The Last Post of the Year...5 Christmases and a Birthday

Christmas is always a hectic and busy time for everyone, including us. From December 19 - 28, we had 5 Christmases! First with my sister's family and my dad & stepmom. Second with our good friend the Hitchings. Third with Chad's family. Fourth our own Christmas. Fifth with my mom, stepdad, & stepbrother's families. It seems like Christmas goes on forever. The girls were very pleased and delighted with all their gifts. They must have been very good girls this year. We enjoyed playing games, watching movies, talking, and eating lots of great food with everyone. It was an enjoyable holiday season and we are very grateful for everything we received. Thank you!



Cooper received a Barbie vet doctor kit.


My sister, Kelly, made Campbell her quilt and a baby quilt & pillows to match.


My sister also made my quilt. A work that has been in the process for 2 years. This quilt is very special because it is made of Colgin's clothes, blankets, and special keepsakes. Kelly did a fabulous job and I truly treasure this great gift!


Campbell & Cooper were so excited to open gifts at Oma & Opa's house.


Uncle Jeremy gave Campbell a baby doll. That was the only present she wanted.


Cooper (at home Christmas morning) was happy with an American Girl, Kaya, puzzle.


Campbell, at my mom's house, looking at yet another new baby doll to dress.


And, finally we end the year with a birthday. Chad's 37th birthday. Yep, he is a New Year's Eve baby, a tax deduction for sure. ;o) The smile on his face says it all. He loves winter, he loves the snow, he loves the holidays, he loves to eat and drink and be merry, he loves Christmas. I'm sure that's why we all love him so much, he makes every day great. Happy Birthday hon. Kisses.

Happy Holidays to all! Looking forward to 2009!

When was the last time you...

Went Roller Skating??

For my niece, Bailey's, seventh birthday the party was at the roller skating rink. Neither Bailey nor Cooper have been roller skating before, so it was a test of patience and good attitudes. I know I haven't been roller skating since junior high school. We all did very well, had a lot of fun, and had some good laughs, especially when Pat (Bailey's dad) fell down while taking pictures during cake time. Thanks Kelly & Pat for a fun day. Happy Birthday Bailey.


Campbell really wanted to go out there with everyone.


Cooper and Bailey.


Cooper and mommy skating.


Cooper and daddy skating.

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas...

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me;
12 charming and admirable qualities,
11 great new friends to spend time with,
Check marks on my "important things to do in life" list,
A lucky number we see all the time,
Eight years of wedded bliss & self employment,
A little blue box from Tiffany's,
PF Chang's catered in for me to eat,
Five years of teaching,
Four Dodge Durangos,
Three beautiful, smart, and amazing kids,
A second chance at love,
And a proposal at the Bellagio for everyone to see.

As most wives do, I tend to complain about Chad and his quirks (or just my pet peeves) but really I must admit he does have some great qualities that attracted me to him and make me glad each day that he is my husband.

1. Patient (he has more patience with the girls & customers & people than I'll ever have)
2. Spontaneous (he doesn't mind going to the Kwik Shop at 8pm to get us slushies & chocolate)
3. Creative (he made a "scheme report" for me to guess when/where/how he would propose)
4. Loyal (not a ladies man, doesn't kiss & tell, and friends till the end)
5. Fun (he is always the life of the party, and he is adventurous)
6. Generous (he is always willing to do anything for anyone, including donating his time for wine groups)
7. Loving (he always like to make me happy and see me smile)
8. Confident (who else can wear black pleather pants in Vegas and look cool?)
9. A Good Cook (he loves to cook and other than a big mess, the food tastes great)
10. A Great Father (the kids know how much he loves them and is proud of them-everyday)

I hope you've enjoyed reading these posts, as much as I've enjoyed writing them. Although some were more difficult to come up with than others, it's still the thought that counts. Merry Christmas & Happy Birthday Chad! Thanks for taking a chance and love, life, and happiness with me. Kisses - ME.

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas...

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me;
11 great new friends to spend time with,
Check marks on my "important things to do in life" list,
A lucky number we see all the time,
Eight years of wedded bliss & self employment,
A little blue box from Tiffany's,
PF Chang's catered in for me to eat,
Five years of teaching,
Four Dodge Durangos,
Three beautiful, smart, and amazing kids,
A second chance at love,
And a proposal at the Bellagio for everyone to see.

Chad knows everyone, or everyone knows Chad. To say he is the life of the party is an understatement. Since his parents lived over seas, his friends became his family. They really looked after him, included him on their family events, and cared about his well being. So I am very thankful for all his great friends and all the fun times we've had together.

Here's to you: Trice, Nathan/Kirsten, Dave/Heather, Sean/Sierra, Murray, Dave/Sara, Brian/Karrie, Brian/Vanessa, Chris/Angela, Bryce/Stacy, and Rick/Amy.

On the Tenth Day of Christmas...

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me;
Check marks on my "important things to do in life" list,
A lucky number we see all the time,
Eight years of wedded bliss & self employment,
A little blue box from Tiffany's,
PF Chang's catered in for me to eat,
Five years of teaching,
Four Dodge Durangos,
Three beautiful, smart, and amazing kids,
A second chance at love,
And a proposal at the Bellagio for everyone to see.

We each have our lists, I have A LOT of them. The most important list is the "important things to do in life" list. So thanks to Chad I've (we've) been able to check off some of those great things.

1. Get Married
2. Travel (Vegas, California, New Mexico, Colorado, Michigan, Illinois)
3. Earn a Master's Degree
4. Have Children
5. Buy a House
6. Attend sporting events (St. Louis Cardinals baseball, KSU football & basketball)
7. Own a winery
8. Be a stay at home MOM
9. See Garth Brooks live in Concert AGAIN! (because 3 times wasn't enough)
10. Enjoy life!

On the Ninth Day of Christmas...

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me;
A lucky number we see all the time,
Eight years of wedded bliss & self employment,
A little blue box from Tiffany's,
PF Chang's catered in for me to eat,
Five years of teaching,
Four Dodge Durangos,
Three beautiful, smart, and amazing kids,
A second chance at love,
And a proposal at the Bellagio for everyone to see.

Yes, number 9 is our lucky number (or at least some form of it). We met on April 19th. Colgin was born June 19th. Colgin was born at 5:09pm. Cooper was born at 9:00am. Campbell weighed 7lbs 9oz. Campbell was born at 9:00pm. Our address is 3719. It just seems to be a number our family likes.

On the Eighth Day of Christmas...

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me;
Eight years of wedded bliss & self employment,
A little blue box from Tiffany's,
PF Chang's catered in for me to eat,
Five years of teaching,
Four Dodge Durangos,
Three beautiful, smart, and amazing kids,
A second chance at love,
And a proposal at the Bellagio for everyone to see.

Chad and I were married on Feb. 26, 2000, after getting engaged in August 1999. It was a small ceremony, with lots of specials and favorites. But it was a BIG party with lots of laughs and tons of wonderful people. It really was a great day and very enjoyable. So now fast forward eight years...here we are together, happy, and despite some people having their doubts, still married. It takes strong people to stay together through all we've been through, so I can say our love is very strong.

In addition to eight great years of marriage we've also been self employed for that long. It seems that big things always happen on my birthday (more to follow up on that subject). So in August 2000 (my 25th birthday) Chad and I purchased our liquor/wine store. Chad had worked there since college and had been partners in the business for 3 years. Since that time we have continued to grow the business, remain successful, form great relationships with customers, and again remain married. Another hard thing to do is work with your spouse. That being said, some days are harder than others.

It's been a good (and sometimes rough) road, but there is no one I'd rather go down this road with than you hon. Smooch!

On the Seventh Day of Christmas...

On the seventh (2007) day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
A little blue box from Tiffany's,
PF Chang's catered in for me to eat,
Five years of teaching,
Four Dodge Durangos,
Three beautiful, smart, and amazing kids,
A second chance at love,
And a proposal at the Bellagio for everyone to see.

Yes finally (after much begging & demanding) Chad gave m a little blue box for my 32nd bday in 2007. It is a beautiful silver heart pendant necklace and it was a complete surprise. He took me out to dinner and to my surprise all our friends were there as well. We had a nice dinner, drank a bottle of Colgin wine, and when I opened my eyes I found a little blue box from Tiffany’s on my plate. He did good! But I do think I deserved it just a little bit!

On the Sixth Day of Christmas...

On the sixth (3 + 3) day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
PF Chang's catered in for me to eat,
Five years of teaching,
Four Dodge Durangos,
Three beautiful, smart, and amazing kids,
A second chance at love,
And a proposal at the Bellagio for everyone to see.

If you haven't ate at PF Chang's Chinese Restaurant before, you have to go. And because we live in Manhattan, where PF Chang's is 2 hours away, a great surprise that Chad has done many times for me, is to bribe a friend into bringing PF Chang's to us. So this year for my 33rd birthday he had some friends bring it in from Wichita. Even though it's a little cooled off, just warm it up and dig in. Yummy!

On the Fifth Day of Christmas...

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me;
Five years of teaching,
Four Dodge Durangos,
Three beautiful, smart, and amazing kids,
A Second chance at love,
And a proposal at the Bellagio for everyone to see.


Teaching is more than a 8-5 job, as most of us know. You always have something to do, something to buy, and some papers to grade/report cards to finish/or parents to consult with. Thankfully Chad saw me through 4 of my 5 years of teaching. I can't even begin to count the times he helped me grade papers, do computer work, laminate posters, rearrange my classroom, or sort files. He really helped out a lot. And now that that chapter in my life is closed, I hope he is as supportive of my next career move...what ever it may be.

On the Fourth Day of Christmas...

Yes, yes, I know there are a lot of posts today. So that being said, scroll down and read them all!

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
Four Dodge Durangos;
three beautiful, smart, and amazing kids;
a second chance at love;
and a proposal at the Bellagio for everyone to see.

So I never knew it, but I guess I'm a Dodge gal. When I met Chad I had a Isuzu Rodeo and he had a Dodge Ram. After buying the store and the lease was up on the Rodeo we got a Dodge Durango. The first of many. So after probably losing count, I believe I've had 4 Dodge Durangos. We love our Dodge Dealer and the salesman always takes great care of us and the service is wonderful. My newest Durango I got at the end of September and it's a dark metallic blue. All the other ones have been silver. This time we purchased and got all the bells and whistles. I must say my two favorite features right now are the heated seats and the automatic start. Thanks hon for always making sure I'm safe while cruising the girls around.

The Three Amigas

Kris, Chris, or Crystal???

When I taught 1st grade in Las Vegas I team taught with a gal named Crystal. She was familiar with the school district, the area, and the content so she really helped our classroom get going right away. She was recently married and just as excited about teaching as I was. She lived closer to the school than I did so when she introduced me to another gal, named Kris, who was also beginning teaching at our school and who lived close to me it was a great opportunity to carpool and little did we know a great friendship in the making.

Kris taught 3rd grade at our school and she and Crystal had become friends because she was looking for a church. Crystal introduced the LDS Church and I think instantly they both felt happy and settled. Our first year together was rough, as we expected, and we were very glad we had each other to lean on for support.

Although our time together was short, I really think I was meant to meet these two wonderful ladies. And now that we are all in far away states (Nevada, Kansas, Minnesota) it's nice to keep up through blogs, emails, and photos.

So, Kris & Crystal, this one is dedicated to you girls. I hope these pictures make you smile. (Forgive me as I dont' have a scanner.)


Crystal (pg w/ Jayden), Kris, & Chris - Feb. 2000
Chad & I visit Vegas on our Honeymoon.


Chris (pg with Colgin), Kris (recently had Kaydree), & Crystal
In Vegas early 2001


Kris, Chris, & Crystal - late Aug. 2001
At the airport sending them home. They came to visit after Colgin died.


Chris, Kris, & Crystal (pg w/ Bonnie)
In Vegas early 2002


Crystal, Chris, Chad, & Cooper
November 2008

I try to catch up with Crystal whenever we go to Vegas, if even just for a few minutes. So I guess I need to go to Minnesota to catch up with Kris soon.

So ladies, what do you say? When is the next time we'll all be together again?

It's snowing!

We woke up Tuesday morning to about 2" of snow! The snow continued on all day long for another 2" or so. When I got home the girls and I went outside to play. Campbell loves the snow.


Snow Angels.


Say cheese!


Cooper on the sled.


Daddy's home to shovel the driveway.

I will sleep anywhere

Campbell likes to hang out in my bathroom as I get ready in the mornings. This morning she insisted on having her blanket, baby, and pillow on top of the toilet so she could sleep. That girl is so silly sometimes. (November 24, 2008)

Vegas Trip - Nov. 20th

I'm behind in a few posts, so while Campbell was resting I thought I'd get these done.

On November 20, Chad, Cooper, Trice, and I all went to Las Vegas. It was a family trip, as we were going to visit Jura & Darrin and meet the new baby, Jaryn; but also we told Cooper the next time we went to Vegas we would take her.

The flight was good, the weather was perfect, and our vacation went great. I showed Cooper where I used to live, the school I taught at, we visited Crystal who I taught with, and we showed Cooper "The Las Vegas Strip." I'm not sure she was greatly impressed at this age.

We toured the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay, Cooper and I toured the Secret Garden of white tigers and dolphins while Chad and Trice ate sushi, we saw the lions at MGM and bought some light blue and electric green M&M's at M&M World. We also went to the Bellagio to show Cooper where Chad asked me to marry him and to watch the water show. I was also able to see the new movie "Twilight" with Jura and Darrin. We ate at Ruth Chris Steakhouse and visited baby Jaryn. She is so cute! We enjoyed our down time and even took in some gambling. Lucky me, I won!


Cooper touching the Sting Ray at the Shark Reef.


Cooper and Daddy at the Rio Mardi Gras show.


Cooper and Mommy at Bellagio flower atrium.


Mommy and Trice showing off Mommy's winnings!


Trice and Daddy enjoying margaritas from the Coyote Ugly boot.


Darrin, Jaryn, Jura, Cooper, Chris, & Chad


We all enjoyed our time there and look forward to the next trip back.

On the Third Day of Christmas...

On the third day of Christmas (this one is easy) my true love gave to me...
three beautiful, smart, and amazing kids;
a 2nd chance at love;
and a proposal at the Bellagio for everyone to see.

Colgin Tanner; born 5:09pm, June 19th. Our handsome "little man" with lots of dark hair. The first "true" grandchild for both sets of grandparents. We found out on Halloween that we were pregnant with him, it came as a complete surprise. He weighed 7lbs 15oz, was 21 1/4" long, and was 1 week early. He was our tallest child and I think he looked like me. He really was a sight to see and hold.

Cooper Maya, born 9:00am, November 2nd. Our first "red headed" daughter and what a big girl she was. Weighing in at 8lbs 6oz, was 20 1/2" long, and was 2 weeks early. She looked just like her daddy. She has delighted us with her vocabulary, intelligence, and sassy personality.

Campbell Macy, born 9:00pm, January 2nd. Our second "red headed" daughter and how her temperament shines through everyday. Weighing in a 7lbs 9oz, was 20 1/4" long, and was 3 weeks early. We found out we were pregnant with her on Mother's Day, after trying for a year. She is already the brave and daring one. She will hold her own and cause lots of trouble too.

Thank you for sharing in this adventure with me, some days are obviously harder than others.

On the Second Day of Christmas...

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me... a second chance at love and a proposal at the Bellagio for everyone to see.

Tonight I looked through our old photo albums trying to think of what the "2nd" day would bring me, and basically in a nutshell it's true love and happiness. Looking through the photos of holidays, birthdays, celebrations, travels, friends, tailgating, weddings, babies, pets, family, and accomplishments it made me cry a little but at the same time laugh. Wow, how we have changed! Obviously gotten older, gained some weight, different hair styles, different clothing styles, and were fortunate to upgrade from that little apartment of hodge podge items to a very roomy house with lots of extras.

What I notice the most is that in the pictures we are smiling, really smiling. All I can say is look I'm happy. About a year before I met Chad I asked my dad "when was the last time I was happy" and he said "when your mom and I were still married." My parents got divorced when I was 12, and here I was at 23 trying to figure out how to make myself happy. Certainly the decisions I made up to that point hadn't panned out. So that night when I found Chad on AOL and messaged him "how's the weather in Manhattan" was the night that I took my happiness into my own hands. It was a Monday and for the next three days we probably sent each other 2 dozen emails, with pictures, and chatted online for hours. By Thursday I couldn't stand it any more I HAD to talk to him. So I got his number and called. To hear his voice and find out how much we had in common, the friends we shared, the similarities in our families, it just all made sense. That day was April 19th, and 3 weeks later over Mother's Day weekend I flew to KS to meet him in person. All I can say is "I knew I loved you before I met you."

On the First Day of Christmas...

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
a proposal at the Bellagio for everyone to see.

Yes, for those of you who don't know, Chad proposed to me in Las Vegas at the Bellagio flower atrium. It was a total surprise, he caught me off guard, and everyone in the atrium was quiet and watched with grand anticipation. I knew he was coming but he had flown in much earlier that day and my sister picked him up. They spent the day running errands and getting things arranged. When I arrived home from work my sister still wasn't home with my car yet, and I was angry! It put me in a bad mood for the rest of the evening. My sister and Jura, one of my best friends, were in on the secret and tried to continue on with our already scheduled plan of the last girls' night out with dinner and a evening out on the town. We ate dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant and headed down to the Bellagio. We walked toward the flower atrium, but then decided to head out to watch the water show. We went back in to the flower atrium and started taking pictures. During this whole time Chad had been sitting at the piano bar on the corner watching us walk by again and again, just laughing. So as we were taking photos he came up behind me and asked if he could be in the photo as well. I just screamed I couldn't believe it. I was laughing, crying, screaming and hugging him and I wouldn't let him go. He had to tell me to let go for a second so he could do something, at which point he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Of course I said YES!! My sister and Jura were crying, everyone was cheering, it was a great moment. Very sneaky on everyone's part. We spent the night at the New York New York hotel and I had to go to work the next day for my last day of teaching in Las Vegas. For a girl who doesn't really like surprises, it was a great surprise and one I'll never forget. Thanks hon!

The next few blogs will be dedicated to Chad for these reasons;
1. He didn't give me a Christmas list and I have no idea what to get him.
2. He didn't give me a Birthday list and I have no idea what to get him.
3. I'm trying to be cute, clever, and creative all in one.
4. I'm journaling these topics so that when I make this blog book, the girls will have it forever.
5. I don't tell Chad often enough how much I love him and what a great life we've made.

The Nutcracker Ballet

Today Cooper's Daisy troop traveled to Topeka to see The Nutcracker Ballet. The performance was great, a little long for the girls, but really a great showing. Cooper enjoyed the show and didn't even comment on the fact that there was no talking throughout the entire performance. The orchestra was great. It was so fascinating to see such young performers enjoy their night in the spot light. Before the performance was a workshop where the director was talking to the girls about ballet and some of the performers were telling their stories. After hearing the girls talk Cooper asked me if she could do the ballet next year. I said we needed to start off with something less difficult than The Nutcracker Ballet! ;o) She has high aspirations.



It was a very artistic weekend in our household. On Friday night we took Cooper to the dinner theater in Wamego to see A Christmas Carol. It was a great show and Cooper really enjoyed it. What a way to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas!

And The Stockings Were Hung...

Or in our case, the stockings were gently laid on the floor (I've seen what a stocking holder does to a little girl's head).

Tonight we decorated the Christmas tree.


Before picture!

Christmas is Chad's favorite holiday, geez I wonder why?? Could be he loves snow, loves cold weather, loves to give people gifts, loves to eat fudge and all kinds of good food, and his birthday is December 31st.

Tradition (can you call it a tradition if it's only been 9 years now?) would have it that we braved the cold weather (with Chad's brother Jeremy and his girlfriend Beth) to find the perfect Christmas tree. We ate our candy canes as the nice gentlemen tied it to the top of our car. We drove home singing Christmas Carols. We watched Chad wrestle with the tree and get it inside. The cat ran upstairs to hide from the big "monster" in the family room for the next 25 days. I put on the lights (thanks to some great teachings from Jura), add some ribbon, and then let the kids go crazy with the ornaments. Campbell ran around like a wild child. Cooper was determined to make things look great. Chad supervised. Finally an hour later, Chad put on the topper (which is always crooked-because of a design error) and I put on the tree skirt and lay the stockings out.





I have to say I LOVE my Christmas tree skirt. My very talented sister made it for me last year (I didn't even know she remembered my comment about always wanting a personalized tree skirt, but she did). I love personalized items, I'm not sure why because I have a very common name. But I love to get things for the girls with their name on it. It makes it seem more important. I know they'll always have that item and cherish it, or at least that's what I like to think.



Colgin's Tree.

Anyhow, Christmas is sad too, because I miss Colgin. But I love to hear Cooper talk about him and tell Campbell about him. One day she too will be talking about her big brother up in Heaven. I'm glad they like to include him on things. And during this time of year we get to light up Colgin's special Christmas tree and don't have to explain to everyone why we have a Christmas tree up in our dining room all year long.



After picture!

Now, it's time to get the girls to bed, clean up, do some more housework and get some sleep. I know it's been awhile since I posted (yes Kris I too haven't written much), but we've been out of town, busy, and I'm a little leary about uploading pics to my computer, since my old profile had an error and I've had to start everything over again. But I promise to do some updating soon, so look for those coming.