Day 24

Letter to my parents: I am choosing to write to my mom A) because she is more likley to read this then my dad would and B) because she is most likley to read this LOL LOL

Dear Mom,

thank you for always being so strong, you should me from a very young age what a marriage looks like, sticking by your husband through think and thin, remaining strong during separations due to military orders, I always knew with your family by your side the distance was easy to handle. Thank you for allowing me, Josh, Jacob and Caleb to always "come home" for always opening your dark and cold house to us and letting us (well me) light it up and warm it up LOL. Jacob still talks daily about Grammie glass' home in "Penn sul bania".

Thank you for giving me the love for the water and swimming, and for th eopportunit yto take lessons, compete, teach and life guard, somthing i hope to pass down to my boys.

I know the distance is hard between us, and for you as a grandma an dyour grandchildren all being so far, but that makes the trip home that much better. We look forward to the spring and your visit out here for some whale watching!!!

Day 23- i think

Something I crave A LOT.... exercise, no that doesn't mean I satisfy that craving like i should but i always feel so good after a brisk walk to trip to the gym.

Also diet coke~ a crisp cold diet coke especially in the summer:)

SOmething that makes me different from everyone else..... I have lived in foreign countries:)

I was born the in the Philippines

Lived in Germany, lived in Italy

What makes me happy.....



My husband

Shih tzus!!

The Movie Dirty Dancing

Pecan Pie, YUMMMMMM!

My boys, J-bird and Ca Dub!!

Starting out with a few Oldie pics. Josh and I have been together for 10 years, he was at my sweet 16 birthday party, he was there when i learned to drive, i was there when he learned to drive, we saw each other graduate and accomplish many thing since then, most especially the birth of our two beautiful sons. We hold each other up and give each other renewed strength to endure the challenges of the military and of being parents.

I Love you Josh!!!!




Love you till the end!!!!!!!!!!!!

day 19

Nicknames and why....

Messy Jessie- now now, its isn't because i am dirty to anything, my house though lived in, is at time cluttered and messy but NOT DIRTY, i get this nickname from my bad habits of making a LARGE mess while baking, leaving cupboards and drawers open, clothes on the bedroom floor and light on:) annoying i know, its a growing process LOL LOL

My aunt uses Jessie bear, a character from a story book

Josh refers to me as Jessica Blue eyes~ He loves me!!!!!

Day 18

These aren't in order but the list goes, College Diploma, Doula Certification, Disney World trip. After that I pray, dream and wish for my children to grow up happy and healthy and marry a Christian woman of their dreams. I pray and dream to grow old with my husband and remain as in love with as I was the day I married him and as in love with him as I am today.

week 17

Someone you would want to switch lives with for a day and why????

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm......

Since its just for a day, I would say ANY celebrity sooo lets go with Jessica Simpson, she did a ton of traveling on her most recent show and I LOVE her fashion sense:)

love her song lyrics as well, one in particular was on her country album:

Don't be afraid to pray out loud

When your down, dont be afraid to pray out loud, Just close your eyes and let it out, Take all your fears and doubts, He's listening right now, Don't be afraid to play out loud, pray out loud...

top 10 songs on IPOD

Ipod is beyond dead, not even sure where it is at the moment but my itunes are-

You can't hide beautiful

My savior my God

If youre gonna play in Texas

Sissy's song

The Chipmunk Song

Far From Here

Summer of '69

More then a love song

When you're gone

If I die young

Josh and I have been blessed abundantly with two beautiful boys. Jacob and Caleb have brought us so much joy and compassion that sometimes thinking about the years to come makes me tear up, that one day I will send them to school full time and will no longer have a hand in each and every aspect of their lives. I live my days for my boys,

I am their number one fan and worst enemy but through all the bumps and heart ache we will have.

Bryan Adams- Don't tell me it's not worth fightin' for
I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more
Ya know it's true
Everything I do - I do it for you

There's no love - like your love
And no other - could give more love
There's nowhere - unless you're there
All the time - all the way

How I as introduced to Blogging....

Short and sweet, we wanted to keep family informed, I had done www.babycrowd.com with my pregnancy with Jacob and upgraded after his birth, many friends of mine had blogs, so i took the copycat route.

I have two friends attached to ~My Viewing Pleasure~ on our blog :)

part 2

Part 2 of friendships is of course now the boys that Jacob has become friends with.

Devin and Nathan are friend that we have basically had since before jacobs birth, well friends with their parents anyway, and have become friends for life, all the boys love playing out side on their playgrounds and riding bikes, i look forward to sharing many years and experiences with these boys. Jacob is always filled with pure joy at the mere mention of a playdate with the Alexander boys!

Another picture of my friends and I.... Since I pretty much completed my portion of friends, i decided to go with the second social butterfly of the family....Jacob, he is so outgoing and crazy, just like his mama and daddy their isn't a quiet bone in his body. Here a few pics of his friends from over the years~

Kennedy and Jacob, these two met at the birth of Jacob, for 3 years they were siblings, through temper tantrums and hugs, he still mentions her and tells us he want sto visit her in "Norf Carlina"

Isaac and Jacob, from playgrounds to trampolines these to had fun fun fun! Cheesers- Charlie and Jacob, at the beach, these to met at their playgroup hen they were just rollers and crawlers, but didn't become close :( till the end part of our time in Italy, Jacob still remembers watching the tractors go by at Charlie's house last summer:) Cannon, Topher ,and Gabe these boys were Jacobs buds through church and play groups, there mamas as well always showed love and compassion towards Jacob teaching him activities and making yummy snacks.

I know i missed some buddies of Jacob he has a bunch, two special girls not photographed but special all the same are Hannah and Sarah, twin girly friends Jacob had!!!

C'mon get higher lossen my lips, faith and desire in the swing of hips...

Songs listened to when I am happy, sad, hyped and mad...

Music speaks to my heart for sure, when I am any kind of down mood I turn to the Christian radio station. Casting Crowns can move me to tears or utter bliss.

Praise you in this storm is a song to basically live my life by:

~And i'll praise you in this storm, and i will lift my hands, you are who you are no matter where I am, and every tear I've cried, you hold in your hand, You never left my side, and though my hear it torn, I'll praise you in this storm~

Another one more recent is Who am I ~ Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth, would care to kno my name, would care to feel my hurt, who am I...~ These songs speak to heart, lift me up, i am never alone!

Worship music is always fun but can put an ache in my heart~ when i am in the mood to crank the music and do some cleaning or dancing with my boys we tune into the country station.

Sugarland is one of my favs. and through the USO while in Italy we got to hear them live.

All I want to do ,and their stuck like glue songs get me and my boys in the grooving mood:)

happiness for me is also love, love songs i could go on and on with, Josh and i have had a lot of LOVE songs in our relationship~ our wedding song as Jimmy Wayne's You Are, and we also love the song by Big and Rich Lost in This Moment With You.

When I am in a grumpy or bad mood I like Kelly Clarkson's Because of You. very personal meaning in the that song and I can relate to the words. She hold power and impact in that song

I could go on and on about songs and lyrics that move me a certain way but there was just a small view~

day 8

Something you are proud of in the last week...

I am proud of my husband for enrolling and re-starting his college education, he has a new found respect for what goes into a college education and wants to be an inspiration to his children. Working such long hours and still choosing his boys and wife over other hobbies and activities, it can be hard to manage all that goes into a career and family, but somehow he makes it all work and takes pleasure in the joy of his boys.


I LOVE YOU JOSHUA...'till the end!!

Goals

Short term goals for this month and why....
Boy is this a loaded question, as a mother of two young BOYS, I find it difficult some days to accomplish any of my daily goals, the tasks of laundry and bed making slip away from me.

Monthly goals for November I suppose would include within the next 2 weeks I will have one more class under my belts and just two short of graduation. The arrival of my DOULA practice baby is this month and I have a goal to get 10 hours of time in with the family and newborn.

Teaching Jacob to ride is bike as well, we have been attempting a walk/stroll bike ride in the afternoons (when its not raining) and Jacob is doing well:)
Teaching Caleb where his nose and other body parts are as well, he can spot a dog or cat pictured in any book or background of the tv, however we have slacked in teaching him his body parts:)

Something or someone who has had an impact on you...

I would say God has had the most impact on me however, its only through bible study and PWOC that I was accepting of that influence, though I was raised in a chruch I never totally grasped the plans God had for me until I was married, they became deeper then as I said good bye to Josh for a year of single parenting and said hello to PWOC and bible studies.

I cant name each teacher or even each study I have done, however I know that at somepoint during each those studies I was moved to place my thoughts, morals and vlaues on a path the the Lord would be proud off, everything from being a strong christian woman, to a faithful and serving wife to a patient and God inticing mother.

Favorite Super Hero

Immediately I thought of spiderman, but had no real reason, i searched for a inspiring quote from the movie but didn't come up with anything, i guess the only real reason i have is first that superheros are not realistic, they all hold powers that only the Lord God can actually deliver.

Now for the fun side spiderman was part of my life in high school, not because he was an awesome super hero but because the senior boys went through a phase where each had a super hero name; my brother -captain America, Butch and very tall and muscular boy- the HULK, Josh- spiderman, for no real reason:)

Now as i a look at Jacob literally laying on the couch at 7 am dressed as spiderman, he cracks me up and i have to do a reality check any time he talk about a super hero or asks for super hero themed toys. I can not believe my first born is almost to this stage!!!

~this kiss pictured above is pretty romantic as well ;)

Day 5

A place I have visited

Ohh the places you'll go....

Living in Italy gave us the opportunity to travel and while all the places we went were pretty much amazing, theone that stands out the most is visitng the Nueschwinstein Castle with Josh and Jacob on Josh's r&r.

Perhaps it was because it was the first time since Jacob as 2 weeks old that he and Josh got to spend together. The trip was amazing and Josh still talks about that castle almsot each day.

HABBITS

Day 4~ A Habbit I wish I didnt have

Habbit- Habits are routines of behavior that are repeated regularly and tend to occur subconsciously, without one being conscious about them...

I am a toucher, twirler, picker, plucker. I cant seem to stop touching my face, arms, back and hair. Good grief how do you stop it, well I have at some points in my life I have managed to NOT do it, at other times its non stop, or so I have been told:) It is by far the most comforting thing I do, most times I do not realize i am doing it.

BOO to habbits, my new one is Coffee, YUM YUM I cant seem to beign my day without having it or knowing I am going someplace that will have it, I dont go overborad limiting myself to one thermos/cup:) I dont wish this one away however because I enjoy it!

Day 3- Pictures of me and friends

OHHH the wonderful world of friendships~~As a military wife we travel almost every 3 years, old friends are left behind, and sometimes forgotten, and new friends are ahead of me. After 3 duty stations I have come to have faith in God that he puts friends in my life that may just be friends for that time and place in my life, sometimes amazing friendships occur even against the odds but sometimes there wither and I am left with amazing memories.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

Josh and I, we are above all best friends, after 10 years we know eahc other through and through, we have grown up together and now raise our family, he is my BEST Friend and rock!!
I'll love you till the end...
Ashley and me, we go WAAAAAAY back, she is my brothers wife and has been with him as just as long as Josh and i have been together, we were friends and high school and continue to chat everyday, sometimes about important things others time about nothing:)

Me, with Annie my sister in law who has become by far my best friend in the entire world, she would go against the odds to help me and my family in in way shape or form. Laine is with us here because we have adopted her as a Garner. Laine and I met at our first duty station Fort belvoir and we have been friends ever since, even after being room mates we have managed to become closer with each passing year.Maggie, Me and Tiana. Waiting at the Baltimore airport, ready to move our entire lives to Italy, Josh and I are having paper work issues, near by sits two women on their way back to Italy. Tiana was one of them, Shari M. as the other lady and both would become vital in our move overseas. we begin to chat, I find out she is also an Army wife but stationed at an Air Force Base, Gods hands at work just two months after our arrival in Italy we find ourselves living just 15 mins away from Tiana and her family. Tiana has been my rock, from single parenting adventures to both our husbands returns, we have laughed cried and celebrated many milestones in each others lives. Tiana was there for Jacob's birth and then took him overnight for Caleb's birth. Kennedy, Tiana's daughter and Jacob were pretty much siblings for 3 years. We are separated now on each side of the country but i find my thoughts wondering back to my life with her at some point each day.

Maggie came into my life through playgroup for Jacob, she Had Isaac her son, just 3 months older then J. one day while she was on the phone she mentioned she lived in GIAIS, I was dumbfounded, it was such a small town and we lived just a 5 min walk (well 3 minutes after it became a regular stop). From there our friendship grew, her and her husband adopted Jacob and I immediately, cooking us meals and such while Josh was deployed, she attended PWOC with me and soon had a whole circle of friends, While in Italy she also had her daughter Ryann, who i had the pleasure of meeting right after birth, while Mags was still feeling loopey:) We continued to keep celebrating birthdays, holidays and births, Isaac and Jacob were best buds:)
TISK TISK this seems to be one of the few photos i have of my friend Crystal, on our waterfall excursions over the summer, there wasn't much time for photography between 4 BOYS from ages 1-5yrs. Crystal and I first met in Virginia, at the time we were baby free but she had Devin, we celebrated his first birthday with them but my memories are rare with them. Wouldn't God have it down the road our paths would meet again. We literally owe our home to Crystal. Once Josh made the decision to become a prison guard we contact Crystal and her husband, since this is what he does as well. With orders to Washington our relationship become non-stop and still continues that way. Planning dinners and activated for the boys keeps us inseparable and i wouldn't have it any other day. I look forward to spending many years to come with her and her family.This is me and Megan, I refer to our friendship as a teaser, we had such a short amount of time together before we moved to Washington but our families got very close, God must have a future plan for us because the time we had together was not enough.

LOVE TO ALL MY FRIENDS!!!!!!

Day 2- Blogspot name

The meaning behind Garner x3....

Well upon moving to Italy we found out we were expecting our first child, after having thta beautiful boy, I decided to keep family and friends updated on all our craziness as a new FAMILY of 3, Garner x 3 :)

I have'nt yet looked to see if I can change the name of the blog... since we are now Garner x4:)

The title is of course The Garner Family, thats who we are, a family:) our subtitle proverbs 22:6 is a verse Josh and I believe whole heartedly. We are aiming each day to encourage and build Caleb and Jacob's passions and skills, so that one day they can arise on their own in a relationship with the Lord.

~~I pray that God will fill your heart with dreams, and that faith give you the corauge to dare to do great things, I'm here for you whatever this life brings, so le tmy love give you roots and help you to find your wings!!!!~~

30 days of ME!!!!

30 Days of Me blog... the boys will be mentioned of course!!!

Day 1- 15 interesting facts about me

15- I was a gymnast from age 8to 7th grade

14- I have a an Older brother and younger sister

13- I have had 2 major surgical procedures~ wisdom teeth removed and also a Lymph Node removal.

12- I have lived in the phillipeans (where I was born)

11- I am an Air force child and have lived in Germany, Texas, Arizona, and Pennsylvania

10- I then becam and army wife and have lived in Virginia, Italy and Washington

9- I still have my two high school best friends (Rachel Cooper and Amanda Powell)

8- I used to have my belly button pierced :)

7- I met Josh is High school Biology

6- Was Due with Jacob on May 22, Josh's birthday

5- I love decorating for the boys with turtles

4- I love to cook and bake

3- I want to continune baking each one of the boy's birthday cakes to match whatever the theme maybe

2- I am the princess of my house and have 3 princes to love and guard me

1- I am married to my best friend.

Caleb Photos

Caleb!!!

Happy 1st Birthday Caleb Joshua Garner

Here we are just days from Caleb's 1st birthday, I can not believe our baby is 1.

Caleb is still an amazing eater and sleeper, until recently he has eaten anything i give him, avocado has become the least favorite.

Caleb Loves to play ball, look in the mirror and chase ballons, he also LOVES to splash in the pool or bath tub and be outside!!

Caleb can say mama, baaaa (ball), booon (ballon) and Uh oh. He responds with his pointer extended when we ask Caleb how old are you. He can wave bye bye and give high 5's

Caleb continues to amaze us when he learns to open a drawer or match a ball into the hole of a toy. He is such a blessing to us as a famiyl of 4 and we are estatic about the next year to come!!!!

Happy birthday baby boy!!!!

DADDY

HELLO HELLO Does anyone look at this anymore.

Well even if they don't i still feel compelled to rave about my fantastic husband now and then, so with fathers day approaching here we go.

Psalm 103:13

"As a father has compassion for hsi children, so the Lord has compassion for thos who fear him"

We started the months of with a promotion, Josh made rank and is now a Staff Sgt in the Army. He continues to train as a corrections officer and is some what interested in Drill SGT school somewhere in the future.

We have some leave coming up and I know Josh is in need of some quality time with his boys, he has been working some strange hours. it will be nice to have him around. We're planning a trip to Mt. ST. Helen, and a waterfall/camping excursion.

We are planning to celebrate Daddy this weekend, and have a few suprises i can't share yet;)

Love to all!!!

Jacob Turns 3

On the night you were born, the moon smiled with such wonder that the stars peeked in to see you and the night wind whispered "Life will never be the same."

Because there had never been anyone like you ever in the world.

A whirlwind of a weekend brought many celebrations, 1st was Jacob's 3rd birthday party. We did a playdoh theme. Jacob and his friends played for a little while on the various playdoh activites we had. Then their boys personalities got the best of them and off they went, ballon fights, tractors, rides on the NEW John Deer Gator, from Grammy and Pappy Garner, and a Pinata!!!

The cake was Playdoh theme as well, i took 2 cupcakes, staked them and frosted them like playdoh containers. SOO cute, with help from my firend here they came out awesome.

Now about our 3 year old. Jacob is such an amazing and talented little boy, he keeps josh and i laughing all day with his little sayings and motions. I have too many memories to even begin to share them but they have all been gifts from God and precious memories that i will remember for many years to come. It is truly an Honor to be Jacob's mommy!!!

Now Jacob Chimes in:

Jacob what is your favorite food: Corn Dogs!

Favorite toy: Monstor trucks

Favorite Color: Green

Favortie Ice cream: no i dont like it, i like chocolate ice cream better with Marshmollows in it.

He actually does not like ice cream yet but is starting to like milk shakes. He likes to play with his friends and help daddy do ANYTHING!!!!