The Garrett Family

Happy Birthday to Grandpa Garrett

2012-01-01T08:35:00.000-07:00

Stories by Bentley

2011-12-29T11:46:00.000-07:00

Mr Bentley on the Carousel

2011-12-28T17:33:00.000-07:00

The Family Room

2011-12-26T18:36:00.000-07:00

I thought I would post a couple pictures of the family room since it has been truly clean for the first time since we moved in two months ago. It's been fun putting all our old decorations back up in a new (to us) house. Here it is!

Headed to Church

2011-12-26T18:23:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed having Christmas on a Sunday. To me, Christmas day always feels like a Sunday anyway and it's nice to attend Church on Christmas when we're supposed to be thinking of our Savior anyway. Our sacrament meeting this Sunday was wonderful despite our boys best efforts to ruin it. They looked so adorable in the outfits I threw together Christmas morning. And yes, Taft needs some church shoes and Brigham's pants are way too short... one day I'll get to that...

Merry Christmas from Delaware!!

2011-12-17T15:31:00.000-07:00

Outside Fun

2011-11-20T20:54:00.001-07:00

Cute Boys Moving In

2011-11-14T19:41:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's only been three weeks since we moved to Delware. That's right, we moved to Delaware. It's on the east coast, a couple hours north of Washington D.C. in case you are wondering. I certainly had no clue where it was when Tyler was approached about the job. Maryland? Delaware? Never heard of 'em. Tyler is working in Maryland, but we live 15 minutes away in Delaware. It's crazy how close together the states are over here! The day we arrived it looked like these pictures below. This is the view of our street from the front steps of our rental house. Within a few days all the tree had changed colors and it had poured and snowed on us. I was not ready for that but it was pretty cool! Things have gotten warmer again and we are currently enjoying absolutely beautiful (though sometimes chilly) weather and gorgeous fall leaves.

I don't know how, but we didn't get a picture of the outside of our house. I'll post some soon!

Moving in was tough with three little ones. They were crazy and we were exhausted and frazzled! I am happy to say that now each room of our house has no more than two unpacked boxes in it. Yay! We still have a lot of organizing to do. I hope to get to some decorating as well, but it's been so much work to move across the country on our own, that I just don't care about decorating at the moment. We'll see how long that lasts.

Here are some pictures of the boys being silly outside on the steps. By the way, that plunger has never been used. Just though I'd throw that in there.

Showing his "owie"

Brigham introduces himself to everyone we cross paths with in public. He will literally stop a shopper at Target and say "Hi, my name is Brigham. I'm four years old!" Every time.

How could daddy put that face in time out?!

Halloween

2011-11-14T19:00:00.001-07:00

Here are the boys, all ready for the ward Trunk-or-Treat. We actually ended up trick or treating inside the church building because it was cold and rainy!

Halloween Night: The boys were soooo good. This was the first year we did not have to fight little boys into their costumes. They were very proud to be a monkey, chicken, and dragon. Taft and Brigham were especially excited to trick or treat for candy. Taft ran as fast as he could till his little body couldn't any more, and then he just wanted to eat each piece of candy as he received it. Brigham wanted to lead the way and was upset whenever we tried to. Bentley enjoyed trick or treating as well. He fell asleep in the stroller and napped the whole time!

Why did the chicken (try to) cross the road?

Because his mommy told him not too!

Digging into their stash...

It's Finished!!!

2011-06-05T18:21:00.003-07:00

Last year I inherited the bunk bed set I slept in as a child. My sister had it before me and passed it on when her girls tired of it. I was so excited to revamp it for my little boys. It was kind of a blonde white-wash look straight from the 90's, and very feminine looking. Originally I wanted to strip and stain it but soon realized how much work it would be. Instead we painted it blue and put a shiny clear coat on top. It took months and it is not a perfect paint job but I am so happy with how it turned out! The kids will just scratch it up anyway, right? One day I would like to paint the room again (white, probably...) and add some decorative touches (I have awesome ideas!). Once Taft is ready to leave the crib I will rearrange the furniture to come up with a more aesthetically pleasing layout and add some accessories to make it look more finished. Oh, and by the way, if anyone is considering getting a crib tent (which is that white thing over the crib) you should do it!!! I used to think it was child abuse and that if a kid could climb out of the crib they should just be in a big kid bed, but I was so wrong! Little Taft is not ready for that freedom yet and this contraption has saved our sanity!! It is so helpful that I'm even willing to put up with how goofy it looks in the room!

Dinosaurs and Apples

2011-03-12T20:16:00.003-07:00

When our little Taft is not being a stinker and getting into everything, he is so much fun... I love 1 year olds! His vocabulary is not very large right now, so we get excited over every little word or sound he learns. Right now he can say Mama, Dada, bubble, bumpy, yay!, Bobby (Bob the Builder), ouchie, uh-oh, apple, go, and oh (which means yes), hot, and of course "NO!". Here he is showing off his newest tricks...

Hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa Smith

2011-03-04T12:37:00.010-07:00

Last weekend we met my parents at a race (Ragnar) that my dad was doing (GO DAD!). We hung out while it was wrapping up and Tyler managed to take some beautiful photographs of our little rascals. It was such a fun day with great weather and good company! By the way, Bentley was asleep most of the time, which is why he's not in any of these photos.

Boys, Boys, Boys

2011-02-21T12:00:00.003-07:00

Sleep

2011-02-20T18:29:00.005-07:00

This little guy has finally been sleeping better through the night. Not perfect, but better. It is the best gift a mother (and father) could ask for! We've started him on rice cereal, which he loves, and I'm thinking that might have made the difference. Now if he could just bless us with a nap longer than an hour during the day...

It's amazing how such a little tiny baby can be so adorable and sweet and also drive you crazy! Between his infant needs, Taft's antics (getting into everything and making big messes), and Brigham's tantrums, I am just so worn out. It's true what my mother says, my biggest blessings are also my greatest challenges. At least my greatest challenges come in the cutest packages!

Brigham is Four!

2011-02-09T15:21:00.002-07:00

Last month Big Brig turned four! He had a wonderful time with friends and family and loved all of the attention he received! Below are some pictures of the boys enjoying their new superhero capes on his birthday.

Cute Pictures

2011-02-06T19:47:00.004-07:00

I love being a stay at home mom. Mostly because I love laying around with my boys all day. Most of the time my days are pretty busy. I'm constantly trying to keep the house clean (it never is), the laundry clean (it never is) and the boys tummy's full (they tell me they never are). Lately though, my resolve to stay on top of things has wavered and I've succumbed to the temptation to lay around more and smile at the chaos and antics of my three silly boys.

Sweet Bentley. I catch myself saying this about every age, but aren't 4 month olds the best?!

Seeing this picture of Taft sitting on Brig makes me laugh every time.

I love when the big boys entertain little brother. So sweet!

I will be so sad when I no longer have little boys bathing in my kitchen sink on a daily basis (to clean up after a messy meal)! It's such a mess, but so stinking cute!

I'm gearing up for potty training, round 2. Taft isn't quite ready, but we're getting close. YAY!!

Trying on Uncle Dennis' ear protectors. Is that what you call them? I have no idea!

Bentley and his pluggy. He is my first child that will take a plug and I love it (most of the time)!

Our Three Boys: A Comparison at 4 Months

2011-02-06T19:03:00.005-07:00

I thought it'd be fun to post a picture of each of the boys at four months old (Bentley's current age). Bentley definitely has a different look to him!

Brigham with Mommy and Daddy

Taft and tummy time

Bentley playing at the mall (which is the last time I'm ever taking them, by the way)

Lazy Sunday Afternoon: Fort + Silly Faces

2011-02-06T16:02:00.002-07:00

Our Little Sicky

2011-02-02T07:15:00.000-07:00

Bentley's Baby Blessing

2010-11-08T15:57:00.003-07:00

Yesterday we had Bentley blessed. It was such a nice day! Despite our church starting at 8am, almost all of our family was able to make it! After the block, we had a yummy lunch at our house. Thank you to everyone for helping with the food! Bentley was a doll the whole time and enjoyed all the attention. I'm not being cute, he really did love all the attention he got... I'm pretty sure he's convinced that we don't hold him enough. Here's a few pictures from our day. He was cranky and ready for a nap by the time we thought to take some pictures of him in his blessing outfit; we'll have to try some again sometime when he's not so tired!

Driving to Grandma's House

2010-11-03T14:53:00.004-07:00

It's frustrating when my kids throw tantrums, but on occasion it is more funny than annoying. This was one of those times. On an hour drive to Grandma's house Taft, who usually does fine in the car, had had enough. He was being a stinker; pulling his arms out of the straps and trying to get out. He was so cute I couldn't help but laugh at him (and take pictures). He didn't like being laughed at. He was sick of his car seat and he wanted out now! Can't you tell?!

Proud Big Brothers

2010-11-02T15:04:00.000-07:00

A Family of Five!

2010-11-02T11:40:00.007-07:00

Here is our latest family picture. I think it turned pretty great. I'm pretty proud of the outfits I pulled together... without buying anything (well, my dress was new, but it was a "because I just had a baby and don't fit into anything" purchase.)! I don't think we'll ever be able to get our boys to smile "normal"... but I think I like real life pictures more anyway. Don't they just look darling? It has really helped me today to sit down and look at these handsome boys. They don't feel like my little sweethearts today! They are such sweet little boys, but they are exhausting! Taft and Brigham get into everything; I've been spending my whole morning going from kid to kid to kid, cleaning up the messes they made and calming a very fussy baby. On top of that, our phone won't work, I'm sick, and I can't figure out how to fix this post so that the font is not blue or underlined! (sorry about that, I know it's annoying!) Oh well, this terrible day just means tomorrow will most likely be much better. That's how it goes for me.

Introducing Mr. Bentley Garrett

2010-10-27T18:42:00.007-07:00

After four weeks I am finally getting around to posting about his arrival. Bentley was born October 3, 2010 at 8:28 pm. He was 8 lbs. 2 oz and 21 inches long.

Bentley has been such a fun addition to our family. The boys are absolutely smitten, and so are Tyler and I! Bentley is such a sweetie pie. He loves the fan and the sound of his brothers voices. I've never heard Bentley cry. He doesn't cry, he screams! He can go from content and happy to screaming like a maniac in just an instant. It's quite fun to wake up to.

I am slowly getting the hang of being the mother of three. It's been a little overwhelming! Getting things done with a preschooler, a toddler, and an infant in tow takes a lot of planning and scheming; And even then, sometimes things just don't get done. I've learned I can't do it all, and that just has to be okay (can you tell I'm a bit of a perfectionist?!). It used to bother me when mothers of more than a couple children acted like it was just impossible to do certain things (keep the house clean, craft, take the kids shopping or to the mall play place, attend church activities, etc.) because they had too many kids. I had the opinion that a woman shouldn't exclude herself from an activity or fail to do a chore and blame it on her kids. With the right amount of planning ahead, you can pull anything off, right?

I have to say I am a little embarrassed to have judged them so. After just four weeks, I finally get it. Some things just aren't worth it! I've learned to write shorter "To Do" lists, plan more mellow days, and enjoy my boys. I still, occasionally attempt outings that end up being pretty crazy. I'm a proud mama when the kids are good and it all goes well, but often I come home thinking, "I'm never doing that with these three again!" For example: Mother Natures Pumpkin Patch. Brigham, Taft, Bentley, and me... don't ask, I'm not ready to talk about it yet, just know it was more than exhausting. :-)

I can't believe Bentley is my third child. I am the mother of three little boys. I knew this would happen one day, but for some reason I am caught off guard. I guess I am (and feel) a whole lot younger than I thought I would be once I reached this point. I mean, having three children is so many! I now, at 24 years old, have more kids than most people. I am doing it all times three. I am now a super busy mom. Busy wiping noses, changing diapers, scolding, dropping off and picking up, driving a MINIVAN (awesome by the way!), making forts, making dinner, kissing owies, remaking forts, pushing trikes, cleaning up "accidents", packing picnic lunches, and rocking babies. I'm busy and I'm loving (almost) every minute of it!

Joy At School

2010-10-20T09:19:00.001-07:00

See my post for my turn at teaching preschool!

I Can Pretend

Do Fun Stuff for SMS

2010-09-01T16:57:00.000-07:00

I'm making a presence. But, I promise it'll be short and I won't do it that often (I know you're really here for Misty and our awesome boys). I only want to share this with you...

I follow a blog called Pacing the Panic Room, mainly at first for the photography and his Walk to 40 Maternity Series, but now it's all about Do Fun Stuff. Bryan Marshall set the whole thing up with friends he knows to raise money for a very rare genetic disorder called SMS that his son has (he calls him Littlest Buddy on the blog). All the money goes towards a grant foundation to be used for case studies for the purpose of learning more about SMS (nobody's getting paid for their work on the project). On it first day after release, it was the #1 album on the children's music charts in iTunes. And that's not only because it's a great cause, but also because the music rocks. Use the above widget to play any song. My favorites are "Potty Time" and "Hooray, it's my Birthday". Enjoy.

You Know, We Used to Have a Different Blog?

2010-08-15T10:46:00.004-07:00

We used to do our blog in a different place and finally got around to transferring them to blogger (nap time is a very productive time). If you love us (an we know ~~most of~~ you do), then you'll check out all of what we moved over. :)

TYLER’S REUNION WITH ELDER DAYTON 7/14/09

WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THIS BEFORE?! 7/14/09

BEST FRIENDS 10/14/09

BEST FRIENDS PART TWO 10/14/09

INTERVIEWING BRIGHAM 10/14/09

BATH TIME WITH THE BOYS! 10/22/09

BUSY SATURDAY! 10/25/09

HALLOWEEN: THE YEAR OF THE PIRATES! 11/0/09

TAFT AND THE PUDDING CUP 11/9/09

DISNEYLAND PREVIEW 11/9/09

DISNEYLAND 2009 11/14/09

RANDOM PICTURES FROM OUR TRIP 11/15/09

SMITH FAMILY PICTURES 11/23/09

THANKSGIVING 12/19/09

HAPPY 8 MONTH BIRTHDAY TAFT! 12/19/09

COLD AT THE CABIN 1/1/10

BUSY BABY BOY 1/1/10

Signed: Tyler Garrett

Pretty Boys

2010-07-22T14:48:00.001-07:00

Here are a few random pictures I just came across that I can't help but share. I have to say, Tyler and I may not be very good at creating girls but we can certainly make beautiful little boys!

Maternity Picture Preview

2010-07-22T14:28:00.004-07:00

It's quiet time. I should be napping, or better yet, working on my long "To Do" list but I am too good at wasting time on the computer. I finally realized, I might as well at least do something productive on here, like blog! Yesterday Tyler and I dragged ourselves outside in the nasty heat and had a little photo shoot. We like to take photos in front of the cornfields that grow around our neighborhood. This time we tried some belly shots and let the kids throw dirt clumps and eat handfuls of the stuff (Taft!). They had a marvelous time and didn't seem to notice that it was a billion degrees out! Tyler hasn't had time to edit the photos yet, so I'll just post a couple of my favorites.

One Project Down... Too Many To Go!

2010-07-19T20:41:00.004-07:00

We finally finished our bookshelves! Well, Tyler finished them. And started them. I mainly kept little boys out of the paint. Brigham and Taft did contribute a little by helping with the clean up - sweeping and vacuuming. Anyway, I just wanted to show you our now finished "loft". (I feel a little silly calling it that, it might be more of a landing. And our neighbors call it a foyer... what would you call it?) Here it is!

Oh, and we also made the bulletin board too. We got the plans from Knock Off Wood. If you haven't read that blog, READ IT! You'll end up wanting to make all kinds of furniture! Anna White is my hero.

New Nephews!

2010-06-22T10:24:00.004-07:00

I came across these pictures and realized I never posted about my two new little nephews! Shame on me, they're so adorable! Porter (the one stretching) belongs to Amber and Randy, and Chandler is the son of Jason and Jodi. Welcome to the family boys... it's going to be a wild ride!

Cowboy Brigham

2010-06-18T20:14:00.004-07:00

Brigham recently went to a Cowboy/Cowgirl birthday party. The day of the party, Autumn came over to hang out with me and Taft while he was at the party. By they way, having a kids old enough to be dropped off to a party is awesome... free time for mommy! Brigham had so much fun with his friends and was very proud to bring Sophie (the birthday girl) a present that he picked out (with a little help from me!). We were asked to send Brigham in his best cowboy attire. It was so cute to see him and all his little cowboy and cowgirls friends! We had fun picking out some fun things for him to wear. Before I had kids I swore I would never let my children have toy guns. But how cute is that gun holster?! I rationalized that they are orange. Real guns aren't orange, so it's okay... just agree with me... Anyway, Brigham is excited to be a cowboy next Halloween and I am happy to have that dilemma figured out four months early! Hopefully it won't be so hot then and we can put him in jeans, boots, and a cute cowboy shirt as well!

Where Did Taft Go?

2010-06-17T09:37:00.003-07:00

There he is!

I swore I wouldn't let my children play in my drapes but Taft's new hiding spot is just too cute!

How I Met Your Father

2010-06-14T21:46:00.004-07:00

(Two weeks after our wedding... Aren't we cute?!)

I recently have gotten in touch with a friend I knew in middle school. Hi Tiffany! She asked me to tell her the story of how I met Tyler and how he proposed. I had so much fun writing some of my memories down and thought it would be fun to share our story with you. If you're not into love stories or long posts then disregard this whole post and stop reading now!

Our story begins before Christmas of my senior year of high school. One sunday, I was outside the Stake President's office, my mom and I were waiting for my dad to come out of a meeting so we could go home. I was looking at a bulletin board full of pictures of the missionaries from our stake. I noticed that I knew or knew of all of them, except for one handsome missionary, Tyler Garrett. I remember thinking how sweet he looked, I feel silly actually saying this, but I felt his goodness radiating out of his picture (cheesy alert! cheesy alert!). Side note: I often liked to tease my mom that I was going to get married just as young as she and my older sister did, at 18 years old, just to freak her out. Secretly I thought it would be fine if I happened to meet the right guy so soon, but I didn't think there was a big chance of that happening. So, upon seeing Tyler's picture, I said something like, "Mom, look at this missionary. He's cute. Hmmm... Misty Garrett, I like the sound of that!" Instead of reminding me that I don't need to get married right out of high school like she usually would, my mom said, "Oh, I know his mother. She's the stake Relief Society president and a great lady." I was a little surprised by her quick acceptance of him. His mother must be really great I thought! I mentioned all this to a friend of mine from another ward and she told me he was from her ward. He was to return from his mission pretty soon.

Time went by and I forgot about this incident. Around Christmas time my parents received a wedding announcement for Tyler's older brother. I immediately remembered Tyler Garrett and told my parents I wanted to attend the wedding reception with them to "check out the decorations and get ideas for my future wedding". That was only half true! When we got there, Tyler was at the door greeting guests as we walked in. He shook my hand, said hello and looked right through me (to this day, Tyler has no recollection of this)! I was a little disappointed, but knew that he, as a 21 year old returned missionary, shouldn't be interested in high schoolers anyway. I decided it probably wasn't "meant to be" and proceeded to admire the reception. We ended up sitting at a table with a very talkative woman from Tyler's home ward. I don't know how it came up, but she told my parents (and me) all about how Tyler is deaf in one ear. Some of you may not know this, but I am hearing impaired and wear hearing aids in both ears (currently they're PINK! Love it!). It's so silly but I was so excited to hear he was hearing impaired too. He was one of "my people"! It was meant to be!
After the reception, I didn't see Tyler for months. Surprisingly, after all that, I didn't really think much about him either. In my mind I was too young to date or hang out with him and he didn't even notice me at the reception anyway. After graduating, I started attending our stake's Young Single Adult Ward. I had a whole lot of fun in this new atmosphere and met some fun people. Almost right away, I noticed Tyler once again. He came to almost every activity there was. Most of the time he sat either alone, or with his friend Richard, who happened to be the older brother of a guy friend of mine. I was impressed that he didn't seem to be chasing after girls and making a fool of himself like some of the guys. I could tell he was reserved. I knew he wouldn't go out of his way to meet me and become friends and I wanted to get to know him desperately! I was not the type of girl to chase after a guy. I had never had to in high school. (I wasn't popular at all, but I got enough attention from guys that I never felt I had to go looking for it) So, I came up with a scheme that I am still very proud of. I decided I would introduce myself to Tyler's friend, Richard (while Tyler was with him) and tell him I knew his little brother, Dusty. Then, I would invite them to come to a game night that my friends were hosting. I figured if they came, it would mean they didn't think I was a total loser and I would have a chance with Tyler. My plan totally worked. I invited them to several game nights, and they came to each one. Richard started inviting me to activities that he, Tyler, and some other guys were doing. I was quickly welcomed into their group. We went four wheeling a lot, played volley ball, and played pool in Richards game room basement. I was usually the only girl in their group of friends. I had so much fun, and felt that every night, Tyler and I had one or two little "moments", I knew he'd eventually figure out that I was interested. And hopefully he would be interested too! About four weeks after this all started, Richard went out of town for two weeks. Since he had been the one inviting me to things, I knew I wouldn't see Tyler unless he invited me to do something. Luckily, he realized this too and asked me out! Poor Richard was so confused when he got back two weeks later and Tyler and I had been on three dates and were basically together. We were inseparable the rest of the summer. We went to movies, lots of church activities, a ball game, a chili cook-off, swimming, out to eat, Baptisms at the Temple with the young adults, and more movies! We never talked about marriage, but I would have married him immediately if he had brought it up! That fall, I went to school three hours away. I came home almost every weekend to see him. It was the longest semester of my life! Tyler proposed over Thanksgiving weekend. We had already been talking about marriage, and planning it (for Spring Break). It was so exciting! The day he proposed, I went wedding dress shopping with my mom, little sister, and my older sister who was in town (we went shopping before the proposal because I wanted my older sister to be there!). I spent all day trying on dresses and talking a mile a minute. We found a beautiful dress for $99 (I'm so proud of that!) and I bought it right then and there (I had a feeling he would propose that night!). By the time Tyler came to pick me up for our special date I had no voice. Between being slightly sick with a cold and talking and shopping all day, I sounded terrible. I was mortified! Luckily, he was a sweetheart and pretended it wasn't that bad. Even so, we didn't talk too much during dinner; I was worried about how I sounded and he was nervous about proposing to me soon! After dinner we went to the temple to walk around. We liked to do this and did it often. I had hoped he'd bring me there to propose. He brought me to our "spot" and said some beautiful things. Amazingly, I was able to say "yes, I'll marry you" without sounding like a wounded man! So there it is! The End!

My Cute Boys

2010-06-13T08:32:00.000-07:00

Baby Number Three...

2010-05-20T20:44:00.004-07:00

I've taken so long to post this announcement that most of you probably already know that we're having another baby boy! Despite my expression in the picture above, I really am excited. It just took me a while to get there! It's not that I didn't want a boy, I love boys, (especially mine!) but it would have been so new and exciting to have a girl. If all goes as planned, this will not be our last baby and I still have a chance to get a little girl too.

Anyway, it's sooo nice to finally know the gender of my little baby. He finally feels real to me, and we can start calling him by his name which is better than "the baby". We've decided to name him Hunt William Garrett. I'm so in love with his name!

Now that school is out and we know Hunt is a boy, Tyler and I have been working on all of the projects we've been wanting to do to get the house organized and ready for our family with three kids. We are creating an office space in the loft upstairs, adding shelving in the laundry closet for my crafting supplies, updating Brigham's bedroom, and putting together yet another little boy nursery (it's going to be simple, but awesome!). I will try to post some braggy pictures of our finished spaces as we complete each project, so stay tuned!

What a Mess!

2010-04-27T08:55:00.015-07:00

I just had to post these pictures of my two mischievous little boys. We made the mistake of giving Brigham a taste of brown sugar and now we have a sugar addict on our hands! I don't blame him... that stuff is good! He has gotten into the brown sugar before; he once ate it in the living room and spread the mess all over! I was so mad. This time though, he brought Taft into the fun and all I could do was laugh. I should have known that they were up to something by the

absolute silence I heard as I descended the stairs to check on

them. So the sugar has been relocated and we're rethinking our baby-proofing methods, but you know they'll just find something else to get

into. I must sound like an absolutely absent mother who never watches after her children... it's not true! My boys and I are together about 99.9% of the day, but a girls gotta shower! Any ideas on how to keep these stinkers out of trouble while I bathe?

BINK

2010-04-07T13:20:00.000-07:00

This is a funny video of Brigham's imaginative side.

He's asking me to take a picture of something...

2010-04-06T22:26:00.003-07:00

On Sunday, Brigham asked me to take a picture of something.

It may be gross to some...

He asked me to take a picture of his stinky.

Can we do it??

2010-04-06T21:14:00.002-07:00

We are going to attempt to build this.... It's a knock off from Pottery Barn from a website called ... you guessed it ... knockoff wood. Do you think we can do it? Wish us luck!

Out Little Boys' Easter Outfits

2010-03-29T17:43:00.004-07:00

Misty scored on finding some great deals on some ties and a sweater vest for the boys. Here are some pics, enjoy! (Oh, and Brigham fell and bonked it head at one point, so he was only happy for the first bit.)

Here's some more.

Professional Photoshoot

2010-03-09T21:13:00.004-07:00

Here are some pics from what I like to call my "professional" photoshoot. Even, though I'm nowhere near a professional, I can dream, right?

Busy Baby Boy

2010-01-01T10:13:00.000-07:00

Cold at the Cabin

2010-01-01T09:52:00.001-07:00

It’s going to take a little while to post our Christmas Eve and Christmas day photos because our camera was broken by a certain little boy of mine. Apparently Brigham thought it was a good idea to go through my diaper bag item by item and throw everything up and over his head. Everything survived the trauma except the one thing I cared about... our camera! Anyway, we had to buy a disposable camera for the holiday. I wasn’t sure those even still existed, it’s been so long since I’ve used one, but they do!

So, we’ll skip the Christmas post and get to our trip to my parents cabin. The day after Christmas we went out and bought a real camera, since we’d already used up the disposal, and then went to the cabin. It was wonderful and COLD! We had a great time playing games, watching ridiculous Lifetime movies, and sitting by the fire.

Happy 8 month birthday Taft!

2009-12-19T10:42:00.002-07:00

My sweet boy is 8 months old today! Here are a few of his achievements and favorites:

-Walking along furniture

-can stand without holding onto anything for about 4 seconds

-LOVES bathtime

-HATES getting dressed (just like his brother!)

-climbs the stairs (don’t worry... we have a gate!)

-loves having his picture taken

-LOVES LOVES LOVES to clap and bounce... at the same time (this makes him fall over, it’s hilarious!)

-has 8 teeth!

-chews like a puppy

Thanksgiving

2009-12-19T09:37:00.001-07:00

I figure I better report on thanksgiving quickly before Christmas arrives! We had an awesome Thanksgiving with the Smith family. I felt like a real mother/wife this year because I contributed three of my own dishes to the meal and worked in the kitchen all the way until the meal was ready! This girl is growing up! For dessert I made this yummy masterpiece... it was my first experiment!

The boys had a blast playing with their cousins. They were so good, Tyler managed to squeeze in a short nap while they were playing and I was chatting. It was so nice to spend a day with my family, working with my sisters and mom to create a beautiful meal. This Thanksgiving was my favorite yet. I guess I’m just getting older and more sentimental or something! I can’t wait till next year!

Smith Family Pictures

2009-11-23T09:35:00.003-07:00

So, here are a few of the pictures that we ended up with after the Smith family photo shoot. Our photographer did a great job! I’m so excited to have updated pictures of my boys and our little family as well as my whole family! Take a look!

Random Pictures from our Trip

2009-11-15T09:55:00.000-07:00

Disneyland 2009

2009-11-14T16:12:00.000-07:00

To celebrate Tyler’s birthday we went to Disneyland! Despite several small, irritating setbacks (locking our keys in our car, never-ending two year old tantrums, a fussy baby, an enchilada stain on my new shirt, having to buy a $30 disney t-shirt because I’m too vain to wear the stained shirt, and kids sleeping when we should be on RIDES!) we had a great time on our trip.

Taft was fussy and tired before we even left the hotel for Disneyland. Why does the park open at 10am? The park is mainly for kids, right? Don’t they know that’s nap time? They should open at 7am; I think I’m going to write them a letter and suggest that. Here’s a picture of sweet Taft during his 20 minute nap before we woke him up to take the bus to the park. Love it!

And here is Brigham refusing to be good for the camera... at least I look good!

As you can see above, apparently the short nap was all he needed. I have to say, right now, the kid is an angel. He did so well! I love 6 month olds!!!

Notice how none of these pictures include Brigham on rides? He really was scared! I thought he was such a big boy, but forget it! After some cajoling we finally got him to try some rides out. He did pretty good! He loved Buzz Lightyear, the rocket ride, Autopia, and the Teacups. It would have been great to have had more than one day at Disneyland so that we could have done more at the park. A toddler and baby really slow things down! Despite that, I’m glad we did it! We had a good time. We ate good food (I LOVE their corn dogs!). I know our boys won’t remember this trip, but Tyler and I have some sweet memories of our first Disneyland vacation with our babies and I’m so glad we did it. But, I have to tell you, I am exhausted and I am NOT doing that again for a very long time!

Disneyland preview

2009-11-09T16:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I’m preparing a post about our big Disneyland trip, but it’s not finished so I though I’d give you just a little preview to show you how it went. Both boys did a lot of this...

And Brigham, well, he did a lot of this...

and this...

Lets just say that now I understand why some couples leave their toddlers at home when they go to Disneyland!

Taft and the Pudding Cup

2009-11-09T15:49:00.001-07:00

I have to tell you about a moment that made me laugh the other day. I was downstairs with Taft. I was sitting on the floor having a pudding cup and watching Oprah (it was actually an interesting topic... hooray!) while Taft played next to me. During a commercial I set my empty pudding cup down to run upstairs to check on Brigham, who was sleeping. I know, I know, that’s pretty disgusting to just toss it aside instead of throwing it away, but like I said Oprah was actually interesting that day and I wanted to make it back downstairs before the commercials were over. Anyway, I’m sure you can guess where this story is going. As I came back downstairs I heard what I can only describe as greedy, hungry, baby slurping noises coming from Taft. He was laying on his side holding that pudding cup, trying to lick every bit of the leftover pudding out. It was hilarious! I ran upstairs and grabbed my camera as fast as I could! So anyway, to sum it all up. Today I found out that little Tafty looooves pudding!

Halloween: the year of the Pirates!

2009-11-09T14:39:00.000-07:00

Halloween was a lot of fun this year. I searched and stressed and searched and stressed over these costumes. I eventually put them together myself and was quite proud of my handiwork, only to have a two year old who refused to wear half of the costume and wouldn’t sit still for a picture. So, as you look at the pictures don’t judge me for having more pictures of Taft than Brigham, I don’t always play favorites!

Busy Saturday!

2009-10-25T11:38:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a good Saturday. Ours was pretty busy! We woke up super early and had a little garage sale. I’ve been trying to get ride of some of the things around the house that we never use. The garage sale went alright. We didn’t get as much traffic as we’d hoped, but we managed to make enough money out of it that made it worthwhile. Taft was so cute in his walker hanging out with us!

After the garage sale, we went to a birthday party for one of Brighams friends. It was a great party! Brigham got to wear his Halloween costume, jump in a huge jumper, eat pizza, cake and ice cream, and watch Natalia open her presents. (Check out my gift wrapping... I love wrapping gifts!) Brigham was so excited when she opened the one from him. I think he thought he was going to get it back or something!

This party was a great preparation for Brigham for his birthday. I think he’s finally starting to understand what happens on your birthday. He’s so excited for his party! Poor guy, he’s going to be disappointed when his party has only half as many kids there and no jumper!

Bath time with the Boys!

2009-10-22T10:02:00.002-07:00

I just loved bathing Taft in this infant tub. It fit perfectly in my kitchen sink so I could easily wash him without bending over or having to hold him up. I was so sad when he finally got so big and strong that his feet were hanging over the edge, he was constantly trying to sit up, and he splashed so much that the kitchen and I ended up drenched with each bath. So, here are some pics of his last infant bath...

The next day I told Brigham that Taft was going to take a bath with him in the tub and he was thrilled. They both loved splashing together and kept laughing and giggling. Taft loves the bath toys, especially our foam letters. It’s been a couple weeks and my new challenge is keeping him from falling as he tries to grab onto the side of the tub and stand up... which he can’t do yet. He is so curious and wants to grow up so fast!

This is him trying to stand he just isn’t happy with what he can do.

I love this last picture on the right. The look on his face is just so typical of him. He gives me that look all day long, I love it! And, because I don’t play favorites (most of the time), here’s some pictures of Big Brother who couldn’t figure out what I meant when I said, “No, give me a real smile.” Maybe next time...

Interviewing Brigham

2009-10-14T16:59:00.001-07:00

Dancing with Daddy

2009-10-14T14:57:00.004-07:00

Best Friends Part two

2009-10-14T14:39:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to show off some more pictures of my blue eyed boys. They’re getting so big! While I’m here, I might as well write a little about them as they are right now.

Brigham, 2 years old

loves to:

run

jump on furniture

jump on or over the baby

eat cereal and string cheese and popsicles

play with Taft

watch “shows”

play with his cousins!

Brigham still has his toddler tantrums, he can be in the middle of a full blown freak out, but as soon as Tyler or I sing “Hush little baby don’t say a word, mama’s gonna buy you a mocking bird...” he calms immediately. I’ve never seen anything like it.

Taft, 6 months old

sleeps great!

hates most baby food, refuses to open his mouth

loves his bottle

rolls, scoots, and sits up

loves taking a bath with Big Brother

laughs when Brig is in trouble

Taft is trying his hardest to keep up with Brig. He get so frustrated cause he can’t keep up! He loves to be held and will let you know when he needs the attention!

Best Friends

2009-10-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

I love that my boys are already learning to play together! A while ago Taft woke up from his morning nap. I went in and turned on the light, but left him in there because he was happy and I had a couple more things to do before I pulled him out. I left the room, finished my tasks and came back to my sweet boys, BOTH in the crib, giggling uncontrollably. It was adorable. Brigham was so proud that he’d managed to get himself and several stuffed animals in the crib with the baby. I’m so happy to have these two boys who are becoming best friends. I hope they always will be! Better go... they’re still in the crib and Brigham’s yelling “get me out of here!”, he never did learn how to climb out. It was cute while it lasted.

Why didn’t I think of this before?!

2009-07-14T08:17:00.005-07:00

If you’ve never been to our house let me explain our situation. A year ago we bought the house with the biggest backyard that we could find and afford. It is 8 feet deep on the side of the house (it’s “L” shaped and doesn’t go around both sides of the house, just one) and 10 feet deep in the back. It’s pretty small! We are happy with what we have, it’s just hard to find fun things for Brig to do out there in such a small, uninteresting space. I put a basketball hoop and a bunch of balls out there, but he throws them all over the fence into our neighbors yards, (which is embarrassing) so even that won’t work! So we really haven’t been out there too much. Yesterday, desperate for him to stop begging for Costco rolls (yummy!) and stop getting into things that he shouldn’t (like his brothers walker) I had an ingenious idea!

I washed out the storage bin that was once full of balls, and filled it up with water and Brigham hopped right in. I know that normal people would just get a puddle pool, but this works just as well and it’s free! He spent almost two hours splashing, dumping, and sitting in the water. Today he did it all again! What a joy it is to be able to send him out back and he actually stays out there and enjoys it!

Tyler’s Reunion with Elder Dayton

2009-07-14T07:09:00.001-07:00

On Sunday evening we had one of Tyler’s missionary companions and his sweet family over for dinner and had a wonderful time! Tyler was fortunate enough to get in touch with Brad before their move out of state. It was neat to finally meet someone who served with Tyler and hear a little about their time together. They enjoyed reminiscing and catching up. Thank you Brad and Bobbi for visiting. Your girls are darling! We’re sad to see you go so soon after finding you!

A Lazy Summer Day

2009-07-13T21:53:00.002-07:00

I love monsoon season! Although it’s still hot out, there’s enough wind and moisture in the air to cool you down a bit. It’s a nice break from the summer’s dry, dead heat. It was on a day like this two weeks ago that we ventured out to take some pictures in front of the corn fields that surround our neighborhood. Brig enjoyed riding his tricycle and insisted on having his picture taken with it in front of the corn. He’s got good taste, it turned out adorable!

When we got back from our photography session Brigham watered our plants and played with his trucks. You may have noticed that we didn’t get any pics of Taft during this excursion. Don’t worry, we’re not playing favorites, he was just asleep in the jogger the whole time. I included some pics of Taft and Brig from earlier in the day so that he’s included!

We love our Bumbo!

2009-07-13T21:33:00.000-07:00

Thank you for the wonderful gift Jennie! This was Taft’s first time in his bumbo. He’s still a little small for it, (he can’t hold his head up very well or for very long) but he loves it! Hopefully we can get him to sit in it more often and give his flat head a chance to round out!

Baby Taft’s Blessing Day

2009-06-28T02:38:00.001-07:00

Our little guy had his big day today! He looked so sweet (and very much like his big brother) in his blessing outfit. We were blessed to have almost our whole extended family there with us. Thanks so much for coming all the way out here!! I am so grateful to have a husband who honors his priesthood and could bless our little boy. He gave a beautiful blessing, and little Taft was so good during it!

Family Pics... Aren’t we so cute?!

2009-06-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

Tyler’s parents hired a lady to take pictures of the Garretts, and while she was there, she took pics of all our individual families as well. It was a great opportunity to get a picture of us with our newest addition... Thank you Mom and Dad Garrett!!! I’m so excited about these pictures; We all look terrific! Take a look!

No babies were harmed in the taking of these photos:

2009-06-21T16:23:00.000-07:00

Tyler and I have been talking about trying to get some good pictures of the boys so we can update the pictures hanging throughout our house. The other day I told him I thought it would be cute to get a pic. of Brigham standing, holding Taft. Tyler was mortified by the idea of our 2 year old holding our 2 month old and would not be comforted, even when I told him I would be right there ready to catch the baby, should he be dropped. So, I decided to try it out the next day when Tyler was at work, and it turned out so great! I got some fun pictures of the boys and they had a blast! I just hope Brigham doesn’t think he can always hold the baby like that!

Happy Father’s Day!

2009-06-21T08:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Father’s Day to my Dad, Father-in-law, and my sweet husband! You are an amazing daddy to our boys... I couldn’t ask for more! I’m so proud of our gift to Tyler this year; it turned out so cute! I took pictures of the boys holding letters spelling out “DAD” and framed them for Tyler’s desk at work. I just had to post it and show it off!

Happy Baby Taft

2009-06-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

While I was staying at my mom’s house for a few days I managed to take these adorable pictures of Sweet Pea in the bath. When he first gave me a smile, I dove for my camera (which was thankfully nearby). I managed to take a great picture of his sweet smile, but he didn’t stop there! I was shocked when he continued to grin at me. I took picture after picture while he smiled away. It was amazing! Brigham never posed for pictures that young; I didn’t get a decent picture of Brigham until he was two years old. I’m serious!!

Meet Taft Jeffrie Garrett

2009-04-26T14:03:00.005-07:00

Our second little boy is finally here! Taft Jeffrie Garrett was born last Sunday, April 19th at 3:51 pm. I was induced early sunday morning (four days before my due date... wahoo!) and had about a 12 hour labor. It felt frustratingly long and boring, but it went really well. I only pushed for 7 or 8 minutes! Taft was 7 lbs. 14 oz. and 20.5 inches long. He’s a whole 2 pounds lighter than Big Brig! He looks like a skinny, lightweight version of Brigham when he was born. He is doing really well and has been a total angel. Brigham is adjusting well to being a big brother. All day long he says, “Baby Taf is so tute!” (Baby Taft is so cute) Brigham loves to hold Taft, and most of the time Taft loves it too. I am so happy to have my two sweet boys and pray that they will grow to be best friends. I am excited and terrified of the challenge of mothering two little boys; it’s going to be wild!

My Goofy Boys

2009-04-15T14:01:00.001-07:00

Over Easter weekend we took a ton of pictures. I’ll try to add more later, but I wanted to show you this one. I told Tyler and Brigham to say cheese and ended up with this silly pic. Many people have told me Brigham is so much like me, but I don’t know... he certainly seems like his father’s son here!

The Stand-off

2009-03-16T13:58:00.001-07:00

One of my challenges with Brigham lately has been that he wants me, his eight and a half months pregnant mother with back problems to carry him everywhere... especially up the stairs! This afternoon I tried to get Brig to follow me upstairs, but he refused to take one step up on his own. Boldly, (for it’s hard for me to make him so upset!) I told him I was going to go up to the computer and he could come up when he was ready. For 10 minutes I could hear him fussing for me at the bottom of the stairs. Finally he went silent and I kept waiting for him to walk into our office/scrapbook room (which my husband insists I call the “scroffice”) where I was at the computer. He never did. Finally I decided to go check on him and almost tripped on the kid when I made it to the bottom of the stairs. He was asleep on the stairs!! The kid can sleep anywhere! It was so cute until I realized that unknowingly he won our little stand-off and I had to CARRY him up the stairs to put him in his bed! What a stinker!

Our Brave Ride on the Light Rail

2009-03-08T17:51:00.000-07:00

So, for those of you who don’t know, Tyler and I live an hour away from our parents. Since the light rail opened I’ve been wondering if it would be a decent way to travel to Mom’s house. It doesn’t get us super close, but close enough for her to pick us up on the other side without it being a very big deal. I thought it would be a good option for those rare times when I want to come visit in the morning and have Tyler meet up with us when he gets off of work that evening. (We don’t want to have both of our cars make the hour drive for the same trip.)

We found the opportunity to try out the train one weekend when we were planning on spending the night at my mom and dad’s house. Friday morning as Tyler dropped us off at the light rail station, I was so nervous! As we approached the doors of the train the loudspeaker told us to “Please stand clear of the doors”. I suddenly felt rushed and was afraid we’d miss this train, so with Brigham in my arms I jumped on and the doors closed right behind us. I didn’t even get a chance to kiss my husband goodbye! With everyone staring at me, my pregnant belly, overstuffed backpack, and the alarmed two-year old in my arms I hurried to the closest seat I could find that wasn’t near any scary looking passengers.

As soon as I took my seat the train started moving and Brigham surprised me and everyone around us by exclaiming “All aboard! All aboard!” As the train picked up speed, he was delighted and said “Whoo Hoo!”.

Brigham and I ended up near the bike racks where there were several college students on their way to school. I was surprised there weren’t too many weirdo’s on the train and we felt quite comfortable. It took Brig a while to become comfortable enough to get off my lap, but eventually he did sit next to me. He watched people get on and off, took pictures with his toy camera, played with his Hotwheels, and watched out the window. He did so good during the whole seventy minutes it took us to get to our stop. I didn’t even have to bust out his snacks until the last ten minutes of the trip! I don’t think we’ll take the train very often (it’s more convenient for me than it is for my mom) but it’s nice to have the option and I wouldn’t mind using it once in a while. It’ll let you know what happens when I try it with a two and a half year old and an infant!

Our Morning at the Zoo!

2009-03-08T15:31:00.000-07:00

Last Friday Brigham and I went to the Phoenix Zoo with Tyler’s sister Jennie and 3 of her 4 children. Brigham had so much fun with Kadyn, Reagan, and baby Jaron. (I hope I spelled that right Jennie! Sorry if I didn’t!) Brigham was so cute as he tried to keep up with his older cousins. He would follow Reagan as she ran along, mimicking her every move. I thought it was funny that here we were, viewing some really neat animals but Brigham and Reagan took the most pleasure in watching the ducks in the pond during our picnic. Check out the adorable pictures I took. (I’m not sure how little Jaron didn’t make it into any pictures... I’m so sad!) Brigham has the cutest cousins!

Brigham’s First Time on the Potty!

2009-02-23T11:29:00.001-07:00

So although Brigham is not quite ready to potty train I got him a little seat so that he could get used to the idea. He is starting to show a little interest, but the wide hole in the seat scared him so he was so excited when we sat him on the toilet with a seat his size. He kept telling Tyler and I, “I doing it! I doing it!”. Of course, he didn’t really do anything. But I still feel like our little guy is getting so big! I think we have a long way to go till he understands the whole “using the potty” concept, but it was still exciting to see him sitting on the toilet all proud of himself.

A Snowy Valentines Day!

2009-02-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Tyler and I were finally able to escape to my parents cabin up north for the weekend. It seems that every time we want to go it ends up snowing like crazy, which is intimidating to us since we’ve only been in snow a few times. Anyway, we decided to brave the snow and drove up friday afternoon. The cabin looked beautiful covered in snow- I should have taken pictures of it! It only took us a couple of minutes of trying to tromp through 10+ inches of snow in running shoes to realize we were going to need snow boots! We were so lucky to find shoes in all three of our sizes at the gas station down the road! Brigham loved his boots and tromped all around the cabin in them that night. On Saturday we finally had the nerve to go out into the cold. We drove up the canyon and found a small area to get out and play. It took some prompting but we finally got Brig to let us put him down in the snow. He and Tyler had fun picking up big chunks of snow and throwing them at each other and me! We didn’t last long in the cold, but we had fun and were happy to show Brigham snow for the first time!

Still My Baby

2009-02-21T10:00:00.002-07:00

Upstairs in our “loft” (it’s more of a landing, but we are grateful for the space and call it our loft) we have a couch and chair and a small TV for Brigham’s movies. Lately Brigham prefers to sit in the chair while he watches his shows. The other day I found him curled up, sound asleep in his favorite chair. I haven’t seen him in this position since he was tiny (not that he really ever was!). It was so cute I took six pictures that all look the same... here’s the best one!

What a cuite!!

2008-08-06T21:31:00.000-07:00

Brighams Halloween chicken costume and Graduation outfit

Me and Brig at the camera in a box

There we are again at the box camera!! He's even cuter with his momma

Our little chunk!!!!!!!!!!! It that comfortable????????

Home sweet home (almost)

2008-04-27T16:57:00.001-07:00

It's so close to being done! The tile's in, the carpet's in, it's freshly painted, landscaping is done. All that's left to be put in is the appliances. Why do we have to wait 4 more weeks? Argh!

Oh, well. We're still really excited and can't wait to move in and paint and decorate. Who knows what we'll do with the backyard.