Tanner Met Santa...

This year we are so excited to experience Christmas through the eyes of a child. Tanner was still too little last year to understand what was going on. This year, we took him to see Santa. You know, sit on his lap and take a picture...well, Tanner wasn't having it. We got to the mall around 9:30, thinking that it would be on holiday hours, we were wrong. Didn't open until 10. We walked around and found Santa's area. Tanner walked around, pointing out the lights and Christmas decorations. At one point, he snuck through and ran around to where Santa was getting ready. It was pretty cute.

Santa was nice and came over to us and said hi. He gave Tanner a high five and talked to him. Then we went to sit on his lap...he was happy fine talking to him 3 minutes prior. The second we sit down...he starts screaming. We even sat with him and he wasn't having it. The photographer continued to snap away. We went with the funniest picture they took

Thankful #22

We are thankful for the Christmas season. We both LOVE this time of year. It is filled with family, friends, baking, eating, games, shopping, lights, decorating and giving. There is always something to do and someone to see. People seem to be in a lighter mood and are more aware of how they treat others. I wish it could be like this year round. We hope everyone has a FANTASTIC holiday season!

Thankful #21

Today we are thankful for doctors and nurses. My mom had successful surgery this morning. She had a lumpectomy and is doing well. We find out in a few days what the results were. We are thankful that her mammogram caught it early on. Also, Tanner had a little rash on his tummy and we took him to urgent care on Sunday. The doctors and nurses were amazing with him, despite him screaming bloody murder almost the entire time. He is NOT fond of the doctor's office. By the end of the visit he seemed to be much calmer. It turned out to be nothing major, but the doctor and nurse helped calm our fears.

Thankful #20

Today we are thankful for Thanksgiving Day. It was always a big day for my family growing up. Everyone helped cook all day, football was always on the t.v., we played games well into the night. It is something I look forward to each year. This year we got to host our first Thanksgiving at our house. My mom and uncle, cousin and his girlfriend all came down and stayed with us. Matt did most of the cooking, but everyone helped a little. I took my mom and cousin on their first black Friday shopping excursion. They were surprised at the deals, and I think I may have hooked them ;)

We hope everyone else reading this had a fantastic Thanksgiving and enjoyed it with their loved ones!

Thankful #19

We are thankful for our co-workers. I started a new job and I have found my co-workers to be amazing. They have been so helpful, thoughtful and positive. It is never easy to start over and be the "new" one, but my transition has been as smooth as can be. So thank you team, you all rock my socks off! Adam is also thankful that he manages a branch with people that have been there for a long time and are dedicated to the company. We are both lucky to have jobs, and to work with great people.

Thankful #18

Today we are thankful for not having to set our alarms and being able to sleep in as long as Tanner let's us. We have both been working long hours and not getting enough sleep, so this four day weekend is nice because we don't have to set an alarm and we get to snooze a little longer :)

Thankful #17

We are thankful for FRIDAYS!!! Fridays are what keep us going. We can always countdown to Friday and see the light and the end of our tunnel. Getting to Friday feels like an accomplishment sometimes and the weekend is to celebrate making it through! Sooo....Happy Friday Everyone!

Thankful #16

We are thankful for music! Without music, our days would be very dull and boring. We both listen to music throughout our day and on our drives to work. We teach Tanner new things through songs and he also is a lover of music. Music can lift our spirits when we are down. We all have songs that we can hear that bring us back to a certain time in our life, whether good or bad. Music makes our day! :)

Thankful #15

Today...we are thankful for Caffeine! We work long hours and have a toddler. Enough said! Caffeine gets us through our long days!

Thankful #14

We are a little behind on our thank yous....

Today we are thankful for all of our pets. I felt a little bad only giving a shout-out to Oliver earlier. Bailey, Charlie and Chloe are all part of our family. They all provide us love in different ways. Bailey is super sweet. She will walk over and put her paw on your leg/lap/face (etc.) so that you will pet her.

Chloe is a sweetheart too. She is a cuddle-bug and loves to be around people. She is always there. :) She has been keeping us warm since the weather cooled down.

Charlie a.k.a. "Mr. Independent" is cool cat. Pretty much too cool for us, but he does occasionally come around and let us pet him. He has been with me since college and I love him lots :)

Courtney and Jeremiah's Wedding

It has been a year full of weddings! On 11-11-11, Courtney (Adam's cousin) and Jeremiah got hitched! They had the ceremony and reception in Kent and Karen's back yard and it was beautiful. Tanner got to go and he was dressed up and looking handsome. It was fun seeing family and having a great time. Courtney was absolutely stunning and her daughter Natalie was so adorable! After the wedding, the siblings (Adam, me, Ryan, Katie, Catie) and Kent went to Cracker Jacks to ride go-carts and play mini-golf. It was hilarious. We were the only ones there, so we got to keep going on the go-carts, and going and going, to the point that we pulled over and asked them to let us out! Haha, we all felt a little nauseous when we were done. It was good just getting together and hanging out. With everyone being so busy and some living far away, we have jump at the opportunities that arise.  Here are some pictures!

Thankful #13

Today we are thankful for our happiness. There is so much ugly and sadness in the world, and we are fortunate not to have much of it in our lives. We have great jobs, great friends, great family, a beautiful home, two working vehicles, good health and the best little guy in the whole wide world! How could you not be happy looking at this face everyday!?

Thankful #12

Today we are thankful for all of the teachers we have had in our lives. We are thankful for all of the teachers we had in elementary, middle and high school, as they were integral in molding us into the people we are today. We both have a love of learning and are life long learners. Our college professors help spark our interest in the subjects that we chose to major in. Each day they provided inspiration and a little motivation to keep us going.

We are also thankful for those in our life that have been teachers, but not in the "school" sense of the word.  Our parents taught us soo much, as parents should. Parents should be their child's ultimate teacher! (Sorry, I'll step off my soapbox...) They taught us lesson, some were not so fun, but taught them to us nonetheless. So today we are thankful for teachers and our education as we would have what we have with out them!

Thankful #11

Today we are thankful for all of the brave and courageous Veteran's out there. Without their sacrifice and bravery, most of us wouldn't have the freedoms and Luxuiaries we have today. So thank you to each and every Veteran out there!

Thankful #10

Today we are thankful for our health. We are in relatively good health and know we are very fortunate for this. There are so many things that others have to deal with or go through and know we are very lucky! We hope everyone is in good health and spirits!

Thankful #9

Today we are thankful (well, everyday) for our fabulous friends! We love our friends because they are always there, through the good and not so good times. For cheering us up, and making us laugh. We are thankful you are a part of our lives.

We miss everyone so much since we moved! Thanks for staying in touch through text, phone calls and Skype. We love hearing from you! If you are looking to get away, we have plenty of space, come on down and see us!

Thankful #8

Today we are thankful for the cool weather! It cooled down a lot in the past few days. It is so nice to be able to go on walks with Tanner and the dogs and not get baked by the sun. We are able to ride our bikes and just enjoy being outside. So today, we are thankful for the nice weather! :)

Thankful #7

Well today I am thankful for Elmo. Yes, you read that right...Elmo. I was up all night with the stomach flu and wasn't able to go to work today. So Elmo helped keep Tanner entertained today so that I could rest. He doesn't watch a lot of t.v., but man does he love Elmo! So yes, this is a random thankful post, but without Elmo today would have been much more daunting! Thanks Elmo!

Thankful #6

We are thankful modern technology. Now that we live somewhat far away from our family and friends, we are able to Skype to stay in touch. We Skype throughout the week to various friends and family. It has become part of our routine each night to Skype with someone. This helps Tanner to stay in touch with family and for family to be able to see him regularly because he changes so much! We also love our iPhones because in a new and unfamiliar town, we get lost regularly. This helps us find our way back home! :)

Thankful #5

We are both thankful for our jobs, especially with the economy being what it is. Adam worked very hard and was promoted in August, which in turn, caused us to move to Southern Arizona. He wanted this position badly, and earned it after turning a branch in Cave Creek from losing money to earning money in a few short months.
This meant that I had to leave a new job after only being there for a few weeks. It was hard to start a new job in Kyrene, go through the new teacher orientation, set-up a classroom, and then find out we were moving. Everything worked out, and I was let out of my contract once they hired a new teacher to take my place.

We were a little worried that it would be a little more difficult for me to find a new job in Vail, since it is a much smaller area and there are limited positions. I applied to the Vail School District and a day later got a call from a principal. It wasn't even for any of the positions I applied for, but she scanned my information and called me. I had an interview a mere two days later. Two hours after the interview, she called to tell me they loved me and want to give me the job!

I started two weeks later and I absolutely love it! I think I found where I belong at this point in my life. I sincerely miss my students in Tempe, but I am able to stay in touch with two really special girls through email and Skype.

We are both thankful that we have nice jobs that afford us to do things, live in a beautiful home and enjoy life! :)

Thankful #4

Of course we are sooo thankful for our families. I am going to try and get as many of our family members I can in this post. I apologize if I don't post a picture, it means I didn't have one of you! Thanks to our amazing families who support us in everything we do! We love you!