Success!!!!

This is mostly just for Rachel. I don't know if anyone else will appreciate it as much as her, but you're welcome to try :)

After years of playing Set (an awesome game where you have to make matches), I finally got lucky. These were my last six cards:

How awesome is that?!!!?

Never have I been able to match the entire deck - usually I end up with six cards that I can't match. I found one of the matches and it took me a second to realize that the last three cards matched as well. I was so excited that I almost picked up the phone to call Rach and tell her. Instead I just took a picture. I'm not sure she would have been as excited as I was and I figured that I would just announce it to the world and call that good. :D

The final Gardner graduates!

It's official. I'm old! Doug is now 18 and no longer in high school. I remember when he was in 2nd grade and would come give me a hug when he saw me on the playground at school. What happened to those days? When did he get old enough to leave home and go off to college? This is just weird and actually makes me feel the 22 years that I am (I know, I know, 22 really isn't old at all. But come on, don't you remember when you were finally older than the missionaries and how weird that was?). I just am having a hard time grasping the concept of my little Douglas being a grown up. 

Well, I'm sure that if Doug were to ever read this (I highly doubt he follows my blog) that he would be rolling his eyes at me and telling me to stop acting like Mom. So, enough of this silly emotional stuff. On to my three favorite pictures out of the hundreds Mom took that day. For more of a selection of pictures, you can go to Mom's blog.

Here's everyone that came

Shelly and Jason picked up hats of their own to wear and we let them keep them cuz there were a lot of hats on the ground that no one claimed. 

Seriously, I L-O-V-E this picture. It has to be one of my all time favorites, it is just too cute!

That's my story. All 8 of the Gardners are now grown up and graduated. Weird!

Missing my Naphan

Nope, that's not a typo in the title. I call him Naphan all the time.

I was looking at the pictures on Mom's computer and I came across these pictures from when Nate entered the MTC. I can't believe he's coming home in just over a month! I'm way excited to see him again. 

The traditional Nate pose

Everyone that came-minus Cindy, she was taking the picture

These two make me laugh! I love them.

Sibling picture-it's over half of us, that's impressive

Enter Madre!

Nate and me

Hahahaha! Oh, Nato!

Nate didn't know that he was suppose to take the stitching out of the pockets, so Mom and Rach helped him out. 

Mom and Dad head down to Argentina on July 19th to spend a week and a half traveling around Nate's areas. They all come back on the 29th. EEKKK!!! I'm so excited! I can't wait!

The end of my bash :(

Today was the final day of my celebration. I again woke up around 7:30 (what is with me and waking up early when all I want is to sleep in?!!?), but this time I actually got up and got ready, mostly cuz I had to be out of the hotel by 11 and the earlier you get to the parks, the shorter the lines, for a little bit at least. So I sadly packed up my bags and checked out. 

Once in my car, I headed straight for the parking structure for the parks, parked my car, and jumped on the tram. My only intent when I first walked into the park was food, but once I saw that I could walk onto Pirates, I got a little distracted. I literally walked onto Pirates, Haunted Mansion, and Splash Mountain! That almost never happens, those three rides are usually in the top 5 longest lines. I was loving it! Especially when I would get off the ride and see that the line had suddenly exploded with people. Too bad that's where my good luck ended. 

I realized that I no longer had the leprechauns on my side when I saw the state of the lady sitting in the front seat of the log at Splash Mountain, which was right where I was going to be sitting. She was drenched! I just kinda stared at her and the only thought that came to my head was "What did I get myself into?!". But I wasn't about to chicken out, the ride attendant was a cutie and I wasn't about to let him see me back out because I might get wet. So I pushed on and sat down in the log. And that my friends was a silly, silly thing to do. After the first short drop I opened my eyes (I don't like to watch the ground coming towards me) and I saw this huge wall of water coming straight for me. At that moment, all I could think was "CRAP!!!!", and then I was soaked. From then on, it just got worse. Every little dip of the log brought more water and soon 90% of me was wet. We got to the top of the last and biggest drop where they take your picture (I was really tempted to buy mine, I looked so funny!), I looked down and knew in that instant that the 10% of me that wasn't wet, was going to be and the rest of me was going to be soaked clear through. Which is what happened. I was one wet girl! That's when I decided it was time to go get food, head out, and come home to change into dry clothes. I was only in the park for a little over an hour, but I got on three rides within that hour, so it was a good day. 

When I got home Jason was so glad to see me that he insisted on "helping" me take my stuff upstairs to the spare room. Which consisted of him holding on to the handle of the suitcase while I pushed it from the bottom. I couldn't help but point out to him that it would have gone a lot faster without his help. I don't think he quite grasped the concept, especially since we go through this every time I come home. But at least he's happy to see me and wants me to stay, so I'll take it! Since the adventures of taking my stuff upstairs I've just been hanging out with the family and being the silly, amazing aunt that I am :)

And that brings us to the end of my birthday bash. Now it's just a fun vacation at home and time to begin the bash for Dad and Doug's birthdays next week.

Birthday Bash Part 2

Today I woke up at the bright and early time of 7 am. I was quite surprised when I looked at the clock and saw that number. So I did the only sensible thing, I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. It didn't work to well, but I didn't stir from bed till about an hour later anyways. After I got all showered and ready to go, I realized that breakfast wasn't showing up for at least another half an hour. Yep, that's right, I ordered room service. It was awesome to have it come right to my door and then I got to sit in bed and eat while I read the free newspaper that was outside my door. It was a great start to the day!

After breakfast, I headed to the park. I jumped on the Monorail in Downtown Disney, which took my right into the park to the Tomorrowland station. For the next four hours I wandered around Disneyland and California Adventure. I didn't go on any rides (well, I did take the train all the way around. Does that count?) cuz most of the lines were 30 minutes or more, which is my limit as to how long I'm willing to wait - that's the joy of having a pass, I can be a line snob, as Rachel calls it, and just come back later when the lines are less than a half hour. I had a blast even without the rides. It was fun to walk around and check out the hidden areas that I usually pass by. I went inside the castle and I had way too much fun taking pictures of myself being a dork. Just wait till you see the pictures, you'll understand how much of a dork I was! It was great! 

When my legs were too tired to walk anymore, I went back to the hotel to take a nap. I got in a two hour nap before Mom texted me to let me know that she and Dad were on their way to come play with me till the park closed. The first thing we did was go and get clam chowder in a bread bowl - which is pretty much my favorite thing to eat, the only thing that tops it is the Ice Cream Parlor. About a half hour after Mom, Dad, and I got in the park Rach, Mark, and the kids showed up to play too. Rach and Mark went off in search of food while the rest of us went to the Tiki Room (where Jason kept putting his hand over my mouth any time I started signing along, the dork!) and to Tarzan's Treehouse. Then it was off to Jungle Cruise, where Rach and Mark joined up with us again, and then to Small World. By the end of that ride, it was bed time for the two very tired kids who had already lost 3 hours of sleep the night before cuz they had been at Disneyland. So everyone headed home, except Mom and Dad made a quick stop by my hotel room to check it out and realize, again, why they were jealous that I got to stay there ;)

All-in-all, it was a wonderful day and I enjoyed every bit of it! Too bad my stay at the Disneyland Hotel ends tomorrow morning. I'm bummed, but it's been awesome staying here. There's nothing like the magic of Disney to make a birthday perfect. I must say, it was quite brilliant of me to get it for myself :D

Best birthday EVER!!!

This, my friends, is where I am spending my birthday! Aren't you jealous??!!?! I am in love with this place. It seriously is just too awesome! Once I checked in and got to my room, I proceeded to take a gazillion pictures of the room and the cute details that only Disney can provide (I'd show them to ya, but the camera and cords are way too far away and I am seriously tired from all this walking around Disneyland). Then I headed to the ticket booths to get my $69 gift card for my birthday present from Disney - they have a "get in free on your b-day" thing going down, but since I have an annual pass I got a gift card for the amount of a ticket, aka $69, instead. Now I can go and buy things on Disney's dime. Seriously, best birthday EVER! 

The fam and I then went to Rain Forest Cafe for dinner. It was so fun to watch Shelly and Jason as they found all the animals scattered about. They were way cute. After dinner, most everyone headed home, but Rach, Mark and the kids went with me to the park. As we got into the park, Shelly turned to me and very seriously asked "Aunt Katie, will you go on Pirates with me?". I of course said I'd love to. Then we both looked at each other and yelled "ARRR, Matey!!!", complete with the hooked finger and everything. Since Pirates freaks Jason out, Rach and Mark took him to the Tiki Room while Shell and I went to Pirates. We hooked up afterwards and went to Winnie the Pooh. By that time it was past 9 and everyone was tired! Which meant it was time to head out. Right now I am chillin in my hotel room trying to decide if I should order room service for breakfast or not....I bet I will, you only live once right? ;D

Lizzie and Grace

Robby, Jenny, and their two adorable little girls are currently in Orem visiting family before they head to New Zealand to live for the next few years. Since I am very put out with them for moving so far away and for not coming down here to Cedar to visit me until July, I went up there to annoy them ;) 

Strangely, Robby and Jenny thought that I am responsible enough to babysit their kids while they went to a play. I don't know where they got that idea! So while I was chillin with the youngins, I snapped some pictures. Enjoy!

Here's Grace eating her lunch

I was trying to get a picture of her with her teeth showing. I swear that girl looks like Dale (as in Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers) when she has her two front teeth showing. It's too cute!

Oh, just barely missed it.

It's Lizzie! 

She is one crazy, energetic girl. I was having a hard time keeping up with her.

This one I got with my phone. It's almost the Dale face.

My new name

I have been given a new name amongst my ward. It all started two weeks ago during Sunday School. Craig Lewis was teaching, which if you knew him would be all the explanation you would need. Craig called on me to lead the music and to read some stuff, which is totally ok, but what I wasn't expecting was the randomness of what transpired whenever he called on me. 

The first time it was just Sister Katie Gardner. Then the next time he added President - partly cuz I am RS president, but mostly cuz Bishop always calls me President and will correct himself when he says anything different. Which has started a lot of the guys calling me President when we're at church - but Craig didn't put President where I was expecting it. He said Sister President Katie Gardner, every time he called on me, which was a lot. He called on other people, but they didn't get a name change, just me. I was cracking up by the end of class because I've known Craig for close to two years now and he has never called me anything other than Katie and suddenly he adds three other words to my name. It was just so.....Craig! I told him afterwards that I now expected him to call me Sister President Katie Gardner whenever he sees me. 

Apparently though, the changing of my name was not done. Yesterday at church, I saw Craig in the hall. He came over to say hi and I was smiling cuz I knew that he would say my new name. Imagine my surprise when he said my name and there was a new addition to it. All of Sunday I was Sister President Katie Ann Gardner. I like the new middle name I've been given :) I figured that that was the final draft of my new name. Boy was I wrong! 

Tonight at FHE another addition was made. We meet at the Institute to play games and eat Ice Cream Sandwiches - you know, the typical summer FHE activity. Bishop had never played Jenga and since both Craig and I were just aghast about that, we had to play. It was crazy! We got that thing so high one time that I had to take a picture.

Crazy huh? (That's Matt and Ami)

While we were playing my new name somehow came up. I guess Bishop had never heard me called that before, which isn't too surprising since it's only two weeks old. We were trying to teach it to him (he kept forgetting parts of it) and all of a sudden Jeff pipes up with "We should make her a third!" Craig loved it, so it was added. The final rendition of my name (for today at least) is Sister President Katie Ann Gardner the Third. And yes I expect you to call me that every time you say my name ;)