Tyler Turns 2!

Our sweet little girl is growing up. In march we celebrated her 2nd birthday! Michael had to work on her actual birthday so we did a small dinner and cake on the actual day and then later had a party for her. The party was a little last minute so it wasn't very organized but she could'nt have cared less. She was just happy that she had a party. That was also the weekend Grandma Sandy and Grandpa Dennis came up from Safford so she got to have TWO sets of grandparents at her party.


We got her her very first Barbie. She actually got another one at her party and they are both ballerina Barbie's. She loves them and call them "Barbie Girl".


She was actually sick on her real birhtday but is a trooper and was smiling after she opened her barbie.
I made petit fours for her birthday dinner instead of a real cake. She liked them and thought they should all be for her!!!

Yummy!!!!

For her party, she had a butterfly cake that included 2 butterflies, 2 flowers and a bumblebee cupcake. Her and Brandon both we after them all day before the party.

Make a wish!!!

Of course Tyler was the center of attention and boy did she know it! She was cutting up for anyone that was watching. Laughing, sighing, clapping and anything else she thought would get a laugh out of everyone. What a stinker!!

She also got lots of toy jewelry and princess stuff and mom joined in on the festivities!

Trying to catch up.......

So I know we have not been posting regularly but it seems that the last few months have whizzed right past us. The school experience is definitely a busy one. Between meetings, activities, trainings, and classes, and appointments we barely have time to breath sometimes. It has definitely been worth it. Brandon was recognized in last month's school newsletter for his perfect attendance in Februaury. He has awesome teachers and we have definitely noticed a change in him. Most of it for the better but being in a class of 19 three to five year olds he was bound to learn a few things that were not in the curriculum. Haha. Anyway here are few things we have been up to latley......
Pirate Day was fun. Mom missed Brandon's picture but Tyler had to be included in the dress up as well.

Auntie got a new 4-wheeler and the kids LOVE it. They have got to go on a few rides and would ride all day if we would let them.

Transpotation Day took a little more creativity but we were all pleased at the outcome. Surprisingly the cardboard cars survived and we still have Brandon's. He was very proud of his truck. He chose the color, painted his own license plate and insisted that it be a truck NOT a car, and said it had to be a Chevy like goompa has. Oh yes, and it HAD to have a steering wheel.

We recently installed a new kitchen backsplash. The beautiful sixties yellow was just too much too handle any longer. We are quite pleased with the outcome of the new look.......

This is so much more inviting and modern. We love it!!!

It just would'nt be normal if we didn't have wind around here. And with wind comes missing shingles. So, with that, Mike and I tried our hand at roofing. Not the best job in the world but we don't have any leaks so I guess that is what counts, right?

Also , we had these two big trees in front of our house that were starting to get out of hand. We were thinking they were the type of trees that could be sculpted into topiary type shapes so, Amy got out the saw and branch trimmers and turned the trees into shrubs. They look much better but now you can see where the trees rubbed the paint off the house......Add that to the never ending list of home repairs. If you look at it in the right light it looks like our house has a face with eyebrows. HAHAHA

Our kids and the faces they make. Thsi seems to be the pose of the week......

Oh that face...... gotta love the hair too!!!!

Valentine's Day 2009

Valentine's Day for us was a very laid back one this year. We had no real plans other than to just hang out together. The night before I made Mike and the kids their own special cards. And that morning made a nice breakfast for us all. I got a variety of things from Mike including a funny card that played music. It was a very simple day but we enjoyed just being together as a family.
Both of the kid's cards had a special message just for them.

Our breakfast all laid out on pink and white platters.

Mikes card that I made for him.

Brandon's place setting and card.

Tyler's place setting with her card.

Brandon's 1st Day of School

So, after a year and a half of trying to get Brandon into pre-school we finally got an acceptance call from the local Headstart. He was so excited that he finally gets to go to school with the other kids! He has a ton of fun and is has been learning about space is first week. He's becoming such a big boy, we are so proud of him!!!

He was ten times more excited than this picture shows. Haha. He's never been one to show his enthusiasm.Clearly he was not enjoying the picture taking so we stopped after only two.

January 19, 2009 Chase's Headstone

Recently Chase's headstone was finished and so it was time to lay it at his graveside. The day before Brandon (Slade) and DK went and poured the cement base for it so it would be ready that Monday. That morning Michael's Mom and Dad drove up from Safford and we met at the cemetary. The Fisher family were the ones who made the headstone and they delivered it to the cemetary and laid it as we all watched and admired how beautiful it looked. We wish Grandma Iva, Roni and Coleman and many others could have been there with us all. We think Chase would be very pleased with how it all turned out. It looks very nice and is a one of a kind piece that definitely stands out. Thank you to J&J Signs and the Fisher family for their time, and beautiful work. They did a great job of capturing Chase's personality.

Our Kids

It has been really cold here lately so we have'nt really been able to do much as far as activities go but we are still constantly taking pictures.
Amy's Great Aunt June crocheted the kids their very own blankets so they can snuggle up and watch a movie and stay warm at bedtime. They were both really excited about them and drag them all over the place now.

Our handsome little man. Growing up so fast we can't believe it.

Our little princess. She discovered the joy of accessorizing with jewelry.

Tyler loves the park as much as Brandon does. He had both his bike AND his scooter so daddy thought she might have some fun on brother's scooter.

One day we decided to make Fruit Loop necklaces as an art project. They started eating them before they were even finished!

Becker Wildlife Area

It had been so nice there for a few days we decided that the next day we would take the kids on a nature walk. The next day we woke up and it was VERY cold and a little windy, but the sun was shining so we decided to go anyway. We didn;t stay long but with a few blankets and a container of pretzels the kids enjoyed getting out for a while.

Along the walk they had set up a lot of little signs on everything from the river to wildlife tracks you would find in the area. When it gets warmer we would like to go back and show the kids all the animals and things that live along the river.

All warm and toasty in their new wagon

A little view of the little Colorado River

We wanted to get a few pictures while we were there. As I was setting up the camera our lovely dog, Daisy, pulled me and this was the shot I got.

Although we only stayed a little while, we had fun and the kids really enjoyed it. Maybe next time it will be a little warmer and we can stay long enough to have a picnic! Come on Summer!