During my dad's last visit to our house, the boys were sitting with him one morning...
James Daniel: "Hey Becky what dat in you mouth?"
My Dad: "That is Becky's dip!"
James Daniel: "How come it mells (smells) like han-i-tizer (sanitizer)?"
Hahahahahahah!


Jenna arriving home from her first day of Kindergarten
Jenna: "OH mommy, guess what!?!"
Mommy: "Tell me all about it Jenna BOO!"
Jenna: "My bestest day ever to have Savanah at my table and not even have to take a long nap!"
Mommy: ""Wow, that sounds wonderful!"
Jenna: "And the boy who was so annoying me and being on my nerves had to move away from my table, so that was awesome too!"
Mommy: "LOL!"

Jenna on the second day of Kindergarten...
Jenna: "Mommy, today in my class my teacher played four songs for rest time not just two songs. I guess she was extra tired for her nap today!"

Ellie arriving home from her first day of school (2nd grade, Mrs. Galbraith)
Ellie: "Mommy, my teacher is awesome. She is just like me...loves to eat and do art!"
Mommy: "Oh Ellie that makes me so happy to hear"
Ellie: "Well, there is one thing not so good about the two of us"
Mommy: "What is that?"
Ellie: "Well, she pretty much LOVES motorcycles too, but those are not a category I like myself!"

Claire arriving home from first day of Middle School
Mommy: "Well how was your day!?"
Claire: "It was fairly good, considering the beginning of the day I thought my homeroom teacher was man, but he is actually a WOMAN!"
Mommy: "OH geez!"
Claire: "And my science teacher looks like Jesus with white hair, so that is comforting, seeing that I really don't like science at all!"
Mommy: "Wonderful,what about new friends?"
Claire: "One girl on the bus, seems nice...but I didn't make eye contact with anybody new today...maybe tomorrow!!!"
Mommy: "All in a days time my sweet Claire Bear!"

Boogers....

Nap time conversation...
James: "No Bubbie, no put your boogers on me"
John David: "You yike da wet ones bedder?"
James: "I said, no Bubbie, I no want you boogers on me"
John David: "Hahaha...o tay"

INTERVIEW WITH ELLIE BROOKLYN PATE!~

Favorite dessert: "Hot brownie with ice-cream and cool whip"
Favorite drink: "Cream soda"
Favorite restaurant to eat out: "Joe's Italian"
Favorite candy: "warm, gooey airheads"
Something you are proud of: "that I can sing good and do gymnastics"
Something that you are excited about: "Going to Greystone elem"
Something that makes you laugh: "When Daddy throws me around in the pool"
Something that makes you afraid: "being left alone"
Favorite TV show: "Iron Chef"
Something you like to do with Claire:"go shopping at nap time with just us"
Something you like to do with Jenna: "jump on the trampoline"
Something you like to do with your brothers: "play toys in their room"
What do you want to be when you grow up: "a chef"
Favorite hobby: "shopping with you at the Galleria Bath and Body Works"
Memory of Nana: "When she takes me to her house and spend the night"
Memory of Mamaw: "takes me to the circus or fair and zoo, stuff like that"
Memory of Becky: "his truck and going to the gas station is the best"
Memory of Rosey: "cooking with her sweet things like the yogurt dessert"
Memory of Papa: "eating chocolate with him and he tries to give me sweat tea"
Best friends: "Marron, Brooke, Emma Kate, Kate"
Favorite color: "neon orange"

Ellie Brooklyn Pate is definitely one of a kind! She has amazed us since birth...when she literally kicked herself out of the birth canal (sorry for the TMI)....I love this girl so much. I look forward to watching her grow up and seeing how God uses her uniqueness to share Himself with others! Don't be surprised if this girl is not a missionary chef ruling over a small village in Bangladesh one day!

ELLIE BROOKLYN PATE- 7 YEARS

INTERVIEW WITH CLAIRE MCKINLEY PATE!~

Favorite drink: "Cream Soda"
Favorite snack: "Chips and Hummus"
Favorite lunch: "Nacho basket, with sour cream, salsa"
Favorite dinner: "Cesar Salad"
Favorite candy: "Cookies and Cream Hersey bar"
Something you are excited about: "My new school, Berry Middle School"
Something you worry about: "lockers and getting to class on time in middle school"
What scares you: "bad teenagers"
What makes you safe: "My parents"
Something you are proud of: "My athletic abilities"
Best friends: "Leah, Mallory, Haley, Anna"
Something you enjoy doing: "Softball"
Something you enjoy doing with Daddy: "Going on date nights with just him"
Something you enjoy with Mommy: "Having talks about stuff"
Things that stress you out: "Big tests and social life"
Memory of Becky: "Camping for real in a mountain and forest"
Memory of Rosey: "Always helping cook with her in the kitchen, like doing grape leaves, and giving books to read that are interesting"
Memory of Papa: "going out to eat and chocolate and cigarettes"
Memory of Mamaw: "buys me clothes for my birthday and Christmas and she always cooks a ton of food"
Memory of Nana: "taking me to get my toes painted, especially when it is just me and her"
Something that makes you laugh: "Coach Pirkle"
Favorite movie: "Soul Surfer"
Favorite book: "Harry Potter"
Favorite colors: "aqua and lime green"

Favorite thing to do with your sisters: "jump on trampoline"

Favorite thing to do with your brothers: "mess around with them, snuggle with them"
Something you hate: "zits"
Something you are really good at: "running fast"

Claire McKinley Pate- 11 years old....where in the world does time go? I can't believe my first born, my sweet Claire Bear, is on the brink of her teen years!!! She is  a beautiful girl, inside and out. I am so proud of her compassionate heart. She makes us so proud!

Jenna Kat! (Jenna Kathryn Pate-5 years old)

INTERVIEW WITH JENNA KATHRYN PATE!~

Something you are proud of: "All my babies"
Something that makes you laugh: "Me and Cannon playing at Mrs. Joan's house"
Favorite candy bar: "Reese cups"
Favorite drink: "Punch"
Best Friend: "Cannon Russel"
Something you are afraid of: "Thunder"
What makes you sad: "When someone hurts my feelings"
Something you enjoy doing with Daddy: "When he takes me to the Melting Pot" (restaurant)
Something you like to do with Mommy: "Staying home with you and painting fingernails"
Favorite dinner: "White Spaghetti"
Favorite lunch: "Peanut butter and Jelly roll-ups"
Favorite color: "Purple"
What do you want to be when you grow up: "Work at IHop"
Favorite Movie:"Letters to God"
Something you enjoy doing with your sisters: "baby dolls and house"
Something you enjoy doing with your brothers: "watching TV"
If you could have an animal what would you want: "a zebra or hamster"
What is your favorite stuffed animal: "Bunny that Beck and Rosey gave me"
What do you want other people to know about you: "That I want to be a good girl"
Memory about Mamaw: "eating her snacks in her kitchen and going to the ballpark to eat suckers with her"
Memory about Nana: "Always says yes I can go to the concession stand at the ballpark because you say I can't"
Memory about Papa: "Riding his tractor bucket"
Memory about Becky: "Build a Bear at the mall and making me laugh when we wear funny hats together"
Memory about Rosey: "Playing with her all the time at my house and going to her house to play with Hayden; she loves me"

Anything else you want to say in your interview: "nothing, because I am done now"

***I MUST do this more often....interviewing my children individually makes me realize what beautiful children they are, and how completely different each of them are. I am so very grateful for each child God has entrusted me to raise. They bring such a joy to my heart.

MOMMY AND JENNA AT MEMORIAL DAY SWIM PARTY

"Chicken and Table" and "I Not Gonna Chop Chop You" "God Talkin"

Eating dinner last night at Shane's Rib Shack (Gross I know, I can't believe I fed my children a plate of grease!) Anyway, Jenna was in charge of "role modeling" for the boys at the table while I placed our order, Claire filled drinks, and Ellie gathered the condiments. I overheard Jenna and the boys.
Jenna: "Okay boys, you have to sit like Jenna and be still, okay"
John David: "No I do dis" (as he was spinning on the seat)
Jenna: "No chicken for you if you don't be sweet"
James: "I be sweet Jenna"
John David: "I like chicken"
Jenna: "Say thank you God for our chicken"
James: "Thank you God for a chicken"
James: "Jenna I like da table"
Jenna: "God gave us this table"
James: "Thank you God for da table"
John David: (still spinning out of control) "Jenna I do dis,I not like da chicken, I not like da table"


Snuggling with John David Saturday morning....
Mommy:"Buddy I love you so much"
John David: "I love you too, you smell clean"
Mommy:"Thank you John David, you smell clean too"
JOhn David: "I not gonna chop,chop you mommy"
Mommy: "Wow, thanks John David, I don't want you to chop, chop me"
John David: "Okay, you nice, you my friend, you smell good"

(totally random...have no idea where that came from)


Riding to school one morning....
Ellie: "So people say they "hear" God, my question is "how"?!?"
Claire:"You can hear God speak in different ways, through songs, people, stories, etc"
Mommy: "Good answer Claire Bear, that is right, we listen for the Holy Spirit to whisper to us in our heart through many different means, like people and music and stores, and especially through HIS Word, the Bible."
Ellie: "So if God speaks through His word, do you just put the Bible up to your ear and He just starts talking?"
Claire: "No Ellie, God doesn't have a voice like us, He isn't going to start speaking in a loud voice from your Bible like a phone!"
Ellie: "But yall said, God speaks through His word and other stuff"
Mommy: "Yes Ellie, But He isn't going to start "talking" out of the Bible, we read his words and hear His voice through the stories and lessons we learn in our lives, but not literally "hear" just figuratively "hear" Him speak"
Ellie: "Mommy, you are not making sense, either you HEAR or NOT...which one is it!"
Mommy: "Go ask your Daddy!"