CONGRATULATIONS MY SWEET HUSBAND!!!

At approximately 7:30 pm last night, Steve finished his last final EVER!  If he passes the class, which I'm confident that he will, he never have to take another class again!  Unless of course he chooses to get his Master's degree (heaven help me if he does).  The timing could not be better!  I am 3 weeks away from my due date and now I have my husband's attention and time back!  We can prepare for our son to enter the world without the distraction of school.

I'm so happy for Steve!  He has been working full time and going to school, not to mention his church callings!  I cannot express how unbelievably proud of him I am.  He works so hard and hardly ever complains and still makes time for me.  He helps out around the house and picks up the slack while I've been VERY pregnant.  I'm so impressed by his tenacity and strength to get through this ever distracting time!  

Way to go Steve!  I love you more than you could ever imagine and I'm soooo proud of you!

I would also like to publicly thank Steve's late grandfather Edward (Ted) for putting Steve through school up until he passed away.  And a HUGE thank you to Steve's parents for continuing the support after his passing.  We wouldn't be in the position we are in now if we had those hefty student loans looming over us.  So thank you Grant and Verla!  You are going to be the best Nana and Papa our little Gavin Edward could dream up!   We love you!

Funny Story

So the other day, Robyn and I were at Burlington Coat Factory getting some necessary baby items (thanks again for all your help Robyn!!) and as we walked in, I saw a very familiar face.  It was a guy in his mid twenties and he was looking back at me and I thought, "I think I went to high school with that kid..."  So I smiled and said hello and he nodded at me and smiled back.  What was his name???  I knew that I recognized his face and I just couldn't put my finger on it.  I walked away to find Robyn and then it hit me!  I didn't know him from high school!!!  I knew him TV!  It was Gev from "So You Think You Can Dance"!  I just casually said hello to him, like I was so cool, and he was staring at me the same way everyone stares at me these days...because  I look like this:  

And I'm a 3 weeks bigger than that now,  so he had every right to stare!  I was just kicking myself that I didn't go over to him to have a corny picture taken to document my pseudo-celebrity sighting!  Would have been awesome, but I didn't want to run after him in my condition.  But I did call my 2 friends that I know loved SYTYCD as much as me.  Thanks for tolerating me Keri and Andrea!  Ha ha!  Well, Gev, should we meet again, I shall throw my dignity to the wind and ask for a picture...or perhaps I will ask you what the heck you think you are staring at...and to take a picture...preferably with you in said picture.  Who am I kidding, Gev, you are so cool. 

Even Steve thought he was a little bit dreamy.  Heh.  Steve is cute.

Stole from Audra...

I thought this looked fun and it made me laugh, so bear with me!

1. My rock star name: "Alice A6"
{First pet and current car}

2. My gangsta name: "Reeses Choc Chip"
{Favorite candy bar and favorite cookie} 

3. My detective name: "Pink Hippo"
{Favorite color and favorite animal}

4. My Star Wars name: "Garka of Fish Oil" (Can't take many meds these days!

{First three letters of last name and first two letters of first name then the word "of" then a medication you are on}

5. My superhero name: "Coral the Slurpee"
{2nd favorite color and favorite drink with "The" in front}

6. My Nascar name: "Charlene Saphronia" (How cool are my grandma's??)
{First names of your grandmothers}

7. My "lover" name:  "Very Sexy Sixlets"
{Name of your favorite perfume/cologne and your favorite candy}

8. Witness-protection name: "Julie Curtis"
{Mother's and father's middle names}

Now anyone that wants to do this, just steal it and let me know you did it!  I wanna read it!  

The Belly...In All Its Glory!

Well, here she is folks! The famed Belly! I won't lie, I absolutely love being pregnant. If you could spy on me at home alone or with Steve there, you would find me with my belly exposed and me pushing on the lil bug to get him to move around for me. Steve talks to him and we both marvel at the way he flops around causing my entire mound of belly to contort in odd positions. There are times that I swear he's trying to get out of one of the stretch marks he's causing under my belly button. I yell at him, "Wrong way, buddy!! Head south to make a break for it!" Ha! I can't wait until he's here...life will never be the same!

My friend Robyn, on the eve of the birth of her 2nd son, did a little photo shoot for Steve and I. I can't wait to get the ones that she took back, but here a few that she took with our digital camera. She is so talented! I love you Robyn!! Thanks for the photo session! We took some pretty hilarious Napoleon Dynamite-esque pictures of the two of us and we had a pretty fun time with that. Maybe I will post one or two of them...they are pretty embarrassing though!

Well, I will post more later when I figure out how to use the new picture thing on my computer...confounded newfangled technology...it'll be the death of this blog I tell ya.

BUSY Days!

Wow, life sure has been busy lately!  Getting ready for this baby, working more, and my primary calling have sure been keeping me a busy girl!  A few updates:

I'm almost 34 weeks pregnant and my belly is HUGE!  I have a feeling this is going to be a big boy!  Everywhere I go, people are telling me that I look like I'm ready to pop, and I get comments like, "WOW!!!  You must be due any minute now!"  Or, "Are you sure you aren't carrying twins?  You should really have your Dr. check for another baby in there"  and my personal favorite: "Oh man, I NEVER got that big!  I'm not kidding, I was even 4 days over my due date and my belly never looked like that!"  

Thank you very much, I know what I look like.  I am a belly monster and I am just fine with it.  This lil guy is carrying really far out of my belly, but guess what?  I am totally comfortable.  I don't have heart burn or get kicked in the ribs, I can walk 3 miles with no problems and I sleep like a log.  So TAKE THAT all you small bellied women who feel the need to comment on my huge equator of a belly!  I feel great and I love being pregnant, so bring it on!

Enough about that, in other news, my dear sweet love of my life dog, Tess passed away 2 weeks ago, just after she turned 12.  It was really rough, and you know what?  Having to put your dog down hurts as much as having a family member die...it just doesn't hurt for as long.  We sure miss her though.  She was my dog.  When I lived at home, she slept on my bed with me and followed me around the house.  I helped pick her out of a litter of more than a dozen puppies and I was there when they put the needle in her body to put her to sleep.  As mom told me to comfort me, she fulfilled her purpose on this earth on brought us joy every minute she was alive.  Always obedient and loyal, she will always have a place in the hearts of our big family. 

*sniffle*

In happier news, my nephew Soren is seriously the cutest baby and he's still so new and tiny and sweet.  I got to babysit on Friday night while Steve was away at a Young Men's training and Brandon and Jessica got to go on a their first date since he was born.  Soren was so good and it gave me hope that I might be able to hack it as a momma.  He was an angel!  I can't wait for my own to come!

Okay, I will post some belly pictures soon and keep everyone better updated on the Gardner's happenings.  Steve has less than 5 weeks left of school until he graduates and we couldn't be any more excited!  It's great timing too, because Gavin is due just 2 weeks later!  Its going to be a very busy holiday season! 

Baby Soren...

Here he is!! (Don't freak out...this is my nephew, I am still with child!)
Soren Hays

Sorry for the delay...I was busy lovin' on my new nephew! It's amazing how you can just instantly love something you just met...he is so precious! Brandon and Jessica are the cutest new parents I think I've ever seen. It's so fun to watch them develop into new creatures (parents) right before my very eyes. I've never seen my big brother turn into a puddle of lovey-type ooze over something so small. This little Soren really is one of the most precious babies I've ever known...and I know a lot of babies! I wish I was holding the lil guy right now!

As for the birth details, he was 10 days overdue (well, 10 days over his due date...they are not technically overdue until after 42 weeks. YIKES!) and he was born 10/22/08 at healthy 7 pounds 2 oz. and 21 inches long. He's long and skinny and has a mop of very pretty blondy-brown hair that gets lighter everyday (that's my boy!).

Here is proud Uncle Steve holding Soren for the first time. He's still a little swollen from being born, but he's still got these beautiful juicy lips!What a handsome couple of boys!

This has to be one of my favorite pictures ever...Jessica is going to be the cutest mom! She had a baby just hours before this pic was taken...she looks great!! And look how alert Soren is! He's the most content, sweet and happy baby!

In true Hays fashion, we all went out to lunch (and stole proud papa Brandon) after meeting Soren at The Wasatch Broiler. MMMM. Here's lil' bro Jared (left) and the new dad himself!

I'm so glad he finally came and everything went well! Most of all, I'm glad Brandon and Jessica had a baby boy so close to when we will have ours so they can be best buddy cousins! I am also glad they went first! I can use all the advice I can get!

We love you Brandon, Jessica and Soren!
Congratulations!

The Bump Sighting...

In the following photo, you will catch a glimpse of the rare and camera-elusive Jessica-Bump and and actual Kacey-Hand come into contact with it! This Jessica-Bump has yet to be captured on camera with any other kind of human contact. Jessica-Bump is shy and does not like to be touched, rubbed, fondled or molested. I must mention that Jessica-Bump does not tolerate any kind of cooing, talking to or even looking at Jessica-Bump. But Aunt Kacey-Hand and Kacey-Face cannot resist and, much to Jessica-Bump's chagrin, talks to and loves on the said Jessica-Bump.



In all seriousness...I cannot wait anymore for this baby! My brother Brandon and his wife Jessica (my dear DEAR friend) are now NINE days overdue for their first baby and we will all get the chance to meet the lil one tomorrow after Jessica scheduled induction. I can't wait to meet my nephew!! I know Jessica is ready to have this baby out and sleep on her back or stomach again!

Steve Part 2

This is for all those people that read my last post and wanted to hurt me because Steve is so perfect. Well, rest assured my friends, he is not. I love the dear man, and that will never change, but let's face it...he is a MAN after all. He does do dumb things sometimes.

Case in point:

This happens constantly! In case you can't see, that is a very full sink, and a very full pot teetering on the middle divider and also notice that lovely bowl that is oh-so delicately balanced so that if I attempt to do the dishes, and turn the water on, it creates a lovely waterfall on the back side of my counter top...which did happen mind you! This happens about once every other week and I'm not the type grin and bear it...I tell the boy to cut it out! And he thinks he being helpful by "soaking" the dish for me!! How about sticking it in the dishwasher and turning it on? Now that would be helpful! It's gotten to the point where I just laugh and think to myself "If this is his big flaw, I'll take it!" Steve is actually a very helpful husband...he loves to vacuum and he loves nothing more than a very "productive" Saturday where we clean for hours (kill me now). So I don't have much to complain about, but this is the one area that I can hold over his head...thanks honey! I'm so glad your aren't perfect! That's a lot to try to match, so if I don't get the laundry put away all in one day, then we are doing okay, cuz we are both doing our best!

Here's another little gem. I found this on my friend's blog and I must say, I hope that Gavin turns out to be a little cuter than technology anticipates!



What do you think about my little new baby Gavin?
MakeMeBabies.com - What will your baby look like?


I don't know about you, but I think this kid looks like a little jerk! Oh, please OH PLEASE let him be cuter than this little mischief makin' ugly kid! (See, I'm not perfect either...apparently I'm very judgmental!)

Steve

I don't know if it's the hormones or what, but lately my heart just swells every time I look at, see, talk to or think of Steve...even the smell of his skin drives me crazy. I've said it before and I will say it now: I am the world's most pathetic and love-sick wife!

Here's the deal...since the time I was, oh, I don't know, FIVE years old, I have been boy crazy and have always wanted to be in love. I would choose various boys around me to be my victims and I would torture them with staring, ogling, love notes, calls, and other annoying and pathetic attempts to get these said boys to notice me. This lasted all the way up until AFTER high school. I just wanted to be in love! And you know what? I didn't really date a single guy until Steve. I was 21. So you can imagine that up until then, I got used to being the 3rd, 5th, or 7th wheel amongst my popular and beautiful friends. I found that boys that I liked were constantly saying to me, "Kacey, why can't I just find a girl like you?" HELLO!!! I am me! I would think and I realized I was setting myself up to be "best friend Kacey" and not "love interest Kacey." I was the poster child for unrequited love and I didn't know how to break the cycle. Not to mention my self-esteem was extremely low due to the circumstances. Then Steve came along. I didn't feel the need to torture him with my love "rays" or smother him...I felt safe with him and I trusted him. On our first date, I laid down the law. I told him that I didn't want to be the best friend and I didn't want a guy to call me and say "let's hang out." If you don't want to date me, don't make me your best friend. From that day forward, Steve took me on a "date" almost everyday until we got married. His intentions were clear and I was in love.

Now, anyone that knows me knows that I come with a special set of circumstances. I would consider myself well-adjusted and a well rounded individual, but I had somewhat of a difficult upbringing. My biological mom is sadly not part of my life, and I have seen marriages torn and broken by very difficult conditions and no one can escape with out some kind of collateral damage. Steve has masterfully and gently loved me through it all, and tamed the crazy moments with patience and understanding. He's waited out a few storms and made me feel like I'm worthy of the love he so freely gives me...which is a true feat. Steve has taken a girl with the potential to implode and self destruct and convinced her that she has value and is deserving of the blessings that come from marrying such a stellar man. I am constantly in awe that my Father in Heaven has so thoughtfully prepared a man to be all that I would EVER need or dream of...and crazy as it may seem...that all the experiences in my life would actually BLESS my marriage and prepare me for this man. It makes me realize that our Father in Heaven has a hand in our lives, and I know he had a hand in mine when it came to finding my true love. "Who is my love but the soul of my soul?"

My dad always told me growing up that I was never to expect a knight in shining armor or prince charming to come and rescue me...that I would need to save myself and not depend on a man that way...he said that was a recipe for disaster. Well, when Steve and I had been dating for a few months, his mom took me aside and gave me a framed picture of him as a baby and the bottom of the frame said "PRINCE." She told me with tears in her eyes that since the time she conceived little Stevie, that she knew he was a boy and that his name was to be Stephen, which means "crowned one or prince" and that he was my prince. So, ironically, Steve ended up saving me and will be my Prince for all of eternity.

Sorry for the sap-fest, but like I said, my heart is full and I had share the love I have for my sweetheart. Thank you Steve for being all this and more...

WHITNEY IS HERE!

Today is a great day my friends! I am getting off work at noon so I can hang out with one of my very favorite people in the entire world...my best friend (oh, did I mention that she's my lil sister?) WHITNEY! She moved to California a few years ago and I only get to see her a few times are year, so I am so excited to see her today. Whitney quite frankly saved my life. I do not know where I would be with out her in my life. You see, growing up, we didn't have the pleasure of each other's company because our parents hadn't gotten married yet (Whit is my step sister, but I hate that word, because it doesn't even begin to describe the way I feel about her) and we both only had brothers. When we first met, it was like we knew each other already and we knew we were supposed to be sisters forever...like Soul Sisters. A Soul Sister can be anyone, we were just lucky enough to have our parents get hitched and become official sisters. There are some bonds that will last through the eternities and Whit and I have one. I love that girl!!!

Here are some of my very favorite people:

Perry (my brother from anotha motha ...no really, I am sealed to this boy...he is my brother forever), Jared (My twin separated by 12 months and 2 weeks) and my beloved Whit Bit.

Why oh, WHY do I not share the same genes as the beautiful people?
Whitney and Perry (and some randoms I don't know)

I managed to remember my camera today, so maybe I can remember to use it to document the wondrous occasion that Whitney's visit is. Can you tell how much I miss my sweet little sister?? I'm so excited I can barely contain myself!

So I Took a Blogging Sebatical!

I have been absent from the blog world for far too long now...and I am truly sorry. The truth is, I have been busy! Plus, my home computer is a piece of garbage, and its difficult to get pics uploaded on my work computer. But the are going to be pictures my friends!

Last week my parents and Steve and I were planning a marvelous vacation to Lake Powell...everything was prepared and the day before the big trip I was picking up a few last essentials from Costco when I got the cruddy news that we would not be going. *sniff* My dad had a minor work crisis he had to be in town for and so we were land bound until further notice...so sad. But my sweet husband suggested we treat the long weekend like our own little vacation and do whatever we wanted, so we did! We lounged around together and went shopping and to the movies. That Sunday morning we took off and went up East Canyon to see all the leaves changing and found a cute little cafe and ate lunch up there. I was terribly romantic...I must admit!

Couldn't resist posting these twice!

One of my VERY best friends Luisa and her hubby Dustin had their baby boy as well. He's almost 3 weeks old now, but he's just so cute that I can't resist posting a few pictures of him. They named him Nash (yes, after Steve Nash...) and he is such a handsome lil man!

Here's Nash and his new favorite Auntie!I have to admit...Luisa and Dustin make a seriously cute baby!

Also, Steve finally cornered me and took some belly pictures. I guess they are kinda cute. Don't get me wrong, I love my baby bump and I adore being prego, I just don't love to see all the gross angles I subject my friends and family to daily. So enjoy!

This is me at 24 weeks...so just 2 weeks ago.

This is just one week later! 25 Weeks (Okay, so the stripes don't help me much!)

I also want to say congrats to Craig and Danielle Barker! They got married a week and a half ago in California and we had the pleasure of going to their wedding dinner on Saturday night. Danielle was a breathtakingly beautiful bride and Craig was a very sweet new husband. We got to dance the night away at the JSMB and we all had a blast! Thanks for including us guys!

One day we will all be raising our kids together!!
Robyn and Brian Lund, Craig and Danielle Barker and the Gardners!
Look us lovely ladies! Me, Danielle, MaryAnn and Robyn

Flickr Tag

I got this from Matti's blog and it was really fun to do! If you would like to do it too, here are the instructions:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker (http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/mosaic.php).
d. copy the mosaic image (right click, save image as) to your computer.

The pictures correspond to the answers from left to right, starting with the Bride matching "Kacey".

The Questions:
What is your first name: Kacey
What is your favorite food: Cute Food!
What high school did you go to: Brighton High School
What is your favorite color: Pink
Who is your celebrity crush: Jim From the Office (John Krazinski)
Favorite drink: Coke Slurpee (Never had a Coke Float Slurpee, but I think I need one NOW!)
Dream Vacation: A Mediterranean Cruise (this is a pic of the Island Stromboli)
Favorite Dessert: Creme Brulee!
What you want to be when you grow up: A Mommy
What do you love most in life: Being in love
One word to describe you: Happy
Your flickr name: None (get it? A lonely little bench?)

This was fun to do! I challenge Robyn, Keri, Angie and Melanie to make a mosaic! Its really cool to see all the pictures that come up for the word combination you put in. Let me know if you need any help!

So Long Mulva!

For those who might not know, we had a beloved little Volvo S40 named Mulva. Recently, we have been toying with the idea of selling her and getting a "cheaper" car (even though we did get a steal of a deal on her!) to help when the baby comes. Well, Steve has his dealer's license and has a really great connection at the Auto Auction (keep that in mind if any of you are ever looking for a car! He can get you the best deal!!) and we went to the lot to check out an Audi that would be half the price of the Volvo...so we took the cute little thing for a test drive and neither of us could make up our minds...plus I love my car so much that I didn't really love the idea of trying to sell it. So we pull back into the lot and there is a cute couple there (mind you the girl is 9 an a 1/2 months pregnant!) and they are dropping off a check to buy a Honda and they spotted our Volvo and asked us if we would be willing to sell it. Steve and I looked at each other and got back in the car to discuss what we were going to do. We could not believe that we would find the car we wanted and a buyer for our car in just a few minutes! They offered us just $100 less than we paid for it, and since we traded it in through the dealership, we didn't have to pay sales tax or registration on our new car, so we ended up MAKING $500 on the deal! Needless to say, we left with a new car that night and even though I miss ol' Mulva, I have to say, I love my new car! It's a 2001 Audi A6 and it has a lot more "creature comforts" than any car I've ever driven! I love it!It has been so nice to know that a little of our financial burden has been lifted (not to mention that our insurance is also less and this little peppy thing has all wheel drive!) and it seems like we got an even better car, its just four years older. I love it! I can't think of a clever name for it (how sad...it is just an IT) so leave any suggestions you might have! You might be interested that my past cars names have been as follows:

• 1991 Honda Accord: Beus (pronounced Boose)
• 1989 VW Fox: Humpy (thanks Dane! He named it and it just stuck...even my mom called the car Humpy!)
• 1998 Nissan Sentra: Besty
• 1999 VW Jetta: The Jetta (not very creative, I know, but it works)
• 2005 Volvo S40: Mulva (My personal fave)
• 2001 Audi A6: To Be Decided!!

Your input would be greatly appreciated!

Labor Day and More!

So another week has gone by and I have yet to post the pictures of our Puerto Rico trip! It will happen soon, but I won't put off updating about the other happenings in our little world!

I'm happy to report that my cute friends and neighbors Andrea and Spencer have had their baby boy and they have named him Jameson Taylor (a very noble name I might add)! He was a little over-due, but he is perfect!

Here's the little cutie in all his cuteness! Don't you love those cheeks?

I must say, it makes me very excited to have our little boy soon! My belly has started to "pop" and there really is no question that I'm with child! Someone even asked me if I was having twins! (YIKES!!!) But I will post a belly pic and you be the judge if that comment was really justified! Heck, I've gained less than 5 pounds this whole pregnancy!


On Labor Day, my parents took Steve and I up to Park City to check out the Showcase of Homes, and it was amazing! We saw so many homes that were so far out of any feasible price range for us, but it was fun to ogle! While we were up there, Steve somehow managed to lose our Volvo key (yes, the only one we have!), which is so unlike him...he's the one who ALWAYS knows where everything is and helps me keep my head on! But we fear it is gone for good and our poor little Mulva (yes, that's her name...Seinfeld reference...) has been stranded in my parents driveway while we get this ordeal figured out. Turns out the cute little electronic key costs over $250 to replace! Plus they have to tow it! Luckily, towing is covered under our warrenty (who knew?) and Steve gets a discount on the parts for the key because he has his car dealer's license. Still sucks though! We have been bumming rides from our loving and thoughtful friends the Lund's (thanks again Brian and Robyn!!! We couldn't have kept our jobs OR sanity this week if it weren't for you two!). I'm glad to say that we are picking up ol' Mulva this afternoon! (I think I just heard Brian and Robyn let out a huge sigh of relief!)

But back to the great Labor Day we had in spite of this set back, my dad took us to the Ruth's Chris in Park City after checking out the huge houses and it has to be the best food on the planet! I love me a good steak, and man were we spoiled! Here are some pictures:

This is my cute mom and dad...they are so much fun to hang out with...my dad had Steve and I nearly peeing ourselves because we were laughing so hard!

Here's Steve and I...awaiting our feast!

I love this one...he didn't even know what hit him!


Like father like daughter!

So it was a great trip up to Park City and I'm glad to have such fun and wonderful parents that love to spoil us when the occasion arises! Thanks for being so sweet you two!

Can You Say Horomone Overload?

So this is what six pregnant ladies look like all squished into one room looks like! Last Thursday, we organized a dinner and gift exchange for all the pregnant women on our street...there are eight of us! Although only six of us could attend, there was plenty of progesterone to share! My cute neighbor Megan thought of this great idea and I ran with it. It was a blast! If we all stay in Daybreak, all of our kids will be in the same grade! How crazy! The first one will be born in September (or next week, we hope, right Andrea?) and the last one (of just the eight girls we KNOW of) is my baby in January (but hopefully the end of December...you gotta hope for that tax break!). So that's a lot of babies in just a little less than 4 months!! Needless to say, there are going to be a lot of playgroups and a great support system on our little street! I love Daybreak!

Still no Puerto Rico pictures...I'm such a slacker! Coming to you soon!

We're Home!

Sorry that it took so long to get a post up...I have been so jet lagged and super busy trying to make up for 2 weeks of vacation in the last month! I will post some of the pictures from our awesome trip to Puerto Rico when I finally get them on my home computer. We had such a great time! We went to the beach a lot and relaxed by the pool...it was magical! I loved to meet the people that Steve taught on his mission and it was so touching to see how much of an impact he had on some of the peoples lives. I have a very sweet husband.

My only complaint about the trip was that it is just too hot for a pregnant girl! The humidity just about did me in! I almost passed out a few times, but it was worth it! We stayed with a member that Steve met on his mission named Mari Wildy and she was so delightful! She took the entire week we were there off work so she could show us the city and let us use her car. She is so wonderful and she made the trip so easy and perfect! I love that little island and I can't wait to take our son there one day so he can see how wonderful of a missionary his dad was! It was so cute, as soon as Steve would tell someone that I was pregnant, they would come over and rub my belly and kiss my face and tell me that they are going to be their "tia" (aunt) and made Steve promise to bring the little one back so they can shower him with gifts and kisses. When they fall in love with you, they don't mess around!

A little update on the naming of our child...I don't know if we will stick with Asher or not. My friend's little boy was trying to say the name Asher and it sounded like "Asser". I don't think I like that too much...so we are going back to the ol' drawing board and considering other names. We still have some time to decide, so I'm not going to stress about it...too much. I just want to find something that fits our lil boy.

More to come on Puerto Rico...although don't get your hopes up for too many pictures...we were terrible at taking them! I didn't feel so great a lot of the time, and I'm usually the diligent picture taker, so we got all of about 10 decent photos! Dang!

Island of Enchantment, Here We Come!

Steve and I are leaving for Peurto Rico tonight at midnight! We are so excited and we'll be there for a week! Steve served an LDS mission in Puerto Rico and of course he fell in love with the people, not to mention the breathtaking landscape! I had the opportunity to visit PR when Steve and I were dating exactly 4 years ago. He was going back to visit after being home from his mission for a year, and we had been dating for about 3 months...I just couldn't bear the thought of having him gone for a whole week! (I know, my mom is right, I am pathetic!) So Steve took me along with him to Peurto Rico and I fell in love with my future husband on the sandy beaches of PR. I must say, is was a blast and I very excited to return to this gorgeous island of enchantment as a married couple! ;)

Here are a few pics of what we will be experiencing over the next week!

Puerto Rico has the most amazing rain forests in the world! Billions of gallons flow through this scenery every year! When went to PR 4 years ago, Steve surprised me and took me on a horseback ride through the rain forest (much like the one below). It was adorable because I love, love, LOVE horses, and he was terrified of them! But he ended up having as good of time as I did. Awwww...
This sunset is like many Steve got to experience on a nightly basis while on his mission and like a few I was able to catch while I was there. I'm so excited to return and see these breathtaking sunsets again!

Well, I wanted to give you all a little taste of the island the Steve and I have fell in love with. I will have many more pictures and stories to tell when I return a bronzed goddess (don't worry, I will SPF my pregnant self up everyday!)...okay, maybe not a goddess, but I will at least be very relaxed and maybe have a tan to show for it!

Adios, amigos!

And He Shall Be Called...

Steve and I have finally come to a decision on a name! It has been the subject of many conversations and I have come to the conclusion that not everyone will love the name we pick...and that when it comes right down to it, that's okay...they will fall in love with the boy, not the name! We did pray about it (I know that sounds lame, but this is a big deal to me!), and we both LOVE that name we picked and it just feels right! So...coming to you this holiday season is...

Asher Cole Gardner!

I love the name Asher! Like I mentioned in the poll, it means fortunate, happy or blessed. Also, Asher is one of the 12 tribes of Israel, which I thought was pretty neat! Asher was the 8th son of Jacob in the Old Testament and was promised a life of abundance...what more could you ask for, for your new son? A happy, blessed life filled with abundance! Cole is also a special name...Steve's mom's maiden name is Cole and she's always wanted to pass that name along, but it didn't to her own children (not sure why...) and I have always loved the name so it was a natural fit! I'm excited to see what this little Asher looks like and Steve says if he doesn't have dark hair, he might reconsider the name Cole, because he sees a boy with dark hair with the name Cole...he's a funny boy! We'll see, but I like the way Asher Cole feels to me!

On another note, I felt the baby move a lot last night! It was so neat! I was sitting in a ball reading the Twilight book (just to get caught up before I start the new one this week in Puerto Rico!! Wahhooo!) and I must have been squashing him, cuz he was cruisin' around my belly! It was so neat and Steve tried to see if he could feel it, but he couldn't...I can't wait until he can! It's amazing! Cute little Asher!

Princess Party Animals!

The last day at Disneyland, we went to a restaurant called Ariel's Grotto. It's such a perfect place to take any girl who might ever think a princess is pretty neat, so needless to say, I enjoyed myself...oh! and so did Kacey and Emmie! It's so cute, all the little girls dress up as their favorite princess and then they get to meet each one during dinner. While you eat, all the famous princesses (Ariel, Belle, Aurora/Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine, Cinderella and Snow White) all come around and talk to each little girl and take a picture with them and Kacey got her autograph book filled! It was so much fun to watch! I think Natalie had as much fun as the little girls! I know I did!

I love this face, and she loved her hair like this. I hope I have the chance to have a daughter one day...if not, I will just steal this one!

This is a classic Kacey Face...again, so in love with these girls! This was taken at Ariel's Grotto, of course! Kacey went as Belle, and Emmie went as Aurora, but not the Pink Aurora, the Blue Aurora (duh, Aunt Kacey!).

I'm sad this came out a little fuzzy, but you get the picture, my mom is the cutest grandma on the planet! I think she might love these girls as much as me...well...almost as much!

The crowned Princesses of Disneyland! Kacey didn't want to put her crown on because she was embarrassed, so I donned one to show her how cute they are...maybe she had the right idea though! I look a little silly!

Jasmine was the cutest with the girls of all the princesses. She took her time with them and asked them questions and was so patient with their excited chatter to her!

Well, that about sums up most of our Disneyland experience...like I said, I don't have to words to explain how magical it was and I don't have enough pictures to show you! The last day, we went to the beach and my cute cute cute sister Whitney and her sweet boyfriend John took us to the beach at the most posh location...right across from John's family's beach house! It wasn't crowded and the waves were great, until they nearly killed me and Kacey! John had to come to our rescue...and my swimsuit bottoms were at my knees I'm sure! I sure he enjoyed the splendor of a drowning pregnant lady and her helpless niece!

Here is my surf-happy sister Whitney...I love this girl more than words can say too...what can I say, I'm just filled up with love!

My mom got some pictures of that day, but I haven't gotten them yet, so I will post them as soon as I get them!

Oh, one last thing, our flight was delayed from 6:45 Sunday night to 2:20 am early Monday morning! We tried to make the best of it, so we told the girls we were having girls night out and then we rented a car and went to Mimi's Cafe and then to see Journey to the Center of the Earth. (Lame movie, don't see it!). We had a great time, but we still ended up waiting for a really long time at the airport. :(

Here are the girls all tuckered out waiting for our blasted plane to arrive...poor things! A beach towel, my mom's pillow and an airline blanket and these girls were happy! They were good sports through the whole ordeal! I love these girls! Have I mentioned that??

Disneyland!!!

So I had the best time doing the girls' hair and on the first day they both insisted I do my hair the same way as theirs.

How can you say no to these faces??

Okay, so I look a little bit special in this pic, but who cares, look at our matchy hair!

This is another of many priceless pictures we got. Kacey is such a mommy to Emmie, even though they are only a year apart. They treat each other so well. I was so so SO impressed!

Here is little Emmie waiting for one of her favorite rides, Splash Mountain! It was the only "Big Kid Ride" that she liked, and the only one I could ride!

Here is Kacey waiting for Splash Mountain too...she is such a little dare devil and she wanted to do all the big rides over and over! I don't think Splash Mountain even packed enough punch for this kid! She rode Space Mountain FIVE times!

I can't even explain how in love with this little girl I am! Look at that face! She was an absolute angel the whole time! They both were! I can't even imagine having children of my own and loving them more intensely than I do these two munchkins!

Oh my gosh! We are so cute! ;)

Here is part of the Alger family (my momma's sister). Natalie, my 17 year old cuz, is on the far left and Don is on the far right. They were both SO cute with Kacey and Emmie the whole trip! Uncle Don would take Kacey up on his shoulders whenever she was tired and Natalie and Kacey were joined at the hip! I might as well have been chopped liver in Kacey's eyes next to Natalie! She took Kacey on all the BIG rides that I couldn't do and I know that it really made Kacey's trip perfect!

What a fun day we had! I want to go back, and I don't even care that I couldn't ride most of the rides! It was so fun! More to come...get ready for some serious Princess action! (Sorry if I'm boring you all to death...this is my way of journaling, and I want to remember it forever!)