Why not just put it out there?

We lost another baby last week.

Same age as the one in November.

This one was a girl.

I'm tired, discouraged, and sore.

YUCK

Snippets

All of my past blogs have been for the eventuality of "slurping"? them into a scrap book for future generations. After over a year of blogging, people telling me that the blogger site "dumbs down" your pictures anyway, and NO BOOK...I've decided it ain't gonna happen. So it will only be snippets of our lives. My favorites, because I am MoM and MoM get's to decide what is the best...RigHt?!

Snippets...

...like this morning when my FantaStiC hubby told me that "time was passing us by" and I needed to get a video camera. I was given a dollar ammount to shoot for and free reign to shop. (the 1st grade musical is today at 1:30) Walking into Wal Mart I find NO DISPLAY CAMERA's...where are they? "Oh, they're ALL over here in the cart ALL %50 off...we're making room for the new models." I bought 2 for the price of 1, walked them both over to Best Buy across the parking lot, asked which one to keep (the Wal Mart associate didn't know much and quite frankly neither do I) proceeded right back to Wallie to return the "more difficult" of the camera's and now sit at home charging my new video camera. I'm hoping to get enough juice into it for the solo Monte Birk has as 1:30. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father does care about the little things.

Evan's Funeral

H. Evan Gardiner

October 20, 1968-January 16, 2010

(Monte's brother)

I know God lives. I know we will see Evan again. I know that the Plan of Salvation is the only way to find true happiness not just in this life but for eternity. I am grateful for the temple that provides insights and blessings to us while we are here on this earth. I know that families are eternal.

I know.

Jan Jordan (Monte's sister)

Alan Gardiner (Monte's brother)

Joy and Tim (Monte's sister and her husband)

Margot and Joy (Evan's wife)
Jan and Monte
Joy and Monte
Karen (My sister) Annie, Monte and Jack

Margot was the picture of decorum and strength. The services were perfect. Margot wrote a tribuite to Evan that her father read for her. Joy gave his life history. Monte also gave a tribute to Evan. I sang. The nieces and nephews sang a primary medley. (Ryan and Lindsay included) Alan dedicated the grave and Jan conducted the singing. Janet held strong. What a wonderful family I have been privileged to be sealed to in the temple of God.

Evan (Monte's Brother)

http://mgardinergazette.blogspot.com/

Happy New Year

I should really post the video of MB at midnight. He worked SO HARD to stay awake and fell asleep with 3 minutes to go! We tried and tried to wake him to no avail!! Carrying him upstairs to bed just after the ball dropped he woke up completely distraught!! I had to pull up the internet to find a re-run of the ball dropping online.

the race is ON!!

the pay off

No gift has ever had a bigger pay off than this face when he opened the nintendo DS from MoM and DaD (thank you Game Stop for the awesome-ness of your used items)!

...and then there was Christmas...

See the controlled (and smiling) AweSOmE big Bro holding tight to the escapee in this shot?

MoM and DaD rocked it this year with plasma cars...and Scooters...

Seriously...do they come any cuter or more fun than this guy?!!
SaNtA didn't do so bad either setting up this 'ol trampoline all by himself. Mrs. Clause was cold and tired in the house getting the rest done.

Phoenetically speaking

I LOVE that he reads at a 3rd grade level and writes...

The Arnetts

I stole this off of facebook

It's my baby brother and his GORGEOUS wife and baby

I think they are AweSOmE!

SaNtA

Gingerbread Houses

After last year I swore I wouldn't ever bake my own again...this year I baked 3. So much for my conviction! Monte Birk took extra special care with his front yard as you can see.

I actually made them wait for Christmas day to eat it all up. Not that some nibbling didn't precede Christmas!

This is why we had 3 houses! Cole cousins and Buehler cousins came and played with us!

Not only was it house decorating time. It's Aunt Karen's Birthday on Christmas Eve too. She doesn't normally get a cake with all the Christmas treats around, you know sharing your bithday celebrations with someone can be a little daunting, so this was kind-of special! CraZySuB sandwiches to boot! Doesn't get any better than that!

I make candle lickin' frosting if I do say so myself!

Family Party

This is The MaN

it's his ParTy

he feEdS us

he keeps the tAleNTs moving along

He TeAcHEs us of CHRIST.

This is Jacks "are you serious?" face

This is Monte and Seth listening to the other's talents

And I just liked these.

above: Karen and Kalena

below: Lanie and Kendall

These are my shepherds. Clyde and Monte

(Seth wasn't into it this year)

For our talents this year Monte Birk played the Piano and Seth and Clyde played their bells and sang. Since time was short this yera mom and dad got out of playing their flutes! Kind-of sad about that but there's always next year!

HaY RiDe/LiGht ParAdE

Our AweSOmE NeiGHboRs have this HUGE trailer that has been parked in front of my house for a couple of weeks now. This trailer has $50. worth of rented hay on it...go figure eh? It's been used for the mutual's annual caroling ride, the Relief Societies progressive dinner, and a Laurel's progressive dinner. I've been on it quite a few times...the kids...NADA...NOTHIN'! It kills them to have it parked right in front of our house! These AweSOmE NeiGHboRs, we like to call them the JuDDs, invited us to join with them in a light parade last Friday evening. So much fun! It was in a 50+ golfing community. The Desert Ridge High marching band led the parade and along side our trailer there were tons of DeCkEd OuT golf carts! AmaZiNg what some lights and color can do to those things!

In an effort to make it extra special I got ambitious and made us all matching PJ's to wear for the guys debut parade!

There was a special rider on our float as well.
By the end there was hay stuck all over our new Jammies. However, there was hot cocoa and cookies too!! Never under estimate cocoa and cookies after an hour and 1/2 parade!