Walker Ryan Ungerman

In September Walker turned eight years old. He is such a wonderful son and brother, and we were all excited to share this birthday with him. At eight he is still just as silly and fun as he was as a three years old. He loves to laugh and make others laugh. He loves to figure out how things work and has been enjoying music and computer games as most boys do. He has been into the Pokemon trading cards thing, which is all he wanted for his birthday. I must admit, I wish he would out grow this fad quickly.

He is in the second grad and is a very good student. He is an excellent reader and has to be told often at night to "please turn off the light, you are going to be exhausted tomorrow". He likes mysteries and anything funny.

Walker has always been an independent, but also obedient son. As a brother, I would say typical. He loves his sister and also loves to bug her and make her cry if possible.

As a friend he is loyal and charismatic. He makes friends easily and is always up for anything fun. He loves to ride his bike and jump on the trampoline, play board games and tell silly jokes. He has a lot of energy even though he does not eat much. Still picky at eight, I don't know what to do. Peanut butter and jelly with an applesauce and milk everyday for lunch. He's not sick of it yet. Oh well.

I love watching him grow. He has gotten taller this year and he's got feet like his dad, long toes and skinny feet. I love it. I also enjoy seeing how his mind is growing and developing. He is a deep thinker and is very observant, sometimes he observes things going on around him that I never even noticed. He is growing in the gospel as well, and has retained many things he is has learned in Primary, which makes me happy.

On October 10th he was baptized. It was a great day, and Walker made it his own by taking an extra dip in the baptismal font after his ordinance, which of course made everyone laugh. Character, and Confidence. He's amazing. He was very solemn during his confirmation and has been very good to be reverent and attentive at church.

I am glad to see him growing in so many ways. I am so grateful that he is my son. I love to spend time with him and I look forward to the things he will do this next year. I love you Walker.

Brother and Sister

I have felt so blessed to have been given two beautiful children. They are such great kids. To have a boy and a girl was just what I wanted, but in the last year I have begun to see that this might not be as ideal as I thought.

When Shelby was born Walker adored her and she him. Walker loved to play with her and help her. As she grew he let her tag along where ever he went and still does. Shelby was so sensitive to her big brothers needs, that even as a infant she would cry if he was crying. She wanted him to be happy always, and continues to want that.

Well in this last year Walker has really become indifferent to his sister. He says he wishes he had a brother, and that she bugs him. But it's more than that. He is just mean to her sometimes. Purposely ignoring her, negatively commenting on anything she says,(which is belittling) teasing her to tears. Part of me thinks this is normal, he's getting older and there is a three year gap in age, and another part of me wants to punish him for hurting this little princess who worships him.

One night a few weeks ago I peeked into Shelby's room and Walker was reading her a story book. Walker has become a very good reader, and I was moved by this momentary break in his dislike of his sister. It was very sweet to see.

I decided to ask him to read to her every night. When I asked he really didn't want to, but he does it and I know he really does enjoy it and of course so does she. I want them to be good sibllings and learn to love and serve each other. I know I can't make them, but I hope they will stay loving to each other.

Happy Birthday Shelby

Shelby turned four on Febuary 2nd. What a Sweetheart. She had a fun day at Nanna's and then came home to have a party. She enjoyed having her friends over. They made bracelets and played in her room. They dressed up and danced. She blew out her candles and they all ate cupcakes and strawberry icecream floats. She loved all of her presents, and gave her friends big hugs. She was a very happy little girl.

Shelby has always been a very happy child, and we love her sooooooo much! She is such a content and mild mannered girl. She is very affectionate and has her daddy wrapped around her finger. She loves to watch mommy and do what I do. Especially when I'm getting ready. She loves to look in the mirror and use my blush brush, and if I'm putting on lip gloss, or lotion she always needs some too. She adores almost worships her big brother Walker and worries that he loves everyone but her. She follows him around and thinks he is the funniest boy in the world. She does not like it when he teases her and gets him back when she can. She keeps up with him pretty well.

Even though she quite often is playing with the boys, she is a girly girl to the core. Shelby loves to sing and dance, so long as it isn't infront of alot of people who want her to show off. She loves her long beautiful hair, but hates to have us brush it. She loves makeup and fingernail polish and dress up and jewelry. She is very nuturing to her babies and stuffed animals. She gives the Best tea parties. She is helpful around the house and is always busy. She loves to watch Dora the Explorer and Strawberry Shortcake. She loves books and coloring. She is very imaginative, and can entertain herself with her toys.

Shelby has always been on the quite shy side around others, but has really come out of her shell this last year. She takes her time getting used to people and then loves them to death. We are so glad that she is out little girl. Happy Birthday Shelby, Shelby Baby, Sissalia Shiss boom bia, Sese, Sis We Love You!!!

Butterflies in Winter

In august last year Walker found a caterpillar in our yard. We had found a few during the summer. Fuzzy little buggers that are kinda cute but also bite little holes into the leaves of my beloved trees, so we like them but sorta hate them.

Anyway Walker showed me that he had found this caterpillar and had put it in one of our vases. Vases rarely get used in our house (so sad). He had put some blades of grass and some leaves in there for it. Now had I been a more naturalistic person, I would have told my son to put it back outside and let it live with its family. Instead I told him something like "Cool buddy, Good job". Truth be told I barely remember it, but a few months later or it could have been a few weeks who knows, I do remember him showing me the cocoon now in the vase. It looked kinda small and dead, and I truly didn't think there was anything in it. He kept it in his room for a while, and we forgot about it.

In December I moved the vase from the top of his dresser, where he puts about everything that he feels is worth keeping. Which is about everything. I moved the vase to the top of the fridge so that I could clean it out and put it back into the cupboard above the fridge where the things go that rarely get used. There it got forgotten again.

On Sunday while Sterling was getting some ice from the freezer he happened to look up and there was a butterfly frantically flapping its wings trying to get out of the vase. We were astonished and amazed. Walker was of course not surprised even though he too had forgotten about the vase with the cacoon. "I told you it was alive" he said.

So now we have a butterfly and it's so beautiful, but it should be outside and its the middle of winter and I feel so bad. We tried to see if it could make it outside, but it only flapped its wings for a second before it fell into the snow. So now its hanging out on our poinsettia.

We researched to see what they eat and also to see how long they live. Some live a couple days and other types live a couple of weeks. I don't think this one will make it more than a few days. The kids of course think its really neat. I do too, but I feel terrible that it didn't have a chance to fly in the summer breeze.

It was a very unique surprise to have a butterfly in our house. I will definitely be paying more attention to the things my kids decide to bring inside from nature. If I wasn't looking forward to spring before, I am now.

It's the most wonderful time of the year

What a great Holiday Season we have had. We have enjoyed all the lights and decorations and snow. We have spent time together as a family and remembered how much we are loved by our Savior and how grateful we are that He was born.
We are not ready however for the season to be over, its just so nice spending time at home eating good food, playing, watching movies, and being lazy.
We have done most of the fun Christmas time things such as going to see Santa and making gingerbread houses ( out of graham crackers ) listening to Christmas music non stop, going to see lights, and something new for our family this year. Killing a turkey and plucking it for Christmas Day dinner ( both the turkey and the dinner thing are new). We had Grandma Ungerman up for Christmas Eve and morning. We all got spoiled. Now we have New Years to look forward to. I am excited for all the things coming up in 2009. Including me and Steling's 10 year Anniversary and Walkers baptism later in the year.
We have a lot to be grateful for and we want everyone of our family members and friends to know that we count ourselves blessed to have you in our lives. We love you and think of you all often, though you may not hear from us or see as much as we would like. We hope you all enjoyed the most wonderful time of the year and that your new year is happy and bright.

Happy Halloween

October is my favorite month of the year, and Halloween one of my favorite holidays. When I was a kid it always seemed like it took forever for it to get here, especially since I'd been planning my costume since the year before. Did it go that way way for any of you. The day of Halloween as you are putting on your costume you've been so anxious to show off you say" I really love this costume, but next year I'm going to be such and such." Maybe its just the anticipation and the joy of getting to be creative oh yea and all the candy was pretty fun too, but I think pretending to be something different than your every day you is always inticing.
This year my kids went with pretty traditonal costumes. Walker was a Skeleton and Shelby was a Witch. Walkers costume was homemade from black sweats and glow in the dark fabric paint. Sterling drew the bones and also painted Walkers face. I have a very talented husband.
We were able to grow one smallish pumkin in our garden this year, and we decided it was shaped very similar to an animated skull we have for decoration this time of year. Sterling got out his power tools and created a very awsome skull jack-o-lantern. We bought three others and Walkers was flame eyed, Shelbys was silly and mine was rotten and couldn't be carved. (oh well)
At 4:30 on halloween we did the Trunk or Treat our ward hosted and then went trick or treating to a really cool house one subdivision over. The owners have be collecting animated decorations for about 15 years and add to it every year. It's a really awsome display. Shelby did not want to go there and acutlly fell asleep in the car on the way over there. Is 7:00 to early? Nah! The rest of us enjoyed it though.
So Ster and Walker are still out collecting sugary goodness, Shelby is sleeping and I'm blogging. We have a good friend who turns 30 today, so we are going to a surprise party for him later. It's been a really fun Halloween. Hope you all had a Spooktacular Holiday!

First Grade Fun!!

Walker is now a first grader. All summer I have been trying to get him excited for this new adventure, but he has adamantly refused to be excited. "I only like Kindergarten" he said. Well back to school night was on Wed. and we went to the school to meet his teacher and see his classroom. Earlier that week he had told me that he would want to sit up front in his classroom. I thought that was a smart comment. We got there and what do you know the desks are set up alphabetically. Walker is the last kid on the last row. He didn't seem too disappointed, but I was. So I asked the teacher if this was his permanent seat and she said they rotate. Thank goodness. His teacher seems nice. Walkers favorite part was seeing where his back pack hangs up. That night he picked out his clothes to wear, and of course didn't go to bed until 10:30. 7:30 came really early, but he was finally excited about one thing; riding his bike to school with his friends. Going to school with his friends and recess is all he talks about so far. Maybe first grade isn't so bad.