The Garner Good Times: The Chronicles of Justy & Genes ('Jen-ness')

Genesis is an ever so talented and busy 5 year old little girl. She will start Kindergarten this August!! She is currently taking dance class once a week, as well as playing on a soccer team twice a week. Her dance class is a combination of Tap/Ballet/Tumbling so she is sure to never be bored. Since January, her class has been rehearsing for a big recital performance for the end of June. They will be performing two nights on a professional stage at an arts center, so we are praying for no performance anxiety for little Genes! I think I'll have enough anxiety for the both us from my seat in the audience. She is very excited about it all and shows us her routines several times a day :) Since Daddy will be out of the country during the recital, I will be sure to get it all on video for him.

She seems to be excelling in soccer these days as well. She has learned the importance of hustling to the ball and not being afraid of body contact from the other kids. She actually daintily pushed a couple of them in her last game to try and get to the ball. That'a girl! She almost scored a few times, and had her sideline fans (mom, dad, Rob, Heather, Luci, Josie, and Sara-Scara) cheering louder than every family there! Her favorite part about soccer is playing with her childhood friend Sydney and enjoying the team snacks, of course!

More than her extracurricular involvement, Genesis demonstrates a love and passion for people and the LORD. She often remembers her experiences in Africa and the Philippines and has become a sensitive human being to the plight of the poor. Just this last Easter, Auntie Heather Olson took her to a city wide easter egg hunt with thousands of kids, eggs, and candy. She had a total blast, and told me all about it when she got home, showing me the 50 plastic, candy-filled eggs she had collected (lovely). I later noticed her organizing her eggs and placing them into boxes which she was decorating and writing her name and hearts on. I asked what she was doing and she told me she didn't want to eat her candy but give all of her eggs and candy to the kids who live at the dumpsite in Cebu, Philippines (where we visited last summer). She said it with such joy and sincerity that I nearly lost it right there. In this midst of a paganistic-gluttonist event, she had it more in her heart to give away what she would really love to enjoy herself. She HAS SEEN and knows that the dumpsite children have no colorful eggs to find, no candy to gloat over, because they find what little food they eat from the trash. Gregg and I see more every day our daughter gaining a global perspective on life and love. She knows our family is not limited to us 4 Garners, but to the world at large, and that we are all responsible for each other. She inspired me that day, and reminded me to pray and remember our precious children at the dumpsite. We sent her eggs/candy with the Immersion team to the Philippines.

Justice is quite the growing boy these days. At his last doctor appointment we were told by his Pediatrician that he was going to be "tall" as an adult. Wow, that was a shocker. Gregg was really excited about it and will live vicariously through his soon-to-be taller than him son ;) Justy's new thrills are jumping off of things (anything) with both feet, and landing it. I probably have 3 to 4 myocardial infarctions a day. NO joke. He loves going to his sister's soccer games and demands to play with his own soccer ball on any open or occupied field nearby. This kid LOVES the ball. He loves the drums or anything resembling drums and just loves music period. You will rarely find him not talking and if he's not talking, he's usually singing. He can sing over 50 songs from memory. Incredible. He is also in a slowww process of being potty trained. I wasn't expecting to start this early with him since Genesis wasn't trained for 2 more months at his age, but he initiated it so I went with it. He's on his way!

Below are some pictures from a recent family photo shoot...