A Busy Weekend

Todd and I are lucky enough to have his cousin and her wife watch our kids for us on Friday so we could go out to dinner together. We only get a date without the kids maybe 1-2 times a year, seriously. Then we went shopping at Wal Mart of course, since it's the only place to shop here. It was a great two-hour break from our kiddos.

Saturday we went to Duncan to help Todd's Dad with their room addition. It is always so fun watch a building go up. It was so cold all day though! I spent the day learning how to use my mother-in-law's sewing machine and making these for Madilyn:
I absolutely cannot wait until I get my own sewing machine. We don't have a place to store one or the fabric, so I have kept turning Todd down when he has asked if I want one. Now that we can't afford it, I really want one. Figures!

I had to work Sunday. It was a hectic day, seriously one of the worste I've had since we moved here two and a half years ago. It seemed like every pregnant belly in Thatcher wanted to deliver this weekend! I was seriously freaked out by what I thought was a poor judgement call by a doctor, and I had to be the one to try to console the family. I can't go into detail, but it wasn't right . It was just one of those days when I loved and hated being a nurse. Is it possible to love and hate your job in the same day? Poor Todd was at home with the kids and he wasn't feeling good all day. I tried to get off early, but that didn't happen. The sad thing was that I normally wouldn't have been working yesterday but had to switch a day with another nurse so I could recertify for my advanced cardiac life support this next weekend. It seems like every time I trade a shift I regret it. Too bad the certification is required. I so wish I didn't have to work at all, but I am lucky to only have to work one day a week.

Voting Day Please Go Away!

Okay. Is it just me, or does everyone else wish this day would just end? I voted a month ago with an early ballot, so I didn't have the line frustrations today, but I just want all the backbiting and phone calls to go away! I dislike both candidates and feel like I had to choose between the lesser of two evils. How wrong is that? I guess it just shows that something is seriously wrong with our country/ government/ fellow Americans. I dread the outcome of this election.

Finally the Halloween post

You'll have to ask Todd what these two pictures he carved in his pumpkin are. He said any computer nerd would know.

I guess they are characters from a video game?

This was my pumpkin.

My angel and my Jedi. So cute! Couldn't get them both smiling at the camera though!

We were so excited for Halloween this year because Evan is old enough to really get into the holidays and wanting to wear a costume.

My wonderful neighbor made Evan this super awesome Jedi costume!

On Halloween Evan's preschool class performed two halloween songs for us and he got to wear his costume for the party. It was so fun watching him get totally into the singing. Evan really loves music! I was so proud!

We instructed Evan to say trick-or-treat when someone came to the door, but he just kept saying "I'm a Jedi!" It was adorable. Evan had so much fun and didn't want to go home.

Poor Madilyn was fussy and fell asleep in the car almost instantly.

Although the night was fun, it was stressful too! Holidays are definately for kids, because it was all work for me!

This is the Story of a Shed

We have been saving for this shed for months, and it is finally together (except for the shingles and paint). yay! Thank you to my father-in-law, Ethan Mower, Ryan Richins, and John Holder for helping us put it together!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

On Behalf of a WONDERFUL Family...

A few months ago on a Saturday I got a call from my mom. She told me she was outside irrigating when she heard a big crash a few houses away. That crash was the airplane carrying Christian and Stephanie Nielson as they were trying to leave my hometown of St. Johns, AZ to return to their own home in Mesa. Since that day, and for the past few months, I have been following the story of the sad event and have fallen in love with the family behind this amazing couple.

This is a family that has suffered amazing tragedy, and yet have pulled together to make sure the four adorable kids left behind are loved and cared for. Reading their story day after day has made me hug my kids tighter, and love my husband more every day. It is a story of patience, incredible sacrifice, undying romance, and pure Christlike love.

Please read these amazing articles that were published in the newspaper. Yes, you will cry, but you will also be uplifted:

www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/10/26/20081026sisters1026a1.html

www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2008/10/27/20081027liv-stephanie1027.html

Monsoon at the Gardner's house

We are having all the luck in the world at our house. Madilyn has had a nasty cold so Todd and I haven't been getting a whole lot of sleep this week. Between Madilyn waking up at night and Evan's bad dreams, there is a plot against a good night's rest for us.

Tuesday night Todd told me his car made a clicking sound 4-5 times before it would start. Wednesday morning, his car wouldn't start at all, so he took my car to work. We scheduled an appointment with the repair place for Friday morning. On Thursday Todd stopped to get breakfast before catching the bus to work and MY car wouldn't start! Luckily someone had jumper cables and he made it to work on time. When he got home we went out to jump his car so we could take it to get fixed and MY car wouldn't start again! So our friend John jumped my car, but Todd's car wouldn't start at all. We took my car in instead.

We fell dumb because all my car needed was a new battery, but there was also a leak in the fuel pressure regulator! How dangerous! We should get my car back tomorrow and then we'll tow Todd's car in to get fixed. What a mess! The icing on the cake was that Todd got to work on Thursday and got in the company truck to go fix a computer and the company truck wouldn't start! So if Todd asks to drive your car... beware!

6 months has flown by...

Madilyn is 6 months old, can you believe it! It seems like they don't stay little long enough. She is such a light in our house with her cute smiles and big eyes. I am really enjoying having a little girl to doll up.

This week has been busy for me. I have been wittling away at the huge pile of gravel in our driveway. We've spread most of it now! Yay! I have also been working hard to find ways to motivate Evan to want to learn. He is absolutely in love with preschool and we are so proud of him. Of course cleaning occupies a lot of my time, although I haven't done a lot of it this week and our house doesn't hide that well.

Madilyn May at 6 months:
21 pounds 15 oz
28 inches




Looking back:


5 months



4 months



3 months



2 months



1 month



newborn