Making Due with What Ya Got!

This little boy is a hoot! He has the funniest personalities ever! As obsessed as Tate is about Dino's.... Whit is about cows and horses!! From the time he gets up to the time he goes to bed, he is roping something or someone.....pleading with Taylor to go see the cows, and herding everyone around like we are all in a stock yard!!!! With the remodel going on... the house is a mess, and when I came around the corner this is what a found, him and Woody riding my Kitchen Aid Mixer!!!!! Hey..sometimes you have to improvise, but as long as your having fun.. .... it is all that matters~!

This handsome man has made me so proud lately!! Sometimes I get so sad that he is growing up so fast! We registered for Kindergarten a few weeks ago, and as bittersweet as it was, it was hard to be sad, because he is SO EXCITED to go. His mind amazes me everyday.....he defiantly has a thirst for knowledge. He also has become quite a cowboy, we got a new horse "Scooby", and they are making a great pair!! We have been going to the Jr. Rodeo's again, and it is amazing what a year can do. After a little apprehension he decided to enter the lead line barrels, and came out smiling from ear to ear!!! ( Pictures to come!!)I am so proud of you Tate, you are going to be amazing at whatever you decide to do!!

These two little terrors have quite the bond!! They are hilarious together....you never know what they are going to say or do, I just have to hope for the best!!!!LOL!!


And last but not least... Little Miss Reese!!!! It is almost unreal how good she can talk and carry on a conversation!! SHE IS THE BOSS in this house. With her hands on her hips, and her sassy little voice, she is not afraid to let you know how it is!! She can speak in paragraphs, and she has the most witty sense of humor ALREADY!!! She is Tate's little mocking bird...what ever he does she does...NO MATTER WHAT!!! Her determination and Independence is good but a little scary!!

I love you 3 to the moon!

Daddy Will Fix it!

This is one of those stories that I want to look back on and remember!!!!

Last night most of Lehi was out of power. First you should know, that I REALLY do not like it when the power is out, it freaks me out for some reason. So I was getting jammies on Reese, and I thought that Whit had turned the light out on us. It happens regularly!! But then the lights flickered and I knew we were out! Taylor was roping, so I was solo without lights!! My gut instinct was.." Load up we are going to GG and Grandpa's...but then Tate started with his little worried mind, and I knew I had to suck it up. So I told Tate to wait there with the twins and I would go get a candle. I went to the kitchen, while calling Taylor, to try and ease my mind...he was already at work, the poor horses were still on the trailer!!!

I get the candle, and head back to the babies room, and I hear Tate telling the babies.." don't worry that the power is out..dad is a lineman and he will fix it, right mom, call dad so he will just turn the power back on'!!!

By now I had gotten a grip on myself, and had to get Tate to get a grip!!!! So I handed him the candle and told him to hold it while I got Whit's jammies on. He takes a task to heart, and was serious about the job! The whole time asking room by room if it's power was out!

I get Whit on the changing table, and he says," what got Tate, a candle?" and he blows it out!!!!

Tate freaks..." MOM....WHIT!!! Mom now what do we do?" Whit thinks it is hilarious, so I lite it again, and he blows it right out! About giving Tate a nervous breakdown at a young age!!! So I get him down and he follows Tate through the house trying to blow the candle out, like the big bad wolf!!! By now I have the giggles!! The personality differences in this house are priceless!

So we find a couple of flash lights, and every room we go into Tate is saying..."I am first I am the leader"...only because he wanted to be RIGHT BEHIND me!!!! Then he says.." well the power is out, I guess it is a good time to go to bed!" It is like 7:45!! So I

said well let's all go snuggle in my bed and see if it comes back on! ( I could use a 1o hour rest!!}

Everyone has there flash light, and Tate is still asking a million questions. Little miss Reese, who knows that she shouldn't be in our bed, (she is such a naughty sleeper) looks up at me and says " Mom, I sleep in your bed"!!!! She said it just like she was the one who ordered the power outage! Tho whole night was one of those times that got my funny bone!!! Kids have no filter, they feel what they feel and say what they say!!

Anyway, we finally got settled pretty good, and Tate had been telling the babies all along that dad was fixing the power...so Reese sat up and told Whit " go sleep, daddy fix it!"

Somebody Pinch ME!!!

I am so excited I could pee my pants!!!!! It is not a dream we are getting a new kitchen and bathroom!!!!!!!!! I will finally have a shower in our "That 70"s Show" bathroom!!!! No more vintage fools gold floor, and a faucets that the kids can turn on themselves!!!

But even more exciting than that is the KITCHEN!!!!!!!! People I am getting a REAL OVEN!!!! One I can bake more than 5 cookies at a time, AND one that the door shuts all the way!!!!! I am even getting a garbage disposal!!!!! Seriously I just got goosebumps!!!!!

I cannot wait..... so the kids were helping with the demo!! Tate really surprised me , maybe he is going to be a Paleontologist/ general contractor...he was into it. My only regret is that Whit saw him smash the hammer in the wall....I hope that doesn't came back to haunt me!!!!!

79 Years Young!!

Last weekend we had a 79th birthday party for my Grandma Hopes! It never seizes to amaze me. She and my Grandpa both have so many good friends. People came from Dixie, Tooele, and everywhere in between. They both have never even blinked an eye when it comes to helping people when needed, and just doing the right thing. I have learned a lot of life lessons from these two. I miss my Grandpa sooo much my heart hurts some days!!

Grandma, there is not another in the world!!!! You have always been all of our biggest cheerleader, from basketball to rodeo, you have always been the one in the crowd thats voice is heard over all the rest!! We are all so lucky to have your unconditional love!!!

It takes a while in life to realize what family means. I think I figured it out around 17. That is when I realized that I didn't have an Aunt or an Uncle, that didn't have my back when I needed it!! I love you all.

Hopes... I hope you had a great Birthday!!! I love you to pieces!!

Good Grief!!!

Oh my hell!!! Yes..they are standing on the kitchen table, hanging from the light!!!!These two little minds are nothing but TROUBLE.....PURE TROUBLE!!!! Thank goodness I came in when I did...our kitchen is OLD....it may not make it through twins!!!!

Bunch of Barn Rats!!

Wednesday's and Sunday's are rope day. Taylor loads up and heads out for some boy's club solitude!!!!.......But Sunday's Tate usually goes with him so he can play with his buddy Skylee!! These two are like two peas in a pod!!! Sklee loves reptiles and Dinosaurs, and Tate is in heaven to have someone that speaks his language. They play hard, and have a great time!!

On the warm days me and the babies head over to the barn to check out the action.....they are usually crying alligator tears, ( especially Whit) when Tate and Taylor leave. Skylee got a cool new Gator for Christmas and she was giving rides!! She is the cutest little shit, and such a good sharer!!! The barn was filled with little giggles and squeals, and nobody wanted to leave!!!! Anyways a good time was had by all today. They even had Sienna a new recruit. Thanks Cowdell's for sharing your little piece of Heaven with us this winter!!!!!

BARN RATS!!!!!

There is not one of them..boy or girl....that is nervous about getting dirty!!!

Reese and her buddy Berrett!!

It just doesn't get any better for Mr. Whit!!!

Winter??

I HATE WINTER!!!! I think it is one of those signs that you get that you know you are getting older!!!! I hate scraping windshields....I hate having your nostrils stick together when you walk outside...and I hate hate hate being cold!!!! I am thinking that St. George is sounding better and better!!!!! But since we are not in sunny St. George we had to get out of the house and play in it a little. It wasn't very long with it being 14 degree's, at 2:00 in the afternoon!!!! But long enough for a little fun!!! Whit has my blood...he was done in 2 minutes, and I was glad to have an excuse to go back in the house!!!!

When is Spring!!!

He had this look the whole time!

Reese loved it of course!

And so did Tater!!