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29 MONTHS OLD

Dear Tatum,

You are 29 months old...very close to 2.5 years! We are having so much fun with you! We love to do outdoor things with you, and those are your favorites as well!

You are full of funny things to say. Some of my new favorites are:

(You pretending to shoot a deer). "Mommy, I did not knock him down!"

(You pointing to a sign for our road, STENTZ RD) "Mommy, Look, a T!"

I told you I'd give you pudding if you ate 2 more bites of dinner. You said, "Jackpot!"

You can express your feelings, spell your name (TUM), and carry on a full conversation with us! We love it!

You can now hike on your own, instead of the pack. Today, you went over a mile up the mountains! You are very independent. You can get undressed on your own, and can almost get yourself dressed. You can put your own shoes on, coat on, and zip the coat too! You feed yourself, and you have recently started opening the fridge to find what you want.

We love you so much Princess Bug! We can't believe you're already 29 months old, but we are loving every minute of it!

Love, Mommy & Daddy

Things to do with a toddler in the winter...

We get pretty bored in the winter, so we have to get creative to keep Tatum's outdoor time UPand our craziness DOWN.

We have been spending time having "dates" at Chaps for breakfast, Twigs for dinner, and Parks for FUN. We've also dome some shed hunting and four-wheeler riding! And of course, it's always fun to chase the chickens around the yard.

Shed hunting!

Park Play!

WHEEEEEEEE!

Breakfast Date

She loves dates with Daddy.

We are getting ready for SUMMER around our house! :)

Do you think they have golf in heaven?

Rest, Connie, and when rested, fly with your beautiful wings you have worked so hard for.

Our dear friend, Connie, earned her wings last night. After a long battle with cancer, she is now at peace, resting. Connie isn't just another person though, she's not just another person gone to cancer. She's an absolutely amazing, wonderful woman. As you can see from the picture, she's gorgeous too. This is her with her also amazing sister, Cathy.

My recollections of Connie stem from my childhood in Glendive, MT. Somehow my parents become friends of her & Les, and boy did they know how to party. I was young and didn't pay much attention, but I do recall many parties at our house with Connie. She has 3 beautiful children too, all of whom are just as amazing. Her and her wonderful family are all golfers. And they're good. In fact, Connie was golfing even last summer, just to show you what a true warrior she is.

Not one time did I see Connie without a smile on her face. Hell, I don't even think she frowned when she was mad. Full of life is an understatement. She's the type of gal you look at and smile. Oh, and she had the best jokes. Seriously, she would tell dirty jokes, which was hilarious because she's just a cute little thing. But her sense of humor was awesome.

There's something else that makes Connie special to me. I don't know exactly when I met her, but I know I was little. And of course spent countless hours with her until I grew up. But eventually she started teaching a course at the high school. I believe it was called JMG. Ryan was in the class. I think it was designed for "troubled youth" if you will, and (shocking) Ryan was picked. :) Anyway, she impacted Ryan BIG. Trust me, I can tell by the way he talks about her. She loved those kids and she did an outstanding job. Anybody who believes in Ryan is special to me.

We are so heartbroken that she is gone. But we are so glad she's resting, pain free. And we know she's waiting for the day we all meet again. Until then, she'll probably spend some time golfing...practicing up to beat the rest of us.

Rest, Connie. And when rested, fly with the beautiful wings you have worked so hard for. We will miss you.

Love,

Everyone.