The Coolest Thing about Turning 12

In our faith, when a boy turns 12, he is eligible to receive the Aaronic priesthood, which gives him responsibilities to help maintain the church grounds, look after the poor and needy, to administer in some ordinances and prepare for greater responsibilities to come. Grandma and Grandpa McMullin were able to come and be a part of this special day. Tyler received the priesthood from Brian, who received it from his dad, Tom.

We were proud of Tyler for being worthy of this honor, for being willing to serve and for his good example to us all. He is also not able to participate in the Young Mens program which alternates weeks with religious instruction/community service and Scouting. Once a month, they participate in Mutual activites with the Young Women.

Have You Ever Taken a Cat on a Picnic?

We had an open house one afternoon and we thought it would be best to get Skyler out of the the way. We bought a collar and a leash and took him to the state park! We got lots of strange looks but we tried to act like we do this all the time! Skyler wandered a bit but decided that he preferred to observe the world from the safety of the pet carrier!

Tyler's Clean Room

For anyone who has been to visit us in the past five years, you know that Tyler's room has been a dangerous place. As we prepared to put the house on the market, we did a lot of excavating in there. We took out a bookshelf, the loft for his bed and the desk as well as about 6 boxes of things. It looks amazing.

Tyler's Birthday-the Big 12

As every kid does, Tyler has been asking for a cell phone for a while. I kept telling him that when he got old enough to go places alone and I couldn't contact him easily, they we'd consider it. Well, the time has come. Sometimes Tyler rides his bike to a friend's house, rides up to the gas station for a snack, or hangs out at the park with pals. He was excited and shocked at his present. Before he knew what it was, he was a little disappointed with the quantity of presents, but I assured him that the quality would be worth it!

Tyler made his first call on his phone to Grandma Z. I have to admit that I've enjoyed him having the phone and the texts that he sends me during his lunch break at school. The phone has made it easier to communicate with him.

Last year's party was so much fun (video games with friends and an ice cream cake) were so much fun that Tyler decided to do a repeat. He invited his best friends, Alex, Zane and Keegan.