School Picture Time!

Tatum's class picture this year- 5 1/2 (Oct. '09)

To the left: Preschool-4 1/2 years.

Corbin's school picture at Acorn Preschool- 3 1/2
Corbin's class picture at Acorn. (Oct. '09)

On the bottom: Corbin's class picture at Sechrist Elementary (I'm still waiting on his class picture). Oct. '09

3 1/2 years.
On top: Last years preschool picture-3 years old (I believe Feb. '09..although the date is off fromthe picture for some reason).

(I almost feel like he looks older last year than he does this year. I do love his picture from Acorn the best).

When his preschool class picture comes in from Sechrist Elementary, I will post that on this page as well, so check back :).

In Loving Memory of my Dear Aunt Marcia

This was our last Thanksgiving together (before the diagnosis) and the last picture I have of her before she started receiving her treatments.

Despite not feeling well, she still made it to Tatum's 5th birthday party (a few weeks before Thanksgiving last year) and insisted on bringing sides and helping out in any way she could. That's just the kind of person she is.

I insisted we get the family together last May and I am so glad we had the chance to have it done (this is from my dad's side of the family only). She loved getting down on the floor with the kids to play. She never talked at them, but with them. She is an amazing woman and teacher.

This was at Theresa's baby shower for Everett. Much happier times! (pictured from left: Aunt Jany, Aunt Marcia, me and my mom).


The first Christmas I ever hosted at my house (Dec. '07). This would also be the last Christmas we were able to all spend together.

Tatum making Aunt Marcia crack up! She gave Tatum a doggie purse, a princess pillow and a stuffed animal (whom our last dog chewed to bits). I am currently in the process of stitching up a small tear in the side (it was well loved) to try and preserve the purse (she would carry around about 10 lbs of change in it that it just started to give one day). She was always so loving with us and our children and so giving/caring.
Corbin's first Easter (April '06).

Another great pic. of the two. Watching them was always like deja vu because that is always how she was with me as a child and I loved reliving those moments again (I was very pregnant with Corbin at this time).

I am so glad I found these pictures of Aunt Jany and Aunt Marcia. What a spoiled little girl! :)




These were unfortunately the last pictures of have of my Aunt Marcia. I was able to bring the kids over for an afternoon before we moved to Flagstaff (April 24th of '09). She seemed to be doing really well and was healed from her Leukemia and in the process of growing her hair back. It is so obvious how much she adores my kids and how they adore her (poor Asta looks like she's being strangled with her tongue hanging out).


If I had only known that this would be our last visit, I never would have wanted to leave or at least would have made several attempts to visit her more (I just figured she'd come up to see us in Flagstaff soon since she was going to the movies and out to dinner weeks before she passed on). I really just don't get it...She passed on Nov. 4th at 3:30am. She will always be missed and loved. I am so glad for the 30 years of knowing her and am not looking forward to family holiday/birthday parties without her or Mark. It just makes me sick that this had to happen to such a special person. I know she believes in God and will go to Heaven and will see her one day again. That is the one thing that keeps me going with all of this.

I love you Aunt Marcia.

Everyone can go online and sign her obituary. This is what I put:

November 09, 2009
Aunt Marcia, I couldn't have asked for a better Aunt/gossip buddy. We were like two peas in a pod when we hung out/talked. You taught me and my kids how to put black olives on our fingers (which to this day, every time I eat a black olive, I think of your famous relish dishes). You love the same gossip magazines that I read and you share the same fascination for reality tv shows as I do. Really, how can we not be realated? Holiday parties will never be the same. I loved how we would amaze people by how fast we would gab and could always keep up with another. I remember when I was little and my mom no longer wanted to keep our "rescue" dog Pokie and she gave her to you. You always reminded me on how I told you he ate cat poop in hopes that would change your mind and we could still keep him. Little did I know, he would be better off with you. You have such a loving heart and your "rescues" were your babies and they knew it. Asta will be will taken care of by Mark since he loves her as much as you do. You were always so full of compliments for me and always quick to volunteer. Last year when you came to Tatum's 5th birthday party, you insisted you bring some sides and went out of your way to buy her the perfect gift (when it comes to gifts, I have found myself using the comics as wrapping paper when I don't have any..thanks passing that down). Little did I know that Tatum's birthday and Thanksgiving last year at my dads would be the last holiday we would ever spend with you again. I am so glad I was able to bring my kids over before we moved to Flagstaff (the end of July). My kids really enjoyed polishing off your red vines and you were an amazing hostess despite not feeling top notch. Had I known that would be the last time I would see you, I don't know if I could have left that day. I really am shocked by this. I remember thinking one holiday that you and Aunt Jany would probably outlive me because you guys are so healthy and happy and couldn't have imagined the worst thing possible happening to either one of you. I know you are in heaven looking down on us and one day we will all be together again. I think that is the one thing that keeps me from breaking down all day. I will always love you and you will always be my Aunt Marcia.

♥ Your favorite niece, Xandi :)
~ Xandi Atkinson, Flastaff, Arizona Contact Me
(and I was her only niece by the way..so I could put that).

Our first Halloween in Flagstaff.

Corbin's Teachers (Mrs. Jackie and Ms. Stephanie). I loved how they were able to dress in costumes and have a Halloween party. Reminds me of back when I was young and schools were still allowed to have Halloween/Holiday parties (this is at his other preschool, Acorn).

Another little boy in his class had the same costume. Just had to snap a pic of how cute they were (this boy is 4 1/2, hence the height difference).

Tatum's classroom also celebrated Halloween and allowed the kids to wear their costumes to school. Now many of you may not know, but this is very rare these days. I know many of my friends kids whom are back from the valley aren't allowed to have these kind of parties or have any kind of Holiday party. Sechrist is one of the few left in AZ who still will do it and I LOVE it!

Going on the parade through her school.
I had lunch with Tatum and Ceasar (sitting next to her) specifically asked if she would sit and each lunch with him. Such a cute kid!

I snapped these two pictures off of the wall from her classroom when they went to the pumpkin patch on a field trip recently. I unfortunately was in school on that day or I would have been there :(.

On Halloween, we went over to the Hartman residence for a BBQ and some trick-or-treating. The Leopold's were there as well as the Gerdes' (who stayed with us) along with another family whom we didn't know. We ran into a ton of Tatum's school mates around the neighborhood. We trick-or-treated in Cheshire which is more "family friendly" than our neighborhood. Everyone had a blast and I of course had no problem helping to polish off that dang Halloween candy :(.