D's Debut - Rev. Parris in The Crucible

Let me just say - This was not an uplifting play, D was a hideous character, his sweetheart's date, Taylor, was absolutely your worst nightmare young girl and D's best friend Dallin was an awful judge (I wouldn't have even recognized him) - but they all deserved Oscars!  And I'm very happy to have got to know all these kids before seeing them in this play or I may have been very scared in D's choice of peers.  It was pretty much fatal attraction in the 1600's, with a lot of yelling.  These kids are like rock stars too and didn't even lose their voices.  Very impressive for high school kids!

D and I were ecstatic to have Dave & Shel make it up to see him, Gma & Gpa, Becca & Sagan, Roma, Michelle T., Cherie, B's business friend Wally, his salesman Paul & his wife, Our old neighbors The DeTienne's and D's YM leader.  He felt very loved!  Thanks everyone!

A Twelve Year Old Girl's Happy Place

Morgan and Lelu, sun, swimsuits, green grass and top ramen

Cool Lava Caves & Hiking - a Super Romantic Valentine's Day

Our friend's The Maxwell's met us down there.  We stayed at another friend's second home that has an amazing backyard, pool, hot tub etc.  Since Sharon and I are training for the Moab half marathon, we needed to run 10 miles while down there.  It was in the 50's and we didn't have to wear gloves or ear covers and we took off our jackets and it was sooo nice.  I can't wait until spring!! 

On Sunday, we went out to Snow Canyon and hiked out to these Lava Caves.  You hike out and all of a sudden there's a pile of lava rocks and underneath is a cave.  I can't say they made me feel very comfortable - esp since that poor guy got stuck in those nutty putty caves and they had to make it his tomb. So not healthy for my already fully developed claustrophobia.  B and the kids and the Maxwells all thought they were awesome. 

B gave me a Valentine's card that was just so romantic and heartfelt that I nearly swooned with love in my heart - Oh wait that happened in my alternate universe and this is my reality blog.  Um then let's just say NOT!  Valentine's just isn't his thing - or Anniversaries so thank heavens I have a gold credit card with no limit;D

St. George, Soccer and Some Brie Time

Valentine's Day/President's Day weekend we headed down to St. George for Lelu to play in a soccer tournament.  (She's in the blue shorts directly behind the girl in red in the middle right of the photo, running down the field).  Our favorite babysitter lives down there going to Dixie and she came over on Friday and watched Lelu play in both games.  I think that may have had a little to do with Lelu making her first goal of the year.  She is usually a mid-fielder so she doesn't get many opportunities to shoot. So we were all very excited. The weather was absolutely beautiful - 60 and sunny.  Their team won both games Friday, so played Saturday in the play-offs.  In the first play off game neither team scored and we went into overtime.  There was this ref that kept calling fouls on our girls.  She even called one on Lelu and she's not the least bit aggressive.  I say "she" with a little doubt because the ref was a "PAT", if you know what I mean (ambiguous gender). With 2 minutes left in the second overtime, PAT called a personal foul on this girl who tripped right along with the other player and 'it' gave the other team a goal kick.  PAT basically handed the game to the other team.  Our coach wouldn't let any of the girl's shake PAT's hand after the game and he let Pat have it.  Even the other teams parents thought it was an unfair call.  It was our little glimpse into how Appollo Ohno must have felt being disqualified from the silver medal.  Okay, so it was a grain of sand on his beach of disappointment......but still - we'll be watching for PAT again.

Miracles Do Happen!

Last week my dishwasher decided to freak out. 3 days went by before anyone wanted to wash all of the dishes. I am embarrassed to admit, I didn't even have a dish strainer. From what I read on the internet, the dishwasher was supposed to be off to dry out because some water splashed underneath and then reset itself -so I was waiting for it to reset. Finally on Sunday, when we didn't have anymore clean dishes and I was making lunch, B started washing and washing and washing. I think he spent more time washing dishes that day than he has in the last decade. I promise I am not exaggerating! I am very grateful because I DO NOT enjoy handwashing dishes. But I did everyday until Thursday. Please throw me a pity party! I also watched Cherie's baby and changed his diaper last week too. It's been awhile for both and I can't say that I miss either one. My dishwasher has now been reset and the universe is back in alignment - in case you were worried.

MOM! WHY ISN'T OUR FRIDGE MAGNETIC??!!

Poor Mr. T - last week on Sunday he was very distraught that our fridge was not magnetic (it's wood) and our oven's are not either (stainless steel) - it just wasn't fair! Our last fridge was magnetic! Caden's fridge is magnetic! What is wrong with us?? I told him he could use the trash can but I guess that wasn't appealing to him. Monday morning, I got up and I have this routine where I sit on my chair and turn on my little lamp in the living room, read a few scriptures, drink my chai and meditate. I turned on my little lamp and was greeted by Darth Vador, Luke Skywalker and their cohorts. I couldn't stop laughing. I got out my camera so I could always remember his ingenuity! And they are still there.

What Was I Thinking Not Planning SUNNY WARM Girl's Trip This Year?

From the left back row Cherie, Amy, Jodie & Me - Bottom row Kelly & Connie (sorry about the glare behind us. I'm just proud I figured out how to set up my camera to take it)

This is up at Kelly's cabin for one night. She has a beautiful cabin about 15 minutes from PC. We went up for dinner on the first night of Sundance. The traffic was awful and it was snowing. It was fun to spend some overnight time with the girls, but I am really really kicking myself for not planning a getaway to some place warm, sunny with green and flowers. We've had more than our fair share of inversions this year. It seemed there was no one weekend that would work for everyone so I just didn't do it. But I've realized I need it for my sanity, to keep my Tourettes at bay so I don't completely fill up our swear bank and save my soul.

D's Dance Photos so Far This Year

So the girls in the first 3 photos on here are all cousins. That should be fun to talk about at family reunions, huh? I have no idea why Jessica is barefoot here. She is a tiny little thing so it's not like she was trying not to be taller than D. This Halloween Dance Photo with Kenzie is a perfect example of D's dramatic range of expressions. He uses many of them in daily interactions with his parents as well. Like we are yanking out his heart if he has to clean up dog poop or change some light bulbs.

Erin was able to bring out D's security with his masculinity. Lavender pajamas.......he is such a different breed than his dad! Of course, Andrew (in the pink) takes the cake. He plays a mean piano too!

This is Sweetheart's Dance last night. I keep telling D that he's going to have to be careful not to date any girls named Taylor because it could present a real problem. I would totally make an exception for this Taylor. She is a senior with a 4.0 gpa, Sterling scholar, got a 33 on her ACT, sings, acts and has 5 full ride scholarships to college to pick from and is, in my opinion, the cutest girl he's taken to a dance. AND she asked him. When he got home last night he said it was the funnest dance so far. There's nothing wrong with the name Taylor Taylor anyway, right? - she could be like really cool and go by Taylor (squared) (I can't figure out how to get the little 2 next to her name)

D's Favorites Age 17

Movie: District 9

Color: Green

Restaurant: NOT JANBO

Birthday Treat: Papa John's Picnic Cake

Food: A good grilled steak

Day: Friday

Holiday: Christmas

Song: The Gravel Road by James Newton Howard

Musical Artist: People in Planes

Vacation: California

Book: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Animal: Dog?? (he doesn't really like animals)

Dream Place to Live: Scotland

Career Choice: Film maker/Director

How many kids does he want to have: 3

College:

Quote: If at first you don't succeed; try try again - Robert the Bruce (he thinks)

D's Birthday & Un- Birthday

So the boy has turned 17 now. His birthday was on Tuesday. He was out of school for a 'teacher prep day' but was not happy to wake up at midnight barfing up asian food. D has a very tumultuous relationship with asian food. He swears the only times he's ever thrown up has been asian food. (I have the funny feeling he may serve an asian mission and it makes me laugh)

He has mostly avoided asian food. Yet his friends love this disgusting fast food place called Janbo's. He's been eating there at least once a week this school year and smuggly telling me it doesn't make him sick anymore. But Monday night must have been a "kept the food on the counter too long" or a "don't wash your hands after going to the bathroom" special at Janbo's. D and his friend Andrew upchucked all of it. Needless to say, he wasn't feeling very in the mood for birthday cake or dinner out. Which was just as well since Ari was home sick that day too. I decided we'd just pretend that Wednesday was his birthday. When he woke up we sang to him. After his rehearsal we went out to dinner at the super expensive highly overrated Melting Pot restaurant. Then we came back for Picnic Cake & ice cream & he opened his present. It was a nice beginning to my low-key non-stress year of celebrating kid's birthday's. ZEN in 2010 already!

Watch out for Mr. T and his skewer!

Weekend at the Maxwell Cabin........

Check out Lucy on the back of the Snowmobile with B pulling Caden back up the hill!

The 5 tube super run that reached speeds of 31 miles per hour- Clocked by the snowmobile.

>>

Awwww tootsie warming by the fire is a must!

Mr. T and his bff Caden look so cool here on the 1988 mini mobile (bummer they discontinued those toys - they love it) But they are definitely 2 peas in a very goofy silly 8 year old boy pod!

Whitney, Ari, Cody & Lucy. The highlight of the weekend was Cody (the Maxwells golden retriever who is a direct descendant of the immortal Roxie/Kizzy) going down the hill all by himself on the sled just calmly checking everybody out. He didn't even jump off till the sled stopped. I couldn't get my camera out fast enough but he looked hilarious. Lucy needs more practice on the sleds - she's a chicken!

Cuddle time after a long hard day of sledding

Puzzle time with the cute preteens Morgan, Lelu and Jantz (the Maxwell's other friends that came along 12 year old son)

D was trusted to stay home alone so that he could go to rehearsal for his play at Alta. He got an early Christmas gift being cast as "Reverend Parris" (the evil minister) in The Crucible. It is the 3rd largest role in the play and he LOVES being evil. I know I will have a hard time watching him play this part. Part proud of him for being memorable and cringing at the same time with just how vile his character really is. He also entered the 24 hour LDS film festival. More about that later.

47 is better than 74!

That's what the clerk in the grocery store said as she rang up a 4 and a 7 candle and asked "47 or 74?" I said "Uh, husband, uh, 47" I took this to mean that I should be happy that on my next birthday I can be "24" again right?

We spent B's b-day up at the Maxwell cabin for the weekend. I made Mimi's cobbler with blackberries & blueberries to eat after we went to dinner at this really yummy restaurant in Kamas called Gateway Grill. Who knew Kamas could have a good restaurant? We met up with our other friends Kelly & Juan for dinner too. They have a cabin not too far away that they were spending the weekend.

B's birthday gift was a new mattress. I thought I was very sneaky having it delivered the day before and having it all made like usual. My plan was to see if he noticed it. We'd both been sleeping cocooned in perfect body-shaped indentations we'd created in the last 9 years and both assumed the other one would get us new mattress for Christmas. I did a bunch of consumer report research and then became more confused. I decided to take an afternoon to go lie down and roll into all of my different sleeping positions on each mattress sold in the store. The salesman was quite nice and just left me alone. I was surprised by my instincts and picked one that I'd never even really heard about or read about. The store guarantees 30 nights of sleep if you don't like it you can exchange it, so I knew I was safe.



So that night B goes in to lie down on it and I walk in with this goofy smile on my face and ask him if he's comfortable. Immediately all blood left his brain and assumed my goofy smile preempted another kind of "gift". I said "I got you a present already for your birthday" And he preceded to guess for the next 15 minutes everything from weird piercings, tattoos, mickeys in his drink or my drink and stuff I'd never even considered. I got a great laugh out his guesses.......and a slight case of paranoia. We both LOVE the new mattress - it is comfy comfy comfy.

B's Favorites In his own words (except for the parentheses I added)

Movie: 2009 was Taken

Color: The color green in new spring growth

Restaurant: Utah does not have good restaurants

Birthday Treat: Mimi's Cobbler

Food: Kristin's Tomato Bisque

Day: Any day with my family

Holiday: Christmas Eve

Song: The songs Kristin picks for me (Do you see the genes I'm working with?)

Musical Artist: Defer to song (Seriously!)

Vacation: Mountains

Book: 2009 was The Alchemist

Animal: Lucy our chocolate lab

Dream place to live: Cabin in Mountains

Quote: Never. Never. Never. Give up. - Winston Churchill

Even so, I'll still love him at 74!

I'm going to FIND MY ZEN IN 2010!

That's my mantra for this year. I actually stole it from a DJ on the radio - but I like it a lot. On New Year's eve me, B and the little kids just hung out eating Cafe' Rio and working on our 2000 piece puzzle of the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. Is it just me, or does Germany come up a lot in our lives? We listened to the fireworks outside and watched poor Dick Clark on what, in my opinion, should be his last "Rockin New Years Eve". That guy is not looking too good! D had many plans that night.

Jan, 1st 2010 I had all of us who live at home write up New Year's resolutions. I gave them 5 categories 1. Health 2. Education 3. Creative 4. Spiritual 5. Social and then B added 6. Family.
D didn't think it's a good idea to put them on my blog because some are personal. I wanted to just scan them, but I will honor his request and just list some of my favorites:


B: Creative : COMPLETE MG (seriously one of my favorites and I do realize how selfish I sound but I am dying to drive my cute little convertible around with my hair blowing in the wind and pretending I'm 17 again) Social : Date Kristin more (that's for me too!)

D: Family: Try not to take 40 minute showers and run out all the hot water.

Lelu: Creative: finish learning "Clocks" on the piano Health: Eat 10 bites of butternut squash soup (seriously torture for her)

Ari: Creative: I will draw pictures for my teacher it will be like swirls everywhere. Social: I will not brag to Sierra (she hopes she won't brag to her either!)

Mr. T: Creative: I will make a new paper airplane I have never built. Family: I will shut my closet door, open my door and yous (use) my towels again.

Me: Education: Read Bible, Book of Mormon, D&C and Pearl of Great Price. Plus 50 other books of my choice. Health: Run Moab half marathon March 20th (no walking, run the whole thing) - train well! (I ran 8 miles today! it was tough!)


Well, I'll check back in to see if we made it come 2011!

Thanks Aunt Michelle For Tickets to The Children's Museum!

For Christmas Aunt Michelle gave Mr. T a pass to the Children's museum for 6 people. It needed to be used before the end of the year, so we decided to go up the day before New Year's Eve and invite some friends along. Poor Mr. T's buddy had just returned from Hawaii on a red-eye and his mother couldn't get him to wake up to go with us. We took Ari's bff Aubrey and her sister Summer. I'm pretty sure everyone else in the area decided to go that day too. Kids out of school, freezing rain/slush outside - not much else to do. I've never seen it so crowded. Yet another "stop and be grateful for those milestones to pass moment"......they are all old enough to not freak out if you don't see them for a few minutes in a crowded place.

The girls all hung out in the grocery store checking everybody out. Thank heavens I just read a book about kids and what they want to be when they grow up and learned that: when they say they want to be a checkout lady in a grocery store they don't mean "when I grow-up" They mean "right-now" because kids haven't developed the ability to foresee the reality of the future. (not that there is anything wrong with wanting to be a checkout lady when they grow up) There's your "know-it-all moment" for today's blog!

Of course, Mr. T did not have any desire to hang out in grocery all day - so he flitted from rock wall to water splashing fun to tractor building area and back to shoot balls up tubes. He's the one who took years off my life before we hit the 'not needing to be watched every second milestone'.

After our fun at the museum, we had the pleasure of meeting Michelle, her friend she met in Europe and B for dinner at the Blue Iguana. (I'm not even going to attempt to spell his name for you because I know I will slaughter the you know what out of it.) He's from Germany and was very very good natured around my bouncy, somewhat insensitive and rude kids. I take no blame for their comments about being old, wrinkles and waddles. B seems to really think it's funny that they tease him about his age, round pack, waddle and bald spot. He totally encourages it too. And then it bites me in the butt because they then say rude stuff to other people. This is public apology and my written vow to teach them it's not funny and it's mean!


Thanks Michelle for the pass and the opportunity to meet another truly wonderful person from Germany and your patience!

Christmas 2009

This year was a quiet one. It was just us and Michelle T. Christmas eve day I came up with the brilliant new tradition of sending D with the little kids to a movie in the middle of the day so we could have some good daylight prep time. I also came up with a new rule that no Taylor under the age of 22 was allowed in our bedroom on Christmas eve. When they got home, Lelu asked what we did while they were gone. Lately she's really been giving us a hard time about "kissing gross with our tongues and stuff". Must be because she's 12 and noticing PDA's etc and trying to process it all. Sometimes I tend to use those kinds of comments to my advantage I told her "we ran around the house naked and kissed with our tongues". Of course, there were no further questions after that. Just to be clear - that is not what we did while they were gone.

We all enjoyed our tradition of mexican food and then opened our pajamas and made train cars. The kids were all in bed by 9, and we were in bed by 10:30. 6:30 am Christmas morning my cell phone rings and it's D waking us up after setting his alarm. I do not enjoy 6:30 but sometimes I have to give in to their excitement. It was a good Christmas, every one was happy, I wasn't scrambling on Christmas eve and I took a 2 hour nap. It's all good.

This year we had an artificial tree for the first time ever. I also did not make pumpkin rolls for the first time ever. I started shopping back in September rather than December. I actually lost weight instead of gained this year. I helped clean the temple on Dec 23rd from 10 to 12 pm. I think I'll keep these new traditions and think on "The Savior of theWorld" and "A Christmas Carol".

I do love the Nutcracker & I have Photos! 12/19/09

This year I'd been talking to my friend Kelly about going and she thought it'd be fun to take her girls Sierra & McKinley too. So we dressed them up and headed downtown to see "The Nutcracker" at Capital Theatre. One year, I took Becca and she couldn't get over the super revealing men's tights and now refers to it as "The NutPacker". I don't deny that there's not much left to the imagination - but the muscular butts on those guys............you have to appreciate those. Okay, so back to my little innocent girls enjoying these beautiful costumes and ballet dances. They loved it but I have to admit also did ask us if the men's tights were see-through because they could see everything.

After the ballet, we went behind the stage and had their photos taken with the sugar plum fairy & Clara along with the NutPackers (but they were well covered up by the girls in front of them). Next year, I'd love Ari to try out for the little "buffoons" who come out from under the big dress and do back handsprings across the stage. A friend of mine's daughter was in it this year flipping across the stage. She's a year older than Ari and goes to their school. The story of the Nutcracker has nothing to do with the birth of Christ, but I still really like making it a tradition.

2nd attempt at bringing my Family into the Christmas spirit: Hale Center Theatre "A Christmas Carol" 12/14/09

I bought the tickets for the 5 o'clock show because 8:00 is nearly B's bedtime - forgetting 5 is also his dinner time. He ran across the street and grabbed a burrito. I thought it was really great that we had front row tickets. Lelu not so much.....in fact, she put her hood up on her jacket and hid her face in B's arm almost the entire 2/3 of the play. Jacob Marley started it all scaring the crap out of her with his chains and bellowing. Mr. T loved that part but I could see him fade every time a musical note began. Then ghost of Christmas present with his bony long fingers and swirling about the stage coming far too close for Lelu's comfort was pretty much it. I did however enjoy all the songs about the birth of Christ and most of them were. Afterwards we were all starving except B and the kids were teasing and bugging each other. There was crying and whining etc etc....and I was threatening to take them home to eat top ramen - but I my desires outweighed my threats and I stopped at Friday's. Somehow this adventure didn't meet my expectations either. 2 strikes now - maybe I just need to change the rules of the game??

Lelu sings my Favorite Christmas Song 12/12/09

Camera still MIA =:-C

Lelu takes voice lessons and sometimes it's really difficult to get her to her lesson since it falls on my "terrible Tuesday", so I told my friend Sharon, who's daughter Morgan also takes lessons, that after this recital I wasn't going to do it anymore. BUT..... Friday night Dec 11th we went to our ward adult Christmas party and the Alta Madrigals came and performed for us. 2 of the girls are in our ward and we know 3 of the boys through D. I was so proud to know these talented kids personally. So then the next day at the recital, Lelu sang "Oh Holy Night". I promise I am not biased - she ROCKED IT! In fact, Lelu and Morgan blew all the other girls away with their voices. Lelu even looked like she was having a great time. I could totally picture them singing together in the Madrigals in 3 years. I now will eat my words and keep her in the voice lessons torturing myself with getting her there on Terrible Tuesday and (probably complaining) fully expecting to see it pay off! It was a total "Christmas spirit moment" for me anyway.

Ari Found My Camera & I Am Very Happy (Updated 1/10/10)

I have lost my camera & I am very sad (original date

I believe it to have disappeared into the black abyss of the Taylor triangle, along with the ONLY cordless phone, D's cell phone and my workout gloves. All of which the last place they were seen was in my house. I've been waiting to blog about my new Christmas traditions of "enjoying the spirit of the season" complete with photos I took of the first of these traditions. I will forget if I don't write about it - so no photos as of yet. Please say a little prayer I find it? THANK YOU FOR THE PRAYERS!

I tend to fantasize a lot about creating moments of love and togetherness............it goes something like this:

I planned to finish all of my shopping by December 1st in order to "just enjoy the season". I was finished in time and the first of my plans were to go see "Savior of the World" at the conference center theatre downtown. I bought tickets in plenty of time. The night was beautiful and we headed as a family downtown dressed in our best Sunday clothes. We ate dinner in the Joseph Smith building at the Garden restaurant looking out at the sparkling Christmas lights casting rainbows against the frest snow on the grounds of the Salt Lake Temple. The conversation was about our Savior and how grateful we are for each other and this season. We strolled around the temple holding hands with love in our hearts and kindness in our actions towards others. After taking a moment of silence at the Christus we then strolled over to the theatre. All 7 of us cried tears of joy as we listened and absorbed the message of this inspiring musical based on the life of Jesus Christ. In the car home, we sang my favorite Christmas songs and expressed once again our love for each other.

And then reality always sets in:

I got online to buy the tickets and they were all sold out because they'd gone on sale October 1st. I scanned the ads for someone selling theirs and couldn't find anything so I placed an ad saying I wanted some. This was really a bonus because the next day a BYU student called me & had 6 tickets he couldn't use and sold them to me for face value. BUT I couldn't get an extra one for Aub..... sad moment but I was still going to make the best of it. The night was FREEZING and we drove downtown at what I thought was early enough but all the parking lots were full. B drove around and found a spot while I tried to get our name in at the Garden. They could seat us at 7:30 (the show started at 7:30) The Roof could seat us at 9:30. So we ate at their little crowded cafeteria (I don't recommend the food!) Then we slipped & slided and froze our way through massive crowds to look at the temple lights. We shoved and pushed our way up to standing room only at the Christus with so many heads in the way of taking photos, it was useless. Once we nearly killed ourselves slipping down the sidewalks and got to the theatre, everyone there was dressed in Sunday best but us. The show began and Mr. T slid down into his chair asking me how long this was going to last, sighing and wiggling and humphing and hawing every time they broke out into a song. B was rolling his eyes and running his hands through his hair every time they broke out into a song. True Taylor's those two are through and through (as much as I like to expose them to music - genes are winning). Me, Ari and Lelu are crying after Christ is resurrected (thank heavens for my girls) and D leans over to me and says "Did you know Russel Crowe is going to be the next Robin Hood?" Pause..........huh?? A little sign of ADD perhaps? On the way home B and D decided to get into an argument about ?????? I don't remember what, but an argument nonetheless. I did get some really great photos that are lost in my camera.
And now found & posted!



Coming up next: My second attempt "A Christmas Carol" at Hale Center Theatre.

Our 2009 Gratitude Lists

Since you all got a very nice family photo x-mas card this year, instead of a homemade card including our gratitude lists. I am writing on here what we are all grateful for this year.

DISCLAIMER: ALL ITEMS ON THESE LISTS WERE QUOTED EXACTLY AS THEY WERE TOLD TO ME! The parantheses were added by me for clarification purposes.

Aub - A job she actually enjoys - Helga (the car that replaced Harriet) - and WiFi

D - Video cameras (he has a very close relationship with ours) - Family - Church (I hope not in that order but that's the order he gave it to me in)

Lelu - My family - Being in Young Women's - Earning a lot of $$ this year babysitting

Ari - My Family - my best friend Aubrey moving in up the street - Getting baptized

Mr. T - Getting Baptized - going to Caden's baptism - Earning his orange belt in karate

Me - Christ - Good Health - Great kids & husband - Mold removal - Laughter - Great friends - Kind people - Piano! - getting a family picture - Finishing my Christmas shopping by December 1st.

B - Finally after 3 sets of bad caps: Great looking new front teeth - Tazworks growing even in a slow economy - keeping up with younger stronger guys in jujitsu - K (me) finally getting motivated & slimming down