Welcome Baby Anna

After 43 hours of heroic labor, my sister-in-law McKenna gave birth to their first baby...a little girl name Anna Elise Gardner. She was born today at 11:30 am in Mesa, AZ. She weighed 7 lbs 8 oz. and 19 inches long and was three weeks early. We are so excited to welcome her to our family!!! Way to go McKenna & Jared-- what a beautiful baby!!

Our Weekend "Camping"

We went to Island Park for the weekend, we were supposed to go camping but due to our lack of good weather we decided to go to the cabin and "camp" instead. For those of you who don't live close by, we haven't really had summer yet-- it snowed last week!! These are my two fisherman, Brynly had to wear her "fishing hat", but it didn't give her any luck in the fishing department. Trent on the other had caught two good sized fish! Way to go!! We had a great time!!





Emry was obsessed with pinecones. Everytime she saw one she would smell it and then try to collect them, then she would get so frustrated when she would drop them!!!

Happy Birthday Missy!!

(Missy & Emry)


Happy 23rd Birthday! You are an amazing person! You are the most generous and kind hearted person! I am so thankful to have a sister & friend like you!!

Adoption is like a trip to Australia...

My friend Janeal had this analogy on her blog that I love.

Deciding to have a baby is like planning a trip to Australia. You've heard it's a wonderful place; you've read many guide-books and feel certain you're ready to go. Everyone you know has traveled there by plane. They say it can be a turbulent flight with occasional rough landings, but you can look forward to being pampered on the trip. So you go to the airport and ask the ticket agent for a ticket to Australia. All around you, excited people are boarding planes for Australia. It seems there is no seat for you; you'll have to wait for the next flight. Impatient, but anticipating a wonderful trip, you wait --- and wait --- and wait. Flights to Australia continue to come and go. People say silly things like, "Relax. You'll get on a flight soon." Other people actually get on a plane and then cancel their trip, to which you cry, "It's no fair!" After a long time the ticket agent tells you, "I'm sorry, we're not going to be able to get you on a plane to Australia. Perhaps you should think about going by boat." "By BOAT!" you say. "Going by boat will take a very long time and it costs a great deal of money. I really had my heart set on going by plane." So you go home and think about not going to Australia at all. You wonder if Australia will be as beautiful if you approach it by sea rather than air. But you have long dreamed of this wonderful place, and finally you decide to travel by boat. It is a long trip, many months over many rough seas. No one pampers you. You wonder if you will ever see Australia. Meanwhile, your friends and family have flown back and forth to Australia two or three more times, marveling about each trip. Then one glorious day, the boat docks in Australia. It is more exquisite than you ever imagined, and the beauty is magnified by your long days at sea. You have made many wonderful friends during your voyage, and you find yourself comparing stories with others who also traveled by sea rather than by air. People continue to fly to Australia as often as they like, but you are able to travel only once, perhaps twice. Some say things like, "Oh, be glad you didn't fly. My flight was horrible; traveling by sea is so easy." You will always wonder what it would have been like to fly to Australia. Still, you know God blessed you with a special appreciation of Australia, and the beauty of Australia is not in the way you get there, but in the place itself.
You could really apply this to lots of different trials we have in our lives. I am so very grateful that I could go "to Austraila by boat" because I have the most beautiful, amazing, special girls in the world!!! I wouldn't trade them for anything in the entire world!

Gettin' BIG!!

Emry is growing so fast and has just started saying a few words (bye,uh oh, all gone, baby, more, and a few others) and just becoming more of a toddler that a baby. It is so sad for me to watch my kids growing so fast, and yet they are so much fun at the different stages of their lives. Sunday I was finally able to put her hair in pig tails instead of just the two little paint brush's on top of her head. I was so excited to be able to do something different with her hair. She sat so still-- probably thanks to the good example of her sister!! In one of the pictures where you can see she has her fingers kind of crossed, she has done that with her fingers since she was a tiny baby...it is so cute!! Emry is the sweetest little girl, but a very very busy girl!!!

Gone Fishin'

Today Trent took Brynly to a kids fishing thing at Freeman Park, Brynly was so excited to go and even more excited that she caught a fish!! She wasn't very excited about holding for this picture because it is sticky and slimy, look at the size of that fish!!!

Singin' in Rain

This umbrella has to come out every time it rains--- which is a lot lately!! She love love loves it!!!

One Word Tag

1. Where is your cell phone?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Purse
2. Your significant other? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Amazing
3. Your hair? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brownish
4. Your mother? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Incredible
5. Your father? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Loving
6. Your favorite thing? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Snuggling
7. Your dream last night? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Forgotten
8. Your favorite drink? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Water
9. Your dream/goal? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Forever
10. The room you're in? . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .Family
11. Your hobby? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reading
12. Your fear? . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Loss
13. Where do you want to be in six years? . . . . . . . . . . . . Happy
14. Where were you last night? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Home
15. What you're not? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creative
16. Muffins? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . Blueberry
17. One of your wish list items? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Children
18. Where you grew up? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Iona
19. The last thing you did? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bedtime
20. What are you wearing? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sweats
21. Your tv? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . On
22. Your pets? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Outside
23. Your computer? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nice
24. Your life? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Remarkable
25. Your mood? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Happy
26. Missing someone? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brother
27. Your car? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Avalon
28. Something your not wearing? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Socks
29. Favorite store? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Target
30. Your summer? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cold
31. Like someone? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Everyone
32. Your favorite color? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Red
33. When was the last time you laughed?. . . . . . . . . . . . . Today
34. Last time you cried? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yesterday (reading a book)
35. Who will do this? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tagged

I tag Liza, Amberlee, Mindy, Cassie, McKenna, Britney, Christina, Ashlee, Janeal, and Nichelle.

Another Funny Brynly Moment
The other night at dinner we were just sitting around the table talking and Brynly says "this sure is cumbersome" We were a little caught off guard that she would use that word, but we asked her what it meant and she said, "bulky,too heavy". WOW, what a vocabulary she has! We have laughed about it ever since. The things this girl comes up with, she never ceases to amaze me!

The big day…

Thanks for all the birthday wishes-- I had a fabulous day!! My husband was full of surprises! First he made me one of my favorite breakfasts--Crepes! He did the birthday post, which was so so sweet!! When he was done told me there weren't very many pictures of me--hummmm I wonder why? I'm usually the one behind the camera!! Then he sent me bowling with Brynly, my parents, sisters and their families. (Trent said he didn't want to come because of his hurt ankle and it wouldn't be fun just chasing Emry around). He told me we were going to go out on a date when I got back. When I got home he had a surprise party for me with a bunch of our family and friends!! It was so fun even if it was cold and pouring rain outside, thanks for all of you who came and froze with us! Thanks for making my birthday amazing honey, you are so thoughtful, I love you so much!!!

Here are some pictures of Brynly's first bowling experience. She has been wanting to go bowling forever!! She got a score of 102... she beat me by 5 points!! We had a ball!! The last picture is my favorite, her face says it all---strike! Thanks dad for taking us, and for my family for making me feel special on my birthday, I am a lucky girl!

Happy Birthday MOMMY!!!!

We just wanted to wish the best mommy in the world a happy birthday. We love you so much and couldn't imagine being anywhere else in the world besides with you. We love you for EVERYTHING that you do for us and we hope to be like you someday. Also daddy keeps saying your ONE HOT MOMMA!!!,

Something to make you smile

Kids say such funny things and you wonder...where did they come up with that? Today Emry was falling down and Brynly caught her so she didn't hit the ground. I thanked Bryn for catching her sister and she said "Oh, it was nothin'". I just had laugh, she says the funniest things-- I love it.

This Weekend

Brynly has been begging for weeks to go feed the ducks and geese at the river, so Saturday was the big day! The girls had so much fun!

This is Brynly's little friend Tanner, he came over to play on Friday. He is moving to another ward soon and she is soooo sad. These two only a month apart and get along so well, they are each other's "church buddies" always looking out for each other-- it's so cute! We are going to miss the Hart's when they move--even though it's only a mile away!

We were over at Murdock's Friday night and Bryn got into trouble for accidentally breaking a toy, but the stubborn little thing would not apologize!! She fell a sleep in this chair where she had to stay until she could apologize, I think the sleepiness was over riding all other logic in her mind at this point. What a cute little stinker she is!!

A little bit about Me!

I was tagged by Missy

Two Names You Go By:
SueAnn
Annie
Two Things You Are Wearing Right Now:
Jeans
T-shirt
Two Of Your Favorite Things To Do:
Read
Eat/Cook
Two Things You Want Very Badly At This Moment:
My house to be finished how I want it ( doesn't everybody)
A huge bowl of ice cream!!
Two Favorite Pets:
Dogs- ours is named Tess, she is a chocolate lab
Horses- ours are named Wilber and Cocoa
Two People Who Will Fill This Out:
Amberlee,
Nichelle
Two Things You Did Last Night:
Ate dinner with my family
Watched TV
Two Things You Ate Today:
Salad
Cereal
Two Last People You Talked To:
My sister
Brynly
Two Longest Car Rides:
From Idaho Falls to Washington DC to Orlando and back in a motorhome for 3 weeks when I was 15.
From Idaho Falls to San Diego then to Phoenix and back.
Two Favorite Holidays:
Christmas
4th of July
Two Favorite Vacations:
Trent and I went with his family to New York and DC
Cruise to Mexican Rivera with my family
Two Favorite Drinks:
Milk & water I do love Pina Coladas too.

I tag Mindy, Amberlee, Nichelle, and anyone else who wants to do it.

TA DA!!!

We bought our house about 4 years ago, it is an older home built in the 1960's and hadn't really been updated since. We have remodeled most of the main floor, with exception of the kitchen cabinets, and this February we decided to start the basement. It was all paneling (our family room still has it grrr..that is the next remodeling project) so we had to take everything out and start from stratch. We did a room for Bryn and a bathroom, which was dysfunctional and yucky! So I wanted to show our before and after pics of Bryn's room, we just got the carpet layed last night and put it together. It isn't totally done, we still have to put on the closet doors and do some more decorating.BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
AFTER
Brynly is so excited about her new room, and we are excited to have it almost done. We are still waiting for vanity cabinets for the bathroom, but it is almost finished too. Those do it your self projects are not fun, we are thankful for our dad's and Skyler's help--THANKS GUYS!!!

Quote

Trent put this quote he found in his suit jacket on our fridge: "Seemingly little lessons of love are observed by children as they silently absorb the examples of their parents. Let us make certain that our examples are worthy of emulation. When our homes carry the legacy of love, we will not receive Jacob's chastisement as recorded in the Book of Mormon: 'Ye have broken the hearts of your tender wives, and lost the confidence of your children, because of your bad examples before them; and the sobbings of their hearts ascend up to God against you' (Jacob 2:35)". We aren't sure where this came from but I really like it.

Girls Weekend!!!

I have been so blessed with amazing friends! We went on our annual girls weekend and had so much fun eating, talking, eating, talking, shopping, laughing until I cried and eating! I went with Amberlee Murdock, Katie Dennett, Misty Cooper, and Mindy Smith (with Nichelle there in spirit--we missed you lots!). I have been friends with all these girls forever, some since grade school the others since high school! We all married guys that we went to school with, so it makes it so fun and easy to hang out, which we do a lot. Anyway, Friday we started our trip out with a little detour to Hamilton's Steak and Seafood in Logan, which is owned by Justin Hamilton, our friend from high school and our other friend Mace Rockwood works there with him. It was delicious to say the least!!! The food was phenominal! Here is a picture of us there---
Here is a picture of Mace making us his famous Flaming Bananas Foster---YUM!!!


Then we were off to Salt Lake. Saturday we had lunch at Cafe Rio, yum, and then spent the day shopping. Sunday we went to the Little America Sunday Brunch. If you haven't been, it is absolutely amazing!!! I had so much fun, thanks girls!! I also owe a big thanks to my husband for taking such good care of my girls, thanks honey!!!

Adoption

There is an amazing blog that I was introducted to by Holly of an adoptive mother who gives both her perspective and posts from birth mothers and their thoughts and feelings. If you have ever wanted to know some of the thoughts of a woman who has or is going through infertility read this excellent article here on a blog called the r house-- it's an incredible blog, I am loving it!

Pass It Along!!

As most of you know we have had our lives eternally blessed through adoption. Our second adoption was a designated adoption, meaning that some one we knew (my uncle), knew someone placing a baby for adoption. This was a testiment to me that the more people that know, and the more you can get the word out, the quicker the results could be. (Even though we all know who is really in charge!) Adoption is an amazing thing, Trent and I have been so blessed with our two angels and wish others the same. Janeal made these cute pass along cards, so please pass it along. Thank You!

Husband ABC’s

A-ATV of choice? Four Wheeler
B-Born on? April 7th
C-Cookies or Candy? He has a weakness for both
D-Date of Choice when you go out? Dinner and a movie
E-Essential Item? Cell Phone
F-Favorite Foods? Hamburgers!!!
G-Gas or Diesel vehicle? Diesel
H-Hobbies? Hunting, Hunting, Hunting! He also likes horseback riding, golfing, and all Sports!
I-Ice Cream Flavor? Chocolate
J-Job? PSR Worker
K-Kids? 2 girls Emry and Brynly
L-Last Vacation as a couple? Mexican Riviera Cruise in December
M-Morning person or night owl? Morning Person
N-Number of Siblings? 1 younger brother
O-OCD or sloppy? OCD!!
P-Pet Peeves? Messiness, things that don’t work exactly right, not getting a haircut every three weeks
Q-Quiet or Loud? Both, it depends on who we are with
R-Restaurant? Sizzler
S-Sports? He loves to play basketball, baseball, and golf. He likes to watch all sports.
T-Tight wad or spender? Tight unless it comes to hunting stuff
U-Unknown Fact about him? He HATES to go to the doctor, and especially get his blood drawn, he has passed out at the doctor a few times!
V-Vegetables? Corn, Tomatoes, Potatoes, Cucumbers, Lettuce, Carrots
W-Worst Habit? Eating too much and making himself sick—his full button doesn’t work sometimes.
X-Xtra Curricular activities in high school? Golfing, some football
Y-Your favorite things about him? There are so many! He is a wonderful dad and husband, he is a hard worker, he does all the laundry in our house, good cook, and he loves me!
Z-Zodiac Sign? Aries
We tag Amberlee, Ashlee, Melissa, McKenna, Heidi, Lacie & Jenny Brown and anyone else who wants to do it!

Quote or Saying?

We are remodeling part of our basement and doing a bathroom and a room for Brynly. I am thinking about doing a quote or saying in vinyl lettering on the wall, does anyone have a good one that would apply to Bryn?