Dad (Brett)
All around
rockstar geek. Brett enjoys his job as a Clinical Data Manager (helping research medical breakthroughs at Celgene); in his time off he enjoys reading books, watching movies, and learning new tricks on his camera and in Photoshop. He absolutely adores his wife and 2 daughters.
Mom (Erin)
Complete supermom. Erin loves her job as a Youth Field Researcher (aka 'mother'); in her plentiful spare time (ha!) she enjoys sleeping, re-reading Twilight or Harry Potter, and cuddling with Brett.
Aeriana ('Wacko', 'Princess')
Hybrid Angel/Devil. Aeriana loves her mommy and daddy, each of whom she loves to test at times and pretend innocence at others. A veritable sponge, Aeriana wants to do anything she sees an adult doing; she loves babies and especially adores her little sister, taking great care of her every need.
Zoe Jean ('Stinker', 'Cutie')
Growing fast, Zoe wants to be just like her big sister. Very goal oriented, she'll find a way to get that toy she's been looking at. She loves her pacifier and can't help but snuggle up to her blanket. Zoe is as relaxed as they come, she just loves chillin' out and watching TV.
Even Later :)
This is my late Valentine's Day Cookie Contest submission... unfortunately the other ones fell over as I was about to take pictures. That's what I get for trying to use natural lighting.
Just to let everyone know, if you bump the chair that is balancing a cutting board on a window sill, the cutting board will fall. Stupid gravity.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Labels: food, holidays, pictures
Late, As Always
So the Garner family had a competition again... shocker I know. This time it was cookie decorating. This is Aeriana's submission. Hopefully mine will be up tomorrow, but I have a sick kid so I should get some leeway with the deadline right?
Well.. I had to try. :) Either way this is Aeriana's masterpiece!
Note the serious face... Yeah we don't mess around when it comes to making food look pretty. :)
I think she did a wonderful job. But I'm not biased or anything.
Labels: Aeriana, family, food
Chocolate?
You say there was chocolate here? I have no idea where it might have gone!
Labels: food, pictures, Zoe
A Good Weekend
There's no better way to start a Saturday morning than to have a special date with daddy... Dunkin Donuts (pink frosted with sprinkles, of course) and chocolate milk in our pajamas!
Then there's no better way to start a Sunday morning than meeting an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Elder Christofferson came to our Stake Conference meetings this weekend; an absolutely incredible experience.)
Labels: Aeriana, family, food, pictures, religion, Zoe
That's My Girl - The Food Edition
Aeriana and I had the following exchange this morning shortly after she got up.
A: "Cookies!"
B: "Cookies? You want cookies?"
A: "Yeah!"
B: "We can't have cookies right now."
(Pause)
A: "Chocolate?"
At what point does the fact that Aeriana seems to be almost exactly like me start to become worrisome?
Labels: Aeriana, Brett, food, funny
Let's Define 'Nutrition' Shall We
My Easter basket had several of these included (thanks Easter Bunny!).
While partaking of one particularly scrumptious egg just now (you know, as an appetizer to my lunch) I noticed that on the back of the garishly pink carton is a section for 'nutritional facts'. I really wish Zachary Confections was legally allowed to have the nutritional section read something like this.
"Real Nutrition Fact #147:
How much less nutrition could be included in this product? None. None less nutrition."
P.S. I may call my congressman and inform him that the mere existence of a nutritional label on this type of product confuses me into thinking that some type of nutrition must be contained therein.
P.P.S. I may also suggest a more appropriate label.
"Surgeon General's Warning: This product contains nothing your body needs and may make you fat; high amounts of consumption may give you a sugar rush and then the resulting crash, making you feel miserable. This product should be consumed only under the supervision of someone more responsible than the person who actually wants to ingest this product."
Labels: food, holidays
Amo l'Italia
Three days into our Italy trip and we're having a great time. My meetings have gone well, though I'm grateful that there's only one more day left.
The hotel is pretty nice, the town we're in right now (Baveno) is beautiful even if there isn't much to do. Being here is making me think that this would be a nice culture to live in... if it's raining, none of the shops open; if it's mid-afternoon, none of the shops open; if it's too late, or too early, or too (
fill in the blank), none of the shops open.
Erin's been bored out of her mind and is already on her third book of the trip. We're excited to go to Milan tomorrow afternoon as soon as my meetings finish, there should be a bit more to do in the big city.
One thing's for sure though, the food here is spectacular (with a couple surprisingly disappointing exceptions). So far I've had Caprese Salad (tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and olive oil) three times, and it's just gotten better each time. I am madly in love with the olive oil and the mozzarella here... incredible. I've also found shark to be delicious, raviolis with pears to be surprisingly tasty, and the Caprese Salad to be excellent (... did I already mention that???!!!)
The only down sides to Italy are (1) it's freaking expensive, (2) I forgot my USB cable so I can't transfer any pictures from my camera until we get home, and (3) we both miss Aeriana like crazy! We've been getting online every day and linking up through webcams to say hi and tell her how much we love and miss her, but it seems to just make us miss her even more. She's so gosh darn cute, seeing her on the webcam just makes us want to give her hugs and kisses.
Anyway, it's 4:15 back home, but 10:15 here, so it's time for bed (we've adjusted surprisingly well). Hopefully we'll get some pictures up soon of the beautiful Italian landscape.
P.S.
To the Garner-side of the family, please know that we love and miss you all. We really wish we hadn't been in Italy for Grandma's funeral, though she, and all of you, have been on our minds. While there's certainly a sadness in the loss of one of the world's nicest people; there's still quite a bit of joy in knowing that she's happy, comfortable, rejoined with her loving husband and son, and in a place where we can all see her again one day.
Grandma Garner, we love you!!!
Labels: Aeriana, Brett, Erin, family, food, love, trips
What Dessert Are You Most Like?
I saw this on a friends blog and had to see for myself cuz "what kind of dessert are you?" is not one I have heard of before. I like it. Apparently I'm a cupcake! I don't know how true it is, but oh well.
You Are a Cupcake
|
Cute and fun, you never take life too seriously.
People are constantly surprised by how delightful you are.
|
Labels: Erin, food
Proud Papa!
First off, apologies for the lack of posts... we've been traveling more than usual and work has just been insane, so when I finally get home I'd rather spend time with Erin and Aeriana than give you something to read. Nothing personal. If you really want to know what we've been up to, we've at least uploaded almost all of our pictures to Flickr, so feel free to check that out.
Anyway, on to the reason I'm a proud papa. While we were in Washington DC, the family all went to Cheesecake Factory for dinner and Aeriana was proving pretty fussy (not feeling well, not sleeping well, and just too many people around) so I took her for a short walk in the mall. I took her up the escalators which led directly into a Borders Book Store; instantly she was as happy as could be, just looking around, smiling at everybody and every thing.
There was a possibility that she was just happier because it was quieter, but I had a hunch it was because of all the books. That was confirmed on Saturday when we stopped quickly into a Barnes and Noble... one of those two-level ones that's completely open in the center. As we walked in her eyes just lit right up and she tried looking around as fast as possible to take it all in. You could just tell that she loved being there. Of course, so did I... six books later we left and she passed out in the car. But for that little while I could see the curiosity and excitement just over-flowing in her little six-month old body.
Luckily this proud papa gets to experience her excitement at home too, all Erin or I have to do is open a book and start reading to her and she'll (usually) sit for a while and listen.
That's my girl.
Labels: Aeriana, books, Erin, family, food, pictures, trips
Mmmm, Steak!!!
Saturday night we went out on a date, the week prior Erin's mom had babysat while we grabbed a quick bite, but Saturday with no one around Aeriana became the third wheel... which was really okay with us.
We were torn about where to go out to dinner, until we thought "Mmmm, steak!!!" And so Outback became the first restaurant Aeriana patronized.
Erin looked as beautiful as ever, and boy was she excited about that 8 oz filet.
I was as usual the quintessential
gentleman caveman.
Aeriana loved Outback, she was thrilled that they had the same motto as she does.
Labels: Aeriana, Erin, family, food, pictures
Real American Heroes
Tonight I solute you Mr. Johnny-Rockets-Burger-Maker-And-Deliverer-Dude! You wear that double-pointed white hat with pride. You groove to the music as if your girlfriend might just walk in at any moment wearing a poodle-skirt and wanting to be spun around the dance floor. Your ketchup smiley-face on the dipping platter is nearly-flawless, the fruits of hours of rigorous training, sitting in mom's kitchen emptying squeezy bottle of ketchup after squeezy bottle of ketchup. Oh how we love those smileys. Most importantly your intuition is as "spot on" as ever, for when the pregnant wife ordered her meal, you instinctively knew she in fact did NOT want mayo on her burger... despite the blatant request, and you delivered. Mr. Johnny-Rockets-Burger-Maker-And-Deliverer-Dude you made pregnant wife happy, so more than ever I salute you. A Real American Hero.
This is the obligatory small print that always follows the Bud Light Real American Heroes commercials telling you the useless corporate junk that no fan of amusing commercials truly cares about... and since this isn't a Bud Light commercial I had to supply the obligatory small print telling you about other useless non-corporate junk that no fan of almost-amusing-but-not-quite blog posts truly cares about. Please read responsibly.Labels: Erin, food
Good Lunch Break
A five minute drive gets me home for lunch. A flight of stairs brings me into an apartment filled with the mouth-watering aroma of seasoned meat. A dozen more steps takes me into the waiting arms of the most beautiful girl in the world.
Not only did this amazing girl have a delicious lunch of fresh tacos waiting for me, but she'd spent her time this morning making a pillowcase for me. I've had this wicked pinched-nerve in my neck all week which resigns me to using one of those beaded pillows at night if I want any sort of restful sleep at all. Of course, the beaded pillow isn't washable so Erin took the time to cut up one of her old t-shirts to make a soft pillowcase for me.
Just another day, just another thoughtful gesture from the sweetest girl I've ever met. Oh, and I'm getting sealed to her for time and all eternity in 3 weeks and 2 days.
Yep, it's official... I'm the luckiest man alive.
- Brett
My heck she's pretty! ;-)
Labels: Erin, food, love
