TAUNYA'S KIDS

I decided that I wanted to share all the photos I have of Taunya's kids from the day they arrived. So that they can see how loved and cared for they have ALWAYS been and ARE!

Sierra feels the baby move during a visit from Taunya April 1996.

Taunya was always so EXCITED when she found out she was pregnant and couldn't wait to share the news!

Sierra and I went over to Taunya's to meet her new baby girl,

Nicole Marie July 1996

 

Nicole was blessed in August of 1996. I believe Grandpa Haag gave her a name and a blessing. I have pictures of the family at my apartment but no pictures of the actual day.

 Vickie and Lauren Michelle come to CO to visit and meet the new baby.

 Sierra, Nicole and Lauren October 1996.

Vickie couldn't wait to come over and see the new baby!

Taunya had professional pictures taken,1996 I think for Christmas.

Dennis and Cindy were married in Dec 1996 and we were all there.
I don't have any pictures.

Taunya and Nicole come for a visit. April 1997

I can do it all by myself Sierra...

In 1997 Taunya and her family moved to Virginia Beach VA. She had her 2nd child while living there. Erin was born in August of 1997, shortly after that they moved back to Colorado.

Erin was blessed Sept 28 1997. Taunya, Nicole and Erin.

To help Taunya out and to save some money Taunya started watching Sierra.

               On the back of this picture in Taunya's hand writing it says                     Sierra 3, Nicole 17 months and Erin 4 months Dec 97.

They were outside in the yard on a warm December day picking dandelions.

A picture Taunya gave me of her 2 girls in Christmas dresses  Her letter says Nicole is 16 months and Erin is 3 months taken Dec 5, 1997.

After Taunya moved back to Colorado. I believe she and her little family then moved to UT where she had her 3rd child, Richard in Oct 1998.

 This is a picture she sent me in a letter. On the back it says Nicole 2 1/2 yrs Erin 14 months and Richard 1 month. They shortly moved back to Colorado but I am not sure when.

 

Taunya always had a habit of popping over for a visit. The whole family came over so we could meet the newest addition, Richard. Feb. 7, 1999.

Taunya wanted Nicole to pose for a picture with Sierra, Nicole did not want to but was forced. If you can't tell she is not happy about it...

Sierra found the whole thing quite amusing!!!

Erin on the other hand had no trouble smiling :D

 Taunya tries to get Richard to look at the camera..

Sierra and Richard, she was so sweet with him. 

Susan and TJ got married in March and the whole family gathered to celebrate.

Dennis with Richard March 6, 1999. 

Sierra and I went to Utah for a Summer visit.

We were able to get a family picture of all the siblings

July 12, 1999

 

July12, 1999.

Nicole, Richard and Sierra

Nicole and Richard Summer July 1999 visiting aunt Paula.

Baby sitting baby Richard Sept 1999. Uncle Doug makes a fun chair while watching cartoons with Sierra.

Uncle Doug teaches Richard the fine art of seperating hamburger and putting it in ziplock bags to freeze.

Uncle Doug and Richard take a nap together...

Cute little Richard comes by for a visit Jan 2000

Uncle Allan was in town on business and he and a co-worker came by to visit and we fed them. I believe Taunya came over with her kids to visit also...

Taunya stopped by for a visit. May 30, 2000 

 Richard wanted to share the chair with his Mom.

 June 5, 2000 everything changed.

 Taunya was diagnosed with Luekemia.

 June 7, 2000 Taunya can not be treated the way she needs to be because she is pregnant we hold a family fast and ask Heavenly Father that if it is His will that Danica be returned home so that Taunya can be treated and be here to raise her little family. It was His will.

June 8, 2000 Taunya loses her baby girl, Danica

 June 9, 2000 Taunya is put into a medicated coma and begins aggressive treatment of her cancer.

Dennis and Vickie flew to Colorado and we were all hoping she would wake up but she didn't it was so hard waiting...

 Finally on June 16, 2000 Taunya AWAKENS from her coma.

with Richard

with Erin and Nicole

Taunya with her children July 16, 2000

I would go down and see Taunya as often as I could and help take care of her kids when I was allowed to.

July 3, 2000 Sierra visits Taunya when they moved her to another building while she undergoes chemotherapy...

Mom stayed to keep Taunya company and help her learn to take care of herself.

Sierra and I took Mom home and stayed to visit in Utah for a while.

Paula decided she wanted to see Taunya and introduce her to her new baby girls, Alaynna and Shalisa... so she and her kids caravaned to Colorado with us to visit.

Nicole, Trenton and Erin wait to see Taunya...

                     Richard, Marsadie, Nicole and Trenton waiting....

When the nurse saw all the kids, 8 total! She freaked!

Taunya told her "Well suit me up then, because I AM SEEING MY KIDS!!!!"

Nicole, Richard and Erin with their mom!!!

 We were able to celebrate Nicole's 4th birthday while her cousins were visiting.

Sierra, Erin, Richard, Marsadie and Nicole, Trenton and aunt Paula

Mom and Dad came over to support Taunya and I while we did the Bone Marrow Transplant. Sept 14th 2000.

I was given 5 shots of Nuprogen the week of the transplant... to float my white cells on the top of my blood so that they could be collected by the Aphresis machine.

This is my quinton line. Because I had small veins and would've freaked out if  I had to sit with needles in my arms for 4 hrs. They put a knitting size needle into my heart and drew blood from that. One tube collected the cells and the other gave me back my blood.

 The Aphresis machine that seperated my white cells to give to Taunya and gave me back my my blood.  It took 4 hrs and I watched movies. 

It was nice to have my Mom there with me!

Taunya and Wendy.  Because her body would fight my cells her immune system had to be supressed so she got to sleep when they gave her my cells.

   

Vickie and Paula came as soon as they could to support us.

Jesse with Richard at the hospital.

Vickie and Jesse help Richard, Nicole and Erin wash their hands so they can see their Mommy

The kids were THRILLED to get to spend some time with their Mom!

Erin, Richard and Nicole with Taunya

Because Taunya's body was working so hard to fight the new cells her immune system was weak and the doctors did not want to risk her getting something from her kids. So for almost 100 days she couldn't be around them. So Vickie, Jesse and Paula took the kids to Utah to stay until she could.

Grandma reading the kids a bed time story

Mom stayed in Colorado to help Taunya and keep her company

   

Erin and Nicole playing while everybody packs.

Richard "Cheese"

The kids all ready to go to Utah

In October we went to California for Dennis' son, Davis's baby blessing.

Stretching our legs at the Boneville Salt Flats.

Nicole, Trenton, Erin, Sierra, Uncle Allan, Lauren Haley and Marsadie

Nicole wakes up to take a break

We went to the Beach and it was windy. Erin and Nicole did not like the sand in their sandwiches.

Sunday Oct 1, 2000 Davis was blessed and we came home

and took family pictures. Nicole, Richard and Erin

Grandpa and Grandma Haag and Dennis with all the Grand kids.

       Marsadie, Nicole, Trenton, Richard, Erin, Davis, Hannah, Alaynna,          Lauren Haley, Sierra, Shalisa, Lauren Michelle, Adam and Emma

Trenton, Lauren Michelle, Sierra, Lauren Haley and Nicole

You will have to check with aunt Vickie and Paula for pictures from your time in Utah. I believe your Mom went to Utah for Christmas 2000 and you all stayed with your grandparents.

Taunya with her kids at a playground near their apartment May 8, 2001

Taunya and her kids all ready for church May 2000

Taunya brought Erin and Richard over to swim May 2001

On June 8, 2001 Taunya called and wanted to take flowers to Danica. Taunya had been in a medicated coma when she lost Danica and it took her a year to recover and mourn her loss.

Taunya with Richard and Erin at the statue of Jesus with the children near Danica's grave.

Sierra and Richard and Erin  June 8, 2001

Sierra had a neighbor friend and her cousins over to celebrate her 7th Birthday. Taunya and the kids gave her a huge stuffed Scooby Doo!!!

 In July Taunya's Leukemia came back and she was back in the hospital.

Taunya called me and said someone had left gifts for the kids could I come down and bring them! SHE REALLY WANTED TO SEE HER KIDS!!!!

                                                      July 19, 2001

Taunya reading with Nicole.

Taunya with Erin

Taunya reads to Richard

Taunya does piggies with Richard

 What these pictures don't show and Taunya was careful not to let her kids see how much pain she was in...

When we got home we dressed the kids up in their new outfits and took a picture to show Taunya.

Taunya was in and out of the hospital all Summer. In Sept they finally gave Taunya some more of my cells and she got graft verses host disease and then eventually pneumonia and Taunya's body couldn't fight anymore.        

She passed away Sept 13, 2001

Taunya's kids the day of her funeral Sept 17, 2001

Richard is 2 1/2, Nicole is 5 and Erin is 4.

They gave some of their Mom's flowers to Danica.

After her death I wanted to help and eventually I took turns watching the kids. When we had them they were part of our family.

Sept 2001

Nicole, Erin, Sierra and Richard playing LIFE

Richard, Nicole, Erin and Sierra playing

Sierra and Richard

We walked down to the school to play on the equipment

whenever it was a nice day

October  2001

Uncle Doug gave everyone a horsey ride

Richard, Erin, Sierra and Nicole

October 20, 2001

picking out pumpkins at the pumpkin farm.

Doug helps Richard pick a Richard size pumpkin.

We helped Richard celebrate his 3rd birthday

Richard opens his presents

Richard plays with his new fort

October 25, 2001 Playing in the leaves

Everyone gets a hand full of leaves

1...2...3....

 Everyone throw your leaves !!!

 Nicole and Richard and Erin bury Sierra in the leaves

The mail man FINALLY came and brought aunt Vickie's birthday presents

Uncle Doug gives everyone a horsey ride. Richard, Erin, Sierra and Nicole.

Uncle Doug did lots of FUN things with the kids.... he made them Pajama's and funny hats, and they made cookies and cup cakes and other yummy things.  He let them help him cook and clean and he was a SUPER  mentor for the kids.

After Taunya died and the kids would come to stay with us. We would talk about her and sing her song Angel's Lullaby from "My Turn on Earth" and we would cry and miss her!!!

 The first couple of months this was a regular occurance.

We went to Sears to trade in some tools and we had to check out the tractors. Richard, Erin, Nicole and Sierra.

Nicole with Uncle Doug's help makes us pancakes

            Sierra, Nicole, Erin and Richard ready for church October 2001

Nicole, Richard and Erin

Richard enjoys having some SPACE all to himself

                                 The kids were making faces and taking pictures.

Nicole hides from the camera

"Cheese" Richard, Nicole and Erin

Erin makes a pouty face... Richard thinks that is funny

 Everyone makes a pouty face for Sierra

Richard fell alseep on the toy hamper waiting for the girls

to get ready to go outside.

October 27, 2001 All dressed up for Trunk-or-Treat at the church.

The kids playing DRESS UP Nov 2001

 I wish I had a better picture of this. Uncle Doug helps Richard bowl...I am guessing this was Thanksgiving day 2001.

Nicole, Erin and Richard with Santa

 in our neighborhood Dec 7, 2001

 Aunt Susan bought a Christmas Tree to put on Taunya's grave. The kids wanted to decorate it.

Aunt Wendy helping the kids make decorations

 and notes to mommy for the tree.

( Uncle Doug sewing Pjs)

Taunya's "Angel Tree" all decorated for her.

On our way to get flowers for Taunya we stopped and had some FUN

Richard and Erin  Dec 21, 2001

We put fake poinsetta flowers and her angel tree on her grave and I took a picture. but because they throw out everything when they mow. We just left the flowers and took the tree home and every year I take it to her grave and decorate it and take a picture and then bring it home for the next year.

Richard and Uncle Doug hang out after Dinner

Nicole and Erin decorating the Christmas tree Dec 12, 2001

Sierra steadies Erin so she can put ornaments on the side of the tree.

Richard looks on.

Sierra helps Richard decorate the tree

Nicole, Richard and Erin singing Christmas songs and playing

Nicole waiting to go to Utah to spend Christmas with her cousins.

December 24th 2001

Erin with her gifts waiting...

Richard must have been sleeping ...

My parents brought the kids back from Utah Dec 29th, 2001

and stayed a few days to visit.

Sierra and I waited up for them...everyone was so tired the night they came in but it was nice to hug and kiss the kids and have them with us again.

We really missed them!

After Grandma and Grandpa went back to Utah, the kids went to visit their other cousins. When they came back there were a few days until Nicole had to go back to school so we hung out watching our new movies from Santa and played our new games. But first we needed to do some cleaning and everybody pitched in.

Nicole wanted to mop!

Erin wanted to vacuum

The girls went back to school Jan 7, 2002

 Sierra would pick up Nicole and meet me at the car.

Sierra helps Nicole with some homework and Richard has a snack.

Aunt Wendy we look CUTE

 take our picture PLEASE!!!

TOGETHERNESS

Erin, Nicole, Richard and Sierra . We went out for treats because Sierra and Nicole got good grades :) Jan 2002

Cheering the USA on in the Olympics!!! Feb 2002

Richard, Erin, Nicole and Sierra playing dress up and putting on plays.

Feb 2002

Erin, Nicole and Richard enjoying the snow. Feb 2002

Doug talks to the kids about a question they asked. March 2002

Nicole loses her first tooth...March 2002

Photo op at Safeways March 2002

Erin and Nicole wanted pony tails April 2002

"CHEESE" Sierra and Nicole April 2002

Richard wanted to mop!! April 2002

I think this is Mother's Day

May 2002

The 11 kids I took care of so my sister Paula could go to

Girls Camp July 2002

Adam, Richard and Nicole in the TV room July 2002

Richard, Erin and Nicole with the pictures of their Mom aunt Vickie made for them Summer 2002

                I will try and locate any others I have but for now this is all!