Husband Tag

I've been tagged by Amy
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What is your husband's name? Anthony William Taylor. No-one calls him Tony, the girls call him Daddy, and I call him Taylor so Anthony sounds Foreign sometimes.
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How long have you been together? 4 1/2 years, Married for 4 years
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How long did you date? well that's a funny story really... we started hanging out as "friends" at the beginning of the summer, I refused to believe that we were actually dating for a couple months, and before I knew it we were married !

Who eats more? He does. I honestly have no idea where he puts it. He's a sugar JUNKIE! He seriously stands in front of the fridge and pantry and just grazes.
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Who said I love you first? He did. We were sitting on the couch talking and he squeezed me and said "I love you" then immediately followed it with a "holy crap! did you hear that?"
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Who is taller? He's a little over 6 feet, and I'm 5'6".
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Who has more speeding tickets? His driving record sucks. And so does his car!
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Who is smarter? Well, like I'm going to answer that one, He reads this! (see, I'm pretty smart aren't I?)
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Who is more sensitive? depends on the day I think.. He's the only guy I know that seriously goes through PMS like symptoms once a month! I think in our whole relationship he's cried more times than I have...
But I like that he's very loving and tender hearted.
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Who does the laundry? We both do but I'm better at it.
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Who does the dishes? We both do. We are pretty good about splitting things up around here.
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Who sleeps on the right? If you are looking at the bed from the foot, I am on the right.
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Who pays the bills? I do but it gives me heartburn so we're trying to work on a system we can both use right now..
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Who mows the lawn? He does. But only after I've reminded him at least 3 times. He hates our lawn mower so he does his own silent protest by letting the grass grow until the neighbor complains. I've only mowed the lawn once in the 6 years I've been here. I hate to admit this but I still have the "that's a Man's job" attitude about Mowing lawns, and taking out the trash (although I DO take out the trash more often than he mows the lawn).
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Who cooks dinner? We both do depending on who's home. If we're both home, then I do. I tend to burn things a little less often..
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Who drives when you are together? ME! He makes me sick when he drives. plus I'm a control freak!
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Who is more stubborn? I'd say we're both pretty stubborn in our own ways.
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Who is the first to admit when they're wrong? neither one of us. See above. If I had to pick, I'd say He does.
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Who's parents do you see more often? Mine. My family is within walking distance of our house. I grew up in the same neighborhood and went to the same school my children go to. We can walk to my parents house in less than 10 minutes. His parents live about 3040 minutes away.
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Who has more siblings? He does. He has 2 brothers and 4 sisters. 7 kids total and he's smack dab in the middle of them all. All of his siblings have kids too, so you can imagine the family parties. Can we say Chaos?
I'm a middle child too, but there are only 4 of us and only a small handful of little ones..
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Who wears the pants in the family? That would be me...... I take care of almost everything that requires decisions or planning. We talk about things and I like to get his input, but he's not the best at follow through. If I leave things up to him, I'm usually the one who takes care of it in the end anyway. I'm the realist in our relationship... a.k.a the boring one with the plan..oh, and did I mention that I'm a control freak? Poor Taylor...
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Who eats more sweets? He does.. I really don't like sweets / junk food. Once in a while I like something sweet, but he can eat candy for breakfast. (and usually does. ...... I'm not kidding)
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Guilty pleasures? PlayStation.. He can spend HOURS playing..
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How did you meet? The Very first time I saw him was when he was walking in for his interview at the hospital. I remember thinking that he was cute but very young. (he's two years younger than I am). I was NOT interested in dating anyone at the time.
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Who asked who out first? He invited me on a group date....
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Who kissed who first? He was dragging the "moment" out soooo long that I finally leaned in and kissed him.
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Who proposed? He did while snowboarding..
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Best Feature? Physical; I'd have to say his eyes and his lips.. his lips are so luscious! (did I just write that?). I also completely love his heart and soul.. He is the most caring loving soul I've ever known. He's amazing.
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Pet names? Honey Taylor
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Where do I see us in 15 years? Taylor will hopefully be a driver for UPS, and I'll still be at Primary Children's. We'll have a bunch of teenagers by then so we'll probably both have gray hair. I can see us still snuggling on the swing in the back yard chatting.
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What is my favorite thing about him? He is a wonderful father. . He can always make me laugh, and is so patient. He spoils me when I'm sick or sad. I I know that he's always there for me. I'm really lucky to have him
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Now I tag Megan, Dawn, Heather, Kenz, and Liz

I give it a TEN!

Our day that is.
What a fun day we've had today. I can't even remember the last time that Taylor and I had a weekend off together. Taylor was scheduled for his last orientation shift at the Hospital today but was taken off because He's got to get his license renewed. I am so glad because today has been so good for all of us.
We all slept in until 8 this morning, which is a total luxury to both of us. Then after some french toast we all sat down to decide what we wanted to do for the day. We had lots of suggestions from the choir, but in the end, Jungle Jim's won out.

The girls Love Jungle Jim's, and I usually save it for a reward for something they've worked for, but today was a perfect excuse, if only because we were all together for once.

(sorry about the pictures, we used Ali's digital camera)

Mattie Liked the roller coaster alright, until it stopped and started going backwards.. that totally freaked him out and he wanted nothing to do with it again.

(please excuse my Ultra cheesy grin)

The Girls However LOVE the roller coaster and rode it many times

Megan was So cute 'Ms Independent'. she chose a seat all by herself away from the other kids and with her arms in the air She giggled and screamed enjoying every minute of the ride.

Daddy tried another ride with Mattie, but he still wasn't impressed. (and after Taylor squeezed himself into that thing! sheesh)

Ski ball.....

My all time favorite too.

And Check out how cute Meg's outfit is in the background..

Look how big he is!!!

And Finally something a little more his style!!

I have to also note, that Megan used one of her last tokens to treat Mattie to this ride...

She's been so sweet lately.

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We've spent the evening here at home eating Banana splits, and watching movies.

Taylor's been a busy bee working on the paper mache valentine boxes for Ali and I.

(I'll share those when they're done)
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Okay, so on another note.

My Poor Honey Taylor had a bit of an Accident at work last night (UPS).

He was apparently trying to un wedge a package from the conveyor belt and nearly knocked himself out with a pole.

Look at his poor nose! Its twice its regular size!

Hope you all had a good Saturday too.

Catching up.

I haven’t felt much like blogging lately.. Not for a lack of topics.. We’ve been quite busy around here.. Its more a Laziness issue… When I do get a minute to sit down, I have been catching up on my Magazine reading, or just sitting alone enjoying the small windows of silence.
So lets catch up shall we?
Craig is still here. And yes, we are still enjoying his company.
Last week we watched Michie, Emmie, and Olivia while Ang had Orientation. It was pretty crazy at first, but by mid week, we’d gotten everyone into a routine. Things went quite smoothly from there. I have to give Taylor credit for most of that.. He was seriously super dad, keeping the house clean, and taking care of 6 kids! His laid back personality can really be a blessing sometimes.
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Angie Home schools her two older girls, so I picked that up for her the days I was home.. Ali was a fantastic little tutor; I think Michie felt quite privileged to be her little pupil.
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Thursday I took them ALL to the dentist for Ali and Megan’s 6 month check up.. I was quite amazed at how smoothly it went. The girls behaved beautifully, and hooray, No cavities.
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Week in review via picture........................................…. CHAOS!!!!!!!

Friday evening, The North’s (sans Michael) came to town for a visit and for MJ’s 5-month pictures. Coryne and Ali tore the place up and were literally jumping off the furniture until we had to separate them for bed. Megan and Shane weren’t far behind.
Saturday we had a great photo shoot, then ran errands with them before they left for home. Let me just say…. 6 kids running errands… Not so fun. But we made it.
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Sunday........ Ahhhhhhhh quite! LOVED it!

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Monday we started over again with the Cason girls
More ‘home schooling’ and lots of play-doh..

Taylor started his NEW JOB at UPS (YEAH!!!) His last day at Primary Children’s is the 27th. He’s sad to leave After 5 years, but it’s a really good move for our family. I’m really proud of him, and super excited for great benefits. You’d think we had great benefits working for IHC, but they really suck.

Tuesday I had a really nice visit from my visiting teacher (her partner had sick kids). It was really nice to sit and chat and get to know her. Even though I have been in the ward for 5 years, I’m still socially hopeless and don’t know people very well.
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TodayI worked again.. a VERY busy day and finally an early bedtime for the kids which means blogging time for me!
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And just a little something to end with

Matties boots finally fit..........................

How we met..........

It was 5 years ago that I saw him for the first time walking in for a Job interview. My first impression of him was that he looked so young! He couldn’t have been more than 18. Then I remembered that I had read through his application earlier in the week he’d been on a mission, so he had to be older. The thought quickly passed for nothing and in he went.
I’d been interviewing all week but was scheduled on the floor on the day of his interview, so our Nurse Manager interviewed him. The only one out of the bunch we hired then, that I myself didn’t interview. We know now that happened for a reason…
It was April, and my divorce had just been finalized. I was raising my two young daughters, going to school and working two jobs. I was still hurting from my broken marriage and had taken a vow from relationships forever. I was fine on my own. Too busy anyway to think about it.
He was hired of course, and soon he was frequenting my desk making small talk.
By the end of May he was taking his breaks in the office I shared with the other educators telling me stories about his life and his mission. I enjoyed listening to him and was inspired by his faith. He made me laugh. I hadn't laughed in a Looooong time. I wondered what his intentions were but enjoyed the opportunity to talk to someone. We had plenty to talk about. We talked about the pain of relationships, and agreed to be friends with an open ear.
June came and Taylor had arranged for a ‘group’ hike with some of our co-workers. I was struggling pretty hard with the time away from my children (when Ex took them for his brief visits) so I willingly accepted the invitation with hopes of a distraction.
No one was able to make it that day, and I still wonder if Taylor designed it that way. The Hike went well, and we talked even more being outside of work.
By July we were spending progressively more time together when my kids were away. I liked the distraction, and I enjoyed his company. He was so dang sweet!
By august we had kissed. We kept it hush hush at work. No one even knew we were hanging out.
September came and He left to Alaska for a side job. He called me everyday twice a day. We talked for so long I am sure he spent his entire earnings paying his Verizon bill when he got home.
I think it was that time apart we both realized we were in love. We’d only been together a few months but I was comfortable. I trusted him.
He hadn’t met the girls, so I decided that it was time he did. After all it was important that he accept the three of us if things were going to work.
Our first visit he took us all to the Circus. The girls had a great time, and it melted my heart when he picked up Megan (only 17 months) and put her on his shoulders. I realized quickly that he really loved children like he had said (it wasn’t just a line) and that he really did want a family. It was beautiful. I had never known that kind of relationship, where the Man is actually there to support and raise the children with you. The way he was with the kids alone made me love him.
We hung out often.
November he proposed. I had been expecting it even though our relationship was still fairly new.. But for the first time in my life I had no reservations. It felt good, it felt right. The kids loved him, and as scared as I was of Men, he convinced me that he was there to stay. He wanted what I did. A Family. A partnership….Love.
It was on the side of a mountain mid rest while snowboarding that he presented me with a ring.
A month and a half later we were married.
4 years later, he still melts my heart. We have Mattie now, but he is no different to him than our girls. He loves us all , and he is still there for us when we need him. He is the best Daddy I could have imagined. He can even do a wicked braid in Megans hair!!
I’m so thankful that we met, and I’m so grateful that I didn’t let my past experience prevent me from allowing myself to fall in love .
We Will be together for Eternity, and I am looking forward to every moment.
Happy Anniversary Honey Taylor!

Fire Alarm!

I was awakened from a dead sleep early this morning by an annoyingly loud ring. I sat up confused and looked at the clock thinking it was my alarm. It was 12:30.. not my Alarm.. As I woke up a bit more I realized that it was the Fire Alarm in the hallway outside our bedrooms. I glanced to the spot next to me and noticed Taylor was not in bed. I jumped out of bed and opened my door.
There was smoke, it was loud, I was scared.
I ran into the girls’ bedroom as they were sitting up in their beds confused but waking up very quickly. Their room was filled with smoke. My eyes darted around their bedroom wondering if the cause of the smoke was in their room. I was relieved when it wasn’t.. I encouraged them to come on, and quickly ran to Matties room where I scooped him out of his crib.
We headed toward the stairs.
More smoke.
I wondered if I was going to be rushing my children through a fire to get out of the house..
Through Thick Smoke and choking breaths we hurried down the stairs.
That’s where we found Taylor, standing in very smokey kitchen holding a very charcoaled pan of Ramen noodles!
He had apparently fallen asleep while making himself a midnight snack.
It was a very short but tense situation, me gathering my children in thick billows of smoke ready to carry them outside to safety.
Sleeping afterwards was not easy for any of us. After the excitement wore off the smell and remaining smoke in the house kept us awake longer.
I’m afraid the smell has still not improved.
This morning I asked Ali about it.
I said “well At least we know our smoke alarms work”
her reply….. “And that Heavenly Father is watching over us!”
I whole heartedly agreed.

This morning the girls drew pictures of the event for show and tell.
Here is Megan’s’ interpretation of it..

The need for testosterone

Taylor wanted a boy. It’s plain to anyone that he is head over hills with the girls, but I know he wanted a boy . When the Radiology tech announced the sex of our baby, Taylor stood six inches from the screen with a grin that stretched from one side of his face to the other. I admit I was glad to know that the house wouldn’t be over run with estrogen too. I thought for a brief moment that I might miss the girly froo froo, the bows, the dresses, the shoes....
It only took one trip to babies’ r us to get me excited. Cute boy stuff everywhere and it wasn’t all “sports themed” either. You see that was my fear. I hate sports. I thought that having a boy, meant that you had to cover their walls in baseball stripes.
Growing up I was never a girly girl. I was a tomboy. I climbed trees, scraped my knees, had races up and down the street, I loved being outside, however I never played sports. I never liked watching sports. I didn’t date sporty guys. Baseball, soccer, basketball…..it’s just never held my interest. Not that I’m against them you see, its just that I have no interest. I was excited to find so many things to choose from, and I really liked the colors. Past the rows and rows of choices, I immediately picked out this one, and from there on my whole décor preference was centered on an auto/truck/tractor theme.
I also adore little cowboys. I think it’s my secret desire to live on the prairie and ride horses all day.
What I find interesting is Taylor’s need for Mattie to ‘be’ a boy. He hands him a car, a ball, or a plastic dinosaur instead of the baby toys he typically plays with. He takes him to Target and tells me how excited he was about the monster truck, or the roaring dinosaurs. He tells me they’re his favorite toys. I smile and when he leaves watch as Mattie contentedly picks up, and sucks on a random baby toy.

It’s interesting to see how different babies are from birth, and how much of that is really our own doing? Ali was a princess from the minute she could walk. She refused to wear anything but dresses for an entire year, and still to this day sleeps in the pinkest room you’ve ever seen covered in butterflies and fairies.. Was it that I assumed being a girl meant that she’d want everything pink and fancy?
With Meg I just let it happen She played with the toy cars her uncle gave her. She wore the old dress ups that Ali had grown up with. When asked her favorite color, she would recite every color of the rainbow. I didn’t paint her room until she was 3 and even then she didn’t really have a preference. She is the perfect combination of bug lovin tomboy, and Cinderella dressing princess.
I am not saying that showering Ali in pink made her a princess, or that not showering Meg in pink made her more of a tomboy. I just wonder what if any part we have in that, or if they were just born with their preferences.
If Taylor hands Mattie a ball 20 times a day, Will Mattie be into sports? If we keep dressing him in blue will his favorite color be blue? I think I’ll just sit back and see what happens. I’m sure Taylor will maintain that he loves the more masculine toys, but if he picks up a doll, I’ll just wait to see what he does with it.

Meg's preschool program and a new sink!

Tonight was Megan's end of year Pre school program
Earlier today I was able to convince her to let me curl her hair pretty and keep her outfit clean longer than 20 minutes, Which was no easy feat!.
She could hardly contain herself all day waiting until it was time to go.
the real reason............. because she has been waiting since 11:30 yesterday to give Slade, (her crush), the love notes and pictures that she had Ali help her write yesterday!
She put them in a large envelope and STUFFED it full of random things { a baseball, a harry potter wand, and about 20 pictures from our scrapbook pile} and has carried it around for the last two days waiting to see him.
Slade's been the hot topic of conversation lately.
When she came home last Tuesday she informed us that she was going to Marry him, and that she was going to let him know the next day at pre school. When she came home the next day, she said that Sophie had a crush on Slade too, but that she [Megan] would win, because we lived closer! I did remind her that she can't get married until she goes to college! (that's my rule. I always say, "after you go to college, THEN you can get married in the temple, and have babies!") hopefully they'll just think that's the law!


The program was very cute, and they sang some pretty unique songs like this one.....

"I'm a skunk, I'm in your trunk
and I'm stinking up your automobile"
"Forget about the roses,
I'm stinking up your noses"

Oh and this one
"I bought a Mercury to visit Friends on Venus
and How on Earth, will I ever get to Mars?
Jumpin Jupiter .........Oh....Can't remember the rest.but it was really cute.

afterwards Meg handed Slade the loot, and he ran to hide in his mothers legs. We had to pry him around to get this picture. Boys!
Taylor is upstairs right now putting in a new kitchen sink.. I guess we both got tired of looking at the nasty old white one.
I'll post a picture of the new one if he gets her in.......... Cross your fingers for me. he said something about "cutting the counter" and I ran as fast as I could downstairs before I fainted.