Holidays...

Well the holiday's are over and we had a great time! Spent Christmas Eve with my side of the family and then the day after Christmas with Scott's. We also took a trip up to Red Feather to visit his uncle. All in all it was a really great Christmas and unfortunatly it's back to the reality of work! :-) I think Pictures give the best description of our holiday, so here we go...

Katherine's ugly sweater party

Scott and I after dinner.

Cole and his new hat from Uncle Scott

Remote control Dino from Aunt Sara and Uncle Mack

Scott's new fishing pole from Robin and Craig

Opening clothes from Robin and Craig

Playing the new Wii with Robin

Handsome boy, taken with the new camera...Yes, Scott spoiled me again!!!

My favorite Boys...

Buck in Red Feather (this is the only pic I have with Scott's family, the camera always finds it's way out around the baby!)

I'm so glad we had this time to spend with our families...That is what it is all about...

Come and Gone...

Wow, this year has really flown by!! I can't believe it is almost 2009! I had an amazing year, with great trips and fun times, but I do have to say I am really hoping 2009 is better than 2008, at least as far as my health goes. I know not very many people read this and I don't want to bother people with my worry so I'm going to take a quick second to vent here and then I'm going to be done. I have found that ever since my diagnosis of TM, no matter how hard I try I am counting the days since. Currently I am at 7 months out, which means I have 5 more months until my follow up neuro appointment which I will hopefully be able to have a follow up MRI (which I am praying is clean!). 7 months means I have about 1 year and five months to see what symptoms I will be left with if any, and 4 years 5 months until I believe I will feel really safe that this won't develop further...I know, I'm completely crazy. Really! This is insane, I shouldn't be living my life like this and I am trying every day to put this behind me. I have been feeling really good for the most part, no real lingering symptoms, but because I'm a worrier that makes me wonder if my attack was too mild and it will develop into something more. I occasionally still get foggy in the head at work and that freaks me out. And the intials MS pop up every where, as if to haunt me (I'm not kidding, our wedding invitations have M/S on them, charges at work are labeled MS, there is even a font called MS!). I know these are all things that have been there all along and I am just seeing it more readily now that I have had this scare. But I have to remember that this is all it was. My neuro is so confident it is TM, so I should be too...So I guess I can be called a work in progress...

Five!!! Seriously!!!

My little Tan Tan the Tanner Man (yes this is his registered name, thanks to my comedian husband) turned five on Monday!!! I can't believe it, I still remember the night we brought him home, a tiny little bundle of adorable! And the following weeks when he learned to love us and depend on us. The months where I thought my heart was breaking when he would cry out in pain, and during his recovery. That was a difficult time, keeping a young lab from being a puppy and a lab at the same time. Then the success after he started feeling better and was finally able to go camping again, the wag in his tail was much more enthusiastic! There isn't a day I can't remember now without him right by my side, and that may seem silly, but he has been a great companion to Scott and I. I wouldn't trade the months of carrying him up and down the stairs to protect his elbows, the weeks of trying to figure out his allergies, the vet bills to keep his elbows feeling good, giving up half of my pillow at night and part of my side of the bed. Because none of that means nothing when I come home to him and he acts like he hasn't seen me in forever, he is so overjoyed to have me home, he comforts me when I cry, he makes me laugh when he's being a goofball, and he can always make me smile!! I can't believe what he has given me! And I can't imagine what a child will do to me, knowing a dog can give me as much as he has!

My favorite brown eyes....

This is his ability to make me smile. He is fine, he played too hard camping that he fell asleep on the fishing poles and with each bump in the road his head drooped while his nose and lip stayed leaning on the poles. :)

Yes, he is spoiled, but he is my spoiled boy...

Phew!!! What a week!

I knew the holidays could be a busy time of year, but everything for us seemed to be packed into one week!! But it was a great week.

First we both had our holiday parties. Scott's was at Texas De Brazil (yum!!) right by our house! It was great to finally put faces to all the names I've been hearing, and I got to see Scott in action. He had to speak during the dinner and I was so proud to see him up there! He has really worked so hard and it is paying off for him in a big way!! Not to mention for me too, he spoiled me on Halloween day with a brand new 2009 ML! I LOVE IT!!! My holiday party was down in Denver at a hotel close to my office. It was nice to spend time with my coworkers away from our desks and computers. (Mom, here is my dress. Wonder how long it will take you to log on and see it!)

Then I had two girlfriends graduating, one from grad school the other from her undergrad. So I had two parties I should have gone to. I only made it to Sara's (she was a sorority sister) at Old Chicago's. It was a blast to see everyone and catch up a little bit. I really have some of the greatest, most caring friends ever! I am so grateful for them!!!

Then I had Kendall's (roommate freshman year) grad party on Sunday, but unfortunatly due to weather I wasn't able to make it. Scott unfortunatly got called in to clear snow at the dealership as the employee hired to do it hadn't shown yet. I volunteered to help out as I didn't think going by himself sounded like much fun so I thought I would keep him company! It was hard work, but it was kind of fun in a sick way to help out! And it was COLD! We have now broken five days of records for low temperatures. So I will have to take Kendall out to congratulate her very soon!

Despite all the craziness, Scott and I have found time to spend together. We stayed up late and watched the snow fall one night. Tanner even got in on the fun, how he LOVES the snow!!!

It's hard to tell in this pic, but he is covered in snow. Down to the tip of his nose!

Showing Scott a little love! (I know cheesey, but I can't help it!)

7 days until Christmas!!

Thankful...

Best way to describe how I feel at this point in my life, and it's good timing. It was the holiday that reminded me all of the things I have to be thankful for.

Having Sara home is always great, but this time for some reason was even better. We had a lot of fun together! All us girls went to the movies together before dinner on thanksgiving. We all read the Twilight series after coaxing from Robin so we had to check out the new movie. The movie was good, not great, but good, and the company was even better. We had some laughs at each other's expense, but it reminded me I'm thankful I have my sisters and my mom around, and that we are close enough we can enjoy times like these.

Dinner of course was delicious. And we ended the evening with a round of Phase 10. Cole wanted to be a part of the game and thought he was top dog when we let him get up on the table! It was so nice to have everyone together with the exception of Mack and enjoy each other's company. I am thankful for my family, my roaring, playful nephew, the fact that my grandma can still make trips to see us and that I have the close relationship with her I do. And though we missed Justin, I am thankful I have a brother in law that is unselfish enough to give up holidays with his family, to protect his country.

Wednesday night we were able to make the trip to Scott's house, where we were able to visit his parents, both his sisters, and our neice. We are never disappointed by the food and this time was no exception. It was great to see them all and see how much Madison has grown, it took her no time to warm up to us at all this time! I'm thankful for having married such a wonderful man and for his amazing family that have become my own as well!

Friday, Robin invited all the girls over so they could see Sara while she was here. I haven't laughed as much or as hard as I did that night in a long time. Watching the kids interact, and just being ourselves was a blast. I'm so thankful for my sisters and our friends. And for children and babies. They always leave me with a smile!! Here they are watching the snow fall outside! Believe it or not this is only the second time we have seen snow this year!On Thanksgiving I also got the chance to talk to my Aunt Sissy and I mean really talk. She asked questions, answered mine, told me she loved me...I can't remember the last time I talked to her on the phone where she sounded so good, and that made me happier than anything.

Lastly, six months ago today I had just been released from the hospital. My back was still sore from the spinal tap, I couldn't feel my right leg and I was terrified. I'm not going to lie and say I'm still not scared, but I am trying every day to forget about and stop living with the "what ifs". I am going to be ok and the important thing right now is that I feel good and I have made it through these months. And I have my family and my friends...really nothing else matters...