BOO!

It's that time of year again. My favorite time. Except this year and the last few weeks has been so crazy and sad and insane that I didn't have time or money to get me a costume so I was kind of a Bah Hum Bug for Halloween.

I know, I know stop your beating heart that I wasn't excited about Halloween.

Oh well there's always next year.

This year we had a very scary witch, a creepy glowing skeleton and a cute dancing ladybug!

Madison was our witch..complete with fake purple eyelashes! Then our cute little ladybug, complete with matching tu-tu and wings

And then our scary Skeleton and it had to be the green skeleton because then he would glow in the dark...very important for my boy!

McKinley was terrified of Carter, that's why she's crying, yet she wasn't scared of Madison.

Hope you all have a

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Love the Tate Spooks!

Until the next spooktacular post...

Those dang stairs!

That's it! I'm taking those cement stairs out! No one will be able to access our house but I don't care! Those stairs are too DANGEROUS! That or my children are just clumsy.


IF you can't tell by now let me spell it out for you...those stairs that back in April harmed one child have now gone and lashed out at my baby girl!


Yes McKinley who has now been walking for what 4 months now decided to try going down stairs by herself. And not just any stairs but those scary, evil , dangerous cement stairs in front of our house and how did she do? Well she decided to go down them with her FACE!


Oh my poor baby!


Then of course I wanted proof of these atrocious stairs and what they have done to tear my family into pieces. And McKinley didn't want to cooperate, she did NOT want me to take her picture and was very upset that I did.

But look...here's what those stairs did!

So I waited until she fell asleep to get a better picture of the awful road rash all down her face, and yes she did get a black eye (not horribly black...more of a purple) and a fat lip and of course the road rash....
Anyone know any good lawyers, who will help me take those stairs to the bank or to justice and if that fails I guess I can always wrap my children in bubble wrap?!

Until the next accident...I mean post....

Mother's Day

It's that day in May that we like to celebrate...

No not Cinco de Mayo, but who doesn't like a little part-ay?

It's Mother's Day!
A day we honour our mother's
Of course there is my own mother who has gone through A-LOT with her 2 sons and 3 daughters, and yes I did give my mother some (very little) grief while growing up...but I can say I am not the one who gave her the most grey hairs!

But I am very thankful for her in my life and the love and support she gives to me and my family. Now that I have my own growing brood of children I respect and love her even more for what she had to go through. (My troubles have only just begun...) I am glad to call her my friend. (I Love you MOM!)

Then there is my mother-in-law, who has given me her son and has accepted me into her family. I know I felt it took a while to become comfortable at their home and to feel like she accepted me, but those are my own feelings and misgivings. I am very grateful for her love and support and for her talent in raising a worthy priesthood holder in her son. Every day (Sunday especially) I feel like we grow closer and I'm glad to be a part of her home.

And certainly not to forget those FAB-ulous grandmothers...
Grandma Beck and her insatiable giggle and the way she can tickle Daniel into a fit of laughter! And how she gets frustrated when playing games. And cries over presents...which is so sweet!
and
Grandma B because she is ...how you say?...PERFECT! She is one who can fix anything and EVERYTHING! (don't believe me ask my kids...oh no it's torn...mom, we need to take this to "B" to fix) She always has a listening ear and at almost 90 still watches her great-grandkids and goes on excursions across the country and out. When I grow up I want to be like her!

Anyways after my tribute to the mothers in my life ...we gave for Mother's day a photo album to the kids grandma's (our mom's) it was full of pictures of them...of course! what else would it be full of?...(if left up to Daniel it would be the pictures that come in them already...tee-hee)

So here are a few pics (ha do I ever do a few???) of our Mother's Day Photo shoot:

Of course here's the 3 little angels

Carter and running, jumping and basically just being a boy!

100% BOY and one Grandma in particular just can't say no to that face!
playin' on the tracks
McKinley OBVIOUSLY wanted to get down and was so happy to be there!...the stink!
check out the tongue...don't know where she gets that (wink-wink)
Trouble with a capitol T!


That little lock of bangs kept falling into her eyes and face it drove me nuts! where was my hairspray?!

Mom! I want to get on the train like the big kids!...lift me up!
See now I'm a happy girl!

A flare for the dramatic
and of course Carter had to do it too

Then we went and played in my parents yard. McKinley LOVES this slide and wants to do it over and over and over and over...well you get the point. Even though in the pictures she looks like she's terrified, she's loving every minute of it!

The girls
Life with boys!
Of course we had to get one of their feet...this is especially for Marla :)
and this one is my FAVORITE, and Daniel has it as his wallpaper on his phone. So sweet...
and just as she's waving goodbye....until the next post....

Baby Animal Days

Almost every year we take a trip up towards Logan to the American West Heritage Center for their Baby Animal Days. It's a lot of fun and the kids get to see farm animals, and pet them and the volunteers and workers dress up in pioneer clothes and teach/show you different things. This year (sorry I didn't take pictures of it...but I'll overload you on pics anyway) we learned how to sheer a sheep. It was pretty cool. Gave new meaning to the phrase..."like a lamb to the slaughter" the sheep didn't make a single sound. So on to the picture overload!


Here's out cute family

a cute little goat, I wanted to take home with me!

I didn't need to bring a goat home with me....I already have one!...named...CARTER

this little piggy....
McKinley: I'll just look at the piggy....
Bunnies
Can we have one?...PLEASE!?
a little lamb
okay I'll touch this one
petting a cow/calf

The last 2 years they have had baby turtles that you can hold, they are so cute! and surprisingly not slimy. I wanted to take one home with us, but nothing survives the Tate household!

look how cute! a tiny turtle...awwwwww

Riding a pony...the helmet was a little big. And at about the end she started to kick her legs but then the ride was over.

too much fun!


He was more than a little nervous

This year's main attraction was baby bear cubs.
The kids spent a while here watching them climb all over
Then on to holding the chicks. Madison's chick was freaking out, but then she called it down just like a little mother hen.

The kids really liked the ducks and wanted to take them home with us to. Dad said no!

McKinley wasn't sure at first, but then decided to give it a hug and then it was okay to touch.
It was a lot of fun. I'm glad it's only a once a year trip. The benefit is that the kids slept all the way home! I think I did too, it was a long day but full of fun.

Until the next post....