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.