Farewell 20's

I am 30.
I totally felt like this was a big deal...
and so I did what any mature, very soon to be thirty year old would do...
I acted, humm, how should I put it... a bit dramatically?! Shawn had planned some surprises, but as the days got nearer my birthday... I was wondering what was up! You see, Shawn has spoiled me in the past, so I blame him for my behavior! :) So although I spoiled the surprise (he finally told me), I had a fantastic birthday, which I will post about next (I'm sure my husband was happy when it was over)!
Being 30 is not a big deal...
and in honor of this new milestone, I thought it would be fun to look back over my 20s... it seems like it was forever ago, yet only yesterday (isn't time funny that way)! It was so fun looking back through pictures of the past ten years.  First of all, I miss having developed photos!  I loved being able to actually flip through pictures, so my goal this year is to actually develop some pictures from the past 5+ years. It seems strange that I didn't even own a digital camera in my early 20s! (Oh how I miss the excitement of picking up that roll of film from the developer... another goal... dust of my old film cameras)!

When I was looking for this pic, I thought it was my birthday, but it's actually my cousins (a month after mine... so I'm just over 20)! The funny thing about this picture is that there is Shawn... a few weeks after our first date & although I thought he was fun to hang out with, I was not interested (oh how things changed... a year later)!

Fishlake, UT with some fabulous college friends!

BYU Hawaii summer 2002... working at the PCC... not as a dancer... but a greeter... plate scrapper for pigs...    much less glamourous!

Vegas trip, when I realized I did actually like Shawn (he refused to come & I was totally bugged by that)... Valentine's weekend 2003

Started dating Shawn sometime after my 21st birthday... lucky me he was still available! :)

Study Abroad summer 2003

Shawn came to Cincinnati & then drove with my family to Florida for Christmas and...

He still decided to marry me! January 16, 2004

College graduation April 2004 with my cousin & grandparents (my grandpa passed away in August of that year :(

June 5, 2004 

Best day of my life (so cliche yet true!)

Honeymoon cruise to Mexico... ahhh! So ready for another honeymoon! :)

23rd birthday

Living large in our single wide!

First year teaching... fourth grade, Geneva Elementary, Orem, UT... August 2004... such a bad pic, but I have hardly any of me teaching without kids in them!

Our first anniversary... on a weekend cruise!

My first Gardner family reunion in Island Park, ID

Playa del Carmen, Mexico 2006

Just to embarrass myself, first pregnancy... and birth of baby Orin! July 30, 2007

First beach trip with our little man... My first realization that going to the beach will never be the same (pretty sure he screamed a good part of it)!

Disneyland October 2007 (Orin has been three times... other boys never... got to love student loans, full time jobs!)

26th birthday!

Oahu, HI visiting Westbrook clam... so jealous of them!

Orin's 1st birthday

My sister leaving for her mission, June 2008

27th birthday

Last day in our apartment... moved to our house & had Brody the same day! March 20th, 2009

My adventures while Shawn studied for the BAR (at least one of the times)... Zions, UT... summer 2009

Sedona, AZ same trip

Gardner reunion Island Park, ID (& Yellowstone) July, 2009

Thanksgiving 2009... just because they're cute!

Brody's 1st birthday, 2010

My favorite year teaching! Miss those girls!

Much needed trip to Cincinnati, summer 2010

My ten year reunion with some amazing friends! Fall 2010

My gorgeous sister's wedding, April 2011

 

Yeap, just as huge... third pregnancy!

Third boy, Wyatt is born May 16, 2011

Gardner reunion, Zions, UT July 2011

Trip to Fish Lake, and Provo... go Uncle Jake! September 2011

Christmas in Scottsdale, AZ 2011

Three of my favorite miracles of my 20s!

Looking back over these past ten years, I realize just how amazing life really is... there have been ups and downs, but I am grateful for this crazy life I have.  Can't wait to see what the 30's bring!

2011 "Christmas" Letter

Growing up, I remember each year my mom would write these super creative Christmas letters.  This year, I finally thought I should pick up this tradition of hers, but of course didn't get it done before Christmas (I tend to run at least a month behind!)  So here is my "Christmas letter" for 2011... digital.

If you feel so inclined to have a hard copy you can click here to download it! :)

And here was our Christmas card... if you didn't get one, you should have!! What can I say, I'm a work in progress and trying to actually type out all the address... so if I missed you this year please send me your address!! :)

Soccer Mom

It's already time for next season soccer sign-ups, and well I'm just now blogging about Orin's last season, which was his first time playing an organized sport.

He just barely made the cut off (by a day), so he was pretty young on the team (and I needed to remember that... the kid had just turned four).
I realized that I was totally being one of those crazy mom's screaming at their kid on the sidelines.  Not even to score, but just to pay attention and listen, oh and to not tackle the kids (our kids on the team kept doing that, wrong sport little boys)!
Orin's first game was hilarious!  He was so loving all of us yelling his name and cheering for him.  When the other time scored, he was so bugged (see pic below).

Shawn and volunteered to be the Team Mom, I team manager, so that meant that we, I mean I, got to do the team banner.
I had no clue what to do.  I used felt and after a little sewing, lots of cutting and fabric glue I came up with this...

I thought it wasn't bad for my first soccer banner.  There was an AYSO soccer banner contest, and I thought I had a chance. Nope.
Didn't even get second or third in the five year old category!  Aaarrrr!

Blessed

 To finish off our wild and crazy "Bar Fest" weekend, we blessed Wyatt at our church, and Puanoe (our niece) was blessed the same day too!  

I truly do feel blessed. 

Wyatt has been such a fun little addition to our family of boys! He's adorable and a sweet baby.  I just can't get enough of him. 

Mini-cation

During the week before our "Bar Fest" (which of course had nothing to do with alcohol :) we headed down to San Diego for a little vacation with my parents.  The first day we went down to Coronado Island and walked around and enjoyed a little beach (well my kids and I did, not sure if my dad did... he got a little burned, which then required sunscreen at Sea World, which then caused a nasty eye irritation to the sunscreen, series of unfortunate events). 

 

We then went to Old Town.  I love going there and pretty much think every time I go to San Diego I make it there.  The have redone the Mormon Battalion center there and it is really impressive.  You start by watching the narrators talking to you in picture frames (seriously Disneyland quality) and then you move through different rooms and here the story.  At the end the kids got to pan for gold, use a water pump, stack up adobe bricks, and they even have a photo booth set up.

(Brody is willing to try on his military issue Mormon Battalion gear... Orin, however, would not... he was quite shy, which seemed a bit out of character)

(Brody does not look entirely happy about the fact that Papa was trying to show him how to properly pan for gold)

We then ate at Old Town Mexican Restaurant which was perfect, cheap Tuesday tacos, score.  And once we made it back to the hotel my kids of course had to swim for a bit... it was quite the day.

The next day, Shawn and my brother Matt met us down at Sea World. (My mom has pictures on her camera). My kids LOVED it and I think their favorite things were seeing Shamu, riding the little rides, and feeding the seals (courtesy of Uncle Matt who got hooked up with a few extra fish, cause Matt seems to always get special treatment, everybody loves Matt).  Journey to Atlantis was fun, Shawn was too big of baby to go! :)

We loved getting away for a bit! Thanks mom and dad!

Sworn

It all become "official" Tuesday, July 26th when Shawn was sworn in as an attorney.  It was ironically the first day of the California Bar exam!  A date we normally would dread!  Mason & Melina came with us and we celebrated by going to Cheesecake Factory (yummy! love their Banana Cream cheesecake)! We were so glad they could be there, yet again for us, since they have been so willing to sacrifice and help our family over these past few years. 

 Anyone need an attorney? 

I know a good one! :)