Halloween Fun

Campbell loves all the pumpkins. She would have taken every one of them home with her if I would have let her.


Cooper was a good helper. Notice she loves her shorts and tank tops, even if it is "Fall." The girls look so cute with the contrast of their red hair against the orange pumpkins.


We usually dress up our pumpkins with pieces you put into your pumpkin. This year we painted them, and then added the features. Daddy helped and both girls had a blast.


Cooper and Campbell showing off their finished pumpkins. Campbell did the green one, with some help from Big Sis. Cooper did a fantastic job on the black one.

I've Been Tagged

So Kris tagged me on her blog, and now I'm playing along.

Here are the rules:

1. Post the rules on your blog
2. Write 6 random things about yourself
3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post
4. If you are tagged, just do it, and pass the tag along!


Random things about me:
1. I was born in Stuttgart, Germany because my dad was in the Army and stationed there. My mom would tell you she was in labor with me for 48 hours and it was bad. My mom's sister had flown in to visit and my dad, mom, aunt, and parent's good friend all went to a carnival that weekend before. My mom walked around everywhere, hoping I would make my entrance. Needless to say, I was stubborn and didn't want to enter the world quite yet. So as my aunt was on the plane flying home, I was being born. We lived in Germany until I was 2 years old. Little did I know, that 24 years later I'd meet my husband and at the time his parents lived in Stuttgart, Germany.

2. I have lived in 5 different states. Colorado, Kansas, Florida, Iowa, and Nevada. I have also attended 5 different colleges. Seminole Community College, Garden City Community College, Iowa State University, Kansas State University, and University of Nevada Las Vegas.

3. I have 1 real sister, 2 step sisters, and 2 step brothers. Which really means I have 9 nieces and 8 nephews. Wow!

4. I make lists all the time! To do lists, things to buy at the grocery store lists, birthday lists, phone number lists, Christmas gift lists, chore lists, song lists, idea lists, etc. You get the picture. Of course this is really just a way to get all the "stuff" out of my head and get it down on paper, so that I can sleep easier at night. My main "to do" list never really gets completely done, and I so wish there were about 10 of me and maybe it would make a dent in the things that I want done but just can't make a final decision about doing.

5. I worry a lot. Anxiety, fear, silly over analyzing, pre-planning and planning some more, over thinking situations, worrying over how people feel/think, just your basic stuff everybody does right?? I generally can keep it all in check, but at times I'm a bit OCD and have to have things my way. Especially when I start something, I generally won't stop until it's done and in doing so I'll over do what I intended to do and rope in 3 more projects with it. It's really bad when I have to fly, because I hate flying. I don't sleep well the night before the flight, I can't eat the day of the flight, and even worse I can't sleep on the flight. I need distractions, so generally I find some nice stranger who will talk to me the entire time. ;o)

6. I like my sleep. I work better in the mornings right away w/ no interuptions. I enjoy being with family & friends. I like to play games. I love chocolate. I love cereal. I love candy bars. I love PF Chang's and hate the fact that the closest one is 2 hours away. I don't read much, but I did read and really enjoyed the Harry Potter books and the Twilight series. I don't like amusement park rides. I am always cold and don't like the cold. I like to organize, be organized, and if I could have my dream job it would be a professional organizer.

So all that being said; I tag Jura, Emma, Stacy, Heidi, Crystal, and Nicole. Enjoy!

That's what "BFF's" are for!

This weekend I checked one very important thing off my very long to do list...I finally made the kids' shadow boxes displaying their first lock of hair.

Well, actually I didn't make the boxes, I just gathered all the items and bought the supplies. My good friend Kayre made them and they look fantastic. Kayre and I have known each other since the 3rd grade (that was 25 years ago) and have helped each other through the good and bad times. I got the idea from the shadow box that Kayre's mom made for her displaying her first lock of hair along with her grandma's earring. Kayre is that creative, determined, dedicated, loyal, and goal driven friend who can take some fabric, a few trinkets, and hot glue and make a masterpiece that melts your heart. I know I could have done it, but it wouldn't have looked the same. I'm so thankful Kayre and her family came to visit us this past weekend and that we were able to get a lot accomplished. While I marveled at the shadow boxes, she started and completed her Disney scrapbook from her family vacation this past September.


Campbell's shadow box includes a rosary from her baptism, a bracelet w/ a cross, one of my "C" lockets, a hair bow, and a saint medallion.


Colgin's shadow box includes Chad's old gold bracelet (Colgin has a matching one with him), my Colgin Tanner bracelet, Chad's Colgin Tanner bracelet, the I (heart) CTL bracelet my sister had made when Bailey was born and all the girls have worn, Chad's Colgin golf marker, and a saint medallion.


Cooper's shadow box includes a bracelet she received at her baptism, 2 of her lockets (from grandparents), a medallion that my sister had blessed for me that I wore when I was pregnant wtih Cooper, a hair bow, and a saint medallion.

Of course the girls' hair just blends right into the colors, so it's harder to see than Colgin's. Colgin's hair was so dark, but we didn't get very much of it and the doctors put it on a piece of tape, so we had to put it in there like that, instead of taking it off the tape.

I couldn't wait to hang these up in my room, right above our bed. They fill the space and look great. Everytime I walk in and see them it just makes me feel happy and warm inside. I know the girls' will treasure these for many years to come.

Thanks Kayre! You Rock!

Also, thanks Kathi (aka my other mom) for giving me a great friend who is so creative and helpful. Looking forward to another 25 years to share together.

October 15th

Today is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Remembrance Day. At 7:00pm today, where ever you are in the world, light a candle to remember and honor the children that have left our lives too soon.

We think of Colgin often, but especially today.

www.october15th.com

Grateful for Grandparents Part 3

Grandma Debe & Papa Butch w/ Campbell & Cooper

This is the third of three installments on this topic. We are very blessed to have three sets of grandparents for the girls to enjoy. We are lucky they all live close enough to share in important events and make lasting memories with the girls.

Third, my mom & stepdad; Debe & Butch.

My mom & Butch moved to their "retirement lake house" about 7 years ago. They found a beautiful piece of land (4 acres) with a morton building on it. In 7 years time, they turned their morton building into a home, added 2 more buildings, have been featured on the HGTV show "Building Character", built a bar/restaurant in town, and are currently building a 75 acre resort with cabins and RV hookups.

To say my mom is very entrepreneurial is an understatement. They have a 3 businesses (dog grooming, vending route, and a gift store) and my mom works at the Post Office full time. They are always on the go!

Even with 13 grandkids my mom and Butch still seem to make time to visit with all of us, have the grandkids spend weekends, and host the annual Labor Day & Christmas get togethers at their house.

Mom & Butch's house is the weekend getaway for all of us. We enjoying watching movies, playing games/cards, taking care of all the animals (dogs, birds, horse, pony, and donkeys), baking cookies (always the girls' favorite), riding 4 wheelers, golfing, jet skiing, boating, tubing, going to the lake, fishing, taking hay rack rides, roasting smores, watching fireworks, sitting on the porch enjoying the view, sit in the sauna, or swimming in the swim spa.

My mom is great about keeping traditions and making memories. She has pictures of all the kids all around the house. She includes her mom & dad in all our festivities. She visits Colgin all the time and even made Colgin's Garden in all her landscaping designs. She loves Elvis Presley and that is the bird's name. She loves animals and the girls enjoy helping her groom dogs and love it when there is a new litter of puppies.

Papa Butch is quite the character. He teases me on those Saturday mornings when he is "stuck" with the girls because my mom had to go to work and they are driving him crazy. He is always telling jokes or playing games on the girls. He likes KU so he enjoys teaching the girls the KU fight song. The girls have Papa wrapped around their fingers and they always get whatever they want when Papa is around.

My mom & Butch always have 2 teams for Colgin's golf tourney. They enjoy traveling, finishing one of their many projects together, and having the family come visit (even though that means there are 22 of us in that house). We appreciate all they do for us and the girls and look forward to our next time together.

Wizard of Oz

Last night Chad and I took Cooper to the Wizard of Oz dinner theater at the Columbia Theater in Wamego (about 20 minutes away). For a small town production it was quite the show. Great music, costumes, special effects, and character portrayal.

We all had a great time and April (our babysitter) even managed to get Campbell to sleep without too much fuss.

Todder Time???

Well this isn't an easy post to write, because it would make real the fact that my "baby" girl is growing up too fast. I have to say she is now a toddler....right? I have tried to wait to push her to do things that I so enthusiastically wanted Cooper to do right away. I wanted to hold on to the baby stage as long as I could, but as many of you know, Campbell is SO different than Cooper.

She has entered the "terrible two's" for sure. She doesn't want to sit in her high chair, she always wants her way, she throws a fit all the time, she doesn't want to lay still to get her diaper changed, she is bored with her toys (of course wants Cooper's toys), she is reverting back to wanting the pacifier all the time (not only nap/sleep time), she cries and cries and cries when we put her to bed at night, and if that wasn't enough she won't let me do anything with her hair.

She let me put this ponytail in her hair, it only lasted for 2 minutes maybe! Cooper had her first ponytail in March of 2004 (so she was 16 months old), Campbell is 21 months now! Cooper's hair was very curly all the time. Campbell's hair is curly when it's wet and then it goes hay-wire.



I bought this toddler bed for Cooper in November 2004 (so she was 2) but she didn't start sleeping in it, until April 2005 when she came back from Grandma Debe's house and had decided for herself she wanted to sleep in a big girl bed and wear big girl panties. So she was about 2 1/2 before she did the toddler bed. I put it together today and put it up in Campbell's room to see what would happen. We'll find out what works.



So my mind wonders...When do you transition? How do you transition? Help!!

Mess Maker

Campbell has presented a challenge, or at least a very oppositional defiance to deal with. Everything is "MINE" and everything has to be done her way! With that comes all the messes she enjoys making, even though she really thinks she is helping me clean up. If only she knew the truth. Unlike her sister, who knew from the word NO to stop doing what she was doing or to stay out of trouble, Campbell refuses to follow directions and is always getting herself into trouble.

Today was no exception. After a short trip to the grocery store we returned with a treat, she can now say "doughnut" and was sure to make a good chocolaty mess.



As I tried to put away the groceries she thought she needed to help rearrange the items on the shelves. Of course this was after she wanted to change clothes into her swimsuit and I said No, so we settled for a gymnastics leotard. She is impossible to keep caged and she some how opens every child safety lock we have installed. Quiet the clever little girl this one!