Angel Girl

"Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." ~Berthold Auerbach

Sweet Boy

"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."-- Elizabeth Stone

Ben's First Bite--Carrots Mmmmm!

"People often ask me, 'What's the difference between couplehood and babyhood?' In a word? Moisture. Everything in my life is now more moist. Between your spittle, your diapers, your spit-up and drool, you got your baby food, your wipes, your formula, your leaky bottles, sweaty baby backs, and numerous other untraceable sources--all creating an ever-present moistness in my life, which heretofore was mainly dry."-- Paul Reiser

Overalls!!

Okay so I have this overall fetish as of late and I just couldn't resist taking pictures after getting the kids dressed today. I told Rachel to hold Benny up so he wouldn't fall over. She did, like a good big sister...then she let go---TIMMMMMBERRRRR!!! She get's the biggest kick out of watching him fall over - typical 2 year old! Love those BLUE EYED BABIES!!!

Good Luck?!?

Let me start by saying that February was a beast of a month for the Gardner Family. Paul had a lot going on at the seminary trying to wrap up the trimester (parent-teacher conferences, grading, passing out make-up work, calling parents, etc.). My sweet Grandma Watts lost her short battle with cancer and passed away. Then, as if that wasn't enough, we were sick ALL DANG MONTH!! So call me crazy for accepting this as a good luck charm, but I take anything I can get at this point. Monday I was making breakfast for dinner and as I cracked an egg into the bowl pictured above, TWO yolks came out! TWINS! You can see in the picture that the two egg yolks on top are smaller than the two on bottom. Those four yolks came from three eggs. I couldn't believe it. Paul said that happened to him all the time growing up. I don't believe him. Maybe it did, and maybe I'm weird for thinking that this is the coolest most LUCKY thing to happen (I don't get out much okay?!) - but hey like I said, hopefully this is a preview of coming attractions for the month of March, because if March is anything like February was, I'll just skip it and go straight to April, thanks!

Cute Cousins!

This video was actually made the week before Ben was born. Kent (Paul's older brother), Kristin, Bella, and Harry came to Vernal to visit. We went to dinner, painted apron's with the kids' handprints for G&G Gardner's Christmas present, and had a grand time! Too bad Benny missed it by a week!

Sleepy Boy

I think Ben is teething. He has been slobbering and chewing hard on my fingers all day. He hasn't had a nap either - he just whines and clings to me. I finally had to put him down in his exersaucer so I could fix dinner. He wasn't happy with me - but after crying for a while he fell asleep! Poor kid. After taking pictures I picked him up and he had dents in his forhead from his toys - sweet baby.

Sick Sick Sick!

How is everyone feeling this February? Sick? Us too. That nasty flu that has been crawling through Utah made a major stop at the Gardner house. Ben had RSV for 2 weeks. Fortunately we caught it early enough that he didn't have to be hospitalized but we did have to give him breathing treatments every 6 hours for a week. This meant that I had to wake him up in the middle of the night to give him a treatment which ruined his wonderful 7-hours-a-night sleeping record. Even though he is better now he still wakes up once in the middle of the night---BLAST! Paul, Rachel, and I had a nasty case of the flu. We all stayed home sick on Paul's birthday last Wednesday. :( This thing seriously knocked us out for 2 whole weeks so for anyone else out there who is fight the flu - we feel your pain!

Thumb Sucker

Well it is official. We have a thumb sucking child. I (Natalie) was a thumb sucker when I was little. Rachel never really liked her thumb, she prefers a binky - which stinks because binkys get lost...thumbs don't. Ben sucks his thumb just like I did, with his first finger hooked over his nose to keep his hand in an optimal position and not floating all over the place (thumb sucking is an art you know!) The bad thing is, binkys can be taken away...thumbs can't. Oh well we'll see how long it lasts. If anyone has any good tricks to stop thumb sucking that I can use in the future let me know. :)