A fresh start!

Wow, I can't believe how much she has grown. This picture was taken in March of 2009

Okay, I can not believe that is has been over a year since my last blog. WOW!!! This is really bad. So, my New Year's resolution (I know it is April 1st) (and no this is not a joke) is to blog more often.

2009 was a really crazy year and one that quite frankly I would love to forget for the most part. Starbucks went through some changes as a company and I lost my job as Assistant Manager. The plus side of it was that I was one of the very few that was actually asked to stay with the company. So, I stepped down as ASM and became a Barista. I did have to transfer stores to do so, but over the course of the year, I am happy to announce that I was able to finally transfer back to my home store in Golden around November of 2009. Things are now going good and I enjoy working my 20 hours a week for benefits and being able to spend a lot more time with Payton.


Mother's Day 2009 (The Children's museum)


Chris had an exciting year of ups and downs as well for work. He moved his office to the west side of town and did a lot more work with the Classic car industry for insurance. This was very good for him, but after it was all said and done, we both realized that he would be better off working as an independent broker. This would allow him to not only be able to write 90% more business then he was, it would also let him bring home a bigger paycheck, and isn't that the whole idea. I love my Mother-in-law, but i do not want to live with her for the rest of my life. :)

Payton and Daddy on a walk in Golden. Summer 2009


Payton having summer fun with her cousin Maddie on a visit to Colorado.



Courtney with friend Danell in town over Memorial Day for a visit to Colorado. Payton with Danell's boy's Cal and Cade

Payton and Cal

Payton at splash with her cousin Zoe. Summer 2009


Payton rocking out in the car to the I Pod Payton at the pool Summer 2009


4th of July with the Zahrte family in Golden Payton ready for her 1st dance class


Payton's birthday cake I made for her 2nd birthday. We had a ladybug party and played in a big jumpy castle in the back yard. She had so much fun!

Payton playing princess. Her great Aunt Lori sent her this dress with a crown and she loved spinning in this.


For her birthday we took Payton to the Butterfly Pavilion she thought is was so neat. A butterfly landed on Daddy's shoulder.

Payton's 2nd birthday
After we took her to dinner and they made a special desert of chocolate covered strawberries and sang Happy Birthday to her. She really thought this was so cool that is was all for her!


Payton and Mommy ice skating up in Beaver Creek, CO. Fall 2009




Kyler and Payton at the Pumpkin patch October 2009


Joy with her son Kyler Me with Payton

Payton and Kyler on a hayride at the pumpkin patch

Payton was Snow White for Halloween 2009




2009 also, brought the loss of my God Mother Kathy Bennett. She had been battling Ovarian Cancer for several years and finally lost the fight. This was a very sad time for us, but also an emense time of healing. The most amazing thing was that in Kathy's life she taught so many of us how to live, and then in her dying she taught us also how to die. The week that she went into hospice care I had the privilege to spend quite a bit of time with her. It was really an awesome experience for me to be able to watch such an amazing process in life. She was so beautiful even in the end. You could see the hand of God right at her face. It was like a light you have never seen before but could only imagine. It was interesting that the night she passed, the weather had been very wild! It was cold and windy and it rained and hailed and yes even snowed in the end of April. In the middle of the night right at her passing Payton screamed out in her sleep a most violent scream, I ran into her room to find her fast asleep and then there was nothing but peace. I looked out the window and the last bit of night was shining on the fallen snow. It was so surreal. I know that Kathy had been brought home to be with her Father in Heaven once more. I shall always remember that day and the time that I had with her.


Payton at Kathy Bennett's house in April 2009 right before she passed


From her passing there was a new birth on the horizon. The Kathleen Bennett Foundation Of Hope For Ovarian Cancer was born. The foundation will help bring awareness to many woman and help save lives through early detection and education.

So, in a nut shell, as the foundation has started to grow and take flight like the Concord, I have just been offered the position of Administrative Assistant to the board. This will start out as a part-time job a few hours a week, and the goal is to have it work into a full time job so that other then being a Mommy to a beautiful little girl, I will be able to phase out Starbucks and just the amazing work that I get to do for the foundation. Oh and did I mention..... I get to do it all from HOME!!!! This is a dream come true for a Mom!


I am also happy yo say that in the first Month since Chris has switched companies, he is doing extremely well, and is busier then he has ever been.

It looks like 2010 will be a year of rebirth and prosperity for the Maynard clan after all.



This is the dress Payton wore to her Great Grandmother Kathy's 80th birthday. (This is also a dress that myself as well as all three of my brothers wore when we were little. My Mom made this.)



Payton's first dance recital December 21st, 2009
I did it!

Mommy and Payton, Nanna and Payton, Daddy giving P her flowers after her first recital


We got to go to the candle light walk in Golden this year, and what a treat that was. We had dinner with the Zahrte family and then we walked the the street singing Christmas carols. My parents meet up with us and we had so much fun. When the carolers were coming down the hill Payton, said, "Oh look there is Santa!!"
December 2009

Payton with her candle. Yes, someone gave my two year old fire! No worries, she did a great job. :)



Don't I look so pretty! Always the bell of the ball. This is Payton posing for us on Christmas eve in her dress with her "ruby reds". (her shoes)

Another Christmas pose in front of the tree

Say CHEESE!!!!


Christmas 2009 opening presents.
Christmas eve, Payton got a new bike from Aunt Jamie and Alex. She loves it!!!



Getting ready to show the parents what they were learning. Payton in dance class doing shuffle step

Princess Payton




This was a fort we build in her room with her stuffed dog 'Jack puppy' her Aunt Katie gave to her


She is playing teacher here and telling me that she is going to be a skiboarder when she grows up. (This was during the Olympics)



Payton on the plane heading to Las Vegas for her Aunt Jamie's 21st birthday and to visit her cousin Maddie.

This is Payton with her cousin Maddie in February we were able to go to Vegas for Jamie's 21st birthday and so Payton got to visit her cousin who lives there. They had a blast.



Payton and Maddie at The Mirage Hotel for the dolphin show. They got splashed by them, it was very neat.



Look, Wow, too neat!

In front of our hotel The Monte Carlo





Payton got to pick out a present after having no accidents for a week. She choose a new tu-tu and wings! She loves to play dress up.

"See Mom, I am a fairy" ( I did not really know how to respond to that one, so I took this picture instead. :)



Payton and Grandma at Daddy's birthday. Payton helped me bake his cake this year. She did a really great job!


Singing happy birthday to Daddy! January 5th 2010






This is typical Payton fooling around. I walked up stairs one morning to find her in the bathroom, "Oops, I feel in", she said.

Another Payton moment, she is obsessed with her swim suits, she must wear one at least once through out any given day.


Now for an update on Payton, she is now 2 1/2 and growing like a weed. She is such a spit fire and so full of energy but has the heart of an angel. She has been such a rock for us in our lives and I thank God every day to be blessed with such grace. I sometimes wonder what I ever did to deserve such an amazing daughter. She has been taking tap and ballet once a week and LOVES it! She loves to dance and play pretend. Her favorite show is dancing with the stars and she mimics all the dancers as they go. She will often say, "Oh I must cha-cha", or "Dance with me and tip me like that, K?". She is doing so well with her name and numbers, and letters. She knows how to spell her name and when her birthday is and can now count to 14.
We have finally mastered the potty and this was a great day for us. I love that I don't have to change diapers anymore. She loves being a big girl and all that comes with it. I love that she still gets her opposites mixed up, like she will say; "I get to stay up early" when she is staying up late. Or "I can't wear this it is too big" when it is too small. When she really likes something she will say, "Oh WOW too neat". Or if she is doing something she is not supposed to, she will say, "I just, I just... (and what ever it was she was doing)". Can you say MILK!!! This kid would live on milk alone if she could. She loves her chocolate milk and vanilla steamers. As for people who say when kids turn two they become picky eaters and throw temper tantrums (the terrible two's). I don't see it. Okay, the picky eater thing yes, we live on pasta, pasta, and chocolate. (Well, that is what I live on too, so now we know where she gets it). But as for the whole terrible two's thing, I am having the time of my life with her. She may look like Chris, but she is such a mini me in every thing else that she does.
Payton said to me the other day, "You know Mom, you are my best friend!" (Yeah I got a little teary)
Last week, we had two great days together, on Tuesday we were heading back from downtown and there was a homeless man on the side of the road. While we were stopped at the light I had mentioned out loud, "Wow here comes the rain" or something to that effect. Then I rolled my window down and handed the man some snacks that I had packed for Payton that day. He said thank you and looked at Payton and tipped his head and said, "Oh God Bless". Then as I drove off Payton noticing that I had just given her snacks away, said; "Mom, those are mine" (in a very worried voice). I then exclaimed to her that he was homeless and had not food and that we could get more but that he was hungry. And, and that moment she said very assured, "Oh that alright then Mom, and we need to get him an umbrella too for his head." I burst into tears at that moment and have never been more proud of my sweet little 2 year old who is always thinking of others. That night the rain turned to snow and we had a snow day on Wednesday and were able to go sledding for the first time. What fun! I felt like a kid again. She loved it and went by herself and just laughed and laughed!!

Payton on St. Patrick's Day


Payton on her Snow day! WOW this was Fun!

Well, that just about brings us up to date, so I vow to not let another year go by before my next post! To all of you out there, happy Thursday!

Cheers!