New Glasses

Cooper has had glasses, just for Reading, since Kindergarten. The old pair was getting too small for her face, so onto bigger and more mature glasses for this soon to be eight year old! She was excited.


Cooper and her new glasses.

Riley County Fair

Summer would not be the same without attending the Riley County Fair. Luckily we made it home from our vacation early enough on Sunday afternoon to attend the Fair that night. Wristbands allow you to ride as many rides as you want, great idea in theory. Except that Cooper is like me, nervous and scared of everything and Campbell well she was just too little still to ride more than the kiddie rides. Maybe next year she can show off her bravery!


Campbell and Daddy getting ready to ride.


Campbell, Cooper, and J on the cars.


Daddy and Campbell on the carousel.


Cooper and her friend J. Cooper is always showing off.


Daddy and Campbell on the big slide.


Daddy and Cooper on the big slide. Cooper was afraid to try it alone.


Cooper and Campbell on the alligator roller coaster.


Campbell and Cooper on the motorcycles.


Cooper and Campbell on the big slide together.

Pictures from Nags Head

Our beach house paradise for the week.


Chad helping the girls & B & B into the Ocean.


Campbell showing off, Cooper showing attitude!


Chad and the girls at the Wright Brothers Memorial.


Mommy & the girls at the Outer Banks Brewery.


Sand Castles


Cooper & Papa flying kites.


Ghost Crab hunting at night was the most fun!


Lohman Family with Papa Mike & Grandma ReRe


Friends and Family!
Back Row: Heath, Michele, Cooper, Vickie, Chad.
Front Row: Brian, B, B, Campbell, Mommy.

Nags Head, NC

On Sunday we left Hampton and drove 2 hours down to Nags Head, NC aka "The Outer Banks." This is where the family/friend vacation really begins. Every year Heath & Michele rent a beach house there and invite friends & family to join in and enjoy the ocean, hot tub, pool, and relaxation of the week. This year we took them up on their offer. They have 2 boys B & B (close to our girls ages) and also invited Michele's parents along. We invited my dad & stepmom along. It was a perfect mixture of fun, planning, relaxing, and adventures that you could pack into a vacation.

Top Things We Did in the Outer Banks
1. See the ocean (it was the first time for the girls)
2. New restaurants (Dirty Dick's, Outer Banks Brewery)
3. Build sandcastles (thanks to Brian's help)
4. Collect sea shells (so many shells the girls each have a container full)
5. Fly a kite (Campbell lost her kite in the ocean)
6. Watersports (the girls took to swimming & Chad tried surfing)
7. Watch the sunrise & sunset (walks on the beach)
8. New creatures (ghost crabs, jellyfish, & dolphins)
9. Shopping for souvenirs (OBX items are everywhere)
10. The Wright Brothers National Memorial (the history of flight)
11. Ghost Crabbing at night (SO MUCH FUN!!!)
12. Drank, ate, and drank some more (had to visit Brew Thru everyday)
13. Get a tan (they do make 100 spf sunscreen for my red head beauties)
14. Relax (toes in the water, ass in the sand, not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand)

It really was a fabulous vacation. I absolutely love the beach and hadn't been to a "beach" in many years. We have taken 2 other family vacations, both to snow ski - which isn't my thing. So this vacation was a nice change of scenery and a fresh breath of air for me. We can't wait until the next family/friend vacation. We hope to make it an annual tradition. Thanks Heath & Michele.

Chad's 20 year High School Reunion

We arrived in Hampton, VA on Friday afternoon, checked into the hotel, and made our way over to Heath & Michele's house. They had invited some friends over for dinner and time to catch up and hangout. The girls met their boys and hit it off right away. The night was relaxing and fun. A great way to slowly transition into the vacation ahead.

Saturday morning Chad took us on a tour of his old stomping grounds. We saw the house he lived in, two places he worked at, his high school, the city of Hampton, and we visited Buckrowe Beach. The girls were excited to see the "water" and it was such a different experience for them to see ships all around. The hotel we stayed at was right on the Marina so there were boats right outside our window.

That afternoon, the girls and I visited some downtown Hampton sights while Chad went to the airport to pick up my dad and stepmom. They were nice enough to join us on this vacation and were there in time to babysit the girls so we could go enjoy Chad's reunion. Once they all arrived at the hotel, Chad and I had a chance to visit with his friends and get ready for the evening.

The reunion was at the hotel we were staying at, so no worries about having to travel to a different location. Dinner, music, dancing, drinks, pictures, visiting, and reminiscing about the old days. When that was finished we ventured out to the neighborhood bars and found more old classmates. We called it a night around midnight and enjoyed the peace and quiet of our hotel room. The girls were sleeping in with Papa & Grandma.


Andy, Jamie, Brian, Chad, Scott, & Heath


Andy, Jamie, Brian, Sheila, Chad, Scott, & Heath


Brian & Vickie


Heath & Michele


Chad and I

Road Trip to Virginia

One of the many things about Chad that I love is that he is not from Kansas. He is an Army brat, as am I, and he moved around A LOT. He had the privilege of attending his three years of high school in Hampton, VA. He was in the graduating class of 1990, so this year was his 20 year high school reunion. He attended his 15 year reunion alone, as I was in the middle of teaching/packing/moving and sent him on his way. This time was different, we decided we would drive to VA and make a family vacation out of the event.

While reading all of this please remember these important details.
1. 20 hours of driving (don't forget about the 20 hours of driving back home too)
2. 1267 miles (don't forget that's another 1267 miles back home too)
3. 4 people in Chad's truck
4. 6 suitcases & many misc items
5. 4 different hotels
6. Mountain driving
7. Traffic
8. Potty breaks
9. Food & drink breaks
10. The infamous question "Are we there yet?"

All in all, the trip was fantastic. The girls did superb. Everything could not have gone smoother. I really think Chad had his doubts, but we worked through them and triumphed. Yay, for us!!

New Hair Cut

I may come to regret this, but I took the girls to get a haircut yesterday. We are heading to the beach for a week and I thought it was time for a summer hairdo. Cooper just needed a trim of about 2 inches. Campbell on the other hand, cut off 7 inches of her precious, red, curly locked hair. I hope she doesn't hate me for this later and I truly hope the curls don't disappear for life, but her new hairdo looks great and it will be super easy to handle on the beach.

Hennigh Wedding

Jason & Amy invited us to a 7:10pm tee time on tee box #7 on 7/10/10. It was a beautiful private ceremony filled with smiles and tears. Such a happy couple who asked both Cooper & Campbell to be the flowergirls. The bride was stunning and both girls were beautiful. It was a great event and we were so excited to be there. Here are the girls in their dresses.

Mr. & Mrs. Amy "Carpenter"

Jason has worked for us at Nespor's for six years, so we were beyond excited when two years ago he found the lovely Amy. After a year of dating he proposed and she said yes. As the wedding plans came together, they asked Cooper & Campbell to be the flower girls. It was four fun filled days shared with great family and friends. BBQ's, visiting, eating, golf, rehearsal, dinner, gifts, laughs, swimming, limo ride, hairdos & makeup, and lots of pictures. It was a beautiful evening for a private ceremony on the golf course. Love was in the air and Jason & Amy definitely made the day theirs. The girls performed perfectly and it wasn't hard, since they absolutely loved Will the ring bearer. And don't forget baby Clara, who was an honorary flower girl in a perfect flower dress. The girls went home early and went fast to sleep, while Chad and I enjoyed the rest of the evening with friends. We were honored to have been a part of Jason & Amy's special day. The girls just love Jason & Amy and were so excited to get all the attention as flower girls.


Mr. Amy Carpenter


Cooper & Campbell with Brett


Campbell, Will, & Cooper at rehearsal.


Cooper and Will getting ready.


Mommy & her girls.


Will, Campbell, & Cooper walking down the aisle.


Mr. & Mrs. Jason Hennigh!!


Chad sabering a bottle.


Cooper dancing with Will and Campbell dancing with Amy.

A Certified Sommelier

Chad ventured to St. Louis to take his Som Level 2 test. He had passed Level 1 back in May in Chicago and I made him sign up right away to take Level 2. I didn't want him to change his mind. This test was much more difficult as it required him to do a blind tasting of wines and also to perform the service unit of the test, something Chad has never done before. He has never worked at any restaurant nor worked as a waiter so he was very nervous about this part. He was studying everyday and practicing carrying the tray, placing the glasses, and pouring the champagne. Along with those two parts of the test, there was also a written exam to pass. He worked very hard and all his studying paid off. He passed all 3 parts of the test (some parts he did much better at than others), but still he passed. So now Chad is officially a Certified Sommelier! For those who aren't sure what that is. A sommelier is the wine steward in a restaurant or a person who has studied wine and food pairings along with the full bar service. Congratulations Chad!!

Lohman Wedding

Jeremy & Beth exchanged vows on July 3, 2010 and we all were happy to join in the celebration. Cooper was a candlelighter and Campbell was the flowergirl. It was a special weekend filled with family, friends, and lots of fun. The bride was beautiful and the wedding was lovely. Here are the girls in their dresses.

And now she is "Aunt Beth"

On July 2, we packed up the car and headed to Western Kansas. To Fowler, KS to be more specific. Being only 80 miles from where I grew up, I kind of new what to expect. Fowler though is a VERY small town filled with great people and long running family traditions. It's comical how both Lohman boys married girls from Western KS. We were off to Jeremy & Beth's wedding. We were able to stay at a house in Fowler and be amongst all the action and activities. The girls couldn't wait for the wedding, as Cooper was a candle lighter and Campbell was the flower girl. They also couldn't wait to call Beth - Aunt Beth. Rehearsal, dinner, and drinks all went well. The big day arrived. Beth's parent's house was the house for the ladies to get ready at, so I took the girls over to have their hair done and see what was going on. We ventured to the church to put on dresses and wait for the crowd. It was a beautiful ceremony and both girls did very well. Campbell was so tired that after she did her part, she fell asleep on the pew. Afterward, the girls changed dresses and went to eat dinner and enjoy some dancing. Luckily, a local girl wanted to babysit so we took the girls back to the house and put them to bed, while we enjoyed the rest of the dance. Sunday, being 4th of July, we drove back to Manhattan. It was a great time and so many laughs. We are happy that Jeremy has been welcomed into such a loving family and that now the girls and I have Beth on our side, for me she will be a great Trivial Pursuit partner and for the girls, they finally have "Aunt Beth."


The girls before rehearsal.


The morning of the big day. Getting hair done.


Campbell at church.


Cooper at church.


Cooper walking in to light candles.


Campbell and red puppy walking in with the flowers.


During the ceremony.


Campbell was so tired, so fell right to sleep during the wedding.


Family photo!


Daddy & his girls.


Chad, Campbell, Cooper with their Great Grandma Niemann


Chad sabering open a bottle.


The girls dancing with "Aunt Beth."