Christmas 2008

Our Christmas week started off on Tuesday December 23rd we all went to Gallup to go to the Red Mesa lunch at Virgie's. Then we all headed to the mall to to some shopping the kids were buying gifts for the name that they had. We had decided to just stay in Gallup that night at a hotel because it had been snowing all day and our trip into Gallup was very slow with icy snow packed roads. We took the kids to see a movie it was, The Tale of Despereaux, very cute movie, they liked it. It's a good thing we stayed in Gallup that night because the next morning which was Christmas Eve I woke up with Strep Throat! So I made an appt. to see the doctor and got some medicine before we went home. We had dinner at Amy and Mike's house this year.

We had a great Christmas this year the kids all got what they really wanted. Chelcey being the hardest one to buy for this year was very happy with what she got, an I-Dog, Perfume, and Science stuff. Tatum got just what she wanted and that was some High School Musical stuff and a Easy Bake Oven. Cassidy wanted a lot of Hannah Montana stuff a jump rope and a Guitar. Bowdy being the easiest one to buy for wanted a Bucking Bull, Airplane and Speed Racer. As for me and Shane I didn't really need or want anything this year but I did get a new robe, slippers, some bath stuff and a trip to a Spa. Shane got a silver money clip, a new Shaver, PJ bottoms, Hugo Boss Cologne and After Shave, and a book on how to play the Guitar. The kids were all very excited Christmas morning that the girls were up at 1:00am went back to bed till 4:00am then camped out by the tree till 6:00am when they finally woke up Bowdy who came and woke us up to tell us that Santa had come. We woke up to a lot of snow so we had a White Christmas, it's the only time of the year that I don't care if it snows.

After the kids were done opening all there gifts and they played with them for awhile it was off to go build a big Snow Man!

What a great year we have had we are very blessed with the family we have and look forward to many more years with them they all grow so fast and make us laugh daily.

Our Family 2008

Chelcey 2008 Tatum 2008 Cassidy 2008 Bowdy 2008

Cassidy's Holiday Dance

The little Dancers and the Cheer Leaders

With so many girls in this family there's bound to be a Dance/Cheer coach somewhere right? Well there is and that would be Aunt Jen, and also Aunt Starla who teaches dance class where she lives. Jen has been the Cheer/Dance coach at the High School for awhile now, really I don't know how long, sorry Jen. Jen was also a cheer leader while in high school and in college, so she is very qualified for the job. Well every now and then Jen will do a little cheer camp for the little girls in town and she does a good job at it. This year she got the girls together to do a Christmas dance during halftime of the boys varsity basketball game. Cassidy was the only one of my girls to do the dance Chelcey thought she was to old and Tatum had basketball practice during dance practice. Cassidy had a lot of fun, it's the other side of her that no one gets to see that often, the performer side or as I call it the show off side of her! Cassidy had 3 cousins that danced with her, JoeLi, Madison and of course Kennedy (Jen's little girl) and some of her friends, Rylie, Hannah, and Kourtney. There were 2 other girls but I don't know there names. Good job with the dance girls! And good job teaching them Jen!

Cassidy with Kennedy

All the cute girls taking a big bow

Tatum's first year playing Elementary Basketball

Tatum on the court. Her friend Baylie is behind her.

This is Tatum's first year playing basketball for the Elementary School. Now if anyone knows Tatum well enough you would know that she is all girl, so to watch her play is very funny, because she dances around the court like a ballerina, you will also see her cheering on the sideline or even while she is playing. At one of her games she was playing in she was playing against a friend of hers that she knows through all the rodeos she's been to and decided to put up a conversation with her while guarding her. There are at least 20 girls on the team and with it being elementary level they let them all play a certain amount of time. The coach is doing a good job at making sure that all the players get an equal amount of playing time. Tatum even has a good friend on her team named Baylie Daniels who is just like her. Tatum is enjoying basketball and is doing very good in it, she can even make a basket from the free throw line! Pretty good considering how short she is. Will see how it goes when she hits 8th grade and finds out that she can be a Cheer Leader. I think her basketball playing days will be all over. Her Aunt Jen will be so happy because she is the Cheer Leading coach!

She made this shot!

Go Tatum Go! her friend Baylie never far from her side.

Alabama Vacation

Bowdy's footprints in the sand.

This year for Thanksgiving we were able to got to Alabama to visit my family since we were already in Oklahoma it was a 1o hour drive there so we made plans to go. We got there on Saturday November 22nd and the kids were very excited to see there grandparents that they haven't seen in a year and a half. We were all very tired from the long trip but for me there was one thing I had to do before we all got settled down and that was to go watch the Twilight movie. We were only there for a couple of hours before I was at the theater. My mom and Chelcey came along with me. Chelcey has been begging me for weeks to let her come with me when the movie came out so I decided to let her go, she loved it and so did I. So with that out of the way...Look at the smile on her face. She was so excited to get this shirt

The next day we took the girls shopping at the mall they really liked that because we don't have a big mall in Gallup and theses girls like to shop, yes they take after me! On Tuesday we took the kids to the Beach to swim in the ocean Bowdy has never been to the ocean and was very excited to see so much water that he took off down the beach to the water and when he got there he jumped right in and started screaming "it's cold!" Yes it was very cold and the wind was blowing. My mom and Dad came with us, the ocean is only 30min's from there house. After we were all done with the beach it was time for something to eat so we went to a restaurant called Boudeans, classic for the south don't you think? That is were Chelcey ate some alligator, yes alligator! The girl will try anything once, she liked it and ate all of it!

The girls playing in the ocean.
Bowdy on the beach.

My Mom and Dad.

Me and Shane on the beach

The next few days we didn't do a whole lot we just hung out at my parents house, and on Thanksgiving we had a big dinner with my parents, PawPaw Jack, MiMi, Granny and my brother. We had so much food it was crazy! The kids also got a little extra surprise they got to open Christmas presents from there Granny and PawPaw.

Busy opening there stockings

The kids with there grandparents

We left the day after Thanksgiving to go back home we had been away from home for 12 days and even though we had a good time we were ready to be home so me and Shane were determined to make it home without stopping at a hotel. It is a 20 hour drive from my parents to home but we made it and rolled into Ramah at 2:00am and more than happy to be home. And as for Shane he only had a day at home before he was on the rode to Vegas for the NFR trade show where he will be for next 2 weeks!

Don't get to see this were we live. A swamp we drove through on the way home in the Bayou.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Huge End of the Trail statue

While in Shawnee we were only 30min's down the road from Oklahoma City. So on one of Cassidy's off days we drove over there and made a day of it. We went to the Cowboy Museum and the kids just loved that. They were so excited to see all the old Cowboy stuff and Shane loved the John Wayne room he was in there for like an hour! We also went over to the Oklahoma City Stock Yards the biggest and oldest in the country. We also went down town to shop and eat dinner at an old restaurant called Cattleman's Steak House were they cook there steaks from a fresh cut, they are never frozen! We had allot of fun and even got to go to Brokenbow Oklahoma were Lance and Jenni Bebo live for the night and spend a little time with Lance and the girls before we headed off to Alabama to visit my family for Thanksgiving. Thanks to Cassidy we had a nice family vacation.

Bowdy riding a big Longhorn Bull

Pedro, Sammy, Bowdy and Chelcey on some saddles

Tatum cooking at the Cowboy camp fire

Cassidy's Finals in Shawnee Oklahoma

As you all know Cassidy has worked really hard this year competing in woolie riding she made it to the finals in Shawnee Oklahoma. This was a very fun time for her she loves to ride sheep and has enjoyed it every step of the way she has been doing it for the past 3 years has has won 9 buckles, most of them this year. She won the last woolie riding she went to just before Oklahoma.

Cassidy really enjoyed being in Shawnee. Before each event when they would introduce the contestants they had loud music playing with fire it really made her fill like a superstar.

For the past 2 years Cassidy has wore a red felt hat she calls it her good luck charm, she has had all the PBR Bull riders sign it and wears it were ever she goes. She is known as the little girl with the red hat and everyone knows who she is.

Cassidy has had a great time this year and loves the sport of Rodeo so much that this will not be the end for her even though she has to retire from woolie riding because she has gotten to old and big for the sheep she'S ready for the next step, and no that is not going on to ride calves, or steers or bulls! It is her next love and that is horses. She has a new horse named Dove that we bought for her over the summer and she is ready to start Barrel racing which she has been doing for a couple of years now on her horse Fonzy but Fonzy isn't fast enough for this speedster she wants to go fast and win!

But even thought Cassidy is done woolie riding it's not the end she said she is going to train Bowdy and teach him all she knows so he can be a champ like her and believe me he can hardly wait!

Cassidy did not win in Shawnee but had fun being there it was a nice vacation for the whole family. Good job Cassidy we are all very proud of you. Keep looking to the stars and you will go far!

Halloween 2008

Alright so I'm a little behind on my blog but oh well! My motto is I'll get to it when I get to it! Anyways this year for Halloween the kids all had fun dressing up Shane was not here he was in Vegas for the PBR which seems like every year he is gone during this time. I think he's turning into his dad when it comes to this time of year! The day started off with the girls getting dressed in there costumes to go to school in. Tatum and Cassidy had a costume parade at there school with party's afterwards. That night we went to the church for Trunk or Treating in which the kids got way to much candy but still wanted to go Trick or Treating at some houses. The Halloween Carnival was also going on at the Elementary School but I some how convinced my kids not to go by saying they could go home watch a movie and eat candy and it worked! I know I'm a Halloween Scrooge when Shane's not here. For Halloween Chelcey was Little Dead Riding Hood she always has to be something gruesome! Tatum was a Beautiful Which of course not an ugly one. Cassidy was Hannah Montana wow shocker the girl is in love with her. And Bowdy was a NASCAR driver the boy loves NASCAR which is funny because neither me or Shane watch it, it must be bred into him my family are all big fans! They all had fun and ate way to much candy!