7 years

The Griner Family
established on
March 8th, 2003
in the Nauvoo Temple

The start of a new life, a new way of thinking, a new way of living, and a new way of learning-growing-and changing. What a crazy ever changing 7 years it has been.

8 years ago priorities were different. Freedom was "living the college life". Manicures took priority over food, left over Frontier Pies and cans of soup helped us survive, and the fun never started before 10:00pm. Loud music, Andy and the "HONEST TO GEORGE" band, Craig David, Dollar Movies, Taco Time, The hall of Flags, Fires at the mines, Flat tires by Nutty Putty, and almost dying out by the Prison piles together the summer and fall of 2002.
When....White skittles, pool hopping, stadium singing, camping, Happy Texas and Zoolander ruled the nights! Life was freedom and the future "realistically" didn't factor in too much until "THAT" call to my dad.

My plan for the marriage life seemed pretty simple. Andy would finish his bachelors at CMSU and I would work full time until he finished Dental School at UMKC. HA!!! Kids were never talked about, not really. He said he wanted 4...I said I wanted 9 boys...and he said we would go to 6 and see from there! HA!!! I had never really seen any movies about how hard marriage was. All movies were about how funny the engagement is and then later they always show the couple, married, with a baby, in a cute little yellow house, with a white picket fence! HA!! Andy's parents seemed great and I figured since my parents had a good marriage....easy peasy!!! HA!

7 years later...from an apartment to a town house. From a town house to Andy's parents basement. From Andy's parents basement to Nate's house. From Nate's house to our house!

7 years later....from CMSU to dental prep...from dental prep to UMKC's new student orientation, from orientation to a phone call at work saying HUM...YA...I really don't want to go to dental school anymore. From WHAT THE HECK to....what are we going to do?!!! From searching.... to OT school. From OT school to a Masters in Occupational Therapy!

7 years later....from Claires to Claires to Icing to Claires to Claires to Icing to staying at home.

7 years later....from just the two of us to the two of us and a wonderful quiet perfect Aubrey! From just the three of us to a loud, chubby, and collici Caleb! From just the 4 of us to a quiet, small, wonderful Ainsley! From just the 5 of us to a chubby, awesome, happy TATE!!!

Over the last 7 years from the age of 18 to the age of 25 I have not personally accomplished very much. Although, I never thought I would spend 4 years making microbiology and medical terminology flash cards, spend the last 6 years carrying a diaper bag, and spend the last 5 years singing If your happy and you know it!
I never thought I would have an opinion on the importance of fragrance free detergent, know the impossible task of hiding destine, and the knowledge that teething never seems to end. I learn knew things as a wife and a mother every day. It doesn't seem to make the days easier, more predictable, or less drawn out but it helps.
After 7 years I still cant cook, laundry is still 50/50, and cleaning is not my strong suite. Poor Andy! On a good note...at least the cooking and cleaning can only getting better with the next 7 years!!!
There are some things I can do really well. I always know when Andy has all 3 sets of car keys in his coat pocket, I can find Andy's guitar pick just seconds after Andy had spend the last 45 minutes looking for it, and I always know where Andy stashes his spice drops, leaves his belt, or sets his toothbrush. I guess you could say....A wife just knows.
I am so thankful for the last 7 years and look forward to the next 7 years. I guess with the last 7 years gone I can honestly say that if tomorrow we had to start all over again there is no one I'd rather start all over again with. xoxoxo

Enough babel...onto life.
Monday did not start off good. Andy had ALL 3 sets of keys in his jacket (at work) so Aubrey was late for school and we were late for Ainsley OP appointment. After getting on the road I was sent to 4 different buildings until I reached the correct OP doctor. It was then decided that Ainsley's elbow was broken "but in a good way" so no surgery was needed! After paying for a water proof cast, Ainsley was so sad!!! It cheered her up when the neighbors came over and signed her cast though!!! Keeping Ainsley still is impossible!!! She jumps, she climbs, and she squeezes into everything!After a long crying Tuesday I decided that taking the kids to Bingo and Chick-fil-a was a great idea! Tate loved loved loved the food!Aubrey loves loves loves her hair!Ainsley falls falls falls! She weighs 25 pounds with the new cast! Awesome but I guess she isn't used to being so fat! Saturday morning I took Ainsley and Caleb to the Home Depot Kids Club and then we stopped by Krispy Cream to watch the donuts be made! Caleb could have watched for hours. It might have helped that the man was passing out free endless HOT NOW donuts!Tate officially crawled! His 4 top teeth are almost in!!!!!Tate and his new seat! He loves it! Aubrey and Sophia! Yes, I said SOPHIA! This being the same Sophia that makes or breaks Aubrey's lunch period! This being the same Sophia that Aubrey cut her hair to look like. Sophia Sophia Sophia!!! It was Sophia's 6 birthday and the party has been talked about in our house for over a month. It was at TREX and along with a yummy kids meal and a cookie cake Aubrey got to pick out a Build-a-Dino and sit right next to Sophia the entire time!!!
(Sophia is to the far left) I would also like to note that Sophia's hair is to her shoulders not her chin!!!!

Oh, and as for learning new things daily. I seem to become an even more UNCOOL mom by the week. Did you know Dora is "sooooooo only for preschoolers?" Or life for a preschool boy cant possibly be content without a bakugan? Did you know that Abby's flying fairy school is not okay? And did you know that if I do not get to the tv fast enough to fast forward through it life might as well be over??? Did you know Paper Dolls are the "it" item, spending over $300 on your childs birthday party is normal, and how can life possible exist without chocolate milk Fridays or Language for Learning Wednesday?? Did you know that using a dirty red cup is acceptable but a clean green cup with the exact same delicious product is not? And of course...it is completely NOT OKAY to sing the Sunbeam song when you are a CTR 5. All of these things I have learned just in the last couple of weeks. How will I keep up. I wish everything was black and white...cold or hot....fat or skinny....that would be very helpful. Very helpful indeed!

News:
Congrats to my little sister for getting accepted into the Masters Program. I cant remember what school but something about Forensic Psychology!!! WOOT WOOT!!
Congrats to Spencer on getting into PT school!