Christmas Tree 2008

When we bought our home the front yard was landscaped for us and whoever did it must not have known much about trees. We've been told several times that the pine tree in our front yard will grow to be too big and it could hurt the foundation. So we decided to let it grow and then use if for a Christmas tree. This year Bryan decided to cut it down.
It has made a beautiful tree--it may be my favorite ever (the picture doesn't really do it justice). The best part is that we saved at least $50! You can't beat a free tree. We've even thought of planting a bunch in the backyard so we could cut one down every year. I don't think that would work though, what would we do with all the stumps?
This is us by the tree watching the Hogwarts Express go around. Uncle Brian gave it to us last year and we love it. If Ty is unhappy I take him in, sit him down, and turn on the train. We've spent more time in by the tree this year then ever before. I love the train and I also love looking at all the ornaments we have. Each one has a memory or is special in it's own way.

Honest Scrap

So I've been tagged by this one twice! I usually don't get around to doing tags but I'll do this one since two of you tagged me. I have to list 10 honest things about myself.

1. I stress out about everything. Sometimes at night I start to stress about things in general and I feel stress coming out of me, my body feels like a live wire.
2. I can't live without my PDA. It allows me to write down things I have to do which then helps me to not stress so much. Also, some nights I need it to go to sleep. I play "bubbles" and it helps my mind to shut down, kind of like counting sheep.
3. I love chocolate so much!!
4. I love my family even more then chocolate.
5. I miss my friends from all periods of my life, childhood, BYU, mission, student ward, Meridian, Riverton. I think about all of you and wish I could live near all of you at once. I can't wait till we're all dead and in heaven so that we can truly be friends forever.
6. I hate death. It scares me, terrifies me. It shouldn't. But it still does. What I fear the most is that I'll die before my children are grown. I don't want anyone else to raise them.
7. I love books. I love reading and escaping to different places. I've been so obsessed with Twilight that it's embarrassing. I mean really obsessed! Okay, I wouldn't get a tattoo or anything but if you come to my home after Christmas you may just see a Twilight calendar hanging on my wall. Like I said, embarrassing, but true.
8. I love movies. Especially really long period dramas. I love lending out these movies to my friends and getting them hooked on them too. Bryan believes I keep Masterpiece Theater in business.
9. Every time I pick up Ty I'm in awe at what I've been given. I love watching Lucas and Ty sleep. They are so peaceful.
10. I know I'm a good person but sometimes I'm really not. Sometimes I just want to be selfish and sit around all day doing nothing but reading, watching a show I like, and eating chocolate.

Now you all know way too much about me. I'm supposed to tag 10 friends but I don't think I will. If you feel like being tagged then you're tagged!

Lucas' Birthday

Saturday was Lucas' birthday. We had so much fun. It was a Star Wars themed party--the kids were invited to come to Jedi Training. Bryan was in charge of the games and he did a great job. He taught them how to fight with lightsabers--he even made a Darth Vador as you can see in this picture.


They threw water balloons out a window on the second story and tried to hit one of the tie fighters, or Death Star, or General Grevious' face that was drawn below on our driveway.


Then they watched an episode of "The Clone Wars", a new cartoon that is on T.V. once a week. I think everyone had a great time.



We had pizza for lunch, then cupcakes and ice cream. Lucas got some fun new toys to play with from all his friends. Later that night Bryan and I gave him our gift--a razor scooter. What a fun day!

BYU Basketball

At the last home football game they handed out $1 vouchers for the first home basketball game. We thought it would be fun to go and it would be cheap as well! So we went down to Provo last Friday night and had some pizza at the Brick Oven. Well, Bryan and I had pizza, Lucas had garlic bread (he loves the their garlic bread) and root beer because sometimes he still doesn't want to eat pizza with cheese, and Ty had applesauce. We were all happy and full when we went to the game.



As you can see Ty started off being fairly content. Once the band started playing he got a little nervous but was doing great. I told Bryan, "See he is a cougar and not a yewt, my friend in Brazil was wrong!"



Alas, as soon as the game really started Ty couldn't take it. Every time we scored and the crowed cheered he would cry. Sometimes he would try to be brave. He would stick his lips out in a pout and try really hard not to cry but then he would dissolve into tears. Poor Tyger. I still say he's a cougar. He's just a sensitive one. We ended up leaving at the half. We had lots of fun though and Lucas even got to eat his favorite treat, a cougar tail. (For those of you who don't know it's a really long maple bar doughnut, they are so yummy.) By the way, do you like how I'm smiling at my baby crying? It was just so funny how much he hated the crowd.

Halloween

Halloween night was a lot of fun. We went trick or treating with some great friends who have since moved to Wisconsin. Lucas is the Spiderman. It was wonderful to have one more night with LeShel. I miss her already!
Lucas had so much fun being Spiderman. He loves super heroes.
Ty was baby Superman. He didn't go out with us but looked great. We dressed him up for the Ward trunk or treat and everybody thought he was adorable.

Every year Bryan carves as many pumpkins as he can. This year our garden didn't produce as many but I think this might be one of his best carvings ever. It looked even better then this picture shows.

Ty Loves Lucas

I have gotten behind on posting the things that we have done this fall. As I was going through pictures I found this one of Ty looking up at Lucas when we went to the pumpkin patch in October. This made me smile because Ty really does adore Lucas. He gets so excited when he comes home from school. Lucas walks into the room and Ty just smiles. Ty is only six months so I can't wait to see how their relationship grows in the years to come.

My Cute Boys

A few weeks ago we went to the river to take some family picture. These are just a few of Lucas and Ty. One thing I love to say now when I talk about Lucas and Ty is, "The boys". I think it's just because we waited so long to have Ty and it makes me feel so good when I can say "boys" in the plural. I always smile or laugh a little. I know it sounds silly but it's the truth.
Ty is doing great. He is a good baby. He was even fairly good at Disneyland--I think he just learned that he had to sleep while being held because we weren't going back to the hotel for his naps! He is starting to hold things and suck on toys a little bit more. He also started eating rice cereal this week. He's learning and growing so fast. One of my favorite things is when he gives me a hug or kiss. He cuddles up and when I kiss him he kisses me back getting my cheek all wet. It's great!

Lucas is doing well also. He enjoys school and loves to get home and play with Ty and his friends. He is off track right now (year round school) and so he tends to get bored easily. He is such a sociable kid and I always seem to be busy!! I try to take some time out of my day to play with him. He loves to race Mario Kart against me or Bryan and he hates to lose. He is smart and lovable and a wonderful big kid.

Disneyland

We left for California on Sunday the 12th. Lucas had no idea where we were going and so it was fun to get there and surprise him! The first day started out rough though as you can tell from this picture. Lucas was not very happy which I didn't think would be possible at Disneyland. Ty also had a rough day. He cried a lot--I think he wanted his own bed.
But we did have lots of fun on the rides. Here is Bryan on one of the rides in California Adventure. Lucas is sitting by him but is hidden.
We got to go because Bryan was invited to speak at a conference. All we had to pay for was food and Disney passes. It was a great opportunity. Lucas loved to meet Mickey Mouse. His favorite rides were Soarin Over California and Splash Mountain. Bryan and I loved the roller coaster in California Adventure.
At Disney they have something called Jedi Training. There is a platform they have made just for this and they do shows four or five times a day. We had seen it and KNEW that Lucas would never get picked. You show up and hope they choose your child to go up (out of a ton of kids). Bryan was at the conference this day giving his speech and I decided to go by one more time since they were just starting it over again. I started to say a prayer that he would get picked and then knew I couldn't because every parent wanted their child to get picked. Instead I prayed that I would know how to comfort him when he didn't get picked--right then I hear "Kid with the striped shirt and khaki shorts come up.
He got to go through the Jedi Training which is a fun little time where they teach them to use their lightsabers, then Darth Vader and Darth Maul came out. Each of the kids gets to fight one of them and Lucas got to fight Darth Vader. It was so cool. I only wish that Bryan could have been there to see it! This was such a great opportunity for us to go and have a little family vacation. Thanks to Bryan and his great speaking abilities!! He does three or four of these every year and this year we really lucked out on where he was invited. Thanks Bryan!

Garden Corn

Ever since Bryan and I got married he has tried to grow corn in our garden. The corn has grown but we've never been able to eat it. This year, finally, it worked. We got lots of corn and it was so great to have it at dinner. Next year Bryan will plant more and hopefully he's figured out what he did right this year!

Lucas' Egg

Yesterday Lucas and I went to Grandma and Grandpa Cray's for a quick visit. They have chickens and had been saving a special egg just for him. It was the very first egg one of their chickens had ever laid. It's so teeny tiny! Lucas just loved it. He had to show it to Craig and Diana when we stopped by their new place and then the first thing he did when we got home was show Bryan.
Last night for dinner we decided to have a "breakfast" dinner complete with sausage, biscuits, and EGGS! Lucas, however, wouldn't let us use his egg. He doesn't want us to eat it and he hid it in the fridge. Of course I didn't use it but it can't sit in there forever. Maybe he'll let us use it in some pancakes Saturday.

Ty's First BYU Game

Saturday we all went to the first BYU game of the season. Unfortunately, Ty did not like the noise. I lasted maybe five minutes in my seat before I retreated with Ty to underneath the stadium. I did see the team come out onto the field and the first few plays but I couldn't really pay attention because Ty WOULD NOT STOP CRYING. So I stayed under the stadium for the first quarter and then we all went home. So we won't do that again. It was a little frustrating because there were other babies there doing just fine. Oh, well, maybe in a few years we will all go as a family but for now, we will take turns going. At least we got this picture of the four of us!

First Day of Kindergarten

Today was Lucas' first day of kindergarten! He was so excited but I could tell that he was nervous also (as you can tell from his smiles this morning). He was ready way before it was time to go. I drove him to the school this morning for his first day and then he rode the bus home. Tomorrow he will ride the bus to and from school. I am so proud of him and how well he does away from home. Last year his preschool teacher told me he was the best behaved in his class and I know he'll be that way this year. He may have issues at home with me but he is so good at listening to others.

I was surprised this morning at how emotional I got walking away from the school. I really didn't expect that at all. I was just so grateful for Ty and that I was holding him in my arms.

Annual Meet the Team

Last Thursday we headed to Provo for the annual "Meet the Team" event. We've gone every year and we love it. First we go into the practice facility where they have a sale each year on team gear, athletic clothing, and odds and ends. This year Bryan walked away with some pants and a great jacket. We also got some BYU flags for the car on game days. We then went onto the outdoor field to get a football poster for Lucas and we walked around. The first person we ran into was Max Hall. He was gracious enough to hold Ty for a picture. About two seconds in Max said "He's crying already." I could tell he was nervous but such a good sport.

Bryan got this great picture of Lucas with Fui! We also saw Harvey Unga but didn't get a picture with him. Lucas gave him a high five though and Unga talked to Lucas for a few minutes.

Ty was a good sport and he managed to fall asleep for some of the time. We ended the evening by having some free Dryers BYU ice cream and then headed home. We look forward to this every year and it always gets us ready for the first football game. Go cougars!!!

Washing the Car

Bryan took Lucas to the new Star Wars Clone Wars movie on Saturday. They had so much fun! Lucas appreciated it even more because we made him earn some of the money to go. This is him washing the car the day before. He did a great job. At the movie Lucas drank so much soda (we have these big movie mugs that we take and it only costs 1.00 to fill them up) that he had to go to the bathroom during the last 15 minutes of the movie. Bryan asked him if he could hold it, and Lucas said "Yes", but Bryan said it was obvious that he couldn't. So they ran out and made it back in time for the end!

GFL Draft

GFL stands for the Garner Football League, for those of you who don't know. The first Saturday of every August we get together to have our "draft". It's really turned into a reunion and is lots of fun. The kids all get to play together and have fun.

This year they added a golf tournament early Saturday morning. Bryan took Lucas and they had a blast. Bryan has never had a chance to play with my dad and he was really happy he finally got to. He came home telling me how great a golfer he is--I think he was even better than Bryan expected. I meanwhile stayed home and read "Breaking Dawn" aloud to my mom as she took care of Ty. We got through the first 100 pages that morning.

At the draft we had a great luncheon, put on by mom, and then started into the 2-3 hour process of drafting players. Camille, my cousin, read to the kids for a while. It was so cute.

Scott and Brian do such a great job. Thanks to them, mom and dad, and Steph for all their hardwork. It really is a big production and we have more fun year after year. Last year our team, the Toronto Yodas, didn't do so well. The worst year we've ever had. So hopefully this year Ty will bring us some good luck. GOOOO YODAS!!

Obsession

So the last two weeks I have been busy being obsessed with "Breaking Dawn", the last of the vampire series from Bella's perspective. I got my copy when we were in Idaho for the GFL Draft. We had three copies among us, mine, Steph's, and Denise's. This week I've picked up the pieces of my life and started to organize the chaos around me. I started with the house (last week it was a disaster), and have moved on to Relief Society, the Olympics, and now, hopefully, the blog. I feel a little silly about how obsessed I get (read it two times last week) but Bryan puts up with me and I really do love living in a different world for a while. A lot of people have hated this book but I loved it. What can I say? I'm a sap who loves happy endings. Now I will put it away for awhile until next year when "Midnight Sun" is released!

Pioneer Village

Last Saturday Lucas and I went to Pioneer Village with Aunt Kellie, Natalie, Andrew, Aunt Julie, William, Jillian, and Reagan. Lucas had so much fun being with his cousins and I enjoyed visiting with Julie and Kellie. The kids were able to ride a little train, play, take a ride around the village, and then afterwards we went to McDonalds for lunch.

Lucas' favorite part was when he got to ride a horse--the biggest horse there. His name was Star and Lucas loved it.

Chocolate, or Lack Thereof

I keep having dreams about eating chocolate. I haven't been able to eat it since Ty was born. Whenever I do Ty then cries the whole next day, or at least half of the day! I remember one dream in particular where I had a big bag of chocolate chips. I just kept taking out fist fulls and eating them. I have at least a couple of these chocolate dreams a week. Plus, I don't get my mug of hot chocolate in the mornings now. I know it's summer and hot but I miss it. I don't remember having this hard of a time with Lucas and I nursed him for eight months. At least I know it won't be that long with Ty, I'm not producing enough milk so I'll be lucky to make it through the summer. I love chocolate and I sure miss it.

Ty's Blessing Day

July 6th was Ty's blessing day. Here he is in his blessing outfit. It is the same one that Lucas wore and was made by Grandma Garner. He looked cute and I was just happy that he fit into it.


Here we are before heading to the church. Not the best picture of all of us but we knew if we didn't take one before we wouldn't get one. Sure enough, Lucas came home and took off his church clothes as fast as he could. Bryan did a great job on the blessing and it made me grateful for him and our two boys.



We had lots of family and plenty of food. Thanks to everyone for helping me out. It make it much less stressful on me. It was a great day and we were so happy it went so well.

Fourth of July

So I'm a bit behind with events from the last few weeks. I'll work on getting caught up in the next few days. We had fun on the fourth. Grandma and Grandpa Jeppsen were here with us. We had pizza, fruit salad, and homemade ice cream for dessert. Afterward, we all went outside and Bryan and Lucas did some fireworks while we all watched.


As you can tell from this picture of Ty, he wasn't sure what to think. I was covering his ears because it was so noisy. We had a fun time and it was nice to have some family with us for the holiday.

Future Cougar in the Making

Lucas' latest thing has been practicing to play football for the BYU Cougars. He throws the ball up, catches it, and runs into the endzone for a touchdown (the Hertz towel is the endzone). He wears the blue shorts and white shirt so that he looks like a Cougar. He will tell people that he is going to play football for BYU and if you look incredulous he says, "I really am. I'm practicing and I'm going to play for BYU." He's even told Bryan to tell the coach that he is practicing. Today on the way to swimming he said, "I might not be able to play for the Cougars because another team might want me, like the Dolphins, or the Cowboys, or Indianapolis." I then explained for the umpteenth time that there is a difference between college football and professional football. I'm still not sure if he completely understands but I used John Beck and Bryan Kehl as examples.

Ty Smiles and We Finally Get a Picture

We have been trying for weeks to get a picture of Ty when he is smiling and today we finally got one. Isn't he adorable? I love his lopsided grin.

Swimming Lessons

Lucas started swimming lessons last week and is loving them. He loves to swim and can be in the pool for hours at a time if we let him. Next year, when Ty is older, I think I'll get a family pass to the pool so that we can go all summer and Lucas can swim for more than 30 minutes at a time (which is how long his lesson is). Lucas can do the backstroke fairly well and is learning other strokes as well. It's so fun to watch him learn! He is sooo not afraid of the water.

Great Grandma's and Grandpa

I've decided that Lucas and Ty are lucky boys. I have a friend who has three boys and they don't have one grandma or grandpa still living. Our boys not only have Grandma and Grandpa Garner, and Grandma and Grandpa Jeppsen, but they also have Great Grandma Otteson and Great Grandma and Grandpa Cray. Plus, Lucas got to meet his Great Grandpa Otteson and his Great Grandma Garner before they died. I don't know that they will remember knowing these grandparents but we have pictures of them with each and it's special for Bryan and I to see our grandparents holding our children.