Summer time!

So it's here - SUMMER - I have 4 kids home with me all day every day - whoa. Things we plan to do to occupy our time:

"Learning hour" where we focus on math, writing and hands-on science. (This is aside from reading Patrick does every night)

Seven Peaks - we have our "pass of all passes" that gets us in FREE and the boys have loved it in the past. Sariah does too :) She loves being outdoors, in water - she's such a good little princess!

Camping - Matthew and I promised to do more this year! All it takes is prep, time and gas - the cheapest vacation!

Making stuff - to keep me from going crazy, I'm making hair clips, earrings and whatever else I see and like and go "hey I can make that." For all you crocheters out there - hats off, I don't have the patience and focus!

Here are some cute pics of the kids :) I take way more from my phone because it's just so handy.

 5 Years OLD

 2 1/2 Years old

4 months already

Reflection of my car accident

Okay so whoever didn't see it: I was in a car accident. <- that's the link to the "how" and "what happened."

Anyone who's read past posts, had conversations with me years ago about my marriage or knew me and Matthew 5+ years ago - you know we had even more "issues" than we do now. The ones we have now are tiny and we can work through. Matthew and I have similar egos, and back before we knew how to really love each other despite mistakes and weaknesses, little bumps in the road would be a hit to our relationship. When I had this accident, I was preparing myself for Matthew's reaction. I was running dialogue in my head, arguments I  would make and came up with a plan of action for different reactions he may have had. I walked in the door and I was greeted with a warm hug and the fact he ordered Chinese food.

That was miracle 3.

I had gone several months with an increasing habit of looking at my phone while driving. Ashamed doesn't even begin to describe how I feel to admit that. God knew I needed to suffer a consequence for my action, and he had to pick the right person that would be an unfortunate casualty. I know I could have hit a child and ended their life - I could have sent a loving family into a whirlwind of pain and loss. We have the internet, people, THOUSANDS of stories that we can learn from. The time came for my consequence and I hit a waiting car, a Toyota Echo, with one driver (age 36) who was more shaken than injured (totally understandable) and no passengers.

That was miracle 2.

Our financial future is uncertain. In this economy, we are grateful Matthew has a full time job and we don't take it for granted. Our van is paid off, we could not afford to get another vehicle. The damage done to our van is actually not that bad. Luckily, the van is in great shape and the children were not harmed, the boys were actually excited to see the firetruck & policemen and kept asking a lot of questions.

That was miracle 1

And I can't count miracles of what could've happened if the Lord didn't watch over us. I feel awful. What's worse is that I STILL get the urge to check facebook or make calls while driving. Even as I'm typing this, it seems so dumb. I'm working on it, that's all I can say.

I love Matthew, I'm so grateful to him and his love for me. I am so grateful my children were watched over and so very grateful nobody was injured because of my mistake.

Wanna see a gross miracle? :)

Okay I finally learned how to get videos off of my phone! Here is my Csec, watch ONLY if you want to, just ignore it if you don't like surgeries.

Holy life, batman!

Okay so I don't even know where to begin! Our poor kids have been sick on and off - so that's been a bummer. Our apartment had mold in it, so we think that made it hard for them to stay healthy. Now we're out of there, so hopefully it shows in their health soon!

Matthew is LOVING working for Lime - it's still crazy how he's working in programming, life keeps taking us places we could never possibly plan ahead. He's also no longer the ward mission leader because we're in a new LDS ward, he'll miss it but hopefully we both get a calling soon! He's looking forward to taking a shot at playing hockey again in the adult leagues at the Peaks Ice Arena in a couple months. I fully support him :)

Patrick is just tall and getting smarter. He loves drawing, he's so artistic. I want to take pictures or scan in his work and make a book - he has SO MANY pages, and his younger brothers destroy them kind of quickly! He's a good big brother, very helpful. He's been moody lately, so hopefully some sunshine will do him some good!

Stephen is up and down still. We really think his diet is affecting his behavior. So many of you know I've been on a mission to raise awareness about harmful dyes - most specifically, Red 40. The FDA is FINALLY looking into it, I can't wait to see the results! The problem is they keep just calling it "hyperactivity," but it's way more involved than that. I hope they're thorough in their studies and don't just study the level/degree of activity... their ability to get to the bathroom in time, anger control, motivation to obey, paying attention, etc... anyway... He has been an awesome little helper. Like always, he wants to do as Patrick does and wants to grow up too fast!

William is a walker!!! He could stand and take some steps for MONTHS, but it's not until about a week ago he decided the walking thing is cool. He still tries to crawl sometimes, especially outside, but we remind him! He also has sounds for words for him to talk. Na-Na is food & drink, dah is yes, du is down and KKKwith some spit is for animals. You'll have to hear that last one to know what I'm talking about. And, by gollie, does he have teeth!

Amy - It's been a stressful semester, but I'm looking forward to the future. I only have math and then I'm done with my associates before I take a break for several years. I want to become lamaze certified THIS YEAR - Matthew supports me, I hope I get funds for it!

OUR PLANS So... next week, me and the kids are heading to Arizona, my amazing brother-in-law is going to replace my crown that has some decay underneath - it's been bugging me since the day it was put in several years ago, so I'm way excited because I know he'll do a better job! I'm so excited to see my sis and her family too! Then the kids and I will drive to California and see Grandma and Grandpa Garner and Auntie Suzy! We love them so very much and always treasure our visits there. Then we're going to get about 2 days to spend with Matthew's Grandpa Rose and Carol (not sure if she took the Rose name, sorry!)... a bunch of these old folks we're visiting are struggling with serious health issues and we hope we can bring a little warmth along with our craziness. We also have Grandparents LaMontange I wanted to mention because they're battling some health ailments as well. They're in Washington and we would love to make it up there to visit some time! You're all in our prayers and we wish you comfort and healing.

Our move has brought on so much happiness, I can't even tell you. The moving part is uncool, but being out of our small apartment makes me happy! We'll give you more details on where we are now in the future! Love you all!!!