Such a peaceful baby... Congratulations to you both!

Makaylah and her new baby brother, she looks so excited to be a "Big" sister

Taking Home Baby Liam Home

Lynn's 1st Deer for 2009 Season

Hunting Season is now upon us and Lynn got his deer early this year. It turned out to be a nice 3 year old; eight (8) pointer. Congrats to Lynn!!! Now we can eat ALL winter.

This is Lynn (of course) in the new house watching Tennessee football (go BIG orange) and working on a project for me. He really hates that.

James and Shantel in June. Now they have a little baby boy names Thomas. Congrats to you both!!

Same storm. While we were getting the awsome cloud formations and rain, 5 miles north of us they were getting tornadoes.

This is one of the photos of the cloud formations we had during the summer. During this storm there was tremendous rain. We got stuck in the garage as the lightning and rain was so bad. Made a party of it playing pool and having some beers while the storm played around us.

Traveling over the Continental Divide. I love the rock formations, it always amazes me....

Cayton and Bri... Homecoming 2009

Cayton and Bri all dressed up and ready for homecoming. What a cute couple.

Me and Cayton at my mom's house

Cayton and Grandma Shanklin (my mom) as Cayton gets ready to leave Washington for California.

What a cute little bunny. Can't help but love her!!!

Gracie the "little princess" on her 1st Birthday. She is soooo cute

Bri and Justi 2009 at Gracie's 1st Birthday

The beautiful Gracie... she is growing up so fast and definately ALL girl

I love my mom on parade day...

Here is the family chilling curb side waiting for the parade to start and Mom to start chasing down all the candy that is thrown her direction. Got to love parade day, my mom turns into a kid again. Love ya mom!

My brother Terry relaxing in the sun as we wait for another evening at the Rodeo

Ryan knows what the others are up to and is plotting how to best get to Cayton and Kaylee

Cayton and Kaylee discussing how to best Ryan at water fighting

No explanation needed on this one...

Cayton riding the Bull and thinking he is FINALLY a real cowboy

While in Newport, we went to the Rodeo. Cayton couldn't pass on riding the bull and convinced his cousin that it was easy. Got to love how gullible James is...

For those of you who don't know, this is my mom and dad. Bob and Vi. Cayton and I made a trip out to Washington this year to see family and this was of course one of my favorite pics as my mother is going to be upset because I have posted this without her doing her hair. Love ya mom!!

Ok, so back at the beginning of summer I stated that I would try and keep this up to date and I have failed to do so... We have all had an extremely busy summer from Lynn's fishing trips to Cayton's adventures to my working and finally our move to end the summer. I will hopefully keep this updated so that those of you who are routine followers can see the changes that we have made in our lives.

Okay... I promised that I would update this more often, and well, with going back to work the last thing that I want to do is get on the computer at night. I just want my glass of wine and a little family time. But, a promise is a promise and so here I go. Lynn again is off and fishing... Tis his season (but then again when isn't it). Our schedules are just crazy. Cayton's schooling, drivers class (which ends tomorrow, June 2nd then he will be driving on his own... scarey) and his work that is almost full time now in the evenings and working out, we hardly ever see him any more. He is signing up for the Marine Corp and we will be signing all the paperwork this Sunday. I am proud of him, but nervous just the same. I know that we still have 1 year left with him at home, but I know it will go by very fast and I don't know if I am completely ready for that stage in life as of yet. Lynn works full time with his tile work during the day and 3 - 4 nights doing security. When he is off, of course he is gone fishing. One of these days (here soon) he can just fish out of our back yard. I am back at the Marina full time (6 days per week at present) with Sunday as my only day off. I already feel like I need a vacation and I have only been back for a month. I try to work out with Cayton at the Longbranch (where he works) at least twice a week. Hopefully soon it will pay off....

Cayton and Bri at the Prom... It made me cry to see my son all dressed up and going to his 1st big "shin-dig". They grow up so fast...

This was a GREAT day. We moved to Iowa and shortly after we spent the day at the lake and had lunch at the "Maid Rite" with Justi. It was wonderful spending the day with her and we look forward to doing so again.

Jodi and her husband Dale on his 50th Birthday! Really wish we could have been there to help you with the celebrations....

I have been meaning to update the site on numerous different days, but something always seems to come up and I never end up getting to it. I decided that today was finally the day and well, it feels like it has taken a lifetime to add the pictures and videos of only a few of the things going on in our lives in the past month. I am going to try and keep updating as much as possible after I go back to work, so more than likely once a month from here on out (hopefully). Our weather today is really misserable. We were suppose to have freezing rain then snow later this evening, but as of right now, we have heavy rain with thunder and lightning. I don't know which one I prefer better... Lynn is still working crazy hours both his day job laying tile as well as working for the Security company in the evenings. I was hoping that when I go back to work that he would just work days, but he is convinced that he needs to work the night job so that he can buy his boat this spring. Its a really nice one to, but I won't tell him that.. haha...... Cayton is working at the local restaurant Country Kitchen and has asked for more hours as he only works on Friday nights and he seems to think that once he gets his license in May that he needs to buy a car. We'll see on that one. I have been busy with at home stuff, cleaning, cooking, etc.. I have also been putting together a web site for the church (which someone who will remain unnamed) volunteered me for. That takes up a lot of my time in itself as my computer doesn't want to go as fast as I want it to and therefore keeps freezing up on me. Back to work on the other site.....

This video is from Cayton's last choir concert. Cayton is standing on the top riser and Carly is standing just below and to the right (as viewing video). Cayton has been taking voice lessons through his choir class and will be trying out for a solo for either the next concert or the last one of the year. And here we all keep telling him he can't sing. His teacher loves him and says that he can hit a wide range of octaves. He is also learning to play the piano through his choir teacher Ms. Jones and have been told that he has quite the ear for playing music. He will be playing the Bass Guitar with the choir class as well as the piano in accompaniment with the choir. I am VERY proud of him!

Praise Band preforming "Lean on Me" with a little twist to the song and with some help from the church members. Next month they will preform at the church without the assistance of the church members and Cayton will be playing the Bass Guitar as well as singing. He's come a long way....

Carly and Cayton after taking a run down the hill at Squaw Creek.

Lynn volunteered (with a little help) to be a leader with the youth group from church when they went to Aspen Alps on a church retreat. Most of the group did sledding while Lynn and Cayton did every slop on the mountain. Cayton was awarded a prize for doing All the slopes from beginner to expert. I was extemely amazed that they didn't end up in the emergency room at all that day.

Lynn went fishing on Super Bowl Sunday and caught these two... I believe he said they are walleye. Since they were still alive when he brought them home we decided to put them in the bath tub to swim around while we had the neighbors over. The kids thought they were sharks are were scared to death to use the bathroom. Thats one way of keeping them out....

This is the Praise Band through the Church that we attend. Of course you all can see Cayton hasn't given up on the whole being a "Cowboy" thing.....

Winter in Iowa. Still can't believe it was -53 degrees and the coldest spot on the planet for 3 minutes. Burr.......

Lynn and Roger having a good time at Buffalo Wild Wings on my 40th

Tami on the BABY hill...

Can Lynn make it down the hill???

A Day of Snowboarding

We decided to brave the weather and go out for a family outing and not only watch Cayton on the snowboard, but try it ourselves. How CRAZY were we? I of course had to make sure that Cayton could actually preform the stunts as he will be heading off to the Aspen Alps in about two weeks with the church youth group. While at the park watching, I didn't know if we would be make a trip to the hospital.... Heart attache for me or broken something for Cayton. Anyway we made it thru the day with no accidents!!

Cayton doing the jumps....

Cayton Snowboarding at Thomas Park

About Us:

Lynn/Smitty/Mr. Smit and I decided after MUCH debate to try it one more time. With living in Iowa life has been really GREAT!! Finally we feel like a family. Our family moto is: TOGETHER IS A WONDERFUL WAY TO BE...

Lynn started a tile company and subcontracts out his work. We debated on a name for the business and after much deliberation decided on "TLC Tile". Of course he didn't see my humor in the initials (though luck chum or tiny little c.......) so we settled on Tami, Lynn & Cayton Tile to keep it in the family so to say. I still like my names better, but I'm not the one out there dealing with customers.....

Lynn of course still does his fishing. Come Spring until Fall you can find him either on the local lakes or up on the Mississippi doing what he loves best. We were all proud of him this year as he came in 10th in the BASS association for the year and almost qualified to go to the big state Bass touranments. What a guy, now he just needs to bring home the bacon so to speak instead of spending it all on the tournaments.

My/our son Cayton is a sophmore at Marion High School. He is extremely active in football, some wrestling and enjoys track. This year he has taken up snowboarding and already has got the hang of it. I was doing the mom thing while watching him thinking "here goes another trip to the ER", but he fooled me and I couldn't believe that I was watching my own son. Kids can really shock and amaze you sometimes! Cayton has decided to put off getting his drivers license until he is 18, thanks to mom.... I let him drive me up to the store during an ice storm and well..... he hasn't asked to drive since. Thank god, because if it hadn't of been for the pain medication I was on I think I would have had a heart-attack! I have to say he has great friends and a WONDERFUL girlfriend who we hope sticks around for awhile.

Now to me.... I am working for a Marina at Lake Delhi and loving every minute of it. Smit loves it too as he wants me to buy him a boat at cost.... Go figure. I have great hours and I get to have the winters off to be at home. Got to love those 5 month vacations paid by unemployment. The perks with the job are outstanding! Smit and I got to travel to Mississippi this past October for a dealers conference. Five days at a Casino, all expenses paid... who wouldn't love it. Now my duties incude cooking, cleaning and of course....... SNOW SHOVELING.... Got to love Iowa.