The Taylor Clan

Princess Elly's 4th Birthday

2010-07-12T12:10:00.001-07:00

So... A month later I am finally getting around to posting pics of Elly's Birthday. It has been so busy lately that I haven't been able to sit down and do it. What can I say about Elly.... Hmmm.... She is the cutest little girl you've ever seen. She is just so small and petite. She can be super
sweet or a total monster, but we love her and couldn't ask for more. She is our Little Princess, she's also our monkey as well. For her birthday she wanted me to make her a castle cake, and so I attempted it. Thank goodness for You Tube, I was able to get a good start. It didn't turn out quite as well as I'd like, but it was good and Elly liked it so that was all that mattered. We spent the evening with friends and family and we had a lot of fun.

Paige in the Pots

2010-06-14T19:42:00.000-07:00

So Paige's new thing is getting into pots. I know what most of you are thinking....She like to play with pots as in cooking ware, and that is partly true. Unfortunately, she likes to get into another kind of pot, and this pot is not so clean. She likes the toilet. YUCK! Most of you are also thinking wh yare you taking a picture instead of quickly getting her out. I was inclined to and my sister in law was here and said I should take a picture of it, so of course, I had to do it! It's a good blackmail picture. : )

Playing on the Swingset

2010-06-06T06:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was such a nice day, that we spent alot of time outside. I mowed the lawn, and mulched the garden, while Ryan edged and the kids played. After we were done we all decided to play a little on the swingset that Ryan made for the kids, or so he thought he made for the kids (I think I play on it more than they do). It's pretty fun. Jordan just learned how to pump the swing and swing all by himself. Now I don't have to push him. YAY!!! Elly is still our little monkey. She climbs up the chain on the swing, and Paige.... well she wants to be just like the Big Kids and play too! Here are some pics!

Happy Birthday Paige

2010-04-26T06:02:00.000-07:00

So I know that it's a little late but I figure, better late than never, right? My sweet Paige turned a year old on April 9th. I am so grateful for her. I really don't know what we'd do without her. She is, by far, the BEST baby. She's so easy to take care of. She is so happy, she sleeps great, she's been weened from a bottle and pacifier with no problems, I'm telling you, she's perfect! (she is a bit wiggly though, she doesn't want to just sit and let you cuddle with her : ( That's the only downside) Here are just a few updates: First- She is walking. She's been pulling herself up and standing since November and she walks so good now. She started walking at around 11 months, but it was just steps and then she'd fall. It seems like once she turned 1 she had to grow up or something cause she walks SO good! She still only has 2 teeth and I cannot see anymore coming in, so who knows??? She may be "2 tooth" for a while. I think it is adorable. She is my smiley baby. She smiles at everyone and is so friendly. She can get anyone to smile back at her. When people see her smile at them, it's like they can't resist, they just wanna hold her.

Anyways... We had a Birthday party for her and I think she enjoyed it! She loved having all the kids over and wishes she was bigger so she could join them in playing. We are truly blessed to have her in our lives. Thanks to everyone for all the Birthday wishes. She's our angel! We sure love her.

Happy 6th Birthday Jordan!!!

2010-03-27T17:22:00.001-07:00

So this year for his Birthday, Jordan decided he wanted to have a dinosaur theme. With this dinosaur theme we had to have a volcano cake. I searched the internet for ideas and then I decided to use a few things from different ideas. It turned out fun! I am definitely no professional, but he liked it and I enjoyed doing it! When we were all singing Happy Birthday, we got Jordan trick candles. The kids thought it was hilarious that the candles kept re-lighting. It was a BLAST to watch! I wished I would have video taped it! Here are some pictures for those who couldn't be there.

Opening Birthday presents! Even Paige wanted in on the action.

My favorite present of the evening. : )

What an excited little boy!!!

Here is my attempt at a volcano/dinosaur cake.

Our Sunny Day

2010-03-16T07:18:00.000-07:00

So, as most of you know, I have been dying for a warm day so we could all go outside and play. Well, it finally happened. Yesterday was probably close to 50 degrees and we were loving it. It was sunny and warm and we took advantage of it and went outside and played. We got out some toys, had some friends over, and we hung out! It was wonderful and I hope to have many more. It is pretty sad that on our warm days, you can still see snow on the ground. Oh well, I'll take what I can get.

Spring Fever

2010-03-08T11:07:00.000-08:00

So I am super tired of the snow and just want it GONE!!!! I want to be able to go outside and sit in the sunshine. I want the kids to be able to play outside so they aren't so crazy indoors. Is this too much to ask??? Well, things have been getting better. Temperatures have been in the 40's (YAY) and the snow is slowly melting, just not fast enough for me! Ryan,. Elly, Paige, and I went to a HUGE indoor sale at a Sports store. We found some really great deals. We bought some wetsuits for the kids and we got Jess a life jacket so she could go boating with us! We are super excited. We had Elly try her wetsuit on (2T) and it was SoOOOO cute! She didn't want to take it off.

Summer PLEASE get here!!!

Paige's Pierced Ears

2010-02-13T18:41:00.000-08:00

Today we got Paiges ears pierced. She is so cute. She did so well too. She hardly even cried.

Updates

2010-02-12T16:44:00.000-08:00

Okay... so it's been a LONG time since I have updated this and have gotten some complaints. : ) So for those of you who are interested, here it goes...

There hasn't really been anything really BIG going on, but it has been busy, and to be honest, there's not a whole lot to show for it! Let's start with Christmas. It was so much fun to have almost all of Ryan's family here (we missed you Mindi). We had the privilege of having Julie, Ted, Joe, and Patrick stay with us. We really enjoyed having them here, and hated to see them leave. We also were able to spend some time with Paula, Mike, Nathan, and Ben. Those boys have gotten so big and it was fun to see them and get to know them better. Since they live so far, it's hard. We love them and wish that we could see all of them more. We just played and hung out. We just enjoyed ourselves. I am grateful that I was able to see my mom for Christmas without even having to go to California, although I do miss everyone there. I am planning to make a trip down there sometime in the near future.

Then January came so fast, and that my friends, is a month chalk full of birthdays. There is too many to name. It was also the month we got the most wonderful gift (a new van!!!!) It has been so pleasant. The kids hardly fight in the car and I enjoy it immensely. They do however argue about which movie to watch. Oh well, you win some, you lose some. this is also the month where we started some New Year's Resolutions and to be honest, I have done well in some areas and TERRIBLE in others. I can't believe that there are already goals that I have not accomplished. YIKES! I have however been exercising 6 days a week and have been eating a little bit healthier. I haven't noticed to much of a change though. I suppose it takes a while. I just wished it would happen as fast as it did after I had Elly. I lost tons of weight with her, but this time has been quite difficult. I will continue to try and see what a few months will bring (if anything).

Valentine's Day is next. The kids have been so excited. Me too ( I have to admit) I love all holidays and I love having a reason to do something different! I love fixing a fun Valentine's meal and enjoying it with my family. Today was Jordan's Valentine's party at school and I have been helping with all of the parties and I volunteer in his class every Tuesday to help with Reading groups. It is fun to be in the schools, especially since I am not teaching these days! I am missing it and would LOVE to find someone to do a job share with.

We are ready for winter to be OVER so we can get out of the house and play!!!! There are days when I want to scream because the kids are so bored and want to go outside but can't because it is too cold. Jordan has started to play soccer, we need to teach him how to play so that he'll know a little of what he's doing when he gets out on the field. LOL It is kind of funny, all the kids just kinda run where the ball goes. It is chaos.

Anyways... We are alive and doing well. We just need some sunshine and warm weather. We can hardly wait for summer, so we can go camping, boating, have BBQ's, and play outside.

Happy Halloween

2009-11-02T04:45:00.000-08:00

This was a pretty fun Halloween for us! On Thursday, we headed up to Dubois to celebrate Grandma Wendy's Birthday (unfortunately Jordan wasn't feeling to well). Jordan was super excited the next day because he was able to attend his Halloween party at school and I was happy too because I had to volunteer in his class, I would have hated to go if he wasn't there. After his school party we headed over to Meleleuca to trick or treat with Grandma Sherrey. That is always fun because they set it up so cool. When we were finished there, we headed home to eat dinner real fast before going to our ward's trunk or treat! Ryan and I were in charge of that activity and it was a huge hit. It turned out really good and the kids came home with a ton of candy!

Saturday was Halloween and the kids were excited all day to be able to go around the neighborhood to go trick or treating. They all looked so cute, and it was fun to go with them!

Here are some pics taken of their costumes for all of the festivities.

The Greatest Sound in the world!

2009-09-22T08:51:00.001-07:00

A baby laughing is so fun to hear. Ryan was playing with Paige and she just kept laughing. It was so cute.

We'll miss you Uncle Dyl!

2009-09-19T06:22:00.000-07:00

This past week has been really fun. Uncle Dylan came up to visit from California. Jordan and Elly absolutely LOVE him. We had fun playing in the freezing water at Blacktail. We went boating on Monday morning before Ryan went to work. It was fun, but cold. Just as we were leaving the sun started to come out and get really warm. Bad timing I guess. Dylan almost got up on the wakeboard. It was hard to get up because the water was so choppy because of the wind. While we were loading the boat Grandma Wendy and Uncle Dylan found a lizard. It was a baby and they were able to catch it. Jordan was thrilled. In fact, he decided to keep it as a pet. He and Elly take good care of it. They are always looking for bugs to feed it. So far it is still alive.

Dylan played with the kids alot and I really appreciate that. They really miss him when he leaves. One night he read a frog book to them. They enjoyed it. They hear enough from me, they needed a voice change I guess. They sat there nicely while he read. It was cute!

We're gonna miss you Dyl. We hope you move up here into the Haunted House. It would be so cool! We love ya!

Just some pics!

2009-08-29T10:06:00.000-07:00

Here are just some more pictures that I like. They didn't have any meaning, just took for fun!

Trip to Bear Lake!!

2009-08-29T08:42:00.000-07:00

Last week we had the opportunity to go to Bear Lake for the week with Mark, Candace, and their kids. It was so much fun! We stayed in our Timeshare and did so many fun things. We went 4 wheeling in Fish Haven on Monday, We went boating on Tuesday (Joel and Shelley came up Monday night and spent Tuesday with us too, it was fun to have them) Candace made some pretty cool sand creatures while we were there, and to our surprise they actually stayed in tact the whole time we were there, on Wednesday we went to Georgetown and visited Grandma Weaver, took her with us into Georgetown Canyon to go 4 wheeling, and we picked huckleberries there, on Thursday we went boating again (skiing, wakeboarding, and tubing), on Friday we just hung out and played at the beach (no boat), and Saturday we went to the Minnetonka caves in the morning and a demolition derby that night, and Sunday we packed up and came home! What a fun time! The kids loved it. I think they enjoyed staying up late, playing with cousins, and doing something other than being at home! We even made a point to get a Raspberry shake while we were there (they are famous for them up there) but to be honest, I liked the ones we made with our raspberries better, but hey it was part of the experience. We played games a few of the nights after dinner and went swimming some nights too at the pool. It was relaxing and I would do it again.

Posing on the Big Toy

The gang st the Minnetonka caves

Daddy and Elly in the caves

Jordan is happy to be in the caves

Mom and the girls

Getting ready to go into the Minnetonka caves

Playing on the beach

I'm enjoying the warmth after skiing in the lake

Picture Perfect of Jordan and Paige

Playing on the boat

Jordan collecting shells

This is how Paige was the whole trip. HAPPY!!!

Jordan and Alyssa playing

Kissing cousins

Elli in Georgetown Canyon

Jordan concked out at the beach. Too much fun I guess.

Elly running from the waves

Elly petting the sea creature.

Elly and Jordan by the sea turtle!

Candace and Shelly making sand creatures with Ashley, Joel, Cole, Elly watching and playing, and Ryan in the tube.

Ryan pulling Elly on the wakeboard. She loved it!

Elly playing in the stream at Fish Haven

Jordan and Elly getting ready to go 4 wheeling at Fish Haven

The Cousins playing in the stream

Elly was feeling left out

2009-08-06T12:59:00.001-07:00

So as I said... Elly was feeling a bit left out because Jordan had a broken arm and she didn't. She came up to me and told me "Mom, Jordan broke my arm! We need to go to the dr.'s so I can get a cast." Knowing full well that she did not REALLY break her arm, I made her a cast out of some ace bandage and some leftover green wrap that the doctor's gave us after Jordan went to community care. Now she shows everyone her broken arm and she is being very "careful" with it! It is funny to watch!

What we've been up to

2009-08-05T19:06:00.001-07:00

4th of July

Grandma and Paige and Mindi and Elly Ryan waiting for fireworks Coleman and Elly blowing bubbles

The kids playing on the hill

My Sweet Paige

Pictures of camping at Island Park

Elly holding Trixie! Ryan just chillin' Bailee holding Paige

Cole and Elly lookin' cute Crystal, Cole, and Richard relaxing Jordan and Cole playing in the dirt

Just some pics while everyone was still dressed up from church

Me and the kids Daddy's girl The kids

Hanging out by the pool in the back yard

Water Girl Happy Baby

Well I haven't posted anything for a little while, so I will give you a little update on what we've been doing. We have had a blast this summer except for a few mishaps (Jordan breaking his arm and CSI Auto Repair putting oil in our brake system and ruining everything that has to do with our brakes). We enjoyed having Mindi come out for the week of the 4th of July. The kids really loved playing with her. We had so much fun camping with Richard, Crystal, and their family, Dean and Sherrey, and my mom and Charles. We went up to Island park and played on Henry's Lake! It was so much fun and so beautiful up there. A few weeks before that we went camping at the Palisades with Dean, Sherrey, and Grandma White hair. We've used the boat alot (almost every weekend). Like I said, we have had a blast.

I have had the opportunity to do some things that I really enjoy such as reading, and learning new things (such as water ski, making bread and jam, and I am in the process of learning how to wakeboard). I need to have Ryan take some pics of my water skiing so I can prove to you all that I can actually do it!

Ryan is working hard as ever at INL (I guess I should say he goes to work, I'm not sure if they actually do anything while they are there, LOL) He has enjoyed his boat and wants to take it out any chance he gets. In fact we are going up to Bear Lake in a week and a half and he is soooo excited. We all are!

Jordan, as most of you know, broke his arm playing on the monkey bars. But strangely enough it hasn't slowed him down no matter how many times we try to keep him calm. I guess that's the boy in him. He wants to be out of the cast. He is a good boy and has been helping me weed the garden and pick raspberries. I need all the help I can get.

Elly is still our little monkey. She has now mastered climbing up the wall in the doorway. I'll try to put a video of in on here. It is funny! She keeps us laughing. (you might have to cock your head a little to see it right side up. I couldn't figure out how to turn it.

Paige is growing like a weed. She is about 15 lbs. now and is rolling over so well. She'll be crawling soon. YIKES! She is still the best baby ever. Still sleeps through the night and smiles ALL the time!

Jordan's Broken Arm!

2009-07-26T16:41:00.000-07:00

Well, we started this weekend by going up to Island Park to go camping, we had a blast. We had decided to come home on Saturday so that we could attend our ward activity, since we are on the committee. When we got there, that's when all the excitement began. We hadn't even been there 5 minutes when someone told us that Jordan was hurt. I said out loud that he was fine, until I saw what had happened. His wrist looked like rubber. It was gross. We knew then and there that something was wrong, either dislocated or broken. Turns out it was indeed broken. We took him to Community Care where they X-Rayed his hand. They told us he had broken both bones in his wrist and they were also out of place. They gave him a shot into his bone that numbed the area so they could put it back into place and cast it. It is not a permanent cast yet! They x-rayed it again and it is not quite in place, but they are going to let the orthopedic surgeon look at it and put it back in the correct place and then put a permanent cast on it. I couldn't watch as they gave him the shot and put it into place, so Ryan stayed with him. I took Elly out into the waiting room and played puzzles. A few of the ward members kept Paige while we took him. We have a wonderful ward who looks out for us! As we talked with Jordan, we found out that he was playing on the monkey bars and fell off, and landed on his wrist. I did the same thing when I was his age. I was 5 years old and I was at my kindergarten open house. Andy and I were chicken fighting on the mokey bars and I couldn't hold on any longer. I fell and broke my right arm just like Jordan. I showed him the picture and he thought that was pretty cool.

What a FUN Weekend!

2009-06-29T15:35:00.000-07:00

I can put her hair in 2 pony tails now! WooHoo!

These few pictures are the ones I took to give to
the fathers for Father's Day!

I am holding Jasper and Chewy! Our 2 brindle puppies.

Jordan holding Jasper and Elly holding Zoe

Jordan with Jasper again. I think he likes this
puppy best. Good thing he is going to our friend.
We will get to see him alot!

I just think she is beautiful!

This weekend was alot of fun! On Friday we were praying that we had good weather so that we could go boating. At first we didn't think it was going to happen but then it cleared up and we were able to go. It was a blast! I think it was a good investment to get a boat. We really enjoy it and look for any excuse to take it out.... so if anyone wants to come out, we'd love to take ya! That night was Ryan's 10 year reunion. We had a good time, I got to meet the people that Ryan hung out with during high school. They were alot of fun! We even stayed out till midnight (Thank-you mom for staying the night and getting the kids to bed for us). We really enjoyed ourselves. Then on Saturday, the fun continued. We took the kids to the park for the other half of the reunion. Poor Paige got burnt. She has blisters on her head. YIKES!!! I feel so bad. I learned my lesson. Then Sherrey tended the kids (Thank-you so much) and we took the boat out with Richard and Crystal and some of Ryan and Richard's friends. It was nice. We had a very busy weekend. We like those kind of weekends. Here are a couple pics of the kids that we took this weekend!

Just some pics!

2009-06-10T17:51:00.001-07:00

Well I just wanted to update our blog and let you all know what has been going on. To tell you the truth it hasn't been much because there has been rain everyday. We just stay inside nowadays. We did take Paige camping for the first time 2 weekends ago. It was a lot of fun. We can't wait to do it again. One thing that was neat, is that while we were camping, the kids found a butterfly that wasn't flying cause it was so cold. We used the opportunity to take some close-ups of the butterfly. Candace got some awesome pics, hopefully she'll post them! I did get a couple of Paige with the butterfly. Also I got a couple of pics of Jordan and Elly who fell asleep in the car on the way home from camping. They just had too much fun! They were worn out!

Elly and her "Tiny Snake"

2009-06-01T14:27:00.000-07:00

It was so cute... Elly comes running in the house so excited about finding a "tiny snake"! She just had to come in and show me. Here it is, her tiny snake..... yes a worm!

Our first litter of Pups!!!

2009-05-25T16:48:00.000-07:00

We noticed that Jess was in labor early Saturday morning so we made sure that we kept an eye on her all day. Well early Sunday morning (2:00 am) her water broke and she started to have her pups. By the time she was done, she had 5 pups. 4 males (1 brindle, 1 dark brindle, one fawn, and 1 white)and 1 female (fawn). They are really cute! Jess is such a good mom and we are so excited to have puppoes to play with.

My little girl (The Monkey!!!)

2009-05-21T13:42:00.000-07:00

For those of you who knew me when I was a little girl, you know that I would climb everything! One thing that I remember was that my Grandma Gardner had a huge flagpole in the front of her yard. Me, being the monkey that I was would climb to the top of it. I remember getting money and prizes from my family members who happened to be there when I climbed it! It was good times. Well here's something kinda fun. We have a firepole coming down from the kids' playhouse, and my little Elly loves to climb UP the firepole. She goes down as well, but it is fun to watch her go up. (Jordan can't do it, but little Elly can) It reminds me of when I used to climb the flagpole!

Springtime is here! HOORAY!

2009-05-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

Our tulips! How pretty.

Elly with static hair and a runny nose! Now that is CRAZY looking!

My sweet Paige! She sure is growing!

Jordan and Elly at Blacktail Lake

The girls!

Elly sure does love her sister, but Paige isn't so sure!

The past few weeks have been absolutely beautiful! The weather has been so good that our flowers are coming up and the trees are getting their leaves. It makes the yard look so nice. I really enjoy our yard when everything is green and the weather is warm. The weather has been so nice that we have taken the boat out the last two Saturdays. Yesterday was the best one though. We went up to Blacktail Lake. It was nice, we had a picnic and then we went boating for a little while! I can't wait until the water warms up a little and then we can go skiing and tubing. Anyone who wants to go is welcome! We would like any excuse to take the boat out, it has been a good investment.

Today, we were getting ready for church and I thought it would be fun to get an "all girls" picture since I don't have many pictures with me and the kids. Usually I am the one taking the pictures. Also, I took some pictures of Paige a little while ago, she is changing so much! so I thought I'd post some more recent pics. She is such a sweetheart and I love her so much. Today at church one of the women who has a photo studio asked if she could take some pictures of Paige. She thought she was just so beautiful that she would like to use her in her portfolio. I thought that was pretty fun. That doesn't happen everyday (at least not to me).

Our crazy weekends!

2009-04-28T15:00:00.001-07:00

We have had some fun and crazy weekends the past couple of weeks. Last weekend Grandpa Jim and Grandma Cindy came up to Idaho to visit and see the new addition to our family. They came up as soon as tax season would allow. It was a beautiful weekend and we spent A LOT of time outside! Jordan and Elly really loved playing with Grandpa and I'm sure they wore him out. He was a real trooper. Grandma Cindy read lots of books and put together a few puzzles while she was here, but mostly we just relaxed and enjoyed each others company. The kids didn't want them to leave.

This past weekend was a busy one. Grandma Wendy and Grandpa Charles came up from California, Aunt Julie came up from Texas, and Grandma White Hair came up from Georgetown. Aunt Julie really spoiled those kids (all the neices and nephews). She took them to Burger King for lunch on Saturday followed by playing at Blast Off. When we were done at Blast Off we went back to Grandma and Grandpa Taylor's for an un-birthday party. They had cake and ice-cream and presents. They had so much fun. They really enjoy having Aunt Julie come over. Can you see why??? They know they get spoiled when she comes! She also took each set of kids to have a sleep over each night that she was here. Jordan and Elly got to have their sleepover on Sunday night. Jordan was thrilled because he didn't have to go to school on Monday! We decided to bless Paige at church on Sunday since we had a lot of family here. It was very nice! I am glad we were able to do it then. After church we all met up at our house and had a luncheon. The kids love to get together with all of their cousins. Jordan LOVED playing around with Grandpa Charles, he is such a big kid. It was really fun to visit with everyone! We love having everyone around! It is just so much fun.

We want you all to know that we love you and we are grateful that you could all come up and visit!

We hope you can come again soon! Also, we want you to know we would LOVE to have anyone who wants to come visit!

Grandma and Grandpa Taylor visit Paige

2009-04-15T16:26:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Grandpa have come to see Paige before, but unfortunately I have not gotten any pictures until today. She is changing so much everyday. She is such a sweetie, and she is so beautiful. Here are some recent pictures.

More pictures and the Horror story!

2009-04-12T06:14:00.000-07:00

WOW! Jordan and Elly just love their baby sister. They love her so much they don't want her to be left alone. Apparently she needs CONSTANT attention. It is going to be an adjustment, but well eventually get the hang of it. Unfortunately we will never get the hang of what I am about to tell you.

Yesterday, we were on our way home from the ward Easter activity. The kids were being good in the back seat and the next thing that we heard from Elly was "I shared my candy with Paige". Uh Oh... Yep. She sure did! She started choking and I immediately jumped into the back seat to try to remove it. I thought it was a sweet tart. I felt nothing but knew she was still choking. Ryan pulled over and jumped out of the car. He unbuckled her pulled her out and beat on her back. It dislodged the candy and he was able to sweep it out! What a scare. She is only 2 days old and already we have had a scare. YIKES! We are in for an adventure. Here's what Elly said after the ordeal. "I just want to be a good Big sister". We explained to her that she absolutely cannot give the baby ANYTHING!

Introducing Paige Sarah Taylor!

2009-04-11T13:04:00.000-07:00

First of all... I know Paige Sarah sounds funny at first, but I promise, it grows on you. Let me tell you the story. Jordan thought we were going to have a boy before we found out and he said we were going to call him Jacob (I don't know where he comes up with the names, because if he knew anyone with the name he wouldn't use it) Well when we told him we were going to have a girl, he said "Well, we won't name him Jacob then, but we'll call her Sarah". He would not go for any other name. We tried to convince him otherwise and he just kept telling us well I'll still call her Sarah. We finally told him that we could use Sarah for the middle name, and he was okay with that. So... Paige Sarah it is!

Anyways... Here are the specifics.

Name: Paige Sarah
Born: April 9, 2009
Weight: a whopping 8lbs 11oz (she's our biggest baby)
Length: 20 3/4 inches
Time: 9:20 pm

This was the easiest delivery I have ever had and I would even do it over. I went to the doctors that morning for my check-up and my doctor told me I was already dilated to a 4 and thinned. He then proceeded to strip my membranes. He said I would probably go into labor in a few hours. He said if I didn't contract then he could induce me at the hospital across the street, which was not my preference. The one I wanted to deliver in was Mountain view, but the rooms were full. Heavenly Father must have known what was needed for me. Well, I had a few regular contractions and then they just stopped. I went into EIRMC (the hospital) at 5:00 pm. I was going there to be induced since my contractions were not regular. They gave me my IV at about 5:30 and then started me on PIT at about 6:00. They had checked me and said I was dilated to a 5 and that they would go ahead and get the anesthesiologist there to give me my epidural, even though I had not felt any pain. They told me "why should you have to feel it?" Bless that nurse. I felt only one contraction before I had my epidural. No pain!!! YAY!!! I watched tv and visited with Ryan and it was very nice. The doctor couldn't come break my water until 8:30 so we just sat around. He did get there at 8:30 and broke my water, at 9:00 I was feeling pressure and was ready to push. Luckily, the doctor hadn't left yet! I pushed a couple of times and at 9:20 she was here. I have been up and going ever since! Thank-you To the nurses and doctors that I had. I had the best experience ever!

Here are some pics of our beautiful baby girl. By the way... if I look like a monster in any of the pictures it is because I have pink eye and it looks terrible!

My Little Princess

2009-03-29T18:23:00.000-07:00

Elly just LOVES getting ready for church. She likes dresses. Whenever she puts a dress on, she twirls around to make her dress spin. She is always so giddy. Today I took a couple of pics to show you just how "girl" she is!

Happy #5 Birthday Jordan!!!

2009-03-25T12:13:00.001-07:00

WOW! I can't believe my baby boy is 5 already! Where has the time gone? It just amazes me that I am going to have a child going to kindergarten. I guess they have to grow up sometime!

What to say about Jordan??? Well... he is quite the character. He is always amusing someone, even if that someone is himself. He is such a good big brother, although sometimes he is too big of a help, he always wants to be the "boss". We have to remind him that he has to worry about himself. I do appreciate all that he does. He cleans his room by himself, and he is even learning to make the bed. He helps me all the time. He loves to teach Elly new things and I am sure that when Paige gets here, he'll be helping and teaching her as well.

I wouldn't trade Jordan for the world. He is such a good boy. I love him so much and I really do appreciate all of his efforts.

Happy Birthday Kiddo!

We had a nice "Transformers" Birthday party for him. He keeps telling me that it was the best birthday ever. Thanks to all of you who called him, or came over! He loved it. He really has wonderful family and friends! Thanks again!

Our new toy!!!

2009-03-21T18:51:00.000-07:00

So, we have been wanting to get a boat and have been looking for a few months. Well, the search is over! We found a 1991 Bayliner Capri down in Boise. Ryan took his dad and they headed down to Boise to pick it up. What a day that was! When they were coming home they got caught in snow storm, and by the time they got back to Idaho Falls, it looked like they had run into an ice storm. The boat was covered in ice. That must have been quite the sight. Pulling a boat through snow! But we got it for a good deal and we can hardly wait until it is warm enough to take her out on the water. We are very excited. If anyone wants to come play with us, we'd love to have ya!

Jordan's first attempt at taking a picture

2009-02-27T14:32:00.000-08:00

I was asked to post a picture of my pregnant self, well I couldn't take one of myself and Ryan wasn't here, so I decided to let Jordan take a stab at it. He did pretty good. SO here it is. Me at
7 1/2 months pregnant. I will post some better ones when I have a chance!

Brian Regan!

2009-02-25T15:21:00.000-08:00

A while back I bought tickets for Ryan and I to go see this comedian, Brian Regan. He is so funny! and best of all he is not vulgar or crude. It is good, clean humor. So tonight we are off to go see him live in Blackfoot! I am so excited! It should be entertaining and a chance for Ryan and I to go on a date without the kids. YAY!

Here is a link to show you just one of his acts. He sure makes me laugh.

http://www.brian-regan.com/videos/IWotM/part1.html

Bring Back Corporal Punishment in Schools???

2009-02-21T06:29:00.000-08:00

Okay... so I have a story for ya! On Thursday we had a teacher who called in sick. Her sub was just a small little Hispanic lady who seemed very nice. As other teachers from the building walked by the classroom they noticed that it was very quiet and thought, WOW! That sub has great control of the classroom. (This class is a very noisy class, and very obnoxious, and it is not the teacher's fault, they are a hard class) Anyways... We all thought "We need to have this lady come sub more often cause she really knows how to get a hold on the class." Well, the next morning a few of the kids from the class came up to their teacher and said that the sub spanked one of the boys in the class. At first she thought "Yeah Right" but then, more students told her the same thing. She finally decided that she needed to ask some of the more "reliable" kids in the class. She pulled them all separately and they looked as if they might cry as they told her what they had seen. Come to find out, the woman pulled the boy out of his chair and spanked him hard, "Like a mom would spank you if you were in trouble" said one of the students. No wonder the class was so well behaved. They were scared out of their wits! So I say if we can use corporal punishment we might just have some well behaved classes. Cause let's face it... the kids nowadays (with some exceptions of course) are disrespectful and they are "hard". We don't have the parental support that we need, the kids don't listen, a lot of them are mean. So now to finish the story... the teacher has to file a report. But, here's the sad thing, When the boy went home and told his mom that the sub spanked him, his mom just said "That wasn't very nice was it?" She didn't do anything about it! Sad huh?

Playing in the Snow!

2009-01-24T13:36:00.000-08:00

Today was such a good day! We woke up and it was beautiful, the snow was falling and everything was covered in a white blanket. It was perfect. So we made breakfast, and decided to venture outside to have some snow fun! We started by building a snowman family. It was neat because this was actually the first snowman that I have built (at least that I remember). Yeah... CRAZY, I know! After we built our family Jordan and I made snow angels, (it is kinda hard to get up from the snow without ruining it! I don't know how they make perfect ones in the movies). During this time we were throwing snowballs at each other, and then to top off the morning we went to the school behind our house and went sledding down the hill. It was so much fun.

We came home, ate lunch, and then put the kids down for a nap. after they woke up, we cleaned up the house in preparation for the kids to have a babysitter that night. We went on an adult dinner to Ruby River to celebrate my birthday! It was very relaxing. It is nice to have some adult interaction for a change, without the constant pulling and trying to entertain children throughout! My birthday present from Ryan was a WII Fit. I LOVE IT! I have used it everyday since getting it. In fact the whole family enjoys it. Hopefully it will help me lose some weight, or at least get toned. I need it!

Anyways... It was a wonderful day! Thank you all for making my birthday Wonderful!

Christmas continued....

2009-01-10T16:17:00.000-08:00

Jordan and Elly Playing Nice for a change!
They are being goofy!

This is Elly and Kayla playing nicely in
the skirts that Aunt Yolanda made for them! (so cute!)

Christmas Morning! The kids
showing off their goods from Santa!

We really loved being in California and visiting everybody. It was so much fun and I am so glad that we were able to squeeze in a family picture (We missed you Todd and family!!!) The kids really loved being able to spend time with their cousins. They sure do have fun together, and boy when they all get together they are filled with more energy than usual (That's saying that they are pretty WILD, because they are ALWAYS filled with energy) We were lucky... We were able to make it to the Harrison family Christmas party as well as the Gardner family Christmas party, so we got to see family that we don't normally get to see. It was nice to get together! Thank-you for letting us come and visit! We sure did have fun! You guys are welcome to come to Idaho whenever your schedule will permit you to! You will always have a place to stay!

Christmas in California

2009-01-10T16:01:00.000-08:00

I know I'm a little late, but I figure, Better late than never! I didn't have my camera with me most of the time, so I didn't get a lot of pictures (BUMMER!) But I did at least get some pictures of the kids on Christmas morning! Jordan got Bumblebee from Transformers (just what he wanted) and Elly got a Barbie (what a girl! she was asking for one).

Our Baby girl's room

2009-01-10T15:56:00.000-08:00

When we got back from California, I decided I wanted a project. So, I decided to start getting the baby's room ready while I still felt like doing it! I knew I wanted it to be brown and pink, but not too pink. So I decided to do the walls chocolate brown and tan and then have pink accents. I pained and then I looked for a cute bedding that would look good. Here is what I came up with.

It's a GIRL!!!

2008-12-08T09:45:00.000-08:00

We just found out that we are expecting another little girl! YAY... We are so excited. Ryan was really hoping for a girl (if you couldn't tell he is kind of fond of his Elly). Anyhow... now we are looking for names so if anyone has any ideas we would love to hear them. I think this is one of the toughest parts (especially being a teacher, we have students that we would rather not have our own kids with their names). Well again, we are very excited and can't wait until April for our little one to arrive.

Happy Birthday Ryan!

2008-12-05T10:44:00.000-08:00

We just want Ryan to know that we love him and appreciate all that he does for us! He is amazing and we are so lucky to have him. He takes care of us and we all hope he has a wonderful 28th Birthday!

Testimony

2008-12-05T10:42:00.000-08:00

I know it's a little late, but I was just so proud of Jordan last Sunday! He asked if he could bear his testimony. He wanted his dad to take him up there. Ryan did take him but didn't even have to help much. He did an excellent job. What a good little guy!

My long overdue project

2008-11-26T18:40:00.001-08:00

So I have been wanting to put up a vinyl saying in Elly's room, but have never gotten around to it. Well yesterday I decided that instead of doing vinyl I was going to paint it. It turned out pretty good, especially since I have never done it before. I borrowed an overhead projector from my school and used it to make a saying! I put glitter all over it so it is shiny! I don't think you can see it in the picture but that's okay, you get the idea.

Movie Night!

2008-11-25T14:51:00.000-08:00

This Friday night Ryan had a campout with the scouts and so the kids and I decided we would have a movie night. We went to Wendy's and got some fries and burgers, laid a blanket out on the floor and watched a Christmas movie, "The Polar Express". It was a really fun and enjoyable night! I wish it could be like that every night! The kids didn't fight, there was no complaining, and the kids were calm (Which is highly unusual). It was just plain nice! I really love my kids. They can be so sweet!

What Elly would look like with Hair!

2008-11-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

We went to Walmart today and Ryan thought it was fun to put wigs on Elly, she was so cute! He thought it was so fun that he bought her a wig! Here's a picture of t!

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T12:06:00.000-07:00

Wow!!! This has been one long event! It seems like Halloween has been a month event, but hey... it gives us something to do. On Thursday, I took the kids to Melaleuca to Trick or Treat! We got to go there because Grandma Sherrey works there. It was fun. Candace brought Alyssa and Cole too! The kids just love to hang out with each other. They all looked so cute in their costumes. The kids loved it, but it sure was hot in there! Thanks Grandma for letting us come to work with you!

Carving Pumpkins

2008-10-29T15:18:00.000-07:00

Monday night for Family Home Evening, Jordan, Elly, and I carved pumpkins. I was bummed that Ryan had to work, but the pumpkins turned out okay! The kids thought it was great fun to pull out all of the pumpkin guts! They are really looking forward to Halloween, and all the festivities going on in the next few nights. It's gonna be busy, but FUN!

Happy Halloween to Everyone!!!
We love Ya!

Primary Program

2008-10-28T14:56:00.000-07:00

Okay... so this year Jordan was able to be in the Primary Program. He knew his parts, he knew the songs, he was ready! Well, this past Sunday was the day that he had prepared for! I was looking forward to it. These Sundays are some of my favorites and now I had someone to watch (my own son). Wouldn't you know it! Jordan got sick. Yep... of all days, it had to be this Sunday! and we couldn't even attend! I was so bummed. I was looking forward to this Sunday for quite some time, and it all came to an abrupt end when he started throwing up, and other things. Oh well... I guess we have next year!

It's done!!!! Hooray!

2008-10-13T16:03:00.000-07:00

Well.... After working long and hard, Ryan has finished the playhouse and it is soooo cute. And for those of you wondering.... yes, there is a dog door, so Jess can get in when it is cold outside. The kids love it, and it is the talk of the town.

It's Harvest Time!!!

2008-10-04T16:22:00.000-07:00

Okay, most of you know we moved into a new home this summer. Well... the previous owners made alot of work for us. They had planted multiple fruit items and we reaped the benefits of it! Unfortunately I have been overwhelmed with fruit! I had a million raspberries, that I made a ton of raspberry jam with, froze some to put on cereal, and I gave some to friends at work!, Grapes... who knew that grapes grew in our neck of the woods? WoW!!! We have had a ton! Again, we made jelly, and some juice and we are trying to share the wealth with friends and neighbors (and yet we still have some), apples... Holy Cow! Brandy, myself, and the kids picked apples yesterday and boy did we have lots! I am trying to think of everything that we can use apples for, but I just don't know what to do with them all. Here is what I have made and am going to make, and if anyone else has any ideas, I'd love to hear them. I am making apple butter, apple cider, apple pie filling, dehydrated apples, and apple leathers. I have enough applesauce from last year so I didn't need anymore of that. Last, I have plums coming out of my ears. I am not making plum jelly, so I just don't have a lot of ideas of what to do with plums. I am going to dehydrate some and make plum leathers, but what else can you do with them (besides eat them raw, cause we've been doing that )

By the way... If anyone is in town and would like some of our crop, please feel free to stop by (until it is all gone of course!)

Here are a couple of pics of our harvest!!!

Playhouse update

2008-09-27T16:04:00.000-07:00

Well... I told you that Ryan was building the kids a playhouse. He is doing such a good job and it is looking soooo good. I want to play in it!!! Here are some pictures along the way. Jordan and Elly LOVE it. Ryan put up the slide and a firepole and both get ALOT of use!

Jordan's first day of pre-school

2008-09-03T16:52:00.000-07:00

Jordan was so excited to be starting pre-school! He couldn't believe that he would get to ride a bus and get to eat breakfast at school! It is so fun to watch him grow up! He is such a good little thing. So... last night I told him it was time for bed, and he was getting ready to fight with me like he always does, and I told him he has to get ready to go to school. He just jumped up and said "Okay Mom" and went to bed. This morning when I woke him up to get dressed. He was soooooo happy! He put on his new transformer shirt, and his Wall -E shoes, and was ready to go!

I called him after he had gotten home from school to see how his day had gone! Of course he loved it. He said his teacher was "100 nice" that's ALOT! He said they got to play ring around the bus and they even got to sing songs. He told me that he loved singing but they couldn't sing the "Lamanite" song (that is Book of Mormon Stories for those of you who may not speak "Jordan") He is too cute! I love hearing about his day and everything that he is learning! How fun!

Ryan's new project!

2008-09-02T17:23:00.000-07:00

I tell ya! Ryan can't just sit down and relax! That guy is always doing something, he has to be or else he gets bored. The thing is... we are all excited about what he's building. You ready for it.... A PLAYHOUSE!!!! YAY!!! The kids are so happy and can't stop talking about it. It is going to be two stories with a slide coming off the top story, and we already built the sandbox that is going to be right behind it. So far the kids, well actually all of us, had fun playing in it. It was like being at the beach (without the water, oh... and the sun)!! Anyways... here are some pictures of the "kids" playing in the sandbox! Thank you Mark, for the dirt! We really appreciate it!

P.S. Elly got some dirt on her face, the dirt stuck to the boogers she had hanging from her nose. With that said, she looked a little like Hitler. We thought it was funny!

Here comes #3!!!!

2008-08-27T18:12:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to inform those of you who may not know yet, that we are expecting baby #3. The baby will come sometime in the middle of April! We weren't trying for a baby right now, but just so happens that we're getting one! We are excited and know that this baby is supposed to come to our family!

Brandy's Coming!!!!

2008-08-15T08:57:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to be having Brandy come and live with us! My prayers have been answered, I have been wondering what I was going to do for a babysitter for my kids and how we were going to work the bus situation with Jordan going into Pre-school. I was worried and was trying to figure out what to do. Then the good news arrived. Brandy agreed to come live at our house and take care of the kids while we are at work, and she will be taking some college courses while she is here!!! YAY! I really hope that she enjoys it here! I know I am going to LOVE having her here. My dreams are coming true. It looks like my family is going to be closer! My mom will be moving up here next summer, and hopefully Amber, Luke, and the kids will be joining them shortly. I am just so excited!!!

Let the Potty Training Begin!!!

2008-07-30T15:35:00.000-07:00

So I have been working with Elly and her Potty Training! She is actually doing pretty well. She will tell me when she needs to poop, but why can't she tell me when she needs to pee? I wish they would just KNOW how to do that stuff. Wouldn't that be great?! Anyways... It is kinda funny to watch. She is just so little and she doesn't want to use the kiddie toilet. She has to be a big girl and use the big potty. I swear one of these times she's gonna fall in. That will be a sight to see! LOL

Thanks for letting us visit!!!

2008-07-19T16:11:00.001-07:00

All the cousins got to play together. They just loved being able to play together. We just wished we all lived closer, so we could see each other more! We got to see Uncle Andy and Aunt Yolanda while we were down. It was really nice to see them and to hang out. Elly really took a liking to Andy. She wanted to hang out with him and help him work. She even liked him so much that she jumped off the roof to him! She is a brave soul! Aunt Yolanda gave all of the kids ring pops. They LOVED them. They even saved them till the next morning! That's all they need is sugar. Those kids are hyper without sugar, but to add it... Whoa! They are crazy! I sure do love them. They are good kids and we have fun! We saw Grand-daddy Matt while we were there too! It is just so fun to see everybody. I hope you all know that we love you and appreciate all you do for us. Well... when it was time to go, Grandma Wendy and Aunt Brandy took us back to Vegas. While we were there Uncle Sam, Aunt Melissa, and Kayla came and visited us at the hotel. We took the kids swimming and while we were at the pool there was Hawaiian dancing, singing, and fun! It was great entertainment!

The CBZ Dinosaurs

2008-07-19T15:52:00.000-07:00

Okay... So for as long as I can remember there has ALWAYS been the Dinosaurs in Cabazon. That's just the way it is! In fact our mascot in elementary school were the dinosaurs. The Cabazon Dinosaurs! YEP! Anyways... we went up there while we were down, so that we could show the dinosaurs to the kids, and because we heard rumors of there being a dinosaur museum there. We decided we wanted to check it out! It turns out that there IS a cool little dinosaur park there now, along with the Brontosaurus (a giftshop) and the T-Rex (that was supposed to be a slide, but never was). The kids loved it there. I loved it for that matter. We got to go through a cave that had 2 dinosaur rides for the kids, robotic dinosaurs that you could touch, and some fun activities that the kids could do. The first activity is digging to find fossils (white quartz) if they found one, they would get a prize. The next activity was panning for gemstones ( I think I enjoyed this more than the kids) Any gemstones that they found, they got to keep. All the while, there is a path filled with all sorts of different dinosaurs. At the end you could actually go up into the T-Rex. We got to hike to the top and look out of his teeth. It was such a fun time. After that, me and the kids met up with my friend Billy and his family. It was so nice to be able to visit and catch up. It has been a long time since I had seen him. Jordan and Elly loved playing with their kids Cameron and Dylan. We had a fun time!

Fun in the sun!

2008-07-19T15:27:00.000-07:00

While we were down visiting, we had the chance to go see Grandpa Jim and Grandma Cindy. I took my kids, Landon, and Ammon, and we went swimming at their "old" house (which is now being used as their office). The kids had a Blast. They jumped off the waterfall, went under the water and touched the bottom, and they hung out and relaxed. They really enjoyed themselves. I was dead tired when we got back to Grandma Wendy's house, but I enjoyed swimming as well. It has been a while since I have been in a pool (except for our blow-up one). Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for letting us hang out with you and swim. After we got done there Grandma Wendy, Aunt Amber, Aunt Yolanda, Uncle Dyl, and I took the kids up to the Morongo bowling alley to bowl. Unfortunately there was a bowling league so we just played the Arcades instead. The kids thought that was super!

Our visit in Vegas!

2008-07-19T07:52:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to take the kids and go down and visit my family. It was so nice to see them. I got to see everyone, which is Great! We flew into Vegas where my mom and Charles picked us up. After we got out of the airport we met up with my brothers and their families. We saw Todd, Stephanie, Shane, Kaden, ( I don't even remember the last time I saw them, but the boys are so cute and getting so big!) Sam, Melissa, and Kayla (she is adorable!!!). We all went out to eat and then we drove and saw Todd and Stephanie's new house and we got to go swimming in their pool! It was so hot and the kids really loved swimming with their cousins. We really enjoyed the visit with them.

Going to Cali!!!

2008-07-10T07:07:00.000-07:00

I am so excited. I am going to California to visit my family! I am taking the kids and we are flying down to Vegas where my Mom is going to pick us up. Then we get to stay there for the week. I really miss them, so it will be fun to see them and just hang out!!!

Goodbye Beavers

2008-07-05T21:13:00.001-07:00

Well... Unfortunately we had to say good-bye to Julie, Ted, Joe (Broseph), and Patrick today. We absolutely LOVED having them here. We loved spending time with all of you. I also wanted to congratulate Joe for getting on the 4 wheeler and even riding it! I want Patrick to know that he did an awesome job ridin' (I tell you that kid is fearless). We are really going to miss you. We hope you have a safe ride home and know that you are welcome ANYTIME!!! We love you all so much and we are so glad that we got to visit with you this whole week!

4th of July

2008-07-05T07:39:00.000-07:00

Today was fun. We woke up and played some Wii with Joe and then we all took a trip to Walmart to get stuff for a BBQ. We spent the whole evening together after that. We had a BBQ and then we went to our favorite spot to watch fireworks. We all had fun visiting before then. We rolled down the hill, we blew bubbles, played games, ate, and enjoyed each other's company! The fireworks show was awesome and I really enjoyed it! It was a perfect evening. The wind didn't blow (hooray) like it was "supposed" to! The kids had fun playing outside with each other. It was fun.

Sleepover

2008-07-05T07:26:00.000-07:00

Today was a fun day! (July 3rd) All of us girls (Julie, Sherrey, Candace, me, and the kids) went shopping at different craft stores around Idaho Falls, had lunch at Subway, and finished by meeting up with Ted and having an ice-cream at Reed's Dairy! We had a lot of fun and found some fun decor for our homes. It was a blast! Thanks girls! It was an enjoyable time. Thank-you Candace for helping me pick out some stuff for my house. (I need it, cause I have no decorating sense!)

After we did all that we put the kids down for a nap and then we all met at Sizzler to celebrate Julie and Ted's Anniversary that was on the 2nd. When we finished dinner we met at our house and played games. We had the opportunity to have Patrick and Joe stay the night at our house! It was so nice to have them. I really love those boys and I wish that we got to see them more often. Ryan was sheet rocking the basement so we can have a finished weight/craft room. It is looking good!

Happy Birthday Patrick!!!

2008-07-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

Our nephew Patrick will turn 11 this month and we got to celebrate his birthday with him because they came up to Idaho for a visit. We were able to have everyone over for Patrick's birthday party and we had so much fun. It is so nice that we can all get together and enjoy each other. We had a BBQ, followed by quite the water fight and lots of laughter. Patrick got some cool stuff for his birthday! We hope Patrick knows that we love him. During our water fight. I got my nephew Joe real good. He wasn't going to make it easy. He wouldn't leave Grandma White hair and I couldn't get her wet, so.... I had to pick him up and throw him in the pool. Unfortunately, he wasn't going easily so I had to make a self sacrifice and get wet too!!! It sure was fun! I sure love that kid. He makes me laugh. We sure love you all and we are so glad that we could celebrate with you! We sure love having them up here. The kids especially love their Aunt Julie, whenever they turn around, she has a new activity planned for them. They are either fingerpainting, putting on fake tattoos, coloring, going for a walk, going to Blast Off, feeding the ducks, etc. (you see what I'm saying...she always has something fun for the kids to do). Can we say SPOILED??? It's okay though! We all just enjoy having them here to play with.We miss you Beavers when you aren't here! We wish you were closer.

Rhodehouse Construction Party!!!

2008-07-03T15:07:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, June 28th, we had soooo much fun. First we woke up and got ready. Then the fun began. It was the INL Summer party and since Ryan now works there, we get to enjoy the benefits. We started off by having a BBQ which was really yummy, followed by a trip to Tauphus Park Zoo. Elly and Jordan just loved all of the animals, especially the monkeys (they were quite active!!!). After we trecked around the zoo, we were able to go to the Fun Land and ride the rides. It was very enjoyable, but VERY hot. (I'll try not to complain too much about the heat since it has been winter for so long here and because I know there are much hotter places I could be) After we finished with all of our fun there, we came home and put the kids down for a nap. After naps, we had even more fun. Aunt Julie, Uncle Ted, Cousin Joe, and Cousin Patrick came up from Texas to visit, and Grandma White Hair came down from Georgetown. We have a whole slew of people to play with. We met up with them at the annual Rhodehouse Construction Party, where we had a prime rib dinner and all the fixins' and all the dessert you could eat! It was a blast. The kids loved it because they had a jumping castle there to play on. We visited and enjoyed each other. Once it got dark, the fireworks began. Daddy got to help Uncle Mark put on the show. It was a busy but super fun day and we are so happy to have the Beavers here with us. We get to visit with them the whole week!!! YAY!

Dancin' Maniacs

2008-06-23T18:47:00.000-07:00

We were watching Alvin and the Chipmunks and when they started singing, Jordan and Elly decided to dance along. It was fun!

My Obsession!

2008-06-20T12:59:00.000-07:00

So some of you already know that I have been reading the "Twilight" series, by Stephenie Meyers. Oh my gosh, they are so good! I started it last Tuesday and I was done in 3 days. I read each book in a day. Now I am anxiously awaiting the last book called "The Breaking Dawn". I'm hooked. I wish that I could say that I don't care if I read the last one or not, but nope. I am completely and utterly addicted. I found out that they are making a movie about it and I am thrilled. If any of you get a chance to read it (I think it may be categorized as "chick flick" in the form of a book) do it! I'd love to hear what you have to say about it and wonder if I am the only one who is crazy about them.

Our 5 Year Anniversary

2008-06-19T06:35:00.000-07:00

WOW!!! I can't believe that it has been 5 years since Ryan and I have been married. We have done alot and accomplished many things since then. We are truly blessed.

I want you all to know that I have the best man around. He is pretty amazing and he puts up with a lot from me! He can do anything. I am not kidding... he can build anything, fix anything, get anything done that he wants to. I know his dad has a lot of influence in his life and that he taught him many things, but there is nothing that he can't do. He makes me feel beautiful! Even when I feel like I'm not. I can tell he means it! He loves me and I know that he would never hurt me. He is a good father and he works hard to support our family. I am so lucky to be able to have found him. (I think I owe Reese that one, seeing as how he introduced us)

You know it is fun to reflect back on what was happening on this exact day 5 years ago. Man, that was an exciting day. The feeling in the air that day was incredible. I couldn't wait to become MRS. TAYLOR!!!

Shorts weather

2008-06-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

I just took some pictures of Elly in her cute outfit that she got from Grandma Sherrey for her birthday. I put her hair in ponytails, she is so cute. Jordan finally got to wear shorts. Hooray!

Happy Birthday Elly!!!

2008-06-13T20:44:00.000-07:00

Today Elly celebrated her birthday! She turned 2 years old! I can't believe it. It just so happened that her birthday fell on a Friday which meant she had her birthday on Friday the 13th. Ooooh... We had a lot of fun. We had some friends and family come over for dinner, and dessert. We just want you all to know that we love and appreciate all of you. We missed all of you who couldn't be here tonight! We love you and wished you could have been here, but we know it is a long ways away (and gas prices suck right now) so we understand. Hopefully we will get to see you soon.

We sure do love our little Elly. She is a sweet girl. There are definitely times when she gives us a run for our money, but I think we'll keep her. The good far out weighs the bad. Here are a few of the pictures we took today!

Our Backyard!

2008-06-05T09:51:00.001-07:00

This is what I am really excited about. Unfortunately it has been too cold to really enjoy it. I am looking forward to being outside alot this summer. If the weather would just agree with me and decide to be nice for a change. I really need some nice sunshine. I even have a garden. I just need to get it planted.

Our new home!

2008-06-05T09:34:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of our house. Keep in mind we are still getting organized, but for the most part we are unpacked and moved in. There are just a few changes that I want to make, like new paint in some of the rooms, new carpet in the family room, new drapes, etc. But that will come with time. Here ya go! Anyone who wants to come visit is Welcome! We would love to have you.

My kids really love each other!

2008-06-04T17:31:00.000-07:00

You know, there are days when I wonder if my kids actually love each other. They fight all the time. They play so well when they're alone and then all of a sudden, one gets the idea to harass the other one. What's the deal? So when I catch them in a rare moment of love. I try to capture it! It was so funny because Jordan and I are trying to potty train Elly. He is her coach. He wants her to potty in the toilet because when she goes he gets an m&m as well as Elly. SO... she had just finished "trying" to go. We went into her room to get a diaper on and Jordan rubbed her face and said "Elly you are so pretty" Then she smiled at him and gave him the hugest hug around his waist. It was sooooo cute.

Moved In!

2008-06-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

Well... the day that we have awaited anxiously for has come and gone. We moved into our house on Friday night. We were supposed to be able to move in on Friday morning, but the previous owners took longer than they thought. We started at about 3:30 and we got everything we own, moved into the new house at 12:00. Not too bad. We had a LOT of help! A few of our neighbors and friends helped load everything. We owe ALOT to Vance and Rod Shurtliff. What good guys. They helped us sooooooooooooooooo much. They stayed and helped us get the final load at 9:30 and didn't finish until midnight. WOW! Not to mention they helped before then too, and they let us use their trailer. We couldn't have done it with out them. Shoot... We couldn't have done it without the efforts of everybody that helped. We are so lucky to have such wonderful friends. THANK YOU EVERYBODY THAT HELPED US! WE APPRECIATE IT!!!!!! (more than you realize!)

Camping Trip!

2008-05-25T17:46:00.000-07:00

Well... This weekend we went on a camping trip. We had so much fun. At first I was a little hesitant to go because it had been raining all day and it didn't look like it was going to let up. I decided I needed to go. We went to Roberts, to where the "Rock Pit" is and we camped out there. We camped near the Snake River and had the perfect little set-up. We had a fire pit so we could build us a fire each day and we had plenty of space to ride 4 wheelers, fish, and shoot. This trip was like a dream come true for Jordan. He got to do all of the things that he has wanted to do for such a long time. We got to our camping spot late on Friday night so we set up, ate dinner, and then went to bed. We got to sleep in Grandma and Grandpa Taylor's new camper. That was quite the experience. On Saturday, we woke up and played (after eating breakfast of course). Jordan caught his first fish (with Daddy's help of course) and boy was he excited. Elly didn't want to get to close to the fish, but she wanted to look at it constantly. She was very interested in it. After they had gone fishing they decided they wanted to shoot Daddy's 22. Jordan thought that shooting a semi-automatic was GREAT! We rode 4 wheelers all day too. Mommy got to take Jordan and Elly most of the time. They LOVED it! We rode around ponds (Elly loved the water), and down in the rock pit, we drove through cow pies which unfortunately were a little on the fresh side. Needless to say we got a bit of it in our faces. (YUCK) We just had fun! We got to hang out with Grandma, Grandpa, Mark, Candace, Alyssa, and Cole Makai. It was nice to get out of the hum dum of everyday life. Thanks for the GREAT time everyone!

Bathing and Gaming

2008-05-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was giving Elly a bath and decided to try and do something with the little hair that she has. It ended up in 2 little pony tails and I thought it was just so darn cute. While I was in the bathroom with Elly, Jordan was putting together puzzles on the computer. He really loves that website. It is fun to see how his mind works. He is a smart boy! Very creative. I sure do love those kids.

This is what makes being a mom all worth it

2008-05-11T12:47:00.000-07:00

Here is what I like best about being a mom. When my kids get along and love each other. I just love them so much. They really are good kids.

My kids and Me

2008-05-11T12:31:00.000-07:00

For Mother's Day, all I wanted was a picture of me and the kids. I never get to get pictures with the kids because I am always the one taking the pictures. So right as we were walking out the door for church, Ryan took a couple of snapshots for me.

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-10T13:36:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to say "Happy Mother's Day". I was just thinking about my mom and how great she is. I am so lucky to have her. She is a wonderful mother who would do anything to help her kids. It is so nice to be able to feel like I can call and talk to my mom whenever I need to. She is always there for me and I appreciate all that she does for me. She is Amazing and I want her to know that I love her so much.

Swing Time

2008-04-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

Well... It got up to about 60 degrees today, so we broke out the tree swing and let the kids play for a little bit. They had a BLAST!

Malty Salty???

2008-04-26T07:02:00.000-07:00

So, I was making some orange juice from the frozen concentrate, when Jordan walks in and wanted a taste. I decided, SURE, Why not? I gave him a little taste and he says "mmmmmm... Malty Salty". I looked at him and said "What? Where did you learn that?" He told me that he learned it all by himself. What a strange little boy. But man... It was FUNNY! He is such a sweetheart. We love having him around.

Update on Our House!!!

2008-04-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

Here's the update folks. We have had our house listed for less than a month and we have shown it only 3 times and each person that we have shown it to has made an offer. We SOLD our house. Can you believe it? We have had a few realtors tell us that it was going to be extremely hard to sell our house on our own. They told us that we needed more exposure, but they ALL said we have done an excellent job at displaying our home and they ALL loved it. That makes us feel good. We have put a lot of work into our home and with mixed emotions we are leaving it behind. We had one family come look at it that said they could really feel the spirit here and that they felt peaceful. You know... we are TRULY blessed. Heavenly Father will ALWAYS be there for us and it is pretty amazing. We give all credit to him. He says that if we obey his commandments we will be blessed, and we have!

So we will be closing on June 3rd. Both houses will close on that day! How miraculous is that? I am just in AWE at how this has worked out for us.

Digging to China

2008-04-19T18:24:00.000-07:00

So... Jordan was outside digging by the apple tree (his favorite thing to do). I came outside to check on him and he said "Mom, I'm almost to China". I just chuckled. I asked him where he had heard that (cause it wasn't from us). He heard it from his friends Jake and Austin at daycare. What else does he hear from daycare? At least it wasn't something bad. It was just out of the blue. I remember when I was younger and thought that I could dig to China too, I even thought if I dug too far I would get to where the Devil lived. Ah... the joys of being young. I am looking forward to everything that my children are going to come up with.

Our first REAL days of Spring

2008-04-14T18:19:00.000-07:00

Okay... I know Spring officially started on March 20th, but here in Idaho it has been darn cold. It has not felt like Spring yet until Saturday (April 12th). We finally got up into the high 50's low 60's and it was Heaven. We LOVED it! We spent all day outside on Saturday and Sunday. It was wonderful! I even got a little sunburn (YAY for some color!!!) Anyways... Jordan and Elly just loved not being cooped up inside. They were playing and having so much fun. We even got some yard work done.

We did it! We bought us a house

2008-04-06T06:50:00.001-07:00

Well we bought a house yesterday! We were just driving around the neighborhood we want to live in and we found a house. Here is a link to see pics of the house.

http://tours.tourfactory.com/tours/tour.asp?t=411077

Taylor Look-alike Meter

2008-03-31T19:00:00.001-07:00

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

Taylor Look-alike Meter

2008-03-31T18:31:00.001-07:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Free genealogy search - Geneology

I was inspired by Bethany to do this. I thought it was pretty fun!

We had to say good-bye!

2008-03-29T18:54:00.001-07:00

Well on the last day of our visit, Andy and Yolanda came over to play with the kids for a little bit, then we went bowling. It was a nice way to end the visit. But... it was not completely over, we went as far as Las Vegas and there we stayed with Sam, Melissa, and Kayla. It was nice to visit with them. Elly is such a little Mommy. She was trying to feed and take care of Kayla while we were there. It was so sweet. We really love you all. We are going to miss you.

Birthdays at Chuck E Cheese

2008-03-29T18:45:00.000-07:00

We got to celebrate Jordan and Ammon's birthday at Chuck E Cheese. Jordan turned 4 on March 25th and Ammon turned 2 on March 27th. It was so fun. Amber's kids had never been there and Jordan had only been once and loved it, so we decided to celebrate there. They really enjoyed it. We ate pizza, danced the chicken dance with the chicken at Chuck E Cheese and we played. What fun. After we were all played out, we went back to Grandma Wendy's house and had cake and ice-cream, and the kids opened presents. We had a good time!

Shooting Rockets at the park

2008-03-29T18:23:00.000-07:00

We had the opportunity to go to California fro Easter and for Jordan's birthday. We had a lot of fun and we were so happy to see everyone. It was a BLAST! The cousins (Jordan, Elly, Landon, Ammon, and Emma) decorated easter eggs and then on Sunday they got to hunt them in Grandma Wendy's jungle (the front yard) They had so much fun. One of the days Grand-daddy Matt came over (he had gotten Jordan a rocket for his birthday) so we went up to the park to shoot them. The boys thought it was heaven (that includes the big boys like Ryan, Dylan, and Nick). The kids loved playing and running outside. It had been to cold in Idaho for my kids to do that, so they thought this was bliss.

Not Gonna Move Yet!

2008-03-29T18:21:00.001-07:00

Well we made an offer on the house but unfortunately they didn't take the offer. That's okay though. We are going to keep looking and try to sell our house in the mean time. There are a lot of nice ones out there, that are newer too! If you know anyone who wants to buy a house up here, go ahead and refer them.

Sad day at school!

2008-03-17T12:52:00.001-07:00

As I came into school today I had a teacher approach me with some extremely sad news. We have this boy in our class named Eric who has epilepsy and has seizures a lot. He has a lot on his plate and he is such a sweet boy. He has a 5 year old sister named Macy who happens to be his absolute BEST friend. They did everything together and Eric would talk about her all the time. She would come in with him sometimes and say hi. I just felt like I knew her from all the stories and from the times that I have met her. Well... this weekend Macy died. She was killed by a television falling on her. Eric was playing with her when it happened and saw the whole thing. My heart just aches for this sweet boy and their family. They have a hard life as it is, but to add this... Oh how sad. Myself, the principal, and another teacher will be going to their house today to see how their family is doing. I know Heavenly Father must have a purpose for her, but this family is not LDS and does not have the same beliefs as us. I hope they can understand that there is more after death. I know you all may not know them, but if you could pray for them and their comfort, would be much appreciated.

Well... It looks like we may be moving!

2008-03-16T15:04:00.000-07:00

So... we have been looking at houses in Idaho Falls. We have been wanting a house with a little bit more land. Right now we have hardly anything. The reason we want more land is that Ryan REALLY wants to build a shop, so he can do some woodworking. Every time we look at a house that has some land, we go inside the house and think "What??? This house is awful". We compare everything to our own house because we really like it and nothing even compares to it. Well we found a house in the area of Idaho Falls that we have been looking in, it has 1/3 of an acre (room for Ryan to build a shop and have room to spare for the kids and our dog, Jess). It is pretty nice inside. It was built in 1987 which is 9 years newer than the one we are in now, but it has more square footage. When I first looked at it I saw a lot of wood. Wood molding, wood casing, and wood closet doors, but once we move in we are going to update it a bit, and it will look fabulous. Here is a link so that you can see some pictures. There will be pictures of the inside as well. It is 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, storage room, craft room, family room upstairs, and family room downstairs. I am really excited!

Copy and paste this link to see more pictures.

http://www.navica2.net/displays/?i=1086536&k=EroAUW&n=359&p=1

My Long Time Comin' Bag Tag

2008-03-06T15:45:00.001-08:00

Allie bag tagged me like forever ago, and I thought I'd better get that done. I am sorry it has been awhile. I have been swamped with everything, but here it goes:

I have
a HUMONGOUS wallet
cell phone
personal keys
work keys with a whistle (so I can blow it at bad kids, at recess)
3 pens
scrapbooking razorblade
bluetooth
wad of reciepts
a box top
2 chapsticks
1 lip gloss
a halls fruit breezer
an anti diarrheal medicine (I know... GROSS)
2 packs of rolaids ( I have been having sour stomach/heartburn lately)
eye drops
eclipse gum
sucker (just in case we have a tantrum at the store)

Not pictured... a few stray m&m's that got lost in the bottom of the bag
a paperclip

Not very interesting, sorry!

Tagged again? Here it goes...

2008-03-03T11:01:00.001-08:00

1. 10 years ago:
2. 5 things on my to-do list today:
3. Snacks I enjoy:
4. What I would do if I were suddenly made a billionaire:
5. 5 places I have lived:
6. 5 jobs that I have had:
7. 3 of my BAD habits
8. 5 Random Things people don't know about me:
9. 4 or 5 people I tag:

1. 10 years ago I was 17, in high school and thinking about what colleges I wanted to go to

2. clean my house, do laundry, make dinner, plan an activity for mutual tomorrow, and play with my kids including family prayer and scripure study.

3. Ice-cream, chips and homemade salsa, licorice, shoot... I just like to snack. I could have a HUGE list if I keep going.

4. I would buy a house, make sure my kids had a savings account, move mom up to Idaho, give to people who didn't have what they needed.

5. I haven't lived in too many places... Of course Cabazon, CA, Next was Rexburg, ID (a few apartments there), Idaho Falls Idaho (my first house after being married), and now Shelley, ID

6. Teacher, Substitute, Waitress at Johnny Carino's, lifeguard, worked at the mall at Timerland, Perry Ellis, and Quiksilver, waitress at Denny's.

7. I am a WITCH when I'm PMS'ing, (I have to think of any BAD habits) let me know if you can think of any of my bad habits

8. I want to get my pilots license, I want to travel, I want to dive with sharks, I love to have a reason to dress up fancy (although I haven't had a reason for a long time, since my wedding to be exact), I love playing games (any kind of game)

9. I am not going to tag anybody because I don't want anyone mad at me.

A Woman's Remote!

2008-02-26T13:09:00.001-08:00

A lady from work sent this to me and I thought it was pretty funny.

Color is Good!

2008-02-25T14:02:00.000-08:00

Just a thought for the day:

Yesterday I went to the doctor for my yearly physical.
My blood pressure was high, my cholesterol was high,
I'd gained some weight, and I didn't feel so hot.
My doctor said eating right doesn't have to be complicated and it would solve my physical problems. He said just think in colors...Fill your plate with bright colors... greens, yellows, reds, etc.

I went right home and ate an entire bowl of :

And sure enough, I felt better immediately.
I never knew eating right
could be so easy.

Am I in Trouble

2008-02-18T14:28:00.000-08:00

I turned my back for one minute, and wouldn't you know it, Elly had taken out just about every tissue in the box. She tends to get into things, ALOT!I do have to give her credit though... When she saw I wasn't very happy, she started shoving them all back into the box. It was kinda funny.

Well we got Elly's ears pierced

2008-02-18T14:14:00.001-08:00

We got Elly's ears pierced on Saturday. She looks soooooo cute with them in. She is my little doll.

Okay... there is a reason for me getting Elly's ears pierced. Here is the story:

Every time that we go somewhere I have someone tell me "Oh, you have two boys, how nice" or they will tell Jordan "You take care of your brother now". Jordan looks at me like "What??? She's my sister." I think she looks like a little girl, but I guess when I don't brush her hair others think she is a boy. I thought, "I've got to change that", so we got her ears pierced. If someone tells me that she is a boy, I am going to scream! She is a beauty though!

Walking in Another Person's shoes

2008-02-16T06:06:00.000-08:00

Here is Elly! She has decided that she needs to know what it is like to walk in Daddy's shoes. She is really funny. She was wearing her own shoes, and just slipped her feet, shoes and all, into Daddy's shoes. She thought it was so fun. It was cute!

Valentine's Day

2008-02-16T05:28:00.000-08:00

So... I try to come up with some clever idea for what to do for Valentine's Day. Now, with two kids I had to come up with an idea that the whole family could enjoy. Cause really... Who wants to babysit on Valentine's Day. Plus, I wanted to do something at home, so I couldn't call one of the young women. "Hi, I was wondering if you could babysit my kids? Oh, by the way, can you watch them at your house cause we will be here?" Yeah... I don't think so.

Here is what I decided to do:

I made a sign to go on the door that said, Welcome to your "Island Getaway" Come in, relax, and enjoy your stay. When he opened the door, there were hearts leading from the front door, down the stairs, and into the basement. There, he walked into area surrounded by trees, a roaring fire, and a picnic blanket. On th picnic blanket there were hearts and rose petals. I set up a table that held a single candle, sparkling cider (with champagne glasses of course), and a box of chocolates. I made a nice dinner (that doesn't happen very often). I mean I make dinner, but not fancy. I really love Red Lobster's coconut shrimp and Pina Colada dip, so I got on the internet and looked up the recipe. I found one and decided to attempt making it for dinner. WOW! It turned out really good. It tasted just like it! I'll be making that one again. Anyways... We all ate dinner downstairs in our own little retreat. The kids loved it because it was like a jungle and we got to eat there! It was a nice evening.

I really love doing something out of the ordinary! It is so fun! I hope you all had a fun Valentine's Day too!