Summer Adventures!

I am L-O-V-E LOVING this summer with Beck! We are having so much fun and trying to make the most of every day together. We have been going for lots of walks, splashing and playing in our backyard pool, eating sno cones, playing on his favorite "cat" (aka ipad), taking Daddy lunch and drinks at work, learning the ABC's and trying to count to ten, and just enjoying all of the time we get to spend together.




He LOVES his Chelsee! We are sure going to miss her!
This is just one of the many messes Beck has created over the past few months. He insists on becoming a tornado first thing in the morning and continues throughout the day.

Last Sunday Mark and I almost had a heart attack. He was being so quiet upstairs and we automatically knew something was up. We called for Beck to come downstairs and upon seeing him I thought something was seriously wrong. He had taken my prescription strength hand cream and smeared it all over his head, face, neck, and hands. He looked like a walking tube of vaseline. I was freaking out, not knowing what he had gotten into, and didn't get a picture of the craziness. I was too worried that his eyes were going to start burning, since there was a thick layer of cream on his eyelashes. I know that this is only the beginning of many more adventures to come, but my goal is to try and document them so that someday Beck will know how crazy and curious he was! :)

Celebrations!

Oh how I love this face!
and this face too :)

Our Christmas gift from Mark's parents is to get together twice a year and have dinner with all of his siblings. We love the time we get to spend with everyone and this time it was at the Union Grill in Ogden. We got there a little early and explored the trains that are stationed there... it was so fun to "climb aboard" and see what they were like. I sure do love that good lookin man :)

Out for a little birthday treat at Casper's with my sweetheart!

Congratulations to Chelsee! She graduated and will now be an official first grade teacher at Morgan Elementary! I love how Beck is giving her a shout out in this picture :)

Beck and Uncle Kyle
Mark and my brother Kyle's birthday are a day apart, so we had a celebration for both of them when Kyle came up to visit.
I had such a fun birthday! Mark and I celebrated the Saturday before with breakfast in bed. This is a tradition for birthdays at our house and Mark is so sweet to wake up early and pamper me. I just love that man! Later that day we went to dinner and a movie. It was so fun to spend time with my sweet little family. On my birthday Mark and Beckam sent me beautiful flowers and then showed up for one of the funnest birthday parties I have ever had!

My students are the cutest and sneakiest bunch around! I couldn't believe what they pulled off this year, without me knowing about very much of it at all. Together they planned, prepared, and threw the funnest surprise birthday party for me!

I just LOVED this group of kids and was so impressed with their mad party skills. They designed an invitation, assigned specific tasks to each student, and informed their parents of what was needed to pull this whole shindig together. It was seriously adorable and I felt so loved and appreciated. They asked me to leave during lunch and eat with my teacher friends in the conference room in the office, while they were busy decorating our classroom.


When I returned from lunch I was so surprised and teared up a little at the sight of all they had done. Their parents were there with a full birthday cake, cupcakes for the kids, and lots of gifts. Two of my students had even prepared entertainment for our enjoyment during the party. I have truly felt so blessed this year to teacher such amazing kids! They have been so much fun and definitely a group of kids I will miss very much. To make it all that much better, they invited Mark and Beckam. Mark shared fun facts with my students about me and my childhood. It was so neat to have them there and I was definitely speechless for all they did to make my day great!

My fun day ended with dinner made for me by my sweetheart and yummy ice cream pie. I feel so blessed to have such an amazing husband and sweet baby boy. What a wonderful feeling to know that I am surrounded and loved by so many wonderful people!

Thankful!

It is 8:00 and Beck is still sleeping... a miracle! I am so thankful for the schedule of a teacher, it has been such a joy to be home with my little boy for the past few days and I am really looking forward to the rest of this summer. I am so thankful for the joy that being a mom brings into my life each day. Beck is learning and growing so much! I love watching him try new things and learn how everything works around him. He is 27 months and is so dang fast!

Mark and I have wondered if he is going to be a football player, because he has this amazing ability to run at lightning speed and when I finally get close enough to catch him he knows just the right move to dodge my grasp and keep running! Ahhh!

He knows lots of his letters - B, C, F, I, K, M, O, P, R, S, and T and he LOVES, LOVES, LOVES, to read! Of course as a teacher it makes my day when I walk in and find him sitting on the couch reading a book. Adorable.

He is a singer! At least a few times a day he will stick his bottom lip out, that is his way of asking us to sing "If You Chance to Meet a Frown," then he follows with putting his finger to his mouth and saying "Shhh," and we sing "The Chapel Doors." He is the sweetest little guy and I just love everything about his happy and bubbly personality! In addition to his singing ability - he has some amazing dance moves and it not afraid to show it. Any time we play some upbeat music, he is quick to get his groove thing on :)

His vocabulary and speech improve daily and it is so fun to hear him say new words. I have a little parrot with me everywhere I go and I LOVE it! Lately he has figured out what a butterfly is and says, "fa fly."
I don't want to forget how he says:
Candy = "I you" (don't get it :)
happy = hppy
Beckam = Geckam
bath = bass
swimming = bass
Grandma = Bumpa
Grandpa = Bumpa

What an adventure motherhood is - I am so grateful for it! The last few weeks have been rather awful for sweet Beck. He is pushing through his two year old molars and he is in so much pain. It seriously breaks my heart! I wish there was more I could do for him.

Happy Fathers Day!

Happy Father's Day to the most amazing man I know! I am so thankful for the joy and happiness you bring to our lives each day! Thank you for treating me like a queen and being the best Daddy in the whole wide world. We love you more than words can say and are so thankful that we get to have you forever and always!

Angels

I couldn't believe it was happening. I saw the suburban pull out 30 yards in front of me to try and cross a four lane highway with cars traveling at 60 mph. I said to myself I can't believe this is happening I am going to hit him, I am going to hit him, followed by screeching brakes and plowing straight into his plywood sided trailer. I remember screaming, bracing myself for the impact, and then it happened. The smoke of the airbags filled my lungs and I was spinning out of control, only to come to a stop 180 degrees in the other direction in the center lane of traffic with a semi coming straight for me. I have never been so scared in all of my life! I can honestly say I felt the hand of the Lord and of angels watching over me. When I finally realized I was okay I looked over to see the sweetest lady coming toward me to hold my hand and reassure me that everything was going to be okay and that most importantly my baby was okay. I can't even begin to express the gratitude I feel for so many people - complete strangers- coming to my rescue today. It was 2:47 p.m. and we were driving back to Logan after a fun filled lunch with friends for me and play date with Beck's cousins for him. I had just hung up with my sweetheart who had gone to Brigham to play golf with my brother and brother-in-law. I was only a few miles from home and Beck had fallen fast asleep in his car seat.

The part I feel so unsettled about was that I didn't really have a good feeling about traveling over to Brigham today, but I did it anyway... thinking I was just paranoid. I will NEVER ignore that feeling again! I am trying not to play the "what if" game, but I just can't help but think how it might have been different if I would have listened to the Spirit prompting me to not go. I have forever learned my lesson and will always listen to the feeling whether it is the Spirit or just my paranoia!

My eyes well with tears each time I think about the many miracles that happened in my life today! I feel so blessed to have walked away from that experience with very few problems or discomforts. I am amazed at the love that complete strangers from all walks of life showed me today. I feel so blessed that a retired fire fighter happened to witness it all and was one of the first on the scene. She comforted me, treated me for shock, made sure my baby was okay, and continued to monitor my well being. Grateful for those who stepped up to call 911, attend to sweet Beckam, and direct the traffic around the accident. Thankful for the EMT's who were so patient, kind, and thoughtful. The silver lining on such a hard day was watching Beckam explore the ambulance and give one of the EMT's a run for his money. I immediately knew he was okay when I saw him climbing up on the seat and counters, running around the gurney, and trying to escape out the back doors. While I don't usually encourage this type of behavior, it was a very clear indication to me that Beck was okay. It warmed my heart to see this burly fire fighter play with Beck using a stuffed animal and then try to distract him from wreaking havoc in that small space.

Most of all I was overcome with joy when I looked through the ambulance window and saw my sweetheart walking up the side of the road from the Acura. He is truly my angel and I feel blessed beyond words for his unconditional love for Beckam and me. What a blessing he is in my life and I am grateful beyond belief that I get to sit next to him on the couch tonight and know that everything is okay. I feel humbled and forever grateful for our safety, our health, and the gift of angels that are watching over us.

Hangin' Around

Beck decided it was his job to torture Daddy... he is such a TEASE!
His first burn and hopefully his last burn for awhile. He wanted to help Daddy make his ramen noodles and got his finger too close to the stove. It breaks my heart to see him in pain, especially when he doesn't realize why he hurts so bad. I just LOVE this little guy!
Daddy came up with the best contraption to keep his burn covered and sanitized. He covered it in "burn free" and then taped a plastic bag around his hand. It worked like magic and really helped in the healing process.
Just reading the newspaper with him mom one morning!
He is such a ham and I love it! I love his fun, crazy, and spunky personality. I am so blessed to be his mom... love, love, love this little rascal!
One of his favorite places to be, helping "Momma" with the dishes.



Oh how I LOVE these two boys. They bring so much happiness to my life each day!

The Big 29!

Happy 29th Birthday to My Sweetheart!

This is the age you get to stay at forever!

We just love birthdays around these parts! They are full of pampering, happiness, good food, yummy treats, and your very own birthday cake. This year Mark asked for a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. It was my first time and I think it turned out quite well :)
Beck is always very helpful in the opening presents department!
Oh the excitement! I just love these two beautiful boys!
My cutie pa tootie! Breakfast in bed - one of the many pampering parts of his day!
(just turn your head :)

We had a fun and fabulous birthday celebration for my sweetheart! It started out with breakfast in bed, opening presents, a lunch date at Chili's, followed by a wonderful birthday nap, and Mark's special birthday dinner - sweet and sour chicken, rice, corn, and fruit. The day wrapped up with birthday cake and family time! We had so much fun! I feel so blessed to be married to this amazing man! I just love everything about him and feel so lucky to be known as Mrs. Taylor :) Happy Birthday Babe! I love you!

Wiener Pigs!

Wiener pig = a pig that has been wiened from it's mother's milk. I felt like my students needed to learn some farm lingo, so we had this conversation before seeing the pigs. Oh the giggles and smiles that came from their faces when they heard the word "wiener" :)


Giddy Up - Ride em' Beckam! What a fun day in Mrs. Taylor's classroom! My mom and dad are the sweetest! They brought two pigs to my classroom for my students to see and for Beck to play with. We had so much fun and it was definitely the highlight of everyone's week! Thanks Mom and Dad! You guys are great!
My cute mom!
He loved being in the pen with the pigs! My dad put him inside and he didn't want to get out. My favorite part is when he would pat the pigs and my students would laugh; he totally knew that he was the coolest kid and would continue to do it, because he loved their reaction!

My Dad really is my hero! He has worked so hard to provide for us and has so many talents. One of his many is his word working skills. He constructed this pen so he could save on gas and bring the pigs up in the back of his truck. We love you Farmer Brown :)
He is a celebrity in my classroom! My students absolutely LOVE him!

Hanging out with the big kids!
I love my sweetie pie! Mark, you are such a good sport and are always willing to support me in all that I do. Thank you for being so patient, kind, and positive! I feel lucky everyday to be married to YOU!

Lately...

The DUCKS! Oh, how he loves the ducks! He would probably spend all of his time there if we let him. I love his excitement for life! This little guy has the best facial expressions.



He usually can't decide if he should eat the bread or feed it to the ducks or fish. Usually more goes in his mouth than his friends in the water.

Our morning routine... eating breakfast with his mommy!
He is such a tease! I can't believe he is only two, but knows just what to do to tease everyone around him. He learned from the best (his daddy!)
This smile melts my heart!
He pushes his chair over to the sink 20 times a day! He LOVES to help mom and dad and do EXACTLY what we are doing. I love this stage he is in. Although, at times it gets a little exhausting, it is so much fun!
He was sporting the coolest outfit today!


I am SO EXCITED to spend time with this little guy this summer! I miss him and his daddy so much everyday. They are the light of my life and so much fun! I feel like everyday spent with the two of them is a piece of heaven on earth.