Chris and Missy's Crew

I just love that when you run their names together you get
Chrismissy
Our favorite time of the year!!

Chris and Missy have had a great year. They got to come out to visit us in the spring and had a fun family reunion with all of Missy's family in the summer. They have been working non-stop on their home again this year and most of the emphasis was on the backyard except for sprucing up their bedroom and Chris also did a major reconstruction of their stair well to the basement and setup a great workshop in the garage!

Chris is enjoying his work at BYU and got a couple of grants funded for additional research in mechanical engineering. He does a lot of traveling for BYU. Before he knows it he will have tenure. He is so much like his Dad. He is always busy working on something. Jim loves to help the boys with any projects they may have. If and when he gets to retire I know he will be very busy and happy to help the kids as needed.

Missy is one busy mom, and both of them are busy in the church as well. Chris follows in his Dad's footsteps at Scout Master right now. He really is a chip off the old block in a lot of ways! Missy has been taking care of all the kids and a new puppy. She enjoys scrapbooking and makes some beautiful Snapfish books and she made a quilt for her sister-in-law this year too. She teaches Connor's Primary at Church. She is hoping they will get to go to Oklahoma to be with her parents for Christmas next year. Missy enjoyed her garden this year and grew at least one gigantic radish from the photos I saw. She is a very giving mother and that is so good.

Conner is 10 and in the 4th grade. He is actively pursuing his piano and has become quite accomplish in less than a year. He like to work on his theory for fun and practices without being asked quite a bit. I think it is a good sign! He enjoys mastering various games on the Wii and the computer and loves to read and doing things with his friend, Ethan. Connor is looking forward to having his own room sometime in the coming year. He loves to read and is a big Harry Potter fan. Missy takes the kids to the library all the time and they come home with a boatload of books each time. He just got done performing in the school's Christmas choir. Oh how we do no like missing all the fun events the kids participate in each year. One of these days.....


Aynslee is 7 and has grown up so much this year. She is in first grade but she seems older to me. She is reading so well and read my a Dr. Seuss book that was quite a tongue twister with absolutely no hesitation. She is crazy for purple and still loves playing with her cousin, Julia! She enjoys her art work and spends a lot of time making beautiful picture with lots of pretty colors. Aynslee loves to play with her friends from school, church, and the neighborhood. It's nice she ahs lots of little girls to keep her company since she is the only girl in her family! I ma also thrilled she has 4 girl cousins just a mile or so away!


Zach is 5 and in kindergarten this year. He is loving school and his teacher. She is the chorister in their ward so he gets to see her on Sundays too. He enjoys playing computer games that require a lot of coordination and skill. He tried to teach me one but to no avail. Where in the world do these kids learn how to do that? Zach is into having a Mohawk this year as can be clearly seen in his first school picture above. Zach likes singing and playing with his brothers and sister and their new puppy, Edison. Zach also enjoyed learning about gardening from his mom this past summer. All the kids are having fun with the new swing Daddy built for them for the backyard. Zach is one of the sweetest kids on earth! He is pretty irresistible.

Owen is 2 1/2 and really on the go. Most of my photos of him are blurry. He is such a little cutie and looks a lot like Aynslee. He has the cutest little voice and loves to pester the puppy. He loves his Mommy and likes to keep her in view most of the time. Owen loves sweet treats and if you truly are what you eat, then it is no wonder he is such a sweetheart.


Edison is our only grand dog. He is a great little puppy and growing like a weed! The puppy stage is not easy on Mom and Dad but they are willing to make great sacrifices for their kids. When we were there during Thanksgiving Break Chris was up before the sun each morning walking his dog. Grampa loved tagging along. Missy has a lot of doggie duties also, including but not limited to cooking for him when he was sick a few weeks ago. These guys have a full and active life and we love them a lot!