J & J TAYLOR

What are ya'll looking for????

2011-07-31T22:13:00.000-07:00

This week I talked to a friend and she told me you can look at your stats to see if anyone is looking at your blog... Apparently 147 people have looked at my blog in the last month....
My first reaction was: what are ya'll coming here for I don't even post.
My second reaction was: I am failing you all. I should post.

The only problem is that posts without pictures are lame. And I don't have any pictures saved to my IPAD to upload for you.

Life is great. tons of great small adventures nothing too big lately....maybe next summer.

Things to look forward to: dad's birthday weekend with family friends and boating, girls camp, friend's wedding, my sister coming to visit, and MY BIRTHDAY...

Life is made for Playing..... THE END

2011-01-19T17:26:00.000-08:00

JORDAN HEAD BUMP UPDATE

2010-11-27T11:54:00.000-08:00

You wouldn't even know he had a head injury... Our Jordan seems pretty much like himself... There are a couple days that he doesn't remember... And he is more himself in the evenings than the mornings but all in all he is doing great.

He is ready for the Holy War (UTES VS BYU) today and soon he is looking forward to snowmobiling and skiing.

A bump on the Head

2010-11-24T14:54:00.001-08:00

This is pretty long and I am not a great writter so Disclaimer: You don't have to read this!!! I just felt like writting... What can I say Jordan is asleep and I am bored.

Well if you haven't been following my facebook updates. I have an update for you....
Jordan Bumped his head.... unfortunatly this is a bit of an understatement!

I went to a Jazz game with my bestie, Jenny, on Monday night.... Jordan went to help his friend Kevin. Kevin is building an indoor ski training facility with tramps, jumps and a foam pit... It is a great place for Jordan to hang out because they are building stuff... which Jordan loves to do... So they we testing out the jump (into the foam pit), they have been testing for days now... I know they just like to play...
So Monday night they were having fun at the foam pit....
At midnight I began to worry about why Jordan wasn't home yet.... He had let me borrow his cell phone so I couldn't call him.
Within 10 minutes of my concern his friend Kevin called... Low and behold they were at Alta View Emergency Room.

Jordan had been jumping into the foam pit on skis with his helmet, on this last run he lost his balance at the end he landed on the (padding still needed) edge of the foam pit... (on his back) the proceeded to fall to the floor taking it on head first and knocking himself out... Luckily only momentarily, but, you have to know Jordan and his history with concussions and it is a long history...
His friends took him to the ER where I met him and I have to tell you I love Jordan for many reasons but his sense of humor is at the top of the list... And he was hillarious.... from asking his dad for weed so he could medicate... to telling us his grandpa gave him cocaine, then asking permission to fart and of course letting it rip... He had me aching from laughter... Yes, he was in serious pain and we were waiting expecting to find out he had a broken back.... But in the mean time we felt good laughing. The time just flew by as every 3 minutes came, we would answer the same questions and we would go over what day it was, what happened, that Kevin would still be his friend and more.... By 4 am we got to go home. I was worried but I knew he would be back to normal when he woke up in the morning. When he stirred I was there to wake him ready for a funny conversation about the crazy things he did and said the night before. But his first question was, "what day is it?" followed by "what happened" then "where is Kevin, I gotta go see him" And those questions continued on repeat with a few others thrown in.

"CRAP CRAP CRAP" was all I could think as I would repeat answer the questions.
Tuesday evening we decided to go to Jordan's parents to stay with them so they could help and so there would be more things going on... The auto questions stopped and by 8:30 at night we thought he was back with us... We listened to a recording of him in the ER and we all laughed for a long time. I was relieved he was back... then on the way to bed he asked "what day is it?"
My heart sunk... well here we go again. I keep thinking that sleep will bring him back to himself... Wednesday morning. this morning no repeat questions... He thought it was Thanksgiving today... and he was concerned about the storm we had told him was coming... So he would aimlessly wander the house and open the front door to see what the blizzard had brought. He hasn't had much to say, and didn't want to do anything....
He seems to be internalizing as he tries to figure out happened... He doesn't know what he ate for dinner last night or what show we watched but he does know other things. Like when him and I got stranded in a parking lot today and the truck wouldn't start he knew that diesels haveglow plugs and the frozen fuel and the glow plugs being cold were the problems...
Well I keep hoping for a quick recovery... I miss my fun, playful, talkative Jordan... I don't care if he cannot remember what happened and what happens this whole week I just want him to act like himself and to be ok...
I know this blog sounds pretty downer and depressing. but I am way optimistic!!!!.. I have only had one break down moment so far... I am sure he will be back to himself in no time but until then we would like to thank you for the prayers.

Camping/sun valley

2010-08-22T15:06:00.000-07:00

Do you love my socks and sandals?

Family reunion in Sun Valley = camping, cabins, hiking, biking, climbing,hotsprings,restaurants, art festivals, and more. We were there for one week and had a blast. We went to the hot springs on Thursday and brought our climbing gear and did some climbing with the family on the wall near the hot springs. On sun day morning when we were getting ready for church (here in West Jordan) Jordan asked me where the climbing gear was it was then that we realized we had left it by the rock wall we were climbing and it would be long gone. Luckily some family was still in Sun Valley, they went back and checked the spot and our stuff was still there.

I love when me trust and faith in people is restored.

We decided to drive up this crazy road and then realized turning around would be kind crazy... The situation got a bit hairy and prayers got us off that mountain

And the Flowers Jordan Picked for me.... He has been doing great with flower.. he got me 2 more bouquets for our anniversary this week.... He is the best husband in the world.... I love him, and yes I love flowers.

We camped near Burley ID on our way up... check out our awesome campsite.....

Then we went to a concert the day before our anniversary - Tesla, Scorpions, and Jackyl. It was a fun time. There is a certain type of people at those concerts and I will just say wow.... It was great.

And this is just a picture from the week before. Playing in some hot springs here in utah. I went camping and played here with some girlfriends and then Jordan met me up there to spend another day.

All in all keeping busy this summer

How to start at the begining????

2010-07-22T21:27:00.000-07:00

Yes... Finally another post.... But what should I say.... The last time I posted was February and I didn't even say anything.

So here is an skewed glance at the past couple months. Sisters trip to DC and Richmond VA was incredible. I miss my sisters tons. But Heather posted this picture on her blog and now I am just wondering if it would be appropriate for me to blow it up and hang it over my bed. (Heather is living in VA, and Lauren is on a Mission - UKRAINE)

AZ with Jordan grandparents was awesome and then the sporadic 11 hour drive to Disneyland topped the trip off. We were sad to miss the evening parade but if we stayed, then I wouldn't be at work at 9 am. We made it home with time to shower, I may have smelled ok but I don't think I was a very good employee that day.

Jordan went to Honduras again for work but got sick and came home early. If you missed his facebook post. You were probably one of the lucky ones. He learn what happens when it is a "DOUBLE CANNING SESSION" and you only have one pot and your face is already in it puking.

While he was there I took a Kayaking class (once a week for 5 weeks) and loved it and now need someone to go play on the river with.

Camping, weddings, family reunions and more come with the summer.
Jordan is currently reunioning in Snowflake AZ and in 2 weeks we will do it again with another side of the family in Sun Valley ID.

Wish I had more time to post but then I would have to have more fun stuff to blog about.... Love ya'll

Forever Friends 2010

2010-02-08T22:53:00.001-08:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Fun in the Fall

2009-11-14T08:06:00.000-08:00

Our lovely Jack O Lanterns

Saturday Night Midnight Hike

The first snow ride of the season.

I am just so happy I cant take it!!

Ryan and Laura after our first run.

Check out the freshies... snowmachine

Sleeping under the stars is great but the thought of getting up in the morning

is not always so pleasant.

Jordan is contemplating waking up. Plus I just told him we

need to now plan our Sunday School Lesson.

Good morning we slept under the stars and woke up to a

sheet of ice on us but we sure slept well.

Off for another ski run.

Jordan is cooking us Sunday morning breakfast.

Strawberry cream cheese stuffed French Toast w/ Sausage.

I Just Gotta say, "We sure love having adventures"

Staying YOung

2009-11-11T11:33:00.000-08:00

For any of you that we didn't give the update to. We decided to stay young and irresponsible. WHy get a house, when you can save money and ski or snowmobile everytime you have a day off???

Really it was too hard to get the home insured and it would be tons of work and my job offered me a raise to stay. So all in all we weighed the options and Jordan is going to commute and we will stay in our little 1 bedroom apartment for now.

Offer Accepted

2009-10-15T10:15:00.000-07:00

YIPPIE!!! We made an offer on a great little old house. There were offers put in so we were a bit nervous...

It is the cutest little old home. unfortunately the owner just had to go into a rest home (but I figure I will go visit her a we'll become best friends). The home is located in provo a few blocks south of Center Street.

It definately needs a big fix-r-up-er. But we are so excited to get dirty and get to work.

It was built in 1916 it is over 1200 Sq ft. it has 3 bedrooms 1 bathroom. The things I love are the porch the huge grassy yard, the apple and pear trees and it has tons of grape vines. We are really looking forward to all the fun of fixing up the inside to fit our style...

My dreams of when I was younger are coming true... I always wanted an old house with a porch... grape vines like the Melentines used to have... and a black toyota truck.... it is all happening.

I also have the coolest husband ever and he can do almost all the fix-it work himself... I sure am excited about life... I haven't been able to sleep the last couple nights because I have been thinkin about this house.

Staying in UTah

2009-09-19T13:42:00.000-07:00

I never thought I would be so excited.
Jordan has been accepted as a transfer student to BYU Provo, which means we get to stay in Utah. This means we have to decide where to get our season passes. but we are thrilled!!!!! I am still looking for other job options so if any of you know of anything good keep me posted.

2nd Item of business_
I saw a good movie--- Gifted Hands, it was good wholesome and uplifting. Heather and Rich, I think you would enjoy it. Plus it is a Redbox movie, so even if you don't like it it is only $1

POISON

2009-08-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

Yes last night was the concert that I had been looking forward to for quite some time. Def Leppard and Poison. They were the masters of the songs we blasted in highschool. Driving to school in "THE BLAZ or GOLDBERG with all the girls, or Friday night out in Whit's white truck. Now it is time to see them live in concert. I was thrilled.

Poison was awesome, the bass guitarist was sick so the guitarist from Bon Jovi stepped in and did a great job. I was waiting for my favorite song, but the band finished and left the stage never playing "You're Poison" I was astonished, angry, sad. I had been singing that song all day waiting for it.

Apparently that was never even a poison song rather it was Alice Cooper.

In my devasted state I vowed I would go to that concert where ever they play. Then my dreams were really dashed when I found out Alice Cooper is DEAD. UGH

Def Leppard was incredible they put on such a great act and they did play my favorite Def Leppard song "Pour some Sugar on Me" that turned away all the sad I was feeling about my favorite "poison song". So the night ended good and I loved the concert.

Oh and California was great I will have to update you on that soon and post pictures.

Fun with Jennie and Jordan

2009-08-03T06:53:00.000-07:00

Jordan and I purchased a nice new big flat screen TV, we bought it 3 months ago and have only turned it on once. Rather than looking at it as wow what a waste, we think yeah! We have so many fun other things going on we don't need to use it.

So let me take a few moments to brag about the fun we have been having. Here are some of the great pictures from the summer.

I can't remember more than a week back unless it was big.

In July we went to snowflake AZ to visit Jordan's extended family.

Within the last week we have had two fun BBQ's one at Jen's families house and one at Jordan's.

Ryan Christensen and his band Blue Root played downtown at the Wood Shed, we had a good time going and listening. We went for a fun evening hike to Mary's lake with Jordan's family. We went to Seven Peaks with Ashley and Brett then roasted Brats over a fire. (My Favorite thing to do. Then this Saturday we went Climbing in the morning, Jordan went downhill biking in the evening and Jennie went to a concert at Deer Valley with the fam. All in all we are having a great time.

In a couple weeks we are going with the coolest people to CALI to hang out at laguna beach. We are loving life. I wish I had a funny story to post but at least I am posting.

Perhaps God is Trying to Tell You Something

2009-07-02T07:23:00.000-07:00

JORDAN GOT ZAPPED BY LIGHTNING

Yeah I said the same thing-

He decided to ride his bike to work; on this way home thunder and lightening is striking all around. He begins to count the time between the lightening and the thunder and he can tell it is way close. He is hoping he will be ok because the only thing he has touching the ground is the rubber of his tires. Apparently that wasn't enough. Jordan is almost blinded by the brightest flash, the thunder is defeningly loud it hit about 70 feet away from him but immediately he almost falls off his bike his entire right arm is numb and tingling.

Jordan saw the lightening char mark on the ground. It traveled through the ground up his bike and one of his fingers was not on the rubber handles but was touching the stem. ZAPP. For the remainder of the evening he felt as though he were clutching an electric fence.

So what do you think?... Was that God telling calling him to repentance?... Jordan being a hero able to defy all odds and walk away?... OR God just way of giving him a Facebook Poke?

Business Trip

2009-06-07T22:53:00.000-07:00

Jordan had the chance to go on his first official business trip. And it was an international business trip to Honduras. The only thing he would change is the climate because it was hot and humid while he was there. He had a great time, worked very hard particularly his last night there he worked till 3 am then had wake up at 6 am to begin his travels home that ended at 11:30 pm. He was exhausted and happy to be home.

While Jennie missed Jordan she lived it up to the fullest. Went on a date (with her daddy) to the STYX and REO Speedwagon concert,

It was such a blast, they can put on a great show, you couldn't even tell they were old guys, Jennie was jamming out, with so many drunk people Jennie's dance moves fit right in. The lady next to us had the greatest curly 80's mullet with the perfect jean shorts. She was totally into the concert, and made Jennie smile the whole time.

In addition to the great concert she filled each evening with tons of fun from girls nights to celebrations.

This Saturday we went to two weddings one for cousin Matt Schmidt the other for high-school best friend April Steed. April's cerimony was great and both of the receptions were tons of fun with random burst of rain at one of them.

Between these two weddings and Jordan being out of town for a whole week, Jennie is realizing how lucky she is to be married to such a great guy and is having a great time with him back home.

For all of you who have been nagging me to update our blog here it is, sorry no hilarious stories but when I have one I surely will update. Love all you friends and family.

Chick Flicks

2009-05-03T10:07:00.000-07:00

Chick Flicks = Good Ghost of Girlfriends Past= Aweful--- not a chick flick

A girl needs chick flicks right. Time to cry, laugh, wish we had a guy that said the perfect thing at the perfect moment. At the end of a chick flick you have this happy sensation you feel blissful, hopeful, beautiful. (you feel beautiful because as all girls do, we pretend to be the beautiful main character).

So for the past two weeks I have been craving a chick flick. Naturally Jordan is very much against watching them. Here is how it plays out.

" heck no, I am not watching a chick flick they are so boring"

Now if I just put one on and watch it while he is doing something else inevitable he sits down and watches it and laughs and enjoys it.

Since I couldn't con him into going to see a chick movie with me this weekend. April and I went together. We saw "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" I was way excited to see it but it was what one may call TRASH> GARBAGE> FILTH> SMUTT. Needless to say I was extremely unimpressed with the way the portrayed women, the theme of the movie - casual sex_

Wish I had walked out.

I realize, though I enjoy a good chick flick, I have only seen one in the past 5 years that can even compete with the chick flick I am living in.

I love Jordan and he is so sweet, if there were a camera crew around recording the sweet things he does and says, then the Jordan Jennie Chick Flick would be a box office money maker.

And it is a movie I just keep on watching to see what is going to happen next.

You gotta get messy to get Clean

2009-04-10T07:42:00.001-07:00

An important lesson my mom tried to teach me as a child..... You gotta get messy to get clean. My mom would say, "go clean your room." Grudgingly I would do just that, now in the process, anything I found while cleaning that I thought: was interesting, I didn't know where it went, or I was too lazy to put in the correct spot, went to one of two places, shoved under the bed, or I put it on me. By then end of cleaning time I was randomly dressed up. I would run tell my mom I was done and she would come for the inspection.

The inspection was the worst part because I was so proud of how clean my room was. Unfortunately every time, I was shattered, she would look under the bed and pull everything out and then she would go to the closet and pull everything out.

Frustration??? Yes, it was coming out my ears. Now my room was messier than it was when began. Cleaning days were so awful. Then Heather came up with the idea to start by pulling everything out to make an island on the floor then piece by piece we would put things away to get rid of the island. It worked and it was fun when we did it together but with her not around I find I have reverted to the stuffing method.

As you know Jordan and I are moving on Monday to Salt Lake, now the problem with moving is this that you have to clean. No the problem with this kind of cleaning is that when your done it is pretty obvious if you stuffed stuff under the bed or in the closet, So you can't actually do that and get away with it. Therefore, it has to get messy to get clean, and I tell you what our apartment is exactly that.... completely messy, but that means by Monday we should be reaching clean. What can I say, Happy Easter.

"Girls Night"... Is that gender specific????

2009-03-29T19:19:00.000-07:00

Most people consider a night of pampering a girls night.

After more than a year of marriage I realized that just because it is called girls night does not mean it is just for girls. Nor does it mean once you are married there are no more "girls night" or "Pamper Parties"

As you can see Jordan is about as good at it as any girl. The only difference was he wanted me to rub his feet and do his pedicure, and most girls night I have gone to, we do our own.

What can I say it was great. Tea Tree facial masks, pedicures, Mary Kay moisturizer, back rubs, and visual relaxation journeys.

Jordan enjoyed it though he made it clear this is not something he claims to love and we will likely only do this bi-yearly.

Guys like it FAST!!!

2009-03-22T18:40:00.000-07:00

Well Jordan is a guy meaning. It has to be fast, skiing, snowmobiling, cars, boating, whatever just make it fast.

Our ward priesthood group choose to do a pine wood derby, you wouldn't believe all these grown up boys with their cars. Jordan wanted to make sure his was fast. So he put a lot of thought and a lot of work into it.

So what do you get when you put a ...

pinewood derby car

with

CO2 cartridges???

Well you get a very happy Jordan.

Check out how fast it is moving in this picture, it was so crazy.

His car beat all others, not just a little but by a very long shot, the other car would be half way down the track and then his would smoke theirs. Of course they did races in brackets and so as the winner you have to do it a lot. I can't help but worry about what all that CO2 will do to his brain. It has been nearly 24 hours since and he is still jumping up and down with excitement.

BACK TO SLC

2009-02-17T08:16:00.000-08:00

After Graduation we moved to Idaho and then I figured we would be off to another state after Idaho. I did not expect nor did I want to move back to Utah, let alone so soon. But Jordan now has an internship lined up in Salt Lake. To my dismay I have no resistance, I am so thrilled an emotion I did not think I would have about moving back to Utah. Now I don't have to stress about getting work off for all the weddings, i can go to the Family reunions, hang out with real friends, and perhaps get a job that actually pays money.

Infact I already have a job all set up, back at the same place I have been working summers for the last 4 years. I will be leasing apartments again. No, I never needed a degree for that but it surely pays more than my job for which I have a degree. Overall I am excited. And I think Jordan is too. We are getting a sweet deal on rent and yet it is still $200 more per month than we pay in Idaho, There will be a few less than blissful things in SLC but overall we are so excited.

So what do you think, should I wait till April and give my boss just the basic 2 weeks notice or should I give him a heads up in advance so they can find someone sooner to fill the position? I want them to get someone good, and I would be happy to train that person. I feel I have a slight dilemma.

The Annual ski trip

2009-01-25T19:07:00.000-08:00

Every year we go on a family trip to Grand Targhee Ski Resort for an awesome weekend. This weekend was absolutely fabulous, but we are all so sore we can hardly walk. There was no expectation for snow until a few days before. Check out our car and how much snow is stacked on top, note how high my feet are compared to the tires. Yes, like every year it snowed the most on Saturday night, really making us want to skip church and join the ski church.

The best tricks of the trip were Jordan's multiple under rotated backflip landing him tips in the snow and smacking his face to the ground. Jennie followed his lead and under rotated a couple back flips one of which she came crashing upside down on her head from 20 feet up, and the other gave her a great big fat lip. And cousin Logan's un-scouted back flip that landed him right in a pine tree. This year we are happy to report no broken bodies and no broken gear like last year. It is a weekend where everyone is trying to compete to go just a little bigger than the last person.

This trip was also awesome as Heather flew in from Virginia to ski with us. Well we had tons of fun with the whole crew and we can't wait for next years trip. We love Targhee, we love snow, and we love the awesome people we get to spend time with.

Jordan's New Hobbie

2009-01-21T21:13:00.000-08:00

We have always known how much Jordan likes to longboard and wake board. But he has just found a new hobby in the world of boarding. He is now making longboards. He told me he wanted to make longboards but I didn't think that he would actually be good at it. I assumed him and the neighbor boy Steve would make something dinky they would be proud. I found out I was really wrong. His finished project turned out really great... If you are interested in buying one from him, just put in an order.

Christmas in Honduras

2009-01-06T20:51:00.000-08:00

It is true our Christmas was fabulous. No, it didn't feel like Christmas but, isn't Christmas rea

lly about giving. We had an awesome chance to give. We were doing some service work down in Hondur

as. (Yeah, I can now locate it on a map) We gave time, books to the first library in a village, love, dinners to poor families, gift baskets to people in the ward who needed food, toys to

kids in the hospital, puke plus other stuff to the toilets, and school supplies and uniforms to 100 children. We gave in many aspects and it felt great, but we also received. We receiv

ed, love, kindness, lessons on humility, hospitality, parasites, and t

he chance to learn the trades of the disabled people. It was t

ruly and amazing experience and we are very grateful to Jordan's parents for taking us along with them.

It was warm in Honduras, we experienced sweat rather than snow. It was quite incredible.

When we got home we enjoy seeing Heather and Rich for an hour before they had to catch their plane back to VA. We also had an awesome couple days of skiing with friends and family. Jordan hucked a couple of back flips on of which was while being towed

by a snowmobile. The hot springs in Heber were a new experience it was like hide and go seek for the warm patches amidst the cool patches, and avoiding stubbing your toes became another game. Really it was awesome and a great time to hang out with the VanSlooten cousins.

Now we are back home in our cosy closet of an apartment which now has tile in the kitchen and bathroom (a huge upgrade for us). The snowbanks here in Rexburg are crazy, Jennie has lived in snow country Utah most of her life and she is still amazed with the snowbanks. Every street has a 2-3 foot bank on the edge and we learned why places make such big parking lots. The reason is they need and entire section for the 20+ foot mountains. We are dying to dig a cave in one to sleep in.

Jennie thought she didn't want to come back to work but the people she works with really have a big grip on her heart and she loves it. Jordan starts school tomorrow (Jan. 07) he is excited he is just trying to pretend he is a "cool kid".

Consider this our December and January post and we'll update our blog again in February or March.

The Pits of being sick

2008-12-06T14:35:00.000-08:00

To stay home or not to stay home? Well I have been sick for nearly 3 weeks now and let me tell you the frustration that goes along with being sick.

I spent the first two days in bed so I would be healthy enough to go to work and not get the old people sick. Well I went back perhaps too early but thankfully no one caught my sicks.

Feel almost completely better we headed to an awesome Thanksgiving with the Families in Draper. It was great but the cold was coming from both sides of the family, and wham it got me again. This time worse in the throat so not only do i feel like crap but I sounded like it too. Ugh. I am almost to the point where I think Flem is part of life.

All I can hope for is, Not to be sick the whole winter. and pray Jordan won't get it.

November

2008-11-08T21:12:00.000-08:00

Well it is the beginning of November and unfortunately fall is just about over. The leaves were lush here in Rexburg. Unfortunately I didn't pick my "Perfect Leaf" of the Year but I think beginning next year that will become a tradition.

I am sad to see the cold moving in but as the crisp chill moves in and snow occasionally falls WE (Jord and I) feel our hearts beat about 3x faster because we know what is coming the anticipation is excruciating but thrilling. SKI SEASON IS COMING!!

We dress up in our ski gear every chance we get, call it Halloween costumes or weekly dress up. Not only do we dress up but we also irrationally spend towards our hobby. We call it early Christmas Presents. New goggles, new ski pants, new snowboard, new coat, new snowboard, new ski socks, new bindings, and boots from the local pawn shop. Needless to say we are excited and have a spending problem. But if the snow is good well forget about the $$$. Jordan watches the same ski movie once a week and then finds new ones online every day. At the moment Jordan is waxing all snowboards and skis. He says he is glad he married me, as it has kept him from being a ski bum and or addict, i thinks he has an problem and is in denial.

Church

I asked God to help us to read our scriptures. Well we read them now as we have been called as the Gospel Doctrine Teachers..... If that is not overwhelming intimidating and scary, then I don't know the definitions of those words. Plus I procrastinated prepping for last weeks lesson because I figured Jordan would do most of it. He claims it was food poison. Regardless of the excuse I ended up knees shaking, splotchy neck, and forgetting to breath in front of a class of return missionaries, while Jordan laid in our cushy bed. All I can say is God answers our prayers.

School/ Work

Jordan doesn't seem like the studier but he is doing great in all of his classes and is loving school. He is smug when the class talks about beating up the kid with the highest grade who is throwing the curve way off for everyone else. He spend his days in classes on his new favorite toy, his mac book, and yet his grades are great. You can call him, "Oh Mister Brilliance" next time you see him.

For me it is the joys of working with seniors all day. Being hit on by Grandpas is my new way of finding self worth. You think that they look at you the way they would view their Granddaughter but no they think they are my age and that the more they flatter me maybe they'll get lucky. And really they do get lucky, they get to play bingo with me and there is not much more exciting than that.

What can I say our lives are always full of adventures.

Moving on

2008-09-07T19:46:00.000-07:00

Well we left the lush Caribou-Targhee National forest ..Grand Targhee on the day of the first snow, a huge signal that summer is over. Despite age and career there is always something magical about the summer time. I was feeling a void as all my friends headed back to school but living in the college town of Rexburg is helping me feel as though I am still a part of college life, or that college life is still a part of me.
Since Jordan was "over qualified" for two part time jobs he applied for he decided to make the jump from working for others to working for himself. He got his business license and his contractor license. The name of his company is "TAYLOR CONSTRUCTION AND REMODELING" and he already has a couple jobs lined up. I bet we could all put money on the table that Jordan will never work for someone else again. He is a go getter and he is in the process of getting!!!
When it comes to careers for me I had felt a bit lost but this time the answer to my prayers was quick it just took kneeling and asking. Which took me four months to finally do. But with counsel of a good mother I prayed and was guided to the perfect job 2 days later. I hope I got the job, I will find out tomorrow, the position is "Director of Activites, for Teton House" an assisted living facility.
OTHER EXCITING NEWS
--We made it to our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!!! It has been a blast, to celebrate we went to Yellowstone for three days and saw all the geysers, paint pots, and tourists. While we were there we saw a grizzly bear and were rushed by a large man bison (Jordan was terrified).
--We also left our home on wheels and moved into an apartment it is only $325 a month and we have screaming baby neighbors who wake us up at 4:00 in the morning, needless to say that is fabulous form of birth control, they may look cute during the day but they are monsters during the night.
--Jennie turned 22 years old she is really growing up..
--The jenny's were reunited again a much needed cuddling was called for.
--Jordan bought a bunch of tools

Nothing but fun

2008-06-20T20:50:00.000-07:00

Ok so we'll give you a huge update. Since last posted Heather and Mary(mom) came to visit it was great. We explored Jackson. Then Jordan worked as the bread winner while Jennie went back to SLC to hang out with all the originals who were under the mama and papa's roof for a week, it was awesome. Then Howie and the boys (Braden and Garrett) came to visit. yes all 5 of us slept in the RV and it was great fun. So that is another shout out that we accept visitors. The Schmidt boys and Jennie ran the snake river while Jordan continued to work. Jordan has become an even better fisher man seeing as he goes every time he gets a chance, he is particularly good at catching carp.
Jennie finally left the unemployment and went to work at Grand Targhee also, she gets twitterpated when she sees Jordan on the job. We have made new friends, they are way cool and definitely hippie-ish, we are hoping it will rub off a little bit.
We got hit with 3 days of June snow which was not very cool in our opinion, Jordan was snowblowing 14 inches of snow at work. Well by the end of that week the sun choose to show itself which was awesome. So we decided to go camping we went up Darby Canyon, it was beautiful with the exception of the dead deer in the stream that had been kept so cold in the rushing ice water, it had stayed completely preserved other that that the rushing water had removed all the deer's hair. We then went to the wind cave which was a treacherous hike but incredible and we are proud to say we were the 2nd group to enter the cave this year. There was an ice plug blocking the tunnel so we helped the first guys in the cave by hacking at the ice with an icepick, we didn't make it through the ice, so we turned around and went fishing for the evening.
Jennie is loving her job, talk about adventure check this out.......she got to go flying with her co workers to get a sweet view of the Tetons and the entire area. Unfortunately she almost hurled all over her as of 3 days new co-workers. she wasn't just feeling queezy but the puke saliva started it was awful but the view was incredible.

Gone Fishing...

2008-05-30T16:52:00.000-07:00

Jordan and Jennie Taylor consider themselves fishers. Since they moved to Victor, Idaho, they got their fishing licenses and all of a sudden they are fishers. The fact that their main fishing hole has a sign that says, "Kids Fishing Pond", doesn't insult their expertise.
On Jordan's day off plans were made to go to another lake for fishing. Apparently there were fish to be caught that were bigger than the standard 11 inch fish from the kids pond. Well the fishing began and no bites. Finally Jordan taught Jennie to check to see if fish were on the line. Jordan reeled in the first fish and it was drastically larger than the daily catch from the kids pond. Jordan was in a state of euphoria, at the thought of such a big and pretty fish.
Jennie caught the next fish. Her excitement was still great despite it being smaller than many of the kid's pond fish. Jordan continued to reel in larger fish. We were quite thrilled to see how hard each tugged on his line. The joy was smashed when the unfortunate mouth of the sucking carp reached the surface. Jordan was more than disappointed and figured that the carp deserved to die. Of course when it tried to get away Jordan nailed it with a large rock. Then proceeded to pick it up with his hands and chuck it far away into the rocks where the poor desperate sucking carp would have no chance. Jordan claimed that he only did it for the sake of the birds which deserved a great breakfast. Good hearted????? yeah right he was just embarrassed.
Jennie let her beginners luck show through and caught the largest fish of the day. Jordan acted like a child at Christmas when he saw the huge fish. Jennie just followed his lead in the excitement, and then she wanted picture after picture taken of her with her fish. She was thrilled.
Jordan was very proud of his girl but wanted something big too. He continued to fish and caught a beautiful brook trout.
The day was awesome the two of them caught enough fish to last the two of them a couple weeks and Jennie didn't tell Jordan that she really doesn't like eating fish all that often. But he will figure that out in time.
Jennie did feel rather bad about killing the fish and about having to cut the worms, they were fishing with, in half. Once she had her trophy fish she didn't feel so bad. She wanted everyone to see her fish including the local mechanic in town, her neighbors, and of course she wanted her daddy to be proud of her so she had to call him right away.
Jordan and Jennie are stoked about their great adventure of fishing and can't wait for another day of it.
Currently Jordan is using his cheffly expertise to cook the fish up for a fabulous dinner.

Went Exploring

2008-05-29T12:08:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday I decided to get out and go exploring, it was awesome. I had been looking at trail maps trying to decide where to go. I chose to go to Baldy's Landing, to get there I would pass Mud Lake. My favorite part of hiking, is coming to a stream, river, lake or waterfall. So I figured Mud Lake would be the place for me. It sure was muddy on the first half of the trail. I came to the lake it was beautiful with wild grass all around, little splashes of flowers made me smile. I also saw a duck glide across the Lake.
If you know me well you know that I have a connection with ducks. I think they are magnificent and I would be thoroughly pleased to be reincarnated as one.
I continued on the trail completely content and enjoying myself, a few miles further I reached snow. Luckily I brought my waterproof hiking boots. So I continued. For the most part I could walk on top of the snow, but every few steps I would sink to my knee in snow. After a little over an hour in the snow, I was realizing it was time for me to get back but I had yet to reach my destination, I hiked another 30 min. I thought I saw my destination so I began to run in the snow. I don't know if what I arrived at was really the destination but it was time for me to turn around. The way down was just as pretty as the way up. It was the highlight of my week.
When Jordan got home from work I was so excited to tell him about my adventures, unfortunately I was reprimanded for going alone. Apparently there are bears, creeps, and oppertunity for injury; all of which are defiantly threats but really who wants to stay in a motor home all day when there are beautiful mountains to be explored. I am struggling to find a hiking buddy, but I am working on it.

The following day, my new found hiking buddy bailed on me, so I was left alone again. I couldn't go hiking even though I researched what to do around bears. So I had to come up with something else and "27 Dresses" only lasted 2 hours, of the 12 hours that Jordan is at work. So I decided to go on a bike rid to the post office. Well, that ended up being the most beautiful 8 mile bike ride. Going to the post office was less than a mile so I continued on. I saw horses, cows, fields, and ranches. It was so beautiful just open country road. Then I got to the mountain and decided to follow a dirt road along the edge of the mountain. It was glorious. The trees and the cabins were awesome. I headed up another dirt road and camp to a pond so i hoped of my bike and sat on the dock, put my feet in the water and read my book. Now this definately made my week it was awesome.
As for Jordan, he is defiantly enjoying work, everyday he arrives home with stories about Ron, Ron, and Ron. Some of the guys he works with. I think all they do is tell stories and goof off. But he loves work and the people he is working with.

Motor Home Life

2008-05-26T14:40:00.000-07:00

Motor home –noun , a small bus or trucklike vehicle with a roomlike area behind the driver's seat outfitted as living quarters.
Well for us it is not just a "room like area" rather it is our home. 31 feet is rather large if you think about it being transportable...connected to a vehicle. Although perception can be a bit different. Measure the room you are currently in. How big is it? Our entire home is just under 300 Sq ft. that includes our bedroom, kitchen, study, bathroom, outdoor gear area, and BBQ grill. We have beds for 6 people although it would not be impossible to have more guests sleep over.
When the idea of living in a motor home was first presented I thought,
'hum." Not hum in a bad or a good way. I just hadn't thought of it. I took a tour of the motor home and thought, "sure this would work. I will only be able to bring a weeks worth of clothes but I could manage. " The space would be tight but it was still our best option.
The reality of this life style is that there is so much space. I brought 3 weeks worth of clothing and Jordan managed to bring more. We have plenty of space for food and we have more meet frozen in the freezer than we ever had in our last apartment. The storage compartments are comparable to Mary Poppins' carpet bag.
Now, when Jordan and I are at home we are always very close. It is less than three of my body lengths from one side of our home to the foot of our bed at the other side of our home (I measured). So we are enjoying the time we get to spend near each other.
Our neighborhood is always changing on Friday we had 5 new people move in and today we had 3 families move out.
When it is time to clean the house it doesn't take hours running up stairs and down stairs and cleaning tons of bathrooms. It is the perfect size you can clean it so fast and then it is time to go outside and play.
There is a slight problem with the idea of going outside and playing. The theme "April Showers Bring May Flowers" we have found to be quite incorrect. May is the month of showers. It rains day in and day out. With a few moments of beautiful sun. Yesterday the sun was bright as can be. I was outside reading getting a tan when all of a sudden God turned on the sprinklers. it was just like a July day of jumping and twirling in the sprinklers. Due to the high amounts of rain we end up frequently caged inside. But the sound of the rain is fabulous, it reminds us of those wood insturments you turn upside down to hear the rain. But imagine a 5 yr old that won't stop turining that thing over for days on end. Yes the constant piter patter of the rain does manage to get old. Despite the shower being in May not April, the flowers are coming, the grass is covered in dandelions I just can't wait to receive a bouquet of them.
The cliche, " When this van's a rockin' don't come a knockin'" Doesn't quite have the same meaning when it comes to this motor home. The single act of walking from one side of the home to the other causes a rocking motion. So feel free to visit, when we are a rockin' it just means we are here so come on in.
I have yet to experience the motor home shower. It is definitely a luxury to have a shower in our vehicle. The only problem is it reminds me of an airplane or a tour bus bathroom. Basically small. Maybe I just have a phobia. It is hard enough to squeeze into an airplane bathroom, now imagine trying to shower in it too. I try to avoid using airplane toilets, but I have become accustomed to using the motor home toilet although the shower is something to take on another day. Until then our camp host provides reliable showers. So mom, incase you were worried I am still getting the needed showers. And not just by dancing naked in the abundant rain.
The Motor home life is really great in many ways. I don't know if it is lifelong way of life for us. Yesterday I saw our neighbor, she is from Mass. and she and her husband and two Golden Retrievers have been living in their RV for 4 years. The other neighbor Jim from Flordia has been living with his wife in theirs for 5 years. Most of our neighbors have silver hair, and older bodies but that doesn't slow them down, they are our exploring the world having adventures. And are making RV life a lifestyle not a vacation. We are following their lead and loving it. We'll just keep our stay 5 months instead of 5 years.
We just want to put a special thanks to Steve and Kelly Taylor for letting us use their motor home. They are waiting for us to bring it back so they can sell their house, put all their belongings in storage and live in their motor home for the rest of their lives.

FLood or Famine

2008-05-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

I have always thought of the concept of Flood or Famine when it comes to dating. A person will go days, months, and possibly years with out a date and then that same person may get hit with the flood and find themselves with so many suitors and options they don't know what to do with themselves.
I have recently realized that this can be compared to many different aspects of life. For instance. I am currently not working, craving a job, an oppertunity to do service, social interaction, basically a chance to do something. But no matter how many temp agencies I call I get nothing. I call to do volunteer work and I cannot find anything. It is a bit frustrating. but i am fully aware that in a week the poles will change and I will be utterly overwhelmed with all the things that I have to do. And at this point I await the flood and I fear the flood. But the famine has got to end or I might just die.