Tyler Roberts of Plano, Texas

“Where y’all going?” Texan Tyler Roberts might ask you, or he might tell you that he’s “fixing to do something.” Seven-year-old Tyler lives with his family in Plano, Texas, a city just north of Dallas. Besides his father, Tom, who grew up in Ft. Worth, Tyler is the only native Texan in his family.

Plano was a small, rural town with just two grocery stores when the Roberts family moved there before Tyler was born. Since then, Plano has grown into a large community with numerous shopping centers, parks, schools, and churches. The Roberts family is especially happy to be able to attend church in the meetinghouse recently built in Plano. Tyler’s father serves as a counselor in the Plano Stake presidency. Tyler’s mother, Glenda, is in the Young Women’s presidency in the Plano Second Ward.

Another important building in the Dallas area is the Dallas Texas Temple. Before its dedication in January 1985, Tyler attended the open house with his family. He proudly exclaims, “We have our own temple now!”

Tyler is in the first grade, and he loves to read. When he was in kindergarten, he had an extra special teacher—his mother. Tyler and his mother enjoy reading together every day.

Recently Tyler received his own set of scriptures. He asks his father to read the scriptures to him every night, even though his family also reads the scriptures together each morning. One day he took his new Doctrine and Covenants over to a friend’s house to show it to him. Tyler asked his friend, “Where’s yours?” His friend, a nonmember, said, “I don’t have one of those books.” Tyler replied, “Maybe you can get one. These are important covenants.”

Family Home Evening is Tyler’s favorite night of the week. He likes to conduct, and he also likes to lead the singing. One of his favorite songs is “A Child’s Prayer” (Ensign, March 1985, pages 66–67). It doesn’t have to be Family Home Evening, though, for Tyler to enjoy playing games with his brother, Robbie (12), and his two sisters, Jenny (16) and Becky (13). The four children especially like to play table games together.

Soccer, skateboarding, and swimming are Tyler’s favorite outdoor activities—along with wrestling with Robbie, climbing trees, and playing T-ball. To cool off during the hot Texas summers, Tyler and his brothers and sisters often go to amusement parks having water rides, where they gleefully slide out of the chutes or ride the waves of an inland beach.

The Texas State Fair is the largest fair in the country. Held in the fall, it’s an event that Tyler looks forward to all year for its cotton candy, animals, and circus.

Tyler shares bunk beds with his brother. The top bunk is the favored spot, so the two brothers have worked out an agreement: If the daytime temperature gets above 75° F, Robbie gets it, but if the temperature is under 75° F, Tyler gets to sleep on top.

Tyler Roberts has traveled all across the country with his family, but he is always happy to be back home in Plano. And when visitors there get ready to leave, Tyler always tells them, “Now, y’all come back real soon.”