Happy New Year!!

Since most of my family was out of town for Christmas, we decided to all get together tonight and have our Christmas dinner and open presents with all the grand kids together. All my brothers were there and my sister too, as well as all of their families. We went to my mom's house and enjoyed a nice Ham dinner and after the kitchen was all cleaned up we gathered around the tree to open up presents. There were a few things for the couples but most of the things were for the kids. Last year we did a secret Santa drawing to figure out who to buy for but this year we all decided we were not exchanging gifts except for the kids. The girls got lots of new things (again) and they had a blast seeing all the cool toys.
My mom got all the grand kids bicycles and they all went nuts with them throughout the house. We tried to get them to all sit and smile for a photo but you can imagine how hard that is with four preschoolers on three wheelers.

Mmmm, Melting Pot

It's that time of year again and Tina and Noah finally came home to visit. As always we had our traditional meal at The Melting Pot but we decided to invite some others along this year. Michael, Angella, Rena, and Reba also joined us and we had a great time. We had reserved a table for 10 but the other two people couldn't make it. It was the first time ever that we used a table with four burners on it. I didn't take part in the choosing of the foods because I figured with four pots to choose from there must be something there that I would like. Of course, it is hard to go wrong with food from The Melting Pot. We had a wonderful meal that took about 3 hours which gave us plenty of time to talk and catch up. I was so full by the end of the meal I almost didn't indulge in the chocolate fondue but I just couldn't resist. It may have just happened but I am already ready for next year's trip here.

Family

My brother, Steve, and his family came into town from MD yesterday. They stopped by Peter's shop on their way to my mom's house where they are staying, so I got to see them for a little bit yesterday. Today, after the girls were up and ready we headed over that way to spend the day with them. We ended up doing a bit of caching and just hanging out. I didn't get too many finds because the area that we searched was one that I had been to a couple times before. No big deal though, I still had fun. When we got back to my mom's house she was preparing dinner and Brye was anxious to help her. Brye is a great helper and when I told Grandma that she had experience making noodles, Grandma gave her a spoon and a box of noodles to cook. Brye did a great job and dinner was very tasty. I got to spend time with my nephew and godson, Tyler too. I hadn't seen him in a few months and he has grown so much. He has hair now and can walk and even say a few things. He is just a few months younger than Abbi but I always have a hard time remembering that, I always want to say he is just a baby even though Abbi is now a "Big Girl."

New Family Photo

One of the reasons I had Michael take the girl's Christmas picture instead of doing it myself was because I wanted a new family photo also. The other reason was that Michael takes great pictures and I knew I would have a lot of good shots to choose from.


I narrowed down the family pictures to two. I am kind of leaning towards one but I wanted to get everyone else's opinion. We need a new family shot to frame and put on our wall along with all our other pictures. Let me know which one you like. You leave a comment or email me. Do you like the shot of us looking up or the one of us looking straight forward? I want to see what everyone thinks. Thanks!!

Merry Christmas!!

Peter and I had a great Christmas. After spending Christmas Eve with my mom we split Christmas Day up between Peter's Dad, his mom, his brother Tim, and our friend Chris and his family. Before we left the house we opened all the presents that Santa had brought. The girls went crazy over everything and Brye still claims that her most favorite gift was the Princess Toothpaste. My Dad and Judy got her an awesome horse that moves and reacts to noise and touch. It is really cool and the girls just LOVE it. I am going to try and get some video of it and have Peter upload it for everyone to see, it is just too cute. We had lunch with Peter's Dad and then saw his mom and brother. Later we went over to Chris's house and hung out with his family. We had a very nice day and enjoyed everyone's company. I need to go through the girl's rooms and clean out some of the old toys so that I can make room for the new toys. Santa tried to be practical but there were some toys slipped into there too. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!!

Last night Chris, my friend Dee, and my brother Brian came over to hang out. We had a great time and finally saw the Simpson's Movie. I didn't get to bed until after 1:00am and I had to get up around 6:00 so I didn't have time to post. It is getting harder and harder to get this blog thing done. I will continue to try my best though :)

Something magical

You really haven't experienced Christmas until you have witnessed it through the eyes of a child. I always loved Christmas but until I had children that were old enough to understand I never truly experienced the magic of it all. A couple days ago Brye kept asking me how to spell words so I would tell her the letters and she would write them down. Turns out she was making lists for Santa. When she was all through she gathered up all her lists and put them in an envelope. She wrote Santa's name on it so the mailman would know where to take it and she closed the back with a sticker. We went to the post office and put it in the box so that Santa could get it before tonight.

Today we spent the day at Grandma's and after dinner Brye made some cookies and left some with milk out and we went to see the Christmas house that has a ton of lights and decorations. We stopped over and saw our friends Kent and Jake and after we had talked a while we remembered that we forgot the girls dresses at Grandma's house. I guess we will have to go back, so we got back in the car and went back to Grandma's. I was just going to make a quick run in but I figured Grandma would want to say good night again. So we all piled out of the car and went inside. Brye was shocked to see that Santa had already been there and there were presents everywhere. She ran to wake up Grandma and Papa who were already sleeping from the busy day and told them that Santa had already come! Everyone got up and we had a great time opening presents. We weren't sure if Santa had come to our house or not and after we drove home we saw that he had not. Daddy figured out that it must be because we hadn't left any cookies or milk out for him so Brye and I got that together right away. The girls were so tired and Brye said, "well, I should go to bed now" and off she went. It wasn't long after that that I heard some noises and when I came out I saw that Santa had come very quietly and eaten the cookies and drank the milk and the left the girls lots of presents. I decided not to wake them and wait until they woke me tomorrow morning. I'm not sure but I think Lucy may have gotten into one of her presents because she was going crazy and wouldn't leave the bows on the packages alone, in fact she stole one completely by running off with it.

O' Christmas Tree

It occurred to me that I hadn't posted any pictures of our tree and I know a few of you had asked me to do so. As you can see, we have a beautiful tree this year, courtesy of Dad and Judy. Last year and the couple years before our tree was just pitiful. I really thought it was less depressing not to put it up at all. If it weren't for the girls I probably would have left it in it's box. This year, however, we don't have to worry about that. The girls did a wonderful job decorating the tree and we still have the star that Brye and I made in 2003 at the top. Someday we will have to get an angel. We may have to tell Santa to pass on by our house, as you can see there are already plenty of presents waiting. Well, he can probably squeeze a few more in there. :)

Christmas Cards

Hopefully most of you are receiving your Christmas Cards now. Like usual we sent them out a bit late. We had Michael come over and take some shots with his gear. He got some really great photos and I had to go through them all to find just a couple to send out. I spent the next day picking out which pictures to use and then designing the card and making the file to submit for printing and send out. I think they turned out really great. I am sure that there are a few people who I didn't have addresses for that I couldn't send cards to. If you would like a card and don't get one in the next couple of days you can send me your address and I will get one out to you.

Merry Christmas from our Beautiful Angels

Photos taken by Michael van Gelder.

Hidden secrets

When we bought the new car we bought two new car seats so we wouldn't have to move the old ones every time we wanted to take the other car. We still had the empty boxes for the car seats in the garage so I decided to utilize them. These boxes are sitting in our room by the closet and we walk past them everyday numerous times, the girls have no idea that these boxes are filled with wrapped presents for them. Most of what we got them is in these boxes with the exceptions of a couple things that were too large to fit and are in the garage under a sheet. I love how the presents can be so obvious yet so discreet at the same time. Much like caching.

I thought I was cold

For those of you Floridians who are use to the 80 degree weather pretty much year round, you had quite a shock this morning when
you got out of bed. I knew the temper-
atures were going to be low today but that
20 degree weather surprised me on my way to work. I had ice on my wind-
shield and I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out how to get it off. Needless to say I drove very slowly until it all defrosted. Anyhow, if you thought you were cold, this is what my Dad and Judy are dealing with up in Maine at the moment.

Tornados

This morning around 6:00AM Peter and I were awoken by my phone ringing. It was Jim calling to tell me there was severe weather in our area and we needed to take action. Peter went and got the girls from their beds, who seemed somewhat awake. The thunder was pretty loud so they were already pretty scared. A few minutes later my mom called and told us there were tornados coming our way. We turned the news on and sure enough we were directly in the path. We started getting stuff ready to take shelter and I told Peter to run next door to make sure our neighbors were aware. It seemed like forever before he returned and I had cleaned out the closet and moved a few mattresses over the windows and one for our closet door. We took the laptop and a flashlight and gathered into the closet. We left the news on and listened through the door. The power flickered off and when it came back on the TV was switched off. I kept listening for the freight train sound that people say a tornado sounds like but thankfully it never came. Of course I prayed for our safety but I couldn't have cared less for our things. That was a good feeling, I really just wanted my family safe. Peter kept checking the news on the laptop and after about 30 minutes huddled in the closet he said we were probably safe to get out. Everything was calm including the winds which had gotten up to about 100 mph in some places. It was quite an exciting morning to say the least and when we spoke with our neighbors later they said they didn't hear us at all and they were in their closet too.


On a brighter note, we met up with our friend Claire for lunch in Sanford after we went to church. We had a great meal at Panera Bread and she was very happy to see the girls again. We use to see Claire at the Oviedo Mall all the time when we worked at Ritz but that was a long time ago. We have gotten together a few times since and it is always a treat. We email regularly so we are always up to date with what is happening in each others lives. Claire brought gifts for the girls including two beautiful dolls that the girls just loved and carried around everywhere the rest of the day. It was so great seeing you again Claire!! We mustn't wait so long next time!!

10 more days

It's hard to believe that Christmas is so close already. With my new job, and everything else, time has just flown by. Brye has been asking me if we could make cookies for Santa for a long time so I figured today was as good a day as any. We went to the store and we were surprised to Santa. Publix had him for a few hours this morning and they were taking pictures for free and handing out cookies. Brye ran right over to him and Abbi followed and gave him a big hug. I was surprised by that because she is usually afraid of him. We won't get the pictures for while yet but it was a cool treat. After lunch and a nap we got everything out to make cookies. The girls were a big help, except when I used the beater, then they just put their hands over their ears. They were great at rolling the cookie balls into the sugar and then unwrapping and putting the kisses on each baked cookie. They did them all and they look great. If they last long enough, I am sure Santa will be very happy with these.

I want another

Rayna and Chance went home this morning. We were so glad to have them over and wish they could've stayed longer. Perhaps next time we will get to hang out more. You guys are always welcome!! I just loved having a baby in the house again. My girls are too big.

Welcome Rayna and Chance!!

Our friend Rayna left New Orleans yesterday with her baby boy, Chance, and drove all the way to our house. They stopped overnight last night and got here today in the afternoon. Peter and I went and saw Rayna and her husband Scott last year this time but it was just before their baby was born so this was the first time we got to meet Chance. He is such a big boy and so adorable. I just LOVE his blond hair!! He made himself at home right away and played well with the girls and all their toys. Rayna will be staying with us for a couple days and we are excited to have them. She brought the girls Christmas presents so I went ahead and let them open it so they could know who they were from and thank Rayna right away. Rayna always gives the best gifts: books with a stuffed animal character from the story. Rayna sent Bresa a unicorn and book last year and it is still one of Brye's favorite things. Welcome to the Taylor's Rayna and Chance, stay as long as you'd like!

Friends, Fun, and Fire

This weekend was quite busy for us Taylors. As posted, we went out Friday night to watch a movie in the park with Michael and Angela, Saturday we had dinner and smores with Dave and Alex and then yesterday we stayed busy all day with other friends. After church, Peter and I met Brian (Peter's old roommate from High School) at Chili's where we had a great lunch. We got home and I put the girls down and Peter and Brian went to Peter's shop. I was getting some papers done for school and got a call from Reba, who, apparently, had talked to Peter twice about coming over yesterday. Okay, great, the more the merrier. Reba hung out and we talked and played with the girls after I got them up and showered. When the boys came back Reba went home and the 5 of use went over to Scott and Diane's house for more fire fun and talk. It was a great weekend and we really enjoyed being able to see everyone. I cannot wait until this week is over though so I can enjoy my winterbreak with a little more freedom and time to spend with others. I don't know why but I managed not to get a picture of Brian so next time I will have to be a bit more trigger happy.

I'll have Ss-more

My friend Dave took his son camping at Blue Springs for the weekend. Blue Springs is about a mile from our house, if that. Dave asked me during the week if we would want to join them for dinner tonight and then make some smores around the camp fire. Say no more, I can't turn down smores. When Peter got home from work we packed up the girls and headed over. Dave made hot dogs and hamburgers and there were chips and salad as well. Brye ate two whole hot dogs and Abbi probably would have also but she dropped one on the ground. Oh well, she still ate the bun. After we ate our dinner we got the fire nice and hot and started roasting the marshmallows. I made a few for the girls since we only had one stick and then Peter and I both had a smore. I didn't want to give the girls chocolate and they were happy with just the marshmallows and later they had some graham-cracker pieces too. We all collected some sticks to keep the fire going but then Peter remembered how much stuff he has to do at home so we headed out. It was a great little evening out and Dave was a great host and cook.

The Grinch

Tonight there was a movie in the park in Sanford. They played the live action movie "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." It had been a long time since I had seen it last (at least a year, right?) so it was fun to see it again. We met Michael and Angela there and enjoyed the show. The last movie we went to in Sanford had about 8 people there total, including us. This time there were plenty more people there but it still wasn't very crowded. It was a great get away from the busy days we have had the last couple of weeks. Peter and I haven't really been able to see much of each other we all that has been going on so it was very nice to just sit together and relax. Peter drove the Civic so that I could say that I have ridden in it. He is getting pretty good at driving it but I still haven't tried it at all, it will definitely have to wait for daylight but it will probably be another week or so until I do try. Abbi fell asleep towards the end of the end of the movie and then Brye fell asleep on the way home.

Oscar's New Girlfriend

Well, I left it up to Brye but she still isn't sure. She suggested the new car be named Charlotte (after the spider) but I don't know if she still feels that way. These are pictures of the car up by Peter's shop. I have not actually ridden in it yet. Peter took the girls to work with him in it today and then he drove them home in it also. The Civic is a manual transmission so it may be awhile before I get behind the wheel.

Night Night

My poor poor husband, he is so tired because he gets up at 5:30am with me each morning so he can take me to work by 7:00. Well today was the last day for that because we bought a new car tonight!! Yay. It is dark out so I will take pictures of it tomorrow. We decided to get it last night but we still haven't seen it in the daylight.

My Sleeping Beauties

I snuck into the girls room tonight, just after they had fallen asleep and snapped a couple pictures. They are so peaceful when they are sleeping. My camera worked pretty well considering it was pitch black in there. I am glad the flash didn't wake them up. Just within the past few months Brye has been telling us about her dreams. One night she said she dreamt of dancing coloring eggs that were red with yellow legs. Last night she said she dreamt about princesses. I love to hear about her dreams, I hope they always stay happy. I hated having nightmares when I was a kid, I still remember some of them because they left such an impression.

My bird friends

I love seeing these Sandhill Cranes. They are so big and gentle. They make a really loud noise and they are always in pairs. Sometimes there are more than just two and I have seen up to 6 together at once. I love to see them around Orange City, they just wander around parking lots or along the streets, sometimes you can see them in flight. They are pretty easy to pick out from their size and the fact that there are always at least two. Whenever I see them I always say "oh look it's my bird friends," now Brye sees them and tells me my friends are there, it's really cute.

Congratulations Ruth and Zane!!

Peter and I went to Tampa to see our friends Ruth and Zane start their lives as husband and wife. They had asked Peter and I to shoot the wedding but we told them that we would rather just attend the wedding and we offered referred a friend who they already knew. We had a great time at the wedding and we got a hotel for the night so we didn't have to drive back to our house at 1 in the morning. The wedding was beautiful and the entire time Peter and I said how happy we were that we weren't shooting it, we were happy just to attend. Congratulations Ruth and Zane, we are so very happy for the both of you! The pictures are of us with the bride and groom and the other picture is of me and my friend Steph. It looks like she is sitting on my lap but I assure you, she is not. :)

CITO

There was yet another Cash In Trash Out event in town this morning. I had to take the girls over to my mom's house in the afternoon so I decided to head out early and take them to the CITO event beforehand. We all had a great time chatting with the local cachers and then cleaning up the area a bit. Brye and Abbi were great helpers and together we gathered several bags of trash. After the CITO a bunch of us went to lunch nearby and talked of caches and equipment. I had to take the girls to my mom's house afterwards because Peter and I had to get to Tampa to go to our friend's wedding.