Tate's sixth Birthday

About a week before Tate's sixth birthday he kept asking if he could have a "tea birthday." I knew Tate, and all the grand kids love Grandma's tea set, but I thought this was such a weird request. After he had asked about six times, and I had pushed the question aside, I asked, "What is a tea birthday?" He said, "You know like Grandma Trudy gave me a "tea birthday" before the day of my real birthday!"

"Oh, a 'pre -birthday.'" I realized. Last year Grandma Trudy was here the week before his birthday and decided to throw him a "pre -birthday" so she could be there. She hid all of his present and played "hot and cold" to help him find each one. Well, he loved it so much, that it looks like we now have a "pre -birthday" tradition. We hid all of Grandma Trudy's presents, along with one of our presents, and Charity Castillo always gives him a present before his birthday. We did a treasure hunt and it was a blast. Tate was really good at figuring out the clues.

He must be so loved because he got spoiled!!! Grandma Trudy gave him about 7 different costumes. (Tate loves to dress up!) Before summer started she also gave him about 6 different summer outfits to get him through the summer. (Also pre -birthday presents.) Mom and dad gave him a costume, some action figures, and stickers. Charity gave him Spider man stickers and markers, Robots (the movie), and the tent you see in the back ground. Wow! His pre- birthday was bigger than most birthdays. It was a really fun way to have family night, the night before his birthday.

Tate's real birthday, (the date on my camera is off) was amazing. I wanted it to be so special because this was the year Tate would begin his school experiences. I'd thought about throwing a friend birthday, but shewed the thought away thinking that his cousins were his very best friends and so we'd just invite them. Well, no cousins were able to come and I was afraid his birthday would be a little disappointing. WRONG!!! I called all his grandparents and great grandparents. I made a pinata, and had a bean bag spider man toss. Everyone that came made Tate feel like a super hero. He just stood 2 feet taller with all the attention. It was the best sixth birthday a boy could have.

I do have to tell you that Tate got nervous I hadn't planned his birthday so he blew up balloons, helped me make a pinata, and he even designed his own cake. He's extremely talented and involved. He's not going to sit by and do nothing when it comes to a birthday party.

Robots Cake

Tate's cake changed about 4 times in a months time. First he wanted Astro Boy, then Spider man, then Toy Story. After he got the movie, "Robots," for his pre- birthday, he was hooked on ROBOTS. So the day of his birthday, this is his creation. He was especially excited about the candles that had different colored flames.

Here are the special people that made Tate's Birthday the best ever.

Grandma and Grandpa Doug and Debbie, Great Grandma Porter, and Great Grandpa Haworth.

Great Grandma Haworth, Nathan, Kendra, and James Manwarring, and Dad and Taylee.
They were all good sports to play our birthday games. Although we ran out of time to swing at the Pinata, but it was never missed.

Tate's remote controlled four wheeler from Grandma and Grandpa Doug and Debbie.

Tate's motor bike gear from his Dad. Tate has his own motorcycle that he crashed, head first into a metal pole. It was definitely time for good gear.

A Spider man Robe from Grandma and Grandpa Doug and Debbie. They also gave him Spider man notebooks, folders, pencils, etc. And the nicest Levis and two shirts for school.

Grandma Porter and Grandma and Grandpa Haworth each gave him $5 for the carnival. Nathan and Kendra gave him a whole thing of paper and tape. Dad gave him a game where he can shoot clay pigeons. Fun, Fun, Fun!

Rodeo Days 2010

Tate's dream came true when he got to ride in the Rodeo parade! He's been in rodeo parades before, but this year was different. He got birthday money from Grandma and Grandpa Haworth and Grandma Porter to ride the carnival rides, but he passed up the carnival to throw candy to anxious people on the street. He was so cute and extremely generous. Mike had to keep telling him to hold back or we would run out of candy. "But Dad, they all want some!" It was cute to watch him get so excited.

Taylee even got into throwing candy. She was stained with chocolate tootsie rolls because she was eating as much as she was throwing, but she wanted to throw also. Her candy just never made it to the crowd. It ended up under the wheels of the trailer.
We felt like real live cowboys this year because we got to sit above the shoots. This was a first even for Mike. This year we watched as the rodeo opened with 3 parachutes jumpers. Very exciting. We got rained on, but thanks to Doug and Debbie, we stayed dry under an umbrella they came prepared with. The rain drove away a few spectators and we had a little more elbow room for the kids.


The next day we got invited to the rodeo by Doug and Debbie. They bought us dinner at Pizza Villa where Taylee spilled water multiple times. Haven't her parents taught her to stay off of the table, especially in restaurants?

We got to go with Dave and Kris and family. It was a blast. Tate and Jackson only got in trouble once by the spectators they were sitting by. That's not bad for two cousins that haven't seen each other in two days and have a hard time controlling their excitement. Taylee lasted through the whole rodeo (11:00 pm) She did fabulous. She LOVES horses.

Dad and Tate got to drive the Dodge Truck through the arena with the barrels for barrel racing. The Rodeo is a good time.

Shearer Family Reunion August 2010

- The Shearer Grandchildren from oldest to youngest-

(Darren) Samantha, Jace, Janika, ReAnnan, Jaden, Cash, Austin, (Michael James), Cameron, Tate, Case, Kylan, Kimbrey, Cort, TayleeMinute To Win It

The first night of camp Grandma Trudy split us into 4 teams and we played Minute to win it. This is Taylee with a pin pong belt trying to shake the ping pong balls out of the box on the back of her belt. (Really Cute)

Other games were...

Stacking hangers 7 layers tall
Swinging a potato in a nylon, around your head, and knocking over water bottles

Pulling tissue from a tissue box, one at a time, one handed
Sucking M&Ms up with a straw, carrying them over to another straw, and them balancing them on top of the straw.

Getting to Know You!

The kids loved Grandma Trudy's minute to win it, so the next day they made up their own games and they were so fun. Cash demonstrating his made up game. It's not as easy as it looks. Here is Marla trying things out.

Good Job Marla!

One day, while gathering 20 pieces of wood for the fire, Tate found a snake in what he calls, a log motel.

Another one of Grandma Trudy's fun games.

Kelle the Hair Stylist

Kelle became the official hair stylist of camp.

Don't they all look so cute!?!
Cort the Sumo Wrestler
Tate the Mohawk man

Case the Punk Rocker

MINATONKA CAVE

The kids loved the chipmunks at the Cave.Feeding Time
Oh, I see one. I see one.

North Shore

Bear Lake

Janika following in her Aunt Kelle's footsteps of becoming a Hair Stylist

The younger cousins getting the best of Darren, the oldest of the crew

A family night on the temple lead to a pinata break the next day.

Bloomington Lake

The hike to Bloomington Lake was great fun, but when lightning interrupted the swim, the kids took to rock climbing and cave exploring

Go Tate!

The Lake before the storm hit.

Taylee wanted to be part of the fun.

Mike discovered a cave which sent the kids on a wild adventure.Things were pretty tight.

The Paris Tabernacle

We got to visit a beautiful tabernacle in Paris which the kids described as a temple.
Taylee posing for a picture

The Porters

The Johnsons

The Shearers

The Spencers

Jace testing out the pulpit and the trap door

We got to test out the acoustics in the tabernacle by singing,

I Love To See The Temple

More Games

Three legged races

Steal the BaconBud

Bud was a favorite of the kids at camp.

Tate never wants to go camping without him.

He figures Bud saved his life.

End of Camp
What we all looked like at the end of camp.

It was definitely a two thumbs up reunion.

Cowboys Prayer

We only had a few mishaps at our camp.

The first night it rained all night and we were in the middle of a terrible lightning and thunderstorm. Justin's and Channie's tent had a hole in the top corner and Janika and Austin woke up soaking wet. Marla realized she set up her tent over a stream and when the rains

came she had a river running underneath her. Kelle, froze all night and had to run to Logan to buy some warmth. And my dad almost started his tent on fire with his Buddy Heater.

It was so much fun. For a bunch of non campers, we had a blast.