The three reasons...

No matter how tired I am or how much I have to do... these three faces make it all worth it!

(Larger image coming soon!)

Our weekend

It has been a little while since I posted, so I decided to do a weekend update. We had a pretty fun weekend. Friday night we went to "nickle, nickle" arcade and had a lot of fun. I don't know who had more fun... Clay or Gavin! Saturday afternoon we cleaned, exercised and then headed to The Grove in LA. They have such cute decorations, a water show, people performing Christmas songs, Santa Claus and it even snows! Sunday was a mellow day spent doing a puzzle, making our annual Gingerbread house and baking cookies. We had a lot of fun spending time together.

Gav and his Baby Sis

Gavin & Peyton's first photo shoot

So again our awesome neighbors took some great photos for us. They did such a good job it was hard for me to pick which ones to use for the announcement!

One AWESOME big brother!

Those of you that know Gavin, know how EXCITED he was about having a little sister! I was afraid once she got here he wouldn't be as excited, but he has proved me wrong! He is so amazing with her! He always wants to be in pictures with her, she is always the first one he greets when he gets home, he CAN'T kiss and hug her enough, he wants her to come to his school, to sit in the bathroom while he takes a bath, he says he can't wait to babysit her. The other night she was sleeping in our bed and Gavin went and got his blanket and laid next to her for 45 min, just staring at her. I asked him to do something and his first words were, "what if something happens to her?"

Here are a couple of my other favorite things Gav does with his sis:

-Always calls her, "baby sis"
-When I pick him up from school he takes the stroller and pushes all the way home
-Tells all his friends at school to come meet his baby sis
-loves to hold her
-Endless hugs and kisses
-Always tells her how cute she looks
-Always acknowledges her bows and bracelets

Gavin, Peyton couldn't be luckier, you are the best big brother ever! Love you!

Gav medal from soccer

Laying next to her making sure nothing happens

Peyton first soccer game
She loves to stare at the pictures behind couch
SHOOT! She found her thumb!!!

Peyton Kali Week 1

Introducing.....

Peyton Kali Gardner
8 Lbs 8 Ounces 21 Inches
Born 10/25/2008 at 3:15PM

- more pics of mom and baby to follow

8 Days & COUNTING!!!!

So my super cool neighbors took these pregnancy pictures of me and I am so grateful. I hardly had any pictures while I was pregnant with Gavin, so I am glad we are documenting this one! This first shot is one of my favorites! I love the fence behind us. Thanks Matt & Christi!

Baby Showers!!

Some of my best friends from La Mirada threw me a baby shower a few weeks ago. I have known these girls forever! They made everything so cute and I am so blessed to have such good friends and family that are willing to help out! Thanks Julie, Amanda, DeAnne, Erin and of course my mom! I didn't get many good pictures because the lighting was funny, but here are a few. They had a Chocolate Fountain (my fav!!!!) with all kinds of yummy treats to dip in it. I had to bring Gavin and he was in HEAVEN!!! He literally spent 3/4 of the night by the fountain! He was begging to stick his head under so I told him at the end of the shower he could. When it was time to open presents Gavin was right by my side, oooing and ahhing at all the wonderful gifts. He would say how cute everything was and everyone LOVED his reactions! It was a fun night with close friends!

Amanda and Gavin (dream come true)

This is my friend from high school, Amy. She is two weeks behind me and having twins. Her belly sticks out but the rest of her is SO tiny! It's amazing she can hold those babies up! We are in a race to see who gives birth first!

My Huntington Beach Ward also threw me a shower. It was SO AMAZING! Everything was so nice, they went all out! THANK YOU Nicole, Kalei, and Diana for all the time and work you put into making it such a fun night. Seriously, you guys were amazing. I also want to thank Cori, Melissa, Julie, Kristi, Jenny, and Anna. The theme was pink and brown. We are talking everything from the invitations, the paper goods, the dessert (chocolate eclairs with pink little flowers), the party favors, the raffle tickets, the drinks (root beer and pink lemonade) to the little tags that labeled everything. As soon as the shower was over I called my mom and told her how nice it was and how I felt so guilty! Thanks again you guys for all you did! I also want to thank everyone that came!

The spread

The dessert table

Kalei and I
Kalei, Nancy, Me, and Susan (Cutest diaper bag!)
The party favors

Thank you everyone for celebrating the upcoming birth of our baby girl!

Move Over David Beckham!

So Gavin started playing AYSO soccer this year and loves it. He plays on a team called the Fireballs and found the perfect ball to play with as seen in a few of the pics. They have played two games so far and Gavin is doing really well. He is a pretty fast kid and has great ball control for his first year. He has scored a goal in each of the games played and is sure to score a bunch more. We're glad he likes it because we love watching him play!

8 months pregnant!

Here is the latest prego picture, large and in charge!   We are down to six weeks and we couldn't be more excited, well I would probably be more excited if I was done being pregnant, but that is wishful thinking!   (I am actually super grateful I am pregnant!)

I am starting to get the comments that ALL pregnant women love.  For example, "are you having twins?!?!" "So what are you like, due next week?" or I was sitting on a metal bar and a guy says, "hope you don't bend that!"  Got to love those comments, sometimes I wonder how people can say such things without any regard for someone's feelings!  Oh well, what can you do...

Gavin's first day of School!

So gavin started Kindergarten today!  I can't believe it!  First let me apologize for the tons of pictures, but you must know that I did cut quite a few out!  Gavin was at his dads house last night, so he brought him home at 7:30 this morning so I could make him special breakfast for his first day of school.  When he first walked into the house he was greeted by some balloons, streamers and a sign that said...

He then entered the kitchen to find his special breakfast with a candle.  He made his wish out loud and it was, "I wish that I will do good in school so I can go to Stanford."  

He then blew out the candle and proceeded to explain how this food made a happy face...

Clay gave him a "Father's Blessing," and we dressed him in the outfit he had picked out and then we were off...

It was now time to walk to school.  This kid could not walk fast enough, he was so excited...

We found his classroom, met his teacher and then it was time to say goodbye.  I was not ready to go yet, but Gavin was ready, so off I went.  I was strong, no tears.  I was super grateful that Gavin was so excited, but man couldn't he be a LITTLE sad?!?!?!  Just kidding!  
I can tell you right now what his report card is going to say... "Gavin is a good student but he talks too much!"  

Love you Gavin!  I can't believe you are in Kindergarten!!!!