Beck-o-rama

Don't Hate Me...

2011-12-03T21:17:00.000-08:00

...because I have completely abandoned my blog. Boo.

Or...

Because my husband is such a sexy beast.

You Gotta See It To Believe It!!

2011-06-10T10:40:00.000-07:00

So McKay & his friends have been having a blast playing Softball

with our church Youth Group...

an activity I encouraged:

* good group of kids

* adult supervision

* good physical activity

* Safe... Safe... right?

until Mckay came home one night a bit disoriented with

THIS...

Apparently he decided to

Text & Play Softball

Simultaneously,

and took a Softball to the Head.

It hit him so hard

it left "stitch marks" on his forehead.

(nice arm Sam)

Friday Flashback

2011-01-21T09:14:00.000-08:00

this little girl melts my heart

Miss C, you are precious.
xoxo

How Do You Comfort a Scrub Brush?

2011-01-11T08:47:00.000-08:00

Mike & I went to a
White Elephant Party...

serious hilarity.

We were the lucky recipients of

"Sud Green"

http://b2c.bwtc.com/store/catalogsearch/result/?q=sud&x=17&y=10

However, I'm starting to get the feeling

that he's not too happy about

his new home.

don't cry man

November...January

2011-01-10T12:53:00.000-08:00

So, I sat down to share a few

funny moments...

hilarious anecdotes...

endearing pictures...

I opened up my December 2010 photos,

and I found this...

And this...

this...

And of course this...

And I sighed.

Oh December.

How you kicked my butt.

See... a few months ago I opened up an
Etsy Shop
http://www.etsy.com/shop/beckorama

Things were slow
(and not even steady)

I sent Stephanie Nielson one of my mobiles
in hopes that it would be featured on her blog during

Homemade Christmas week.

I was completely freaking out when I
opened up her blog on
December 14th
(Day 2 of Homemade Christmas week)
and

THERE * IT * WAS
my mobile

palpitations...breathe in...breathe out...
still palpitations.

http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-12-16T01%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=20

Things got C.R.A.Z.Y.

I think I forgot to eat over
the following 2 weeks.

What a ride.

I am so grateful to Nie Nie

for the boost she gave my lil' ole shop.
I knew she was one cool chick,
but this just well...
you know.

But... I was feeling kinda bummed.

Thinking that the Christmas holly jolly had all passed me by.

Then I found these little gems...

And I remembered why I do it.

A Work of Art

2010-12-02T21:02:00.000-08:00

I was cleaning bathrooms.
I hope you stopped by that day because they stayed that way for about....
3.5 hours.

Mr T got a creative itch.

He kept running in & out of my room "don't look, don't look!"

This went on for over an hour.

I was so curious.

He proudly showed me his

work of art.

Every Little Detail

nothing overlooked


and then he had to go

put his dogs up & watch
a movie
with snacks & soda

because after all...

being an artist is hard work.

Friday Flashback

2010-10-08T07:36:00.000-07:00

April 2004

Monkey See Monkey Do

Monkey Get In Trouble Too

(remember that shirt, V?)

Tommy (Jonny) Boy?

2010-10-04T18:39:00.000-07:00

Fat Guy in a Little Coat

Gem Hunt

2010-10-04T10:01:00.000-07:00

No, they're not watching a fireworks display on the computer...

they are looking up gems.

It's love at first sight.

Heads Up...

2010-10-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

Since I have so blatantly let my blog

fall through the cracks over

the last few months...

today, i post

TWICE.

Ewwwww

2010-07-28T21:25:00.000-07:00

Science Experiment...

or a boy who didn't do his dishes in a timely manner?

faces have been obscured to protect the
not-so-innocent...

Court with the Cam

2010-07-26T17:26:00.000-07:00

Capturing the glamorous
side of life

Work it... Work it...

Game On!

2010-05-11T21:34:00.000-07:00

When it comes to

Game Time

at the Taylor house

there is no messing around

So Suit Up Baby.

He Shoots...

He Scores!

Mr T. has no mercy

Friday Flashback

2010-04-30T16:00:00.000-07:00

Sisters

2007

It's the Thought That Counts

2010-04-29T07:04:00.000-07:00

so I come
into the kitchen
and find

THIS

McKay,
being the dutiful son
that he is,
had just finished his
nightly dishes.

He even went the
"extra mile"
and took the time to refill the
rinse aid dispenser.

Aw thanks buddy.

Too bad he thought the

cool blue stuff

in the rinse aid dispenser was

Dawn

Thank goodness
it only took me a
WEEK

(and about 30 empty loads run through)

to get all the soap
cleared out of the
dishwasher.

Sleep At Your Own Risk

2010-04-28T13:47:00.000-07:00

At our house

if you happen to fall asleep

in the middle of the day

you run the risk

of becoming

entertainment

for the 5 and under crowd.

And believe it or not

he was still

Sound Asleep

when I dug him out

Feathering The Nest

2010-04-15T15:25:00.000-07:00

April 15th is here.

As I eagerly await the return of my hubby, I begin to prepare.

I want his homecoming, or re-entry as I call it, to be sweet.

peaceful.

happy.

(yeah, right)

Ok, well... it will most likely be loud.

chaotic.

overwhelming.

But to ease his transition I have done a few things.

~ clean & organize the house.

(believe me, no small task after being neglected for, ahem, awhile)

~ do ALL of the dishes

(again, if you only knew... we probably wouldn't be friends anymore)

~ make our bed

~ finish, fold & put away the mother lode of laundry

~ try & keep the children happy today

~ and last, but definitely not least, primp

paint toenails

spritz, spray, fluff, pouf

Yes, I even went as far as buying a
ginormous curling iron
so I can be
bouncin' & (mis)behavin'

However, one small little problem.

Wha...?

Are you kidding me?

I guess he'll have to settle for curly hair & straight eyelashes.

oh well.

Can't Wait to Have you Home Babe.
XoxoxOXoxO

Adieu

2010-03-25T23:34:00.000-07:00

Adieu, Adieu

You

and

YOU

and

YOU

I'm shopping at Target.

I hesitate in the diaper aisle, wondering if there will EVER be a day that I no longer need to shop in this area of the store.

......................

And then I buy a JUMBO box of diapers

................

(2 hours later)

I overhear from the other room,

"McKay, I need to go pee!"

huh?

wha?

"yes McKay, take him in
and see what happens."

Lo & Behold

from that moment on my
sweet baby T

never looked back

* his choice

* on his terms

* at (his) right time

Goodbye Huggies.

Hello Snuggies.

or, as Mr T has affectionately named them

Unders.

Dad Gum It!

2010-03-23T22:34:00.000-07:00

Bubble Yum

Miss Vee

Snip

oh SNAP!!

It was Mrs T in the Pantry with a Sack of Potatoes

2010-03-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

So...

I confiscated the red nail polish from

Miss Vee & stashed it on the

top shelf in the pantry...

you know,

so it wouldn't get

spilled on the carpet...

Good Catch Mom.

Yes, it would have been
had I not accidentally knocked
the red nail polish off
said top shelf
and onto the tile
that Very Same Afternoon.

By the way,

nail polish remover =
good on tile,
bad on paint,
horrible on the brain cells.

as IF i had any left...

Good Hearty Laugh

2010-03-19T11:44:00.000-07:00

Let's face it...

it never gets old

watching Mr T

spanking his buns

Always

good for a laugh

Model Students

2010-02-23T15:46:00.000-08:00

Something is afoot in
Miss Stapley's class...

Is it possible that these

Angelic Students

had something to do with it?

Never.

Taco Supreme

2010-02-16T08:13:00.000-08:00

Tonight dinner meant digging, scrapping and being creative.

SCORE!

I found some taco meat in the freezer...

fresh fruit & veggies in the fridge...

AND pickles...

what more does a healthy diet need?

And just to prove how versatile he can be, while I was warming up the taco meat, Mr. T made do with what he had...

i love this boy.

Boy vs Asphalt

2010-01-26T21:42:00.000-08:00

I should never have told McKay that

Chicks Dig Scars.

I think he's taking this a bit too far.

Snuggie Love

2010-01-25T21:01:00.000-08:00

Who knew the

Snuggie

could be so versatile?

(or maybe my kids are just genius)

Ebay Bound

2010-01-22T07:37:00.000-08:00

We were making funnel cakes

for a family night treat,

when Miss Vee hit the jackpot.

Yoshi, say hello

(and goodbye)

to your sweet, crispy twin.

Excuses, Excuses

2010-01-21T20:14:00.000-08:00

What began as a class
that I taught for Super Saturday...
(scrabble tile necklaces)

Evolved into a Fundraiser for
McKay's 2010 National Scout Jamboree...

Which led to a couple of
Christmas boutiques...
with only TWO weeks notice.

Nearly 700 necklaces were sold.

(with a LOT of help from my peeps)

Oh, and did I mention that before
Little Peeps Pendants
took over my life,
I had committed to a
250 page
freelance typing project?

All in the month of December.

So...
that's my excuse
for everything.

It's A New Day

2010-01-11T18:38:00.000-08:00

2010 is going to be a

Great Year!

buckle up...

New Heights

2009-11-24T12:51:00.000-08:00

Oh Yeah, that's my boy.

Jon has taken up Volleyball
and well, you can see he is dominating.

We are so proud of his hard work and perseverance.

It is an absolute joy to watch him soar to

New Heights.

If you're wondering what that is on the face of his competitors...

It's Fear.

Octo-Val

2009-11-23T20:59:00.000-08:00

Now, I've heard of co-sleeping...

but this just seems

Ridiculous!

Me, minus a few brain cells.

2009-11-05T20:38:00.000-08:00

Tonight at dinner Vee asked me,

"mom, why do you have on

two different earrings?"

Yep.

That's how things have been around here

lately...

Friday Flashback

2009-10-23T11:08:00.000-07:00

The Four Musketeers

1998

Mike & I met at BYU in Provo, married and lived there while he finished his degree.

My sister Lori & her husband Dwayne also met at BYU, married and lived there while completing their degrees.

We had our first babies within weeks of each other & our second babies within 6 months of each other.

Our kids went to the same babysitter during our working/school years.

JT and Chan attended the same preschool.

We lived nearly next door for several years.

We shared vacations, holidays, birthdays,

happiness, heartache & many "firsts".

Our boys were best buddies, partners in crime, inseparable.

The Four Musketeers

MacDaddy

Case

Chan

All for one, one for All.

Laughing in my Sleep

2009-10-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

I think I've said it before...

I love sleeping babies.

Mr T never fails to give me a 10:30

(okay, in my dreams... more like 11:30)

giggle as I check on him before I go to bed each night.

Sweet Dreams Nerdo

Tangled

2009-10-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you are all familiar with the

Tangled

Ball

Christmas

Lights

But

have you ever seen a

Tangled

Ball

Phone/iPod/Camera

Cords?

the gift that keeps on givin'

the whole year

Teens, Gorillas & the subsequent Nightmares

2009-09-30T16:38:00.000-07:00

Now, don't get me wrong...

i LOVE

having the teenagers crash my pad

for an impromptu

Pah-tay.

love

LOVE

love

However, when the party involves an impromptu gorilla showing up and scaring the knickers off my little peeps...

I must draw the line.

Because, believe it or not

I Do Not Love

having 3 extra bodies sleeping in my

Queen Size

bed.

Swing Low

2009-09-14T15:09:00.000-07:00

THIS

is common sight at the

Taylor house...

Mr. T running half-naked
with his diaper about ready to "blow".

Not that I particularly enjoy it
when his diaper fills
to the point of explosion,
but you try catching this boy
AND
keep him still long enough to change a diaper.

Sounds like a
"Would You Rather"
question...

Hmmmm.

Friday Flashback

2009-09-11T16:37:00.000-07:00

August 2001

Our little family of 4 went to

Michigan to visit family.
We visited Dow Gardens.

goofed around with the fam...

(believe it or not, this is a regular occurrence with my family)

and played at the park

but my favorite part of the trip was the day we spent at
Lake Michigan...

we were visiting
the Burtch family in Holland

we spent the day sightseeing

took pizza to the beach

played in giant holes in the sand

walked out to the lighthouse

it was a beautiful day...

the water was so tempting

but only a couple of us had

swimsuits on

So... in a moment of pure genius

my mom jumped in the water,

fully clothed

before long my dad joined her...

and Mike...

and eventually the entire family ended up in the lake,
laughing & splashing...

We were still smiling as the sun set on this perfect day.

Oo-da-lolly, Oo-da-lolly,
Golly what a day!

Good Mom/Bad Mom

2009-09-10T13:35:00.000-07:00

The kids had a half-day of school...

We were looking for something fun, unique, cheap to entertain ourselves.

The kids decided that they wanted me to paint their faces.

And why not?

We had a whole bin of craft paints
in my closet.

So after deciding on their designs
and

trying very hard to sit still
(for what seemed like forever),

they happily lined up to admire
themselves in the mirror...

Tony

aka: Mr. Sneaky Snake

Valerie

aka: Miss Flower Fairy

Courtney

aka: Miss Mis-Matched

* life was good
in the Taylor home

* my little Peeps
were so very happy

* and proud
of their artistic masterpieces

until

the itching began...

which led to

an extremely long (2+ hours), painful removal.

rats.

fyi: a combination of vegetable oil & vanilla handsoap will remove craft paint from skin... not that we will EVER try this again.

Sleeping Beauty

2009-09-09T16:11:00.000-07:00

Here's my big 7-year-old girl

trying to get some
"Beauty Sleep".

She was so excited to wear her

divalicious sleep mask.

So, of course I had to
snap a few photos...

Night #1

Yes, she is sleeping on the floor, but isn't she working that mask?

Night #2

She made it up to her bed
this time,

but as for the mask...

And yet, she still woke up beautiful.

Epic Fail + morning addition

2009-08-26T22:25:00.000-07:00

Some days I question my sanity, ok MOST days I question my sanity... however every once in awhile there is a day that must be classified as
EPIC FAIL
...............
Sure I'll make 40 amazingly beautiful AND delicious cookies for our Young Womens meeting tonight (from a recipe I have never tried, but looks & tastes delicious in my mind)
Of course I'll make a "you are beautiful" sign to hang at the meeting (which I had planned on sewing {yes, out of fabric} but ended up being scrapbook paper on poster board...bleh)
and it's a early release day for school?
Well why wouldn't we invite
half the neighborhood over...
when the house is
unreasonably (and atypically) clean?
...............
So here I am
baking cookies, tweaking recipe, baking more cookies, tweaking recipe again, baking cookies, telling kids to get their paws off the cookies,
borrowing cream cheese from
Karen & Kristin, (seriously, thanks!)
breaking out in a cold sweat, tweaking recipe...
BREAKING
MY
BOSCH
(actually, just the beaters, but it still hurt)
...............
crying & cussing
(on the inside)

the cookies were finally made...
I thought,
"Hey! It's going to be ok."

until I took a stroll around my house and found
THIS
...............

And
THIS
...............

And actually, something like
THAT
in every room of my house

EPIC FAIL
by the way, Brooke, you're a gem and I heart you
...............
And, oh, did I mention that I rushed the cookies & sign over to the church at 8:05 with my 3 youngest, barefoot, half-naked, not-yet-fed children in tow (husband working late) for a meeting that started at 7:00 that I was supposed to be attending?
...........

**Morning After Addition... i woke up this morning with a realization
In my weary, dreary, beaten-down state last light, I failed to acknowledge the fact that the children (and me... there MAY have been some mid-cookie disaster dancing to some very catchy tunes) had a glorious day.
And... for the record, cleaning up the aftermath was nothing short of therapeutic. There's just something about picking up, sorting, distributing & re-organizing that gives me oooohhhhhhm.

Living Off The Land

2009-08-24T20:24:00.001-07:00

The girls first attempt at gardening...

Pretty impressive, eh?

Bet you wish you had an eggplant, tomato, avocado, kiwi, broccoli tree...

Friday Flashback

2009-08-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

February 2003
Courtney Love

Could you just melt?

Bros

2009-08-20T14:46:00.001-07:00

Good Quality Bro Time =
a riveting episode of Teen Cribs
matching white t-shirts
a good back scratch

Oh yeah, it's good to be a BRO.

Summer Lovin'

2009-08-01T23:50:00.000-07:00

Love Is All You Need
Price cousins

Sisters

Little Bro
Papa Bear

And even a little bit of
Puppy Love

Friday Flashback

2009-07-31T21:34:00.000-07:00

August 2005
The Taylor Family Final Summer Blow-Out!
We went to Flagstaff for a little bit of...
Scenery

Light Reading
Napping While Snuggled In Your Baby Sister's Blankie
Wheat Thins

PJ's all day
YEAH

Jumping On The Beds

Card Playing
AND
Teething On End Tables

Unfortunately our magical getaway didn't magically eliminate baby diarrhea blow-outs.

Doesn't One Summer Blow-Out Deserve Another?

Smooth Moves Ex-Lax

2009-07-30T14:28:00.000-07:00

Yes, wii DO think wii can dance.

This Little Piggie

2009-07-28T20:42:00.000-07:00

Would You Believe Me If I Told You
We Had
Swine Flu?
Well, technically not WE...
just McKay (*and Jon)
and
Would You Believe Me If I Told You He Happened To Be Stricken With A Severe Case Of The Swine Flu On The SECOND DAY Of His Week-Long Church Camp?
honestly.
the humanity...
so I loaded up the troops on a
rescue mission
3 hours
to Flagstaff
This is the scene that greeted us when we arrived home,
thanks to Sam & his mom.
Seriously, THANKS!
(even got a brief smile)

His fever was so high,
his eyeballs were RED.

So we went into QUARANTINE mode,
making sure he had no contact
with the littles.
McKay spent the next 5 days
in my bedroom.
Slowly but surely he got better.
He even had a few visitors
to cheer him up!
(and bring him candy)
Thanks ladies.
you rock!!!

And what would we have done
without our
Swine Flu Survival Kit?
(from the creative genius)
Thank You!
or the meals that came at just the right time.
my family Thanks You.

We are happy that our
"epidemic"
is over & happier still that it
did not pass on to
family or friends.
A huge
thank you
to our awesome friends for their
acts of kindness & support.

*side note: We did conclude that McKay
contracted the Swine Flu from none other than...
JON
(who so kindly brought it home with him
from EFY in Provo).
Thankfully, his case was very mild.

Summertime, Summertime, Sum Sum Summertime

2009-07-27T22:58:00.000-07:00

The Summer Began with some Goodbyes...

and really... I Hate Goodbyes.
sniff.
we will miss you crazy kids.

Do You Feel Lucky?

2009-06-24T21:59:00.001-07:00

I think this boy deserves a
{green clover}
or maybe an
{orange star}
for pouring his own bowl o' the Charms.
They're magically delicious
you know.

Bubble Bubble, Toot Toot, Chicken, Airplane, Soldier

2009-06-22T23:36:00.000-07:00

Getting prepped & ready for swim lessons with Miss Celeste.
Tony is a fifth generation student of Miss Celeste, who also taught Jon, McKay, Courtney & Valerie to swim when they were his age...
We love Miss Celeste.
ok.
I love Miss Celeste.
the kids LEARN to love
Miss Celeste...
after they realize that she is the key to freedom from water wings.
she is firm.
"No crying Jon (McKay) (Courtney) (Valerie) (Tony)"
She Is Good.
And one by one, each of my children have learned to swim.
Thanks Celeste.

Freedom!

Call Me Suzie... Homemaker, part II

2009-06-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

What's a mother to do when she:
a) has just arrived home from vacation
b) looks into the pantry, only to find it mostly empty
c) is informed that her son's church class is in charge of treats for the Bishop's fireside (tonight)?

Christmas in July, baby!
or April
I always knew that green plastic Christmas tree plate would come in handy one day...

A Simple "Thank You" Would Have Sufficed

2009-06-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

So as any good (bad) wife would do,
I was helping Mike blow/suck all of the leaves & flowers
out of the rocks & pool area.

(ok... confession)
I have become obsessed with Mike's latest birthday gift.
The Toro Ultra Blower/Vac...It's truly a thing o' beauty...
(thanks Robin for coming to our aid with yours & introducing me to a whole new world of enjoyment)
And just as we had blown up all of the flowers,
before the sucking phase,
Mr. Funny Guy pushed me into the pool.
Fully clothed.
Fully shoed.
Sunglasses on.
Covered in oleander flowers,
which then stuck to my skin & clothing...
delightful.

This has become a yearly tradition...
much to the glee of our children.

I don't even want to know
how he will up the ante
next year.

(gotta keep those ratings up after all)

I'm Back... no, really.

2009-06-07T21:37:00.000-07:00

For those of you who thought I may still be at Camp Lo Mia snuggled up in my sleeping bag & riding the zip line...
I am back.
Really.
I am.
I missed my family.
SOOOOooo so much.
However, I didn't miss THIS.
which has become all too frequent.
THIS is what I've been doing all week.

which led to THIS.

Yikes.
However, you'll be happy to know that I have conquered Mt. Saint Old Navy and can now turn my attention to more, uh...
enjoyable activities.

Meanwhile Back at the Ranch

2009-05-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

While the boys were out in the wild being "manly men",
what did the women-folk do
to pass the time?
Soft music?
Manis?
Pedis?
Finger sandwiches & pink lemonade?
Nope.
It was a meat-eating, finger-licking, butt-kicking night at the Taylor
house o' women.

Now that's what I'm talkin' about!!!

sorry we didn't save any for you fellas...

Party Over Here... Party Over There

2009-05-21T17:05:00.000-07:00

You Know It's Gonna Be A Party When...
Your 2-year-old is in charge
of a 165 piece bucket of bubblegum.

There are 6 boys packed into a Rhino...
with a 14-year-old maniac driving.

There are boys with sticks...
oh, and FIRE.

You get to enjoy Scott Carroll's
(smokin' hot) ankles
all night.

You eat hot dogs
for dinner
with a little dirt for extra flavor.

Oh yeah,
Father's & Son's
ALWAYS a party.

SPI... da man!

2009-05-20T23:06:00.000-07:00

Watch out Spidey, there's a new Super Hero in town...

Therapy

2009-05-19T16:19:00.000-07:00

The school year is winding down...
which means
Concerts
Graduations
Parties
Gifts
FINALS
I feel stressed
and when I feel stressed
THIS
is the type of thing I do

So...
if we don't have a decent meal
or clean clothes everyday
or maybe even a shower...
at least we'll have
Sharpened Colored Pencils.

Blog Blitz

2009-05-15T14:11:00.000-07:00

Brace yourselves because
HERE
IT
COMES.

Have You Ever?

2009-05-12T15:50:00.000-07:00

Have You Ever...

...BECOME so overcome with love for your children that you had to wrestle them down on the carpet and smother them with kisses?
...FELT so much joy at being with your children that you had to do an impromptu conga line with them?
...WANTED to nibble on some chubby cheeks rather than eat dinner? (definitely more satisfying)
...WISHED that you had no responsibilities & instead could spend an entire week (month, year?) partying with your peeps?
...BELIEVED your heart may burst from the sweet nothings they whisper in your ear?
...TRIED to put into words the immense love and gratitude you feel for a mother such as this?

Thank you, Thank you MOM.
for giving me
the greatest gift of all.
the absolute, unchanging
LOVE
of motherhood.
after all, motherhood
IS a party...
if you make it.

We Interrupt This Regularly Scheduled Blog Post

2009-05-12T14:50:00.000-07:00

Yes, I thought I would be able to completely document the cruise-o-rama before moving on, alas, my mind has been deeply engrossed in "motherly thoughts" for the past week.
so, without further adieu.

FYI

2009-05-05T15:26:00.000-07:00

Rookie Mistake

Cruise Wear & Cruise Hair

2009-05-05T15:12:00.000-07:00

The cruise really brought out
the best in...
Cruise Hair
(thank you humidity + wind)

and
Cruise Wear
(thank you Jerry!)

Under the Table

2009-05-05T14:55:00.000-07:00

And you thought all of the
fun happened
above the table...

Balcony Bliss

2009-05-05T14:25:00.000-07:00

Eating my (near) daily
ice cream with peanut butter cups
on the balcony
with an amazing view
and the soothing sound of the waves

and my smokin' hot husband

Beckie likes this.

Speaking of beautiful...

2009-05-02T22:02:00.000-07:00

5 Minutes to Pretty?!
Oh We're Optimists Alright...

Postcards

2009-05-02T21:42:00.000-07:00

YES, it really was this beautiful.

Faux Pas or Fashion Statement?

2009-04-30T16:48:00.000-07:00

Missing Luggage = No Dress Socks
Well... this is the reason Scott gave us for his bold fashion statement.
If you ask me, I think he was looking for an excuse to show off those wicked ankles.

Can you blame him?

The Tale of the Hair

2009-04-29T22:51:00.000-07:00

Party, sleep, sleep, Party
so * happy * together

Hold.That.BOAT!!!!

2009-04-27T20:02:00.000-07:00

The Adventure Begins...
and how.
on our way to the airport.
BOTH freeways closed.
late, late, late.
Last People To Board The Plane.
Whew.

Made it to LAX.
Found our Driver...
thanks to This Sign.
Everyone starting to smile...

that is
until we started to count our luggage
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7...
Where's #8 ?
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooo.....
No.

We're told that Scott's suitcase was still in Phoenix & would For Sure be on the next flight, so Karen & I anxiously awaited.
3 hours later...
still waiting & no suitcase.
After weighing our options we decided that it would be better for Scott to be without clothes for 3 days than to miss the boat.
(you can weigh in on this)

We Made It To San Pedro Pier.
Hello Sapphire Princess.
soooo nice to see you.

And... for the record, we were only the
SECOND to last passengers out of 2600.
With 7 minutes to spare.

Now Where's The Buffet?

Mr. Sneaky Pants... the beginning

2009-04-27T19:45:00.000-07:00

Christmas 2008
Mike & I had decided it was a
"no gifts" Christmas.
So I bought him a Swiss Army knife & a bowling shirt.
After all of the gifts had been opened
Mike handed me maracas, beads, sombrero...
AND a pinata.

Was I surprised?
Uh, yeah, you could say that.

Holy Frijoles!
I love you Mr. Sneaky Pants.

next year I'll get you a knife, bowling shirt AND new tie.

It Takes Two

2009-04-15T22:13:00.000-07:00

What Would Nacho
*Be*
Without Esqueleto?

And Fred without Barney?

What would Napoleon
*Do*
without Pedro?

It would be like
Ernie without Bert...

I'm so glad I don't have to

*Be*
without you...
or
*Do*
this alone.

We Are A Dynamic Duo.
Happy To Have You Back!

Out of the mouth of Babes

2009-04-14T09:07:00.000-07:00

Valerie this morning...
"I miss daddy.
He has been at work a long time."

Hang In There Baby, Tomorrow's Coming.

Boredom, Irritation & Serenity Now

2009-04-13T21:20:00.000-07:00

Well, things around here
have been...

I can no longer entertain.
I would rate my patience at a -37.
(on a scale of 1-100)
So in the absence of any
motherly fun,
the kids get creative.
Doesn't this look fun?

Again...
Fun.

Why the irritation you ask?
Well, as I am typing this at
9:24 pm
my 2 girls are in their beds giggling, chatting
and being generally SiLlY.
(oh, and did I mention I still have to
caulk my shower?)
Normally, I would find this fun.
(the girls, not the caulking)
But not tonight.
Not this week.
Check back next.

Indeed I am in need of some Serenity.
Good Thing it came in the mail.
In the form of a package from dear, dear Venetia.

Yes, you read that right.
Cordless Tranquility.
who knew?

We gave it a whirl.
Thanks Jon for taking the fab photos.
(I'm not sure what we were doing with our hands, but it seemed appropriate)

Serenity
Tranquility
Now.

Life With Tony

2009-04-11T10:08:00.001-07:00

I'm in the kitchen doing dishes
Tony & Val are in the family room talking, playing, giggling.
Not really paying attention...
doing dishes.
Chitter Chatter.
I really love their chitter chatter.
Favorite Background Noise.
until I hear this...
"I. Cut. Your. Hair."
Wha....?
WHAT?!?!

Tony thought it might be a good idea
to give Valerie a
"little trim".
Well, cut off her entire ponytail.
Luckily I caught him before I had to write another post entitled,
"Goodbye Goldilocks"

The scissors are now confiscated.
My "confiscated" pile is growing alarmingly large.
I'm gonna need a storage unit.

Friday Freak, I Mean Flashback

2009-04-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

1979 (ish) - 1983 (ish)

Ummmm...
can you say AWWWKWARD stage?

yes, those ARE in fact my initials on my glasses
"RP"
Rebecca Price

Hubba Hubba

Thank You For Being A Friend

2009-04-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

I didn't think it was possible to look like
THIS
the last week of tax season

However,
when
THIS
shows up on your porch
* brooke had no idea that I had been on the hunt for a delicious peanut butter treat at Walgreens earlier that day (while waiting for Valerie's ear infection meds) and had come up empty handed.

and then
THIS
shows up on your porch
* i kid you not... Venetia made triple chocolate brownies & had them overnighted to me (across the country)... i may have been delirious, but i swear they were still warm when i opened the package.

which led to
THIS
happy moment.

I think
THIS
pretty much sums it up.

Thank You
for being a
Friend

Just a Flesh Wound... part II

2009-04-07T21:18:00.001-07:00

I was doing dishes...
the mountain of dishes.
I think every glass/cup/sippy we owned was in the sink, patiently waiting to be washed.
As I tried to stuff in as many
glasses as I could,
one shattered.
Jon caught it on film.

Man, am I lucky...
it was just a flesh wound.

Ain't It The Truth

2009-04-07T08:58:00.000-07:00

"You mess with the bull,
you get the Horns!"
as quoted by Courtney
as quoted by her cousin Chase
as taken from the movie
The Pacifier

Images to Make You (me) Happy

2009-04-05T21:08:00.000-07:00

It is Sunday night...
the 2nd to last week of tax season...
we are ALL feeling the effects...
sleepless nights
tears
fights
meltdowns
heavy sighs
Time for a Pick Me Up...

Friday Flashback

2009-04-03T20:54:00.000-07:00

January 2007
Following Tony's birth, my poor war-torn body was covered with bruises.
2-year-old Valerie was very concerned & decided something MUST be done to soothe
"mommies owies".
When she discovered I had fallen asleep on the couch with Tony, she sprang into action.
I awoke from my nap to discover that nearly every inch of my exposed skin had been tenderly bandaged with her beloved Princess Bandaids, which she had received for Christmas.
An entire box.
Mike had the foresight to take a picture of Valerie's handiwork.

And just how did I not wake up while nurse Valerie was busy at work?!
THAT is what I call OTM.
(One Tired Mama... or is that Mummy?)

And, just so you know...
I Love This Girl!!!
(but I think you already knew that)

A Fond Farewell

2009-04-02T16:07:00.000-07:00

As we bid adieu to yet another fabulous Spring Break-A-Thon, I leave you with some photo oops, I mean ops.

The Taylor Family
&
The Donkersgoed Family
(my sister's fam)
enjoying the traditional meal
at Los Hermanos.
from left to right:
Chandler, Valerie, Jon, Campbell, McKay, Cason, Chase, Courtney, Dwayne, Lori, Beckie, Tony
say "Cheese"... or "Combo Burrito"

Becca (my brother Greg's wife)
&
Beckie (my husband Mike's wife)
Has anyone seen my upper lip?
I seem to have lost it...

A group shot after celebrating Campbell's birthday at Fuddruckers (bet you can't say that 5 times fast)

Lori (my sister) & Beckie (me)
now i can see where the absent upper lip originates...
at least i'm in good company.

The fellas

The gals
T.H.E. E.N.D.

Switcheroo

2009-04-01T15:10:00.000-07:00

This fun fest all began with some
Pajama Drama,
which i would love to say,
"save for your mama",
but wait,
i AM the mama.
Hmpf.
Valerie wanting to wear
Courtney PJ's.
Courtney NOT wanting Valerie to wear her PJ's.
weeping.
wailing.
near fist-fight.
(well, not really)
So as any good? mom would do,
I offered to let Courtney wear my PJ's
(bottoms)
if she let Valerie wear her PJ's.
The ole' Switcheroo
worked like magic
and even led to some disco fever.

PJ Party

GiddyUp

2009-03-28T09:51:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Taylor was so excited to introduce the kids to his newest horse, Mysti.
And vice versa.

Courtney started out on Mysti with McKay leading. Courtney has come a long way since she first started riding the horses. She can even ride solo now!

Then Valerie got a turn on Mysti with Grandpa leading and McKay assisting. She was really enamored with the "sparkly white" horse.

And of course we could not forget Tony, who kept saying, "my turn, my turn". He got to have a ride on Lacy (who happens to be Mysti's aunt).

Courtney going solo on Lacy.

I think this girl was born to wear a cowboy (girl) hat.

Finally, after all of the little ones had their turns riding, McKay & Grandpa took Lacy & Mysti for some real riding up in the mountains. Lacy really loves McKay & always give him a "horse hug" at the end of their ride.

The kids really look forward to their "cowboy time" with Grandpa.
Thanks Grandpa!
and thanks Larry, Grandpa's long-time friend, for helping us ride
Thanks Lacy & Mysti for being so kind & generous!!!
we'll be back...

Following in his Bootsteps

2009-03-27T06:46:00.000-07:00

Everyone is so giddy(up) when Grandpa brings out the cowboy hats.

Anticipation... smiles.
Then off to the barn to meet the newest member of the Taylor family,
Mysti (as in short for Mystical).

Beautiful pure white joy.
Grandpa helps McKay ready the horses for riding.
McKay has such a gentle touch.

cute lil' cowpokes

howdy partner.

off to ride

Happy Trails
To You...

Snapshots of Heaven

2009-03-26T13:32:00.000-07:00

For a mother, is there anything more heavenly than your 5 children being together and ENJOYING it?

Or snuggling in the sunshine
in your PJ's...

Or realizing your baby has fallen asleep
as you gently swing him
under the blue skies.

Oh yes, heaven on earth.

We Interrupt This Program

2009-03-25T15:33:00.000-07:00

For a short injury time-out...
and while we're at it,
let's play a little game
WHO'S (bloody, gashed) LEG IS IT ?

'
'
'
'
'
v

and the winner is....
McKay !!!

and let this be a lesson to you... never try & balance on a razor-sharp, non-stable object to try & win the affection of the lady folk.

unless you live by the old mantra
"Chicks Dig Scars"

Spring Break-a-Thon

2009-03-24T21:10:00.000-07:00

The Beginning...
Of some serious "bro-to-bro" time

Jon showing Tony the finer points of the iPod Touch

Tony showing great interest.
(ok really its' just a ploy to get his hands on Jon's iPod... I mean, Elmo is SOOOO yesterday)

Seriously.

Now that's what I'm talkin' about...

Bro-to-Bro

Back To Life... Back To Reality

2009-03-23T21:19:00.000-07:00

This is how I feel the Monday after a glorious Spring Break vacation with my Little Peeps.

* 5:15 am comes waaaaay too early
* children gone... off to school
* husband working 18+ hours today
* suitcases to unpack
* stinky dog to bathe
(not gonna happen tonight)
* still fuming about my speeding ticket

All I Want To Do Is:
a) crawl under the covers
b) pretend I'm still on vacation
c) crawl under the covers & pretend I'm still on vacation
BINGO.
Back To Life
Back To Reality

Cuckoo * Cuckoo

2009-03-10T14:15:00.000-07:00

Sometimes
when the
days are
tough,

I just need to do
this...

or this...

Thanks, I needed that.
i miss you Mike.

Whoa Mama!

2009-03-09T21:01:00.000-07:00

Courtney's favorite activity these days is to play "mama & babies".

She is really stepping it up a notch in the super-mom department, usually having multiples
(sometimes as many as FIVE!!)
You Go Mama Court!
The other day she asked me to make something to help her tote her babies around.
Here is what we came up with...

She wanted to try & put 1 more baby on each side, but c'mon, let's not get nuts.

Courtney, you are going to be a GREAT mom!

Can We Sue?

2009-03-08T19:31:00.001-07:00

If you thought my "bling" injury was weird, check THIS out!

We were eating take-out one night
(not that we EVER do that)
and Jon "speared" himself with a
french fry.
There was blood.
Another sneak attack from the "French".

Rapunzel, Rapunzel

2009-03-08T19:16:00.000-07:00

FYI:
having long, beautiful, curly blonde hair is not all fun & games.

pros vs cons
* having hair to braid, put in pig tails, or leave long & flowing:
* FUN *

* letting your hair swing as you dance the night away:
* FUN *

* getting your long hair wound around the button of your dress & subsequently needing to cut it off
* NOT FUN *

Try Not To Giggle

2009-03-08T17:13:00.000-07:00

Tony seemed a bit bewildered when he came to me in tears & I immediately grabbed the camera...
can you blame me?

how cute is THAT??

and apparently the love of wearing Mr. Potato Head's accessories runs in the family.

looking spiffy McKay!

Friday Flashback

2009-03-07T23:40:00.000-08:00

2002
Sweet Baby Courtney
happy

splashy

sleepy

dreamy

Group Date Night

2009-03-05T15:30:00.001-08:00

This is what happens when 8 friends take their sons (who are all friends) out on an octuple date.
You KNOW it's gonna be fun!!!

(Chase, McKay & Rustin)
Some enjoyed dinner.
All enjoyed
Thoroughly Modern Millie
complete with cute little chicks that the boys know.
(it was fun to watch the girls on stage when they realized there was a front row full of cute boys... there were many glances, winks & waves. needless to say, the boys were... well, smitten as a whole)
And to top off the evening, dessert.
Delightful!

(Conner, Rustin, Chase, Mr. Green Shirt, Addison, Courtney, Andy, Brooke,
McKay, Sam, Girl From Play Who Repeatedly Glanced, Toree & Treven)
We collectively give you 2 thumbs up Toree, Courtney & Brooke!

(Addison, Conner, Courtney, Rustin, Toree, McKay & Treven)
The End.
to a beautiful evening.

Hungry?

2009-03-04T12:13:00.001-08:00

Here is what's on the menu.

yummy!

What The.... ????

2009-03-03T20:42:00.001-08:00

Imagine the thoughts running through our minds when Molly & I were taking a leisurely
drive through Scottsdale
(beautiful Scottsdale of all places)
and pulled up next to
THIS CAR.
First disbelief...
Then Shock...
Then Denial...
and when reality set in
HORROR.
And just in case the first visual was not enough,
here is a close up.

What kind of bird WAS this?

Friday Flashback

2009-03-01T21:18:00.001-08:00

1987

Really.... who needs pants when you've got your best gal, a phone, corn nuts & 8 hours of free time.

As Molly & I were looking through old photos, we realized that there was a common theme in many of our photos.
No pants.
Don't ask why because we couldn't tell you.

Good Times!