Bubba Chubbs

Bubba as a puppy!
Bubba lounging around.
Bubba showing just how patient he was by letting us put a diaper on him!
Bubba's idea of walking!
This shows Bubba's personality! He as the cutest little nerd!
Today has been one of the toughest days of our family's life. Our cute little bubba passed away unexpectedly from liver/kidney failure. It is amazing at how these little guys come to your home and become part of the family. He was one of us! Bubba was the cutest most loveable dog in the entire world. He loved playing, eating, and getting attention! Bubba lived up to his name in so many ways. He was the runt of the litter yet loved eating so much that he became twice as big as he was supposed to. He couldn't jump up onto our bed (so we lifted him up) yet he could jump up onto the table to get to food when he wanted! He loved to go on walks as long as he could ride in the stroller or wagon! Bubba brought so much joy into our family, he was the best with Gavin and Bre. They could pull, poke, step, or do whatever to Bubba and he would just sit there. He was their protector (thank heavens he never really had to put it into practice)! What more could you ask for in a dog. So this is to you Bubba! You are one of a kind and can never be replaced. Thanks for bringing much happiness, many smiles, and a bunch of love to our home. We will miss the barking at any random noise made, the chasing around the house, the scratches to go outside, all the playing, and most importantly the cuddling on the couch. I hope they have Bacon Strips in dog heaven! Mommy, daddy, Gaver and B's love you and will miss you much!

Being grateful for MOMS & being a mom!

My mom with Bre.

This is a small ode to the two greatest moms in my life. I am absolutely the luckiest person to have been blessed with the amazing mom that I have. She is the most giving, thoughtful, and supportive person that I know. She has been my number one fan my entire life! I pray that I can be the type of mom that she is. Thanks for being an inspiration in my life! I love ya!

Papa and Nana with Gavin and Bre.

I am also so lucky to have a sweet mother-in-law (Tracy). When Chad was on his mission I fell in love with his family and it enabled me to create a close relationship with his mom. I enjoy the time we spend together and she has been so helpful. Tracy is one of the most selfless people that I know. She loves to do things for others and would live without, if it meant helping someone else. Thanks for all you do for me! I love ya!

Gavin and Bre playing in the car! They love pretending to drive!

My amazing husband (Chad), with Gavin and Bre!

What a great Mother's Day it has been. As I sit here and think about what this day is really about, I can't help but think about why I love being a mom. I really cannot imagine my life without my Gaver's or B's in it. Words cannot explain the love that I have for my kids. They show me every day what is truly important in life and that is family. Their unconditional love for everyone (especially me), personalities, smiles, funny sayings, hugs, and kisses keep me going from day to day. I look forward to seeing them when I get home from work and being able to spend the rest of the day with them. They are my sunshine and they make me happy to be a mom! I love you guys!

NO DEAL!

I am not doing too well on this blog thing. I know this is a little late, but what the heck. It all started way back at the beginning of the school year when one of my students was caught tagging the boys bathroom. I was (and still am) confused on why they would want to choose that path. Anyways, I sat there thinking about what I could do to help my kids find a way out. I turned on the T.V. and Deal or No Deal was on. I thought how cool would it be to go on the show, win some money to set up a college trust fund for each one of my kids. I want my kids to know how much I believe in them and see that education is the key and gangs are not!!!!!!

Well, to my surprise they were having an open audition on April 12th. I talked my teammate and partner in crime to come along with me. We had our kids design some shirts for us and as you can see they did a fabulous job. We camped out overnight in the RC Willey parking lot and waited in line the next morning, to have our 20 seconds of fame. Well, the girl we got to talk to was definitely not a teacher lover nor did she have an eye for shear talent! When we told her why we wanted to be on the show, she looked at us and said "No, we want to know what you would buy for you if you won a million dollars!" I was taken back, had she not listened to what we said? So we repeated it, and she still wouldn't take that as an answer. Needless to say she did not invite us back for a second audition! O'well! Howie would of had some fun with us. His loss!

Bottom line it was such a fun experience and at least we tried. Thanks Allison for being a trooper, you are the best!!!

Another Chadilliant Idea!

Chad the ADD and impulsive person he is signed up for another CRAZY training. Why he thinks this is fun, I have no idea. Midvale Fire was offering a Tactical EMS (SWAT) training. Being the go-getter that he is, he signed up, willing to train all week long without pay (then working 60 hours in order to get his hours for the week). Well, just like all the other trainings this is proving to be one that he is really enjoying. He has been working on his gun skills (he could have just asked me), how to handle stand offs, enter homes, take people into custody, and administer treatment under fire. Just as I mentioned before I am so proud of him. He is always taking on extra trainings and putting in extra hours to show this is his dream and his passion. He is a hard worker who supports and loves his family. I am so lucky to be married to a person who enjoys life, takes risks, and keeps me grounded.

Check out my Slide Show!

Happy Easter

I know, I know it has been a while since I posted last. Time just seems to go by just too fast and I feel like I am on a rollercoaster waiting for it to slow down.
Any-whooo! Easter was quite the excitement around the Pate home. As always family traditions kick into high gear and it is go, go, go! We had our annual easter egg decorating party. Gavin actually sat and decorated eggs longer than I thought! Bre lasted all of 5 minutes, but she absolutely loved decorating herself in all the easter egg stickers! Of course the Easter Bunny came and visited Gav and B's. Gav got some Transformers and B's a Dora picnic set. As usual the kids were spoiled more than ever. We had three easter egg hunts, one at Grandma Kari's, one at Aunt Meggie's and then one at Great Grandma Tootsie's. I am just so grateful for such an amazing family and all the memories that we create through the many traditions! Life is great!

1st year down many more to go!

It has officially been one year since Chad quit his full-time job in order to pursue his life-long dream of becoming a firefighter. This has been the most rewarding and challenging year all in one. You can certainly tell that this is Chad's nitch in life. He dreams, talks, sweats, and breathes firefighting! He has worked so hard and has dedicated himself to making sure that he is the best at what he does. Above are some of the photos of the training Chad has done out at Saratoga. He had the opportunity to become Ice Rescue Certified at Utah Lake and I will be the first to admit that this is pretty cool!

Bottom line Chad is amazing and I am always amazed at what he pushes himself to do and achieve!