ssssssssssooooooooo.....

The last time I blogged was on March 25th meaning I have a lot of catching up to do, not to mention I was so unable to get to my blog due to computer error!   Yup you read right, C O M P U T E R error!!!!
The time has flown and really, I will be glad when 2012 is over!!!!  Although some really terrific situations have come this year the majority is so depressing!!!  Nevertheless, a very great growing experience I will admit, so maybe 2012 wasn't so bad after all (keep typing Weez you may find it was really great)!!!!!!

OOOOO~LALA......

This is Chef Francios, who helps me in the kitchen and now that the weather is heating up, we needed to open the windows WHICH he loved!!!

He wishes all who reads this blog~~~~~BON APPETITE!!!!!!!!!!

Love to all!!!!!!!!!!!

Hair's LeeLee............

The Gardner family will have flashbacks of earlier days when a certain baby of the family would hang from the table (literally) with the "Marty Allen" hair-do. Now moving to the new generation and BAM here is the "Marty Allen" -ette hair-do!!! So now, Brynlee and Uncle C.J. are connected by the roots!!! Still want to eat the cheeks off that face!!!!!

Yup, in March.........

Now, I know the global warming thing is definitely in a messed-up way and on this day, March 22nd, it was warmer in Chicago and New York than in Safford where we were at 59 degrees for the high! It snowed, rained AND hailed on and off ALL DAY LONG!! It did stick for a while but thank heavens soon melted and two days later we reached 78 degrees!!

BRING ON SUMMER!!!!!!!

Growing up......

Our little valley is trying to bring all different kinds of entertainment to the people and this time The Center for the Fine Arts of Safford brought in Grammy nominated tenor George Dryer. He was really good, doing songs from hit Broadway shows and movies.

After the intermission, he came on stage to say he had enlisted one of the best back-up singers he has had the pleasure to work with. The curtains opened and there was the Safford Middle School Choir!!! He started singing "You Raise Me Up" and the choir became his back-up and man when they got through there wasn't a cry eye in the audience! Then he and the kids sang "The Prayer" and in L.A.T.I.N. no less!! They all looked sssssooooo grown up!! Now you all know I have the "eye bladder" problem and that night was no exception. Kaely Sue, kudos to a job well done!!!!!!

Wait.....What.....Brynlee's 2!!!!!!!!

OMGosh!!!!! How did this happen so fast, our Leelee turned 2 today!!!! What a chain of events have lead up to this moment!!

The run at Banner Gateway with our precious preemie having a "H.E.double hockey sticks" of a ride the first month of her life. Then coming home to the adjustment of a new life outside of Mom and into the arms of her family who with the grandparents, great-aunt, aunts, uncles, cousins, brother, sisters, Mom and Dad to love and help to get her on the "growing tract" to sustain her as she grew!!!! She is the light of our family and with the awesome examples of her sisters, brother and cousins she will become the wonderful person who will lead the way for great and righteous ideals!!!

Brynlee, Mimi loves you so very much and you have brought joy and warmth to the heart of this old lady!!!

Wait...What....Cambry is 10!!!

So this "Sleeping Beauty" is now 10 and for this Mimi it is a hard pill to swallow!!! Cambry is such a wonderful help to her mom and she is trying to help wherever and whenever she can. Her baby sister is a huge "Cam" fan and she is a great example to her cousins. Cambry is our adventurer and loves to go hunting with her dad, take care of Babe, help us with the weeds and is a great performer.

Cambry, you are the "lious" in our lives and I am so grateful to be your Mimi and for the example you are to me and the families!!

I love you, Cam~a~rama~lious!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wait.....What.....Cody's 11

So the trek to Taylor continues!!! Papa, Mimi, KSue and Camarama loaded up and went up for our Cody's 11th, yes, I said 11th birthday party!! Heather and Trevor had a great spread for all of us and then the festivities began!!

Cody is a HUGE Harry Potter fan and loves the Angry Bird game, so the theme was A/B and the presents were of the Harry Potter nature!! We had so much fun and again Heather amazed us with her cake decorating!!! How blessed we are to have the most incredible family!

Thank you, Cody, for the great example you are to your family and for the compassion and support you show to each of us!! I love you so much!!!

So how I came to loving the "Forget-Me-Nots"...

I love President Dieter F. Uchtodorf and when he gave his now famous Conference talk on the principle of the Forget-Me-Not flower, well I have grown to love this analogy. It goes like this:

Forget not to be patient with yourself.

Forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice.

Forget not to be happy now.

Forget not the "why" of the gospel.

Forget not that the Lord loves you.

That's it in the wonderful way of President Uchtdorf. For the Forget Not, I will be forever grateful.

Can you say SPOILED....

Yep, this is how he rolls!! Pretty much a big deal AND king of his domain!!! Yet he can because he brings so much love and fun to these "empty nesters"!!! We are very grateful for the pets we have had and how much they have brought to our children and home!! Yep, you definitely rock, Kipper!!!!

BFFs make life a trip.........

Misty and Tifani

For 5 days these two were pretty much "hooked at the hip"!!!!! Tifani and Misty have been best friends since high school, calling each other, texting and emailing one another constantly. Tifani has stayed put while Misty is our "world traveller"!!

While they were enjoying one evening together: talking, laughing, crying, they were not without drama. A lady came out of a bar, slightly tipsy, which is located right by the main highway. She stepped out in front of Tifani who swerved to miss her, she did but the motorcycle behind Tif didn't. A policeman was down the road, Tif got him to stop and took him to the scene. The officer was a young man Tifani and Shawna use to babysit for and he got the whole accident under control. Then he had Tif and Mist get in the back of his patrol car and took a picture of the "suspects"! Hysterical!!!!! That's a small town for ya!!!

Thanks Misty for coming and letting Tif have somewhat "normal" days and letting her feel sssooo good. Love you two!!!!

Wait.....What......Sydney is 6!!!!!!

How can this be happening so fast and so many!!!!!!!!
Our sweet Sydney is such a precious girl in our family!!! She seems to be so much older than her age yet she is one of "our baby girls"!!!
Sydney, Mimi and Papa LOVE how you take care of your family and watch out for all of us!! We LOVE how compassionate you are and care about everything!!! We LOVE how you want to be a friend to everyone and how you want everyone to be happy!!!! We LOVE the fact you are such a good example to us all!!!!! We LOVE that you love us!!!
Always remember how important you are to our family and we LOVE you so much and oh yah....
DON'T GROW UP SO FAST!!!!
Mimi loves you, Syd!!!!!!!!!

Pearls of wisdom.....

Our prophets are some of my heroes~from the ancient to the modern~they have each had an impact on the generations they are chosen to be the "watchmen" over. President Gordon B. Hinckley has left a lasting impact on my life and as I was sitting in Sacrament Meeting today, there was a quote from him on our program. I totally have had somewhat of the same thought as to my family, in my mind and in my heart, as I read his words:
"In my quiet moments, I think of the future with all of its wonderful possibilities and with all of its terrible temptations. I wonder what will happen to you in the next 10 years. Where will you be? What will you be doing? That will depend on the choices you make, some of which may seem unimportant at the time but which will have tremendous consequences"
To my precious family I say:
"Be prepared to be held accountable for the decisions you will make. In your heart know you are so important to your Heavenly Father and your Savior! Each one of you are here for the purpose of returning to the estate of the highest possible potential which is to live with the Father and the Son for eternity!! Let your light so shine, stand in righteous places, live to serve and serve to live!!"
I love you all so very much and you all are the reason I strive to live the very best I can so I am deserving of your love and support!

Wait.....What.....Theron is 8!!!!!!!

Theron is 8

I can't believe this young man is 8!!!!!!! How and most importantly why does this happen so fricken fast!! Theron Vergene came to our family with his wonderful smile, love of sports, love of his family and a great cousin to our other grandchildren. He has the sweetest way of wrapping his Papa and Mimi right around his little finger!!

Theron, always remember to choose the right, know your Heavenly Father loves you and has a wonderful mission on this earth for you to grow and be the blessing you are to all of us!!!! I love you so much! Have a great rest of this 8th year!!!!!

Wait....What....Wyatt's 5!!!!

So when on earth did this happen....Wyatt turning 5!!!! I mean it seems as if it was a few weeks ago he was born!
Well welcome to LIFE, Mimi!!
Papa and I made the birthday trek to Taylor for a wonderful sunny birth-DAY party last Saturday!! We sure missed our Theron, Sydney, Shamoms, Benji, Brian, Rex, C.J. and Amber!! Wyatt had the cutest friends come, along with his cousins and Tiffy! Grandpa and Grandma Rowell were there along with Chester and Elaine. He got all sorts of cars and a remote control monster car, he also got his own CD player and was so cute walking around with his earpieces in bobbing his head to the beat!!! He loved playing with all the kids and as usual, Heather did a grand job on his Toy Story theme cake!!
It was a great day but a word from Mimi:
WILL ALL GRANDCHILDREN STOP HAVING BIRTHDAYS, QUIT GROWING AND ALWAYS STAY THE SIZE TO SIT ON MIMI'S LAP, PPPPLLLLEEEASE!!!!
Love you all!!

The youngests......

C.J. and Brynlee



Here are the youngest in their families! Brynlee loves her uncles and Papas and I do believe the feeling is mutual! How fun when we can get together and share these "Kodak" moments!

Somewhere....

So the song goes: Somewhere over the rainbow.......I'm here to tell ya this rainbow is right here in the Gila Valley!!! A double one to boot!! After a great rain storm one day, I was walking towards the sink and there it was, a vibrant rainbow!!! I naturally had to have a "Kodak" moment and freeze the beautiful speciman of Nature forever and TAADAAH...here it is!!
I love this land called Arizona and am equally lovin' the area we live in. So "somewhere over the rainbow"...is here and where I want to be !!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!

So here it is......2012!!!!
As I have stated before in past years on this blog...I want to do a much better job in keeping up with the events...blah, blah, blahblahblahblahblah!!!
What means so much to me in my world is in full color above!!! As so important to me in my world is: Mama, Di and all her family, Chad and all his family, Floydele, Inette and all her family, Aunt LadyBug, Duney and all his family, Lando and all his family, Tee Gee and all her family, Mary Lou and all her family, Kenny and Cindy, Karin and all her family and Chris and Mary! Also a group of family-friends who are also important in my world.
The Lord has enriched my life abundantly and I am so grateful for all those listed above and what they bring into my life!!
May 2012 be filled with hope, love, good health, safety and strong backs to carry each adversity we are faced with.
I love you all!!!!!