Happy Birthday Sweet Pea!

Our Jenna turned 5 today! It's so much fun when they reach the age when they know it's their birthday and they are soooo excited. She kept saying all day, "It's my special day, huh mom" or it would be "Because it's my special day (fill in the blank)"

Today was a preschool day so we took Tinkerbell cupcakes to her class and they sang Happy Birthday to her and she got to wear a coveted "crown" made by Ms. Sharon, she literally wore the thing ALL day long.

Then it was off to the doctor for her 5 year appointment. You know, when the doctor asked if I had any concerns, I honestly could not think of one thing. Jenna is such a great kid and has been since the moment she was born. As Steve and I talked about our Sweet Pea tonight I said I would have 10 more kids if Heavenly Father promised they would be just like Jenna**. She also got her flu shot, which we had talked about beforehand, and she promised that she would be brave. After the doctor left and we were waiting for the nurse to come back with the dreaded needle, she told me, "Mom, 5 year olds don't cry when they get shots, so I am NOT going to cry." and sure enough, she was so brave and she didn't cry or even let on that the poke bothered her. She couldn't wait to tell her Daddy that she didn't cry when she got her shot.

Jenna has grown nearly 3 inches in a year, which didn't surprise me because, seriously, I feel like I am buying this child jeans every other month, but what is surprising is how BIG she is. What I mean is, not only has Sweet Pea grown in the last year, she is growing up. I just want to freeze time and keep her little, at least for a little while.

She wanted to go Diana's Dream for dinner and ice cream, and yes she wore the crown, so stinkin' cute! Then home for presents, which included the new Tinkerbell movie, dress-ups, a new Christmas book from Grandma Patsy & Grandpa and last but not least a new Princess bike. We felt really bad when she had to stick her knees out to ride her old one, it was definitely time.

**I am not playing favorites, it's just that Jenna has literally been such an easy child to raise. We're talking, sleeping through the night at a month, didn't fuss even once when she was teething, fully potty trained in a week, to this day goes right to sleep at night kind of child.



Such a fun day for a fun, sweet girl. Of all the things we love about Jenna Marie Goates, here are some of my favs:

1 - She is the most helpful child I know.

2 - She is SOOOO smart, nothing gets by this girl

3 - Jenna loves to sing and dance, and I love to watch her

4 - Her baby sister absolutely ADORES her, they are already such great friends.

5 - An all-around wonderful child who we are so grateful is part of our family!

We love you Sweet Pea!

B's Birthday Bash

How many people can you fit into a small area? We are always willing to test that out when it comes to birthday parties. We have such great friends and are so grateful they support us like they do.

B-Man wanted a Cars birthday this year, he is a little more than obsessed, but I am okay with that.

He got lots of cars, trucks, trains, anything that is boy. Again, need to send a shout out to our great friends for sticking around even after the birthday boy got sick. Not just sniffle-sniffle, we're talkin' the nasty stuff. He felt much better after, but no blowing candles out this year. Despite the tummy troubles, he had such a fun birthday and by looking at the pictures you would never know he was a little under the weather...

Fun Stuff for B - the kid made out like a bandit!

The Cake - McQueen was made out of chocolate and then just a fondant covered cake with edible flag images. Pretty fun!

Momma's Boy

All the kids lined up in the hallway eating cake and ice cream
Just a PS on this picture - See that darling, cute little girl in the picture? She fell down our unfinshed stairs to the basement. I still feel so bad about it- Hayden I hope you healed okay.

I had to throw this picture in there for fun. Bryson had a little celebration in his class and he came running out to me in this cute birthday crown, I just had to share.
Love you B!

"Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do!"

You just used your best Cuban accent to say that...didn't you?

Well.... Mr. Incredible left town yesterday. If he sees this post before he gets back, I doubt he will ever leave again.

I went a little crazy on the bathroom. No worries, the baseboards needed to come up anyway. I want to paint this bathroom before the floors go in this weekend and I didn't want to tape all of that when they were to come off anyway.

So while I was at it, I took down the cheap-o towel rack, that served absolutely no purpose in a 1/2 bathroom. I tore off the ugly hand towel rack a few weeks ago because I was just tired of looking at it.
it scares me the things I find in this house. (Like the load of prescription bottles the repair man found under the dishwasher...ya, I know) Behind the painted-on rack was this....
that hole was the size of a dime!

I am very thankful for an understanding husband, who has little or no temper...otherwise, I might be in trouble :o)

B-Man turns 3!

So good thing B-man is only 3 and he doesn't know that this post has been sitting in my Edit box for so many days, but anywho...

B-Man's birthday fell on General Conference weekend again this year so we played it really low key for his big day on Saturday.

Of course he wanted crepes for his birthday breakfast and I was more than happy to oblige. We had decided that we would tell the kids out numero quatro for B-man's birthday. I had cute creative idea all planned out, but all the kids woke up and we were all on our bed and they were all just cuddling and being so cute and Steve looked at me and said "we gotta tell 'em" so we did.

Anyway, back to B-man. He chose old McDonald's for lunch and then we took him to a little family diner called Diana's Dream for dinner. He was so excited and cute when they sang to him, however, he wanted to get home ASAP to his new Cars that he got so he didn't even finish his birthday ice cream. (Stay tuned for the big Cars bash coming up on Saturday.)

Bryson is the type of kid that is just fun. I know that I say that a lot but I don't know how else to describe him. He knows what is funny and he is always trying to make us all laugh. He has a smile that will melt your heart in a minute, and is a very sensitive child. He is always very aware of other children and how they are feeling and what he can do to help make people smile and feel better. I LOVE that he LOVES to cuddle with me. He is very busy and has TONS of energy, and he really is such a great kid.

Here are a few of the many many things we love about Bryson Reed Goates:

1. I repeat - he is so funny.

2. Like father like son- he is so much like his dad in so many ways. i.e. - loves to be outdoors, is super-sensitive, total Momma's boys, LOVES to ride his bike (almost as much as they love me...almost) and they even have the exact same shaped head.
3. He is super athletic, so excited to watch his skills develop. (have to channel that energy into something positive!)

I am so grateful for this little boy in my life and how he continues to help me be a better (more patient) Mom. Happy Birthday Bryson!


This was Bryson's first day of his "preschool"

Opening his new set of Cars

Racing his new Cars

New Cars hat - what can I say, the boy loves Cars!

Funny thing about lightning...

just in case you were wondering...

"A popular myth is that lightning cannot strike the same place twice, but nothing could be further from the truth. Lightning does, can and will strike the same exact place more than once. It doesn't have a memory, and if an object has been struck once, it is no less likely to be struck a second time. How about the Empire State Building in New York city which gets struck by lightning about 25 times each year. Even Roy Sullivan was struck by lightning 7 times!" (from weatherimagery.com)

Well, Roy, I am going to give you a run for it! When asked about having more children I have been known to say "lightning doesn't strike the same place twice." I had to go with that mentality for my own sanity. I didn't want my mind to "go there" and then feel that disappointment when years go by and it's not happening. I've been there. I've done that. Didn't like the view. I have three beautiful children and I felt so blessed to have Sara as a special gift to our family and I almost felt selfish when it came to the thought of having more children. I guess what I have learned is that our Heavenly Father never "runs out" of miracles for us and for those that we love. I have also gained an even stronger testimony that the Lord's will is much more powerful than anything that science can prove. (even when you are told that you will "never" be able to conceive a child on your own) HE is the creator of ALL and it is in HIS control. So if you haven't caught on yet...our next little bundle of energy is due at end of April.

Lately...

lots of fun things going on. I am going to try and play catch-up this weekend. We'll see how that goes.

Just a quick update on how the munchkins are growing -

Sweet Pea started back into the half-day preschool program through the park district. Most of the same kids are back this year which is a lot of fun. She is just such a joy in my life. What a big helper and so wise beyond her years. She's an old soul who is trapped in this little kid's body. Funny example...every few days at school her teacher asks a question to all the kids and she writes down the answers and posts them outside the classroom for the parents to enjoy while waiting for drop-off/pick-up. Last week the question was "What do you want to be when you grow up?" While all of her little classmates answered "teacher" "princess" "a mommy" Sweet Pea's response... a paleontologist! She cracks me up! :o)



B-Man also started a program through the park district called Terrific 2's and 3's. I was a little leery about putting him in a "pre-school" for two hours a day, but at the suggestion of his Speech Therapist, I thought it would be worth a try if it helped his speech develop. We had hyped up "school" for about a month before he started but the fact that he watched Sweet Pea go all last year he knew what to expect. He LOVES it and didn't even bat an eye the first day, in fact, he all but kicked me out. His teacher is all cute and bubbly and barely taller than the kids and B-Man loves her. Anther HUGE accomplishment for B-Man... 100% POTTY TRAINED!!! WOOT WOOT!! Once it clicked for him, he is a champ. He even got out of bed the other night at like 3 in the morning to go potty. YAY! (not yay for the 3 in morning, but yay for not having to change child and bedding at 3 in morning) I can't believe he will be 3 years old tomorrow. Love this boy. Mischievous, yet so sensitive, definitely his Momma's boy.



Oh my Muffin!! You know, when we were expecting this little girl all I heard about is how the 3rd one is the calm/quiet one. Let me tell ya people... not the case! Not sure what we do to our children, but they are just super-busy. This trait seems to multiply exponentially with each child. Basically... She. Scares. Me. She is not afraid of ANYTHING!!! I love that she's curious, don't get me wrong, but I just can't stay ahead of this one. It's hard to believe that the last year has gone by so quickly, she's not my baby anymore, she's a full blown toddler, walking around with a mind of her own. She still is getting a hang of that walking thing, I think it's proving difficult because she's trying to run rather than walk. Despite my daily panic attacks of whether or not "that" is going to leave a mark, what a fun, fun little girl. She loves everyone, especially Sweat Pea and B-man and I couldn't have asked for a better sleeper. (it's like a rechargeable battery, she needs 11-12 hours to recharge) I think that is one of the only things she inherited from me. Despite her busyness (is that even a word?) she is a cuddlebug and I love to cuddle and just hold her.

A Party fit for a Lady...

For Sara's 1st birthday party we had a little BBQ with my parents and our friends (who are our family away from family) and then finished the night with cake, ice cream & presents. Sara was so cute and fun, such a fun kid. Thanks to everyone that came, we love you and are so grateful for you in our lives. Anyway, enjoy the pics!

Singing to the Birthday girl - How cute is it that she started clapping when everyone finished?! - Although, I think she loved the balloons more than anything!

The ladybug cake!

Eating of the little Ladybug...It's funny how these little children have such individual personalities. Neither Jenna nor Bryson would even touch the cake on their 1st birthday. Once Sara got a taste, she dug right in. Note to self: black and red frosting and kids cakes do not go well together!

Just a little taste...

mmmmm....that was pretty good...

How bout s'more...

Me gusta!

That's what I'm talkin' about!

PS - Thanks Keli for pinch-hitting with the camera, these came out awesome!

30 Years Ago Yesterday...

...Tina was born.

Steve here - thought I'd take a turn to post a little something in honor of Tina's 30th Birthday.

Admitedly, I was not on my A-Game this birthday. I usually am a pretty solid gift-giver but between life and...well, no excuses - I could have done much better but hopefully this will make up some of those lost points with T.

There are so many reasons that I love my wife - I have really always loved her. It all started on the playground that fateful day in 1989 - we were ten years old and ... wait, that's a story for another day. Let it suffice to say that I am eternally grateful that Tina and I ended up together.

Amongst so many other reasons why I love her, here are 30 that come to mind:

1. She is a woman of amazing faith
2. She loves the Lord
3. She lives to serve her family – especially our children
4. She is a realist and keeps me from making crazy decisions
5. She supports me and stands by me – even when I’ve given her plenty of reason not to
6. When she prays you can feel her faith
7. She is humble – almost too humble (if that were possible) because she doesn’t realize how amazing she truly is
8. She is so patient with the kids – I could never be the stay-at-home dad and hope that the kids would survive more than a week
9. She is very particular – she has a system for everything that makes her super efficient – DON”T MESS WITH THE SYSTEM!
10. She has become an amazing cook
11. She always hooks up her friends and family with great Pampered Chef deals – usually giving back any commission she should earn
12. She makes incredible cakes
13. Her giant chocolate chip cookies are the best…ever
14. She is always seeking to learn something new
15. She is good at pretty much everything she tries
16. She is a great example of true conversion (ask her about it sometime – you’ll be stronger because of it)
17. She loves her family – ALL of them and despite whatever issues may exist, her love for them is stronger
18. She throws a great party
19. She’s my hottie wife
20. She kicks butt!
21. She’s a decent fly-fisher woman – was getting pretty good until we started having kids, moved away from the rivers of UT and now just lets me go when we’re back there ;-)
22. She tried Mountain Biking and though she didn’t have much fun that 1st time, she entertains my desire that she be a biking chick
23. She has great taste in men – that took some time to develop and some trial and error, but she worked it out
24. She has an iron will – and wonders where our kids get it from
25. Has that fire-cracker-Spanish-honey-thing going on – you know what I mean…
26. She can fall asleep at the drop of a hat (thank her dad for that gene)
27. She lets me sleep when the kids wake up in the middle of the night
28. She truly does all the hard stuff around the house – I’ve learned to just keep the kids busy and stay out of the way
29. She puts up with all the travel, long hours and stressful job stuff I subject her to (thanks, Discover)
30. Finally, and maybe most improtantly: She loves me for who I am and she truly inspires me to be a better man

Happy birthday, T!

Hey, this blogging thing is kinda fun...

One year ago...

at exactly 8:00 PM, my baby Sara Helen was born. No, I can't believe it either. What a joy she is and how fun it is to see her add to our family dynamic. Though I consider all of our children miracles, I truly believe that Heavenly Father, exhausted from hearing my pleading for another child, gave us a beautiful miracle. I guess it is only divine intervention that could trump the "less than 2%" card we were dealt. I am so grateful for her and the happiness that she radiates.

Happy 1st Birthday my sweet Sara!

Utah Trip - Reunion Time! (7/24)

What better way to spend Pioneer Day than with a little family fun. For those who don't know what a family of 12 children looks like...let me enlighten you -

This still isn't everyone, if you can believe it. I would post everyone's names for you, but that just might throw blogger (and you) into overload. With our #'s surpassing 50 now (and 3 more Goates' kids due at the end of the year), it's is amazing that we still remember everyone's names. Okay, that's a stretch, but it was so much fun to see everyone and to just spend time together. Hectic, yup, but wouldn't trade this family for anything!

We played lots of water games, which was fabulous because it was so hot the weeks that we were there.

Then of course the REAL games began. This is Rich (#6) and Dianne (#2) I don't think that #6 realized what he was getting into when he tried to get #2 in the little pool.

and the answer is... no he never got her in

Then of course, Mike (#4), Allie (#10) and Tanner (married to #10) decided to get #6 in the trough... (actually I think #10, being prego and all, was just trying to remove items such as wallet and cell phone)

and again, the answer is...no they didn't get him in. Talk about feats of strength!

After seeing the fine examples of their aunts and uncles Jenna and Bryson decided that they needed to get their daddy (I had nothing to do with it! ;o)