First Day of School

Below are some of the pictures we took at Braden's orientation night. He met his teacher, Mrs. Rietig, and he asked if he could read to her. She was very patient and even made the comment that she may have to get some more advanced books. I was pretty proud that I was able to hold it together. I only teared up twice and never once let anyone know!

Braden is ready to go to school! He loved meeting his teacher!

Braden reads to his teacher, The Cat in the Hat

Landon was pretty interested too! He liked looking at all the toys and the neat things in his classroom!

This is the actual first day of school. He was so excited. All weekend he was asking why he had to wait to go on the bus. Although, the bus situation was not the most effective for the first 3 or 4 days, it eventually started dropping him off at the right time and in the right spot. Miraculous...trust me!

"How do I smile, Mom?"

"That's a good one honey!"

My baby's on his way to the bus stop...I must be crazy!

Landon didn't want to feel left out. So, he and his favorite turtle got to take their "First day, without Braden, Picture!"

The first week was great! He was thrilled...a little overexcited, but overall really good. I think it will be a wonderful experience for him. I just hope they can keep him entertained and busy!

For Future Generations and Being a Great Man of God!

I wanted to put this in our blog for posterity sake. It was so well done and brought tears to my eyes that I thought it would be appropriate for our future generations. Joseph is an amazing father and rarely gets to say anything on our blog so here is his opportunity. Thank you so much, Joseph, for being such a wonderful father and husband and being worthy to hold the priesthood! Our boys have a truly excellent example in you!


"Every year I was growing up my Father would give me a blessing the day before the school year began. A moment of peace in the chaos, every year my foundation would have at least this cornerstone.
This year it was my turn to be the Father. This year my oldest son Braden is going to school for the first time ever...the beginning of a long career. I am excited for him and I will miss him. Until now we (the family) have been the largest influence in his life. We have been his classmates, his teachers, his counselors, and...at times...his students. Now that he graduates from our custom tutelage into the halls of public education I worry that he will be shaped yet I am also counting on it. The question is, how will he be shaped...how will he shape? The answer is to be found for us in time.
Yet there is one who already knows this...all answers. Seeking his guidance and his blessing I renewed the tradition of my Fathers.
The preparation for the blessing itself was powerful. I stepped out of the race, the rush, taking a moment to look back, to remember who he is....who we are....and then a moment to glance to the future....to what he could be...what choices, opportunites, challenges lay before this young man....this, my son...the feelings flowed and filled me. To be at that moment...to be able...to have the privilege of standing in place of my Father...the power of that moment was palpable.
I laid my hands upon his head...I spoke, yet the words were not mine. The voice was, yet it was tinged with a depth of love and understanding beyond me. Words of joy, of confidence, of promise came through me, yet they were not just words but feelings......and strength. As I stood there, a mouthpiece for my son's true Father, I felt His overwhelming love for both of us. The blessing finished we embraced...my arms holding the son whose Father had entrusted to my keeping...yet His arms around us both.....
This moment will live in my memory forever.
After Braden's blessing I was surprised to hear my 3yr old Landon say "My turn Daddy?" At first we were unsure but soon felt that it was right. Landon sat in the chair, still and reverent, as I again placed my hands to receive the blessing. The moment that I began so did the tears....not tears of sorrow but tears of love overflowed. The witness was born to my mind that he too was a precious son of God...unique and special in his Father's eyes. The blessing itself was different...directed for his specific needs and mission. Again, I felt the power flow through me...fill me and then pass on to my son. When it was finished we too embraced...and in the might of his arms I felt not the child of three but a man timeless and destined. "I love you Landon" I said. "I Love you too Daddy" said he.
With my vision still blurred I placed these angels in their beds. Hugs and kisses over I now write of the experience to you my friends. My vision is still somewhat blurred yet I would speak clearly of something that is so sacred to me that I cannot help but share it. This is real. Beyond time, beyond place, beyond the material world we think we live in....this is eternal and perfect...THIS IS REAL. As I placed my hands on my sons, I could not help but feel hands being placed on me...that in blessing I was blessed."

By Joseph Garfield - 8/10/08

Breaking Dawn...all week long!

What started out as a small obsession, turned into a twenny-bopper late night with other moms who felt a little silly and loved every minute of it! On Friday night, I attended the Breaking Dawn release party at Borders with some really great friends who are all as insanely crazy about this series as I am. Below are some of the pics (Clairissa I plan on stealing a few more from you later!) and the very simple party.

Clairissa and I with our "baby" shirts
Hers is from La Push (packing tape and card stock) and mine is from Edward (iron ons)
At the time, we hadn't planned on it and we certainly didn't know it was more foresight than we thought!


This is our group: Carrie, Sheralyn, Me, Melissa, Brittany, Sarah and Clairissa
We all made tshirts! Sad! *shaking head in disbelief*


Midnight when the balloons fell


Brittany and Sarah giving thumbs up after midnight!


Melissa actually preordered in April so she was like #53. So the whole party was for a purpose. Thanks for giving us an excuse to tell our husbands! haha

After the party, we decided we didn't want to wait for them to call our numbers (#323) to get our book, so we went to trusty old, all hours, Walmart and got it there. Silly, but so much fun yet again.

I read 1 chapter that night (morning) at 2am and then was awakened by my lovely children at 7:30 am and tried to get them settled in their room to catch a few more hours and instead could not sleep for excitement of the book. So, I read about 3 or 4 more chapters before a baby shower at 10am. Then, I went shopping with my husband and kids for Tax Free weekend at the over-crowded Mall of Georgia and then was home around 7pm...all the while reading bits and pieces and accumulating to the beginning of Book 2.

Brogan being a tyrant and loving it in the plane at the mall park

Braden playing with some new life long friends


Landon in my cowboy hat at the mall park

By the time my husband got the kids in bed, I had read through Book 2 and was totally freaking out. Not very happy about where things were going...to out of control, even for Stephanie Meyer. I was really beginning to question whether or not she was going to pull it through. By midnight, I could not handle it anymore. Things had gotten way out of hand I just couldn't go to sleep on the note I had so I read 100 more pages and went to sleep around 3am.

The next morning I was beyond exhausted and did not wake until almost 10, leaving very little time for reading, seeing as I had to get the family ready for church...(HEATHEN INSIGHT: I so was struggling with faking sick so I didn't have to go to church so I could finish the book - I DIDN'T, but ohhhhh how I wanted to.) After the 3 hour block, I came home, got the kids settled into cleaning their room and then sat down while my beloved husband made dinner, did the dishes, did his HT (sorry Carrie) and then played on Facebook while I read aloud from about 11pm til 1:20am. We were both so enthralled with the story that we just couldn't get the much needed sleep to start the week right...oh well, there's always tomorrow!

I have to apologize to my kids and my husband for this obsession...it's over (for the most part) and things can go back to normal. Thank you for being so patient and understanding while I took this time for myself! I love you! Really!