Oh, what fun it is to...



...help Solo tear up the wrapping paper!

...open presents with Daddy!

...play with the blocks Grandpa made for me!

...compete with Solo for Grandma's attention!

(If you look closely at that last picture, you can see that Solo's smiling.)

Christmas was lots of fun this year!  We enjoyed the time we got to spend with our families, and Nathan Garrett got some really cool toys to play with.

Thanks, Ryan & Chesli!

We're looking forward to a lot more fun in 2012.  Stay tuned!

Signs Your Home Is Occupied By A Toddler

Yes, I realize it'll get much messier.

Who knew how much fun toilet paper could be?!

No, Solo doesn't climb onto the kitchen counter to get to his food & water.





Garrett Meets Santa!

For the past few Tuesdays, I've been taking Garrett to Allerton Library here in Monticello for Baby Lap Time (BLT!...Cool!).  Today, BLT was replaced with a visit from Santa!!!  How nice of him to take a few minutes out of his busy December schedule to come see a few children in our little town!

First, he told a story about playing Hide & Seek with the elves at The North Pole.  One elf, Moe, had hidden so well that Santa and the others had a hard time finding him.  Then, Santa passed out candy canes and invited the children to take turns sitting on his lap.  I wasn't sure how Garrett would react.

Not sure...

That's my boy!  (Yes, that's a happy expression.)

Now I can't wait to see Garrett's eyes light up when we finally decorate our Christmas tree this weekend!

Memories & Milestones

Last weekend, we enjoyed the company of some of our dear friends, Don & Amy, and their kids, Caroline (3) and Sam (1).  Not long after they arrived, Amy and I left all three kids with our husbands and escaped fled ran for our lives went to the Country Christmas Craft Show at Gordyville.  Nathan's dad, Howard, had a booth at the show to display and sell small rocking chairs and many other things that he has spent a lot of time making since he retired over two years ago.  Amy picked out some adorable gifts for Caroline and Sam, and I enjoyed browsing and listening to the Christmas music that was being played.  When we came back, our home wasn't a complete wreck, and our husbands and kids were all still alive.  The next morning, we had brunch together before our friends headed home to Elk Grove.  I think Sam and Garrett had fun together...

...and Caroline loved Solo.

About two weeks prior to the Alips' visit, Garrett had taken a couple steps on his own but hadn't shown any more interest in walking since then.  I think Sam must have given him the confidence he needed 'cause he's walking all over the place now!  (That's what friends are for, right?)

We have so much to be thankful for!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your friends and families.

Garrett wants to tell you something.

Does Rosetta Stone teach this language?

Have I mentioned we're crazy about this kid?

Grandma's Chicken Spaghetti

If you're reading this, you're probably already aware that my Grandma Marge died on October 18th.  She was laid to rest next to Gramps four days later.  I honored her on her 89th birthday in an earlier post entitled Grandma Marge.  I also had an opportunity to share some of my favorite memories of her with our extended family after her funeral and promised myself then to finally attempt her recipe for chicken spaghetti, which I did today.

This is how I wrote down the recipe as she recited it to me years ago:

Boil or bake chicken.  Pick meat off.  Use broth to cook onion, green pepper, celery, and spaghetti (12 oz. - 1 lb.) in.  Add water if necessary.  Mix together chicken, spaghetti, onion, pepper, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, and 1 can cream of chicken soup.  Put in baking dish.  Place grated cheese on top and bake at 350 degrees until hot.

I was reluctant to try this recipe before now because whole chickens kind of gross me out, but I knew it just wouldn't be the same if I substituted boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  Using Mom's instructions, I salted and peppered the whole chicken, covered it with water, and boiled it for about an hour last night.  After letting it cool, I picked as much meat off the bones as I could and saved the broth.  This evening, I cooked a pound of spaghetti, two stalks of celery, chopped, and an onion, also chopped, in the broth.  (I omitted the green pepper.)  Then, I mixed all that with the cans of soup and the chicken, put it all in a 13" x 9" glass dish, put about two cups of shredded cheddar cheese on top, and baked it for about 20 minutes.

I'll probably need to make this several more times before it tastes as good as I remember, but it was good.  Nathan liked it, too.

Oh, and unless you have five hungry sons like Grandma did, you'll probably be able to freeze half of it or give it to your friends who've just had a baby or your neighbor who's been in the hospital.

Enjoy! 

Wonderin' what Garrett's been up to lately?

Well, he's keeping busy!

We made him his first 'tent' in the living room.  He loved crawling in and out of it.  Over and over and over again.

He went to his first wiener roast at Nonnie's & Papa's campsite at Kickapoo State Park in Vermilion County!

Pet Fair Extravaganza at Prairieland Feeds!

Treating Mommy as his own personal jungle gym with his sock stuffed in his mouth for concentration.

Showing Daddy how to play his (Daddy's) new game!

Oh, this kid.

We're having lots of fun!



Resilience

My heart.

His cry at midnight gets me on my feet and at the side of his crib in seconds.  A bad dream?  Teething pain?  I pick him up and gently rock as he lays his head on my shoulder and drifts back to sleep.  My heart breaks as I listen to the multiple sobs that follow his alarming cry...

...and my heart is mended the next morning when I walk into his room and hear him say "Hi?".

The man I've committed my life to.  I take him for granted.  I fail to show him just how much I appreciate him.  My heart breaks when I realize I have let him down...

...and my heart is mended when he puts his own hurt feelings aside, kisses me, and thanks me for all that I do.

God, who breathed life into me.  I disappoint Him, too.  I give in to the temptation to gossip, I forget to be grateful, I deny that I need His grace, His forgiveness, His gift of salvation...

...and my heart is mended when I wake up to a new day that He has stamped "Mercy" on before sending.

{Photo Credit}

...and just like that...

...a year went by!

We celebrated Garrett's first birthday with a houseful of people we love yesterday.  (46 people we love, to be exact.)

My friend, Courtney, made Garrett's cake.  Not only did it look fantastic, it tasted fantastic!  Believe it or not, Courtney doesn't make a living baking and decorating cakes, but I think she could!  She enjoys this hobby - even as a mother of three young children - and is a volunteer for Icing Smiles, Inc.  Take a closer look:
 

(I know, right?)

The favors were made using baby food jars and 1" and 1.25" circles punched out of posterboard.  My original intention was to fill the jars with a mixture of Cheerios, raisins, and plain M&Ms, but Nathan thought it'd be best to "make the kids work for their M&Ms", so we put the M&Ms on the bottom, the raisins in the middle, and the Cheerios on the top.  He's full of brilliant ideas!

It took a bit of encouragement, but Garrett tore into his cake like the best of one-year-olds.  (The only time he fussed during the entire 2-hour party was when I took it away from him.)

Cake, decorations, favors, and gifts aside, this has been such a wonderful weekend.  I told Nathan this evening that I can't imagine life being any better than it is now.  Garrett has brought so much more joy into our lives than I ever imagined.

Thanks to all of you who celebrated with us!

My cup runneth over.

(The credit for these wonderful photographs goes to Mom.  You can see more evidence of her passion and talent by visiting her blog, Learning As I Go.)

 

He got 'is ears lowered.

Garrett got his first haircut today!

He sat as still as an 11-month-old can sit.  He smiled at himself in the mirror a few times.  And he looked tiny with that cape on.

Thanks to my friend, Rachel W., at Spa Envy for doing such a great job!

Before

She didn't even have to bribe him with a sucker!

I apologize to all you girls whose hearts this kid's going to break.

After

(Now, excuse me while I get a Kleenex to wipe the tears off my keyboard.)

Yep, he's still growing!

Garrett got to see Dr. Palazzolo this morning for his...*gulp*...1-year check-up!  He weighed in at 20 lbs. and has grown a whole foot since he was born.  He is now 32" tall!  He was supposed to get some shots today, but we have to go back on the 30th to get those.  (Apparently, the school system - and I assume that includes daycare - won't recognize vaccinations that are given even 1 day (1 day!) before a child's actual birthday.  Would have been nice to receive that information when I scheduled the appointment, but I digress.)  Besides a little bit of congestion in his ears, Garrett passed! 

...and he's quite the helper these days.

Looking forward to my first One Week Boutique experience this Saturday!

"Oh, Garrett!"

We Hannas spent the majority of last Saturday hanging out with our friends, the Riddles, at Mike's parents' house.  We hadn't seen them since Thanksgiving last year, and their family had grown by one since then!  Elliot came into the world nearly five months ago.  Six-year-old Owen sure is a proud big brother!

It was wonderful to spend the afternoon catching up and comparing "SunChips" stories.  Mike and his dad dug into a closet in the basement and found some old blocks for Owen all of us to play with.  Just as Owen finished constructing a fence, Garrett...you guessed it...crawled right over and knocked it down.  With such gentle exasperation, Owen said, "Oh, Garrett!"  His timing was impeccable, and we all enjoyed quite a laugh.

Can't wait until we can all get together again!

Garrett loves anything with wheels.
  

Owen & Nathan...just being boys

Tearing down his fence

Elliot & Garrett

Grandma Marge

Today is my Grandma Marge's 89th birthday, and I want to honor her by sharing some of the countless memories I have of her from my childhood.

It didn't occur to me back then how fortunate my brother and I were to live so close to all of our grandparents; Grandpa and Grandma Horton lived three or four blocks from where we grew up, and Gramps and Grandma Marge lived three or four miles from where we grew up.

I remember spending the night with my cousin, Amanda, at Grandma Marge's house. 

I remember what seemed like hundreds of tubes of lipstick standing neatly in a cabinet in her bathroom.  She'd let me pick a color either for her to wear that day or for me to try on.  Even now, when I apply my lipstick, I think about Grandma.

We played lots of Yahtzee.  My mind's eye can still see Grandma's neat handwriting on those score cards.

Another game we played would start with Grandma coming up with a really big word.  We would then try to see who could come up with the most words using the letters from the really big word.  On one such occasion, she let me use the dictionary.  I was looking for words beginning with "c" that would work.  I got to "condom" and wrote it down without reading its definition.  When Grandma saw what I had written, she gasped!  She then explained in a G-rated way what condoms are.  True story.

I remember bubble baths with way too many bubbles.

Wiener roasts...lots of kittens outside...chicken drummies...the funny sunglasses in Grandma's glove compartment...sliding down the stair rail...

Oh, how thankful I am for these and many more memories.

Grandma Marge, 10/16/2010

Also, I was thrilled this morning to find out that Grandma Marge now shares her birthday with Maci Lynn, the newborn daughter of Garrett's teacher, Julie.  She arrived this morning at 5:26.  Can't wait to meet her!

 

The 'Parents of the Year' award goes to...

...someone else.

Garrett has had a bit of a cough and some colorful morning snot for a few days.  Since he had bronchiolitis earlier this year - and since I still consider myself a rookie - I took him to Convenient Care yesterday to get him checked out.  He is fine.  (Praise God!)  We opened the windows in our house a few days ago to give our air conditioner and our checking account a break.  Nathan and I had both woken up with raw, sore-ish throats, which we attributed to the change in the air, and thought Garrett was dealing with the same kind o' thing.  Nathan thought, and I agreed, that it would be best for Garrett if we closed his window, turned off his ceiling fan, and put a humidifier in his room, so as I read to Garrett, Nathan filled up the humidifier.  Around 7:30, I said, "Goodnight, Buddy", and closed Garrett's door.

(This is where the 'Parents of the Year' award goes to someone else.)  At precisely 1:54 this morning, I awoke to the cry of our sweet baby.  (That hasn't happened in a while; he's been sleeping through the night for about 3 months.)  I rushed into his room and immediately discovered why he was crying.  In his own way, he was yelling, "It's hotter than h...e...doublehockeysticks in here!!!"  It was like a freakin' sauna in there!

The moral of this story: Babies do NOT like saunas.

Guess I'll start hoping for next year's nomination.

Am I ready for this?

The cleanliness of our kitchen floor can now be measured by the cleanliness of Garrett's knees and the tops of his feet.  In other words, HE'S CRAWLING!!!

...and the mop and I have become reacquainted.

(I'll settle on a design for this blog o' mine one of these days.)

...but wait! There's more!



Stan must've said somethin' funny.



"These are the moments I thank God that I'm alive."

 

Four Generations





Our Big Trip

Any trip is big when a 10-month-old baby is among the travelers!  Last weekend, Garrett got to meet his great-grandparents, my Grandma & Grandpa Horton, for the first time.  He also got to meet my mom's sister, Aunt Laura, and her husband, Uncle Dave, my cousin, Alice, and her 4-month-old son, Stan, my other cousin, Michael, his wife, Mary, and their 3-year-old daughter, Olivia. 

Our trip began on Friday, July 22nd.  My 11-year-old cousin, Leanna, Garrett, and I traveled to Mom's in Lima, OH.  We had an evening full of yummy homemade nachos and Scrabble Flash. 



Me & Leanna

 On Saturday, the three of us plus Mom traveled to my grandparents' home in Vienna, WV.  (It had been four years - too long - since I'd been there.)  I probably don't have to tell you that their primary focus was on their great-grandsons, Garrett and Stan.  (Stan was meeting his great-grandparents for the first time, too.)  Lots of cameras, lots of baby talk, lots of laughter.  And lots of love.



Garrett really did enjoy himself.  I promise.

 Sunday morning, my cousin, Michael, his wife, Mary, and their daughter, Olivia, came by on their way back to Tennessee from Pennsylvania, so all three of the great-grandchildren were together with Grandma and Grandpa Horton.  Then, Leanna, Garrett, and I went to church with Grandma while Mom stayed at the house with Grandpa.  (He is limited physically these days, but his wit is still as quick as ever, and oh, can he tell a good story!)  About halfway through the sermon, Garrett was becoming rather talkative, so I took him into the 'cry room'.  A few minutes later, another mom came in with her young son.  Eventually, she called her son by his name.  I didn't think I heard her right, so I asked what her son's name was.  It was Garrett, AND his middle initial was W! 



Priceless

Our visit was brief, but it was one I'll not soon forget.  Among many things, motherhood has taught me a little bit about how to live in the moment...to not take a single second for granted.

(Once again, photo credit goes to Mom.  Check out one of her favorites from the weekend here.)

Then & Now



July 27th, 2010



July 27th, 2011

Stay tuned for my post about our trip to meet Garrett's great-grandparents, an aunt and uncle, and several cousins!

July 18th, 2003

I can't believe it's been 8 years (and 1 day) since Nathan asked me to marry him!  Some of you reading this may not know our proposal story, so I'm going to brag on him a little bit.

On Thursday, July 17th, 2003, I was wrapping things up for the day at Central State Chiropractic & Rehabilitation, where I worked for Dr. Wieben, and in walked my boyfriend.  (That would be Nathan.)  He was supposed to be at work, so I was a bit surprised to see him.  "What are you doing here?", I asked.  He replied, "You need to get home and pack your bags.  We have a flight to catch to California!"  (Now, I suspected he was planning something for my 25th birthday, but I was thinkin' maybe a trip to Six Flags.  Our friends, Mike and Karyn Riddle, lived near Santa Barbara, CA, at the time, but we had just (well, 8 or 9 months earlier) been out there to visit them.)  So, to my tiny apartment I went and hurriedly packed my suitcase, and off we went to Willard Airport to catch our flight.

Mike and Karyn picked us up that evening at a tiny airport in Oxnard, CA.  Karyn, then a graduate student at UCSB, was going to have to be on campus the next morning, and Mike had to work, so they told Nathan and me about a good picnic spot and told us to help ourselves to whatever we could find in their fridge to take with us.  I was surprised when Nathan woke up as early as I did the next day but still suspected nothing.  Mike handed us a map of the area and showed us how to get to the picnic spot they had told us about.  We packed a small cooler and were on our way.

Neither of us owned a digital camera back then, so I don't have a way to share our pictures with you, but trust me: the spot Mike and Karyn recommended was b...e...a...utiful (and within walking distance from their home).  We were on a bluff overlooking the ocean, and the sun was shining.  We made ourselves comfortable, ate a little bit, and relaxed.  After a while, I asked Nathan if he wanted to walk some more.  "Nah, let's stay here for a while."

A few minutes later, Nathan said, "I have a confession to make.  I planned all of this."

"I know...and...?"

Then, he wrapped his arms around me from behind, I looked down at the ring he was holding, and he asked me to marry him.

"Oh!  You mean you planned this!  YES!!!"  (I think I actually said "Oh my gosh!" a few times first.)

After everything sunk in, we took a few pictures, gathered our things, and headed back to the Riddles' place.  As we walked, Nathan told me about talking to my dad, shipping the ring to California, making sure Mike and Karyn stocked their fridge with food for our picnic, and many other details about planning his surprise. 

I guess he wanted to make sure I wouldn't say "NO!!!"  :-)

After Mike and Karyn returned, we celebrated with lunch at an ocean-side cafe.

I say "YES!!!" to Nathan in one way or another every day.  Maybe not with that much enthusiasm, but "Yes" nonetheless.  And he does the same for me.

Tuesdays With Garrett

I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to work part-time and spend my Mondays and Tuesdays with Garrett.  Most Tuesdays, we meet friends at Nick's Park for a couple of hours, but we stayed home today.  I'm a wimp in this humidity!  Today began, instead, with Garrett throwing up in our bed and then biting my...ahem...flesh when I resumed nursing him.  Thankfully, that sequence of events wasn't an indication of how the rest of the day would turn out.  (And I could tell Garrett was sorry for hurting me.)

This afternoon, I caught up on some reading while Garrett snacked on some Cheerios.

 

In the January (yes, January) issue of Real Simple, I came across a cool use for an old picture frame: a dry-erase board!  Here are the instructions, straight from the source:

Let's see - you need milk, eggs...and something

to replace the stark white memo board that's

sucking all the style from your otherwise charming

kitchen.  Frame a pretty piece of fabric or paper,

then write temporary to-dos on the glass

with a dry-erase marker.

I love this idea!  There's an empty wall in our kitchen, which, by the way, is not completely 'otherwise charming', that would be the perfect spot for a message center.  Click here to browse more of Real Simple's New Uses For Old Things. 

Oh, and stay tuned to find out how I intend to use some of the baby food jars we've been collecting!



July 4th (& Many Firsts!)

Oh, how great the last few days have been!

Sunday, my brother, Ryan, his wife, Chesli, and their 'kids', Dora and Rocky, stopped by on their way to Peoria to have lunch with us.  We enjoyed Italian Kabobs, a delicious pasta salad, and ice cream with fresh raspberries and blackberries.  (I really wanted to share the Italian Kabobs recipe with you, but I could not find it online.  You can find it in the Better Homes and Gardens New Grilling Book, 2nd Edition.)  Soon after they left to head to Peoria, we Hannas ventured to Bloomington for Elaina's first birthday party.  Elaina's mom, Sam, and I have been friends since working together at First Midwest Bank in '98.



Baby E., The Birthday Girl

When we returned home that evening, Mom and Mark were sitting on our front porch!  (Yes, we were expecting them, but we'd welcome a surprise visit any day!)  Monticello's fireworks are always on the 3rd.  Since we were out of town last year, we still weren't sure if we'd be able to see them from our house.  Unfortunately, we couldn't, but Garrett wasn't too disappointed.  Next year ought to be fun!

Monday, the 4th, we had a fried chicken picnic at Nick's Park in greater downtown Monticello.  Man, it was a beautiful day!  Nathan thought for sure the park would be packed, but we were the only ones there!  Some highlights of Garrett's day were swinging and going down the slide on Grandpa Mark's lap.  (Thanks again, Mom, for the wonderful pictures!)



Oh, those eyes...



Wee!  (Not sure who had more fun!)

Later that day, Nathan blew up Garrett's pool, and we all sat out in the back yard while Garrett splashed, cooed, laughed, and otherwise melted our hearts.



The pool and trunks were baby shower gifts from my friend, Courtney.

(Note to self: Time in the pool makes Garrett sleepy.  Use this to your advantage.)

We topped off the visit from Mom and Mark with a trip to Christie for Garrett's 9-month check-up with Dr. Palazzolo and lunch at Sun Singer.  Garrett now weighs 18 pounds and 11 ounces (25th percentile) and is 29" tall (90th percentile)...long and lean like Mommy Daddy.  (By the way, Dr. P. expressed no concern whatsoever about Garrett's weight.)  His heart and lungs sounded perfect, his ears and eyes looked perfect, and his development is right on track!  Music to his parents' ears!  Garrett's latest firsts are pointing and sticking his index finger into any hole it'll fit into, including his nostrils, and he's so incredibly close to crawling.  (I'm in no hurry for that!)

This morning, as Nathan left for work, Mom, Mark, Garrett, Solo, and I were sitting on the front porch enjoying the cool, sunny morning.  I told Mom and Mark that I finally know what 'My cup runneth over.' really means.  My hope is that you do, too.

Thanks for stopping by! 

Garrett's Brother

What?  You were expecting an announcement?  Sorry.

The 'brother' I'm referring to is none other than our beloved Border Terrier, Solo.



Layin' in the sun...

Solo became a member of the Hanna family in March, 2008.  We knew we wanted to try to have a baby some day, so we researched several different breeds and learned that Border Terriers have a reputation for being good around kids.  Solo has not let us down.  He and Garrett are best buddies!

Solo's favorite things, in no particular order, are sleeping between Nathan and me in our bed, laying on the back of the couch like a cat, sitting in the window seat in our dining room, playing fetch with his assortment of toys, all of which are made of durable plastic since he'll rip any stuffed toy to shreds in a matter of seconds, going to Donna's every 2 or 3 months to get his hair cut, greeting Nathan when he comes in the door like he's been gone for years, visits from Kara, and going for walks.  (His least favorite thing is thunderstorms.  He will not rest until the thunder can no longer be heard.  It's heartbreaking, really.)

We can't imagine life without our Solo!

Fruit Dip VI

I am lucky enough to have two mothers-in-law.  (Yes, that says "lucky".)  One of them, Sandy, called me today to ask how much brown sugar to use in "that fruit dip" I make.  Thinking about that this evening has prompted me to share this, one of my absolute favorite recipes, with you: Fruit Dip VI, or FRUIT DIPPER SIXERRR, as we Hannas like to call it.  It is especially good with strawberries and apples that are a little on the tart side, like my favorite, the Gala variety.

Who am I kidding?  It's good without fruit.  Not that I would know.  Not that I've purposefully put way more dip than fruit on my plate before.  I know you'll enjoy FRUIT DIPPER SIXERR just as much as we do, perhaps even more if you say it that way.

Oh, and since I've promised a little bit o' Garrett in every post, here ya go.



I LOVE that little pacifier face!



Too Good To Be True?

Last night, just a few minutes after I got into bed, I got up, walked into Garrett's room, and stood by his crib just to watch him sleep.  After climbing back into my own bed, I stared at the piece of my great grandma's "Crazy Quilt" that was framed and given to Nathan and me as a wedding gift from her daughter, my Grandma Horton, and Grandpa Horton.  Then, I prayed.

God, I can't ignore the thought I've had lately that my life is too good to be true.

That the shoe will drop any minute now.

I know it's not good to worry, but is there any wisdom in bracing myself for such things?

As I stare at the random pieces of fabric that form Grandma Handell's quilt, I think about the components of my life that have made me who I am today - the experiences, both good and bad, the unconditional love of my family and friends, and the miracle that is asleep down the hall - and I am grateful.

Please bless us with Your peace that surpasses our understanding.

Watch over us.

Amen.

Father's Day

"Fatherhood isn't for weaklings, but it's not for macho nuts either." -Geoff, age 10, from Fathers Are Like Elephants Because They're the Biggest Ones Around (But They Still Are Pretty Gentle Underneath) by David Heller

What a great Father's Day weekend we had!  Garrett and I spent most of our Saturday in Bismarck while Nathan stayed home to strip paint off the bricks that form our fireplace.  That's right, Nathan spent half of the weekend working, but getting to do so without having to divide his attention was probably his best Father's Day gift.  Just ask him!  My dad lives in Bismarck, so I got to spend some time with him, and Bismarck's community-wide rummage sales were that day.  We came home with a detail sander for Nathan, an outfit, a pair of shoes, and a toy for Garrett, a DVD version of the game, Family Feud, a pretty basket, and a few other things.  A $20 bill goes a long way when you spend ten cents here, seventy-five cents there, etc.!

On Sunday, the three of us met Nathan's parents at Cracker Barrel for a wonderful Father's Day brunch.  Sandy had decided to keep it a secret, so Nathan's dad, Howard, was surprised to see us there.  We had a great time!  The proof is in the pictures.



Nonnie & Garrett on Cracker Barrel's porch

 

Nathan, Garrett & Papa



Two of my best reasons for living...





Garrett "made" Nathan a gift at Ducky Day Care...

 

That's a shark made of Garrett's footprint.  Can't you tell?

...and I got him and Garrett new Cardinals hats.





I am so very thankful to have Nathan as my husband and Garrett's daddy.  I am also grateful to our dads, Rick and Howard, for their examples of what great fathers are.

Thanks for visiting!