A – is for AIDEN, which is an Irish name meaning ‘fiery one.’ Although this name is traditionally a boy’s name, it couldn’t be more appropriate than for our temperamental little firecracker. Sassy, feisty, and extremely independent, our first born is also an absolute sweetheart who loves to snuggle and give kisses.
B – is for BECKY (aka “Mama”). I am a mother, wife, daughter, sister, student, and friend. Every day is a learning experience for me; some days I handle a little better than others. I am not a perfect person, but I do try to be as honest, loyal, patient, loving, and forgiving as possible. I love my daughters, I love my husband, and I am thankful for every day I get to spend with them.
C – is for CHICKEN, a common nickname in our family. Doug’s father used to refer to his mom as a “young spring chicken,” which influenced Doug’s nickname for me “Chicken Little.” After the girls were born, we often referred to them as our “little chickens” or “chick-a-dees.”
D – is for DANCING, something that takes place often in our home. Dancing seems to make everything better – laundry, doing the dishes, folding clothes, picking up toys – you name the chore, and I can guarantee that adding a little ditty to your cleaning regime will make the time pass by that much faster.
E – is for ETERNAL. We believe that our marriage and family is eternally bound, which means we were together before we came to earth and will continue to be together after we pass from this earth. Although the going is not always easy, we have passed through many trials and know we will see many more to come, we feel that everything we face will help us to be a stronger eternal family.
F – is for FAMILY and FRIENDS, two things that are extremely important to us. We are fortunate to live near many of Doug’s siblings, but we are also very far from so many other loved ones. Rest assured, regardless of where we are, our friends and family are always in our hearts, thoughts, and prayers.
G – is for GIGGLES, something we can’t get enough of in our home. Doug is a pro at getting the girls to laugh and squeal in delight, which gives me a first-row seat to watch them and enjoy the show. We are fortunate to have two very happy girls who laugh often. Consider yourself warned, however, their giggles are usually contagious.
H – is for HORSEY, one of Aiden and Reilly’s favorite animals. They talk endlessly about “Paga’s horsey” (Grandpa’s horse Miles), whom they ask to ride on every single day. Another word is HOT, the most simple way to describe summers in the blasted state of Arizona. H also stands for HOOPES; not the kind used in basketball (note the different spelling) but rather our family name.
I – is for ICE CREAM, one of the staples in our freezer. Doug loves it, Reilly loves it, Aiden and I don’t mind it too terribly. I guess the old saying “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!” certainly holds true for this little family.
J – is for JUMPING, which happens to be one of the girls’ favorite activities (especially on mama and papa’s bed). The girls have so much doing it, I have a hard time telling them “no,” and often end up joining them!
K – is for KISSES from Aiden and Reilly. This statement needs no further explanation, other than kisses are one of the greatest joys and best rewards of being a parent.
L – is for LOCO, as in El Pollo Loco, one of mine and the girls’ favorite fast-food joints (Doug isn’t too big a fan). I mean, where else can you order popcorn chicken, tacos, rice, and mac & cheese all from the same menu? And, when three people can eat a relatively healthy meal for under $10, you really can’t go wrong!
M – is for MONSOON, one of the few things I love about Arizona…as long as I don’t have to drive in one. For those who have never seen one of these, it could be described as one of Mother Nature’s schizophrenic episodes. Imagine a furious and intense combination of black skies, thunder, lightening, torrential rain and wind. Monsoons are both scary and beautiful; just make sure you are in the safety of your home when one strikes.
N – is for NO, the current word of choice for our two gals. Regardless of what the question was, or whether the girls really mean it or not, the answer is almost always “NO.” N also stands for NAUNY (the girls’ pronunciation of “naughty,” another common word used in our home), NEMO (used to describe any type, color, or size of fish), and NUBY (Aiden’s preferred sippy cup of choice and the only way she will drink milk).
O – is for OCEANSIDE, CA, the city where our story began and where our hearts still remain…one of these days, we will get back to our beloved beach city.
P – is for PAPA, who also answers to Doug, LugNut, Bugsy, Babe, and [occasionally] DoorKnob. Don’t let the nicknames fool you, because he is the most patient, loving, hard-working, handsome, and forgiving husband and father our family could ask for.
Q – is for QUIET, something that is hard to come by in our home. However, I am grateful for this because in its place there is much talking, laughter, sharing, music, and giggles.
R – is for REILLY, which is also an Irish name, but means ‘courageous and valiant’. Holding true to her name’s meaning, Roo is strong-willed and fearless. She is our resident bug hunter and mud/dirt lover, who also loves princesses and playing dress-up.
S – is for SPECIAL TREATS, our family’s way of justifying all things yummy. Doug’s favorites are ice cream and milkshakes, Becky’s are popsicles and shaved ice, Aiden and Reilly will pretty much eat anything and everything under the classification of “sweets,” “goodies,” “tasty,” or “treats.”
T – is for TUTUs, which provide hours and hours of fun and entertainment for our two girls. Who would have thought that a combination of tulle and elastic would prove to be such a wonderful thing? T also stands for TWINS - the greatest blessing and most challenging responsibility Doug and I have ever received.
U – is for UNEXPECTED, which could pretty much sum up our lives. We didn’t expect to get pregnant as soon as we did, we certainly didn’t expect to have twins, we never expected to move around so much, and we didn’t expect to still be in school 10 years after we graduated from high school. However unexpected the happenings of our lives have been, it has made us stronger as a couple, more humble as individuals, and more complete as a family. Honestly, we really couldn’t imagine things any other way.
V – is for the ROMAN NUMBERAL 5, which will be the number of years Doug and I have been married come January 2, 2009. Crazy how the time flies!!
W – is for WATER, something that everyone in this family loves. Regardless of whether it is the roaring ocean waves, the gentle lapping of a pool, the freezing chill of a mountain river, or spewing from the sprinklers in the yard, water is one of our family’s favorite things.
X – is for X OUT, as in cross out or draw a line through. I have a tendency to write out long and elaborate lists (shopping, chores, wishes, to-do’s, etc.), cross out a few items and then leave the half-finished list posted on the side of the fridge for months at a time.
Y – is for YOKWE, the Marshallese phrase for “hello” and “good-bye,” that literally translates to “love.” Doug spent 2 years in the Marshall Islands serving as a LDS Missionary, but it was only a matter of weeks before he fell in love with the people, beautiful landscape, and culture.
Z – is for ZINNIA, which traditionally symbolizes laughter, friendship, and joy – three things that are very important to our family and to life itself. A close runner-up was ZIPCODES, of which we have had 7 in less than 5 years of marriage.
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M – is for MONSOON, one of the few things I love about Arizona…as long as I don’t have to drive in one. For those who have never seen one of these, it could be described as one of Mother Nature’s schizophrenic episodes. Imagine a furious and intense combination of black skies, thunder, lightening, torrential rain and wind. Monsoons are both scary and beautiful; just make sure you are in the safety of your home when one strikes. 
Y – is for YOKWE, the Marshallese phrase for “hello” and “good-bye,” that literally translates to “love.” Doug spent 2 years in the Marshall Islands serving as a LDS Missionary, but it was only a matter of weeks before he fell in love with the people, beautiful landscape, and culture. 
Z – is for ZINNIA, which traditionally symbolizes laughter, friendship, and joy – three things that are very important to our family and to life itself. A close runner-up was ZIPCODES, of which we have had 7 in less than 5 years of marriage.
