My Little Super Heroes

Micah and Abby were little super heroes for Halloween. Micah was Spider Man and Abby was Wonder Woman. Micah picked out his own costume this year and could not wait to wear it. Actually, he didn't wait- he wore it several times before tonight. :) Abby loved her costume too. She didn't want to take it off. And, if anyone around the neighborhood happens to find a silver cuff looking thing, it's ours. It fell off Abby's wrist somewhere along the trick-or-treating route.

I love it when I capture the few moments where they are getting along. :)

The mighty Spider Man!

The cutest Wonder Woman around!

Happy Halloween everyone!

Where o Where Has My Patience Gone?

I'll be the first to admit that I am not a very patient person. The last several days however, my patience seems to be completely gone. I know having patience is a choice, and by not exercising it, it shows how truly weak I am.

In the midst of all that has happened the past few months, I seem to have forgotten that I am so blessed. Even when I am at my wit's end and have yelled at my kids for the umpteenth time, they seem to amaze me. Like today, I yelled at Abby for not getting her shoes on. Hello! She's only two. And Micah, I yelled at him for not putting the pillows back on the couch correctly. Like he has any idea what order the pillows should be in. Even after all that, Abby still wanted me to hold her tonight when she somehow got spooked in the dark. She snuggled her little head up into my neck and then relaxed her whole body as if to say, "I know you're struggling with your patience right now mom, but your touch still makes me feel better." And then Micah, instead of being defensive with me for yelling at him, he comes up to me and says, "Mom, remember, we are happy when we all work together."

Here are a few reminders of how blessed I really am...

I had to run to WalMart today, and as I usually do lately, I got inpatient and frustrated with the kids for doing whatever it was they were doing. And because I was being inpatient, I decided that we would just grab McDonald's for dinner on our way out. After we ordered, we took the food to the car to eat when we got home. I had strapped the kids into their car seats when I reached into the bag and took out a french fry. As I put it into my mouth, Micah said, "I want one." Jokingly (really), I said, "No, it's mine." To which Micah replied, "Mom, don't you know what it means to share?"

Doesn't Abby look cute? Everyday, she lets me indulge myself and dress her up in what I think are adorable little ensembles. She's patient with me as I play with her hair, dress her, and usually even accessorize her.

After all of this, how can I not be patient, especially with my sweet children who love me unconditionally and forgive me daily for my weaknesses? Starting right now, I'm going to try harder. I will be more patient. My kids deserve it. :)

Popi's Funeral

Popi's funeral was on Monday. It was so sad to say "goodbye for now," but was a beautiful tribute to a wonderful man.

Heath and his brothers, as well as all of Michael's brothers were the Pallbearers.

The casket is identical to the one Jared was buried in.

My mother-in-law, Jean Ann. Words can not even express the depth of her sadness.

Popi loved Michael Jordan. The boys had this floral arrangement made special for him. I know he would have loved it.

Heath, Ian, Jeremy, Jean Ann, and Josh. There are two empty spaces in this picture. Jared and Michael are missed so much.

Heath and his aunt, Susan.

This isn't a very good picture, but I was touched at the way Ian took care of his mom at the graveside ceremony. It was so sweet and loving.

Great grandpa Garner. He lost his wife in July, his grandson in August, and now his son, in October.

Jared's headstone. He is buried right next to Popi.

The back of Jared's headstone. This was the first time we had seen the headstone. It was hard to see it and to see Michael's final resting place right next to it.

We love you, Popi!

We Love You, Popi!

Popi (Heath's father) passed away today. He had a massive stroke on Monday. I can't even begin to express how sad our family is. Having the gospel in our lives is a huge comfort, but it does not take away the sting we feel at having lost someone so important to us. Popi was a wonderful father to Heath, a great father-in-law to me, and a loving grandfather to Micah and Abby. We love you, Popi and will miss you so much. How grateful we are to know that we will see you again.

This picture was taken in July, at great grandma Garner's funeral. Popi was so good to her. He visited great grandma and grandpa everyday and helped them out in so many ways. He mowed their lawn, weeded, ran errands, and sat with them when they needed him most. I'm sure that great grandma was there to greet her son this morning. But, I also think she was probably a bit sad that his time on earth with his family was cut so short.

Abby loved it when Popi held her. I think she liked that he was tall and she could see the world from his perspective.

Heath was really proud of this picture. Four generations of Garner men.

Top L to R Heath & Micah

Bottom L to R Michael & Great Grandpa

Micah and Popi. Micah loved that Popi shared his dogs with him. He also loved watching the stars with Popi. It hurts to think that Micah and Abby did not get enough time with him.

In this picture, Popi was getting ready to go home, after a visit to our house. Micah did not want him to go. I think that says a lot.

Ian, Gammy, Micah, Popi

We love you all so much.

Josh, Popi, Jeremy, Ian, Heath & Micah at Jared's funeral in August. I know Jared was there to meet Popi too.

This is Popi at Jared's funeral. Just like he always did- he was taking care of great grandpa. Even in the midst of his own pain, at the loss of his son, he was guiding grandpa and making sure he was taken care of and protected.

I am so fortunate to be a member of the Garner family. From day one, they took me in and have loved and accepted me as if I was their own. I loved my quiet conversations with Michael and the humor he so frequently shared with me. I loved his gentleness with Micah and Abby, and they way he showed them how much they were loved. He will be greatly missed.

We love you, Popi!

Micah & Abby

This is how I found Abby the other day... reading to herself. She was saying things like, "pretty," "book," "rella (Cinderella)."

Micah and Abby were so excited when they got to pick these pumpkins from our garden. We only got two, but as long as they each got one, they were happy. Micah took the big one and gave the smaller one to Abby. He said, "You can't hold this one, Abby. You don't have enough strong."

Every year, Gammy sends Micah and Abby a Halloween package. One of the items in this year's package was a foam "Haunted Tree" kit. Here are the kids with the finished product. They are so proud of it.

The other day, Micah and his friend, Micah (yep) were walking around with their arms around each other saying, "We're best friends." How fun is it to have your best friend live right across the street and have the same name as you?

Micah's Birthday

I was reading through some old posts and realized that somehow, I completely neglected to blog about Micah's birthday. :( How could I forget pics of my baby's 4th birthday? Well, I guess it's better late than never. ..

Micah turned 4 on April 15, 2009. He was so excited to turn 4 and to have a party. We just did a little family party, but it was all the same to him. As long as he got presents, he was happy.

It's funny to think that Micah is four. He has grown so much in four short years. He has gone from the baby who never napped, to the 4 year old who never stops. :) He is full of energy and excitement for life. Micah loves to play with Abby and his friends. It totally makes his day when someone calls and asks for him to go play at their house. He loves Star Wars, Super Heroes, cars, riding bikes, jumping on the trampoline, and swimming. He loves to color and he adores books. His preschool teacher actually recommended that we buy him a set of encyclopedias. He is so smart and loves to learn about the weather, bugs, and animals. He also loves the computer and has completed a full year of the Waterford program.

Micah is such a good boy and we are so blessed to have him. He brings love and light into our home and we couldn't love him more.

And now, the pics....

Even though you can't tell, he was happy in this pic. I think it was about the 100th picture I had taken and he was just tired of it. In the corner of the pic, you can see his Star Wars play set. It had Anakin, a cool spaceship, and a bunch of other characters that only Micah knows their names.

Pinocchio dvd. Thanks Gammy!

Micah and Zoey opening yet another Star Wars toy. You can already see his purple light saber in the picture. You can also see the cool SpiderMan art set that uncle Beau got him.

A tie! Thanks uncle Beau!

Micah had been eyeing this shirt at Target for quite some time. I think he was in shock when he opened it and realized that he finally got it. Thanks Abby! You all have probably seen him wearing it, because even 6-months later, it's still his favorite.

Hullabaloo from Cory, Danae, Zoey & Colston. It is the funnest game for preschoolers.

Look at Micah's haul....

Micah's birthday was right before Easter, so we had a little Easter Egg hunt for the kids.

Abby enjoying some chocolate.

Sorting out all the treats from the Easter Egg Hunt.

"Storm Tuber" Mr. Potato Head. The perfect gift for a Star Wars maniac. Thanks Gammy!

I can't remember what this present was. That's what happens when you wait 6-months before posting something. :(

Micah's big ticket item- a cool "Big Boy" bike from Grandma & Grandpa!

We love you Micah and can't wait for many, many more birthdays!

Kids Say the Darndest Things

The other day, I was loading the kids into the car, so we could go to the park. Micah picked up this little Jack-o-Lantern, that Gammy gave him awhile ago, and put it in the car. I told him that he couldn't take it to the park because it could get lost or dirty. He looked at me and said, "But mom, pumpkins like parks too."

Today, when Micah got home from preschool, I noticed pink marks on his pants. I said, "Micah, did you get paint on your pants?"

He said, "No."

I said, "It looks like you colored on your pants."

With a totally serious look on his face, he said, "I think one of the crayons came alive and colored on my pants."

Abby is starting to talk quite a bit. She is putting a couple of words together now. Today, she was looking at herself in the mirror and kept saying, over and over, "So cute. So cute."

Gotta love 'em! And, I do. :)

Yeah for Daddy!

Rarely do a I blog about anything other than the kids and what fun things they are doing. Today, I want to give a great big shout out to the silent strength in our family- dad!

This summer has been a difficult one for our family, and especially for Heath. Not only was he laid off from his job in May, but he lost his grandmother in July, and his brother in August. During this time he was also called to be the Stake Young Men's President. Amidst all the pain, I watched him dedicate himself to looking for jobs, helping with funeral plans and expenses, and learn and carry out a very time consuming new calling. And, just like he always does, he did it with a quiet respect and courage. I think I took that strength for granted, and when Jared died, I saw Heath's vulnerability, maybe for the first time in my life. He let us be there for him. But, he plowed through the pain and frustration and kept being the great dad and husband that he has always been.

After a summer full of pain and disappointment, Heath was offered a job last week. It's a great job and I think he will really enjoy it. One of the best things about it is that it is just down the street, so Heath can come home for lunch. It's fun to be able to see dad in the middle of the day.

Anyway, here are a few pics of Heath and the many ways he makes our lives so good.

I think we need a new family picture. :)

Heath and Micah at Lower Mesa Falls in Idaho.

Here is Heath reffing a Stake YM flag football game. Most Thursday's, you can find him on the field, officiating some kind of tournament that he has put together for the boys in our stake.

We love you, dad!

Happy Birthday Abby!

Our little Abby turned 2-years-old on Thursday, October 1st. I can't believe how quickly she is growing up. I can't help but remember how much she loved to snuggle when she was first born. She would constantly find her way into the crook of my neck and then just relax her whole body. I loved it. I remember her cute little cooing noises and the little sighs she would make while she was sleeping. Now, she's a little girl who loves to play with her babies. Every morning, she wraps them up in their blankets, puts them in her strollers, and pushes them around the house. Periodically, she puts them in her crib or in Micah's bed and then gives me the "shhhh" sign to let me know that they are sleeping. Abby also loves her big brother and follows him around like a little puppy dog. When Micah is home, no one else exists. She does whatever he does and looks at him as if he is the greatest thing in the world. Abby is our little angel who brings spunk and smiles to our life. She is constantly smiling and trying to make us laugh. She does the cutest "Igor" and doggie impersonations. If she thinks someone is upset with her, she quickly busts into one of the impersonations to make us forget all about it. She has blessed our lives so much and we couldn't love her more.

We had her birthday party on Thursday too. Here are some pics of her special day.

We gave her two presents first thing in the morning. Abby is quite the little fashionista and she absolutely loves the cute little crocheted beret. In this pic, she is bursting with excitement about opening this present.

Taking the bow off....

Getting a little help from grandpa...

Ah ha! It's a princess tent!

Can you tell that she LOVES it? She played peek-a-boo all day. She even put her babies to sleep in it.

This is Grandma and Grandpa at Abby's party. We had pizza and salad on Spongebob plates.

Here are uncle Cory (my brother), Colston (Cory's son), aunt Danae (Cory's wife), our good friend, Lauren, and uncle Beau (my brother).

Proud daddy!

Abby, Micah, and Zoey (Cory & Danae's daughter). Notice Abby's adorable tiara. It was totally blinged out and said, "Birthday Girl" on it.

Cory and his son, Colston

Grandpa wearing the "Birthday Girl" tiara. Doesn't he look happy? We were so glad that he was feeling well enough to party with us. The doctor's have been giving him a new drug and it has really helped with the nausea.

Abby was super sweet about letting Micah and Zoey help with the present opening. This present was from Cory, Danae, Zoey and Colston. It was the new Barbie Fairy-tastic Princess doll. It's super cute and Abby adores it. Notice how Aunt Danae decorated the wrapping paper so cute.

Abby's new Belle doll. Thanks Uncle Beau and Lauren! She's been sleeping with Belle every night since her birthday.

Playing with Barbie while watching Micah and Zoey open one of her gifts.

Abby loves this Princess keyboard. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

Micah was so proud to give Abby his gift to her. It was a "My Little Pony" remote control scooter. He saw it weeks before her birthday and just knew that was what he wanted to give her.

Abby's gift from mom and dad- a pink shopping cart filled with play food. She pushes it everywhere. She piles it as high as she can without things spilling out. She even puts her babies in it.

This is a picture of everyone helping out and putting toys together. It seemed like every toy needed some kind of assembly or batteries. Everyone was great and took one toy, so we had it all done in no time.

The other gift from mom and dad- a Little People Princess castle. It came complete with Princess, Prince, white horse, castle furniture, and many more fun things. Abby put it right next to Micah's Batman bat cave. It's so cute seeing them play with their little playhouses together.

Spongebob cake. It turned out sooooo cute!

Abby blowing out her candle. She was so tired by the end of the night. I put her to bed really late. I just laid her down and she was asleep before I left her room. What a great ending to a great day.

We love you so much, Abigail Valerie Garner! Happy Birthday and here's to many, many more...