Baby Mills #3

So, we went to the Doctor on January 11th for our 12 week ultra sound to measure the babies neck and make sure everything was growing as it should. While in there I asked them to peak and take a guess at what we were having, a boy or a girl. This is what they came up with. We will know for sure on February 8th!!

So, we are thinking another boy!! Ha ha. We are all excited. I will repost pics after my next appointment on the 8th!

Disney World June 2011

We went for 9 Days to Florida to go to Diney World in june! We had so much fun.

Trey Lost His First Tooth

Here is a picture of Trey after loosing his very first tooth.

Alyssa's Birthday

It's official! She is 5. I can't believe it. She has gotten so big! We had a good day yesterday. She got to open her Wizard of Oz magnet set, and some of her clothes. Then we went to church where her daddy gave an excellent talk. Then home again for more presents. She got a log of art stuff. She could sit for hours and color and design things. Donnie cooked some really good food, she chose Wings and Mac N Cheese for her dinner. We had some friends come over, she wanted to play with her little friend Kalee. So, they had a blast playing barbies, coloring and playing dress up.

I love this little girl so much. She lights up our lives with her smile and her personality. Trey was also such a good big brother on her birthday. It is so much fun to see how much they love each other and get excited for each other.

Alyssa

On Saturday March 19th, 2011 I decided to take a picture of my baby before she turned 5, and well really won't be my "baby" (I say she always will, but others disagree). She had a birthday party for another little friend, so we got her all dressed up, and took some pictures.

Kids Christmas Trees

So, last year we bought the kids their own Christmas trees for their bedrooms. Alyssa picked out a pink one and Trey picked out a blue one. We did not buy decorations for them last year, but this year we bought some bulbs and we will add on every year as we go. Tonight they decorated their own trees and did such a great job.

Zoo Lights

We go to the Zoo lights with Donnie's family the day before Thanksgiving. We have a blast. It is beautiful and the kids love it. It is a nice tradition we have started that I hope lasts a long long time.

USC vs Tennessee

Donnie's boss gave him 4 tickets on the 50 yard line for today's game. It was an absolutely BEAUTIFUL game. We had such a good time with the kids. We all dressed up and cheered the gamecocks on to a victory of 38 over 24. Alyssa did have a couple of times where she needed a break from cheering and she played her DS, and BARBIES, yes I said BARBIES. She wanted to take them, and I let her. I wanted her to stay happy so Donnie and I could see the game. Trey watched and cheered most of the time, but did take a break to play my I-Pod and when I looked to see what he was playing he was playing a word finding game. It was adorable. He is so smart.

Halloween

Trey decided to be Mario this year. It is really cute because he actually says, "It's me Mario", and it is so cute. Alyssa was going to be Belle, from Beauty and the Beast, and then when we went to pick Trey's costume, she saw Strawberry Shortcake, and really wanted to change her mind. We let her, and so Strawberry she was.

We went to 2 trunk or treats. One with our ward one with Donnie's moms ward. It as fun. They had a blast. We also dressed up for my Mom and Dads traditional Halloween dinner (that we all love). So, we had a great time for Halloween this year.

Past Weekend

We were all extrememly excited that USC beat Alabama. Such a great game. Alabama was ranked #1, and in the history if USC football the highest rank team we had ever beaten was ranked at #3...so it is easy to say that there was a lot of celebrating in Columbia on Saturday.

Trey was off of school yesterday for Columbus Day, and was kind of sad about it. Don't get me wrong he had a great time playing and relaxing (his words), but he does really love school this year. He is in a first-second grade classroom, and is loving it. He is in the 94% in the nation for math and 99% in the nation for reading. He is a very smart little guy, and we love him, and his desire to learn. He reads so well, and loves every bit of school.

Alyssa is so adorable. She can be so sweet and yet sassy. Some of her more recent tag phrases are "that's it, your not my friend anymore" she was talking to Trey at the time. Apartenly he did not want to play what she was playing....another is "this is the worst day of my life ever", she said this after having to go to time out for taking things from her brother and cousin, and last but not least "she is ruining my life", this she said about me to Trey because I asked her to get dressed on Saturday morning. She can be an angel but very dramatic. We have had time outs and discussions on how these phrases are just not nice, but I have to say I laugh about it now....behind her back. :D

My kids are great. I love them dearly. We had a great weekend.

Trey's Birthday

Well my baby boy turned 6 on May 31st, this year. I have been awful about keeping up with the blog. But, he was so excitd to be 6. He will always be younger in his class because of his bithday being at the end of May so most of his friends had already turned 6, and he could hardly wait. He did such a great job in Kindergarten. We are constantly amazed at how fast he learns things.

Well for his birthday we went to school the Friday before for the schools Field Day and had a lot of fun. When school was over we took 2 of his friends home with us. Nathan and Frank. We took them home first to drop off their bags. Then we went to Frankies Fun Park and had a good time letting them play mini golf and video games. When that was done they all decided that McDonalds sounded good, and so they went, ate and played on the play set for a long time. We then went home for them to play and watch movies. Both boys decided they couldn't spend the night and called their moms around 11:30. Which is understandable at their age. It is hard to stay away from home. The next morning we woke up and went to a ward pancake breakfast. Which was a lot of fun. We then ran errands for Trey's big family birthday dinner. He wanted pork chops, which I told him we could do on his real birthday, but what did he want to serve to everyone at the family party, he told me Taco Salad. So, we did. His aunt Teresa made his birthday cake. It turned out so good. He wanted a Carolina Gamecock birthday cake. Look at the slide show for this year, and you will see it. Can't miss how awesome it is. We had a great time with him over the 4 days we celebrated it. On his real birthday we had pork chops, mashed potatoes and gravey, corn on the cob & corn bread with honey. His choices. We are so grateful for Trey. He brings so much joy into our home. We love him so much.

The Weekend

Last week Trey got Spring Fever and was having a hard time concentrating in school, and Alyssa went back into her I am going to throw a tantrum over the littlest thing mode. So, we had a family night about listening and repenting, and also told them that if they both were good all week then on Saturday we would have a really fun day. So, they both did pretty good, and so we had a great day. We went shopping for new spring/summer clothes and shoes for the kids, we bought an elliptical for Donnie and I, and then they also got to spend money from Christmas/birthdays/allowance. We went and ate BBQ, Donnie has really been wanting good BBQ for quite some time. The kids loved it. So, all in all we had a great weekend.

Alyssa's Birthday

Alyssa turned 4 on Saturday March 20th. I can not believe how time has just passed by. She has a wonderful day. Donnie had to work until 1:00pm, so we had decided to get up early enough for her to open a couple of presents in the morning. Well, because of excitement they were both awake and jumping around our room at 7:00 am. Alyssa was excited because she got to open presents, Trey was excited to give her the one he picked out. So, it was cute. After that, Teresa (donnie's very talented cake decorating sister) came to the house, and I took Alyssa to get her hair and nails done at Kenneth Shuler (where sarah goes to school) She was happy to let Sarah curl her hair and paint her nails. It was fun. I then took her to get new shoes for the outfit she got for her birthday, and then we went home so she could play with toys. That afternoon some of her cousins came to watch Princess and the Frog with her, and then her party started. We had the best chicken wings that my dad cooked, potato salad, crab salad, ect. It was all very good. Then we opened presents and had cake and ice cream. It really was a lot of fun, and she was very thankful to everyone who came and of course for the wonderful gifts that were given.

Birthday

Thanks to all that wished me a Happy Birthday. I had a good weekend. Friday night my parents cooked my tradition of having Dad's spaghetti. It was really good. THANK YOU DADDY! Mom made me a carrot cake that was absolutely delicious. Saturday I spent with the kids in the morning. Saturday evening the kids spent the night at Rhonda's and Donnie cooked me a nice dinner. We then went and saw New Moon. It was good. Then we decided to see another movie since we had a free sitter, and we saw Sherlock Holmes. It was really good. Then Sunday after church Donnie and I made home made wings, he grilled them first then dipped them in sauce and then put them back on the grill to caramelize the sauce. They were excellent. It was a good day. The kids brought me my ice cream cake with the candle on it, they did a good job, but when Alyssa got to me she let go. Thankfully I caught it before it caught me on fire. She said, "I was done holding it". She is a mess. But, adorable.

Fun In the Snow

So, we are crazy. We heard that Charlotte was going to get snow, so we loaded the kids up and drove towards icey snowy conditions! But, we were so glad we did. We decided about 3:30 on Friday afternoon that we were going to go. Matthew (our brother inlaw) called us at 5:00 saying it was already coming down pretty good. So, we hurriedly finished packing and loading the car and kids and drove Friday night to Charlotte. We got there about 7:00 and met the Charlotte crew at a Japanese fast food type place. There was already a good 1/2 inch once we arrived. After eating we headed to Marci's where it continued to snow throughout the night. When we woke up there was about 4-5 inches of snow every where. It was so beautiful. So, we all put on our layers and layers of clothes and went sledding. We had a blast. I really thought the kids would get really cold and want to go in within a couple of minutes. They didn't. I also did not think they would be ok to jump on a sled and go down hills by themselves. But, again the surprised me. We had a great time experiencing snow for the first time with Trey and Alyssa. Alyssa did like to go down with Kelsi or mommy more than by herself. The kids asked me why we didn't get to see snow more often. I told them it was because Columbia is in SOUTH Carolina, not North. So, we just don't get cold enough for snow. It was funny. Poor kids. They had so much fun. But, at least we have family in NC that allows us to come and get snowed in with them!

Christmas FHE

Alyssa was Mary, Trey was Joseph, baby doll was Jesus, Buzz, Sparky and Teddy were the 3 wise men.

After this Alyssa always wants to be Mary. It is cute.

We decided to surprise daddy one FHE night, and have the nativity ready when he got home from work. It was the sweetest cutest thing.

Christmas Morning

They both got new stick horses. Trey immediately named his Wild, and Alyssa named hers Pinky!

Alyssa ran straight to her new barbie doll house.

Here are some pics of the kids on Christmas morning, Trey posed for this picture! It was so cute.

Christmas Sunday

We had such a good Christmas morning. Alyssa had taken a nap on Christmas Eve way to late, and so she did not fall asleep until 1:00 am. Which meant Santa could not come until after that. Donnie and I played games with Beth and Michael until she fell asleep. We loved having Beth and Michael home. It was so much fun, and very relaxing. This is the picture we took as a family on Christmas Sunday. The kids were so cute. Donnie and I are very blessed.

Time Off Work

Well, Donnie and I took off all of last week to just hang out with the kids. The first thing we did was family movie night on Friday the 26th, we watched Pete's Dragon. The kids loved it. It had been a REALLY long time since I had seen that movie, and I still loved it. (I know I am a dork) But, one of the things we did this week was take a walk with the kids. It was about 8:00pm when we decided to go. It was still pretty light out. Once outside we decided to go to my moms, because she was home alone (Dad and Sarah were at institute). All of a sudden Alyssa starts yelling that she sees Pete's Dragon, she seem him, he's right there. Donnie and I start looking around, and sure enough the clouds where situated in a way that made it look like Pete's Dragon. It was so cute. As you can see the picture that is attached, it looked like Pete's Dragon.

Trey's Procedure

Well, Trey had outpatient surgery this morning. He had meatal stenosis, which meant he had to have meatal plastey (the procedure to fix the stenosis). Because Trey and Alyssa had been tested for bladder reflux in the fall, they both HATE doctors, hospitals, and any mention of it burning when they used the bathroom. Unfortunately all of Trey's problems he has had with it burning when he would urinate, came from this problem (meatal stenosis). So, we are glad it is fixed, and happy that we were in and out in 5 hours. He has a little pain when he has to go to the bathroom, or when he doesn't listen to mommy and lay still for a while. :) Other than that he seems to be recovering wonderfully. This was a picture taken after it was over, and we were waiting for them to take the IV out, and unhook him from all of the machines. This look is, Dad stop taking pictures of me, but mom was telling dad too. :)

Father's Day

We took some pictures today of the kids and Donnie, since it was father's day. They love their dad, and had fun helping me make breakfast for him before church. It was really cute.

Alyssa

On June 15th, my mom's treadmill's latch decided to stop working, and it knocked Alyssa flat on her stomach. She had massive bruises on her back. There was a bruise on every rib, and a large one right below. We had her checked out and everything was fine (which we were so relieved, and grateful). But, here is a picture, I couldn't get the lighting to adjust to really show how deep and dark her bruises were, but you can get the idea.

Trey's Birthday

Well, we decided to celebrate Trey's birthday with Donnie's family over Memorial Day weekend. We had a blast. We went to a see Night at the Museum II, on Friday night once we got to Charlotte. Then on Saturday Donnie played golf and then we all went to the park to play. When we got home from the park Trey opened one of his presents from us, and Marci, Chad, Kelsi, Lexi, Matthew & Teresa's. He got a Wii from Donnie, Alyssa and I, and then the game Mariokart with a steering wheel from Marci and everyone. He LOVES IT! He was really excited. So, we played that with him until dinner came. Then once dinner was over (it was like 9:00) my kids went to bed, and we all watched Mall Cop. It was really cute. On Sunday we went to Church and then came home and got the food ready and Teresa MAJORLY helped me with Trey's cake. Dad, Mom, Angie and little Gavin were able to come as well. So, that was a treat. Gavin is doing really well. We just found out though, that he will have surgery on Thursday the 4th. He has a hernia. No fun. But, they say he will only be in the hospital overnight. Anyways, Mom, Dad, Angie and Gavin game Trey a transformer, transformer puzzle and then also Lego Indiana Jones Wii game. He loves all of it and plays with all of it ALL of the time. We then did cake and ice cream and enjoyed each others company. Then on Monday we packed up, went to lunch with everyone and headed home to my dad's birthday party, where we had ribs, crab salad, ect. It was a nice long weekend.

On Friday the 29th we celebrated Trey's birthday with my family. We cooked hamburgers, had crab salad and chips. Then he opened a present from my mom and dad, and they gave him the original non-cartoon movies of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He was so excited. He LOVES THEM. My Grandpa and Grandma Shurtleff gave him money as did Elizabeth.

On Saturday the 30th, was our day to celebrate with Trey by going out and about. On Alyssa's birthday we did Chuck E Cheese and the Zoo. Trey wanted to see a movie, go shopping (to spend his money), play the Wii, Watch Turtles, and eat at Olive Garden. So, we went to Toys R Us, where he bought all 4 action figure turtles that can also transform into pet turtles. Then we went to the movie UP! Which was excellent. A lot better then the previews made it out to be. Then we went shopping some more, and then to Olive Garden. When we got home we put together his turtles and played with him for a bit. (Alyssa had not spent her money from my grandparents yet either, so she bought Arora and Cinderella barbie dolls) We all played for a while and then put them down to movies while Donnie and I watched Lost. It was a very fun day.

Today May 31st Trey turned 5. It is still hard to believe. I am a little sad that he is growing up so fast, but as I have sat here and thought about it, we have a lot of GREAT memories with him over the years, and I can not wait to make more.

Update

Wow! Since it has been since January 1st, I thought I should update everyone on what we have been up to......NOT MUCH! :0) Ok, so I turned 25 on Feb. 7th. Doesn't seem like I should be 25. But, I am. Oh well. We went to the park with the kids and had a picnic and just stayed outside all day. It was a beautiful day. The kids bought me some perfume, and Donnie bought be some pj's. They are from Old Navy and very comfy. Then he took me to The Melting Pot while mom watched the kids. We had never been (for those who don't know it is a fondue restaurant) it was EXCELLENT. For Valentines day Donnie's mom had the kids while we went shopping for shoes ( a standing tradition since before we ever dated....long story). He bought be a key with a heart on top diamond necklace. It is beautiful. We had a good day.

Alyssa turned 3 on March 20th. I can not believe that she is that old, but she is. Where does the time go? We had a great time celebrating her birthday. Donnie and I took her birthday off. We went to chuck - e - cheese for lunch and the kids had a blast. Then we went to the Zoo. Alyssa wanted to ride a pony for her birthday. So, we did. It was fun. They looked so cute. The above picture is of them with the riding helmets on. Alyssa really wanted to keep hers. But, oh well. For those of you who know my daughter she has been attached to her passie since day 1. Well, a week before her birthday she gave them up! Which was a HUGE accomplishment. For months we have been telling her that they would break by her birthday because she is a big girl now. Well, she kept finding them "broken" (the ends cut off) around the house. Then one night she decided to give them up completely. It was nice. After her birthday we moved on to potty training her. Which she has been ready since before she was 2, but she is one stubborn little girl. So, we decided to let her go to the zoo and ride the pony 2 times if she would go potty in the big girl potty. Well she did, and we have yet to go! I know I am horrible. We have not had a free weekend in months. But, we will make good on our promise.

Trey is turning 5 this month. I can not believe that my baby is going to school in August. But, I have to start believing it, because I register him this week for school. He is so smart, I can not be live some of the things he says. He remembers everything. You can show him once and he's got it down. He has been working on reading, and also on his addition. It is really cute to hear him work out a math problem and then come up with the correct answer. I hope is enthusiasm for learning keeps up through school. He can't get enough of it right now. He is a wonderful big brother and helped with reminding Alyssa to go potty so she wouldn't have an accident. He will also be getting the pony ride for this. He would tell her, Alyssa even if you don't think you need to go, go in and go so we can ride the pony's again. It was really cute. He also helps me keep things clean around the house. (although his toys seem to be all over his room at times) But, he likes helping with dishes, and his favorite is to take a Clorox wipe and wash walls, counters, doors, and almost every hard surface in the house. Recently Donnie's sister Rhonda got married. She had a DJ at the wedding and Trey got out and danced and danced. It was cute. The other picture above is the kids outside the temple in the clothes Rhonda had them wear for the wedding.

Donnie has been working like crazy. He is on the road around Columbia all of the time. With budgets being cut on the district level, allot of his schools sports budgets have also been cut. He is working hard to maintain what he billed last year, and doing a good job. He is also going to start selling Life Insurance on the side, and becoming a financial planner through Beneficial Financial Group. It is a church owned insurance company that offers hundreds of ways to plan for the future, and to make sure your families are taken care of in time of need. He is excited. He has been licenced before to sell, and is studying to become re-licenced. So, he is staying busy.

I am still working with Absolute Title. I have been here 8 years in August, and can not belive that at all. Sometimes I can't remember doing anything before I started when other times I can not believe it has really been 8 years. But, they treat me well, and I enjoy the responsibility that comes with my job.

That should bring us up to speed. I will add a new slide show of pics soon. I will also add more of Alyssa's birthday and then of Trey's once we have the party.

Happy New Year

Last night we had some company come over to help us usher the new year in. We ate wonderful food, played games and enjoyed sparking strawberry, apple and grape juice as a toast at 12:00am. We wish all of you the best of luck in 2009, and hope it will be a better year for everyone.

Christmas Time

Look at the bottom of my page for a new album of pictures through out our Christmas season. We had such a good time together as a family. Trey and Alyssa where so much fun to be with. They were filled with excitement and very pleasant to be around. They were very grateful for all that they received. Since Chrismtas all they do is play up in their play room. We have to beg them to come down and spend time with us! :0) But, I am glad they are enjoying all of the wonderful gifts given to them by Mommy, Daddy, Santa, Aunts, Uncles & Granparents. There Christmas was completely magical. Donnie and I are truly grateful for all of you.

Christmas Eve

Donnie had to work today. He should be off by 2:00. The kids woke up so excited that Santa is coming tonight. They ran around the house to try and find Chip. They found him, and he had brought them a present. He brought them "Horton Hears A Who". They are excited. We will be with Mom and Dad Shurtleff's today. Then home in the morning to do Christmas as our own little family. We will come to Mom and Dad's again to talk to Josh. Then tomorrow afternoon we will head to Charlotte. We are excited.

Christmas with Rhonda & Burke

This year Rhonda will be going to Missouri with Burke for Christmas. So, last night we went and did Christmas with them. Burke had drawn my name and Donnie had Burke's. Rhonda also got the kids gifts. It was a lot of fun. I got a purse and necklace. Burke got a shirt from Donnie and 1 other thing that can not be mentioned until Christmas. (It goes along with one of Rhondas gifts) Then Trey got a guitar from Rhonda and Burke. Alyssa got a necklace with her initials on it. Then Grandma Mills gave them Lego sets and Pajama's for Christmas Eve. They were so excited. It was adorable. They had so much fun.

Family Night

To start off with. Trey sang in church on Sunday (12/14) with the primary, and he did a wonderful job. The primary chorister really gets all of the kids, but especially Trey singing loud and clear. It was really sweet. Then in Primary they asked the kids what they could give Jesus for Christmas. Hands went up in the air with answers like, Reverence, Be Nice, Snow and at the last minute Trey raised his hand and said to be like him, to be like Jesus. It was so sweet.

Family night tonight was fun. As I mentioned we have an elf. His name is Chip. He came to live with us during Christmas last year, and has come again this year. As the kids are good, and do their chores, listen to momy and daddy, and be good, Chip in turns travels to the North Pole every night and tells Santa if they have been good. Well, tonight Chip left the kids a present under the tree. We openend it and it was Dinsey Scene It (for those who do not know, Scene It is a really fun game, but this one is all about Disney Movies). We first had a Family Night about the true meaning of Christmas where Trey and Alyssa came up with ideas on how we can keep the true meaning of Christmas by being nice, listening and giving others gifts. It was really sweet. Then we had bath time, and finally we played Scene it. Which they loved. I recommend it to all of you with small children. Donnie and I enjoyed it as well. We then had a treat and put the kids down. It is funny how when we have a structured family home evening, the kids really enjoy it and act better and feel better. It is a testimony to me, that family time (in todays world especially) is so important. I love my family and enjoy every minute I am able to spend with them.

Christmas Pictures

Today we took Christmas Pictures for our Christmas cards. I also got a new calling. I am still the ward music chairman, and now I will also be teaching the Sunbeams! I am excited because I have subbed a couple of times and Trey is still a sunbeam through the end of December. I love being in Primary with the kids. Especially being in Junior Primary. They are all so sweet and innocent in their answers to the questions presented. Alyssa will not move up in January to Primary. She has 1 more year in nursery. I will have about 5 new kids in January. One of them I know for sure will be a challenge. He screams his head off every time his mom trys to leave him in nursery. Needless to say they don't even try anymore. Oh well. Donnie sang with the ward choir tonight in the Christmas concert. It was a nice program. I have to admit I didn't hear all of it considering we had my kids and Rachael's kids sitting with us. They were all pretty good. :0)

This weekend we went and bought snowflake icicle lights for our house. It looks beautiful. We had fun putting them up but now Donnie's back is sore. That is all I have for this week. I will keep you posted.

Disney World

The first Week of November we took the kids to Disney World. We had a BLAST! We were in Florida for 8 straight days. We went to Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Animal Kingdom. We had so much fun.

Family Project

At the beginning of the year we put our house on the market. 6 months, 52 people later. We took it off the market. We did not receive one offer, even with the heavy traffic. So, we decided to make a Master Suite. We had 4 bed rooms 2 1/2 baths. We took the bedroom that was off of the master and turned it into the Master bedroom took the old Master bedroom and made it into a 14'x 6' closet and then also a bathroom with a jetted bath tub and double sink vanity, along with a toilet room. We love it! That has been our family project for the past couple of months. So, the down stairs has been redone except for the hall bath which will soon be my new laundry room. We are going to stay put for a couple of years until the housing market gets better, and we can get the equity we deserve.

Alyssa

Alyssa is 2 1/2 years old and as southerners would say, "Alyssa is WIDE OPEN"! For the westerners reading this blog, is means full of energy! She is the extreme of every emotion. When she is happy, everyone wants to be around her because she could even make Scrooge smile. When she is sad, you feel like crying because of the face and the crocodile tears. When she is mad, she is LOUD (thanks to the Shurtleff vocal chords). But, she is a joy to be around. She has a WONDERUL imagination. She loves animals. She reminds me alot of myself when I was little, she treats her stuffed animals like babies, with tucking them in, and giving them bottles.
I have told her that from day one, "Alyssa you are my beautiful princess", and so now she goes around telling people that she is a beautiful princess. She is in love with all of the Barbie movies and anything to do with the Disney Princess's. Her favorite is Ariel from the Little Mermaid. I will post a video soon of her singing the Ariel song. Part of this world. It is adorable. She is our angel. She absolutey adores Trey. They play so well together.

Trey

Trey is 4 1/2 years old. He is so much fun to be with! He is so full of life. He makes everyone smile. His favorite things right now are, playing football and diego on the play station, playing outside, coloring, writing, buzz light year, anything to do with the movie cars, and of course CHRISTMAS! Last year Santa Clause sent an Elf to live with us for the Christmas holiday. We asked Trey what he would like to name the Elf and he wanted to name him "Potatoe Chips" Mommy shortened it to just Chip. Well, this year Trey asked me if Chip was coming back (let me tell you, his memory astounds all of us constantly). I told him I would write Santa and ask him. Well, he came. He arrived last night. I asked Donnie this morning if Chip could live with us year round. When Chip is in the house Trey, listens the first time, cleans up his toys (without being asked), gets dressed by himself...the list could go on and on. Needless to say Trey LOVES Chip. The thing about Chip is he goes back every night and tells Santa if Trey and Alyssa have been good or bad, and Trey wants to make sure Santa knows he has been good. Trey is a wonderful big brother to Alyssa. He trys really hard to be a good example to her, play with her, and help her when she needs help.

Tabitha

I am currently working with Absolute Title, LLC. In August I hit my 7 year mark with this company. Over the past 5 years my responsibilities here have grown. The past 1 1/2 years is where I have pretty much taken over running things. I enjoy what I do. It is challenging at times. With the economy things have been slower than usual, but I have been blessed because we have not had to let anyone go, and most companies like ours have been laying off and cutting salaries right and left.

I was release a couple of months ago from being the 1st counselor in the Young Womens. I am now the Ward Music Chariman. I enjoy working with music again. I do miss the Young Women, but I also enjoy one more night at home with my kids.

Donnie

Donnie is currently working for T&T Sports. He is a sales rep over the greater columbia area. He sells team sporting goods to local schools and rec. centers. He enjoyes what he does, although it can be quite stressful at times.

Donnie is the 2nd counselor in the Stake Young Mens presidency. It keeps him quite busy. He was completely in charge of Prom at the beginning of the year, he had a major role in a Service project our stake did for the Boy Scout Camp here in Columbia, and then had Youth Conference. He stays busy but loves what he does.