Accomplishments!

For the longest time I was soo worried about Grayson. He has a cousin that is just ON THE MOVE! She did everything and more early! At  least that's how it has felt! I was worried that it was taking Grayson too long to do physical things! Lately I have noticed the HUGE accomplishments my boy has made! I love seeing him learn new things!!

It felt like FOREVER before he rolled over! Shortly before he was six months old he did the trick!!

 Then he began to LOVE his doorway jumper! He would jump in that all day if I let him! He jumps so hard that he scrapes the tips of his toes off! Don't worry that only happened once! He always extra socks on to prevent it now! He likes to be up and see the world around him.

 

He was always doing baby crunches so I tried sitting him up! I guess he was ready! The first pic is him sitting with a little help from the couch and the next are of him a pro just chewing on his toys!

 

He is starting to enjoy his highchair and foods! I still have to mix his foods with a bit of rice cereal or he just gags with every bite! If he is on his tummy on the floor he will scoot in a perfect 360 degree circle, not forward, just around and around in circles!

 

He love phones, cords, paper and the Ipad! Here he's helping Daddy and Uncle Tommy win their games! and caught red handed!

 

I also believe that being a GREAT parent involves making your child look ridiculous as much as you can while their little. It's great! We found this AWESOME 80's jacket and hat from my childhood. Grayson got to model it all for you! He was NOT enthused! He also got to "ride" my uncle's stuffed bear hanging out at my grandmas!!

 

On a side note the goats are having babies! Grayson got to meet a pair the other day! They were very loud because we took them from their mama. That part scared him! but they are soo cute together!

 

Babies grow, and most importantly, they do in at their own pace and in their own way. I have learned that no one worries like a mother. I love my boy, just the way he is! I wouldn't have it any other way!

I'm sorry if you are tired of seeing pictures of my little boy! However this is a journal-ish thing that I would like to print out one day soon! I will try to get more pictures of Tyler and I and stories of our adventures! It is starting to warm up here and I am hoping for Spring! Grayson and I are tired of the house!! Adventures await outside!!
Until next time....

Where Does the Time Go?

People have mentioned it has been a while since I've updated. Indeed it has! A baby and husband happens to take most of my time!! We have just been truckin' away at our lives. Day after day we just go. We take each day one at a time, trying to relish that happiness that our lives happen to be!

Grayson turned six months old in January and 7 months in February! He finally was able to master his papaw trick!! My baby is growing MUCH to fast, but I LOVE all the new milestones and watching him grow.

 

On same day weekend of Grayson's half birthday, we experiences TWO special events. Little miss Kendra was baptized! She is a sweet sweet girl and Tyler was very happy to be a witness on his little sister's special day! Tyler's grandma flew in from Texas and we loved seeing her again!

 

Mr. Jace Thomas Miller was blessed the day after Kendra's baptism! He a cute cute boy! I LOVE the faced he makes!

 

And some big news for our family, this sexy fella,

Got a promotion at work! He went from being an hourly employee to a salaried supervisor!! I am grateful he is so hard working and constantly wants for our lives to progress and be better!! I have the best husband ever! He is also the best daddy ever! Our little boys sure does love him!! 

After Kendra's baptism we went to the Jump Zone in Logan for our Swamily meeting! I had a lot of fun getting to know my camera! I got a lot of fun shots! You will get to see how crazy some of our family is! Jumping for one hour is a WHOLE lot harder than you would think! lol!

 

The little girls liked to slide down the trampoline! It resulted in funny looking chins! 

 

We have been busy, busy!!
Until next time...

Top 10 of 2012

Every year, Tyler's family lists all of the big things that happened to them the last year and rate them according to importance. Tyler INSISTED that we do one of our own this year. Call us lame, but it took quite a bit of work to come up with 10 largish things that happened to us. A few people met us with laughs(Thanks, Teresa jk), but we decided they were important us and listed them anyway! I will start at the bottom.... If there are pictures, there are pictures. If not, oh, well.

10. I got crafty! Or well, a little bit! I always have big dreams about all the things I would like to make. Pregnancy made me nest, and nesting made my crafty. Kinda. I got to work on my own scrapbook, may burp rags and blankets. I also tried to patch the holes in Tyler's pants. The patches didn't last long cuz the boy is just so hard on pants!!

9. Swallow boys started golfing! I don't even know where the interest began, but I am grateful Tyler's dad always includes him. We've hit range balls. They have bought, bartered, and traded too many golf sets to count. I got to drive a golf cart. And the boys have come home laughing too many times for me to complain.

8. Tyler had the opportunity to coach Tommy's baseball team with his dad. It was soo fun!! I do enjoy an entertaining baseball game! I really enjoyed the opportunity to get out of the house and endure the last bit of pregnancy. I loved watching Tommy play and be a better player at the end of the season. Maybe this year Tyler can do it again and Grayson can tag along with his daddy! I'm so excited for this coming summer!

7. We became gun owners! It wasn't as big a deal to me because we always had guns. Hey, I got a rifle for my 12th birthday! I wonder where that is btw.. Anyways. My husband likes toys. After we went shooting after Thanksgiving, he couldn't stop talking about the guns he wanted to own. I did some undercover work and got him his lever action cowboy rifle. He sure loves it! Also, stricter gun control laws are crap and won't fix the problem. I'll step down from the soap box now.

 

6. Raise at work. Tyler got 2 raises this year. 2 of which we are VERY grateful for! Because of recent events we are learning to be grateful to just have a job. For that is more than most people can boast. It meets our needs, gives us extra for wants and will get our family through Tyler's schooling. It's all we can ask for. We have been truly blessed.

5. We both have "big kid callings". I became a visiting teacher. I'm learning to love my sisters and the service I can give to them. Tyler is the 1st Councilor in the Young Men's Presidency. He is such a good example for those boys. He wants them to succeed and find happiness in the gospel. He is a kid at heart, he fits in pretty naturally!

4. We have been very blessed in the Niece and Nephew department. In the summer of 2011. The three oldest Swallow children got married. By the end of 2012 all three of those couples had babies. We were blessed with niece Lynnlee and nephew Jace. They are such sweeties! My sisters little one, Bentley also turned one this yr. We love our families!

 

3. Tyler and I have been married a whole year!! Some may not think it is a feat, but we are happy and can't wait to spend eternity together!

 

2. TYLER GOT HIS ASSOCIATES DEGREE! Many have told me that this is not a big deal, because today an associates degree is equivalent to a high school diploma. This may be true, but my husband worked his BUTT off to get it and I couldn't be more proud of him and his fortitude! We have started USU and hope to finish in the next 20 yrs. At least that's how long it feels like it will be... just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming swimming....

1. We were blessed to have Grayson Tyler join our family! He is such a special gift from heaven!! He brings laughs, smiles and happiness to our lives!! The last pic is because, again, gun control laws are crap. The end.

 

We are looking forward to the top 10 of 2013!! It's going to be a good year!
Until next time....

Christmas 2012

I have always loved Christmas, but having your own child to have Christmas with sure changes things! I was more excited to experience things with him than I was about myself! We opened some presents early when my family came up for Tyler's birthday.
When I was growing up, every time a sibling was born my mom made them their very own stocking. I wanted to make all of my children's as well. This year I got to make Graysons!

No too bad if I say so myself!

We had my little sister Chalese for Christmas and she is a "belieber" so to say. We got her a Justin Bieber dress up book and jelly watch! I think she liked it! 

 

I didn't do too well with pictures, but my mom got us sleeping bags that we are VERY excited to use this summer! My dad got me a clock that plays hymns, Tyler a target for his new gun and Grayson a VERY warm coat! My mom also got Grayson a cool nightlight/noise machine, trucks he can chew on and books for church! They are great and he loves them very much. She got him this ball that lights up. He loves it but gets mad because he can't hold it himself!! It's super funny!! Below are pictures of his first Christmas!

 

On Christmas Eve, Tyler's side of the family started their traditional celbrations! We started by making Gingerbread Mangers. Tyler outshined all the rest with his magnificent work of art!

 

We finished by acting out the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Grayson was the only baby so he got to play Jesus. Which meant Tyler and I got to be Joseph and Mary (SCORE!). Lillie and Emma were wisewomen. Tommy was a shepard and Kendra was the angel. Notice the picture where I am 'great with child". It was a lot of fun!

 

 

 

Needless to say it is QUITE the event!!
My brother had us for Christmas this year. He and his girlfriend did a really good job! They got us Texas shirts! Each shirt has an orange longhorn on it and our name in black! Grayson got onsies to match!

We had a wonderful Christmas! We are grateful that a Savior was born to save us all! We hope you had a great Christmas and had the opportunity to reflect upon our Savior's gift! We encourage you to remember Him EVERY day!

Until next time.....