She's 4!!!

Happy Birthday Siera Rayne!! I can't believe you are four already. It seems as if time has just flown by. I remember bringing you home from the hospital and staying up nights with you. I remember the first time you smiled and it lit up my whole world. I remember your first steps, and worrying if you were ever going to talk- I guess I don't have to worry about that anymore!!! You are a joy to my world, and I am so grateful to be your mother. Happy Birthday little girl, I love you!!

Freezing Fun

So, the sun was out and we've been trapped in our house for days on end. We decided to go to the park. Alas, the sun was deceiving it was COLD!!! We trekked anyways. We played for about 15 minutes before our hands were freezing and our noses were red and runny. So we came home for some hot cocoa and cartoons!!! Gotta love winter!

Updating EVERYTHING....

I have to tell you that I didn't get a lot under the Christmas tree and I'll tell you why... Well I guess I don't have to tell you, Can't you see it? Josh worked a week of overtime right before Christmas, yes it was incredibly hard having him gone for so long, but we needed the money. Our original microwave came with the house, so did the stove- both were about 30 years old. They both were on the fritz so we decided with the overtime money we would buy new microwave, and stove. It's soooooooo nice to have working appliances. It's nice to not have to guess what temperature I'm baking at, or if the microwave will explode. I love them.

We also got a new upright freezer from my parents- thank you again- for a present. As requested I put food in it to show its being used. I have to tell you there is more in there now- thanks to COSTCO!

We had a great Christmas, and the upgrading continues, but I can only post those when it's finished.

TO BE CONTINUED.....

Jeans, Jeans, Jeans

I have to brag a little bit. I got this idea, for Christmas I wanted to make the boys jean quilts. So I gathered jeans, and created a design and silly me I couldn't do something simple, but in the end it was worth it. I spent hours cutting jeans, and backing into 7inch and 5 inch squares. I don't remember the exact number but it was in the hundreds. Then I had to have my friend Mohna show me how to sew them together. After that I broke my machine and had to use hers, and almost broke hers (i hope its alright). So it was painful and frustrating, but like I said, it was worth it.Piles of jeans.....

turns into squares of jeans....

Christmas day when Tommy opened his he was very excited and he said, "Oh great, I was hoping you were gonna give this to me!"

Timothy was less excited because a ball (grandma) was his only focus, but it makes me so happy that he has to cuddle with his quilt in order to go to bed.

I'll probably never do this again, but it was incredibly worth it, for it to turn out so well, and especially to have my boys like them so much.

And a Happy New Year!!!!

New Years Eve is always a blast. I've stayed up past midnight before but this is by far the most fun. We made so much noise I'm surprised that the ones that did fall asleep stayed that way. It was definitely a great way to bring in the New Year. (We did have some party poopers though- the three little babies fell asleep around 10 and so did Papa and Josh- that's ok we let them celebrate when they got up!!)

Happy New Year Everybody- Hope its better than last year!

(Happy 21st Birthday Elyssa- We love you)

Don't worry- its sparkling cider!!

The Games we play...

The brave ones that stayed up all night played UNO spin, Hilarium, Mad Gab and countless others trying to stay awake. At midnight the horns were tooted, the poppers were popped, toasts were made and then it was bedtime- boy are we FUN!!!

Grammy bought this football set up for Timothy's birthday- it was sure fun!! (Too bad it was 3 weeks early)

A Grand Visit

I always love when my family comes to visit. This time we had my parents with their kidz, Duncan and Dakota, and then my sister and her family- and dog- came up on Saturday. We played the Wii and went to a movie, went out to dinner, and just played. We would have gone sledding but it was tooooooooooooooo COLD!!! Oh well, the girls were enjoying the dogs, although I don't think Zoey liked it too much. Anyways, thanks for coming to stay with us- WE LOVE YOU!!!


Tommy, Timmy, Savana, Siera, Zoey, Duncan, Caleb, Dakota, Grandma and Grandpa Gardner!! I hope you can tell who is who!!!!

Our fun time together-- DOGGONE FUN!!!

Merry Christmas

Christmas is such a wonderful time of year, a time of family and friends, of sharing and giving and of course lots of yummy food!!! We had a traditional Christmas, almost. Josh was at work so the kids and I went to Grammy and Papa Dickhaut's house to spend the night- we were sure to let Santa know that's where we would be- and we had so much fun. We gathered around for goodies and treats and yummy food, then when Jake and Natalie got there we opened our traditional Christmas Eve presents. The kids all got jammies from grammy- they loved it. And then they got gumball machines!!! Thanks alot Jake!! Anyways we had lots of fun. Christmas morning came, and so did Santa, and so did more snow and high winds!! We got snowed in!!!! I was bummed because Josh was supposed to be home and my parents were supposed to come. But we tried to make do- we played with our new gifts and did puzzles and watched movies. About 6pm we were finally dug out enough to make it home!!! It was crazy- I should have taken a picture of the snow but it was too depressing. But we made it safely and so did Josh-- That was the best Christmas present ever, to be together again as a family!!!

(Emily thought it would be funny to put this bow on her head- She looked too cute, I couldn't resist)

Sammy Shae and Alex over for Christmas!! So cute!