Toddler Property Laws

Toddler Property Laws

1. If I like it, it's mine.
2. If it is in my hand, it's mine.
3. If I can take it from you, it's mine.
4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
5. If it's mine, it must not appear to be yours in any way.
6. If I'm doing or building something, all the pieces are mine.
7. If it looks like mine, it's mine.


Yup, sounds like Emily to me.

Visits for Funerals Count, Don't They?

With Grandma passing away last weekend, the funeral was this weekend. That means that almost all of the family came to town and we got to visit with immediate family we haven't seen in a while as well as extended family we haven't seen in much longer! It was good to get to see everyone, even if the circumstances weren't ideal. It's probably going to be close to the last time that we see most of my extended family in the same place at the same time, so I tried to enjoy time with them as much as I could.

While us adults were chatting, the kids didn't miss out on any opportunities to play together. I was so distracted by visiting that I forgot to take any pictures this weekend!! Jenny was nice enough to share these ones with me though! She's awesome like that!

Grace and Emily playing in the water at the park.
The park was just grass and trees and tables, so there's wasn't much else for these little ones to do - At least they found a fun way to occupy themselves

They ended up soaking wet!

And Grace took off her wet shirt. Apparently it wasn't very comfortable

I'm sure Emily would have done it too, if she were coordinated enough, and if that shirt didn't happen to be a onesie with snaps on the bottom...

Dancing Grace! So much fun to watch!

Rob and Jenny had a relatively new born baby to bring, and he's so cute that we're glad they brought him (that along with the fact that there really was no way to leave him...) Emily was quite enamored with little Robby

Feeding Robby his bottle. He's so patient with her!

Grandma's Grave Site

Some pictures from the grave site where Grandma was buried this weekend. Mom forgot her camera, so she borrowed mine that she gave me a few years ago when it stopped working the way she wanted it to. (I was the only one in the family with the right lenses to fit it - and I lived with her - double bonus! The only problem is that apparently the lens on my camera is not a wide angle lens - or even a normal angle lens - I must have bought it with something other than large groups in mind... So, some of the group pictures of extended family are split into two pictures.)

Here's the pall bearers to the middle
Forest, Ian, Nate, William, Seth, Rob, Jacob, Michael

From the middle
Sean, Bjorn, Curt, Johnny, Jeff, Karl, Erik

Carrying the casket


Part of the gathered group. The sitters are Kristen (with a grandchild on her lap), Judy Nelson, DeAnne Garnder (wife of Grandpa's brother Williard), and Helen

The siblings (in age order from youngest to oldest)
Maggie, Ann, Eric, Dad (Robert), Rebecca, Kris, John, Helen

Here's 1/2 of the cousins

Here's the other half

After large group pictures were done, most of the families split into taking individual pictures.
And some just wanted to sit on Uncle Bryan's head...

Those two cute girls in pink were practically inseparable the whole weekend. They had a lot of fun playing together

Grace and Jenny

Lizzie and Shelly

Come on girls, we're trying to take a picture! :)

Family photos are a production!

I guess it's a good thing that everyone always cooperates...

This one was mostly good!

Or was it this one? I can't tell anymore

We moved to the light for better exposure. We lost a kid in the process though - Don't worry, Grace is in the picture, just behind everyone (Emily was with the Schofields, she had not been sleeping well, so they volunteered to let her nap during the funeral - they brought her to the dinner at the church afterwards)

And Jason immediately resumed his position on top of Uncle Bryan's shoulders

Me, Nate and Katie having fun (is that allowed? at a funeral??)

Jenny striking a pose

Nate and Katie following suit

The casket

The pretty flowers

Three generations of Robert Gardner's
I love how excited baby Robby is in this one

But I really love that this is the very next picture!
Such a quick turn around!

Aunt Katie with a rather tired Emily (is that Robby's pacifier she has? I wonder if that's why he was so grumpy in those last pictures...)

We tried to take a family picture after all was said and done, but I think we were all tired. This is about as good as it got...
Thanks for trying Mom!

Who's kids are these?

Sometimes I feel like I'm raising chickens instead of kids... Why do they hide behind pillows on the couch whenever the vacuum comes out?

Grandma's Obituary

My Grandma passed away this weekend on April 30. She was an amazing woman and I will always be grateful that she was my Grandma. I'm excited to see her in her prime in the next world. I mostly remember the Grandma from the first picture, still beautiful and capable, but not as much as she was. By then (or at least by the time I really got to know her) the pain had started in her hands and back and she had lost a few inches in height. She had slowed down physically, but was still wonderful! I'd love to have known her when she was the amazing woman that was raising 8 kids and could do almost anything. I'm sure I missed out on much wisdom and knowledge by not knowing her then.

Here's a copy of the obituary that was sent to the newspapers.



Olga Helen Dotson Gardner, our beloved wife, mother, sister, and friend, surrounded by her loving family, passed away on April 30, 2011 after succumbing to complications due to advanced age.

Olga was born March 13, 1924, to A. Lewis Dotson and Lola Irene McAdams in Burbank, California. She was the sixth of eight children, and her ancestors all helped to settle Minersville, Utah.

She attended high school in Logan and Salt Lake City and studied music at Utah State University where she sang the lead in the Verdi opera Rigoletto at the age of 17. She married her high school sweetheart, John Hale Gardner, July 23, 1943, in Boston, Massachusetts. Olga continued her singing pursuits and studied at the New England Conservatory of Music.

In 1949 they moved to Provo where Olga fast became known in Utah and Salt Lake valleys for her singing. She was the example of selfless service, soloing at uncounted funerals, weddings, recitals, and meetings. She sang the lead in many operas, oratorios and other productions, including "Cats" at age 60. She sang with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for over a decade and was a frequent soloist. She was highly sought after as a voice teacher at BYU and taught at home until she was 82 years old.

Olga was a great example of missionary work and daily study of the scriptures, and especially of how to endure cheerfully to the end. Her husband of 65 years passed away September 26, 2008, and she was anxious to be with him again.

She is survived by her 8 children: Helen Elizabeth (Tracy Hall), John Willard (Kathryn), Kristin (Ron Spears), Rebecca, Robert Dotson (Debra), Eric William (Connie), Ann Marie, Margaret Irene (John Naegle); 1 brother Richard (Nancy) Dotson; 37 grandchildren; 45 great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, May 7, 2011 at 12:00 p.m. at the Oak Hills 1st Ward, 1038 North 1200 East, Provo. Friends may call at Berg Mortuary, 185 E. Center St, on Friday evening 7-8pm or on Saturday 10 -11:30am at the church. Interment Provo City Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to Info@BergMortuary.com.

Shelly's Imagination

I am in love with this girl. It's official. She has got the funnest imagination! I mean, really, who would have thought of using square blocks to make fish and dolphins? And how does she know the anatomy enough to know which way their tails flap? I am often amazed at how much she knows considering how little I am able to teach her right now!!

I love this!

Shelly is proud of her fishes

Shelly with her Copy

One more look at the dolphins and fishies

Later that day we had graham crackers and frosting for dessert - we used the super tasty frosting that Becca made and let us take home. Emily was a fan.

And a mess!

My Birthday at the Schofields

My birthday was an interesting one this year. It was on a Friday and I had a Dr's apt in the morning and a lunch date with my hubby, followed by a rather last minute trip to the hospital to say goodbye to my grandma (who died the next day - on Matt's birthday). At the end of the day, after leaving the kids with the in-laws much longer than I had planned, Mark and I went back to enjoy some much needed party time. Emily had apparently had some fun without us...

In the form of Mac N Cheese

All over her hands and face

But at least she enjoyed it!

Here she is making faces just before dinner


Here comes the cake!

Happy Birthday to me! (the picture is fuzzy, and I'm making a super strange face, but it was still a tasty Angel Food cake)

Mark is excited, even if Jason is tired and Emily is bored... :)