Bernardo

Oh my Dad is just the best.  I can't figure out if he takes care of me more now or when I was five.  Things I love about my Dad:
- his heritage!  Everyone who meets Bernardo instantly knows he's from somewhere else.  His rich accent adds to his happy character and his love of music, fruit and the tropics.   There are countless stories that begin "when I was in Colombia...."

-his smile!  Dad has the greatest laugh and his ever famous mustache adds to each smile and laugh that comes from him.   He should also have his own joke book.  He's always good for a new joke that makes you smile.  And the best is tickling him.   You don't even have to touch him, just get your pointers out and near his ribs and he's going crazy!

-his work ethic.  My Dad works so hard.  He always has.  He is constantly innovative and motivated.  When I grew up I knew my Dad could fix ANYTHING.  And he really really can.

-he's a teacher.  Dad loves to help people, especially his family with life.  Anytime we have a chat he is ready to give advice or to teach me something.

-He's willing to do anything for me or Todd or mom or now Hunter.  He supports me in all I do- even in coming to choir concert after choir concert after choir concert!

-his love for family and the Gospel.  He always says (yes, always) "The two most important things in my life are my family and the Gospel."  And I know that I am his favorite daughter and Todd is his favorite son.

Thanks for always being there for me and loving our family so much!  I love you, Dad!  Happy Father's Day.

'

And his favorite color is apparently white...

Diamondbacks

We went to a diamondbacks game with Adam Farmer and Holly King.  Baseball is pretty boring to watch if you ask me, or Hunter, or Adam or Holly... But the people watching, food and company always make it worth it.  We're still waiting for a visit from the kissing cam.

Ties in a Row

Hunter is a stylish man.   Yet, since we've been married he's alternated between four and five different ties every time he dresses up.  Today I was ironing and when I finished I invited Hunter to use the iron if he needed it.  He got out his tie drawer-which I had never really explored- and began to iron all these incredible ties that were balled up in the drawer.  Apparently when we got married he threw them all in a suitcase and never ironed them until about an hour ago.  "One cannot wear a wrinkled tie," he explained to me when I asked why I had never seen most of these....  
So with a smile on his face, he ironed each one at a time even though I suggested he put two or three on the ironing board at a time which was swiftly shot down as he said "each tie needs my individual time and attention".  Then like I used to line my Barbies up when they were all dressed and hair combed, he lined his ties up on the bed.  Hunter can now go 46 Sundays without wearing the same tie.

Notice the zip up tie in the far upper right hand corner and the clip on below.

Today is brought to you by the color GREEN

My favorite color has to be green.  I love decorating with color and green is the first one I always run to.  When we moved in our house, the two focus walls in our family room were baby blue.  I appreciated the previous owners in their courage to do this, really.  But within two days of moving I had bought green paint and was working away!  (Hunter had to finish the job because I moved on to the next project, and he is very good at paying attention to detail-which I am not.)   Here's my Hunter and his green walls.

Lifted Lexus

Yesterday my mom and I went out to buys some drapes.  After we bought them and some sunglasses, we were headed to Chandler Mall.  On our way my '92 Lexus decided it didn't want to go anymore.  Luckily we were able to pull over into a shopping center's parking lot so we could get into the air conditioned stores.  My Dad, the car guy, came to rescue us.  We took a ride around Mesa to two different mechanics to get the car looked at.  It even had a fun ride on this thing:

A day later, and a few hundred bucks later, the car was all finished.... almost.

As Hunter got home with the car he noticed some steam coming out from under the hood.  Being the manly man he is, he turned off the car and opened the hood to see liquid all over the engine.  Hunter took matters into his own hands and started taking parts of the car apart and realized the radiator was decaying and deteriorating.  What?!  The first thing I thought was... those dirty mechanics.... But Hunter assured me that this issue was not created by the shop guys, but was simply an old radiator in an old car. He took the radiator out, went with Bernardo around town finding the right radiator.  After only an hour they came home with a new one.  Hunter is putting it in tomorrow.  

Despite all the issues my car may seem to have it really has beaten the odds to live this long. It's a great car with a great engine.  The AC beats any other car I've been in and the stereo still rocks.   

Thank you Dad, and my Hunter for keeping me rollin'.   

Pines, Beans, and Pigs

Last weekend our awesome friend Daphne brought us up to her family's cabin for a long weekend.  We were going up for Thursday through Saturday, but Hunter had to work Thursday and Friday night, so he stayed home until Friday night.  He was going to drive up late after work and not get to the cabin in Prescott until about midnight.  I was sad to leave him as I always am.  When he went to his brother Nate's house in Lakeside, AZ earlier this year he was gone for a good three nights.  I missed him super bad. I don't like being gone overnight from my man.  But, I didn't want to ditch Daphne in her plans.
Thursday night Hunter was sent home early.
Friday night work called and told Hunter not to come in.
Die, Dominos, Die.
I didn't know about work being cancelled until Friday night at the cabin when I was about to call Hunter he came walking in the door!  I love surprises!  I especially love when Hunter surprises me like that.  Now picture some hugs, smiles, kisses etc.
Activities at the cabin included but were not limited to:
sleeping
playing games

watching this guy 

drinking Capri sun

watching June watch pigs

And taking a little nature walk:

Reading on the Grass

When I woke up last Monday morning for my first day of Summer vacation I brushed my teeth and was looking in the mirror...  Something was wrong.  My face glowed pasty white from the lights in the bathroom.  I went into the bedroom and looked in that mirror, no better.  It was the result of 180 days in two window-less classrooms.   

Today as Hunter worked a long shift, I woke up, had my oatmeal and put my swimsuit on.  Mom and Dad's pool was still cold at first, but then it was blissful.  After cooling off from the swim, I read Stargirl on a sheet-towel in the grass for two hours.  For the first time in my life I used baby oil to speed up the process and I must say I'm a fan.  I don't burn too easily, but I don't get color too much either.  The baby oil was just right!  

I feel super vain and ridiculous blogging about this, but the point is, that my Summers are so relaxed that laying out feels productive.  :-)  I love being a teacher.  

Coming from the Old Space

The Old Space is hunterandnataliegarner@blogspot.com .   Brought my blog over here- for issues and reasons we need not discuss.  :-)
It's summer time and my goal once again is to blog.  I'm keeping to it for sure this time.  Probably because I've become of fan of other's blogs and I want to join the crowd... (follower).
Today I've done nothing in particular, except play around with my new iphone (thank you, DAD!!!).  I seriously come near tears when I discover new magical-ness of this device.  I feel like Inspector Gadget... only awaiting the app for an extendable limb.    For now, Hunter is my extendable limb as he takes care of me all the time.  What a sweetie.

Welcome to my place.