Costume Fun

Every year I say, "We are going to keep it simple. No big Halloween costumes, just use whatever is in the boxes." But every year we get such fun ideas for costumes, I can't help myself from creating something fun for not very much. The thing i've found with this approach t is, when you don't what to spend a lot of money, you trade what you save, for time you spend.

However, it is the time well spent with each kid that makes the time worth the effort. Even with a big kid like Wes. It was fun watching his design for his Key Blade, come to reality. Some PVC pipe, fittings, spray paint cardboard and lots of hot glue, put all together made for a pretty great looking prop for the Kingdom Hearts video game hero, "Sora" he portrayed. We shopped Salvation Army for the pants and vest (actually a ladies jacket transformed) Target for a cheap t-shirt, cut the fingers off of some gloves and ironed on some designs for fun. The hair was grown out for a couple months just for this character. You can't beat "Got 2 B Glued" Freeze spray for that amazing permanent wind blown look! Way to go Wes! Jaren and Brittan's costumes were really fun and pretty simple they made great Violets and Dashes from The Incredibles. Rilyn made a very cute Hippie and Teagan did use the Robin costume we put together last year, from the box.

No much else got accomplished besides costume creating and trick or treating today - hey, that was fun!

Look it's Dash!

Jaren say's, "Trick or Treating is Incredible!"

Jaren's Pumpkin

Rally's are Fun!!!

Yes on 8 Statewide Media Bus Tour Proves to be a Success
Yesterday wrapped up the very successful "Stand Up for Traditional Marriage" bus tour. After launching the tour last Monday in Sacramento to an enthusiastic crowd at Riverside Wesleyan church, we ended our statewide journey at Skyline Church in San Diego with a strong crowd of over 1,000 supporters. Nearly every single television station in San Diego covered our rally and witnessed hundreds of people expressing their commitment to restore the traditional definition of marriage on Election Day. - This was fun I went with my Mom and we yelled and chanted, got fired up by some super good pulpit pounding preachers and other leaders of the Protect Marriage organization. The best thing they said was . "It's one thing to cheer and wave signs in a parking lot, it's another to leave from here, make phone calls, and volunteer to help get the voters out!"

Happy Birthday Rilyn!

Rilyn turned 9! The highlight for all of our birthday girls is to go shopping with grandma Carpenter! It is such a fun day out when you are with Grandma. Can't believe it has been 9 years since we brought home our tiny little 5lbs. baby Ri! What a creative, energetic, happy and loving girl you are! Love You!

Rilyn makes Peter Pan Jr. Theater

Rilyn is excited to be in the upcoming production of "Oliver!" by the Peter Pan Jr. Theater. If you know Rilyn, this should be just her "cup of tea". She will be acting, singing and dancing with the workhouse kids and Fagan's gang during the show. The production will be this Spring , March 30 - April 4, 2009 at the Joan B. Kroc Theatre. Hope to see you there!

Funny Picture

See the toy car Jaren is holding? Actually it is not a car at all, it is a very flat plate you can eat off of. But in this picture, it looks like a 3D toy car. Weird.

Happy 3rd Brithday Jaren!!!

Jaren rides the Merry-Go-Round. He said, "It goes fast!"

Happy Birthday to you! Those presents had lots of Thomas Train Toys. Choo choo!

Jaren has a chocolate shake to celebrate.

It is hard to smile small when you've got so much happy inside!

A Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

If you have a pre-schooler you've got to make a Pumkin Patch trip! It was fun, thank you Jaren!

Safe

This is the acoustic version, the band plays it as well, sounds great- one of my favorites.

P B 7:10 Beach Club - "Battle for theNice Guy"

Can't Help But Love Him

Grandma says he's spoiled. He probably is ..just a little, but just look at him!
Cute, cute, cute. That's it, just caught me in a bragging moment- sorry. (not really)

A Little Boys Dream Come True

 
Jaren loves big machines. Bulldozers, backhoes, scrapers and dump trucks. You name it he loves them. For mom and me "field trips" I scout the area for local areas that are being dug up or built up using big machines. The next day or so Jaren and I pack a lunch, walk or drive to the area, park, make ourselves comfortable and take in the live show. It is so fun. This morning the "show" was right in front of our driveway! Jaren must have been praying for this one for a while.

The Picts

kamden and tyler in the fall

Hello all,
I may have changed my name, but I'm sure as heck still part of the Gardner Gang, and Tyler has been adopted into us too. We are here in Provo, I'm a full time student in the Elementary Education Major at BYU and I just started a new job working with some research with a dual immersion scho0ol up in Salt Lake City, I miss my missionaries a lot but know this job is a huge blessing and a great opportunity. Tyler is taking a couple classes but working full time for an internet coaching company and doing very well as a manager there. We are so happy, and loving being married, we tell each other everyday how lucky we are to have such a sweet relationship. It's been so fun to have Caitlin up here too, it's awesome to have family close, I've waited for that for seven years.
This past weekend was conference and we had some people from my mission staying with us it was there first time in Utah and at conference, what an amazing experience it was to see their eyes light up with tears to see the prophet only a few rows in front of them and feeling the strength of the saints in the conference center. Edgar was the one strong baptism I saw baptized and to the temple and still remains strong. Being with him at conference and having him in my home was so powerful. Unforgettable. What a blessing it was to have all of these sweet friends in my own home with my husband when they had given me so much as a missionary. I felt it such a privilege that they would think of me to host them of all the missionaries that they could have called I love them. It was so great to hear Tyler speaking spanish and interacting and loving these people who mean so much to me too. I can't wait to get to his mission someday and feel that same for those wonderful saints of El Salvador. What a blessing it is to live in these days. United in the faith, united in Christ.

a hello from caitlin noel

GAHHHH! I just spent 2 hours writing this REALLY LONG POST! and now it's gone. Story of my existence.

Sorry mom, I tried. Maybe I'll give it a GO some other time. Goodness gracious, SO frustrating! :(

Here are some pictures.
1) Sunday Conference... @ Emily and Cory's
2) Lynette and I after the Spectacular (Neither of us look amazing, but you get the idea)
3) Yeah. Just me... the crazy one.
4) A pic from today.

No More Brace Face!

Brittan found her smile today...it was missing for two years! Cheese!

Stand For Something!

I get it now.

I've really always understood the importance of protecting marriage and of course I would vote yes on Prop 8. But until a few weeks ago I didn't see the big picture. But now I do and I'm feeling a bit ticked off.

You know we are told to be nice, to respect others and even love everyone. I know this is true. But somehow I feel like we have "being niced" ourselves into being taken advantaged of. I think of this past conference and the references to the Book of Mormon example of Amalickiah poisoning Lehonti by degrees, so that he could accomplish his ultimate goal of taking over the kingdom of the Lamanites. (Alma 47) I feel we too are being poisoned by degrees.

I was talking to a friend of mine about Prop 8 and we agreed whole heartily about everything it encompasses. I offered some bumper stickers for their cars. My friend said they would put them on one of their cars but not the one that was driven to work. They explained that their boss was a Lesbian and they were fearful of offending her if she saw the bumper sticker.

What the Heck?! What about us?!

I'm greatly offended that if we don't stop being afraid of offending someone simply because we are professing our beliefs, soon we may not have the very right to believe and worship as we do now.

I will come clean about this, I admit when Prop 8 bumper stickers became available I was hesitate to put it on my car. First I am not a bumper sticker person to begin with, but mostly it was because I pictured our new van being egged, keyed or otherwise vandalized by opponents of Prop 8. But last Sunday, everything sunk in and I decided I was not going to be intimidated anymore, I will not be slowly poisoned and allow my kingdom to be taken over. I put that bumper sticker on our car and have felt great about it ever since.

There have been many profound things said about this issue that I could share here, but for now I would like to type a quote I found given by a local pastor in our city. I don't know him and I don't attend his church, but I appreciate that he puts into words what I have been feeling about this whole thing but haven't been able to express adequately myself.

"My graduate studies are in historical theology and the history of the church. On rare occasions, there come 'tipping points,' times which, when viewed later, proved to be the 'hinges' of history. All historians recognize them a half century later. But the key is for discerning persons to recognize them as they are happening, and then respond appropriately.

"We are at one of those moments. This is THE major change point of the last few decades. While the abortion issue is a foundational issue, the marriage definition issue is a survival issue. No single social issue has threatened to forever muzzle Bible believing Christians like this contest.

"If we lose on this one, the culture loses. One person has astutely observed that ’we cannot win the culture war merely on Prop 8, but we can lose it on Prop 8.'

"It is imperative that all pastors and Christian leaders view this for what it is: an irretrievable moment, with profound and lasting consequences. We must vigorously support Prop 8, as if our ministries and our lives depend on it. Ultimately, they will."

-Dr. Jim Garlow
Senior Pastor
Skyline Wesleyan Church
CA
Leader, CA Pastors Rapid Response Team

Two different worlds one night

So Wednesday night we enjoyed Teagan's Evening with Ensemble concert. She did great, sang "Breakout" by Miley Cyrus, smiled, danced and "sold" the song. You go girl! Teagan is the fourth Gardner girl to sing in LMMS Ensemble.

After the show we dropped the kids off at home and headed to Pacific Beach. Weston's band was playing down in a little place called 7 10 right next to the pier. I hadn't been to PB for awhile and was surprised at how busy it was on a Wednesday night. Lots of restaurants, bar and grills packed with people and bands playing in all of them.

We found a parking place and found Weston and his band mates waiting outside with other bands and their instruments. Weston informed us the two bands that had canceled earlier that day showed up after all, so that had pushed back their playing time about an hour and a half.

We would have gone inside to hear some bands however, the noise (not music) that was coming out of the place was hideous. Weston said it was called "Scream-O" What? Scream- O? Have you ever heard this stuff? Wow. As we stood outside being assaulted from the inside, we discussed it and decided that this was the kind of "music" that was played in Hell. Wailing and gnashing of teeth for sure. Tortured souls definitely. One band after the other went in and screamed their guts out over ear piercing noise, they some how made come out of perfectly good instruments. The thing that got me was there were actual people in the club sitting at tables drinking and talking with the other people around them. It made me wonder,
1.) How could they hear?

2.) Why would they choose to be in a room where people were screaming at them? After all, who likes to be screamed at?

It was just very strange.

Doug and I had some time to kill so we took advantage of our time together and walked up the boardwalk, took in the beach scene and shared a banana split.

Soon we were paged and it was time to head back.

After their first song, Weston introduced his band as "the pop band that was invited to the rock show" They did awesome. What a great show they put on. It was so fun to listen to some good music by talented young musicians that were happy and positive.

The crowd actually listened and applauded.

"Hey everybody, welcome to the other side!"