Merry Christmas from Tennessee!

It was a GREAT Christmas in Tennessee for the Wahl family this year!! Braden, Kristen, and Dylan all had a wonderful holiday.

Kristen was so excited to wear her new American Girl Doll pajamas!

Dylan was "stunned" with his new John Deere tractor! He can't get enough of it.

And Braden was completely surprised by his new Ipod Touch that "Santa" brought him this year!

Just Chillin'

Dylan absolutely loves to watch sports and basketball is certainly one of his favorites. But there is not doubt he still loves to sit and chill out watching some NFL on Sunday afternoons!

7 Year Old Princess

For Kristen's 7th birthday this year we had a special "princess" party where all the girls had a fun time getting dressed up (including ballroom dresses, hair, and make-up), having tea and cupcakes, dancing, and then going on a horse-drawn carriage ride. It was a very beautiful and exciting time.

Brotherly Love

Braden does such a good job with his little brother (sometimes we wish he was more like that with his sister). And Dylan eats it up as much as he can, especially when he is trying to delay bedtime.

High School Has Arrived

As amazing as it seems, Braden officially entered high school this Fall. He is a freshman at Silverdale Baptist Academy. He is doing so well in school and really seems to love the smaller-sized environment of this private school. His only problem at the start was having to wear a school uniform. He is really growing up fast!

A Quick Florida Vacation

We took a quick trip down to Amelia Island, FL and had a blast!! I think the best part, however, for the kids was the pool at the hotel. The kids really enjoyed it! It was nice to get away for a few days and relax.

Summer Freeze?

We got a unique storm this afternoon that gave us about 15 minutes of some serious hail!! Braden and his friend Alex had some fun with it (although it took them a couple of hits before they realized those pieces of ice hurt).

It hailed so much that the trampoline was covered in ice pellets -- so Braden and Alex decided to have some fun with it!

No Training Wheels!!

What a new world Kristen has found now that she has taken the training wheels off her bike. It was a big step, but she was so excited about it.

And it didn't take her but one push and she was off and riding by herself.

As a father it was a great moment -- and a sad one at the same time as I realized this was another step in her not being my "little princess" for much longer.

Dylan's 2nd Birthday Cake!

I can't believe Dylan has turned 2 already! He is growing up too fast. With all the craziness of summmer, we decided just to have a simple family-birthday with Dylan. The highlight of the event was the cake tasting by Dylan. He wasn't quite sure what to think at first.















But once he got that first taste (and the assurance from mom that it was okay to get messy)...






















... he had no trouble digging in with both hands!

STUCK in the MUD!

Braden just returned from his annual trip back to Kansas and Nebraska. And again this year one of the highlights of the trip was riding on the ATV on the river sand bars.

Pretty Young Lady

It keeps amazing me how quickly Kristen is growing up. Every time I take her picture she looks more and more like a young lady. I guess she won't be my "little girl" forever -- but a dad can dream can't he?

Mr. Adventure!

Dylan has quickly turned into a little adventurer. He loves to get on his "bike" and take off down the sidewalk -- to see what the world has in store for him.

He is very good about staying on the sidewalk, but the problem is how quickly he can get down the block before you notice he took off!!

His favorite adventure right now is to go to the pond at the end of the street and watch the waterfall and throw rocks into the water. And does he ever love to throw rocks -- he would do it all day long if he could. It is really fun right now because we have a lot of bullfrogs in the pond, so they make a lot of noise that he loves.

BUBBLES!!

Braden Rocks

Braden's newest venture is the guitar. He recently got a great new guitar and is already teaching himself to play it (internet, DVDs, and sheet music). He really seems to enjoy it and has already decided to form a band with a couple of his friends. Kind of interesting to hear them up in his bedroom practicing sometimes.

Kindergarten Was Pretty Cool!

Amazing as it seems, we had both Middle School (Braden) and Kindergarten (Kristen) graduation in the same year. Kindergarten was a great year for Kristen as she really grew up.



She met many new friends and really loved her teacher! Next step -- SUMMER!!!

So Long Middle School!!!

Yes, we officially have a high-schooler in the Wahl home! Braden graduated from Middle School with Straight-A Honors and is now on his way to his freshman year of high school.



The graduation ceremony was very nice and it was great to have Grandma Marilyn in from Kansas to see everything.

Young Mr. Wahl!

Wow! We can't believe how quickly Braden is growing up. He has his first serious dance as he and some friends are attending the 8th Grade Dance. They all got tuxedos (but are wearing their Vans shoes with them). He really looks sharp (and so grown up)!

Kristen Starts Golf

Kristen has decided to follow in daddy's footsteps with her passion to play golf.
She finally had her first lesson recently and really seems to like it. It was a very basic lesson where they focused on grip, stance, and addressing the ball. They did swing the club a few times and hit a few balls and she really did well.

Can't wait to take her to St. Andrews!

Dylan Bounces

Dylan loves to bounce on the trampoline! He is so fearless and playful when he gets up there.

Boys Love The Mud!!

Dylan is definitely all-boy! And the fun of springtime is the promise of MUD! We had a nice shower last night, so there are plenty of wet spots out there -- and, of course, Dylan found them. Thank goodness mom was gone!

Father/Daughter Ball 2008

Kristen honored dad by attending the Father/Daughter Ball again this year. It was a beautiful event as the theme was Cinderella's Magical Evening. It was truly a wonderful evening! Kristen looked so beautiful in her gown and corsage. We had a wonderful dinner and then danced into the night.


It was also great to see Kristen's friends Monroe and Lane. They had a blast wearing out the dad's on the dance floor!