Easy assisted our stake with the cleaning efforts in Joplin this weekend. Amazing the destruction that hit so close to home.

He said it was literally like a bomb went off. Bark ripped from trees, 2x4s speared through walls, and roofs ripped off homes.

This account is pretty amazing.


- Posted on the Go

Treasures in the Storm

I had plans early this spring of making a little garden in the backyard for us.

Then our lives took off and we have been a little on survival mode ever since:

Dropping girls off, working, catching up on sleep, working, picking girls up, making half-assed dinners, drinking more soda than usual, trying to keep up on the laundry - and the bathrooms, and the dishes. And finally using whatever time we have left to enjoy one another and sleep.

Last week I worked my first few night-shifts at the hospital. It went well until I tried to get back to normal schedule - that was a little rough. Now that I'm recovered we are in for another week. :) Awesome. I'm loving work, but the constant juggle of having a job/mothering is hard.

So, I broke down the other day and bought some herbs, a heirloom tomato plant, a pepper plant, some squash seeds, and some flowers. I threw them all in our flower beds out front. I don't care what the neighbors think - I really want my homegrown goodies and I'd damned determined to have my cake and eat it too.

The girls roamed around digging up worms and searching for snails and after last nights' torrential storm it was pretty easy for them to find their treasures.

I thought to myself about saving this little moment with my favorite girls - loving their shrieks and giggles, teaching them about the earth, savoring my limited time with them. I'm going to keep it for those long nights at the hospital where I'm dressing surgical sites, assessing my patients, administering medications, and longing to sleep next to my husband.

All in hopes to have a few more days to dig worms.

Mothering

Roonie. May 9th, 2011. Downing some yogurt after splashing out back.

I hope all you mother's whom may frequent The Dirt had a fabulous Mother's Day.

Mine was fantastic.

Easy sent me on a scavenger hunt for gifts. I could keep the gift I found or give it up for an unknown one. In the end I made out with a trip to the salon and new bedding for our bed. Score!

He also got the chickies together and in true Gardiner fashion they all made me a lovely banner.

We had an awesome breakfast and for dinner he grilled us some salmon with "rockamole" on the side and we ate fresh pineapple and brown rice.

That man knows how to treat his lady(s). And I have my work really cut out for me on Father's Day next month.


I could not help but think all day of my mother who mothered me, the mother who mothered her, Easy's mother's that have mothered him, and the mother's that my daughters will someday become. I am so grateful for these women. And I am blessed that our lives are so intertwined.

Such is the day...

for flying a kite.







- Posted on the Go

Not My Anniversary.

Yesterday I got a text around 4pm from my sis-in-law Kiersten.

It said, "Happy Anniversary!"

I stared at it a good minute. What? That's so weird. It's not my anniversary.

Wait... What?

Kiersten and Matt share anniversaries with Easy and I. Oh crap! It's my anniversary!

Easy has been in Florida and we had talked 4 or five times in the day already. Not one mention was made of the big day. I immediately texted him and he called me back in seconds. We exchanged apologies, "I love you's," and laughed at ourselves. Then we added up the years. Eleven minus three = eight.

8 years ago we made promises to each other. Covenants.

Tonight we will have a cake to celebrate having our dad back and we will also celebrate the 8 best years of my life.

Love you babe!
I hope our life isn't always this nuts!