Garner New Year 2011-12

HAPPY NEW YEAR PARTY

We celebrated with cousins at grandpa and grandma Garner's home. 

Reading books, playing games and having fun with cousins made it a happy new year indeed. 

Christmas Cabin 2011

CHRISTMAS CABIN 2011

We had a grand ol' christmas this year at a cabin in Idaho.  So much fun to be had including - COUSINS, hot tub, chimes, pajamas, nativity and sledding.  And these are just the things that were photographed.  We had many more good times.  The kids loved having christmas all together.  We had to wait to open presents until after church and it still was fun in our sunday best.  

Liam Loves Daddy

LIAM LOVES DADDY
Liam is a daddy's boy.  He likes to wear hats like dad. He runs excitedly to greet dad when he comes home.   He only wants dad to put him to bed.   Liam even knows the things daddy loves. When he finds newspaper, receipts, and remotes they are all taken to 'dada'.

Gabe at Play

GABE THE ARTIST
He loves creating art.  I believe, with no motherly bias, that he is quite good.
 His specialty is rainbow patterned everything.
I could have a colorful wall papered house with all that he has made.  

Can We Fix It? Yes We Can!
Our fence blew over in a wind storm.  We temporally adopted the neighbors dog.
So, Dad went out to fix it and Gabe got out his drill to 'help'. 

My Two Front Teeth

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

 IS MY TWO FRONT TEETH

Sophia has lost her first two teeth.  She is adorably toothless.  

The first lost tooth has opened the flood gates for many visits from the dear tooth fairy.  

Polar Express

 

MEETING SANTA ON THE POLAR EXPRESS

The kids had a cold and curious meeting with Santa.  It was scary for our littlest elf.   He was terrified of our bearded Christmas Celebrity.   The older  two elves, couldn't get enough of him.  They stared up at him with sparkling eyes hanging on every word he said.  Listening carefully to each response he gave to all of the questions the children asked.  My kids wanted to know how reindeer can fly and if rudolph is real?   Reindeer are the characters in question this year, I guess?   It was another successful trip on our self-made Polar Express 

(trax + cocoa/cookies + songs/book + some friends in wearing pj's and that = Polar Express). 

Sophia's Christmas Performances

DANCE AND SING FOR CHRISTMAS

Sophia had a couple of performances for Christmas.  Her dance class let the parents come and observe.  It was fun to see what she has been working on this year.  She focused and followed as best she could with all of us smiling and waving at her.   The school put on a Christmas around the world program.  She learned several new songs.  

Some in Spanish.   Que Bien Sophia. 

 FELIZ NAVIDAD A TODOS!

Temple Square

I CAN SEE THE LIGHTS

We took an overnight trip to Salt Lake.  

We were able to visit a the planetarium and temple square.  

We played in the hotel pool and snuggled up all together in our cozy room. 

 Temple square was chilly and bright.  It was a fabulous time together.  

Loveable Liam at 18 months

Liam Porter Wiseman

18 months

Little bubby is growing up quick.  He is learning new words daily.  Some most frequently used are "stu=Stuck, sna =snack, wa-wa = water.   The word he knows best is NO, because he hears that a lot.  He also has a name for Sophia -Wowo and Gabe - Bubu.   He has started to play with the big kids.  He colors and builds blocks just like his bro and sis.  Gabe and Liam have started playing well together, especially while Sophia is at school.  They give the best brother hugs.  Liam is the best lil' hugger around. He can cause a ruckus, but he will melt your heart with a good ol' snuggle.  He will stretch his arms out and say "hu"...it is irresistible.   He is a joyous whirlwind of 18 month energy. We love him!!

Garner Thanksgiving 2011

GARNER THANKSGIVING 2011

10 GRANDKIDS 5 Girls and 5 Boys

Can you spy the baby missing in each of these pictures?

With all the napping babies, we had a hard time getting all ten together and happy.  

Good times at Garner Grandparents with lots of kiddos.

It was nice enough that we were able to play out on the deck and in the leaves.  

Thanks for another GREAT Thanksgiving.  

We are grateful for grandparents and grand babies.

Incredible Family

THE INCREDIBLE FAMILY

You knew we were incredible and it is true we are super awesome.  

Now these outfits really fit our INCREDIBLE family.   

We loved being all dressed up the same.   The kids really got into trick or treating this year running from door to door as fast as their little super hero legs could take them. 

pumpkins

My 3 pumpkins and our 

GOOGLY EYED PUMPKINS

This year I thought we would try something different with our pumpkins.   We scooped out eyes and added googly golf balls.  We cut out felt faces and hot glued them all on.   It was fun and less messy.  Lame cop out, yes, instead of carving I know.  The kids had a great time.  We did miss the cooked pumpkin seeds and slimy pumpkin guts all over my kitchen ;).

USU

GO USU!!!

Here we are with "the big cow" so Gabe called him.  That was more then I could remember...I had to ask someone what our mascot's name is...BIG BLUE...of course.  My favorite is how Liam is given him the evil eye.  We met up with our friends, the Roes, for a tailgate bbq.  Then we watched yet another sad loss for USU.   We still love you Aggies, basketball season is certainly more fun for these fans.  For a couple reasons... games are shorter and they actually win =).   We still enjoyed hanging with friends and eating good game food.  

Forget Not - Conference

FORGET ME NOT

Although General Conference has come and gone, I am trying not to forget the wonderfully uplifting words that were heard.   I took sometime to review some of the talks and pick some of my favorite quotes.   FORGET ME NOT -  is the phrase that comes to mind (From Uchtdorf's Relief Society Talk).  I know that life continues on, but I don't want to forget the great spirit that I felt while I listened to the leaders share their testimonies.   I love WORDS and using them to remember my own testimony and renew my spirit is something I need to do often.   So not only will I not forget but I am going to try to REMEMBER. 

Megan Wiseman’s Favorite Quotes from Conference October 2011

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Scriptures are like packets of light that illuminate our minds and give place to guidance and inspiration from on high. They can become the key to open the channel to communion with our Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

The scriptures provide the strength of authority to our declarations when they are cited correctly. They can become stalwart friends that are not limited by geography or calendar. They are always available when needed. Their use provides a foundation of truth that can be awakened by the Holy Ghost. Learning, pondering, searching, and memorizing scriptures is like filling a filing cabinet with friends, values, and truths that can be called upon anytime, anywhere in the world.  

–Richard G Scott October 2011

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“Where once the standards of the Church and the standards of society were mostly compatible, now there is a wide chasm between us, and it’s growing ever wider. …

“The Savior of mankind described Himself as being in the world but not of the world. We also can be in the world but not of the world as we reject false concepts and false teachings and remain true to that which God has commanded.”   -Thomas S. Monson April 2011 (quoted in Oct 2011)

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testify of the great blessing of children and of the happiness they will bring us in this life and in the eternities….

Having young children is not easy. Many days are just difficult. A young mother got on a bus with seven children. The bus driver asked, “Are these all yours, lady? Or is it a picnic?”

“They’re all mine,” she replied. “And it’s no picnic!”8

As the world increasingly asks, “Are these all yours?” we thank you for creating within the Church a sanctuary for families, where we honor and help mothers with children. 

-Neil Anderson Oct. 2011

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As we ask these questions, we realize that the purpose of our life on earth is to grow, develop, and be strengthened through our own experiences. How do we do this? The scriptures give us an answer in one simple phrase: we “wait upon the Lord.”12 Tests and trials are given to all of us. These mortal challenges allow us and our Heavenly Father to see whether we will exercise our agency to follow His Son. He already knows, and we have the opportunity to learn, that no matter how difficult our circumstances, “all these things shall [be for our] experience, and … [our] good.”13  -Robert D. Hales October 2011

Too often we pray to have patience, but we want it right now!

–Robert Hales October 2011

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As the hymn says, “Rise up, O men of God!”11 This is a call to you, the men who bear the holy priesthood of God. May it be said of you as was said of Captain Moroni:

“[He] was a strong and a mighty man; … a man of a perfect understanding; … a man who was firm in the faith of Christ. …

“… If all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; … the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.”12

Brethren, fathers, young men, “Be loyal to the royal within you.”13

So how do you raise a girl? Love her mother. Lead your family to the temple, be guardians of virtue, and magnify your priesthood. Fathers, you have been entrusted with our Heavenly Father’s royal daughters. They are virtuous and elect. It is my prayer that you will watch over them, strengthen them, model virtuous behavior, and teach them to follow in the Savior’s every footstep—for He lives! In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

–Elaine S. Dalton October 2011

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Our code of conduct is definitive; it is not negotiable. It is found not only in the Ten Commandments but also in the Sermon on the Mount, given to us by the Savior when He walked upon the earth. It is found throughout His teachings. It is found in the words of modern revelation.

Our Father in Heaven is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The prophet Mormon tells us that God is “unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity.”3 In this world where nearly everything seems to be changing, His constancy is something on which we can rely, an anchor to which we can hold fast and be safe, lest we be swept away into uncharted waters.

It may appear to you at times that those out in the world are having much more fun than you are. Some of you may feel restricted by the code of conduct to which we in the Church adhere. My brothers and sisters, I declare to you, however, that there is nothing which can bring more joy into our lives or more peace to our souls than the Spirit which can come to us as we follow the Savior and keep the commandments. That Spirit cannot be present at the kinds of activities in which so much of the world participates. The Apostle Paul declared the truth: “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”4 The term natural man can refer to any of us if we allow ourselves to be so.

We must be vigilant in a world which has moved so far from that which is spiritual. It is essential that we reject anything that does not conform to our standards, refusing in the process to surrender that which we desire most: eternal life in the kingdom of God. The storms will still beat at our doors from time to time, for they are an inescapable part of our existence in mortality. We, however, will be far better equipped to deal with them, to learn from them, and to overcome them if we have the gospel at our core and the love of the Savior in our hearts. The prophet Isaiah declared, “The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.”5

As a means of being in the world but not being of the world, it is necessary that we communicate with our Heavenly Father through prayer. He wants us to do so; He’ll answer our prayers. The Savior admonished us, as recorded in 3 Nephi 18, to “watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you. …

“Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name;“And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.”

-Thomas S. Monson October 2011

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Jesus issued the challenge “What think ye of Christ?” (Matthew 22:42). The Apostle Paul challenged the Corinthians to “examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5). All of us should answer these challenges for ourselves. Where is our ultimate loyalty? Are we like the Christians in Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s memorable description who have moved their residence to Zion but still try to keep a second residence in Babylon?1

There is no middle ground. We are followers of Jesus Christ. Our citizenship is in His Church and His gospel, and we should not use a visa to visit Babylon or act like one of its citizens. We should honor His name, keep His commandments, and “seek not the things of this world but seek … first to build up the kingdom of God, and to establish his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33, footnote a; from Joseph Smith Translation, Matthew 6:38).

-Dallin H. Oaks , October 2011

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First, forget not to be patient with yourself.

Second, forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice.

Third, forget not to be happy now.

Fourth, forget not the “why” of the gospel.

–Dieter F. Uchtdorf  -September 2011

Granparents' Visit

Our Garner Grandparents came to stay with us.  Our kids were so excited to have them at our house.   We loved having them!  They got to see our Saturday soccer day and our Sunday primary program.  Thanks for coming, we love you!

New Mexico

NEW MEXICO TRIP

My mom and I jumped in the car and drove down to see my sister in New Mexico.  We enjoyed several hours in the car together.   We talked and philosophied about life.  I highly recommend taking a road trip with your mom (well only if your mom is as awesome as mine =). We reminisced on life past, present and future.  We talked about books, music our lives and beliefs.  It was a refreshing ride considering we had no children ordering us around.  

When we got to New Mexico we had a great time helping my sister unpack into her new house. We also enjoyed checking out her new country lifestyle.  It was great girl time - talking, working and chilling together. 

Pumpkin Patch

PUMPKIN PATCH with COUSINS

Hike Day

HIKE DAY

This was a spontaneous hike to a letter on our mountain.   We noticed it and wanted to scale the hills to reach it.  So we packed up the crew and found a trail that could take us there.  On our way up Gabe turned around and looked across the valley and said, "I can see the whole world."  He could really see  his whole world up there.  It was a beautiful view.   This reminds me of something Sophia said when we went up the canyon on a picnic.  She said, "this looks like art".   These are great descriptions of beautiful landscapes.   Well, back to the hike it, was long and tiring.  We just kept trekking forward.  The last push to the top was the hardest.  We nearly lost Gabe he was crying, Sophia was determined and Liam just held on for the ride.   I kept telling the kids, you can do this even though it is hard.   The letter was a little disappointing.  It was tattered and torn, but we made it there.  We were all worn out and happy to get back down the mountain.  I thought we may have ruined hiking for the kids, but a couple days later the asked to go hiking again.  That's right-WE CAN DO HARD THINGS.  I say do hard things, it builds strength and confidence.

ZOO

ZOO DAY with COUSINS

Cougar Cove

COUGAR COVE

Exciting Nature Walk With Friends  

We found this hidden oasis among the trees of one our favorite walks. 

 The kids and moms enjoyed exploring around this small creek.  The log cross was a big hit. Sophia and I are testing the weight limit of this log while possing for a cute mom/daughter picture.  Good times outdoors. The best playgrounds are nature made.

Canyon Picnic

Canyon with Cousins

As we walked to the pond to eat our picnic lunch Sophia declared, "Mom this looks like art."  The canyon was extremely beautiful.   She was right it is art right from the Masters hands.    

Gabriel looking dashing while watching the ducks.