October firsts

October was another great month full of many 'firsts.' Touching moments with friends and family will make October stand out in our memories.

We celebrated Andy & Susan's (my brother/sister in laws) first baby by attending a baby shower in Houston in the beginning of the month. I have never been to a more teary-eyed, sentimental baby shower! There were many thoughtful and special gifts that touched all of our hearts. We are so excited for baby Eli to come.Here are the blankets that I made for him. It was my first attempt at doing something like this, so thank goodness this sweet little baby won't care about all the mistakes I made!

Halfway through the month our department moved into a different building across campus and I now have my very own office for the first time. I really enjoy it!

I also bought my first pair of non-maternity jeans since giving birth. I had some skirts and capris, but not jeans. I kept thinking that I was going to fit into my old ones...but that's not happening anytime soon and I'm slowly accepting that. Life is just too busy right now to worry about it and I ♥ food too much! It is embarrassing to admit this, but I am posting it for all the world to see in case there are any women out there who need to feel better about themselves. Go ahead and use me for that! But I do feel better wearing normal jeans.

I went on my first work trip to a conference in Denver, CO...and this also meant it was the first time to be away from baby Grant for more than a day. It was a great trip. I got to see a lot of cool things and learn a lot of great stuff for my job that I have already started implementing. It feels good to make goals and accomplish them. But I missed my Grant and James dearly. I loved the moments when we talked on the phone and I got to hear Grants sweet voice in the background, just jabbering away.

I took myself sightseeing on the first day that I was there. It was kind of weird and a little scary walking around a big city all my myself, but it was also really neat. I visited the state capitol, the 16th street mall. It is a really cool series of shops along many city blocks...kind of like an outdoor mall. There is a free bus that takes you back and forth between the shops. I saw a guy playing bagpipes, lol.

One of the best parts was seeing so much beautiful scenery!

Later it started snowing on the mountaintops. I didn't even bring a real jacket!

We headed out to Estes Park to visit the Stanley Hotel (the inspiration for The Shining), which was really neat! The mountains were beautiful and so was the old hotel.

Our friends also brought home their first adopted son. He is a beautiful baby and shortly after they came home, we threw a baby shower for them. It was a wonderful time and everyone loved getting to celebrate his homecoming and showering him with love!

Welcome!!!

Everyone admired this sweet little boy.

Look at those dimples!!!

They did a vintage sports theme for their nursery, so I attempted to make a fun cake for the shower. It was the first time I ever attempted anything like this, so I was pretty pleased with how everything turned out. They sure make it look a lot easier on TV! haha.

And to finish out the month, Grant had his FIRST HALLOWEEN! We couldn't decide on a costume, so we went to Babies R Us and held up different ones to Grant to see what he would like. 3 times in a row, he went for the soft brown bear costume. So that's what he was! He couldn't have looked more adorable!

He didn't mind the costume but he still wasn't quite sure what to think about everything. I think seeing a lot of OTHER people in costumes seemed more scary to him than having to wear one himself. He liked to feel the soft fur on his costume.

Our little bear!!!

He had enough at this point. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted! Can't wait till next year!

We won second place!

Enjoying a baseball game at Whataburger Field


Taking pictures at a Whataburger in San Antonio on our wedding day (and yes, we did get a bite to eat there-but through the drive through!)

After the Whataburger's Biggest Fan contest ended on September 30th, we received a call that we had won second place! I had been hoping and anticipating for the call all day at work. It was difficult to focus because I was just so on edge to know what the results were! Some people might think it's a little silly to get so excited about such a contest, but I guess the fact that I AM so excited just shows how much we really are the biggest fans!

Unfortunately we did not get first place. An older couple from Rockport, TX took first place after stating that they had eaten over 5,000 Whataburgers over the course of their lives together! They also had a very cute story, but I wish we had gotten first place, of course.

You can watch the video here:

So what happened next was getting set up to have an interview and our pictures taken. We just did that this past weekend and had a blast. We talked about how James and I met at Whataburger, some of the fun memories and experiences that we had working there getting to know customers, etc. We also talked about how we are always telling everyone we meet about Whataburger, how great it is, what is best on the menu, and convincing them to eat there! All our friends and coworkers know that about us and were so excited about the contest. Thanks to everyone that supported us!

We then had a photoshoot in front of "Whataburger on the Bay" which is right off of Ocean Drive near downtown Corpus Christi. It is a two story Whataburger. We picked that one because it is really neat looking, a great location, and I have always thought it was SO fun to have a two story Whataburger. I remember when James took me there for the first time several years ago. We were visiting Kingsville together, down from College Station, and I met his parents for the first time. We took a day trip into Corpus to go see the Lexington and we took each other's pictures on the balcony at Whataburger. I remember thinking it was the COOLEST thing ever!

This is a part of a scrapbook page that I made with us from that day. The middle one is just a random day when we were working.



And these pics were taken at the same Whataburger a few years later shortly after we got engaged.




The photoshoot was a unique experience. It was very low key but I never realized how difficult it could be to continuously hold a smile, keep my hair from blowing in my face, balancing on heels on a step stool, hold my head in a certain place all while holding a baby, trying to get him to look at the camera, making noises and snapping our fingers to get his attention all the while trying to hold a pose to be ready for 'the moment' when the conditions were right for the picture, lol!

The pictures will be used in a book about Whataburger's history and the video interview and pictures will be presented at the convention in April (which is when we will get our free coupons as well--we still don't have 'em yet, ya'll, but that's ok). I am hoping we will get some copies of the pictures before then. I saw a preview of the pictures and they look really neat! I enjoyed feeling 'special' for the day but it's certainly not something I would want to do every day, haha.

And I want to publicly say THANK YOU to James for putting up with me and my nervousness and also with the long day of pictures. He, as a typical guy, doesn't seem to get quite as much enjoyment out of taking tons of pictures, haha! So thanks honey for being such a great sport! We wouldn't have met if it weren't for Whataburger, so it is so great to have so many details about our family and relationship documented so well. :)

From then...


A compilation of some of our favorite work shirts!


...Till now!!!










And now we are officially the SECOND BIGGEST FANS!

September

We have had a really busy Fall season. September kicked things off with a birthday, an Aggie game, contests, beach trips, and a crawling baby.

We went to San Antonio to celebrate my sister's birthday. We went to El Jarro for dinner and had cake afterwards. It was really nice to have the whole family together. Happy Birthday, Karyn!!!



Later that weekend we headed up to College Station and had all the Gardiner side go to an Aggie football game.



Aggie football games are incredibly fun and A&M has the reputation for being the loudest stadium in college football. Although we were very high up, we had an awesome time participating in the yells, etc. Being there made me really miss and appreciate all of the wonderful times that I had while going to college there. There is something special about Texas A&M and the Aggie spirit,







We also got to see niece Alexandra get blessed at Church. We were glad to be there to witness and support her. Again, it was really great to have the whole family together and just enjoy spending time together.




Grant has been growing leaps and bounds and started doing a REAL, OFFICIAL crawl in late September. It is such a joy to watch him learn and grow. He is a very determined little boy. Once he realizes that he wants something or tries to accomplish something, he will keep trying and trying and trying until he gets it. It made me think of how focused, diligent, and patient babies really are. They put so much effort into learning the simplest things. As I watch him, I think to myself that I probably would have given up after just a few tries! But he just keeps on trucking along. This is one of the lessons we can learn from our little ones.





GRANT TURNED 8 MONTHS OLD! He is becoming such a big boy! Lately, he LOVES sticking his tongue out, blowing spit bubbles, still says 'dadadadada' a lot, has braved crawling on tile and has discovered the kitchen, can pull himself up to standing while holding on to something, and tries to climb up stuff and go everywhere!



We celebrated by going with some WONDERFUL friends at the BEACH! I love living so close & getting to go anytime we want. We had a blast-rode some good waves on the boogie boards and Grant was splishy splashing when the waves would run over his legs on the sand. Of course he tried to eat the sand again, lol! I loved the look of pure delight on his face!





The drawback to our great month is the fact that we got TWO flat tires in one week, both of which could not be repaired and had to be replaced. It was a crazy time but thankfully everything has been taken care of now. It seemed like a big deal at the time, but after reviewing everything else that happened that month, it doesn't seem like such a big deal after all. :)

Summer Fun in August

August was a really great month. We have had many opportunities to enjoy time together as a family. We have been taking Grant swimming quite a bit and he REALLY enjoys it! He loves to kick, kick, kick and bounce and splash all over the place. It is a joy to see him discover and enjoy new things.

James and I had a couple's getaway for a short weekend. My mom graciously watched Grant while James and I stayed the night in the Hotel Contessa on the Riverwalk in San Antonio (pics to come later). We had the EXACT same room that we had on our wedding night! We had a wonderful dinner and got to just RELAX! It was wonderful. I slept for 15 hours, I couldn't believe it! In the morning, James and I got couple's massages. Can I just say it was amazing? We really missed Grant, but we enjoyed our little "vacation."

We entered the WHATABURGER'S BIGGEST FAN contest!



If you didn't already know, James and I met while working at Whataburger. We love it and it is our "special place." So we made a video and entered! If you want to know more about it, watch our video entry!

HERE IT IS!

Also, Grant turned 7 MONTHS OLD! I know I say this in practically every post, but I can hardly believe it! Time is going by so quickly. My baby is getting big!!! My love for him grows every day. He moves EVERYWHERE now and is determined when he wants something. He loves to talk, talk, talk! He tries to get into all kinds of mischief like chewing on cords and shoes, flinging baby food everywhere, etc. He will do his army crawl towards whatever he wants (toys, person, etc.). He LOVES his play time, so don't interrupt it or you are IN FOR IT! haha.



Here is us at a Hook's game. Grant loved looking around everywhere, hanging out with Dad in his carrier. He is so interested in the world around him.


Grant got to come with me to my friend Misty's wedding. We had a great time and the ceremony & ocean view were beautiful.


Here is Grant playing with his friend JJ. He is getting more interactive every day!

Rest of July-Grant turns 6 months!

I am so behind, but I wanted to make sure to record all of the things that have been keeping us busy-including Grant turning 6 months!

Key points about July:

• THE DRUG HOUSE: We have looked some at purchasing a house or townhouse, but decided that we are not in a place where we really could. James still likes to look for fun. He saw a foreclosure property that was going up for auction. These auctions start at $1,000 and go up from how people bid on them. We started thinking that if the bidding stayed low, that we could possibly get this townhouse and a loan for home improvement. We primarily thought it would be a great property to turn around and sell in a few years and make a profit on, which would set us up great financially. We checked out the property and it didn't seem in too bad of shape. We did a lot of research on the process of getting loans and associated costs that we would incur. We nicknamed it the "drug house" because it looked like the person who lived there before was probably growing marijuana in the garage. They had sealed off the garage door and there were long fluorescent lights hung from the ceiling. There was also a hole cut in the side of the garage where it looks like police may have come and raided the place, and taken the "evidence" out. We prayed about it a lot and really felt like this would be a good decision and we felt a lot of peace about it. But on the day of the auction, the bidding went up much too high for our comfort and we did not win the auction. We still do not know why we felt so strongly about pursuing this townhouse and then not get it in the end. But if nothing else, we have learned a lot about the process of purchasing a house, loans, home improvement costs, and things like that which will hopefully help us in the future. So, adios our little drug house!


• I STARTED A WORKOUT PLAN: Thanks to one of my friends & neighbors, I was able to start a regular workout schedule. We leave at 6am 3-4 times per week and go walking in a nearby neighborhood. It is still hot and muggy in the morning but way better than any other time of day. I am so thankful for her support and it has motivated me to keep working out every week. I still have some baby weight to lose. At this point, I haven't lost any weight, but I feel my muscles getting stronger and my strength and endurance are increasing. Pregnancy can really do a number on your body! I am feeling really great!


• JAMES PASSED THE CALCULUS CLEP TEST! After a LONG series of events and challenges, James made the decision to take the Calculus clep test. That set off a chain reaction which enabled him to be able to graduate this December! I learned a big lesson from this experience. I know that the hand of the Lord was in this. First, I learned a lot of patience. I learned that things may not always go my way but that I have to be willing to accept changes and realize that in the grand scheme of things, a few months will not matter so much. I also learned that if we are really meant to do something, Heavenly Father will prepare the way for us. Even if we can't see the way out, He can bring us there. He can make up the difference for where we lack. I am so grateful for that merciful concept.
  
  
• GRANT TURNED 6 MONTHS OLD! At his checkup, he was 26 inches long (50th percentile) and 16 pounds (25th percentile). He is long and lean. He is slim but he is growing well--he used to be in the 10th percentile for weight! It was hard to see my poor baby get his shots, to see that scared look in his eyes, but he was such a trooper!
  

Things Grant does at 6 months:

Loves to grab and CHEW on EVERYTHING!




Loves to eat!


Sometimes it's easy, like when he's eating Oatmeal (which he loves)...


And sometimes it's not! But the one thing that is for sure is that we are always having adventures.


Grant was right on the verge of crawling at 6 months and is moving everywhere! He loves to smile and make coughing noises (his laugh)!

We had a great July, hope ya'll did, too!

Pat & Melanie's Wedding

My brother got married on July 17, 2010. It was a beautiful day and a touching ceremony. Here are several pictures of the big day and the preceding events:

Melanie's Bridal Shower


Baby Grant stole her heart!


There were lots of cute gifts and fun games with friends and family!


Bachelorette Party at the Magic Time Machine

Melanie also had to try to answer questions about her husband to be. If she didn't get the answers right, she had to put another piece of gum in her mouth! LOL!


We played several fun games, one where Melanie has to complete a funny "to do" list. Here she is proclaiming her love to the salad car.

Getting Ready


Melanie asked both my sister and I to be bridesmaids in the ceremony. I was honored that she would want us to be a part of her special day, and Karyn and I were both so excited.

This was my first time ever to be a bridesmaid. I was a little unsure of what to do so I'm sure I probably wasn't all that helpful to the bride!


I watched my brother's reaction as he saw Melanie walking towards him. I heard him whisper "Wow" when he saw her!

So in love!

They wrote their own vows and it was so special getting to hear them say such heartfelt things to each other.

I don't think I've ever heard my brother express his feelings that way before. You could tell that they both have a deep and sincere love for each other. I think everyone was tearing up!

It's Official: They're MARRIED!









Karyn and I gave a toast. We started it off with, "Most of you probably know us as Pat's ANNOYING little sisters!" haha. We wished them well and recalled how we and hoped and prayed for so long that Pat could fins someone special-and we are SO HAPPY that he has! We love Melanie!

Dancing with my daddy


We were all so happy that my grandparents could come!


What a fun & exciting year for my parents-full of great changes!


Grant was so happy to get to see Kate!


We were able to see lots of family and friends we hadn't seen in a while. It was a joyful occasion.


The cake was awesome! It was so cute watching Pat & Melanie enjoy every minute of their big day!


Off they go to enjoy married life. Congrats again!!!