2011 UPDATE

Henson [8 months]: he is our mini-energizer bunny; he keeps going… and going…and going and is on the move CONSTANTLY! To make matters that much more interesting he began crawling at five months and is now quickly moving onto walking (along furniture and with mommy and daddy holding his hands). Also he has had his wanting eyes on real food since he was three months, and for the past two months he has eaten banana baby food more like a baby chimpanzee than a human.
His favorite past time currently is playing Peekaboo with his mommy. Henson adores watching Baby Einstein’s; in fact it is difficult to “unglue” his eyes once an episode has begun. He continues to amaze us every day with his keen mind and joyful spirit; as a matter of fact he actually started waving “Hi” and “Bye-Bye” this past week, and it is A-DOR-A-BLE!!!!
Emmett [2 yrs]: YEE-HAA, is that Billy-the-Kid or Doc Holliday…NO WAY…It’s EMMETT: the fearsome super hero that sometimes is his secret identity “Cowboy Emmett,” the rootinous tootinous gun slinger and horse rider in the West. This little boy is in some serious need of real cowboy gear! Other times he is “Super Emmett,” the cape-wearing, high flying, extremely strong crime-fighting hero of Lehi city. For Halloween this year it was a very hard dramatic decision for little Emmett: Super Emmett or Cowboy Emmett. Mommy ended up making a Super Emmett shiny blue cape with a big red letter “E” on it with lots of yellow stars and a mask to match. Emmett would not be away from his cape and mask for anything other than bathing and church for weeks. Both of which were so agonizing to him; it was the cutest thing ever! If you can’t tell, Emmett’s favorite game to play is dress-up. He loves to pretend and has a vivid imagination. We love to watch and listen to his “performances.” The only problem is that we have had to teach him that he CANNOT FLY for real. Too many times we have had our hearts stop as we frantically stop him, or when too late, catch him. Emmett has such a passion for animals of all kind (sea, desert, jungle, farm, etc.). You can ask him to make the noise of about any animal that exists……Just be prepared, he will not only tell you, but will completely get into character! As you could guess, his favorite place to go and hang out is the Zoo, or any stinky farm (Lucky for mom).
Dallas [5 years]: We were lucky enough to have Kim’s brother Sam out to our home from Boston. While here he asked me who wore the “pants-of-the-family,” Kim or I. To answer completely honest…neither. Though “SELF-APPOINTED,” Dallas definitely loves to run the show at the Walker home! He is our future Bruce Lee; he loved the Little Ninjas class he was able to attend this summer and dreams about one day receiving a black belt. He is a strong little fighter for sure, not only did he break his first board, but survived a severe case of swine flu, MRSA, infection of the blood, and a harmful allergic reaction to an antibiotic, ALL IN THE SAME HOSPITAL STAY!! He is a strong little guy, both physically and spiritually! Lately he enjoys his 2nd year of preschool (especially his classmate Melayna, who he says he is going to marry). Dallas also loves riding his bike and says, ”Mom, I can’t get enough wind behind me…I’m trying to be sonic fast”!
Desirae [11 years]: This year Desie has “grown up” profoundly in maturity. She is our big helper and a “little mommy.” Her help is a breath of fresh air at times and a vital necessity at others. This January she begins her Babysitter certification course through Lehi city. In addition to her love for babies and caring for them, she is crazy about dancing, singing, running track, hanging out with her many friends, and making up small neighborhood concerts with those friends. Some of her most exciting spot-light moments were: a 4th-of-July block party “THRILLER” dance performance, cheering at a high school football game, and the many activities she participates in through school and church. Desie is enjoying activity days and working towards her Faith in God award. Though Desie enjoys her time with her friends, she also adores baking and spending time with Kimmie in the kitchen whether it is decorating fresh made cookies or just making macaroni and cheese.
Spencer [12 years]: He loves being in the 6th grade and “ruling” the school. Spencer enjoys the company of a few close comrades. They soak up as much time as possible to play X-Box, Wii, Legos, and field games(i.e. ghost in the graveyard). Spencer is lucky to have an awesome scout leader who helps us by lending equipment, mentoring him towards his Eagle, and at times taking Derek’s place (When he works) for weekend over-nighters. Spencer adores the outside and relishes each camping trip. He is quite the flashlight-tag competitor. Spencer has always had an eagerness to learn more about anything and everything, and likes to read books of all shapes and sizes. He is a good older brother and is caring to all around him. We are so proud of Spencer for taking one of life’s “BIG” steps this past October. He was ordained a deacon and is truly a special young man(It was spiritual experience that we and he will treasure forever). One of the most amazing things about Spencer is his ability to build things, such as buildings, vehicles, and other structures. Mostly he uses Legos, but he also does it with other mediums. He has a remarkable ability to see what he wants to make, and then use what he has to make it. We always call him our future engineer or architect.
Kimberly: She absolutely loves being a full time mom. Nothing has ever brought to her life so much pure joy and pleasure! She says her family members have been her examples and has learned so much from them, and continues to learn from them each day. There are such precious moments right now in this stage of motherhood that her heart, at times, feels like it’s going to explode. She also loves the fulfillment of being a wife for her sweet heart! Kimmie enjoys serving in the boy scouts (Wolf Pack) and being able to teach her scouts the skills and life lessons that they will need and be able to use throughout their entire lives. Kimmie is still shooting hoops occasionally at the gym and still loves to go for a good run.
Derek: The most cherished treasures in his life are his family. Most, if not all of his time each day is spent either being with them or serving and working for them. Derek is a child at heart and has fun and holds dear every moment spent with his children. Whether the time is spent playing, dressing up, fixing toys, doing homework, and anything/everything else, he always thirsts for more. Derek looks forward to date night with Kim and holds dear his small, but precious time with her each day. He is so thankful to Desie for being willing to watch Henson and Emmett almost every day so he can spend time with his beloved wife. Cooking, going for a walk, cuddling on the couch, talking about the day, even if it was just cleaning together a room, he enjoys nothing more than her company. He also values his position as a Sunday school teacher of the 11-year-old boys. He is hoping to finish of the last of his B.S. of Nursing courses and to start looking for Family Nurse Practitioner programs to apply for.