Taylor Tree

39 wks and trying not to count

2012-01-24T09:09:00.000-08:00

i'm still pregnant.

this is the longest it's ever taken to get the baby out.

i've walked and walked and walked.

i've walked curbs, i've eaten spicy foods, pineapple, etc. etc.

all with a little success but not enough.

as of last week i was dilated to a three.

i've been having contractions daily but nothing consistent.

I see the dr tomorrow and i think she may have a few tricks up her sleeve.

this is the longest i've gone, the most weight i've gained, and it's a boy.

jeff and i are expecting a big one.

while the babe has been cookin' i've been trying to stay busy this

last month to keep a positive attitude.

we rang in the new year with some TX sheet cake (first attempt), new friends, and fireworks.

jill started a new pre-school and camille still has withdrawals without her.

we've explored our surroundings and taken advantage of the nice weather.

hit up the movies, a hockey game, and the circus.

we frequent the park and even have seen some romance there.

the girls started gymnastics and are loving it.

some dear, new, super talented friends even threw me a TX cowboy baby shower.

more pics and deets here:

http://www.kristendukephotography.com/

after all this, i'd say the only thing i need now is a

warm little body to fill this up:

come baby come.

before TX

2012-01-21T14:40:00.000-08:00

when the decision was made to move to TX,

i knew there was a few things that needed to happen first.

a girls outing with my Taylor family.

we decided to go to Time Out for Women.

this is what i was greeted with on my way out the door.

it was great to get away and spend some time with the sils and mil.

of everything in AZ, i miss these peeps the most.

a few last visits with my ailing grandparents.

my girls LOVED visiting grandma and grandpa Pete.

he would take his teeth out and make us all laugh.

we got to practice holding a baby when Wyatt came to my sil Caitlin.

the girls were fascinated and in love instantly.

jeff and i were inflated with love for wyatt and excitement for out little boy.

we enjoyed one last AZ rainstorm with one of the girls

favorite accessories: an umbrella

the girls had their soccer banquet and received some awesome trophies.

jeff and i got a few nights out on the town.

pei-wei and barnes and noble:

asu vs. arizona football

we hit up a bunch of fall festivities and fairs including the AZ state fair

we got to visit with mom and dad peterson and brett's family for thanksgiving.

the girls loved the quality time with the cousins.

my family and a few friends had a get together to celebrate the baby and say good-bye.

do you think i like the boots?

i taught my last zumba class and they all stuffed their shirts with balloons for the warm-up.

it was quite comical.

i'm in the front in all black without a balloon. i really miss my class.

the girls were bats for halloween and i was a pot-belly pig.

we trick-or-treated with the cousins.

we even had some crafty times around halloween to help with decorations.

after all the fun times we packed up and left, but not without one

last group hug with the cousins and grandma.

(phew. that was a long mixed-up post.)

Christmas 2011

2011-12-31T08:56:00.000-08:00

Apparently, around here the best way to spread Christmas cheer is to

decorate a tree along the busy roads.

We joined the tradition and our cheer is increased every time we drive by.

Now I'm wondering if I go clean it up or if the city will...

(just being lazy and hoping the city will)

Santa came and went.

Jeff got a couple targets and accessories for his new found

hobby, archery.

The girls got an easel, pillow pets, and bed quilts.

Santa really nailed it with me.

Rain boots and a hammock, who could ask for more?

Now it's time to get serious and prep for baby Coco.

Texas up-date

2011-12-20T14:06:00.000-08:00

Blogging consistently hasn't been a priority for a very long time.

When I look back at older entries I get sad to see events that I've missed.

Seeing that I use this as my scrapbook and family journal,

I think I have a bit of catching up to do.

I am 34 weeks pregnant.

Due date is January 31st.

I feel good in the mornings, tired in the afternoon, and grumpy in the evenings.

I'm addicted to eating Almond Kisses and Tums are strategically placed throughout the home.

I wonder if I wouldn't need so many Tums if I didn't consume all the Kisses.

Oh, well.

We moved to Texas on Dec 1st.

The first question I usually get is, "Are you all unpacked?"

This is comical. I have what I need unpacked. If I need something else

I venture to the disaster zone (aka the garage) to find it,

many times to re-enter to the home without the object that I searched for

but with some other thing that is useful.

Top priority was the tree.

Totally useful and important.

Back to the move:

We made the 16 hour drive in two days.

Stan graciously drove me and the girls and Jeff drove the big truck.

It was quite obvious once we entered Texas.

This is what came out of the waffle maker at the hotel our

first night in TX.

I don't recall ever seeing a waffle shaped Arizona or Utah.

This is another common site in Texas.

BBQ spots that look like barns.

The home we are renting is much older and bigger than we are use to.

Here she is on a foggy, drizzly, Austin morning.

The inside can use a lot of work (that will never happen),

but the outside is a dream.

We are on half an acre and have over 20 mature trees in the backyard.

This is just a glimpse. We see a lot of birds and squirrels each morning.

We also spot deer almost daily driving around the neighborhood.

This is the view on the route to church:

This was my view at our first church service:

Everyone has been incredibly welcoming and genuine to our family.

I feel like I have already made friendships that will only continue to grow.

The girls got to see Santa at our new wards party.

We've been to the Blue Bell factory in Brenham, TX.

I really loved the scenic drive to this little town.

Downtown Austin is very pretty with popular bridges and routes along the rivers for bikers and runners.

The town even places coolers along the routes with water daily for all the active people.

The weather has been very rainy since we've arrived and with Jill not going to

preschool for Dec she has been getting a bit of cabin fever.

We had to ventured out and find the local library.

They hold events for children multiple times a week.

We've decorated ginger bread men and attended a puppet show.

I do miss things about Arizona,

specifically family.

But, I do think we'll be just fine out here on our own in the middle of Texas.

it's offical

2011-11-17T10:17:00.000-08:00

we are moving.

Jeff is a Texas boy. born and raised there and the pride hasn't faded.

i knew from the time we were dating that moving back to texas was in

his life plan.

so, come Dec 1st, we'll be headed there.

here to be exact.

we are moving to Austin, the capital.

i'm sad to leave az, i've grown to really love it here.

but i'm excited for a change and new adventures and experiences.

hopefully, i'll get this blog up-dated from the last few months before we head out.

The Party

2011-11-07T13:30:00.000-08:00

all the party people

party games:

pin the smile on the ghost

decorate halloween bags and pumpkins

a bat pinata

balloon launch

family picture with cake and candles.

successful party for jill's 5th.

five years ago today

2011-10-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

this sweet little face came into the world.

she's one tough little cookie.

she's always been full of muscle and power (look at those arms).

earlier this year she wanted her ears pierced. she earned the money

needed by daily cleaning. she picked the skull earrings. no tears were

shed, not even a flinch was given, and she had earrings.

the other day i picked her up from school and she asked if i would

take her to the dr. i asked why. she said, "i wanna get shots in my

arm and see if it hurts. i don't think i'll cry."

she loves animals.

her current favorite is a bat.

she loves to got on hikes, bikes, walks, pretty much anything active.

she is pretty much fearless and a thrill-seeker.

she loves roller-coasters.

she has even done a flip into the pool from the edge more than once.

(not okay with that especially bc it's into only 3 feet of water.)

here she is by a cool tree in the mountains of arizona.

she sure isn't camera shy.

in-fact she doesn't seem shy at all anymore.

she is incredibly sweet to everyone she meets.

her preschool teacher says that she is a friend to everyone in class.

this year (4 turning 5) has been a great year for her.

not only has she come out of her shell, but her speech has

improved massively, and she has out grown her baby belly and all her clothes and shoes.

she's excited for our growing family and is super sweet with my baby bump.

she loves church and primary, especially singing all the songs and talking in the microphone.

(this is HUGE for her, she crying the whole year in sunbeams.)

she loves wrestling with her dad and helping me around the house.

her best friend is her sister and she loves all her extended family.

i love being her mother!

Soccer

2011-10-14T12:25:00.000-07:00

the girls are playing soccer this fall.

the first game was tough for jill.

jill excels in practice but got frustrated during the game,

when 20 kids surround the ball. she was use to practicing with order and didn't quite

understand the "game" aspect the first week.

she has steadily improved and is now having fun in the games and at practice.

with a number of break-aways during the last game,

jill is getting the taste of dribbling with speed and loving it.

after each break-away she turned to the crowd and joined us all as we

cheered and clapped.

it's still warm in these parts so water breaks are essential.

camille really enjoys posing, playing with her hair,

lying on the soft grass, wondering around aimlessly, and taking frequent breaks,

all during game time.

perhaps 3 is a bit too early to try soccer.

on the parenting side:

watching my children play sports is more fun than i ever imagined.

new 'do

2011-09-12T10:23:00.000-07:00

jill and camille thought it was a good idea to take

scissors to their lovely long locks.

sometimes good ideas end up bad.

it was a hack job from front to back on both.

thankfully, not bad enough to be fixed.

they love their new hair.

i'm just not sure if the lesson was learned when they ended up

looking so cute...

The cake was right

2011-09-08T16:15:00.000-07:00

Labor Day

2011-09-06T16:44:00.000-07:00

we headed to the Salt River for some relief from the heat.

the girls had a great time and can't wait to go back to the "beach".

we ended up on the evening news.

a quick action cameo of jeff and camille @ 1:06

and the whole lot of us @ 1:20

http://www.azfamily.com/video/?id=129274888&sec=528732

did you know?

2011-09-04T19:05:00.000-07:00

i'm 19 weeks pregnant.

my sister-in-law sarah is a "gender predictor" cakemaker extraordinaire.

the cake says boy.

on Wednesday we will see if the cake was right.

growing up.

2011-08-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

growing up can be tough sometimes.

i celebrated my birthday on the 21st.

i have more wrinkles and my metabolism is slowing.

despite these i actually feel very excited to be here and now.

jeff and the girls made me a yummy cake,

and since my lung capacity is probably diminishing too

i got some help blowing out all 29 candles.

the girls are hitting milestones.

jillian started official pre-school.

she was ecstatic.

she even gets to be in class with her cousin chloe.

this is the face of "growing pain" that camille had driving away

from jills school the first and second day.

poor girls is still having a tough time.

each pre-school day she asks if she gets to stay with jill "this time".

she even started going under the water while swimming by herself

and not crying. she popped up and said, "see mom, i'm a big girl

now like jilli. i get to go to jilli's school now".

sisters are so much better together.

track-stars

2011-08-16T15:29:00.000-07:00

We like to exercise in this home.

We encourage the children to follow suit.

Earlier this year they had the opportunity to show off some skills.

A near-by town hosted a mini-Olympics.

It started with a warm-up and stretching.

Next was the running of the torch.

Jill thought the races had begun and left everyone in the dust.

Then the events began.

They did long jump, javelin throw, shot put, obstacle course,

and of-course the 60 meter dash.

The girls did great a had a great time.

In other running news:

We like to participate in a few fundraising runs each year.

Here's a re-cap:

Two-Sisters One Heart Run

Pat's Run:

early morning pre-run chill and anticipation

post-run heat with the group

This event is HUGE!

The Taylor's have made it a tradition.

We've participate a few of the years and it grows bigger each time.

The first year we ran it there was one heat, one start time.

This year there was over 20 heats placed by estimated run pace.

It was wild, the amount of people there.

It's 4.2 miles around Tempe Lakes and ASU.

I'm not sure if it was the hype in the air or what but I ran faster than I ever have.

I did the 4.2 miles in 39 minutes and felt like I could have gone faster.

It's still not that great of time, but an accomplishment for a sprinter.

Jeff did great as usual at 35:26.

Petersons 2011

2011-08-16T08:19:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a great get-away to the mountains of Utah.

We played with cousins.

Jill had the time of her life at 7-Peaks, a water resort.

I can honestly say I love and enjoy each of these people.

Lucky to have such a great family.

Turning 3 in this house

2011-07-25T14:10:00.000-07:00

We are a proud pacifier-using household. From 0-2 it's pretty much at the beacon

call of the babe. From 2-3 it's only available when the toddler is lying down. The day of the 3rd birthday, the pacifier goes in the trash. The prep of the toddler for this day begins weeks ahead of time.

It includes much reassurance and perhaps a few, "if you want a birthday party, you have to throw it away" phrases. Jillian did well with just a few tears for a couple of nights. Camille's was much smoother. With the moral support of Jillian, Camille didn't (and has yet to) shed a tear over the loss of her paci. Siblings are the best.

(birthday before deed)

(after deed)

Camille earned her party. We had friends and family come by. With a bounce house, slip n' slide, water balloons, trampoline, and x-box kinect all who came was entertained. Of-course we launch the traditional birthday balloons.

A few days later we celebrated Jeff's birthday early as we were headed to Hawaii.

Headed to preschool

2011-07-25T12:30:00.000-07:00

(back in May) Jill and Camille made it through joy school with flying colors.

They both memorized The Pledge of Allegiance.

Jill will be starting offical preschool next month.

Not sure how Camille is going to cope not having sister around.

They are joined at the hip.

easedropping

2011-07-18T12:02:00.000-07:00

We found ants in the bathroom this morning. I vaccumed up most of them and then the girls brought in a shoe to "pop" any lingering ants. This is what I heard:

Camille: Heavenly Father?

Jillian: He hears you. Say what you have to say.

Camille: Sorry we have to pop the ants.

Jillian: It's okay, He knows they shouldn't be in the house.

yesterday,

2011-05-23T13:09:00.000-07:00

seven years ago was the greatest party of my life.

CAMILLE!

2011-05-20T21:25:00.000-07:00

This little treasure turned three today.

Camille is the class clown around here.

Always looking for a laugh.

Even at inopportune times.

She has lips to kill, and isn't afraid of handing out kisses.

She is incredibly sensitive, and sweet;

never wanting to hurt feelings.

She loves animals and playing princess.

Above all else she loves her sister and wants to be around her all the time.

We are blessed to have this one in our lives.

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-09T10:07:00.000-07:00

The flowers are in bloom.

The garden is growing.

The chicks are roaming.

I get goodies at church.

Best of all, I get to celebrate my two wonderful mothers,

and reflect on the last 5 years of being a mother.

This is the best time of my life.

Easter 2011

2011-05-04T16:47:00.000-07:00

Easter came and brought two little chicks.

Jill named hers Chickee-chick, (is now calling her Sleepy Head).

Camille named hers Sunny.

We are excited to embark on pet ownership again.

This time with half the amount of last.

The head-dress and Easter dresses were a hit with the girls.

On Saturday we dyed eggs,

and then headed to the temple for the pageant.

We arrived 2.5 hours early to secure seats for the family.

The ushers were very persistent that there was NO SAVING SEATS.

After the third usher physically picked up all my

blankets and moved them I decided to abide.

Me and my girls found three front row seats.

We spent the time awaiting the pageant, exploring the temple grounds.

The girls were very concerned for Jesus during the pageant.

Jill even about cried.

Camille did actually cry, but because she lost a pacifier.

Good times.

With the temperature on the rise

2011-04-18T11:11:00.000-07:00

the girls and I have become reacquainted with our swimsuits and the water.

But before we hit any crazy heat records

(as always seems to happen around here),

let's reminisce about my 'snow fix'.

A few months back the news was predicting a late season big

snow storm for the Arizona high country. I knew we had to go.

We booked a quaint cabin style hotel in Flagstaff,

that was nestled among the Ponderosa Pines.

The girls couldn't wait (including me) to "go snowin' " as Jill and Camille call it.

As we arrived tears arrived too as there was no snow in sight.

Jill and Camille were confused as they had to wait even longer to

go snowin'. I prayed that night for the snow storm to arrive

as I didn't want to devastate the girls.

We awoke to a winter wonderland.

First on the agenda: hot coco.

Then, finally, at-last, it was snowin' time.

After a few hours of pure white bliss and perma-grins we had to

force the children into the room to thaw out.

The snow was coming down thicker and the roads were getting dangerous.

We decided to descend (slowly, albeit) back into the valley of the sun.

Until next year and my yearly allowance of snow, my snow fix.

focus on the positive

2011-03-29T11:38:00.000-07:00

camille is impassive.

jillian is spastic and has a weed coming out of her head.

i have a triple chin, gummy smile, and nose issues.
if you look closely, the piano has a few minor cosmetic problems.

at-least jeff looks super handsome,

and dang, i think my hair has never looked better.

gotta LOVE family picture sessions.

kill me now.

new things in 2011

2011-02-22T17:18:00.000-08:00

jillian has graduated sunbeams and entered the CTR classes.

she received her ring and has to wear it every sunday.

she even gave the first talk of the year in primary and didn't cry.

(a huge deal for the one who still cry's as she enters the

primary room)

hears to choosing the right and 10:00 church!

(in the 5 yrs we've lived here church has been held at two times: 8:00am ((lame)) and 2:40pm ((lamer))).

jillian also starting going to a co-op

Joy School with a few kids from the ward.

we swap weeks teaching and we are LOVING it!

look at the pure excitement on the first day of school:

Camille didn't deal too well watching Jill go to school without her.

After a few weeks I caved; Camille got her way.

Camille also started Joy School and is doing very well.

2011 has brought with it a new love of make-up for Camille.

These are just two of the many times I have found a mess of make-up on the floor

and a very decorated camillian face.

At-least she does a pretty well job matching what she wearing.

I started teaching Zumba at the YMCA in Jan.

Since then I have had two other opportunities to

teach at other gyms but had to turn them down because I

am still picking up hours at the hospital.

I'm hoping to get a couple exercise-related certifications

in 2011.

Jeff has been working from home and each month is

more successful than the last.

Hopefully 2011 will bring continued success on the

self-employment front.

Speaking of me and Jeff,

our Valentine's Celebration was great.

On Saturday night I took him to a nice

Japanese restaurant (he loves sushi).

After, I finished the BEST teryaki chicken of my life

we heading to the local skating rink.

we had a blast once the DJ starting playing some

old-school top 40's that jeff and i knew.

Gotta' love it.

2011...it's going to be good.

a story about a snake

2011-01-10T10:50:00.000-08:00

within the bustle of returning items after christmas jill spotted a toy snake.

there were plenty of other toys in sight, we were in-fact, in the

toy aisle at walmart, but she honed in on a snake.

she carried that snake throughout the rest of our shopping trip.

she would cuddle it, make it slither, kiss it, make it lick camille.

she quickly loved that snake.

any other day i may have just bought that snake for her.

after all, it was just one dollar in price.

however, christmas was just a week ago and she had plenty of new toys.

there was no room for a snake among all the new

princesses, horses, and books.

so i thought.

at check-out the tears began to come and the negotiation began.

she held the tears back like a big girl and promised to clean her room

without mom's help (and keep it clean). this would earn her one

dollar bill and thus the snake (if she even remembered about it the next day).

the next day came.

i was awakened by jills sweet voice,

"mom, i'm gonna clean my room and get a snake today. you fremember?' (jill-bonicks)

sure enough, she earned that snake and even paid for it herself in the self-checkout.

i think i'd better lower the allowance price to 10 cents a day.

the shoe tree

2011-01-08T09:48:00.000-08:00

have you ever seen this:

i have.

it's called the shoe tree.

my first recollection of this tree is as a junior high student.

driving along route 50, "the Loneliest Highway",

to and from different sporting or church events.

it was always a fun sighting during a long drive.

the tree is a large cottonwood, the only sizable tree for miles around, and there are shoes all the way to the top.

a few shoes have even begun to stray into a nearby smaller tree.
Local legend says that a young couple had an argument on their wedding night and the bride, in a rage threw one of her shoes into the tree.

somehow, this started it all.

now, it's over.

someone cut it down.

i feel sad.

i may just throw a pair of shoes on the next tree i see

in memory of the shoe tree.

2010 wrap-up

2011-01-06T15:22:00.000-08:00

christmas each year is more and more fun.

as the girls are growing and learning i can't

help but share their joy of the season.

we focused a great deal on the birth of the savior.

camille has since named all her babies and dogs "baby jesus".

jill has contined to drawn the nativity scene, complete with the star.

i love this little family jeff and i have created.

their favorite new song though is "jinger bearrs"

christmas eve pjs from Alisha on Vimeo.

the year ended with a bang, literally.

jeff contracted with a couple large firework companies

and had three tents selling fireworks for the new year.

big shout-out to jeff's family.

each of them helped tremendously and he couldn't

have succeeded without you.

this is the first year in over 55 years (perhaps longer) that arizona

has allowed any type of fireworks.

the girls had a blast with the sparklers and jill even managed to

burn a hole in her new sweater.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2010-12-21T13:40:00.000-08:00

to you and yours from me and mine.

JAJC TAYLOR 2010

(big thanks to Jessica from jessicarichardsphotography.blogspot.com

for the last minute and hugely successful photo shoot)

the happs

2010-12-16T08:06:00.000-08:00

yesterday i took my girls to a the ballet at symphony hall.

Ballet Arizona puts on condensed version of their performances for school groups and somehow my bff gets us in too. this is the second one we've been to.

they danced the second half of the nutcracker.

the music, the dancing, the costumes, it was very nostalgic for me.

jill was enthralled too, clapping vigorously after each dance.

camille was less impressed and just wanted to go on stage to be the center of attention.

i can't wait to take the girls to the whole production in a couple years.

speaking of dance...

with the move looming i took the girls out of their class.

they miss it and frequently ask, "is it time for ballet"

it's outdoor weather now in arizona and we've been taking full advantage.

golfing with dad

petting zoo's

the girls love horses.

it is their toy of choice and aren't afraid to ride the real thing.

the state fair

i have two thrill seekers on my hands. i suppose the apple doesn't fall too far off the tree. they wanted to ride every single one and got bored with the little ones.

this next picture cracks me up.

i may look like i'm having fun.

i'm not.

in-fact i'm about to yell at the operator to get us off the dang ferris wheel.

it was the tallest one at the fair and didn't have a belt, or a lap-bar, or even a door!!

the girls kept trying to look over the edge or go to where the door should have been to look down.

jeff was having a hay-day watching me almost have an aneurysm.

never again.

in other news, my grandmother has been in and out of the hospital the last few months. the girls have really actually enjoyed the time visiting the pete's and exploring (i.e. recking havoc) in new places.

grandpa has been a really trooper and taking out his teeth about a million times each visit because that's all the girls want.

grandma is turning 90 this week.

grandpa is 92 and still a firecracker.

i'm thankful for the time i've had with them here in arizona.

speaking of thankfulness...

thanksgiving was spent with the Taylor's.

i didn't get any pics but the food was delish and company even better.

i am so thankful for my family of 6 years.

i found a perfect fit for me with the Taylor's.

just a little ditty

2010-11-27T08:17:00.000-08:00

yesterday was a great day.

have you seen this movie?

i took my girls yesterday to watch it.

it is officially my favorite animated disney film.

i was laughing out-loud and i cried twice too.

you should go see it.

it's sooooooo good.

did you watch this game?

me either.

i actually started to

(b/c as you know, this is the biggest game for unr EVER)

i fell asleep in the first quarter.

(i went black friday shopping at midnight that morning

and was emotionally drained from watching tangled. i was exhausted.)

jeff took me to bed.

i woke-up today and found out about the game from the web.

jeff got pounced for not waking me.

i'm headed to watch the game now.

thankful for DVR.

way to go alma mater

fotoblog of jill's party

2010-11-17T15:10:00.000-08:00

our jillian had a costume party for her 4th birthday.

all those cool enough to dress-up

crafts

night games

indestructible pinata

balloon launch

skull cake

sweet satisfaction.

moving status up-date

2010-11-02T12:17:00.000-07:00

on 27 march 2010 i posted that we were moving. the day we signed papers, the new owners told us that we could stay through the summer as they are snow birds and wouldn't be back until the fall. we decided to go month to month in hopes that we would find a place we liked and move. i had the kitchen already packed and our walls and windows decor have been boxed since the day we signed. no curtains, no family pictures, no toaster, no crock-pot, no winter clothing. no nothing.

as fall approached we found the rental prices dropping. we choose to wait and see how far they would drop after school was in session. sure enough, the prices were right. two months ago i spoke to the canadians (new owners) and they said they wouldn't be down until late nov. so, we stayed.

two weeks ago i spoke to the canadians again. the harvest was late due to rain (they are farmers) and they can't make it down until jan. so, we can stay.
yesterday i got a message. the mother of the canadians is ill. the canadians won't be coming until jan 2012. we can stay for another year. do we stay? do we move? do i un-pack? do i keep it packed and hope to find a deal closer to town? i am so indecisive i am going crazy with the options...

Crane Halloween Party

2010-10-27T12:46:00.000-07:00

YESTERDAY:

i found a stray cat and decided to keep it.

The local bruja cast a spell on me...

the spell was called,

"look-as-crazy-as-you-can-in-a-80's-fitness-costume-while-showing-as-much-

mouth-gum-as-possible"

apparently the spell worked.

at the annual crane halloween party

we found-out where jill's witch blood came from.

after eating soup and homemade bread we checked-out

some of the other crazy people.

great tradition.

Q & A with Jillian

2010-10-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

Jillian Taylor (4 years, 1 day)
yesterday was jill birthday.
she is now 4.
i am loving this stage in her life.
so many questions.
more comprehension.
helpful and creative.
we celebrated with a day at the zoo.
halloween birthday party coming soon.

favorite color: red

favorite phrase: "mom, take a picture"

(as evidence by the follow):

(note: i do not prompt the poses, facial expressions, etc)

she is incredibly strong and coordinated.

(as shown by scaling the door frame)

favorite animal: red butterfly

favorite movie: James and the Giant Peach

best friend: mommy and sister

don't judge

2010-10-17T22:18:00.000-07:00

about a year ago i took my first Zumba class.

my teacher was spunky, fun, and a great dancer.

her name is val.

i was soon a regular booty shaker in her classes.

about six months ago she approached me to take over her class as her family was planning on moving.

though i was flattered, i was working full-time and didn't have the time to devote to Latin-fitness dancing.

a new teacher was found and val stopped teaching.

come to find out she didn't move.

unfortunately she was diagnosed with cancer, thus delaying their move and affecting her entire world.

check her out here:

http://cureval.com/

and here:

http://govaleriego.blogspot.com/

i am inspired by her.

music moves her and it moves me.

i love dancing.

i love working-out.

Zumba is a fun blend of the two.

i really enjoy doing Zumba.

when i do Zumba i think of my first teacher, val.

as of yesterday, i am a certified Zumba instructor.

don't judge.

it's really fun.

i feel a little shy about it but have decided to share...

leftovers

2010-10-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

i don't cook much. therefore, we don't have many leftovers.

however, i do have a lot of leftover pictures from the summer.

enjoy this little feast of leftover pictures.

temple square 2010

fun with cousin olivia

i found camille under the car with my cat TJ
"i save PJ. she's stuck"-camille

jillian and nora at a tea party in logan ut

jill's favorite dog ever, lily.

28

2010-08-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

i thought, since this is going to be the best year yet, i wanted to kick it off right.

recently, i've had a goal to experience new things especially pertaining to arizona.

so, jeff and i took some good friends out to a new-to-us mexican joint.

DELISH!

(friends)

after dinner we dared mill ave for a dueling piano bar.

this dude called me up to stage where jeff joined me and we boogied to the hokey-pokey. all of our requested got played and the musicians were great.

no birthday is complete without a birthday song by the little ones.

my heart is expanding

2010-08-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

yesterday was my birthday.

i turned 28.

i awoke feeling incredible.

28 is going to be a good year.

in-fact, i decided that it's going to be my best year yet.

not sure why or how 28 is going to be different,

but i can just...feel it. in my bones.

right in the middle of my day yesterday,

on my birthday, i attended a funeral for these

two sweet twin girls:

Taylor and Emma are their names.

they shared a seven-chamber heart and stole the heart of

my community and all those who knew of them.

at the funeral i was inspired, saddened, up-lifted, filled with

hope, felt love, and my testimony was strengthened.

i was touch by words that were shared and the

beautiful musical talents shown.

two things though...

two things were imprinted on my heart.

(excuse me if i begin to ramble now)

1. the final speaker shared with us two familiar stories from the Bible: the first being of the death and resurrection of Lazarus. the second being the death of John the Baptist and subsequently the Sermon on the mount, finishing with the miracle of the fish and bread.

from the first story we read that once Jesus heard of Lazarus' death He wept. even Jesus, the perfect man. the same who had perfect faith and knowledge of the plan wept and felt the sorrow of a loss. the same who, once at Lazarus side, raised him from death, cried as we do. Powerful for me.

the second story began with Jesus learning of the death of his dear cousin John. here we read that Jesus desired to be alone and began to ascend a mountain for solitude. he was followed by multitudes of people that desired to be with him. Jesus' disciples began to turn them away, but Jesus allow the people to follow. He then taught them and blessed them, and healed the sick. all this done as he was mourning his loss. later, he preformed the miracle of the bread and fish. service and love in the midst of trial. Powerful.

2. the parents of the twins (who btw are pillars of light) shared a phrase to describe, in-part how they are feeling: "My heart is expanding". they spoke of the love they feel and how they feel as though the Spirit is making their hearts grow.

for me, this means that one can feel more intensely the love that the Savior has for us, and that we being to understand the plan more fully. in turn this allows us to love others with a more pure, sweet, and raw love like He loves us.

my testimony is stronger now than when i was 27.

my birthday wish this year is to have an ever expanding heart.

it's going to be a good year.

my dad turned 60

2010-08-12T21:34:00.000-07:00

all the sibs got together with most of the families to

surprise dad for a fun filled weekend.

on friday we had a wonderful dinner and fun with cousins.

(warning: you may get motion sickness)

summer utah 2010 from Alisha on Vimeo

on saturday we presented dad with a book of memories.

we then preceded to make more memories as we spent

the day at Deer Creek.

(yep, that's dad and mom on a jet ski)

we also rented a couple kayaks for our paddling pleasure.

the party was a success.

love you dad.

happy birthday.

(on a side note: i've always thought these two were twiners.

my thoughts are unchanged)

Taylor Cabin Retreat

2010-07-27T20:58:00.000-07:00

there we all are (minus one. jared.)

Jeff's family planned a wonderful long weekend

vacation up at the cabin.

caitlin moved back into town just in time

to complete the fab five sibs.

and if you know me, i'll jump at any

opportunity to get into the mountains.

especially to the cabin with family.

my girls are incredibly lucky to have such great older

cousins to look up to and learn from.

the cousins went on a many hikes

mostly lead by the self-titled "nature-girl" sadee.

and really enjoyed eating otter pops.

our days were filled with crafts,

games with guns,

which, coincidentally i'm pretty good at shooting a

gun at three different targets after sprinting 20 ft

under a 15 sec limit. who woulda' thought?

here's proof:

one of my bulls-eyes'.

and the winners pose:

games with the wii,

birthday games for emma and sadee,

and of-course, a trip to fossil creek.

we can't go to fossil creek without cliff jumping.

even jill couldn't resist.

the evenings were the best though.

we all gathered together for a little goofing around.

and then ended the day singing camp songs and

learned more about our heritage from mom and dad taylor.

great memories made.

in other news

2010-07-26T10:29:00.000-07:00

we had a low-key 4th of july this year.

jeff was working in Prescott so me and girls

joined the Taylors for a nice sunday BBQ and some

fun with the wii.

on the drive home we stopped in the parking lot to

watch a few fireworks.

low-key.

in other news:

the girls have started dance lessons together.

i love watching them and they really do enjoy it.

and, since jeff has been reaping the rewards of

hard work in his new business, i put my two weeks in at

mercy gilbert hospital.

i continue my employment with the other hospital i've been with

for over 5 years now as supplemental income if needed.

i'm listed as 'registry' so i have no guaranteed hours.

pretty much on-call, but only if i want to work.

sweet gig huh?

SAHM here i come.

NoNv

2010-07-22T14:56:00.000-07:00

i had not been to my home town in over 5 years.

i needed to see the home i grew-up in.

jeff made sure i really got to see it.

he ran up to the door, knocked, and then promptly ran back

to the car and left jill and i on the front steps.

the intruders...i mean new owners were nice enough

to let me walk through.

i left in tears knowing i may never be back and grateful

that the place i love is being taken care of by a family

that loves it as much as i do.

the mother said that right when her family moved in the

home had a great aura and feeling of love.

she also said that she and husband love it so much that

this will be there their last home.

we got to go to lake lahontan with my bff's family.

the girls weren't timid at all with the brown/green water.

hayley's brother brought out his boat and the girls loved that too.

when we busted out the wakeboard, jill and camille were

glued to the back of the boat watching all the action.

their dad looked pretty hot throwing all his sweet tricks.

i even landing my first jump ever.

while hayley showed me up with jump after jump.

hopefully soon we'll have a boat of our own...

later in the week, we went to my college town.

and spent the day with my brother's family

i wished we lived closer together.

my trip to NoNv was made complete by one. last. stop.

lake tahoe!

easily in the top three favorite places ever for me.

i think the girls agree with me.

the beauty of the place surpasses the pain felt by the

frigid temps of the water.

i chased schools of fish around as i snorkeled in the crystal clear water.

jeff admired the wildlife we miss living in se arizona.

"there is a place that i love the best,

fairer than all i can see.

out in the heart of the golden west,

home means Nevada to me."

then and now

2010-07-20T12:53:00.000-07:00

it's been 10 years since this:

10 years ago i graduated High School.

can i really be that old?

wierd.

our mascot was the mighty Greenwave.

are you intimidated yet?

whats that? you don't understand?

i didn't either...at least for awhile.

you see i grew up in a small farming town.

greenwave is the waves that the alfalfa makes as the wind blows.

or something like that.

intimidating right? would you be scared to play us in football?

anyway, me and the fam made the trek to NoNv for the reunion.

i had a wonderful time catching up with some important great friends

(save a few that couldn't make the trip)

we posed for pictures and laughed as we remembered old times.

i even saw my fellow "best smile" senior person voting thing guy thingy...

then and .....................................................................now.

good times.

ever since we've been married

2010-06-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

jeff has tried to convince me of the need for a boat.

well, he turned 30 on the 5 of june and i consented.

the debate is on:

jeff wants this

that's right, a "Party Barge".

just saying it makes me throw-up a little in my mouth.

i want this

that's right, the coolest thing on the lake.

what's your vote?

more honestly though we'll end up with this:

which, is still pretty cool i guess.

in the meantime the heat is on here in AZ.

if we aren't swimming,

we're staying in the A/C playing the new wii

(jeff's Father's Day gift)

or taking the girls the the movies

we all enjoyed Toy Story 3.

AZ summers aren't so bad when you're

able to celebrate with the ones you love.

party essentials:

2010-05-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

1. prep the food

2. make sure the food is good to the taste

3. party games, such as, pin the tail on the giraffe

4.pinata breaking swings

5. candles and the birthday song

6. party tricks, such as, touching your nose

with your extra long tongue

7. gracious gift opening

8. balloon launch

9. family picture

to my husband,

2010-05-22T09:25:00.000-07:00

you are here:

i am here:

six years ago we were here:

that was cool.

let's get together and do something fun.

happy anniversary to us.

love you.

birthday love

2010-05-21T07:32:00.000-07:00

my baby girl is two today.

one favorite thing of mine that she does is

when she hasn't seen me for longer than a couple minutes

and then she finds me she always says,

"mom, i sought i yaost you!" (i.e. "mom, i thought i lost you!")

she's been potty trained since 19 months old

she loves babies and dogs but cries when others cry or dogs bark loudly

she has always been incredibly sensitive
can't imagine life with out our girl #2

happy birthday my sweet camille

these two

2010-05-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

                                              are the best of friends.

                                            they have similar interests,

(although camille is a bit more daring)

they both are hams and love to make each other laugh,

and they choose the other first to play with.

if you ask me, the best part about this sisterhood is the love.

jill watches out for camille and always wants to help her.

camille always wants to be by jill's side and frequently asks,

"where's jill?".

i hope it never changes.

Untitled from Alisha on Vimeo.

Untitled from Alisha on Vimeo.

Our roots say we're sisters, our hearts say we're friends.

easter

2010-05-10T23:01:00.000-07:00

you know you love it.

i feel like easter is always made better when we get to

listen to general conference the same weekend.

speaking of conference; in light of the most recent holiday
(mother's day) see the following from conference on
easter morning:

LDS.org - Ensign Article - Mothers Teaching Children in the Home

beside the insipration gleened from the apostles we had

a lot of family time.

there was peterson time,

there was taylor time,

and there was cousin time.

eggs were colored

and searched for

it was a weekend of happiness.

Arizona Winters cont.

2010-05-04T13:45:00.000-07:00

Urban Hiking from gardiner4 on Vimeo.

we hiked the famous camelback mountain in Jan with some friends.
would i do it again? yes
do i love my Arizona Winters? yes

(credit for video goes to the beautiful hayley)

Arizona Winters

2010-05-04T11:37:00.000-07:00

since i've been working this winter i've been taking

advantage of the Arizona Winter on my days off.

jeff and i ran in a few local races.

pushing the girls isn't so easy to run distance

but the weather and euphoria of working-out makes it fun.

i even ran my first 10k non-stop.

the girls enjoyed the kiddo activities while there.
the petting zoo is always a favorite
and jill loves to get beautified.

i took the girls to the Phoenix Ballet.

they were inspired to mimic the statues

outside of the auditorium.

we became famous with the neighborhood children

for the RED DRAGON.

Arizona Winters make me love it here.

holiday happenings (part 3)

2010-05-01T19:18:00.000-07:00

as a child at home christmas was the cat's meow

as a young adult the meow had changed

no more excitment, just happiness to be surrounded by family

as a childless couple the meow changed again

for us, it was a time of prosperity that we had to gift eachother well

now, wtih kiddos around, the meow is back and better than ever

the girls loved wearing a special dress and getting curls

jillian loved watching the grinch and still talks about him.

camille enjoying playing with the wooden nativity while we told the

story of baby jesus

mostly though, christmas 2009 was special because of two little

faces that we live for.

(not that you can see those faces in the following picture.)

in honor of the Earth

2010-04-23T15:04:00.000-07:00

i'm chowing on my favorite chips:

planting "full-sun" flowers

b/c we all know what kind-of heat is just around the corner,

and introducing cool arizona animals to the kids.

HAPPY EARTH DAY
happy to have it
happy to use it
happy to give back to it.

we're packing it up

2010-03-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

the home sold

papers are signed

we're packing it up

we're moving on

not sure where

didn't think i'd cry

then i was released from SS

sad to say bye to our first home

and great neighbors

excited for new adventures...

holiday happenings (part 2B)

2010-03-11T07:22:00.000-08:00

the snow was coming down.

the christmas lights had to go up.

our attempt didn't last long

but we had fun while we worked.

after the snow was done falling we played and played.

camille was less enthusiastic about packed snow play than the flakes.

jill got a good meal or two of snow in while we were amongst the mountains.

the polar in express:

after cleaning spilt hot chocolate and

soothing overly-tired babies Mrs. Clause finally made an appearance.

olivia and jill were content for a bit until they remembered who we came for.

camille couldn't take her eyes off the big man in red.

jillian was so excited she was the first child on the way back to grab

the mic from the conductor and sing 'twinkle, twinkle'.

(next-up: jeff's mullet and other redneck activities)

holiday happenings (part 2A)

2010-03-10T16:42:00.000-08:00

after Thanksgiving the Taylor girls were itching for a dose of Peterson love, mountain air, and Christmas snow. we got what we wanted:

mom performed some holiday tap numbers at a Christmas party and jill fell in love...

Untitled from Alisha on Vimeo.

later in the week uncle brett entertained the girls the best way he knows how:

Untitled from Alisha on Vimeo.

more to come from our fun in the sun...i mean snow.

coming soon...

2010-03-02T14:27:00.000-08:00

what

this?

holiday vacation to the Peterson's

holiday happenings of the past (part 1)

2010-03-02T13:58:00.000-08:00

wonderful second family

awesome husband hair

princess daughter

blindingly bright shirt

connecting with 1st cousins once-removed

chillin with crazy big dogs

Thanksgiving 2009

2010

2010-02-12T07:25:00.000-08:00

i can't wait for the arial skiing, speed skating, snowboard half-pipe, downhill ski races, and everything else!

my love for the winter olympics started as a very little girl watching figure skating with my mom and sister.

my obsession was enhanced when jon went on a mission to jamacia and my family and i got hooked on the movie Cool Runnings.

i see pride.

i see power.

i see a bad a** mother,

who don't take no crap off nobody!

i will use this mantra as i groom my children to become Olympians

so i can fulfill my dreams through them.

live and let die

2010-01-23T22:24:00.000-08:00

i've been picking up more hours at my old hospital. the one i worked at as a new nurse. the one i learned how to start iv's in any vein including the neck, knuckle, and toe. the one that i saw my first "code" aka dead person we are trying to bring back to life. the one that i saw my first dead baby. she was three months old, the prettiest little hispanic baby you've ever seen. full head of thick dark hair. long black eyelashes. beautiful. dead. we couldn't save her. the mother couldn't bring herself to hold the baby let alone even go into the room. i stayed with the lifeless baby in my arms...i just couldn't leave the tiny body alone in the big dark room. i held her until it was time for her to go the morgue. many experiences i've had at this hospital are imprinted into my mind and spirit never to leave me.

the other day i was at this hospital on my lunch break. (i like to step off the floor and get away for 30 mins to take a deep breath and re-group when i can.) in the cafeteria there is a juke-box. i love juke-boxes. it reminds of the pizza hut in fallon. good memories. anyway, i found and played the song live and let die. great song.

i have quite the commute from work to home. 40 minutes on a good day. my stereo in the car is out. these two factors leave me plenty of time to ponder.

this hospital i've been at lately has an incredibly high level of acuity as i'm sure you've already presumed. it's not uncommon to participate in more than two codes per shift and have three other patients that are close to coding. this particular day that i played the song i had really sick patients.

i guess my point to all this rambling is this: are you prepared to live? are you prepared to die? more, are you prepared to see your loved ones die? are you helping your loved ones live? what extent would you want me to work on saving your life if it came down to it? i have a friend that has told me multiple times to save him at all costs. really, you want to live on a ventilator that breathes for you for the rest of your life?

for the record: if i'm brain dead let me go. if i'm on a vent longer than one month without improvment let me go. if my legs were severed off and i'll never Zumba again save me.

some advice: don't take life for granted. it can be gone in an instant. i see it daily when i'm at work. an instant.

more advice: live and let die. if your grandpa is dying and he is 90 and lived a good life, let him go and don't make a scene. if it's your spouse and he's young and healthy, then you can make a scene while i'm working on saving his life.

remember: death is a part of this life. live great until it comes then go gracefully.

p.s. excuse the randomness. written after 11 hours of helping heal sicko's at the hospital.
p.s. at some point, hopefully soon, i will post of all our happenings at the end of 2009 and all the fun we've had as of late.

AARGGHH!

2009-11-18T19:58:00.000-08:00

the holiday season was brought in with some

scurvy pirates and spooky eyes.

pumpkin carving and trick-or-treating was taken to the max.

halloween might be over but dressing-up never gets old.

a long time ago...

2009-11-13T13:36:00.000-08:00

(actually about a month ago)

in a land far, far away

(really, it was just right here in my humble home in humble queen creek in blazing hot arizona)

queen jillian wanted to celebrate her birthday.

(and since she gets what ever she wants, i thought "okay")

queen jillian invited her royal friends over to recieve the royal treatment.

the princesses got new jewelry
(cheap tiaras and clip-on earrings),
and even got to assesmble their own necklaces out of rare, precious diamonds.

(they made candy necklaces)

the servants then came to pamper the princesses.

(okay, so the servants were the parents and other adults i forced into helping me.)

they all got their fingernails and toenails painted and make-up was applied.

even with all the royal treatment, the princesses were NOT impressesed.

(the girls actually were loving everything, but i had to post this straight-faced picture)

they wanted some action.

in an attempt to liven up the party,

queen jillian brought out the surprise performers...

it was the black-eyed-peas!

(i just played a few of their lastest killer jams from my i-tunes)

after the dance party the princesses needed some refreshment.

so to the royal table they went.

but only princess with tiaras could sit at the royal table.

the littlest princess-in-training was seated on the floor.

(i actually only have four seats and camille was happy as long as she was close by)

after the food was devoured the party moved outside and queen jill

became the envy of all the land with her new toys.

the royal party was a success!

balloons were launched,

queen jill was attached to her new dora doll,

and they lived happily ever after.