Home for the Holidays

We had such a great Christmas in Arkansas. It was so nice to escape Cache Valley and head somewhere where the weather was warmer, the accents a little thicker, and the Southern Hospitality present.

Our Christmas break can be summed up in the following words: family, food, napping, shopping, lounging, presents, food, driving, and fun.

Thanks Mom and Dad for everything! We miss you all already.

Home in the DIrty Dirty

We made it to Arkansas! Fred talked me into leaving Thursday night so we hit the road at about 4 and made it to Arkansas by Friday at 2.

The drive was long. But it was good that we left when we did because we missed a big storm!

We hit a 70 mile sheet of ice, passed more than eight flipped semis, and a destroyed mobile home (all from a previous storm).

We're happy to be home in Arkansas. We love the dirty dirty!

Mrs. Claus and Uncle Scrooge

I'm a big traditions kinda girl. I love Christmas for that reason. This year will be our second Christmas together so we're still very much trying to start our own traditions (ahem…I'm trying to start our own traditions).

Growing up my family had a few Christmas traditions. Some of our traditions included Christmas pajamas, prime rib on Christmas Ever (right mom??), going to see the Christmas lights, and then the next morning much to our frustration, our parents made us wait until everyone was at the living room door before we could go inside to see what Santa brought us. Once we started opening presents, we had to do it one at a time and in a circle. It was super frustrating at times because there are six of us…and then everyone started getting married…and the wait got longer.

Last year, Fred's family came out to Utah/Idaho for a graduation. While everyone was there we had our own mini Christmas. Then for the 'real' Christmas, we stayed at our apartment. I tried to start some traditions and thought they were pretty successful until attempting to do the same thing this year.

Fred does not like the idea of Christmas pajamas (gasp) . I tried to get him to come with me to get them the other night while we were out and about and he simply said, "you can get some but I don't need any". What?? Is he insane? How does one survive without Christmas PJ's?

This year we will be driving out to Arkansas to spend Christmas with his family. Fred insists his family isn't "a lame Utah Mormon family" so they don't have many traditions. So I'm going to keep ours going. Even if we are the only ones participating. We will do Christmas PJs. We will.

Most likely we'll just do this one tradition this year. But really…what's Christmas without Christmas pajamas?

Lately everyone thinks it'd be a good idea to go private. Why? I'm not sure. But in doing so...I haven't been invited to read!! (perhaps intentional?)

Any who...if you're private and you haven't invited me please do!

my email is chanaltaylorATgmailDOTcom

This list includes: Bet, Brandon & Rachelle, and a few others...that I can't think of right now.

Runny Boogers

Dear Boogers,

It would be greatly appreciated if you would solidify so that I didn't have to blow my nose every 30 seconds, stuff kleenex up a nostril, or resort to wiping you on my sleeve.

Also, if you could take your mucus friends out of my throat that'd be great. My man voice isn't passing as the sexy scratchy one...so I guess I'll take my old one back.

I'd also love to taste food again.

Thanks. Hope to be picking you soon.

Love-Chana

Hermana Taylor and the Dirty Dirty

My little sister left for her mission this last Wednesday. So while this will be short in order to stop the crying know that its sincere and could be much much longer but my water logged keyboard can't hack it.

Erin is headed to the Louisville, Kentucky Spanish speaking mission. She is going to be an amazing missionary. She is one of the people that immediately becomes your friend and is genuinely interested in you and your life. She's a crazy ball of energy who has no volume control.

I've been telling her for months that it's basically like she's dying for 18 months--which I know it isn't but I feel like it is.

She doesn't actually leave for Kentucky until February so for the next couple of months she's living 10 minutes from my parents house…but without contact.

When we took her to the MTC, I immediately started crying (I also cried the whole way over and am crying now). She was all smiles though. It was so irritating. I'm glad that's all over with because the MTC was the worst experience of my life. You have a missionary leaving soon…say goodbye at your house. Like Sydney did.

I already miss you En. Hurry home.

My older sister Sydney will is in charge of the mission blog so if you'd like to follow Hermana Taylor on her mission in the Dirty Dirty visit her blog (little N)

Blogspot is being lame so it isn't loading the page entirely...which is why there are no pictures and her blog isn't a link. Deal with it.

Turkey Day

This really isn't a blog about Thanksgiving, I mean kind of but not really. More about my amazing Grandparents and a meal at their home.

Every year for Thanksgiving, we head down to the beautiful (cough) city (cough cough) of Salina, Utah. This was the first year that my family was literally the only family that went…and not even my entire family was there. It was really nice and very relaxing though.

We shot guns (its beginning to be an annual tradition), Erin chased me with a dead deer hoof, we ate, napped, and helped around my grandparents yard.

My Grandparents are some of the most amazing people I know. I get teary-eyed just thinking about them. My Grandma's memory is beginning to fade so this Thanksgiving was about getting stories. It was so funny to hear my grandparents argue about how my Grandma thought he liked her cousin but really he loved her the whole time…since they were in 8th grade. They talked about my Grandpa riding his bike or walking to Redmond where there was a dance hall. He played in the band that played at the dances but after seeing all the other boys asking my Grandma to dance he quit.

I am so glad we were able to go to Salina this year. I often forget how amazing they are and how lucky I am to still have them.
Love you guys!


**I have some cute pictures but a certain missionary didn't give them to me before she left.

Mi Familia

In honor of Erin's mission...we decided to get family pictures taken. 

Look how cute we all are!

The nieces and nephews

Our photographer was Lacey Collinsworth...she was great. If you need a photographer in Utah County she's pretty swell.

What's a weiner among friends?

Today my company hosted a webinar. I sent out a company wide email asking for people to refrain from downloading and streaming stuff so that the webinar speed would be a bit faster.

I read and reread the email to make sure it made sense. Then hit send.

Immediately I start getting responses saying "weiner huh?"

Yeah the message was good. But my subject line said, "Weiner in progress"

Good well done.

The Move

This past weekend we FINALLY moved! YAY!

Our camera was lost during the move (only to be found in my purse...where I put it specifically to get pictures of the move...smart girl) so I don't have any pictures of the actual move, or all the help we had.

I have some pictures of the new place BUT we don't have the internet so pictures are coming...

We're still very much in boxes but we're happy to be in our new house.

A big thanks to my parents who came up just to help (we couldn't have finished without them!), Erin who had nothing better to do, Blake & Aubrei, and Amanda.

We'll get some pictures posted soon!

Oh and I'm not sure why I wanted to move...it's such a pain!! We won't be doing this again...until next year!?

Anyone want to come visit?? Cache Valley is gorgeous this time of year what with all the dreariness, dead leaves, and the chill in the air! Come on up!

Belated Halloween Tales

For Halloween this year, we threw a halloween party for married folk. It was so much fun.

Our friend Dana is a coach at High Point Gymnastics so we were able to throw the party at the gym.

It was a blast. Fred and I dressed up as Britney and K-Fed. It was pretty funny.

Here are some pics...(with a faster speed)

Girls Weekend

Last weekend I escaped Logan and went to St. George with my friend Amanda. It was a blast. Very much needed.

We met some of other friends down there. While we were there we went dancing in Vegas, to Odessey Dance Company's Thriller at Tuacahn, shopping, and just relaxing.

While at Thriller we met Matt Dorame from So You Think You Can Dance and Natalie (who if you were obsessed with the show like we were then you'd know she didn't get into the top 20 because they took Katie her BFF instead.)

In St. George, we went to the most amazing cupcake shop. It's called 25 main. If you're ever in St. George you HAVE to go. As you can see in the pics we went more than once and even brought some home to share. It was the cutest little place with the best cupcakes.
It was such a fun weekend. Something that should happen annually!!

Happy Halloween!

Last Night

Dear Readers: if you don't like funny stories about farting please skip this post. Mom that might mean you.

Preface: for dinner I made cajun chicken pasta (yum).

Fred: Mmmm I think I want seconds
Me: I know it's really good. I can't decide if I want more.
Fred: No. You can't.
Me: what? Why?
Fred: because pasta gives you gas so no.
Me: Whatever. Everything gives you gas and name one time pasta gave me gas
Fred: Our honeymoon you had pasta and had bad gas and bad poos. And every other time.
Me: lies. I got sick on our honeymoon because of the wine that my meal was cooked in.
Fred: whatever.

One hour later
We're watching tv. All clean oxygen is removed from our home.

Fart from the husband
Me: oh my gosh.
Fred looking at his butt: what? What happened?
Fart less than 3 seconds later, measuring a 5 on the ricter scale.
Me: seriously? (start gagging) oh. My. Gosh.
Fred: giggle

This goes on for 30 minutes straight

Me: you're sleeping out here tonight.
Fred: Why?? I didn't mean to.
Me: You did too.
Fred: uh-un
Me: Stop farting then.
Fred: I can't--but they don't stink
Fart
Me: gagging
Fred: I'm sorry…the next one won't stink.

He gets up and opens a window and puts the fan in front of it. He sits closest to the window on our air mattress (that we haven't put away from Matt & Abbey's visit) I sit next to him.

Fart which is amplified by the fan
Me: gagging, dry heaving, screaming ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME! How did you think that was a good idea? Oh. I'm. going. To. Die.
Fred: Do you hate me?
Me: Yes
Fred: why?
Me: because you're trying to kill me.
Fred: no no I'm not.
Me: something is dead up your butt.
Fred: but it's not my fault. You fed me.

He slept in the living room.

Mundane

Our life is incredibly mundane lately. Which is why I blog about winning purses…its as exciting as it gets 'round these parts.

I'll see what tidbits I can scrounge up in this make-shift post worthwhile to read and get the harassers off my back (you know who you are)

• School is in full swing. Sometimes I miss it and then when Fred stays at the library all day doing papers on politics (gag) and renewable resources I think, "Oh I am soo glad I'm done and NO I will not write that 5 page paper…ssshhhh Grey's is on"


• Politics make me want to vomit. I can't wait until November 5th when the election is over. Yeah I went to Girls State--I've got American pride, however I don't think there is anyone worth voting for this year. So I probably won't.


• We're moving in two weeks. YAY! We are moving into a townhouse style apartment about a mile away from where we live now. It's a little bigger, comes with a mini yard, a garage, and my bff as a neighbor…need I say more? I was recently told that where we live now is "ghetto" and we can't have that.
  
  *we won't miss: the football player parties until 4 am (what are they celebrating? They aren't good), the weird illegal neighbors, the crap-hole parking lot that hurts to walk on, and doesn't get plowed, the lack of storage space, the crazy cop raids busting through the fence "to catch a suspect armed with a knife", or the lazy landlords.
  
  *We will miss our downstairs neighbors (who will hopefully move by us soon), the kids in the nursery at church, and the quick walk to Jamba Juice, Smiths, Hastings, and the snow cone shack during the summer.
  
  (please note that our apartment wasn't that ghetto…on the inside)


• I've turned into the married couples social director. Call me crazy but I along with a couple of my married friends have started a Bunco group, joined a craft night, planning a big ol' married people halloween party (wanna come? Email me for more info!), and started a dinner group.
  
  That's about it in our lives. We've got some exciting events coming up so stick it out and wait for the next blog.

Free Handbag Contest!

Hey girls go to this site and register for your chance to win a free handbag from handbagplanet.com
They are giving away 24 handbags in 24 hours to celebrate the launch of their new site.
Their purses are really really cute!

Check it out!

For the Fans

A Southern Adoption

Here in Milwaukee I'm solo. Alone. Uno me-o. So tonight when there was an outing I debated whether or not to go because it’s a little awkward being by myself when all of these people mostly know each other. I decided I should attend because it'd be a great opportunity to meet people and it was better than sitting in my room. Oh and there was food. Free food.

While in the lobby I latched onto a group from Kentucky. They were pretty funny. I got lucky in my latching. We walked over and ate and drank a bit.(soda for me…alcohol for them). I had a crazy good luck streak and won the raffle twice. I made them run and grab my prizes and let them keep them.

While waiting for the raffle we went outside where I learned a lot about Kentucky (pay attention Enny) these terms don't apply to all of Kentucky but they do in the Eastern part (so I hear)

• "Mash" - lemme just mash that button to get outta this program
• "roastin' ears" - corn on the cob
• "play pretty" - toy
• "I don't care to" - can be I don't mind or no
• "poke" - bag or sack

The next night we went walking around and found a yummy restaurant with the best food. I got this pasta dish (the dish itself was soo cool). After all of our appetizers I could barely eat my yummy food.
Then we went on a walk to see Lake Michigan. We should have gone during the day because it was really dark...and probably not a smart thing to do in a city we don't know.
This is for my Arkansas peeps!

I'm so happy I met these people. They were so funny and really nice to let me tag along and be their designated walker.

Oh Hi There from WizCANsin...

I'm hanging out in Milwaukee for the next few days. Woot Woot. I'll be drinking and eating cheese (which is what EVERYONE does around here I'm told).

I have my camera but not way to upload so I'll be taking pics but don't expect any picture posts until I'm back into Utah.

I literally haven't left my hotel yet. I will be venturing out tonight for the comedy club outing but that's about it.

I just thought of something...I still gots it. Just so you know (IT doesn't imply all of "it"...just a dab).

How do I know this?

• While walking in the Chicago airport getting to my next gate I passed a guy that licked his lips and said, "mmmhmmm how you doin' sweet thang" I giggled like I was six
• A married dude just hit on me for the past hour
• crap...maybe that's it
• scratch that...one time at the Tavernacle I was getting my nondrunk groove on and a lesbian video'd it. Word.

Oh yeah...still got it. I feel a celebratory booty shake coming on.

School Syndrome

Do you remember in school when the clock would say 2:30 and class got out at 2:35 so you started putting things away and packing your backpack just so you wouldn't miss the exit time of exactly 2:35?

I totally did this. Through high school and college. I remember Mrs. KJ in senior English yelling at all of us to sit back down because we had 4 more minutes of class. But that bell meant freedom, flirting, and note passing.

In college it meant racing to the next class, running into that cute boy you pass daily on the quad, or running home to watch 'Somebody Like You'. But still when it was within minutes…you were packing to get ready.

Well I just noticed that I totally have this same school syndrome. It's 4:00 which means it's almost 5:00 which means "quittin' time" so I feel like it's time to get ready to go home.
Yep. It's time to finish up my random projects, check all email accounts, stack all my papers (for the appearance of busy), and cross off things on my to-do list. This is the best time of day.

"No I can't meet to talk about that project. I need to get ready to go...I only have 59 minutes to prepare."

Scramble for the Cure

My friends John and Amber are putting together a charity golf tournament on Saturday, September 27th at 1:00 PM at the Glen Eagle Golf Course in Syracuse.


All proceeds benefit the Susan G. Koman Foundation for Breast Cancer research. The cost is $55/golfer. There are lots of sponsorship opportunities as well. It's going to be a ton of fun.



John's mom, Arlene passed away last year from battling breast cancer. She was a special woman in our lives. Fred has known the Pommerville Family for years. The kids all grew up together in Arkansas. After the Pommerville's moved to Utah, they let Fred live with them when he first came to Utah and whipped him back into shape and got him on a mission. She was an amazing woman who battled cancer courageously for 16 years.

Did you know:

• Breast cancer is the leading cancer site among American women and is second only to lung cancer in cancer deaths


• An estimated 40,460 women will die from breast cancer in 2008


• An estimated 450 men will die from breast cancer in 2008


• Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women of all ages. The most proven and significant risk factors are being female and getting older.

We're excited to be involved with their tournament and hope that others will join in raising money for a cure.



There is still room for more players. For more information leave me a comment and your email address and I'll send you the flier. Or look at their blog and leave them a comment.

See you at the tournament!


(yes this is a repost...because I want people to see it!!)

Hermana Taylor

My little sister Erin got her mission call this past weekend to the Louisville, Kentucky - Spanish Speaking Mission.

We are all so excited for her! I'm going to miss her soo much but I'm so proud of her decision to go on a mission and I know she'll be an amazing missionary!

Watch out Kentucky...She's a crazy!

Established with Love

We made it one year!

I've heard a lot of people say that the first year is the hardest. If that's the case - then we got lucky!

I've loved being married. I love coming home to my best friend every day.

Things I've learned while being married:

-sleeping next to someone makes me sleep really good

-sleeping really good makes me snore (he lies)

-romance?? riiight...

-Mexican food 3 days in a row = me sleeping on the couch due to waking up gagging from cross winds

-Toilet bowl fresheners (the kind that hang down in the bowl) are not good to have around a 28 year old kid. Not only do they freshen...but they're a target.

-"doing the dishes" does not include pots and pans.

-what ten pounds??

It seems like we've been married for years. I can wait for what this next year will bring (as long as it isn't a baby).

Buddies

this is our buddy and honorary nephew Andrew. He and Fred are best friends.

Tonight he's playing with us while his parents are at a play. He won't leave Fred's side. It's really cute.

He's two and is a little parrot. We love making him say funny things. He does the funniest things all the time I just love it. If you don't have shoes on he'll come over and smell your feet and say 'yuck!' it's so funny. He also spanks your bum and says 'got your booty'. He's just crazy!

He calls Fred 'Doh-Da' as his way of saying Joseph (what Fred is known as in the Dirty Dirty).

We're watching a Goofy Movie for the second time. It's the only kid movie we have...good thing we love it!

We love our little buddy!

Blog about what?

I'm a terrible blogger lately. I don't know what it is. Maybe its because schools back in swing (not that that affects me) and things have turned into a routine once again. It also means that this time next year Fred will be in his last semester of school. YAY!

I'm beyond excited for fall. Fall means sweaters, jackets, changing leaves, cool nights and warm days, and most importantly...my shows are back.

Thank you DVR makers...

Labor Day Weekend

Over Labor Day weekend we went to the first annual Taylor Family get-to-gether. We went down to my grandparents cabin at Acord Lakes by Richfield. It was really fun to get the whole family together. Really fun and really crazy.

We spent the days on the fourwheelers, eating, laughing, chasing children, eating, playing games, reading, eating and snacking. At one point, we "lost" Addie and only located her due to her high pitched "da-da" on the ridge over from the cabin. She just waved and kept running.

I was also able to damage at least one of my Dad's four wheelers. Of course it had to be HIS fourwheeler. I'll let the pictures do the talking. There were tears, swear words and a tiny bit of laughter. This is the first time I've done this so don't be worried. It just gets added to my list of 'not paying attention' moments. (I mean..."Dad, that rock came out of no where...) We had a lot of fun and can't wait until next year.

excuse the mess of pictures...it's a Monday morning!

Roots to Leaves

My old buddy Chris has this amazing woodworking business called Roots to Leaves (http://www.rootstoleaves.blogspot.com/). It's all custom woodworking...anything you could want such as desks, shelving, changing tables, mantels, etc. It's all gorgeous!

Check out the blog and if you've got projects you're thinking about then you should definitely contact him. He's based in Salt Lake. His stuff is awesome. It makes me want a house to decorate!!

And yes I'm slacking again on blogging...more to come in the next couple of days.

New Office Policy

I work in a decent size office. Lately, it seems as though there is a new office policy.

No Shoes Allowed

No one wears their shoes around the office anymore. From the support dudes to the managers--everyone is walking around barefoot or in socks. It's disgusting.

There were even people up at the reception desk the other day sporting the dirty sock look. It makes me want to puke. Put them back on...how do you know that funky smell your complaining of isn't your feet?

My friend Amy showed me this awesome site. It takes you back in time...take a look.

The site is called yearbookyourself--it's so fun and it counts as work while you're at work.

Love 'em

I love people. I love working with people. Mostly, I love people watching with a dose of eavesdropping.

One of my favorite types of people is (are?) artists. Artists are a complete breed of their own. Totally in a good way because they see and create things that my mind could never even comprehend. There are lots of different types of artists. There's the funky cool artists, the weird awkward quiet hermit artists and then you've got the crazies. The Crazies are my favorite to watch and listen to. They dress weird, smell a little odd...yet you can't put your finger on it, they are really into different things whether it's Japan Animation or figurines of some kind and another trait is that they find one another and they and their friends create some kind of Artist's Only Club.

Last night, Fred and I rode our bikes to Smiths to get a movie from the greatest of all creations, Redbox. While waiting in line, there were two girls that were walking out and one guy walking in.

Their conversation went like this:

Girl #1: "So hi! How are you? What are you doing here?"

Boy: "Oh just getting some snacks for a project I'm putting together. What are you fabulous ladies doing this fine evening?"

Girl #1: "Yeah. I'm just buying stuff. So school is starting next week. What show are you in?"

Girl #2: "Oh he's in that one down town. Haven't you seen his stuff. It's great. Very powerful. (looking at the boy) Do you know who I am?"

Boy: "Um....no."

Girl #2: "You bought one of my pieces last year. The one with the yoga goddess."

Boy: "I don't know what you're talking about"

While we're unlocking our bikes, the two girls come out. I didn't hear the whole conversation just: "Oh yeah. He's hiding in my shirt. We just got done with a bike ride."

Totally caught my attention. Who is hiding in her shirt? So now I'm staring...She pulls out a mouse from in between her boobs. What the heck?

"Yeah he was just riding on my shoulder while we were on the bike ride. It was just great."

Oh my gosh. for real? She took her pet mouse on a bike ride and put it between her boobs?

I love these people.

I'm just lazy

I know...I know...I haven't blogged in forever. So unlike me. I wish I had some good reason as to why I haven't--but I don't.

Here are a few of the things we've been up to:

• We ride our bikes everywhere (literally)


• we are obsessed with the game Settlers of Catan


• watching the freaky chinese gymnasts


• adoring the USA gymnasts


• admiring Michael Phelps


• sporting sexy mullets


• hunting for golf balls


• getting ready for school


• working

I personally have loved not doing anything. I forget how much I really do love Logan.
Just so I'm not guilty of an incredibly boring post here are some pictures of what we've been up to.




I'll try to make some exciting stuff happen so I have cool stuff to blog about. In the meantime, anyone wanna come play Settlers??