I am not the best person in the world at remembering dates, sending out cards, or keeping up my blog. This has been a busy end of the school year. Kayla graduated kindergarten, and had her first big dance recital with Erin's daughter Keiya. Both girls had someone standing directly in front of them for both shows. I did get a video of Kayla preforming at dress rehearsal. She is the one on the far right in the back. Needless to say, Erin and I are looking for a different studio for them to take dance. Kayla was very cute at graduation she learned a bunch of songs to spell all of her site words, and sang her heart out at graduation. My baby is all grown up. Our little Natertot turned the big One Years Old! He loved all the gifts and all the endless attention. He is my "Bottomless Pit!" I have never had a kid that could eat like him. Anything that resembles food he will eat. He can talk too! he will say, ball, Dada, Mama, Baba, and wee wee for his car sound effects. What ever happened to vroom vroom? Tori has been learning how to put sentences together, but they do not make sense. She wanted to eat Taco Bell after the water park so she said I quote,"Taco Bell in the pool!" E for Effort! This is coming from the kid that did not talk till she was six. Cole is doing summer school and it is keeping us afloat till I go back to work in August. I will finally be getting paid in the summers starting next summer, this means they will take more out of my check so I get paid in the summer. The joy of working in education. We get the full summer off, but we are to broke to do anything. I will be working at the college two nights a week to help pay for daycare, but this is a great job opportunity and can open many doors for me. Cole has one more week and will have some trainings and finally get a summer break. I know he will get plenty of x-box time in with his extended family when his break comes. Men and there video games! I have had dreams of running over the system with my car several times! Love him hate the x-box. I will try to post again, just like I will try to remember the next persons birthday, or an important date.

Cole and I went to a 70's Party

Nathan's first Easter!

We got to ride inside the trolley on the train at Disneyland! I interpreted at the train ride and the conductor offered my family a private trip around the Park In Walt Disney's Trolley!

Cole is feeling better!!!!!! Not only does his arm feel better, but his mood has greatly improved. It is so nice to have a happy hubby again. A home is not a home without drama. I think if Cole and I have been able to get through what we have over the last ten years we can get through anything. Two brain surgeries, a child diagnosed with autism, 6 years of college for him, and three years of college for me, two more children, a motor cycle accident with 2 surgeries, and debt up to our eyeballs we are still together. We have more drama to come. Cole is talking about going back to school to be a principal, and I have to pass all my test to to my interpreting licence to secure my job. One day we will be out of debt and done with college. I guess that is why they call it retirement.

Nathan Loved being up in the mountains.

We have not been to the snow since Tori was two years old. She loved it! She asked to go back for the next two days.

We went to San Diego to see family for the New Year.This is a picture of Kayla with Some of the 23

Grandchildren

Christmas is always interesting with Tori. The DVDs and books kept her busy most of the day, and then boredom hit, and she was into everything. Most people can sit at home relax , watch some old Christmas movies and enjoy the holidays. Cole and I spend Tori's time away from school (her structure) telling her to get down, don't touch, and stop giggling uncontrollably. Our time off is called entertaining Tori. It was fun after being a mother for nine years to finally have a kid fully understands the whole Santa thing. Watching Kayla put gifts under the tree, setting out cookies, and trying to be quiet as a mouse in bed so Santa would bring her gifts was so much fun to watch. I remember believing in Santa just as much as she did. Kayla makes Santa very much alive in our home. As much as Tori makes me crazy, she loves presents. I remember so many Christmas's when Cole and I would have to open her gifts for her, and she had little interest in what was going on around her. Now we have to hide any wrapped gift in the house until Christmas Eve in fear that she will open them all. Nathan was the biggest surprise this Christmas, he was so excited about his toy fish bowl he could hardly contain himself. Today he was imitating me clapping. Parents of children with autism do not look forward to a first step nearly as much as great eye contact and imitation. Having your oldest with special needs makes it a little difficult not to worry about your babies, and there development. His ability to clap when I did was a sign he might just be okay after all. Cole is still not 100%, so he was not feeling the best today,but all in all it was another crazy Christmas at the Medlyn family home.

Kayla enjoyd helping her brother open gifts.

Tori loved all of her signing time DVD's

Nathan loved his Fish Bowl from Santa

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Another year has gone by and it has been a crazy one for our family. Our family was blessed with a baby boy. It took us nine months to come up with his name. Cole and I could not agree on what to name our future little boy. In the hospital we finally decided to name him Nathan Andrew. We named him Nathan after Cole's cousin, and Andrew after my grandfather and my little brother's middle name. I thought Andrew was fitting for him being that my brother is the youngest and only boy and so is my son. I only hope that Nathan has the same quality's of the people he was named after. He grew way to fast, and I can barley remember what he was like just a few months ago. He is busy! I have never had a baby so interested in everything happening around him. He can not sit still for two seconds. I guess that is what it is like to have a boy.

Kayla started kindergarten this year. I have been blessed to work at a good school district that Kayla is able to go to work with me each day. It is so fun to work at the very school she attends. I personally know the teachers, I can stop by and volunteer on lunch breaks, and I have can see her progress first hand, while she gets to go to an outstanding school. Kayla has two best friends, Tatum and Gabriel. It is fun to watch her with her buddies on the playground. Kayla is taking tap/ballet class with my best friends daughter Keia. Kayla is hooked, and looks forward to each class. She loves the ballet, and complains about the tap. She is a girl after my own heart. For Christmas she told Santa all she wants is things for her American Girl Julie Albrite.

Tori is now going to school with Tucker. It took some work and a few visits to the school, but we have worked it out. She is in regular education for 40% of her day. This was no small feat, and has taken Tori 9 years to be able to do. I have been told that the third graders love having both her and Tucker in the classroom. Tori has overcome another hurdle that I thought would never happen. She has learned how to Read. It will be a while before we are reading Charles Dickens, but it is a huge step for Tori, and we are so proud oh her. For Christmas she want one front tooth.

Cole and I have had a difficult year of our own, Cole had a torn nerve in his arm that left him in pain, and out of work for three months until the doctor finally decided to do surgery. He will finally be able to go back to work after the Holidays with physical therapy 3 times a week. We would have not survived without family, friends and church. To those of you that have helped financially, emotionally, and physically, Thank You! We would not have made it through this difficult time without you.

We look forward to a new year and a new start, and hopefully less Drama, but let's see what happens, you never know with our family.

Merry Christmas

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Kayla is in her first dance recitle. She is an Elf and she in dancing to the tune of Jingle Bells. Nathan of coures is our Santa Baby this year, and Tori just wants the gifts.

You Have been Elfed

Merry Christmas

We have a card for you!