8th Anniversary

Let's back up a bit.  On November 23, 2010 we celebrated our 8th Anniversary.  We were in Vegas for Thanksgiving with the fam and Andy's mom suggested we leave the kids for a night and go celebrate so we did just that!  Five star hotel?  Yes please!!  We got a room at the Trump and went down on the strip as if we were tourists: having dinner, walking through the Forum Shops at Caeser's and doing some christmas shopping.  While checking in the woman at the desk found out it was our anniversary and upgraded us to a strip view room for free.  What a view!  It was fun reminiscing about the past 8 years.  We loved the escape for 24 hours.  Our room was super nice and a great price.  We even had a TV in the bathroom mirror - so cool!  Here's to countless more anniversaries with Andrew.

 View from our room

 watching CSI in the mirror while doing my hair

 8 years and counting!

Wedding #1: Patrick & Woan

On December 18, 2010 Andy's baby brother Patrick married Woan Shih in the Las Vegas LDS Temple.  It was a beautiful day for two beautiful people!   The ceremony was nice and full of family and close friends. The happy couple looked just that: happy!  We are also thrilled because Woan's sister and brother-in-law, Tina and Matthew, just happen to be our good friends.  Now it's official - we are related!!  That made it even sweeter.  Our boys love Aunt Woan (who Andy teases incessantly calling her Antoine) and have asked us so many times if Aunt Woan will be coming to visit.  Congratulations to the lovebirds!!

Updates...

So much has happened in the past couple of months and I have been a terrible blogger!  There just isn't enough time most days.  We have been celebrating weddings, sealings, birthdays, and lots of fun with friends and family.  I will be posting some updates of some of the highlights for us.

Many of you have asked about Bri, the woman in my last post.  To update you all, she passed away on May 6 after a valiant battle with cancer.  She was a pillar of strength and will forever be an example to me.  I feel blessed that I was able to know her growing up.  We pray for her husband and sweet children and the loss of such an amazing mother and wife.  The Lord must have a greater purpose for her on the other side right now.  She left quite a mark in this world in her 31 years.  I've been thinking about it for the last week.   I feel so renewed in my resolve to make life a little more "on purpose" and spend the time and energy I have more wisely in teaching and loving my children, instilling a knowledge of the gospel and the stories of Jesus, and savoring the little things in life.

Each Day is a Gift

I lost my temper with my two little guys today.  They were supposed to be napping and instead they climbed on a bookshelf, tipped it over along with everything on it, got fingers slammed in a closet, jumped on the bed, threw everything in their room on the floor, and all around were NOT taking their nap.  When I went to discipline them I raised my voice and lost my temper.  Then I stormed out of the room having given them threats about hearing one more noise coming from their bedroom.

Bri

Then I heard the song "Little Wonders" by Rob Thomas playing on a TV show.  I immediately started crying.  This is why: that song plays on the blog of my high school friend Briana.  She is an absolutely incredible 31-year-old mother of 4 young children who is in the final stages of a valiant battle with cancer.  She was the picture of health: marathon runner, road biker, mountain biker, and all around athletic, fit, etc.  Then in November 2008 at 29-years-old, she received a diagnosis of stage 4 colon cancer that had spread to the liver, ovaries, and other areas.  Since that time she has kept an amazing blog journaling her experiences and testimony through chemotherapy, radiation, surgeries, brain tumors, serving in Young Women during that time, a stroke at girls camp, and so much more.  Through it all she constantly shows a positive attitude and strength; always talking about her beautiful family, her love of motherhood, and sharing her faith in the gospel.  She displays complete unselfish love for her kids and husband.     Briana will probably never know what an example she has been to me.

Stephens Family

One recent post on her blog, Walking In The Unknown (click here to read it), had me thinking about what she and her husband must be facing now with so many big decisions you never expect to be making at 31 years old.  The prospects of returning to her Father in Heaven soon and her family facing the rest of their time on earth without their wife and mother, but still praying for miracles and survival if it's the Lord's will.  Today as steam was rising from my head while I was fuming about my kids that song made me stop dead in my tracks and realize that EACH DAY IS A GIFT.  Every single moment I have with my wild, rambunctious, goofy, giggly boys is an absolute blessing.  I have no idea what the future holds for our family.  Life is precious and I need to treasure every moment.

I'm so grateful I have this little monkey

and this monkey

If you want to read more about Briana's story, click here and you can read through her blog.  Make sure to have some tissues.

First Day of Preschool

Keegan started preschool Fall 2010.  He absolutely loves it and asks if it's a "preschool day" when he wakes up.  He is learning so much and adores his teacher, Miss Tammy.  I can't believe that my little boy is getting so big!  This is Keegan on his first day.

Fantastic Fall

This fall we had a lot of fun. We had visitors and enjoyed so much of what fall has to offer. First we had my Mom and her husband Dave come for a visit in September.  My brother Aaron was up in Huntington Beach with friends too so we met up in Newport on a freezing day to hang out.  Newport was absolutely packed the day we were there despite how cold it was.  The boys liked watching the people fishing off the pier and seeing their catch flopping around on the wood.  It was a quick, fun visit.

Next Andy's mom Tauna drove down for a very quick visit.  We took her down to Coronado Island and spent the day at the Del hotel and playing on the beach.  The weather was gorgeous and we had a great time.

The sand was so warm and soft

 this kid is silly

 Then we had tons of fun going to Oak Glen with the Shorts. We picked apples and explored the shops in a little western village. The boys even watched a gun show. The best part was getting to hang out with Brandon and Mandy, pinch Ella's chubby thighs, and watch Keegan have a blast with his idols Andrew and Ethan.  On top of that, we ate lots of fresh apples and took home a big bag to enjoy.

 playing with the pumpkins

 Keegan, Andrew, Ethan and Graham

 looking at the animals

 going on a hayride

 sampling the apples

 Brandon, Mandy, Andrew, Ethan and Ella Short

Keegan and Andy in the orchard

 Graham, April, Andy & Keegan

 Andrew Short pushed Keegan and the stroller right into the tree so he could sit and pick and eat

 Graham's little fingers trying to open the candy jar

 candy shop sweets

 Ella

In October Kara, my mom, Dave, Jason and Franchesca all came to visit for fall break in Arizona. The Nilssons came down all the way from Utah too for a trip to Disneyland.  We had so much fun!  Andy was at a conference that weekend so he missed out on the fun but we were thinking of him.  The week started with a quick tour of Old Town in Temecula. The highlight of Old Town was sampling the yummy local olive oil and balsamic vinegars, the rootbeer shop, and of course homemade fudge (you know with the Gardner women we have to get some fudge).  We all went to Anaheim for a couple of days and wore ourselves out at the Happiest Place on Earth.  It was so fun having family here to go to Disneyland with and to keep us company while Andy was gone yet again for work.  I love Disneyland in the fall when all the decorations are up and the haunted mansion is transformed to Nightmare Before Christmas.  The funnest thing about Disneyland is that Keegan was tall enough to ride all the 40 inch rides for the first time!  He felt like such a big boy going on the big rides with Grandma and Mommy.

all the fun was exhausting

Madie, Kara, Quinn, Graham and Sadie

Keegan's 1st time on Soarin'

Me and Karacita

Aunt Peggy taking the boys of Flik's Fliers

It's Tough to Be a Bug movie

 Sadie and Kara at the Matterhorn - Keegan's favorite "snowman in the mountain ride"

 Keegan and April

 Jason, Graham and Franny

 Small World

 Kara

Highlight of the morning was meeting Woody

To end the trip, we took another drive up to Oak Glen for apple picking and exploring the pumpkin patch.  I was so happy to get more apples!  Jason and Franchesca found a Rome Beauty apple tree so Jason got a picture with his Italian beauty in front of it.  Then we had some BBQ and a 5 pound apple pie.  My mom sent Dave to get us 5 slices of apple pie and he returned with 2 big bags full of five 5 pound apple pies.  That was a lot of pie!  Oops!  Once he realized we wanted 5 slices, not 5 pies, he was able to return 4 of the pies but we all got a good laugh over the mix up!

10 commandments of apple picking

pumpkins

can't lift this one

still can't lift that pumpkin

Graham trying to move the huge pumpkin

still not budging

yum

Graham sampled an apple and put it back in the bag