Tiffani and Christopher Guymon

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

The Holidays Round-Up

2009-12-30T16:05:00.001-06:00

Christmas Card

2009-12-15T20:46:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-10T19:07:00.003-06:00

The girls LOVE getting their pictures taken with Santa. Here are a couple of the pics...

Halloween Fun!!!

2009-11-01T14:16:00.008-06:00

Pre-School Parade with Great Grandparents:

Church Halloween Party:

Pretty in Pink:

Trick-or-Treat:

Happy Halloween

2009-10-26T19:33:00.002-05:00

Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

2009-10-15T17:51:00.002-05:00

I Love My Watch Dog :)

2009-10-03T23:07:00.003-05:00

Ballet and Jazz Classes

2009-09-27T20:42:00.003-05:00

Kennedi and Kamrynn have always danced across the family room floor and put on a show. We decided it was time to get them involved in some dance classes. They are so cute and so much fun to watch. Here are some pics I took of them before their first dance class.

Grandparents Day

2009-09-17T15:04:00.003-05:00

The girls Great Grandparents were able to attend their preschool for Grandparent's day! The girls really enjoyed having their GG's there. We love you so much. Here are some pictures they took.

Pre-School

2009-08-24T20:15:00.002-05:00

I can't believe my babies started pre-school. They attend Monday-Wednesday and love it! As I dropped them off for their first day of school, I had my father-in-law with me and we were both getting choked up discussing how fast time goes by. His youngest son, my brother-in-law, is starting high school so we had a lot to share. After the first week is when I experienced total silence when I got home. At first I was thinking..."Hmmmm... this is weird!" It didn't take me long to get use to the alone time and now I really enjoy my time off during the days when I am not working (which is rare). :) My babies are in school :)

Happy 8th Anniversary!

2009-08-17T16:52:00.001-05:00

Enjoying every minute and looking forward to many, many more. I love you babe! Happy 8th!

Kamrynn's 3rd Birthday

2009-08-03T20:19:00.006-05:00

I Can't believe my baby's 3! I purchased a play wedding dress a while back and decided to take Kennedi's pictures in the dress at the temple when she turned 3. I thought it would be fun to look back on when she gets married. Now its Kamrynn's turn since she just turned 3. Thank heavens I had my best friend, Charity with me to help out. It was kind of a spur of the moment thing. It was 12:00 noon, not a very good time to take pictures, overcast, and very hot and humid. I think the girls did well considering those factors and I managed to get a couple of shots.

Happy 4th Birthday, Kennedi

2009-07-13T22:29:00.000-05:00

4th of July in South Padre

2009-07-04T21:55:00.000-05:00

Summer Fun

2009-06-29T21:48:00.000-05:00

Am I Getting Old?

2009-06-14T14:04:00.002-05:00

The other day my 8 year old brother, Jake, said to me,

"Tiff, was it black and white when you were growing up?"

He was dead serious-LOL!!!

I Can't Freakin' Believe It...

2009-06-04T19:17:00.002-05:00

Okay all you healthcare professionals. Diagnosis me...

So, I come home from Arizona and I have this itching, prickling pain on and off on in one location on my left side. It kind of felt like a spider bite, but it wasn't red and nothing was there. Two days later I develop a red maculopapular rash. At first I just though it was heat rash due to being outside in AZ and running during the day while it was hot. Well it didn't go away and began to spread up the left side of my back. It burns and itches like crazy. Diagnosis...

Finally on Sunday night I was thinking about the signs and symptoms and realized that it was Shingles. I went to my PCP the following day to confirm the diagnosis. For those of you who don't know, Shingles is caused by the chicken pox virus that remains dormant in your system until activated by weakened immune system, stress, or extreme heat. My immune system is fine and I am not under stress, so it must have been triggered from the Arizona heat. It attacks and follows the nerves and is typically unilateral. It usually occurs in people over 60, but it can happen to those younger. (Just my Luck). I was put on an antiviral medication and she gave me something to help with the pain. The antivirals worked great, it is almost completely healed-YEAH!

Congrats Amber Guymon, JD

2009-05-24T18:17:00.009-05:00

Amber reading her poem she wrote for graduation

Good Job, Mom!

We are so very proud of my sister-in-law, Amber. We were able to go visit Arizona for her graduation from Law School. She and her family have made so many sacrifices to be where they are today. Amber-We love you and are so proud of you! Congrats!!!
Here are some of the things we got to enjoy on our trip...

Happy Mother's Day to Me!!!

2009-05-09T17:02:00.000-05:00

I never understood all the excitement about receiving homemade gifts until I had my own kids. This was the first year they are big enough to make me something. It just made my heart melt. Priceless! I love being a Mom :)

AGGHHH...THIS EMAIL...

2009-04-21T17:54:00.002-05:00

I tried to send out several emails last night to let everyone know that my email address is changing. They all came back system undeliverable. Then I get to my mom's house and she received 4 emails from me telling her that I was changing my email address. So I apologize if you received several emails, too. Now I am really confused if you received the email(s) or not. I just found out that I have to pay to use hotmail on my Microsoft Outlook, so I will just get a new mackus account. Sorry if you already changed it. My new and final email address will be

tguymon@mackus.net

Thanks for making the change.

Is Easter Here?

2009-04-13T22:43:00.006-05:00

Kennedi kept asking question such as, "is the Easter Bunny here", except she would forget the word bunny and just call him Easter. "Did Easter hop all the way over to, Grammies?" ...I think we are approaching the question phase :)

We had a nice Easter Sunday. We all gathered at my parent's house to eat and visit. The girls were so excited that the Easter Bunny left them a basket. They couldn't get over that there were candy inside the eggs. They thought that was the coolest thing.

Lexie :)

2009-04-13T22:21:00.008-05:00

Lexie is the best! I am so proud of her. She just graduated high school and starts college this week. She is studying to become a Dental Assistant. She is a great Nanny, cousin and friend. I am so glad she lives down here! I am so proud of you, Lex!

I wanted to shoot some pictures, so she was kind enough to model for me. Isn't she beautiful?

Then we decided to have some fun. Lexie loves Lady Gaga, so we decided that would be a fun photoshoot. I am eventually going to make these pictures into a CD cover for a scrapbook page. We had fun!

Summer Fun

2009-04-13T22:13:00.003-05:00

It has been such nice weather lately and the girls have loved playing outside. One of their favorite things to do is play with the water hose. It kept them busy for hours :)

Grandpa and Clayton came to Play

2009-04-01T21:50:00.001-05:00

We were so excited when we found out Grandpa Guymon and Uncle Clayton were coming down to visit.

Grandpa Guymon LOVES buttermilk. He had the girls try it to see if they wanted to be like him and like it, too.

Kami was the first to try it and made a funny face-YUCK!

Kennedi, on the other hand, was trying to be polite and smile after her big gulp. She humored him with a second try and then said, "No, thanks" when asked if she wanted her own glass. I guess you are on your own this time, Grandpa.

Some of my favorite Pics

2009-03-08T21:21:00.000-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Girls Just Want to Have Fun

2009-03-03T22:07:00.014-06:00

I was so excited to have my best friend, Charity (and baby Liam) here for 2 whole weeks!!! From the minute she got here we hit the ground running. We both love to organize, shop, and project so when she first got here we had to make a list of everything we wanted to accomplish while she was here or we would run out of time. I am proud to say that we accomplished everything on our list and more. Here is a few pics of our fun time together.

Kennedi's Room Before: (yeah, its a mess. Usually not like that ;)

Girl's Room After:

Chris was able to attach the DVD player at the bottom of their TV so now no cords are showing. (Its a pet peeve of mine)

New Guest Room/Office: We were so surprised how well the girls did with sleeping in the same room so we decided to make it permanent and now I have a new Guest/Office :)

Shopping:

3D/4D Ultrasound: (Amazing) He is so cute!!!

Literally a couple hours before she was to leave we decided we wanted to do a pregnancy photo shoot. We quickly turned the Girls room into a studio and I snapped away. We had so much fun!

Isn't pregnancy beautiful?

Rock Band Addict

2009-01-31T18:46:00.003-06:00

HOW COME NOBODY TOLD ME? As many of you know, I am not a fan of video games. It's probably one of my least favorite things to do, until...Rock Band!!! I know I am a little behind on the times, and this is not a new game, but seriously-how fun! I think I went from beginner to hard on the drums in one day. Yeah, I am an ADDICT. At least I can admit it. My girls even love playing with Lex, Jordan and I. This is a must play game!

South Padre Island Family Pictures

2008-12-30T14:32:00.005-06:00

Happy Holidays

2008-12-22T20:53:00.004-06:00

We Can't Wait Until Christmas...

2008-12-21T16:29:00.003-06:00

It's that time of year...

2008-12-13T18:41:00.002-06:00

Please email your address to tiff@mackus.net if you would like a family newsletter and have either not received one in the past or have moved since last year. Then I can add you to the list.
Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T17:57:00.005-06:00

What a great holiday. All we are required to do is eat, be lazy, enjoy family and eat some more. That's pretty much my definition of perfection. This Thanksgiving I have so much to be thankful for. I am thankful that my husband has a wonderful job,that provides us with all that we need, and more. I am thankful to be a part of such a wonderful church. I am thankful to belong to such wonderful families, although we miss all of you in Utah, Arizona and California terribly. I am thankful that I get to share Thanksgiving with my brother Kris, my Uncle Todd and cousin Lexie who came in from out of town to be with us. I am so thankful for my cute girls who add such joy and entertainment to our lives. What did I ever do without them. I could go on and on about what I am thankful for, but I will spare you. Here are some memories from our Turkey Day...

Uncle Kris and Grandpa are such clowns. Kris put food on his face and the girls were trying to tell him how to wipe it off. They were so concerned when he kept wiping the wrong spot...

Enjoying time with our GG's

And don't forget the "Lickin's" (a family joke)

We hope you all enjoyed yourselves as much as we did.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Must be a blessing...

2008-11-16T18:42:00.004-06:00

A while back I called Dr. Nielson for a consultation. As some of you know, I suffer from hyperhidrosis (severe sweating). People travel all across the nation to visit him so you can imagine my amazement when I found out he was located right here in San Antonio. I called his office and as I was talking with the lady, I found out that she and Dr. Nielson are LDS. I got really excited about seeing him until I found out that that he is an out of network doctor for my insurance. After a while I forgot about it until the receptionist called me back and said that Dr. Nielson is looking for an RN. I thought that was kind of random because I wasn't looking for a job. I was happy working for my agency at the hospital, but for some reason without thinking about it much, I decided to go meet him on Friday. He needed and RN to help him in the OR while he performs new laser surgeries on the apocrine glands (sweat glands), and various areas to be liposuctioned. While meeting with him I was thinking that I am still happy working for agency because I can choose my own schedule and plus I had not done OR since nursing school. He was in desperate need for someone to come and help him on Monday because he had a full day of surgeries booked. I felt bad that he did not have any help, so I said that I could come help him out on Monday to see how I like it. Well, it turns out I LOVE IT! He is the nicest doctor I have worked with, he has a great bedside manner and best of all, he values my opinion. We worked really well together on Monday so I said I could help out on Tuesday too. To make a long story short, I ended up training 2 nurses that week who were applying for this job and worked all week (even though I will only be working part-time). I love everyone in the office and I appreciate how welcome they made me feel.
If you or anyone you know has problems with sweating or want the newest way to do liposuction then check out his website. I highly recommend him.
www.hyperhidrosis-usa.com
I am so excited to be a part of his team!

Halloween Fun

2008-10-31T20:06:00.001-05:00

For as long as I can remember Halloween has always been a big event in my family. Every Halloween morning my mom would get my brother, Kris and I, up for school early to do our make-up, mostly scary, of course. My mom is really into Halloween decorations and my favorite part was the cob webs and the scary door decorations.

Since then, her Halloween decorations have evolved with more life size figures. People come over to take pictures inside her house on Halloween night, while Jake and Jordan are outside scaring the trick-or-treaters as they come up to the door.

We started off the day by watching some of the Goosebumps series that was on T.V.. Kamrynn loved it, but was sure to keep her hands close by when she needed to cover her eyes.

We did all the girly make-up and I discovered that Kami may be the next eyelash model. It's amazing what a little mascara can do.

Next, we got all dressed up and went to Grammie's house. The kids played on the playground in the back yard while I took some pictures (my favorite part).

As you may have noticed, Kennedi, changed her mind and decided she no longer wanted to be a pirate. She now wanted to be a princess.

Following the pictures, it's tradition that we go to my Grams house. There she has a bags of fun Halloween toys for the kids. Grams also loves to decorate the house for Halloween. The girls just love looking at all the decorations.

After GG's house, we met Christopher and began our trick-or-treating adventure. After each house, Kennedi kept saying, "Can we do more trick-or-treating?" and "This is so much fun!" Kami, on the other hand, would practically ask every person at the door for a "big hug...and a big kiss" before she left. She also made herself feel comfortable and sat right down in someone's chair and started chatting.

We practically had to force the kids to quit trick-or-treating. We finally made it home and watched Monster House as a family, ate candy, then crashed! Once again, we had a very happy Halloween.

Happy Halloween!!!

2008-10-25T20:05:00.001-05:00

Kennedi's Photo Shoot at the San Antonio LDS Temple

2008-10-19T22:04:00.001-05:00

I Love to See the Temple...

2008-10-19T21:38:00.003-05:00

Kennedi has always had a fascination with the temples. Every time we drive by she starts singing, "I love to see the temple," followed by asking if we can go inside. Last year I bought this little play wedding dress and imagined taking her picture in front of the temple which hopefully would later be displayed at her own wedding. Well, she kept asking and asking to go do her photo shoot and we finally got around to do it. Here are some shots I took of her at the San Antonio Temple grounds...

Weekend Update...

2008-10-11T20:39:00.001-05:00

This weekend was very special for me. First of all I have to thank my mother-in-law, Corby, for coming to help watch the girls so I could attend my Grandma & Grandpa Linschotens sealing in the Salt Lake Temple. The girls had so much fun with you, as they always do. They went to the park, made cookies, watched movies and played a Pretty, Pretty, Princess game. The girls were in heaven. We love you so much!

While my mother-in-law was helping watch the kids, I flew with my mom to Utah. We stayed at my Uncle Todd's and Aunt Kathryn's house and had so much fun. The days were filled with shopping with my best friend, Charity and cousin Lexie and the nights were spent doing girls things and watching movies.

My grandparents were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on Saturday October 11th, which also happens to be my uncles birthday. For those of you who know, there is nothing that can compare to a temple sealing. It was beautiful and so meaningful to me. I am so grateful that I, as well as my grandparents, will be married for time and all eternity. What a special meaning that has.

More pictures to come...

"Zip it!"

2008-10-03T19:33:00.003-05:00

As many of you mothers know, your kids seem to need your attention most when you are on the phone. This evening I was trying to leave a message for someone when Kennedi came running up to me to tell on Kamrynn. I tried to show her that I was on the phone, but it didn't work. She kept yelling and screaming. When I got off the phone, I bent down to her level to tell her, "Kennedi, when I am on the phone you need to zip it" as I did the motion across my lips. She looked at me with confusion and concern and said, "but mom, my finger isn't a zipper."

Lewisville High School 10 Year Reunion

2008-10-01T22:12:00.016-05:00

Wow! Has it really been 10 years? It just seems like yesterday, but at the same time so much has happened since then. I moved away from home, graduated college with three degrees, got married and started a beautiful family. A lot can change in ten years. I wonder what the next ten will bring?

For our reunion, we started by attending the LHS Fighting Farmers football game. If any of you are familiar with Texas High School Football, you will know what I am talking about when I say, "It’s a big deal" and the "whole town shuts down." Yep, just like the movies. Although they are currently no state champs like we were, it was still a fun atmosphere to be in. I had a blast introducing my husband to all of my good high school friends. He was such a great sport to let me drag him around. I think he even may have had a better time than me because he got to "talk sports" all Saturday with my friend RC. He just blended right in and started to make friends, like always. What a lucky girl I am to have such a great husband. Thanks, babe! We had such a fun weekend.
Saturday afternoon we went with RC and his brothers to Lewisville's Western Days and finished the night off with the official reunion. It was great to see everyone doing so well. Thanks for all the wonderful memories we have shared together and for making my high school experience a great one.

This last picture is funny because all of us were trying to figure out which way the "L" goes. Once cheerleaders, always cheerleaders :) (that is the ONLY time you will find me making fun of cheerleaders) -lol

A Vacation within a Vacation...

2008-09-13T16:34:00.001-05:00

So am I the last person to find out about Great Wolf Lodge, or what? How come nobody told me? What a fun place to stay, if you like water parks, that is. This hotel is a total vacation spot in one. It has two water parks, one inside and one outside; a magical quest that takes you all around the hotel; arcades, computer games and more, such as Rock Band and Guitar Hero; Girls Pedicure/Manicure shop; Massages and facials etc. What a fun place to take a vacation with the whole family. I highly recommend it. My parents found this place when we were looking for a place to stay in Dallas for David Rohm's wedding, a good family friend. Unfortunately, it was a quick trip and I did not have the girls with me. They would have had so much fun. Check it out if you want a fun trip or need a great family reunion idea.

A Wonderful Trip

2008-09-12T22:40:00.000-05:00

This past week I was able to visit Utah for our friend, Steve's wedding. Steve has been like a brother to Chris and I and we couldn't be happier for him and Cynthia on their big day.

Thanks to my WONDERFUL husband and family, I was able to go on this trip all by myself. That's right, no girls for the whole week! At first it was great to have all that time to myself again, but by midweek I was missing them like crazy and buying every cute girl item in sight (hair curlers, glasses, hair clips etc.).

So, Grandma Brown has been in the hospital after she suffered from 3 strokes. She has very limited movement on her left side and is currently in a wheelchair. Corby and I went to pick her up from the hospital and transferring Grandma in the car was honestly, a lot of work. So, a few days later Corby and I go to see Grandma Brown during her therapy sessions and she just pops up in and out of her wheelchair like it was no big deal. Corby and I look at each other in shock and Grandma Brown says, "Yeah, I've been milking it." We just laughed! We're on to you Grandma Brown! We are so proud of the progress you have made so far. You are always in our prayers. We love you! Here is an photo of Grandma reading to Kennedi a few years ago.

My favorite part of the trip was the moment I got to share with my best friend, Charity. We have shared many experiences together and my two pregnancies were a couple of the special memories that topped the charts. We have always planned with each other how we were going to tell our husbands we were pregnant. Well, it is finally her turn!!! We took the test in my brother-in-laws bedroom where I was staying. As we were about to read the test, my brother-in-law, Clayton knocked on the door to get a few blankets. Charity and I scrambled around to slyly hide the pregnancy tests from him. That's all I would need is having that rumor that I am pregnant again. In the chaos of hiding everything, I was able to sneak a peak at the positive test. I kept it under wraps until she was able to see it first and then we just screamed and jumped on each other. I feel so blessed to be able to share that moment with my best friend, as she has shared with me in the past. We just said I was in the right place at the right time. This picture just captures the excitement of the moment.

BTW-we were not that successful in hiding what we were doing because I guess when Clayton came out of the room he said to his mom, "they're acting really weird and there are a bunch of pregnancy tests all over the place." So much for trying to be sneaky. We love you, Clayton!

Dah, Dad

2008-09-07T14:21:00.000-05:00

Kennedi was sitting at the kitchen table eating her brownie. Chris came in and asked her a few times, "Hey, Kennedi. Is that brownie good?" He was getting frustrated because she wouldn't answer him. Everytime she just looked up at him like this and kept slowly chewing her brownie with a sassy look on her face.

When she was done with that bite she says, "Dad. When my mouth is full, I don't talk." Guess she told him. Dah dad. Manners, don't ya know???

A Simple Mind...

2008-09-06T22:30:00.000-05:00

The other day I was working on my computer when all of the sudden I was taken back by what Kennedi said to me... "Suck it." I was shocked until I realized she was holding up her baby bottle for me to drink it like a baby. Oh, I wish I still had the simple mind of a three year old.

Happy 7th Anniversary, Babe!

2008-08-17T16:06:00.000-05:00

No 7 year itch here. We are still going strong and as happy as ever. I was attending a wedding this past weekend in Dallas, so Chris and I are going to celebrate our anniversary a little later. Its crazy how fast time goes by. I can remember not sleeping the night before the wedding because I was so excited. Then we had some miscommunication about what time he was to arrive at the temple. I sat there for an hour thinking I was being stood up on my wedding day. Turns out, I forgot to tell him the new time we were meeting so we could take pictures before hand. After that, things were right on schedule and as planned - aside from someone locking our keys in our car after decorating it, which caused the alarm to go off as we were trying to leave for our honeymoon.

Good times and great memories! Thanks for the beautiful memories we have shared together. I know we will have a lifetime of more memories to enjoy together. I love you, babe!

And here is my favorite part of being married:
"Snuggling Pigs"

Caught in the act...

2008-08-12T21:15:00.001-05:00

Several times Christopher and I have had to tell the girls not to stand on the “decoration table.” Well this time they were caught in the act. Both girls were jumping off of the table onto the couch. When I told them to stop, Kennedi said, “But Mom…we’re not standing on it, Mom.”
When they saw they were in trouble, first they tried to hide behind their hands and close their eyes. When they realized that wasn’t working, they pretended to be asleep. What a bunch of goons.

It's Birthday Time Again...

2008-07-30T22:38:00.000-05:00

Happy 2nd Birthday, Kamrynn! We decided to do a combine birthday party for the girls and take them to Chuck E. Cheese. They had a blast, other than Kami was not too sure of Chuck himself. Thanks for the gifts everyone!

This is one of my favorite pictures of us.

It's a Small World After All

2008-07-22T15:58:00.000-05:00

As a few of you know I have started back to work with a nursing agency. This is my first time working in Texas and oh man is it different than Utah as for the organizational things. I truly appreciate my education and background while I worked at an IHC Hospital in Utah. They were organized and we knew our protocols. Although I had a good work experience for my first shift, I did not like the laid back nursing policies. For instance, in Utah, when I recovered a post surgical patient, I knew that I would be checking on the patient VERY often (every 15 minutes for the first hours, then every 30 minutes x 2, then every hour x 4, then every 4 x 24). So when I took a post surgical patient the other day I asked the charge nurse what their protocol was for rounding and assessing my new post surgical patient and she said, "Oh, whenever. Once a shift is good." WHAT!!! Is she honestly telling me that she would only assess her post surgical patient once a shift-Not me!!! So I figured it would be better to go "overboard" how we did it in Utah vs. adopting this nurse’s philosophy. Better safe than sorry is my philosophy.

One thing I am grateful for is how nice the nurses were to me. It kind of felt like going to nursing school clinicals again-you never knew if you were going to orient with a "nice nurse" or one that would make your day hell.

The paperwork was quite different from what I was used to. Frankly, IHC is much more organized with charting and what is required of the nurses. I guess it will just take a little getting used to the way they do it here. Aside from all the confusion, I absolutely LOVED being back to work and seeing patients again.

Another interesting fact about my first shift back was that I know I was blessed by my Heavenly Father. I know this because my first two patients were LDS and as nice as can be. How random is that? The first lady I had met before at a girls LDS dinner and the second LDS patient has an interesting story. She asked me where I moved from and I told her Utah. As we were talking she asked if I was LDS. I, of course said, yes and she said she could tell by my presence when I came into her room, (What a nice complement) and she was LDS, too. To make a long story short we played the "do you know game." She mentioned that she attended BYU around 2001 and I mentioned to her that I just missed her at BYU because I attended from 1998-2000 and cheered there. When she heard that, she asked if I knew, Katie Bills. For those of you who don't know, I was good friends and cheered with Katie at BYU. She passed away from a skiing accident in 1999. My face just lit up and I knew Katie must have had something to do with my patient assignment today. My patient actually grew up with Katie and knew her from church. Talk about a small world. Here is a picture of our squad. Katie is in the bottom row in the center, right below me.

Happy Birthday Grams

2008-07-17T20:18:00.000-05:00

I have the best Grams in the whole world. No one shares a bond like my Grams and I. I love her so much and she has always been there for me. From when I was really little until now, she has always held a special place in my heart. I love you, Grams! XOXO

What Is a Grandma?

"A grandma is warm hugs and sweet memories. She remembers all of your accomplishments and forgets all of your mistakes. She is someone you can tell your secrets and worries to, and she hopes and prays that all your dreams come true. She always loves you, no matter what. She can see past temper tantrums and bad moods, and makes it clear that they don't affect how precious you are to her. She is an encouraging word and a tender touch. She is full of proud smiles. She is the one person in the world who loves you with all her heart, who remembers the child you were and cherishes the person you've become." ~Barbara Cage~

xoxoxo
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRAMS!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Kennedi

2008-07-13T19:54:00.000-05:00

July is a busy month in our family having both Kennedi and Kamrynn's birthdays. Since my family is out of town, we decided to do a combine birthday party for both the girls later this month and just have a small family party today. For Kennedi's birthday dinner she chose to make her favorite-PIZZA! Both girls helped and had tons of fun in the process. My dad also made a DVD of after she was born at the hospital and it is her favorite thing to watch herself as a baby. She watched it at least 20 times. Later, she wanted to do a photo shoot in her red hat, we went swimming, opened presents, and ate some birthday cake.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Kennedi.

4th of July Weekend

2008-07-08T16:43:00.000-05:00

We traveled to North Padre Island, in Corpus Christi for the 4th of July weekend to have our family pictures taken by, Elizabeth. The scenery was beautiful and we are so excited to see the pictures. I will post them as soon as we get them.
After a very early morning of picture taking, we had time to play at the beach with the kids. Kennedi loved playing in the water and sand, but Kamrynn was not too sure about getting her hands and feet dirty (which surprises me with her). She has always been my messy kid. Dirty and all, they still managed to have a great time at the beach.

After we got home from visiting the beach, we were able to go see the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus! The kids loved it. Christopher said that the only thing he remembers about going to the circus when he was little was that it "was stupid" because he never got to have cotton candy; so as a joke that was the first thing my dad bought for him when we sat down.

My brother Kris and I (the clowns that we are) decided to go during intermission to have our faces painted and come back like nothing happened just to see the reactions on the kid’s faces. The younger brothers got a good laugh, but Kennedi was somewhat taken back by the whole thing and wanted me to "wash it off, mom." She also said that I was not supposed to color on my face. She doesn't miss a thing!

Would you like a cup of tea?

2008-06-20T22:18:00.000-05:00

"Aunt Cherries" found this cozy place in Gardener Village called, Protea Cottage, that provides tea parties. Kennedi was certainly in her element. First, we picked out which tea or hot chocolate we were going to have. Kennedi chose the pink hot chocolate, of course. Next, we picked out something fancy to wear to our tea party. Then we were sat at our table and our tea and hot chocolate arrived. Kennedi's face was priceless when she saw that she had her own tea pot to pour. "I got really bigger, mom" she said to me as she poured herself a drink. It was such a fun tea party and of course we couldn't go home without a play tea set.

Thanks for such great pictures, Charity!

I can't believe its almost over....

2008-06-19T12:39:00.000-05:00

I am so sad that this vacation has flown by so fast. I only have one more week and still so much to do and so many people to see.

Things we have enjoyed so far:

Feeding the birds with PaPa

Having a balloon fight with cousins

Visiting with Uncle Jared, Aunt Amber, Christian and Mav

BBQ at Layne and Robin's house

Went to Kidz Barn

Spending time with Dad

Play outside

Visited the Zoo

Visiting with Beth, JC and Tucker

Talking to Daddy and Grammie on the phone

See you next week. LOVE YOU!

One more thing...
Did you honestly think I could go the whole month with out scrapbooking-YEAH, RIGHT!

Family Picture Time Again...

2008-06-13T23:07:00.001-05:00

This year my in-laws were able to get everyone together for a family picture. The last one they had was in 2001, so it has been LONG overdue. It has been fun being in Utah to visit with all our friends and family again. We sure love you guys!

I Wanna Rock!

2008-06-01T23:28:00.000-05:00

As I was getting ready to pack for our Utah trip, Kennedi, as always, was "helping" by getting into everything. This is what I saw when I turned around to see what she was doing...

Of course, I had to make a scrapbook page...

We want to see you when we are in Utah. Please let me know if you will be in town this month so we can set up a time to meet while we are down there.

Recent Scrapbook Pages

2008-04-27T22:00:00.001-05:00

Should I be worried?

2008-04-26T18:38:00.000-05:00

Since Kennedi has been playing with other kids at the gym she has learned quite a few new things. Some things are good, some things are not so good. Here is her latest comment...

Kennedi: "Look, Mom. I am bringing sexy back" (as she points to her armpit). Should I be worried?

Christopher's Color: Once again, exactly right.

2008-04-10T18:52:00.001-05:00

What's Your True Color?

My Result: Green

You're green, the color of growth and vigor. Good-hearted and giving, you have a knack for finding and bringing out the best in people. Green is the most down-to-earth color in the spectrum — reliable and trustworthy. People know they can count on you to be around in times of need, since your concern for people is genuine and sincere. You take pride in being a good friend. For you, success is measured in terms of personal achievement and growth, not by status or position. Rare as emeralds, greens are wonderful, natural people. It truly is your color!

What are you?
http://web.tickle.com/jumpto?test=colorogt&c=50652

Tiff's Color: Black-Couldn't they come up with a more enticing color? This is definetely me...

2008-04-09T21:58:00.001-05:00

What's Your True Color?

My Result: Black

Your color is black. The color of night. Serene and mysterious, black conjures up images of elegant evening gowns, dashing tuxedos, and gleaming limousines. Traditionally a symbol of success, black also represents power and an uncompromising demand for perfection. Not surprisingly, you tend to set challenging goals for yourself and do whatever it takes to achieve them — your strength of character is second to none. This unfaltering determination, along with your natural elegance, impresses people. But keep in mind that your personality might be intimidating to some. Try to temper your demanding side with a little softness — trust us, it won't kill you. Overall, though, black is the color of professionalism and achievement, which means it's clearly the color for you.

What are you?
http://web.tickle.com/jumpto?test=colorogt&c=50652

Jack and the Beanstalk

2008-04-06T16:43:00.000-05:00

I found Kennedi climbing up in the hall closet and I asked what she was doing. Her reply was, "I'm climbing up; just like Jack and the Bean-Dock." I just had to make a scrapbook page about it.

FUN THINGS WE HAVE DONE LATELY...

2008-04-05T16:06:00.000-05:00

1. TRIP TO SIX FLAGS

2. GOING TO THE BOYS BASEBALL PRACTICES AND GETTING REALLY DIRTY AT THE PARKS

3. KAMI'S FIRST HAIRCUT

4. KENNEDI ASKED HER DADDY TO MARRY HER

HAPPY EASTER

2008-03-21T21:21:00.001-05:00

I am sure my girls are going to kill me when they get older, but I couldn't resist!

Newest Addition...

2008-03-08T21:35:00.000-06:00

We have adopted the stray kitty that has been living on the side of our house. Chris and I have never really been cat people, but when I saw this kitty we instantly connected. Being an abandoned wild kitty, it took a few times for her to trust me to get close to her. Finally when she did, I was able to show her where the food and water was outside. The poor thing was so scrawny looking, but also a beautiful grey Persian kitty.
After a few night of the kitty coming around, it was going to be below freezing and I couldn't leave her out there. Chris was able to catch her and we brought her inside for the night. We were worried about how our dogs would react, but they took to her just fine. Roscoe, our great dane, treated her like she was his baby. I was planning on taking her to the shelter that next morning, but I just didn't get around to it. We looked and saw she was a girl so we named her, Chloe. Well, that was until today when I discover she is actually a BOY. I guess he was getting sick of being called, 'Chloe', and things like 'Princess' so he decided to finally hang loose, so to speak. Now we are looking for cute BOY names, if you have any suggestions. He is really a cool cat in that he can climb up and down trees like no other. He also has a soft side and loves to snuggle and cuddle. He is just my kind of animal and fits into our family very well :)

Count Your Blessings...

2008-02-25T20:51:00.000-06:00

Today I received this devastating email from one of my friends at BYU and thought I would share it. If you can't help, maybe you know someone who can.

Dear Family and Friends,
A year and half ago we moved into our new home in Pleasant Grove, Utah. At that time Blair's foster brother and best friend, Sam Harrison, and his wife, Ashley, moved into our basement apartment. Since that day, we've pretty much been one big happy family. They love our kids like their own, and we love them more than words could ever express. It would honestly be hard to imagine our lives without them in it.
Six weeks ago, Sam and Ashley were happier than we've ever seen, as they gave birth to their first son, Benjamin Alexander. Although Benji arrived three weeks early, he is as happy and healthy as can be.
Now, the reason for my email. This past Saturday night, Sam, was in a horrible snowboarding accident while night skiing at Brighton ski resort.
He unintentionally hit a jump that threw him up in the air; he flipped around landing on his head breaking his neck in three places & paralyzing him from the shoulders down.
Sam finished working in December and is currently enrolled in night school at BYU. They were in the process of deciding what to do as far as health insurance went for him; therefore, Sam does not have medical coverage at this time. As you can imagine, the financial strain would be overwhelming even if he had had insurance.
Our hearts ache for our dear friends; we haven't slept in days trying to comprehend how quickly one's life can change in such an unexpected, short amount of time. If there is anything you can spare for this family it would be truly appreciated. We have set up a non-profit organization and website with Sam's story and photos. You may visit the site at www.donateforsam.org. Donations can also be made to any Zions Bank to the account name: Sam Harrison Donation. All information is posted on the website.
Please keep the Harrison Family in your prayers.
Love, Holly & Blair Hasler
P.S. Please circulate this email; post it on your blog, tell your friends.
Every little bit will help. Once again, www.donateforsam.org

TEAM fitness update

2008-02-09T14:37:00.001-06:00

Well, it was the end of the first week of TEAM fitness and I have lost 4 pounds. Only ___ more to go (like I would tell you -Ha). Anyways the class is awesome. On Monday's and Friday's we do circuit training for 1 hour and on Wednesday's we do cardio for an hour. I like to go on my own Tuesdays, Thursdays and some Saturday's to get in some extra cardio. I am a little frustrated because with this class we are supposed to have a nutritionist come and we haven't seen her yet. So if any of you out there have 1200 calorie meal plans please let me know and email it to me. I am just guessing I should have around 1200 calories and I have made my own meal plan program on excel. If any of you have professional meal plans or advice, please send it my way. Thanks for all the encouragement and support. Jocelyn, I am happy to hear that you will be going through it with me. That's awesome! Keep up your hard work. Oh, if any of you San Antonio mom’s out there have a membership to Lifetime, let me know and maybe we can meet there sometime. It’s always nice to have a friend to workout with.

By the way, did I ever show you that I am in a fitness magazine??? How's that body for having two kiddo's-lol.

Don't you just LOVE photoshop :)

TEAM Fitness

2008-01-27T11:24:00.000-06:00

I must be crazy because I joined TEAM fitness at Lifetime Fitness Gym. It is an intense 3 month training program that meets 3 times a week. It includes a personal trainer, small group training and a nutritionist. I went to a sample class on Saturday and it kicked my butt. My legs haven't felt this fatigued since BYU's 3-a-day cheer practices almost 10 years ago. OUCH! I am hoping it will whip my butt back into shape. I'll keep you posted. Let me know if any of you have participated in this program and how it was.

Hooray-Our Family Pictures are back...

2008-01-19T18:03:00.000-06:00

Thanks, Portraits by Elizabeth!

Christmas Time

2007-12-31T21:46:00.000-06:00

One of our family traditions is on Christmas Eve, the girls make cookies for Santa. As you can see they really enjoyed decorating the cookies and themselves. Making the mess is half the fun, right? Cleaning it up-not so much :). We always take pictures of the girls with their stockings and cookies for Santa. Christmas Morning fun: Even though this is an outside play castle, we figured the girls would be able to enjoy it more if it was inside due to the weather in Texas. Eventually we will move it outside, but for now the girls are having a blast with their new princess castle.

One of our favorite things in December is to go to the mailbox to check for Christmas Cards. Thank you to everyone who sent them. We truly enjoyed looking at them everytime we passed by. We feel blessed to have each and everyone of you in our lives.

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

2007 Guymon Christmas Newsletter

2007-12-21T22:41:00.000-06:00

Welcome Home :)

2007-12-17T13:09:00.000-06:00

We are so thankful for the family that picked up Cooper and took care of him this weekend. We saw a sign they posted this morning and were able to bring him home. Kennedi didn't leave his side this morning. She even gave him her most prized possession-her teddy.

Cooper Come Home...

2007-12-16T18:34:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, our dog Cooper got out from our backyard without his collar on. He has a microchip so hopefully someone turns him in. We have had him since 2001 and you could best explain his personality as Garfield-lazy with an attitude and doesn't think he is a dog. He is awesome and loves to snuggle. We miss him :( Please come home, Coop.

Santa Came to San Antonio

2007-12-14T13:58:00.000-06:00

I'M ADDICTED...

2007-11-08T17:44:00.001-06:00

I just bought the Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.0 and I LOVE IT! I have really been getting into digital scrapbooking lately. It is SO ADDICTING! I have added a few awesome links under my digital scrapbooking section you need to check out if you are interested. If anyone knows of any other websites that have great supplies or templates, please feel free to let me know. Any other tips are welcomed, as well. I cannot figure out why my slideshow will not post here, but at the bottom of the page you can see a few pages I have been working on. Keep in mind, I am just a BEGINNER :).

Halloween Fun

2007-11-02T20:06:00.000-05:00

To start off our Halloween traditions, we carved pumpkins at Grammie and Grandpa's house. I waited too long to buy pumpkins (halloween day), so these small ones were all they had left. It actually turned out perfect for their attention spans. I think I will buy the small ones again, next year :).

Kennedi decided that she was going to be a fairy princess again this year. The only difference is that she notice some make-up at the Haloween store, and had to "look pretty, too." True Girlie Girl.

Another tradition is to go to G-G and Papa's house to see all of the fun Halloween surprises they got for the kids.

3 Generations of crazy witches. Watch out! And you wonder where I get it from.The girls LOVED going trick or treating and didn't want to stop. In fact, we were one of the last trick or treaters out on the streets.

We had a great time and are already looking forward to next year!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

2007-10-27T23:18:00.000-05:00

Utah Trip Highlights

2007-10-11T20:18:00.000-05:00

Even though we were there for a month, I still did not get to see everyone I wanted to. Sorry if we weren't able to get together. I will plan it a little better next time.

We had so much fun visiting Utah and seeing most of our family and friends. Here are a few highlights and pictures from our trip...

1. Kennedi's Potty Trained!!!! I tried and tried before with rushing her to the big potty and plain and simple-it was wearing me out. It wasn't until Grandma Corby bought Kennedi her own potty seat that she trained herself that day. She was so excited to hear the potty make music and she knew she was able to pick a treat after for her reward. So Thanks, Grandma Corby-She is now potty trained!!!

2. One of the most favorite parts of the girls day was going to the park to play. We had to take advantage of the great weather and no humidity. We actually enjoyed being outside without the Texas heat.

3. We visited the Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point and the Petting Zoo. Kennedi insisted on kissing every animal she saw.

4. Brandon and Amber Guymon were married and Kennedi was the flower girl. We were also able to see Jared and Maverick Guymon (We missed you Amber and Christian!).

5. And last, but not least, Playing with the Uncles, Grandma and Grandpa, Pritchett's, Charity and Daisy, and the Banks and Linschoten Family.

WE MISS YOU!!!

Thanks April!

2007-10-05T10:21:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone! I can't believe that I have almost been in Utah for a whole month. It is so sad how fast it has gone. I still have not been able to see everyone I wanted to and I hope I can schedule everyone in within the next couple of days. I just wanted to post a few pictures that my friend April took of us. We had so much fun. Thanks April! I will give an update of our trip when I return home.

Family: Here is Kennedi Talking Before Church

2007-09-03T20:02:00.000-05:00

What Kennedi Did Today...

2007-09-01T18:23:00.000-05:00

Kennedi LOVES playing with bubbles in the sink. After I set it up for her I walked away to chase Kamrynn for a second and look what she did... Ha ha ha. What a DORK!!!

UTAH, HERE WE COME !!!

2007-08-20T20:32:00.000-05:00

Hey Everybody! The girls and I are making a trip to Utah for a MONTH. We are so excited to spend time with the Guymon Family! Also, anyone who will be there mid September to mid October let me know so we can get together. We would LOVE to see you!

Its Raining, Its Pouring, The Old Man is Snoring...

2007-08-15T19:42:00.000-05:00

The other day we had a down pour of rain so Kennedi and I decided to go out and jump in the puddles and play in the rain. It was so cute to hear her sing, "Its wainin', its pou-win', the old man is sno-win" (in her cute little voice).

Tag - I'm It!

2007-08-11T21:20:00.000-05:00

Here is a little bit about me...

Jobs I've had. . .
1. before college- California Nails Receptionist.
2. during college- Volunteer Worker at Department of Workforce Services, Cheerleading and Gymnastics Coach, CNA for Mother/Baby.
3. after college- OB/GYN Registered Nurse
4. Current-taking care of my two babies. I plan on going back to school in a few years to become a Nurse Practitioner and Certified Nurse Midwife.

Movies I can watch over and over again . . .
1. Any "chick flick"
2. Christmas Vacation
3. Rounders
4.Field of Dreams- for my husband

Places I have lived. . .
1. Hayward, California
2. Sandy, Utah
3. Taylorsville, Utah
3. Provo, Utah
4. Dallas, Texas
5. San Antonio, Texas

Favorite TV shows. . .
1. Grey’s Anatomy (hands down!)
3. Desperate Housewives
4. ER
5. Entourage
6. Army Wives
7.Brothers and Sisters

Places I have been on Vacation . . .
1. Florida- Disneyland
2. Vietnam
3. Cancun (senior trip)
4. St. George- our “family” trips

Favorite Foods...
1. Seafood- Lobster and Crab are my favorites!!!
2. A good ‘ole steak
3. Mexican- You can get enough chips and salsa
4. Italian

Websites I visit Daily. . .
1. E-mail
2. Google
3. Blogs
4. allnurses.com

Places I'd rather be right now. . .
-Hmmm…no where. I am happy right where I am. (Although I do MISS EVERYONE in Utah-so I guess I would rather be there visiting them!!).

Now here are the people I am tagging. . .
-Everyone on my friends list

Thanks to Beth Davis for tagging me!

Seriously, Who Needs Toys???

2007-08-10T18:58:00.001-05:00

Who needs toys when you have a kitchen full of bowls and spoons? Even though they have two rooms full of toys, Kennedi and Kamrynn still spent hours playing with the bowls in the cupboard.

For dinner, Kennedi helped me make calzones.

I can see her thinking... "Some for you, some for me, a little more for you and a lot more for me."

I am surprised we had enough ingredients left to actually make the calzones. It was a lot of fun and tasted great!

Way to go babe!

2007-08-01T20:42:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to congratulate my husband for his big promotion with Verizon! He is now managing over 4 store locations. Thanks for all of your hard work. We love and appreciate what you do for our family!

Vietnam 2004

2007-07-31T11:33:00.000-05:00

I posted a slide show about my medical mission to Vietnam and decided I needed to fill everyone in on what happened there. So here it goes...

During nursing school my best friend,Charity and I were chosen to go on a medical mission to Vietnam to treat thousands of people across the country. The poverty and reality of it all was absolutely shocking. I researched pictures and articles before I left, but seeing it in person was something completely different.

We traveled with a group called Children of Peace International (COPI). We started our trip in North Vietnam and ended in South Vietnam. The plane ride was a very long 18 hours. Thanks to the Ambien, we were able to sleep through at least half of the plane ride.

We set up clinics that consisted of nursing and dental care in each of the villages we visited. The sickness and diseases presented to us during the clinic was shocking. It was so hard when we found life threatening conditions that needed to be treated right away with surgery, and we could do nothing for them but send them away with nothing knowing that they were going to die. We gave out a lot of medicine and antibiotics that we knew would only help temporarily.

We also visited several orphanages. This one in particular broke my heart. In Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), we visited a very poor orphanage the consisted mainly of children who were pick of the street. There were approx. 60-70 children in each of the five small cells or rooms. They were locked up from 6pm until 8am for the night like prisoners. They were beaten and treated like animals. We witnessed several boys and girls being beaten with a stick just because the owners wanted a laugh. Knowing that they were being beaten, starved, and living in such disgusting horrible conditions-we knew we had to do something. Anything at all. We cleaned and disinfected the entire orphanage and notified authorities to have a surprise check on this orphanage. When the authorities came, the owners were only reprimanded. Last I heard, things changed in that orphanage and the children were finally treated properly.

Another clinic we set up was for the "boat people." These people are in the lowest society class that they were actually cast off the mainland. They lived about 2 hours off shore in very small houseboats. It was amazing to think that they actually lived in the middle of the ocean. Seeing a 2 year old rowing himself from houseboat to houseboat was unbelievable.

We also visited two hospitals while we were there and donated several medical supplies. The first hospital was horrible. They are in such need of supplies that they have to re-use everything (sutures, gloves, gauze etc.). One patient I can think of had a leg wound that had some sort of hand made JP drain. Instead of a sterile bag to drain into, it was closed with a baggie and rubber band. This was definitely an eye opening experience and made me think about all the supplies I easily have access to use at our hospital.

This trip to Vietnam changed my life. I no longer take the things I have for granted. I often think of the children in the villages and orphanages and wish they could have a better life. At least I feel like I made a difference at that time and made them smile, even if it was only temporary. I HIGHLY recommend Children of Peace International for anyone who has a medical or dental background, or even anyone who might be interested in just volunteering for the experience of a missions to Vietnam. Binh is the head of it all and is WONDERFUL! Their website is http://www.childrenofpeace.org/index.htm

One more thing...CHECK OUT HOW THEY DRIVE. There are NO traffic signs or signals. And if you are a pedestrian who wants to cross the road, you have to just walk out in front of the traffic and they will go around you. Its amazing how there are not more accidents. WATCH!

Kamrynn's 1st Birthday

2007-07-30T21:20:00.000-05:00

Having two girls so close in age makes me feel like I missed out on Kamrynn's first year. It flew by way too fast and I don't believe that she just turned one.

We had a party at our house with some family members. Everyone was expecting Kamrynn to dive right into her cake because she is such a messy eater. To every ones surprise she barely touched it. Oh well, less mess to clean up, right?!

Kennedi's 2nd Birthday Party

2007-07-24T22:21:00.001-05:00

I can't believe that my little baby just turned two. It's amazing how fast she is growing. We had my family over for her Finding Nemo Party (or "Finding Nebo" as she says). She has such a cute personality and we feel so blessed to have her in our lives.

"Aunt Cherries"

2007-07-24T22:11:00.000-05:00

My best friend Charity came to visit us. We met in nursing school and have been best friends ever since. She is so cute with the girls and they had so much fun with their Aunt Charity (or "Aunt Cherries," as Kennedi will say). Thanks for coming to visit us!

Just Moved In...

2007-07-24T21:36:00.000-05:00

We are so excited - Our house is finally finished and we have moved in! The kids are adjusting well and loving it. A BIG THANKS to Pa-Pa (Mark) and Clayton Guymon, and Tiffani's family for helping us move. The girls loved hanging out with their Pa-Pa. We miss you guys so much!