Christmas Card

We finally got pictures done and a card made thanks to a snowday for me. I still haven't sent any out. So I figured I could post it on here and many people will see it. Hopefully I can get it put in an envelope, addressed, and stamped soon so you can have one of your own. Merry Christmas

Christmas Pictures

Here are a few shots from our Christmas pictures. Well they may turn out to be New Year's Pictures to go with our New Year's Letter. The las 6 weeks have been crazy. I dont have any time and can't seem to get anything done. I hadn't even put up a single decoreation until last weekend and now here in less than a week we will be gone to Dallas for Christmas. I have been a terrible blogger. My only excuse is going form 2 kids to 20 kids. Having 18 kids at school keeps me busy. When I am home I want to spend time with Kayla and Tanner and try to keep the
house clean, laundry done, meals cooked (Thanks to Kyle) and by the end of the day I am so tired. I am only on here now as I dont' have school tomorrow. I know you will all be shocked but tomorrow is a snow day here. We don't have any at our house but when I left school today there was 4 inch on my car. I guess it is still snowing any the valley floor could ahve 2-8 inches and the foothills (Summerlin) could have 10 inches. We will see but the County closed for tomorrow so we are also. I am exicted for a snow day and hope to get lots done. Kyle has 2 houses to sign papers for on Monday so he will be off working and I get the kids instead of them going to Bree's like was planned.

So anyway, here are a few of my favorite pics.

Tanner on the horse Grandma Whittier gave him for his birthday.

Us as a family, not the best but we did our best.

Kayla playing on the stairs between takes. She thought she was so cute.

Daddy and his kids. They have so much fun together and play all day long. They love to wrestle, climb every where, and get thrown around. They sure love him.

My babies. Even if they are a year and a half, they are still my babies.

Halloween costumes

Kayla and Dad out trick or treating
Kayla and Tanner in there costumes with there pumkins


Kayla was a lady bug.

and Tanner was a duck.

Tanner and Kayla Carving Pumkins
Kayla loves her pumpkin

Pumpkin carving complete

Tanner and his pumpkin

Halloween in Vegas

Melissa got frusterated when writing the blog last time. So I guess I'll give it a try.

Halloween

Here in Nevada we have a state holiday for Nevada the day we became a state which is October 31 which is nice so we also have Halloween off. Kyle spent most of the day working so the kids and I ran errands, and got ready. Then we carved pumpkins. That night we went to a comm

unity event and got candy from booths. Then we went to the ward trunk-or-treat. Here we are carving the pumpkins

They loved to take the lids off and on.

Trucks

Kayla loves trucks as much as Tanner. He got them for his birthday but it is a good think Sinks gave him 2 so he could share with Kayla. They spent almost an hour one day this week pushing them around.

GO, TANNER, GO!

Kayla, even in her dress, pushing the big CAT vehicle.

They they decide to take the trucks to the rocks. They loved to scoop up rocks and put them inside.

Gilcrease Orchard

There is one working orchard in the Las Vegas area and we headed out there today. We had so much fun. The pumpkin selection wasn't great and pretty picked over but the kids didn't care. There were apples to pick. That was their favorite. Help Dad, the apples are hard to pick.

Kayla's turn, pull hard.
But they had to eat them right away. Tanner thought I was taking his apple away when all I wanted was a picture, hence he is upset.
There were pumpkins to pick and corn stalks everywhere.
Here is a pumpkin Kayla found, notice the expression as it was heavy.

Here Tanner is trying to bite it like his apple. Maybe he thought it was just a large apple.

We even found a couple of zucchini. I am going to make some bread. Two big ones like this cost $1.15 I think.Notice the apple still in Tanner's hand.

Sliding and chasing

Kayla has alwasy thought she was bigger than she is. Her friend Abigail was over and showed her how to go down the slide sitting. Well that was the end of on her tummy like she has been doing for months. Here is a video of it. The has also decided that you go up and down the stairs walking and holding the rail. Once in a while she will go on her tummy but mostly she walks it. She hasn't fallen, yet.

Kayla loves to be chased and runs and laughs even if no one is chasing but she thinks they could. Here is her getting chased at the park.

Park Day

Here is a trip to the park from a couple of weeks ago. We can finally go to the park as it is cool enough and they are both walking. They love being outside. This was when Tanner first was walking.

They love each other

I have always said that my kids love each other and play so well together, well now I have proof. We have all been a little under the weather here. Monday night Kayla woke up and started the bug by throwing up every 15 to 30 min all night and it was oh so fun. On Tuesday, Tanner would come over to where she was laying on my lap and pat her back. What a sweet brother. On Wednesday morning Tanner would eat breakfast and then started his own sick party. Once I put Kayla down when she wanted holding to get Tanner who was crying. Kayla then proceeded to go down the hall, find Tanner's snuggly(soft blanket) and bring it back and give it to him. She loves her snuggly so much and carries it everywhere, that she knew it would make Tanner fell better. It brought tears to my eyes. What a kind sister.

Kyle has taught them to give each other hugs. It is so darling. They hug, lays heads on shoulders and pat backs. I took a video hopefully it will work. I am so glad they love each other and can show it.

I had this week off school for Ramadan so I was excited for my vacation. We were even going to Disneyland. They Kyle had to stay for a couple of days for work and then they got sick, so our trip was a no go. I wasn't excited to spend my vacations with sick kids and husband. We didn't even get to do fun things around here. I did spend the week sorting clothes, organizing the garage and their bedroom. Hopefully that will make things run more smoothly.

Utah Trip

We headed to Utah for my nephew's baby blessing in SLC. We tried to see as many people as possible in the 48 hours we were there. As I am now a working woman it had to be a quick. Trip I had planned on spending a week there and seeing everyone, but plans changed. Sorry to those who I missed seeing. Will have to catch you next round.

We saw Kyle's Grandma in SLC. Thanks for letting us play. They even tried to help in her garden.

They loved my Grandma's bird bath. What fun 1 inch of water is to play in.
On the grass Tanner kept crawling like a spider, up on his feet.
Here is the Shane Whittier Family. I think Logan is being a pretty good baby. Grow up fast so you can play with Kayla and Tanner.
All the Uncles present. I think he has something like 9 already with more to come. Lucky guy.

Tanner

It seems like Tanner i sthe center of attention lately. He is now walking everywhere. It is so nice. I am glad he is finally done with all the crawling everywhere. GO Tanner! He also got his first hair cut almost a week ago. My brothers said he had a comb over so I had to cut it. He wasn't sure about that idea. He loves his hair brushed but those sissors and holding the hair tight wasn't in his plan.

Of course the only place he had any hair to cut was on the top. It was pretty thin but it was long.

And after the hair cut. It is much nicer now and even looks good when Dad doesn't brush his hair in the morning.

You might ask why Dad is brushing his hair. Well, I am sad to say I am back at work. I am teaching at the school where I used to teach. They had an opening in 3rd grade and couldn't find a teacher they wanted to hire. So the extra money is nice as Kyle is doing real estate right now and trying to get into a police academy so in the long run I can stay home and he can support us.

Back to Tanner. He thinks he is old enough to grill with Dad. He is always trying to turn on the grill and loves to play with the spatula and other tools that hang there.

Yesterday, Tanner was walking outside and fell (not a surprise) but landed with his nose on the door jam into the house. He had his first bloody nose. It was all swollen. Don't know how much you can see in the picture but today there is a nice big scab where it was red and scuffed yesterday. I am sure it won't be his last, but it was his first.

Beach Bums

We took the kids to the beach for the first time with Rick, Ally and kids. They were a little unsure when we got there, but once they warmed up they had a good time. This is when we first arrived, notice the unsure faces.

Kayla loved the sand and was covered from head to toe. She also kept tasting it. Yuck!!

As you can see Tanner did fine as long as he could sit on a towel. The binky is to keep sand out of the mouth.
Poor Ally, is pregnant and will get sick with too much sand, so she just sat and watched.
Hailey, Hayden, and Erik-Thanks for play with your almost cousins.
Can you find Kyle and Rick?
Kyle always complains that I am never in pictures, but he never takes them of me and the kids. Driving home I said I had no pic of me on the kids first beach trip. So he took one.

This was on the way home, I guess the beach is tiring.

Hopefully our next trip will be even more fun.