Gardner family 101

Halloween 2009

2009-11-04T19:06:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this year I suck a little. I had the best ideas for costumes until I decided to overwork myself by working long hours, planning the Halloween carnival, and making candy.

Taylor and the boys were absolutely wonderful through this whole process. The house was a mess, there were boxes of carnival crap everywhere, and a lot of fast food. I was insane and an emotional wreck, but with their support I made it.

This year we were going for "old school monster" AKA Frankenstein, Bride of, Swamp Thing, and Wolfman.

As Taylor and I were out for our date night getting the last minute items for me to make the costumes, he looked at me and said, "you can't do this to yourself. Make the boy's costumes and we'll dress up next year." I was very upset that we wouldn't be dressing up, but he was right.

Dade and Tayen's got finished at the last minute, and they rocked them. I could have done a little better, but who's keeping points?

A day off....finally!

2009-09-30T15:04:00.000-07:00

I thought that I would take a few minutes and catch up just a bit! Life has been so crazy! The boys just started flag football and will have there first game on Saturday and we can't wait! Who'd have thought that Tayen would like it so much? When I say this, I mean, when I asked him last year what sport he wanted to play, he said, "is there one that I can be spiderman or something?" He and Dade both are having a blast!

Fall is among us, and you all know what that means....HALLOWEEN! Costumes are in progress and hopefully will be a success! Our theme this year....old school monsters. Frankenstein, Bride of, Swamp thing, and Wolfman.

The weather is finally cooling down. At least for Arizona. It has been a long Summer. Finally 85-92 degrees for the next 2 weeks. Thank heavens. We will be putting in our backyard in the next couple of weeks and can't wait.

Work is going great for Tay and I. He started school not too long ago, and is doing great. We are so proud of him. He takes such great care of us.

More to come!

Swine Flu=Disneyland

2009-05-19T17:11:00.000-07:00

California here we come..........oh wait, we're back and it's been a month! Okay, so I suck at keeping all of you caught up on our lives. Every year mom and dad Allen (aka Tay's parentals) give us a trip to San Carlos, Mexico. We were all so excited to see each other and lye on the beach, when suddenly the Swine Flu struck and was made a bigger deal than it needed to be. Oh, I forgot to mention that this happened one week prior to going. We were all in a dither, but the parentals put together a trip to the Happiest Place on earth...Disneyland!

Day 1...We meet at Tay's parents and leave. Taylor pulls into the wrong hotel and we get separated from the rest. We find the right hotel and hop out of the car. Rooms aren't ready, so we hang out in Nate and Caitie's room hoping that no action has occurred :). Dax falls and cries. Cam falls and cries. Dax chokes on licorice and cries. Cam teases Tay so that he can wrestle with him. Dade and Tayen laugh and comfort Dax. Robin stresses about us getting into our rooms. Rooms are ready. Head to the pool and swim. Eat dinner. Go to sleep.

Day 2...Disneyland!
Dade and Tayen let everyone know what the rules are.
1.Have fun!
2.No crying or whining unless you want a character to carry you out of the park
3.No carrying. We can rest, but no being picked up
4.No asking for things, we get to pick something the last day
5.No fighting
6.Ride every ride that you are tall enough for. (even if it's a little scary)

What can I say? Rides and more Rides.

Day 3...Free breakfast. Disneyland. Stuck on Grizzly Bear Rapids. Escorted out of Rapids. Run into Tay's friend that he works with. Cheesecake Factory for Tay's and Dayton's b-day. Stuff our faces. Dade falls asleep at the table. We laugh and almost pee our pants. Yummy food. Fantastic cheesecake. Too full to walk to the hotel. Wish we hadn't eaten so much.

Day 4...Breakfast. Disneyland. Wet clothes. Hunger pains. IHOP. Hotel. Sleepy

Day 5...Breakfast. Goodbyes. Ride home. Home sweet home.

Day 6...Back to reality and working out.

We're alive....well, sort of!

2009-05-19T16:49:00.000-07:00

A little catch up for you all!

Although our lives aren't too exciting, some events have happened. Easter came and went along with a lot of rain. I quit the school to work full time as a Chef, and the boys made the honor and principals honor for the 3rd time! Tay and I are so very proud of them. They are getting so big. I look at them sometimes and wonder where the time has gone. I still carry them down the stairs in the morning and I will continue to until my knees give out. Tayen lost his 2nd tooth and keeps asking when he will lose more so that he can get more money to catch up to Dade. School is out in 2 1/2 days and the boylies are so very excited. A Utah visit is in the works, and they can't wait to see all of their cousins and grandparents.

2009-04-13T17:08:00.001-07:00

MONSTER JAM!!! It's about time.

2009-04-09T20:42:00.000-07:00

Well, Miken has all but abandoned the blog so I thought I would post a little something about the Monster Jam the we went to back in January.

It was a Thursday when I looked over at "Tha Wheelz" aka "Ty Wheeeluh" (Ty Wheeler) and said something to the effect of "We should take our kids to a monster truck rally!"

And he, being the wonderful redneck he is, said "heck yeah! When's the next one?" I don't think he had even finished his own question before he found it online and said "Tomorrow!"

The date was set...now all we had to do was get permission. That wasn't really the hard part though, the hard part was letting the Wives know they weren't invited. We suffered through that mini crisis and the next evening we were off.

After a quick stop at the newly opened "BK Lounge" (Burger King) in the QC (Queen Creek) we drove a solid hour to Chase Field. It was me, Dade, Biggles, Tha Wheels, "Ms. Lucy" (Lucy), and "Keanie Paninni" (Keane, I've never actually called him that before, but I just thought of it and I like it so much I might from now on).

It was great fun! There was GraveDigger, McGruff, Backwards Bob (A truck that always drove in reverse), A Ninja Turtle truck, mini trucks, a stunt man that drove through a bus and even a couple excellent crashes thrown in for good measure.

We got outta there around 11PM but not before buying 2 $4 Big As Your Face Sugar cookies. I can't wait to go again and next time we might even invite the Wives....I said "might."

Dirty Jobs

2009-01-24T16:12:00.001-08:00

I have been waiting to post this for so long. Our computer caught a virus and was out of commission for awhile, but now it's up and running.

For all of you that received a phone call from me saying that Dade, Tayen, and myself met Mike Rowe, you can all now believe me. Working at the Olive Mill, can have its perks after all. I had known for awhile that they were going to filming Dirty Jobs, but couldn't let myself believe it until it was a go. I didn't work that day, but stopped in to see how the filming was going, I was told to come back and they would let all employees in the restaurant after filming was done with.

Around 5:30 we stopped back by on our way to Dade's grade recognition for football. The boys waited in anticipation as the filming crew started coming through the door. Eyes getting bigger, breathing getting faster, and feet bouncing up and down at a record pace. Then all of a sudden, he walked through the door. Yes! It was him, Mike "holy crap" Rowe.

Talk about being star struck. He worked his way around the room and ended up sitting with Dade and Tayen discussing how they got their awesome names and shooting the breeze.

What a fantastic experience! Hopefully there will be more to come.
*If you look close at the pics, you can see how excited Dade was!

Vegas Baby!

2008-11-12T08:09:00.001-08:00

The beginning of October we went to Vegas with the parentals and family for our annual trip. What a much needed break from life!

On the way there, we happened to get stuck behind an old, beat up truck doing about 35 mph with a speed limit of 65 in the middle of nowhere. Tay and I found it pretty odd when we saw that he was wearing an old school army helmet. Imagine the thoughts that were going through our head....especially when we passed a man painted with latex green army paint and vinyl jacket.

We slammed on the breaks, waited for him to catch up, stared for a bit, and took a picture! He didn't move, smile, NOTHING! It's like we were invisible. Pulling away, Taylor looked back, gave him a "rock out" hand gesture, and in return the army guy smiled and gave a "thumbs up!"

Knowing that it was too early to dress up for Halloween, to this day, we still wonder where he came from and where he was going...

Halloween

2008-11-03T07:19:00.000-08:00

Well, Halloween has come and gone. Miken once again pulled through with some AWESOME costumes for the Fam. Dade and I were the Joker and Mini Joker, Biggles was Two Face and Miken as you can see from the pictures was a perfect Nurse Joker. "I Beleive in Harvey Dent" sticker and all.

The family came to my work and Trick or Treated. We were the hit of the office stopping several times for pictures and for people to stare inches from our faces to find out how exactly we "Got these scars"

Then we made a stop by my Mom's where of course she made a big deal of our costumes and even forced Grandpa out of his "cave" to take some pictures of us.

Then a quick jaunt over to KFC for some over priced Chicken products.

Lastly we came home to do some Trick or Treating in the new neighborhood the boys were less than enthusiastic by this time and right around house #8 they were asking if we could go home. I was having too much fun scaring kids with random Joker quotes from The Dark Knight so we made them stay out a little longer.

All in all it was another sucessful Halloween and we're already planning for next year!

LIfe as I know it!

2008-09-24T16:08:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since my last entry and I am very sorry to all of you that actually look at my blog! Life has been pretty hectic and it catches up to me every now and then. I have started working on the weekends at a small restaurant called The Olive Mill that has introduced me to wonderful recipes and flavors that I am now experimenting with in our home. I work at the boys' school during the day then come home and make candy when I have orders. Dade is still playing football and between the excuses of why he can't go to practice, I have little Taybug asking if he can have something else to eat. Tay is at Walden, and just had a guys rockband night with a few guys he works with. Absolute hillarity! I told him that he must do it again. It was so loud that we had the neighbor kids looking through their windows. I have started making extra every time I cook so that I can freeze the meals for the nights I don't have time to cook and for the busy time of the holidays coming. My website has been doing fantastic. I have a lot of returning customers and 2 boutiques scheduled for October and November. Things are soon going to be pretty crazy at the Gardner house, but we always make room for fun and togetherness. Our family rocks! I couldn't ask for a better hubby and boys! I am truly blessed!

We will be going to Vegas for a week in October for a much needed vacation with Tay's parents and believe me, I am counting down the days. The boys are getting incredible grades and the teacher's have nothing bad to say about them. I miss everyone in Utah very much, but have hope that something we will see them soon. I love Arizona so much and have so many wonderful friends that I can count on, but I forget how nice it was to have family close. Thank goodness Tay's family is here so it makes things a little easier.

9 years and going strong!

2008-09-05T21:28:00.000-07:00

On August 28th, Tay and I celebrated our ninth anniversary. Our wonderful friends kept the boys for the following night so that we could have a night out. After stuffing our faces full of awesome food at the Outback, we went Halloween costume hunting. I know, we're gay and we're proud! We searched through the racks at Saver's, had a ton of laughs, then continued to the fabric store to find the perfect Joker coat material. Such a beautiful night until the rain came down and the wind picked up. Absolutely insane! We then came home and watched a movie Tay had sent for called Son of Rambow. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS MOVIE! Completely horrendous! The night continued and all was fabulous. I can't believe nine years has passed. I am still head over heels and each day gets better. Tay continues to make me feel beautiful, appreciated, and loved. He is great and I can't wait til the 10th!

Letting go....

2008-09-05T21:26:00.000-07:00

As you can tell, the boys had a hard time letting it go.

Rrrrrribbit

2008-09-05T20:49:00.000-07:00

This is one of the reasons why I love Arizona so much! A few Fridays ago, a terrific monsoon swept through our city and brought a fantastic present with it. Our little pet toad, Sandy!
Dade spent the Saturday after at Scout camp, and when we arrived to pick him up, he had found then toad. Being the mom that I am, I was just as excited as he was and immediately came home and made a "habitat" for her. At least Dade said it was a she when he saw no boy parts. ;)
That night we went to a friends house to eat and play games and when we got home, the boys showered, brushed and got in bed. I went to check on Sandy and what do I find, but a larger toad trying to get in the habitat to save Sandy! With much excitement, I ran up the stairs screaming like an idiot for the boys to see what was on our porch. After a little chasing on mine and Tay's part, the toad was captured.
We placed a flashlight in with them to attract the bugs, and when we woke up the next morning, the little one had died, so we held our first funeral.
2 weeks later, we decided to let the bigger toad go, but he is still living in our back yard and visits us each night at our screen door. What a fun pet! We especially like when Wigget finds it during the day and chases it all around. Very comical!

Tackle Football

2008-08-08T09:15:00.000-07:00

Dade started tackle football the same day that he started school. I couldn't believe what I saw when I took him to the field. Imagine it. I walked him onto the field and see a bunch of 7-9 year olds, 3 coaches, and 2 gear guys. I figured that I would stay for a bit that first day, just to see what it was like. HOLY CRAP! They work those boys like they are on a high school team. The practice goes from 6-8:30 and they do all the major drills. Dade is such a strong kid. I am so proud of him. He has dedication and motivation. For such a little body, he sure has a lot of willpower. He starts in full pads on Monday and can't wait. The games are going to be so much fun.

First day of school

2008-08-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

Monday, August 4th was the first day of school for the boys. I tell ya, every year I forget how hard it is to wake them up after they have been sleeping in all summer. We got off to a rough start, but after French toast, things were better.
Dade is in the 3rd grade now and Tayen is in first. So far, they like school, but in about a week, I have a feeling all of that will change.:)
They have already made a couple of friends and invited them over, even though I tell them that I need to meet the parents first. What can I say, I am a very weird mom. I would rather them play here, so even a small chat with parents would be okay. The boys don't understand that though. Oh well. I do my best.

Biggles turns 6!

2008-08-08T08:04:00.000-07:00

Tayen turned 6 on July 29th and was a week long celebration. I really can't believe that our baby is that old!:( I know what a lot of you are thinking, "you should really have another one!" and the answer is a polite, "No thank you!" The years have past very quickly, but I have found time to savor the sweet moments and all the kisses. I know they won't last forever, but so far, he isn't stingy with them.

We celebrated by letting him pick the restaurant he wanted to go to, and this is a bit of the conversation.

Miken: "Tayen, since it is your birthday, you get to pick where we eat tonight. I can make your favorite or we can go to your favorite restaurant.

Tayen: "Hmmm, (with finger on his chin) I don't know mom. What is a fun place?"

Miken: "There are a lot of fun places, it just depends on what you want to eat."

Tayen: "I just want to go somewhere that will give me a great big free dessert."

It was a classic Tayen moment. And boy did he get free desert! We went to an Italian restaurant called Oreganos. He got the pizza and when it was time, they brought him out a Pazookie. Ahhh, to die for. Half baked cookie of any flavor left in the pan and topped with ice cream,caramel,and whipped cream. Oh, so yummy.

The Saturday after, we had a small party in his honor at Peter Piper Pizza. Dade,of course, got hurt and over reacted and I think I lost 10 pounds in sweat that night. It was seriously 110 degrees in that place, but who would have noticed playing all those games? We had a blast!

Squirmy Wormy

2008-07-31T14:30:00.000-07:00

The weird mind of Miken and her wrapping ideas.

Any suggestions or new ideas are always welcomed and appreciated!

Hit me with your best shot!

This is the back-to-school wrapping!

Too much FUN!

My latest creation...with help from Heidi :)

2008-07-31T14:14:00.001-07:00

Although there have been days where I have been very frustrated, it is so exhilarating to see my creations on a public site, where people from around the world, are looking and purchasing my goodies! Who would have thought that I would be shipping treats to New York, Alaska, and Florida? I have to pinch myself every now and again to make sure it is real.

http://www.worthafortune.etsy.com/

This is my back-to-school on a stick!

Thanks Heidz!

My boys are giving these to their teachers tonight at meet the teacher!

OFF TO A NEW START

2008-07-31T14:06:00.000-07:00

I am starting a new blog due to the fact that I don't like to read before I do and messed my original blog up so badly, that it couldn't be fixed. So much has happened since the last time I blogged and I have made it a challenge to myself to keep this one up to date.

My wonderful Candice has tried to talk me though it, but in the midst of her talking, my mind wanders into lala land and I think that I am hearing her, as so does she, and I am at an absolute loss when I sit at the computer and try to do what she has told me.

And people wonder why I am constently mixing up phrases. My mind doesn't work

as fast as I would like.:)