White Christmas

We headed to Utah for part 1 of the holidays this year. I went back a littler earlier than Fred because he got a new job and decided to stay and work some. Utah was just grand. I gained close to 5lbs because at the Taylor house grazing in the kitchen is like breathing. Luckily there weren't peanut butter bars - because my weight gain would have tripled. The Weather was amazing - snowing like crazy which is amazing until you have to shovel it. more than once in a day - and my parent's own a 4-plex so we got to do loooots of shoveling. (thank you for the invention of 4-wheelers, coats, gloves, and plows)

Erin in the snow

Fred stayed back in AZ for a few extra days so that he could work and make the big bucks so we'd have some spending money for the Holidays - so guess who threw out his back and hasn't been able to work at all? yep. that guy. He's was stuck on the couch at home alone icing and heating his own back while watching 303 episodes of Bones. So much for making the big bucks - but at least he was okay and fairly healed up by the time he got to Utah.

Then on top of him throwing out his back, he and I both came down with some kind of 24-hour bug (24 hours for me...40 hours for him). It was miserable - we stayed on the couches for an entire day unable to eat or move. it wasn't his favorite Christmas for that reason.

Other than the sickness and the back issues we had an amazing time. It really made me never want to return to Arizona - I'm crazy like that.

Instead of giving you a play-by-play here are some of the few pictures I got (I took lots on my sister's camera...but whoops never got copies).

Acting out the Christmas Story - there were more kids at the beginning but they were bored before we even started.
Wardrobe courtesy of my mother's amazing, endless closet's 

My valiant mule
I put a lot of miles on this old girl getting to Bethlehem

waiting for Christmas jammies from Grandma

Thanks fam for a great Christmas!

Say What?

Wow. Who still has a post about Thanksgiving up with a Christmas background? Hmmm. Looks like I'm that person.

Things are just chugging along here in Arizona. It's been hotter than hades the last few days - which really isn't that hot (75-80) but in December it feels like 115. Especially when you've vowed to NOT turn your A/C back on so you sweat it out as long as possible without fainting from heat exhaustion. I finally caved though and turned it on (mostly because we had house guests and well...I didn't want to be that host)

We're gearing up for Christmas vacation - a much needed, much deserved vacation with both families. We'll be hitting my mom's house for Christmas and then heading to the dirty dirty for New Years.

What are your holiday plans?

Happy Thanksgiving

Every year I "admire" those that do a handful of thankful posts yet can't bring myself to do them. However, I would feel incredibly ungrateful if I didn't give thanks for all of my blessings in life.

Here is my 2010 gratitude list (and I know I'm not covering everything):

• for Fred. for making me laugh. for working so hard. for going to a job he hates just to bring home a little chunk of bacon. and for loving me no matter how crazy I am at times. 
• for family. Moving away from family has been really good but is sometimes hard. It's been a huge blessing though. Both of our families are incredibly supportive and we've loved seeing them when they've visited. We miss them all and wish everyone could all live close. I've been lucky enough to have a job that pays for me to visit Utah every now and again. When I'm home I see who I can and then pretty much don't leave my mom or my sister's side for the rest of the time. We can hardly wait for Christmas when we get to see BOTH families.
• for old friends. When we left Logan, we left some of the best people we've ever known. Our friends there and in Salt Lake were one of the hardest things to leave. I'm grateful that we all still talk and get together. I'm grateful that I'm able to see them when I'm in Logan for work and that it's like we still live down the road. (not to mention my besties from HS and College - I'm so glad I talk to some of you daily and that we still get together)
• for new friends. It took me a good nine months to feel like AZ was home. We were incredibly blessed to find friends right off that bat. I can honestly say that my happiness in this state was truly impacted by my wonderful friends here.
• for jobs. I'm grateful my job allowed me to pick up and move to another state without skipping a beat. I'm grateful that they bring back to Utah every now and again and are nice enough to fly me in early so I can see my family. I'm grateful that after almost a year, Fred was able to get a job for one of the best golf course companies in the country. I'm grateful for the opportunities it'll bring in the future.
• for technology. from planes to texting to facebook to modern medicine. I'm grateful to have access to it all. I'm grateful to be able to communicate with family and friends through the day.
• For the Church. I think I took the Church for granted in Utah a little. In Arizona, it was the first place we located. I'm grateful for the crazy teenagers that we teach each Sunday and for the friends I have there. I'm grateful for my testimony and for Temples. I'm so grateful to know I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
• for books. I'm grateful for my love of reading and books. though a novel a day is a little overboard at times.
• for you readers. It's lame but we're all driven by blog comments - I'm grateful for you who check in, laugh at my posts and probably roll your eyes at others. Thanks for coming back time after time.

Hope you're spending Thanksgiving with those you love. 

Happy Turkey Day!!

A peek inside the lives

A lot of people have been wondering what it's like being married to a 2-TIME Olympic GOLD medalist. well let me tell you - because I know from experience.

people watch us constantly - we've even had people smile in our direction. You would think that with this new celebrity status that we would be able to take full advantage of the sponsors and free trips that people have offered us - but no. We're not like that. My gold medalist is humble and likes to just blend back into the crowd and keep his status as a poor student.

We believe in still living like everyone else - we put our pants on 1 leg at a time. We use coupons at the grocery store. We hang out with friends and veg out on the couch because we can. Fred isn't a snooty gold medalist. Suuure he has 2 chunks of gold hanging from around his neck at all times. but who wouldn't. It's GOLD, baby.

Sometimes it's hard to be a 2-time olympic gold medalist's wife because people just expect me to be amazing all the time. which is definitely not out of the ordinary for me - obviously - but ya know sometimes I just want to be "normal" again. But I guess my life will never be that way again because he'll probably be adding more gold medals in the future - this is our life now - famous...famous...famous.

I smell gold

Fred has been volunteering for the Special Olympics for the last couple of months. Every week he goes out with his buddy Mike to practice, trash talk, and play some golf.

Saturday, October 30th, Fred and Mike competed in a Special Olympics tournament and won GOLD!
(please note: I clarified and no, not everyone gets a gold medal - it's earned!)

Next weekend they'll compete in the State Championship where I'm smelling another GOLD! I'm really sad because I have to miss it since I'll be in the 801 for work but I know they'll do awesome!

A Fun Fact

Here's a fun fact about me - I hate fish. Hate really is too nice of a word for the way I feel about fish. I hate the smell, the texture, the taste, the everything else about them.

oh but Chana you have to try thisandthis fish - it isn't fishy at all!!
B.S. it's a fish therefore it's fishy - and no amount of your coaxing and lies will get me to believe the words coming out of your mouth.

But guess who tried sushi over the weekend and didn't die?

This girl.

and guess who might actually admit that it was okay and possibly borderline good? yep. me again.

looks like I'll eat just about anything if its fried and contains cream cheese (oh hello inner fat girl!)

I tried a vegas roll? and took a bite of a few others just because I'm tough like that.

This bravery was rewarded by gelato as all bravery should be.

oh and I learned how to use chop sticks - it took awhile and I've already forgotten but boy was it funny - I'm the opposite of coordinated. in every way.

Guess Who...

Guess who got a dog recently?
            Our neighbor.

Guess what kind?
            a yappy one.

Guess who barked from 2:30pm to midnight SATURDAY and then again from 4am - 11am  (at least that's when we left for church) on SUNDAY?
             that $%#@ dog.

Guess who didn't answer the door when Fred banged on the door at 5:30am?
             the neighbor.

Guess who left the poor dog alone - locked in the kitchen for the weekend?
             the neighbor.

Guess who could only find 1 pair of ear plugs but was nice enough to give me half?
             Fred.

Guess who was forced to sleep with one ear plugged and one ear pressed in a pillow?
             Us.

Guess who would have taken the dog if there weren't laws against breaking and entering?
             Us.

Guess who now has a formal complaint about them and their dog at the management office?
             the neighbor.

We were ticked about the barking but after figuring out that the poor dog was locked in the kitchen alone for such a long period of time we were more angry at the neighbor. That poor pup - I'd be crying too.