St. Patricks Day!

Who knew that ST. Patricks Day would turn into such a big deal!!! I am not complaining though, the day was really fun! Those naughty little leprechauns, dodged our trap, turned our milk green, and the water in our toilet!! Tate was all about trying to catch the little buggers!! He is loaded with idea's and going to get him next year!

This was our trap....he thought a little change might chum him in. Whit was so tired that night he fell asleep, and left it up to Tate and Reese!

Even though he was a little naughty...he did leave treats, and accesories!!!

Hangin with GG, she went all out like always!! It was soooo good!
The green table!!! ( Look out Sandra Lee!!!!)



GG, and one little naughty Leprechaun!

The best part was that Tate had his cousins to be crazy with!!

Rodeo Life!!!

The last Jr. Rodeo of the winter series we have been going to was this weekend, it was such a good time. Tate grew leaps and bounds from beginning to end. We started the first weekend without a horse, by the second weekend he decided to enter the lead line barrels, and walk Scooby at a comfy pace!! By the third weekend...Tate Scooby and Taylor were on a dead trot!!! Tate was smiling and looking around to see that we saw the whole time!!! It was awesome!!! He had even won a little money from the dummy roping the weekend before and we didn't even know it!! The first thing he asked was if we could go to Toys R Us!! We hung out with Josh Jen and Skylee, ate some rodeo snacks, and cheered the kids on!!

GG and Grandpa have not missed a rodeo yet!! We are so lucky to have them love us so much and want to be a part of what we are. I know my kids will look back when they are older like I did and realize how cool and important it was in their lives!!

Really I cannot think of a better way to spend my weekend, than being at a rodeo with my family. It is the life I have always looked forward to. I have thought about this weekend to myself since we have gotten home, and choked up a little. I love being a rodeo mom... I don't care if I enter another jackpot as long as I can go with the kids!!!

And one more sappy thing!!!! Taylor...seriously he is the best dad. He has spent so much time with Tate, helping him, when he could have been roping himself. He has so many patience with him, and has given him the confidence he needs!! Good job Dad!!

Now all we need is the next rodeo.....the trailer is packed!

Ready to Run!!!

$9 dollars richer!!!

Waiting for the National Anthem!!

Bampa and Reese!

Whit had to down in the action.. i think he is going to have to be entered next time!

Skylee and Josh....so cute!

These two are BUDDIES!!

These 4 are TROUBLE!!!

This 1 little girl is meaner than hell!!

ZooKeeper of the Week!

This week was Tate's turn to be Zookeeper of the week!! It is the week when the spotlight is on you, and your mom gets to come to class and do an activity with everyone. Things to me that are what makes being a mom great!! So Tate wanted to do a Safari thing, which was such a good idea, because our Aunt Lauri went to Africa not long ago, and made Tate, and Brykn both an incredible book of all the animals she took pictures of on her safari!!! So we centered around that!!

With the help of family and good friends, we saved enough toilet paper rolls to make everyone a pair of binoculars, and we got some brown paper bags from the grocery store and made some safari vests!! The kids decorated them with stickers and stamps, and made them their own. Then they snacked on some animal crackers while we read Aunt Laur's book!! Everyone, even Tate's two teachers were so into the animals in the book!! It was great!! Tate was so excited to give everyone their stuff, and tell them his facts he knew about safari life!! He is doing so well in school, and he has really came out of his shell there!! I couldn't help but smile, and be proud. Thank you so much Laur for the awesome book, Tate was so so so excited to do this!!! He made a great Zookeeper!!

I got to tell everyone all about my Tate!!! He is pretty awesome you know!!!

Coloring, stamping, and stickering!!

Everyone loved the Giraffe picture!!!
I thought it was so cute that they were using there binoculars while I was reading!!

Totally into it!!! And he knew what was coming next.....Now THAT is a good story!!!!

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!!