The Brethren and Me..... the early years: reunions

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

...teething and tired

Jack-et survived the party in pretty good condition!

Hangin' with "the crew" and grandma...

We began the day with the photo shoot in front of Grandma's house...

the first real Gardiner family picture that I can

remember in 10 and 1/2 years of marriage!

Doesn't the family look FanTastic

in their white shirts?!

SERIOUSLY! They have GOT to be the best looking brethren in the WORLD!

The First Place Medal!

Daddy's work-out includes;

baby bjorn for back strength and toddler lifting for the bicepts.

SOOO...Uncle Alan, probably the most health concious person we know is to be the responsible party for Jack-ets inevitable demise from...

JUNK FOOD ?! !

TWO-OF-A-KIND

(l-r) Seth-Clyde...in case you couldn't tell

The "FEET OF TERROR"

Monte Birk is holding his own with the "crew"

see my Clyde in the corner? His foot balloon was one of the first to pOp!

The 2-1 and Human Pretzle RELAY!

Clyde with cousin Elise

Little did we know Uncle Alan could...

"SOAK IT UP!"

"BY THE SEAT OF

YOUR PANTS!"

Elise, Alexa, Hana

Aunt Joy, Brit

Let the competition begin!

"The OLYMPIC RING"

Aunt Joy, Clyde, Uncle Alan

Daddy and Seth
Monte Birk

I was in charge of the activities for the reunion-in-a day...So in honor of the Olympic Games that are taking place in China we had our own version in Utah...

the "OlyMpicS!"

"THE GUN MEN"

We began the events by making our marshmallow guns to be used thru-out the day as a deterrent to team defectors and for use in some of the Olympic events. Basically to altogether antagonize all of the adults at the party and make a gooey sticky mess of Grandma's back yard with 3 bags of mini-marshmallows!!

Aunt Jan designed and made the shirts for us. Aren't they AweSoMe?!

OLYMPIC FLAGS

The Olympics began with the making of team flags...

The "COUGAR CREW"

a tough team consisting of the biggest talk (Uncle Tim) and the sweetest love (Grandma) Other competitors inlcude Hana, Mabby, Ryan, Uncle Monte, Eric and Seth.

Team "SUPER HOT"

Don't be fooled by their good looks...they drive a hard punch! Team members: Allie, Aunt Jan, Monte Birk, AJ, Patton, Brit, Alexa, Aunt Margot

Team "RED HOT TAMALES"

Andrew, Uncle Alan, Emma, Tanner, Aunt Joy, Lindsay, Elise, Clyde

They smile kindly and fight like tigers!

THE GARDINER FAMILY REUNION

(in-a-day)

this if my heroic FIRST try at blogging!!

The photographer was posing from the front row to the back for the "LARGE" family picture. ...HELLO! Babies first? Personally I was AMAZED to find that the brethren could sit still long enough to insert all other 22 people + grandma's dog, Tonks, into the photo! (said photographer still has the big picture in the works...)
Thanks to Aunt Margot for snapping a great shot of my little family while we waited (I'm all for instant gratification)...obviously I liked it...it's my title page!

Quote of the Day

October 10, 10

There was a blinding hail storm the other night. Beautiful and yet frightening all the same. Monte woke Seth and Clyde from almost sleep to see it. Seth was was impressed with how cool it was and Clyde, more than a little frightened asked his Dad, "Is Heavenly Father mad at us?"

September 10, 10

Clyde "HOLY SWEEEEET BABY CARROTS!!"

December 25, 09

We were riding bikes Christmas morning in the front yard and Seth brought out the Godiva chocolates that Santa had left in my stocking. I gave each boy one but only one because, "they are very rich." (I was referring to how smooth and rich tasting they were.) To which Seth replied, "Does that mean you buy them?"

November 27, 09

Clyde saying the family evening prayer, "Our gracious Heavenly Father please bless the baby that's in mommy's... (thoughtful pause) please bless a new baby to be in mommies tummy..." Because he told me the other day that we lost our baby and "we're all just a little bit sad."

November 3, 2009

Monte Birk rambling on to our carpooler on the way to school this morning, "We have bunk beds too! And then when the baby is born we're getting another set and Seth will sleep on top and Jack will be on the bottom in our room and we'll save Seth's smaller bed for the baby when he's big enough...and then I hope we'll stop having babies." (by the way, we aren't finding out what the baby is, we just all say "he" because that's what we do at our house!)

September 24, 2009

Clyde, "Mom, I hope I like the new baby." Mom, "Oh, I'm sure you will Clyde, why wouldn't you?" Clyde, "It's just that I don't like Jack all that much." After a morning of Mom making him share with his brother.

August 23, 2009

Clyde's evening prayer, "Thank you Heavenly Father that I can grow up to be Batman."

August 2, 2009

This morning we made home made wheat bread and sweet rolls...tonight at dinner Monte Birk said, "Mom? If they declare me President someday I'm going to make you my baker."

July 30, 2009

We were leaving COSTCO and I left the boys outside with the cart while I went back in quickly to check and see, "...if our film is finished yet." All three replied, "Mom, what's film?"

April, 2009

I was borrowing some choir music from a girlfriend in another ward. Clyde was with me and asked,"Mommy, what are we doing?" I light heartedly said, "Oh, we're just stealing a little of this music." To which he replied, "NO, Mommy...you can't do that then you would feel like Satan!"

January 12, 2009

I brought the big boys on a surprise date to Utah to play in the snow. We returned this morning and for FHE tonight we talked Monte Sr. through our trip by showing him all of our pictures. When we came on a particularly striking photo of Seth doing something silly he laughed and said, "Mommy, I just LOVE myself!"

December 29, 2008

This morning when I tried to close my eyes for a few more minutes of much needed sleep. Clyde told me, "Mommy, wake up it isn't sleep time, the sun is up." Well, this is something I hear ALL the time when I try to take any sort of nap around the boys. So I explained to him that I needed some extra rest to be a good mommy today and he said, "Well that's OK, just shut your brain off and keep your eyes open." He's right...THAT makes a good mommy!

December 21, 2008

Upon opening their presents (transformers) from Grandpa at the family party Seth exlcaimed, "MOM! I've wanted this ever since I was a little kid!" Clyde said, "Grandpa is the bestest grandpa in the whole wide world to give us these!" and Monte Birk practically hyperventilated when he received his Pokemon gift! It really was a great family party.

November 24, 2008

Monte Birk is desperately trying to learn to belch. (This is important to a 6 year old boy.) Upon making a few small burps he tells me at lunch today, "listen mom, listen, the smell of sweet success!"

November 20, 2008

Monte Birk telling me about his friend's brother. "Mom he is 12. I mean he is so BIG,he's 12...mom, he's HUGE!"

November 15, 2008

Seth "Dear Heavenly Father, thank you that I could play soccer today and get my trophy. Thank you that I could go on a family walk today and that I got my trophy, thank you for my family and that I could get my trophy, I love you Heavenly Father..."

November 14, 2008

Seth (after breaking a zipper off of some packaging) I broke it mom! See Clyde? I am sooo strong I break everything!

October 2, 2008

We were sitting with our boys in the stake center waiting for the tri-stake conference to be broadcast today. Much like General Conference the large screens had a numerical countdown til the broadcast began. I was so proud of how reverent my guys were being, it seemed like I had more wiggles than they did. And then Clyde looked up at me and whispered, "Mommy, when do we blast off?" I counted down 5-4-3-2-1 and on my way down his little face filled with something right between excitement and pure terror! Oh to be 4 again!

October 10, 2008

Clyde..."Daddy? I love you...but I hate your singing." (Phew, so glad he didn't say that one to me!"

September 14, 2008

Seth, "girls are mommies, boys are kids."

September 10,2008

Clyde was playing with the pop up hamper over his head acting like R2D2... Seth had a remote control and was giving him commands...I said, "Seth would you like a hamper too so you can be a robot?" Clyde said, "Yeah Seth, that's a good idea then we can be twins!"

September 7,2008

Clyde: "Mom, I had a great dream last night"

Mom: "Oh really? What was it?"

Clyde: "It was Woody and Buzz with NO ZURG!"
(have you seen 'Toy Story'?)

AND

Seth came into the family room climbed onto the couch and looked into the big mirror hanging above it. He put both hands to his cheeks and looked very intently at his face. Then he says into the mirror with a little consternation, "Oh man...I'm still a twin!"

September 3, 2008

Clyde was tired and quite pensive a few days ago and I suggested that we lay down together and enjoy a little quiet time on his bed alone. As we lay there cuddling he looked at me and said so sweetly, "Mommy, I don't want to grow up." he had my heart in his hands...thinking how sweet he was not wanting to grow up and leave his Mommy...until I asked him, "why?" and he replied, "I don't want to be a Bishop."

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