:01:00.001-07:00

Laundry day - and I try to make a habit of cleaning out the pockets before I wash anything - I've made that mistake one too many times. The following is what I pulled out of the pockets of my favorite blue jeans: Butterfly hairclip, blue doll shoe, used lip balm (Adell's), a dime and a penny (also Adell's), a Cinderella button, My Little Pony teddy bear, three lost pink beads, a snap button that goes to Wade's jacket, a broken chocolate Necco, a match (not used), a twistie-tie, a "really awesome" rock Adell found that morning, and a paper bird that belongs in one of Hannah's pop-up books.
Not a bad analogy of the life of a mom.