DeCeMbEr WrAp Up....

Here are some fun pictures of what went on around the Taysom household during the month of December. sorry, I did not have a chance to add any descriptions.

MeRrY ChRiStMaS tO aLL....

This year our family enjoyed a very mellow Christmas at home. It was so nice and pleasant. The best part was that Matt had 4 consecutive days off from work. This rarely happens so we were all very excited. Our Christmas Eve was a day of preparation. Matt took the boys for last minute Christmas shopping, while I stayed home and baked sugar cookies. It was so nice to have a moment alone, listening to Christmas music on the radio while rolling out dough and using all my cutest cookie cutters. After the cookies I wrapped presents, then started on Christmas Eve dinner. I made Matt's favorite, chicken cordon blue with real mashed potatoes, corn & Rhodes rolls. We had a fabulous sit down dinner with the boys, who actually ate ALL their food. We threatened them with their Christmas presents. It was great! After dinner Matt & the boys cleaned up the whole kitchen. That was a Christmas present in itself! The boys then each got to open 1 present. Of course this is pj's and not just any pj's...Transformer pj's! Thanks G-ma Nette. They were a BIG hit. We set out our plate of suger cookies for Santa then the boys were off to bed. It was so awesome, I think it was like 8pm. Whatever it was, I know it was way early. This time we threatened them with Santa Clause. Hee Hee! By about 7am the whole house was up and you would not believe it..Santa came during the night. He left us lots of great presents & treats to entertain us all day long. We also received many presents from G&G Taysom, Simcox & Southwick, Great G&G Taysom, Ferrin & Lowry. Thank you & we love you all. Everything was greatly appreciated. That evening we had a family Chritsmas dinner at G&G Southwick's. We ate more wonderful food that went straight to the hips & of course opened more presents. The best part of the evening was shooting our guns that G-ma Nette made all of us. They shot out marshmallows. We were all shooting at each other & laughing until our sides hurt. SO FuN!!!! It was the perfect ending to a perfect Christmas day.

So GrEaTFuL...

We had a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner at my Aunt Peggy's home. She had the table set so nice and the food was mouth watering. I was sad I could not eat much. I was just getting over having the horrible flu-not swineflu! Just regular awful flu. It took me a week to get over it. Horrible! Anyway, back to what I am Thankful for...of course my handsome husband and beautiful 3 boys. Our health. Especially after being sick like I was! Our home. I love it and am so grateful to have a home. My family & Matt's family. They all are so loving & giving. I get to stay at home with my children and raise them. Matt's job, even though it takes him away from us often! Our cars. Food. All the basic necessities of life. My friends who are always there for me. The best neighbors you could ask for. Last but not least, my Heavenly Father who loves me unconditionally.

OuR HaPpY HaLLoWeEn....

We had a crazy, accident filled, fun weekend. With lots of friends, family, candy and fun! We frosted sugar cookies with the neighbors, Halloween parties & parades at school, making lots of yummy caramel, Kirk & Shayna's bloody Halloween party, Mom & Shari's Birthdays, carving pumpkins, trick-or-treating, Crew falling down a flight of stairs at Shayna's, Crew splitting his upper lip open, Crew re-splitting his upper lip 2 more times. Landen had his own upper lip splitting injury, just as we were ready to walk out the door for Cody's school party. Matt actually got to trick-or-treat with us this year. Very exciting! The past few years I have had to go without him. Finally getting to meet Chelsie-Justin's girlfriend. Who is absolutely adorable by the way. Her sister Ashleigh & her husband Ryan Delillo are on So You Think You Can Dance. How cool! You all better vote for them! Now for some of the funnier moments of our weekend-G&G Taysom sent the boys Halloween cards, in each card was $1. We had to go directly to the Dollar store to blow this money! Immediately!!! Landen bought a pack of bouncy balls. We got in the car to leave. I informed them that we still needed to run to 1 more store. Landen asks me, "can I play with my balls in the store!" Ha Ha! It gets better...we get home. I still have not let the boys open their new toys. Landen can't get the package open that his bouncy balls came in. Cody offers to help. Splits the blister pack open says, "mmmm, smells like balls!" Matt & I are cracking up. Did he really just say that! Yes, and it was so funny. Cody had no idea why we found this so funny but continued to entertain us by saying it over & over again. What can I say, boys and their balls! Here are some pics for you to enjoy from our awesome weekend!

HaPpY FiRsT BiRtHdAy CrEw....

Saturday was my sweet little baby boy's first Birthday. So exciting yet so sad. I have such a hard time letting them grow up. I love, love, love the newborn stage. Did I mention I love it! So fun! I do love to see them grow and learn and discover as well. But there is something so precious about newborns. So fresh from God. A little piece of Heaven here on earth. This year with Crew has gone by so incredibly fast. We sure love & adore this little guy. He is so sweet and usually mellow. He does like to tease and will totally go after Landen. Cody & Crew have had a special bond since day one. Anyway...moving right along! We celebrated Crew's Birthday at our home. It was just family and that was just perfect. I had so much fun decorating for his party. I made all the decorations & cupcakes, cakes, etc. We served dinner first then had cake & ice cream after. It was such a great night getting together with the family. We love and missed all of you who could not be there! Thanks everyone for all the gifts too!

CrEw-B-dOo.....

Another milestone reached tonight! Crew can get up and stand all on his own now! He tries to walk but forgets to move his feet or takes one step, then down goes Fraser! He was so proud of himself. It was the cutest thing you ever saw. He would stand up then start clapping hands and squealing out in delight. He will be walking in no time! This boy is too cute!He is taking after his brothers in every way. They already have him digging in the dirt and crawling out into the road. He likes strawberry milk. Has a puppy stuffed dog that he loves to snuggle. He loves to destroy things. He gets water EVERYWHERE when taking a bath. He loves to read books and dance to music. Wants to be outside as much as possible. Likes Legos and Transformers- he has no other choice! I can keep going but instead I will let you enjoy some fun pictures of him from the past few days.

LaKe PoWeLL oR bUsT...

Last weekend was the Simcox family reunion down at Lake Powell. I have not been since Cody was 18 mo. old and had the opportunity to go. But I felt it would be more fun for Matt & the boys. I of course stayed home with Crew. In the past 6 years Matt has been to more of the Lake Powell family reunions then I have. Go figure! I am flattered that he enjoys my family so much that he still wants to go when I can't. They were down there for Sat, Sun. & Monday. It was a quick trip but fun none the less! Matt works so hard and is gone most of the week. He never gets much time alone with the boys. I was excited for them to be together all weekend. Boys need their Dad. They had beautiful weather and got lots of playtime in. They played in the sand all day long but took a few breaks here and there for tubing and the slide. Cody was the adventurous one. Landen who seems more adventuresome is not! He is still young-so we will give him that. Matt got some good pictures but if anyone else got some-like of Cody tubing-I would love to see them!

BaCk To ScHooL....

My baby boy is a FIRST GRADER! How did this happen? Why do they grow so fast? I love my babies and want them to remain my babies forever! I will stop whining now! So, Cody started his school year ysterday. He was so excited. The day before we got to meet his teacher and see where his classroom was. I love his teacher. She is way cute, sweet, easy yo talk too, very caring, just perfect! I feel way more connected with her than I did with his Kindergarten teacher, and she was great too. Her name is Mrs. Crowton. She is 5 months pregnant with her first baby. She finds out on Tuesday what she is having! Her baby is due Jan. 11th. That is Matt's Birthday! What a great day to have a baby! I walked Cody to school and took him to class. I had to get my pictures! He went right in. Put his backpack in his cubby, sat down at his desk and went right to work, coloring! He did not even care that we were leaving him there. Thinking about it now I didn't even get a hug & kiss. I was too busy taking pictures! After school, I went and picked him up. I could tell he was really mellow & tired. We talked the whole way home but he just was not super excited and telling me everything. When we got to the house he says. "that was the longest day I have ever had at school in my life!" Ha! Ha! Then I was telling him that he still has Friday to go, then it's the weekend, then Monday is late start day...he then says, " I will go Friday...." He says it like he is making a choice! Too funny! Later that night I was asking why he seemed a little not too excited about school? He told me, "it's just really boring and I just don't know what to do, there is something else that would just be fun, like having the Crystal Sweeper or Demolisher." Oh, Cody, you make me laugh. I love this boy.

BeFoRe I bEcAmE A mOtHeR.....

I would do fun photo shoots with my Mom. The best one ever was on New Year's Eve like 1999 or something and we were having a really boring evening. Then about 9pm rolled around and something snapped inside us. We turned into 2 giant goofballs. I am laughing just thinking about it! We were taking all sorts of weird random pics of us. Then we got this idea to get all dressed up in Prom dresses and go drive around and take pictures. My Mom & I put the dresses on real fast and neither of us had underwear on. My Mom says to me.....drum roll..."what if we get pulled over?" That was it. We were complete lunatics after that. I guess she thought they would check or something! LOL We still laugh over this often. Mom, I love you. We have some awesome, fun, crazy, random, memories! XXOXOX
I used to go on awesome dates with Matt or tag along on one of my Mom's dates! My Mom was dating this guy with a Helicopter. How cool is that! So, of course Matt & I wanted to go and they said yes. This was the most awesome thing we had ever done! We were up there for an hour or more. We went up Spanish Fork Canyon then over to the top of Timp! Over to Draper and so on. SO, SO, SO cool!
I used to rock climb. Ya, that's right! I know, that makes me pretty cool! Ha! I take after my Mom!!!
Matt & I used to go to Lake Powell once or twice a summer. We loved to go here. Since having my boys I have been once. How sad is that!
I used to have awesome bangs! a.k.a. the turd roll. Check that out! Oh and I had a pretty nice body that I did not appreciate at ALL.


So, I know, even as mother I can still do all of these things or look a certain way but let's face it. When you are a stay at home Mom, you stay in jammies or comfy clothes, wear no make up, eat junk food, try to work out, plan dates with your hubby only to have some one get sick & have to cancel or you have no money to go anyway! Photo shoots are with your babies, helicopters are something you see in the sky, the closest you get to rock climbing are your kids scaling the furniture, vacations are saved for 50th anniversaries or something monumental, and pictures from your 20's are to look back at and reminisce and then think, maybe I could look that good again, as you bite into another cookie and look down at your gut. Maybe?

TiMp. CaVe....JuLy 18th....

So, I am clearly very behind on posting this fun day of hiking to the cave. I seem to go in spurts with this whole blogging thing. When I get to far behind I just want to give up all together. Then I remember all those of you out there just waiting at the edge of your seats waiting to see what we have been up to! LoL!

I have been wanting to take my boys on this hike up to Timpanogos Cave forever. So I was so excited when my cousin Megan invited me to go with them. We had an awesome group of little hikers. I think it was 7 in all. Then Megan, B.R., Mindy and Me. We got there bright and early so we could beat the heat. I was the first of our group to arrive. I got a parking space right at the front! Score. I was a little worried about this. Then this lady that parked next to me tells me I need to run up to the ticket counter and get our tickets before some bus load of people get there or else I will have a 4 hour wait. So I am like, Okay!!! I grab the boys and run up there and realize I have left my wallet with all the cash I had gotten just for today was left in the diaper bag back at my Mom's in Provo! Nice, good thing I had a spare check book in the car and super good thing they took checks! So i had my tickets but what about the others? I was a little worried. Megan & Russ got there shortly after. I tell them in a panic the story the crazy lady told me. So they run up get there tickets and Mindy's and...no problem. So what the crap is this lady talking about??? Seriously! There was a bus load of people. They went before us. We went right after them. No 4 hour wait. Paranoid crazy people!!!! So, moving on...I was so excited and so were the boys. I just new they would do great since they seem to like these kind of adventures. About 5 minutes into our hike my adorable little Landen suddenly became exhausted and whinny and felt that he needed to be carried up this steep trail. Mindy was so nice that she picked him up and carried him. I refused! I left Crew with G-ma Nette, maybe I should have left Landen too? Well eventually we made it to the top. We took about 100 breaks for the kids but we made it! Our tour of the cave was for 11am. We were so ready to get in there and check the place out. Landen just wanted to see crystals. (his idea of crystals are from Lego Rock Miners sets) Lol!!! Well, he was very disappointed right away when he was figuring out there were no large, colorful crystals to be found. He was then ready to go! This boy has ADD I swear. He can't last more then 5 minutes before he is bored. Cody on the other hand was SO interested in everything our guide had to say. He wanted to stay right up next to him. It was pretty cute to see him so enthused. Cody really got a lot out of this whole thing. I would say 5 & up is the perfect age to take on this hike. Landen...not so much. After the caves I thought we would have no trouble going down. It's all DOWNHILL!!! But no, Landen still complained and cried about being so tired and he couldn't do it. So I carried this boy all the way down. Good thing he only ways around 26 lbs. Once in the car both boys were sacked out! Pretty fun day if you ask me! I loved it, despite all the whining from Landen.

25 RaNdOm tHiNgS yOu MaY nOt KnOw AbOuT mE...

1. I have been Married twice. To the same man! The first time was in the Manti, Utah Temple. Second time was in a courthouse some where in Arizona. I was late for work because I was getting married!

2. I LOVE to read. And do so compulsively!

3. I have overcome an eating disorder with lots of love and support from my family! I hope someday I can be an inspiration to others with this disease.

4. I am a very shy person and have a hard time making friends. This always surprised my Mom because I was so wild and crazy at home. Only a few people have ever seen me like that!

5. I have known my husband Matt since I was 8. It's really fun because we had a lot of the same friends growing up, and share the same memories.

6. I love to scrapbook and have an entire room dedicated to it. Friends tease me, saying I could open my own store with all the stuff I have.

7. I used to be a clean freak, but now I just can't keep up! Plus, I kind of don't care as much.

8. My favorite color is pink, but I love to decorate with Red.

9. I have crazy dreams all the time and can remember them vividly. Sometimes I can't tell between a dream and real life. So weird, I know.

10. I love to bake. My favorite is making cakes and cup cakes.

11. I used to teach water color classes at All My Memories. It terrified me!

12. This is the first place I have lived, that I know all my neighbors, and am great friends with them too!

13. I love my Mom. I talk to her at least once a day!

14. I hate dancing because I really suck at it. I will only dance with my kids.

15. Matt and I can laugh for hours over really dumb things. We have a great time together!

16. I love getting massages. I would get one every day if I could.

17. I learned to water ski when I was 8. My Dad wouldn't let me quit when he was teaching me to slalom ski. I told him I would never ski again and I didn't until I was 22.

18. I love lip gloss. I have a gift bag full of it.

19. Love to go on car trips with Matt. We have fun talking and listening to music. He calls me DJ Shelly Belly.

20. I have a horrible singing voice. But I sing all the time with my family. I love it! We make up lots of silly songs too!

21. I love to keep journals.

22. I love to go hiking. My favorite hike ever was Angel's Landing at Zion's. AMAZING!

23. I drink tons of water. It drives my Mom crazy because I always have to pee!

24. I speak before I think. I got that from my Dad. I apologize if I have offended anyone. I promise it was not on purpose!

25. This took me 3 days to do because every time I sat down to type, someone else needed me. It's feels good to be so needed! :) Needed-that is a weird word if you say it over and over!

BiG nEwS.....

The day has finally arrived! Crew has got his FiRsT tooth! Yay! He is now 10 months old. We have been waiting for this tooth since he was four months old, when the doctor told us he could see teeth getting ready to come in. After many false positives we know for sure this time. This morning I could see the teeniest little bit of a pearly white tooth pushing it's way through. I took these pictures of him this afternoon. He sure looks happy and smiley and totally loving the camera! But don't let him deceive you, he has been a little monster! A cute one at that! Ooooh! I love you Crewbeedoo! I could just eat you up!

CoLoRfUL CoLoRaDo.....

this past week we made a little road trip to Colorado. This was a very last minute trip but so much fun! I love spontaneous trips! Of course our boys did great on the drive. All we need is food, TV, and a new movie. They seem to be set after that. Crew is such a sweetheart and did so good too. I feel bad how they have to be all strapped down. As a kid we had a big conversion van. The back made out into a huge bed, we would sleep the whole way. The best way to travel! So anyway, we stayed at Matt's parents home. The boys loved getting to see their cousins and play with them everyday. Grandma of course spoiled the boys with a trip to Target. Thanks Grandma!!! Matt & I even got away for an evening alone. Ooh La La! We went to the Cheesecake Factory for a little bite of heaven. I absolutely love the chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake! So tasty and so sinful! On the last day of our little trip we went up to Winter Park for my cousin's wedding. We were fashionably late but better late than never! The cake was still out, that was all Landen cared about, me too for that matter! LOL It was great to see so much family at once. We then met my Dad & Tammy over at his cabin for a cook out over the campfire. Tye & Roberta were there too. Grandpa promised the boys a ride in the tractor. They got to dig holes, then fill them back in. Sounds lame but Cody & Landen were in tractor heaven. Of course Cody corrected Grandpa by telling him it is not a tractor, "It is a front loader/back hoe." And they did not drive it but operated it! There is a big difference, you know!

LaNdEn'S FiRsT dEnTaL cHeCk-Up....

We finally made it in to the dentist after previously canceling the first appointment. I was a little nervous about taking Landen in. Cody was so good and so easy when I took him for the first time. The dentist kept telling me how great of a patient Cody was. I of course was gloating over this! I know my child is great but to hear others say it feels even better! Now I am not saying Landen isn't great too, he just handles adults and authority figures a little differently. Like, who cares, this is not what I want to do, so get me out of here! Before going to the Dentist I read him some books about the Dentist, and Cody & I told him all about it and FUN it is! Wink! Wink! We get there and they ask who wants to go first, they both answer right away that they want to go first. Nice, going great so far! So we let Landen go first, while he is still excited. He gets in the chair and the assistant begins to lower the chair. Landen did not like this and is not laying down with the chair. After a little coaxing he finally does. They actual check up went fairly well. It all went right along with the book we read a home so there were no big surprises. He was very into checking out all the tools and figured out how to turn the little vacuum suction thing on and off. She said she had never known anyone to do this and never anyone so young to figure out how all their own. When she was getting the toothpaste ready to brush his teeth he said he wanted grape. They do in fact have this but she did not ask him what kind he wanted. This surprised her too. She could not believe how smart he is for such a small child. Like I said in the beginning, I know what my child is but it sure feels good to hear it from others! Oh, and neither of the boys had cavities! Score!!!

ByE, ByE, MuD PiT.....

We finally did it. It's done!!!! The mud pit is finally gone and nicely tucked away under some nice tumbled bricks. Two pallets of bricks have been sitting in our driveway for a few months now. Matt is working ALL the time and when he is home, that is the LAST thing on his mind! :) My most amazing, full of endless energy, Mom, came over and helped plant our new tree then throw down all this brick. She did this as if she does it every day. You should have seen this woman! I am not kidding. She is such a hard worker and a very fast worker. This job was done in a matter of hours. We all helped, even Cody & Landen. They were awesome. They worked very hard too, I was pretty impressed. Mom.....Thank you so much. I love it and could not have done it so well and fast with out you! You are SuPeRmOm!

On ThE mOvE......

Crew is officially crawling! He is late compared to my other babies, Landen was crawling at 6 MO. But never the less, we are very excited for this milestone. He has been trying for awhile now, I think it is hard for these chubby babies to shift all that weight! He loves to be on the go but still very mellow. By far my most mellow baby. Finally, a baby who takes after his Dad and not his feisty Mother! Crew also had his 9 month check up the other day. He is 20lbs. 15oz. and 29 1/4 inches tall. 70% for weight, 90% for height! He likes to growl a lot. He has been nicknamed Bear. He loves to play ball, he gets so excited and funny when we play. Crew is my first baby to play ball like this. Maybe I will have one ball player instead 3 construction workers? He can say "ma ma", "da da" and of course growl at you! He flaps his arms like a little bird, also looks like he is trying to clap sometimes. His brothers love him so much. Cody really helps out a lot and wants to be around him all the time. Crew and Cody seem to have a special bond. Landen is great with him too but sometimes can be a little too in his face. Landen is always very concerned about Crew and gets anxious when Crew cries or gets mad. Landen tells me to come get him or to feed him! He clearly enjoys eating and drinking from a cup. Still has no teeth yet. Is a great little sleeper, most of the time! :) He is so happy 99% of the time. He is a mamas boy but is also very comfortable in his Grandpa Dan's arms! He is loved by all and very spoiled. His smile is contagions and lights up a room. I am so thankful for this sweet, darling little boy.

HaPpY AnNiVeRsArY to Us.....

Today is the anniversary of our second Wedding! Yes, we loved each other so much, we got married twice! :) How many of you out there can say that? We were first Married in May of 1997. We then remarried in July of 2002. I am so happy that we made the decision to get back together. Matt is the most caring, forgiving, fun loving guy I know! He may be quiet and reserved around others but we have so much FUN together. I love going on road trips with him, watching movies, playing games, singing goofy, playing jokes, friends since childhood, he gave me 3 beautiful boys, eating out, the best hugs, listening to all my dumb stories, inside jokes, dancing, love letters, I can go on and on! I love this guy. I am so thankful I have him in my life. He has ALWAYS been there for me no matter what!

{Above photo was taken summer 2002 and the rest is history!}