A boy and his dog

Ty loves Chandra
He is learning to give hugs and kisses (even to the dog)

Chandra got a new bed for Christmas.

Chandra even lets Ty pull her ears (back when hands were not wrapped)

So sad

After Christmas at the Shirleys

Alex & Hailey

Cade & Jake

Evelyn & Valerie

The day after Christmas we headed down to Utah to hang with the Shirley cousins. We enjoyed bowling, eating, laughing and chatting.

Christmas 2010

We enjoyed our traditional calzones and frape by candlelight on Christmas Eve. We read the Christmas story, watched Elf, and discussed multiple times what time we would wake up in the morning. Mikayla had been asking for 2 days if we could get up at 5! We had agreed on 6 but actually woke up at 5:45. She was the one especially excited this year and couldn't seem to sleep. That all changed when Dave slipped her a dose of Benadryl.

Christmas morning came with Cade wanting to go snowboarding. He obviously got a new board, boots and binding. He says its sick! (that is supposed to be good) Ashley spent time rocking out and finding someone to face time on her new ipod touch. Mikayla enjoyed tearing up and down the streets of Burley on her new motor scooter. Hailey and Valerie were in dreamland playing with their American girl dolls and barbies. Ty was just happy hanging with the dog and crawling through wrapping paper. All in all we had a good one with much to be grateful for.




Everyone loved their new Christmas Jammies including Dave & Cade. They just didn't love getting their picture taken!

Merry Christmas!

I really thought I might have our entire family together for a Christmas card picture this year but it didn't happen. Instead I was scrambling to do one at the last second. So here it to a quick pic right after church. (Whoo Hoo church time changes to 1100 am from 9am)

December Happenings

We enjoyed Grandma and Grandpa Keller stopping by before Christmas. All the kids sang and performed for them.

Grandpa Shirley made this horse for Cade when he was a baby!

Jaylee, Jaida, Ashely

Valerie's primary teacher gave her this picture of Jesus that she put on her shelf next to her bed.

December always brings lots of action and recitals. Cade made the 8th grade basketball team. Kayla finished up her 3rd grade basketball season. I was able to help coach her team with my friend Michelle. Their team was kind of short and young but progressed a lot! Ashley finished up her 5th grade basketball season with some nail biters. I was also able to help coach her team with my friend Melanie. This was a great way for me to be able to spend time individually with both girls. For Christmas I got a clipboard for volleyball and one for basketball as I was always scrounging for paper and a pen to write! I was very excited and surprised as I know they will get a lot of use out of them. (need to find pics for Ash)

Mikayla's 3rd grade team
(Back) Mom, Tatiana, Sunny, Anna, Michelle
(Front) Ashley, Justice, Sammy, Kierra

Kierra & Mikayla

We were at the festival of trees everday as we watched Mikayla play her violin, Ashley clog, and Hailey perform her tumbling.

1 year old already!

Not so sure of cake/frosting

Diving in!

Loving it!
He earned himself a bath after this one.

I can't believe Ty is already 1! This year has flown by. Ty has been so much fun. He has four teeth now. He is so much happier now that the top two have poked through. He is taking a few steps at a time without holding onto anything. He prefers crawling as he can get there (wherever there is) faster. He motors up and down the stairs wherever the action may be. He has regressed to waking up once a night (I blame it on his latest ear infection). He still gags and dry heaves if I feed him something he doesn't like. He is getting really good and feeding Chandra (dog) anything that he prefers not to eat himself. Chandra positions herself right by Ty when he sits in the chair and just waits to be fed. (At first this was funny but not so much anymore). He is not really saying much yet but he seems to say Chandra - not mom or dad! Ty is usually not scared of strangers. He will reach his hands out to be held by a stranger as long as they talk to him first (never had a kid do that before). Ty weighs in at just over 24 pounds. Ty has a smile that melts my heart and a laugh that makes me giggle. He is so easy going and we all love him to pieces!