Tagged

I was tagged by my friend Alene. I am going to do it but I will stop the madness and not tag others. This is my gift to you.

3 Joys-
1. My family
2. Sleeping in
3. Shopping

3 Fears-
1. Losing Cole or the kids.
2. Losing Cole's job and the house.
3. Losing my mind.

3 Goals-
1. Losing 20 pounds.
2. Be a better mom.
3. Be better at budgeting.

3 Current Obsessions
1. Helping friends decorate their homes.
2. Decorating our room at the cabin.
3. Doing Weight Watchers.

3 Surprising Facts
1. Never have had a traffic ticket.
2. Can do the splits still(with a little warm-up).
3. Zip lined in Jamaica although I'm afraid of heights.

I'm not the woman I use to be.

Well I'm uterus free and loving it! I underwent a hysterectomy almost four weeks ago. It wasn't absolutely necessary but I had enough reasons that I felt it was a good option for me. My kids were a bit bummed because "we couldn't have any more babies", but that was decided by Cole and I after Erik was born!


This is our nephew Oliver. See, we still get to hold babies. And we just get to give them back when they cry and poop.

 

Erik with baby Oliver.

 

 

Trevor trying out his hand holding his cousin. Nana and PopPop now have 8 grandson's and still no granddaughter's. Sorry, I tried!

5 - 3 = 2

This week has been very quite around the Gardner house. Jason is at EFY and Nick and Trevor are with Nana and PopPop at the cabin in Colorado. It's just Cole, Me, Ryan and Erik. All they want to do is play video games and are thrilled they don't have to take turns on the Wii. My house is also very clean and I've only done 2 loads of laundry so far! Though it has it's perks, I still miss the 3 boys. They really do help out a lot and I miss joking around with them. Also it's no fun cleaning the sugar glider's cage!

 

Happy Father's Day.

I didn't want to out do Cole from Mother's Day and do a slide show but I thought I needed to celebrate the men who are most important to me.
 


My Father Douglas Hatch.( Reading with Erik) I love my Dad so much! Thanks you for all the family trips you took us on. Pine to visit Hatch Grandparents, San Diego, and Florida. Letting us go grocery shopping with you and buying tons of "the good food". Telling us "little boy stories" about you growing up in a very different time than us. And for your example and sharing your testimony of our true church. You do so much for our family and we know we can always call on you, from broken fridges, buying cars, to helping Cole give me a prayer. Thanks Dad.
 
My Husband Coleman. Doesn't he clean up well! I love you so much and thank Heavenly Father almost daily I married you. You are my best friend and I love that we have kids old enough that we can go on dates whenever we want. You are a great master griller and meat smoker. You do dishes, help me in my church calling, and even have patience with me when I get into my "OCD projects". You are kind and compassionate and a great priesthood influence on our sons.
 
My father in law Terry Gardner. Right now he and Nana have Trevor and Nick at the cabin with them. Terry is a great F-I-L
and PopPop. He is always taking the kids swimming, teaching them to ski, and even taught them "pee pee in the woods". He is a great father to Cole and role model as well. He is also a compassionate man and while he was a dentist, had many patients who loved him and were very devoted. We love you PopPop!
 









Four generations of the Gardner's. Great Grandpa is no longer with us but we loved him dearly and I'm glad he got to meet each of our children. I hope they will remember him. ( Erik is the baby.)

The Pioneer Trek

Our stake decided to do the trek this year. They even included the Beehives and Deacons which is almost unheard of. Jason and Nick were actually excited to go. The first day they hiked 8 miles and got to their camp site around 10 p.m. The next day they hike 3 miles and they had the women's pull that day. All the boys and men watched and sang hymns as the women push all the carts up the hill called Testimony Hill. Jason said it was hard to watch and not go help. Then the men and some of the women tackled Rocky Ridge. Friday was "Pioneer Sunday". They had church services then solo time where they read letters from family, prayed, and just had time to themselves. They also did a taffy pull, shot black powder rifles, made butter, hung out. The last day they hiked out and they got home around 6:30p.m. In all they hiked around 17 miles.
Jason thought is was exhausting but was glad to be apart of it. Nick loved it as well and even had Alisha Muir as a "sister". Both said their testimonies are stronger and have a whole new respect of out ancestors who had to come across the plains that way.

 
Jason and Nick by our garden. They look more like farmers than pioneers.
 
Some of the YM of Summerfield.
 
Shelley Linford as a real pioneer woman!
 
The boys after they came home. First thing they did was to take a shower than a bath.

Splash Mountain

We actually tried to plan these pictures. You can only do so much.

 

 

I LOVE Jordan's face on this pic. One of the main reason's we bought it. He's the one in the white shirt.

Chaperones

So it was only gonna be me. Then Kelly weaned her baby and it was the two of us. Then we talked Susan into it as well. It was a blast. I was the hyper crazy mom and probably had more fun than I should. Jason was embarrassed because of me but who cares! The bus ride going over was the worst. Get 30 something 8th grade boys together on a bus and watch out. I swear almost none of them slept and then at 4a.m. when we stopped for a pit stop, about 15 boys bought red bull drinks! Yikes!!


 
The Chaperone's. Susan, Kelly, and I waiting for the boys to ride Tower of Terror.

 
Us on my favorite ride,Big Thunder Railroad.

 

Kelly and I on the bus on the way home. At last they slept!

8th grade graduation trip

Ben Franklin Graduating 8th graders are treated to a trip to Disneyland on last day of school. Kelly, Susan, and I got to go with our boys as Chaperons. We had a great bunch of boys! It was nice to see who my kid hangs out at school with.

 




The boys from L to R. Jordan Swapp, Trevor Hendrickson, Tyler Bigler, Austin Carroll, Jason, Chris Muir, and James Munsey.

 

Disney's California Adventure.


 
Jordan, James, Trevor, and Chris with Belle. The other boys were chicken. Jordan is 6'2 and 14 years old!

 

On Big Thunder. I think we rode it twice and the boys rode four times.

Jason's 8th grade Graduation

Our eldest receiving his diploma.

 
 

Jason, Trevor, Chris, and their admirers.

The uglyiness contiunes

Before Cole calls a retaliation on me, I'm posting some butes of myself. You must take into consideration it's 1:45 AM and my Ambien is finally kicking in strong. These were taken on the 8th grade graduation trip to Disneyland. Jason just would not smile so I was trying to embarrass him even more by making butt ugly faces. Of course he doesn't care and I came out looking even stupider!

 

 

 

Boy that kids doesn't look like he even belongs to me. I have also decided to whiten my nasty yellow teeth after taking a gander at these pics. I look like a coffee drinker!

Gardner Blooper Pics

I was going thru pictures to blog today and Came across these little gems! I laugh every time I see them and thought I would share.

 

What happens in my den, stays in my den! At least I have a somewhat "modest" husband.

 

From the landmines of our dogs to Erik's foot. I guess the boys better do their job of poop scooping better!

 

My life at all stores. This was taken 2 years ago and they haven't been out since! :) I really love Trevor in the back smiling.

 




Nick and Ryan at WDW in Florida 2 years ago. The sign says "Tigers" so they were play reacting to that. I love this picture!

Erik's Preschool Graduation

My baby is going to kindergarten in August. Jason will be a freshman in high school, Nick in 7th, Trevor in 5th, Ryan in 2nd, and then Erik off half the day. Crap, I'm old!!

  Erik with his diploma.
  Erik and his class singing for us parents. It was very cute. And because most have speech issues like Erik, it was also highly amusing.
  Miss Natalie, Erik's teacher.

Science Projects

This was a month ago but I figured if I publish this blog in a bound book for our family, I need to put this kind of stuff in. Nick did what soil do seeds grow best in. Manure is not good for seeds and having in the house!!
Jason did static electricity and it's effects on the path of water. They both did good jobs but didn't place. I glad school is over!

 

Jon's Birthday Murder Mystery Dinner

Chrissy used Jon's Birthday to put on a fabulous party. She went all out and I wished I had more pictures of the details and of Cole and I. She served us as maid Yvette and a spicy little pregnant maid she was! We had salad, rolls, the best mashed potatoes ever, chicken corton blu, veggies, and pie. Liz and I guessed who was the murderer. It was Shelley in her bad blond wig! It was a great night and everyone played along great. Thank you Mabb's. I think we should do this a least 2 times a year.
 
Leslie as Von Hussy (?)
 The Dennison's
  The Linford's. Chad helped Shelley out a lot in her part.
 

The hostess, Chrissy.