Happiness is a path, not a destination

Good Food!

2012-02-09T11:27:00.002-08:00

A few weeks ago I was invited to a co-workers Husbands 50th birthday party and it was alot of fun!
It was a Phillipino and Hawaiian theme birthday party. There was a cooked pig and a chief to cut it up for people and it was fun to watch him chop the pig up and then hand out the meat to people. There was other meat and other good food that came from that culture. I was amazed by the dancers that came to entertain us and I wish my camera worked a bit better when it came to take pictures of their dances but I got what I could. I got to meet some great people who also came to celebrate with the birthday boy! Here are some pictures that showed what it was like.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2012-01-01T14:46:00.000-08:00

Its 2012
Here are some pictures from 2011 for the last few months.

Planning what to wear is very important when you least expect there might be someone else who might have similiar taste.

Fred teaching Creed how to eat some chips with cheese on it.

The family gathered around the counter with the food.

Happy Birthday Erin!

Ahh! family.

Cute hat!

Gibson and Kayden getting their nerf guns ready to shoot!

Kids having a great time opening thier gifts!

Kids having alot of fun!

Ahh! someone looks really cute with their glasses on.

Christmas at the Astles

Getting ready to open gifts!

A little cowboy!

A tea Party with Aunt Erin

Kids having tea and fun at the same time!

Tea anyone!

Thanksgiving 2011

Fall Pictures of 2011

Time to relax!

2011-07-31T15:51:00.001-07:00

kayden is such a ham!

cousins together once again!

Reading a book is also relaxing.

Molly could not get enough of Fred even when it came to nap time!

Ahh how Cute!

Molly has everything she needs for a nap, including Fred.

Fun at the Park!

2011-07-31T15:31:00.000-07:00

Creed with the help of Fred is scaling to new heights!

All the cousins together!

All the little ones by the sea saw!

Fred came to the rescue of someone getting stuck in the baby swing!

How many girls can fit on a swing?

Don't look now but there are some monekeys playing on the climbing wall!

Lori showing that she is having a good time.

Cousin Lori and the girls deciding what to do next!

Jared and Heath! Can you guess who was more tired?

Having fun on the big kid swing!

The boys are having fun!

Swing time for the boys!

Gracey gets her wisdom teeth pulled.

2011-07-23T19:25:00.000-07:00

Grace is very excited... can you tell!

Almost ready!

Dr jared and his assisant working on Gracie

Still a little out of it but it was a sucess!

Prade overload!

2011-07-23T18:45:00.000-07:00

They had some very big horses in the prade!

To be able to do handstands on the back of a huge horse is very impressive!

Here come the Missionary's

The missionarys of the Prove Mission

StormTroppers, Bounty Hunters..... ohh my!

Scooby do everyone's favorite dog!

Travis is wondering is it over yet!

Governor Herbert came to be in the prade!

I spy Casey Scott a reporter for Channel 2 News right behind Jacob

I snuck a photo of him from a distance.

I have to say he is a lot skinner then I thought he would be!

The Crew of StarWars even put in a appearance in the prade!

A very tall sandperson with Jacob behind him.

The Emperior himself showed up to be in the prade.

Springville had a very creative float!

Can't forget a tank to be in the prade!

This is for Fred a golf cart on steroids!

Bring on the fireworks!

2011-07-14T11:49:00.000-07:00

I don't know but I think Easton looks a little guilty about something.

Erin haning out with Cousin Lori and her girls.

Cloe is such a ham!

Hanging out watching the fireworks

Cousins hanging out on the grass!

Erin at the center of attention!

getting together to watch some fireworks.

Chana Days!

2011-07-14T11:36:00.000-07:00

Family and friends hanging out!

Chana Blowing out the candles of her cake!

Family and friends enjoying Chana's party.

Creed, Easton and Kelton enjoying their cake.

Ethan Can't decide who's cake he wants Eastons or Keltons.

Chana helping to cut her cake for the boys!

More Chana Days!

2011-07-14T10:55:00.000-07:00

The girls taking a break from the fun to get some sun.

The lifeguards are in the background keeping a eye on things.

kelton trying not to show he was having fun.

One of the kids having a blast going down!

Luke helping to give Lilly a water push down the slid!

Chana hanging out with Emma and Lilly!

Go! Luke Go!

Trying not to lose the floaty!

Emma getting some speed going down the slid

The birthday girl watching all the fun!

The little kids were having just as much fun as the adults!

Everyone is getting ready to go down the slid.

Emma is checking the tempature of the water.

Getting ready to have some fun!

April Highlights!

2011-04-08T06:12:00.000-07:00

Help to build a Geo Dome for Sydney and Jareds kids while they were out of town. It was alot of fun and they seem to enjoy it.

Also for St Patricks day which was last month I helped build a lepercaun trap and as soon as I find the pictures I will post them.

Lori got to celebrate her 40 birthday "yikes" lol she is the oldest of the Taylor kids and looking really good, also I will post the pictures of her cake as soon as I find them.

Its spring and everyone is really excited about it. Dad with the help of the boys planted thier rows of peas in the garden and I will have to remember to thank them when I am out there eating them in a few months. lol!

Exciting News!

2011-03-06T14:38:00.000-08:00

Sister Chana has announced that she and Fred are going to be expecting a little one, and for fun I found a countdown timer to show how much time before they have their baby. Its going to be a boy and so I guess its safe to say before Fred the 6th comes into the world. Yes Chana does know I am doing this and does not object!

Random Photo's

2011-03-01T10:50:00.001-08:00

I finally took the pictures from my camera from the last couple months and put them on the computer.

Time for Spring!

2011-02-07T18:20:00.001-08:00

Its time for Spring! I am sure everyone has had enough of this cold weather and if it doesen't come soon we are all going to go beserk like this guy! lol.

Martin luther King.

2011-01-17T07:39:00.000-08:00

Since it is Dr Martin Luther King Jr day, here is some of my favorite quotes by him.

----Life's most urgent question is: what are you doing for others?

---The art of acceptance is the art of making someone who has just done you a small favor wish that he might have done you a greater one

---We must use time creatively.

---We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.

Also who Doesen't love Dr Seuss? He has such great stories/quotes that can relate to anyone. Here are some quotes that I thought were great.

----You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...

----I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!

----Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.

----The more you read, the more you know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.

Just saw this one by Mark Twain.
----Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.

Lots and lots of Snow!

2010-12-23T15:41:00.000-08:00

Monday night it started to snow and it kept on snowing throughout the night and into Tuesday untill the afternoon. We recived alot of snow and Tuesday started off at 8:00am with shoveling the sidewalks and driveways and the parking lot of the 4-plex that the family helps manage. It was good to have a 4-wheeler with a plow on the front to help out since this was the wet heavy snow that was not much fun shoveling by hand. Here are a few pictures of the snow and the family helping to shovel all that white stuff.

Saw some deer passing through the yard at the parents house

Mom having a little fun in the snow while shoveling at the 4-plex

Chana looks really happy to be out in the snow.

Erin having tons of fun while she takes a break from shoveling at the 4-plex.

The family is making headway with all the snow and getting it moved.

Shows how much snow we recived!

I had to dig my car out from the snowbank left by the snowplows.

The view from my front yard.

New Door!

2010-12-23T15:29:00.000-08:00

During the great remodel there was one item that did not get done untill now, and that was a new front door. Mom and Dad were even nice enough to give a key for the new door to each of the kids.

The old door from the inside.

The old door from the outside.

The new door before it was installed.

Presenting the new door seeing it from the inside.

The new door from the outside.

Kids hard at work!

2010-12-23T15:05:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago before we got all the snow and everyone was still raking leaves and getting thier yards ready for winter, I had a chance to help with Jason and Jenns kids while they were out of town on vacation. The kids were alot of fun to hang out with and at one point they even helped with racking up the leaves in the yard and had fun doing it.

Izzie with her new friend the Grinch

It was funny to watch as Izzie kepted walking over to the Grinch and asked how he was doing. She was not bothered by the fact it was a one sided conversation.

Cooper can't wait to show off his mussels by lifting up the wheelburrow.

Izzie!... gotta love that smile.

The kids helping grandpa with the leaves.

Little hands helping with the work.

Cooper posing for the camera before getting to work.

The girls hard at work with Grandpa.

barrel full of laughs!

2010-12-12T18:43:00.000-08:00

The yellow barrel that has been around since I was growing up is still providing tons of fun for the next generation of kids. As you can see some of them fit really good inside.

Snow! What snow!

2010-12-12T18:37:00.000-08:00

A week after we had our big snow storm it all melted due to the warm weather that we had even though it was cold. Since then we haven't had any more snow storms and are just waiting for the next big one.

Our first real snow!

2010-11-30T18:24:00.000-08:00

We didn't get much snow in the much hype first winter storm of 2010 all that went to Logan Utah. This past Sunday we finally got snow down where we are in Utah County and here is a picture or two to show what we recived.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-30T18:04:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was spent up in Logan Utah with Lori's family and it was fun and it was COLD..... Here are a few pictures of her Nephews and some of the girls in the family.

This is how much snow they recived from the first winter storm of 2010

Little Tanner out playing in the snow.

Mccall helping to set the table for the dinner

The baby of the family

Hannah checking the ads in the paper

Caleb and Jacob playing on the computer

Caleb and Jacob are such hams!

Still Fits!

2010-11-15T16:27:00.000-08:00

I am not a big fan of sandals or flipflops or open toe shoes, but when I got married I did something different when it came to choosing what kind of shoes I would wear. I decided to be a little different and went with black sandals, which I wore to the reception (If I could have gotten away with it it I would have wore them to the Temple as well).

After 10 years I still have them and they still fit and are still in pretty good shape. So here is to another 10 years of keep them in shape.

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T18:32:00.000-07:00

Birthday with the boys!

2010-10-10T15:28:00.000-07:00

Carey and I had a birthday a month ago and we did things a little different. Both of us had the day off and so we took Carey's boys and spent the morning playing with them. We took them to the Nickle Arcade up in Orem and found out that 5 dollars in Nickles can go a long way. We had a lot of fun and then we took them to Toys R Us and let them wander up and down the isles creating their Christmas list as they yelled out things that they wanted. It didn't take much to keep is all entertained and after spending most of mid-morning and early afternoon running around we took the boys home and the rest of the day was relaxing and getting things done around the house.

Some random pcitures of our outing!

Carey and the boys checking out one of the toy isles.

Kelton found his favorite isle with all the cars!

Kayden getting along great with Lighting Mcqueen!

Kayden learning how to be a trucker!

This is what happens when you don't take care of your teeth!

Kelton is looking for a bite!

Kayden and his weird looking teeth!

Grandpa and Cooper having a time out together!

Breaking a World record!

2010-09-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

During the summer growing up, us kids were always looking for something to do. One Summer I heard of this huge ball of twine that someone had created and it was now famous. I figured at the time if this guy can do it then so can I. As I looked around I could not find any twine but there were plenty of yarn around and so I found every ball of yarn that wasn't being used for anything or wouldn't be missed and i started to combine them together.

That summer I worked on it on and off and found it was not as easy as it looked. For one thing my fingers got tired and sore and then being a kid there was alot of other fun things to do that summer and so my attention was getting diverted. Plus I was running out of yarn and it didn't look good to ask Mom and Dad for money and be asked "for what" even then I knew that my answer would sound really lame if I had said "for more yarn which I need for the yarn ball I was making". After a while the ball of yarn was put away and I soon forgot all about it.

Fast forward 15 years I found out that I still had that ball of yarn that I had worked on that one summer. It seems I found a box for it and that box was put in storage. My excitement for breaking the record has mellowed over the years and it does not sound as exciting as it once did. For the moment the guy who holds the current record can keep it, but one day when I have the dollars to spare that record just may be broken.

The ball of yarn that I started all those years ago.

Another picture of the yarn ball.

The record to beat!

Disco night is back!

2010-09-23T16:46:00.001-07:00

Every Family has clothes that are handed down from one generation to the next. Here is Chana and Erin modeling clothes that were given to them from Grandma Taylor who passed away several months ago. As you can see the clothes have Style and Chana and Erin model them quite well.

Toothpaste battle!

2010-09-23T16:22:00.000-07:00

Every marriage has its silent battles that may be silly or dumb but we all have something that we go back and forth on. So its interesting to note that we all grow up being taught how to do things or use something that becomes a habit and when you get married you have two people that come together and find they do things differently. You learn to compermise or somebody may learn something new. In our household one of those things is when do you throw a tube of toothpaste away and break open a new tube. I admit that I grew up and was taught not to waste things and to get every use out of something before throwing it away. My wife it seems was taught that once the tube was half gone then it was time to get a new tube. It drives me crazy since the old tube is still good. and I will admit if I catch it in time I will rescue the old tube to where ever it was thrown and put it back in its place to be used again. If I am lucky the wife will get the message and keep using the old tube untill its gone. Sometimes luck is against me and the wife will throw it out again and keep using the new tube. Its hard to know who is right and who is wrong, but either way it keeps the marrage interesting.

Taylors 2010

2010-09-01T16:01:00.001-07:00

Not long after Erin Got home from her mission, everyone was in town and it was decided to get some family pictures. Between kids having tantrums and finding the best pose we got some fun pictures of the family.

A blast from the past with the kids of the family.

A few years later and we are still looking really good.

The Taylors of Today!

A few years later and we added a few new people and plus we still are a good looking family.

The following pictures are not in any order:

Good looking parents!

The Chris and Carey are still short compared to Jason.

Introducing Chana , Erin and Sydney.

The Grandkids with the Grandparents

Jason and Jenn and their kids.

Chris and his wife Lori.

Chana and her husband Fred

Sydney and her husband Jared

Sydney and Jared with their kids

Chris and Carey the Taylor Twins

Parents + the kids + their spouses + the grandkids = a really big family

We rented some kids just for taking pictures.

Erin and her two boyfriends! Who will she choose.

Natures sunset!

2010-08-22T17:25:00.000-07:00

Its not often that we have a cool sunset, and this month we have seen quite a few of them and here is one that was a favorite.

Fun with the boys

2010-08-22T16:56:00.000-07:00

Before school offically begin Sydney's and Carey's kids were allowed to have a sleepover at Grandma Taylors house. We came up to help out a little and here are some pictures of some of the fun that they had.

Gibson, Kelton and Kayden riding around on the deck.

Hang on tight boys, Kayden is driving.

Creed is really enjoying the slip and slid.

A sidewalk drawing of one of the kids.

Kayden is being drawn.

A dog pile on Chris.

Showing the boys who's boss!

Happy 10 years!

2010-08-04T15:50:00.000-07:00

Can't belive its been 10 years. We ran away to SLC and stayed in our favorite place Little America and we ate at the Cheesecake Factory which was the first time for both of us and it was GOOOOOD!!! We took away with us some Cheesecake desert and ate it later in the evening. Then we explored the Gateway mall area and just hung out. The next day we did the Sunday breakfast bar that they hold in Little America and it is to die for. really good food and the best part all you can eat. Happy Annaversary!

We were on the 14th floor!

What our room looked like.

The view from our room!

Chana's and Erins fault for Starting the Jumping on the bed picture taking.

Lori sleeping away in the nice comfy bed.

Us after 10 years!...Do you like the kids that are with us! We rented them for a day just for taking pictures. Meet Zyler (aka Kelton) and Zane (aka Kayden). Not to Worry we did not take them off the street, They are Carey's kids and Carey and Rachel were nice enough to loan them to us for this picture.

10 Years NO WAY!

Summer time family!

2010-07-09T10:15:00.001-07:00

During the month of June we had family in town and it was good to see them. Chana was here the whole month and was a big help to everyone and went where she was needed. We got family pictures which is always interesting when you have little kids who don't like to sit still but we still managed to get a few good shots. Summertime is fun with the kids and hope they enjoy the rest of their summer.

Updates!

2010-07-09T10:02:00.000-07:00

Sister Erin is now home.... she got home on the June 24 2010 which was a Thursday. Its been fun to have her home again, its been good to have her back. It was interesting to compare her mission to my mission back in 1994. I was really surprised to learn that Missionaries no longer used the blue weekly scheduales but used monthy sceduale books designed for missionaries. They also didn't take lesson books to teaching appointments anymore but rather played it by ear and taught the investagator what they felt they need to hear. There was a few other things that had changed but in the end if you think about it its still the same work that is being preformed just a few changes to keep up with the times.

Creative Smiles Story!

2010-05-23T17:49:00.000-07:00

I could not resist but I had to post some of these very creative smiles that I found on the Internet. Reflecting moods, personality's, animals, holidays, objects. I seems there is a icon reflecting just about everything. Some are really funny but over all someone got really creative when they made these icons. Here are some that I found. Here is a little story I created for the fun of it.

Once upon a time there was a family called the Zolars who had alot of kids and they were always doing something that caused people to laugh at them. JP one of the youngest kids loved making faces at people when riding in the car, everytime a car would pull up besides them he would do this....

JJ who was one of the oldest kids was always talking on the phone no matter what what was going on around them.

There was grampa who always had a smile and a joke to tell anyone who would listen

Then there was JT who really like listening to music and rocking out to the lastest song.

On this day grandpa was driving them to a birthday party and KO was so exctied to go since it was their birthday and looking forward to making alot of noise.

RA who had been sick over the last few days was feeling better and was just happy to be going anywhere.

CAL was one of the smartest in the family and had these really cool glasses that they liked to wear.

It was just after Halloween and they were still talking about the Pumpkins that were still on the porch and this was one of the favorites that they were hopping would last a bit longer before they had to throw it away.

They were also talking about the bat that few in the open window of the attic and wondered when it would fly out again so it woould stop making noise at night keep them awake.

As they were driving through town they came across someone that was dancing on the side of the road, They shouted with excitment when the dancer pulled off some moves that they couldn't belive.

They knew they were headed in the right direction when they saw somone walking down the road that looked like this...
Further down the road they also saw someone that was yelling out something and when they they got closer this is what they heard.

It was a really nice day to go this party and they were all glad that it was going to be out side under the...
Back at home LU was upset that they could not go to the party, They did not want anyone to see that they had a little problem. As the Car got the party there was PO outside greeting the guest and since they had a bit too much to drink they were toasting everything in site. The family had a great laugh over this as they went around to the backyard to where the party was.

They first ooh and awwd at the baby who was playing around in a crib on the grass say how cute it was
Then they agreed with thier good friend VAL that it was true that today was

They could not help but smell all the different flowers that were placed around the yard.
There was a huge bowl of bubble gum on the table that the guest were snacking from.

As they were talking with all the other guest they could not help but notice that there was a animal that kept poking its head out of the bushes that were on the of the house it was fun to watch and grandpa kept making jokes about it.
DT who was having the party recived this toy as a gift and couldn't wait to try it and soon had all the guest lauging

HU who had to much sugar was going around pointing at people and saying "I have my eye on you"
MO found the bubble bottle stash and soon had all the kids blowing bubbles it was alot of fun.

As the party ended they were treated by DA who learned how to dance and this was the dance they had learned. All the guest howled with laughter as they were walking out. they exctited to learn how to do the chicken dance and that was the way they left the party

The Zolars had a great day and could not wait for thier next outing.

Blast from the 80's

2010-05-10T12:56:00.000-07:00

You're an eighties child if ...

You thought "Ghostbusters" was by far the coolest movie

You remember watching shows like "Punky Brewster" , "Webster", "You Can't Do That On Television" , "Wild&Crazy Kids" and "Double Dare

You knew what Willis was "talkin' 'bout."
You know the profound meaning of "Wax on, Wax off."

You can remember watching Full House and Saved by the Bell for endless hours!

You have seen at least 10 episodes of Fraggle Rock.

You yearned to be a member of The Babysitters Club, and tried to start a club of your own.

You sat on your back porch, playing with your "My Little Pony" , "Rainbow Brite" , and "Strawberry Shortcake" dolls

You could breakdance, or wished you could.

You know who He-Man and She-Ra are.

You remember when ATARI was a state of the art video game system.

You know all the words to "Ice Ice Baby".

You believed that "By the power of Greyskull, you HAD the power"

You thought that Transformers were more than meets the eye.

The Navajo Language

2010-04-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

As we all know our Country was settle by the indians and over the years its been a fun culture to learn about and understand. The Navajo people are still around and its been interesting to see how different some of thier language is compared to mordern english. Good luck in try to pronounce the wording

To apologize
Navajo phrase: Shaa nídiní'aah
The literal definition is "take it off for me."

Best Friend, etc.
Navajo phrase: Yi Ahidíltléé'
This phrase means something like "stuck together with him, her, or it."

To play bingo
Navajo phrase: Naa'óí naalzhoodí
This word describes "moving the beans around".

Burger King
Navajo name: 'Áh Bikiin
The literal definition is "just enough food to get strength from".

To get burned (insulted)
Navajo phrase: Át'aa la' hóníí' 'o'oots'id!
This word literally means "his/her face caved in!

To be a butthead!
Navajo phrase: Yáadilá t'a'iiyahii!

Can't eat any more
Navajo phrase: Bidiich'ee'
This word describes the mouth being spread open wide & being stuffed

Cell Phone
Navajo name: Bi níjoobaí
This word, which literally means "one spins around with this,"

To Be cold, have the chills, etc.
Navajo phrase: Hak'az shich'i' iidííjéé'
The phrase above literally means "I was jumped by the cold."

To go on a date, go out, etc.
Navajo phrase (1): Naa nishoodí
The literal definition means "I'm going to drag you around."

Sunsets!

2010-04-05T16:49:00.000-07:00

Every now and then we get a sunset that you can't forget. I enjoyed watching this one sunset that bounced the light off the trees and mountains and how the colors changed the skyline as the sun went down.

The great remodel of 2010

2010-03-18T14:24:00.001-07:00

5 months in the making.... hours and hours and hours to make it happen.....countless decisions made and remade.....gallons of paint used and to keep it simple one color was used on all the walls...a few extra light plugs and switches and electrical plugs added......and finally with a few things left to put away the majority of the Great model of 2010 is done. Here are a few pictures to show the before pictures and during pictures and the final pictures.

Bedrooms makeover
The bedrooms and hall painted the same color. Wallpaper in the master bedroom was taken off. The old carpet taken out and new updated carpet was put in. The closets were widened Shelves were added and painted.

Living room makeover 2010

2010-03-18T14:21:00.001-07:00

Living Room makeover
New cherrio cabinet for Moms crystal figures, new tv/media cabinet, nice wood and marbel mantel for the cool gas fireplace, Wood floors

Kitchen makeover 2010

2010-03-18T14:12:00.001-07:00

Kitchen Makeover
The stove and the fridge changed places with new faces. New paint on the walls, new wood floor. The banister for the stairs was replaced. It was interesting to discover while taking out the old counter that Erin left her mark on the underside of the old counter. It seems she did not want to be forgotten, Lets hope the people that bought the old cabnets and counter will enjoy it as much as we did. (If you are asking how the dishes were done, the answer to that is the bathroom sinks)

Bathroom makeover 2010

2010-03-18T14:09:00.002-07:00

Bathroom makeover.
All the bathrooms have been retiled, repainted, and look really good. Two new toilets have been added to to spice things up

Laundry room makeover 2010

2010-03-18T14:09:00.001-07:00

Laundry room Makeover
The old wallpaper that had been up since the family moved in was taken down and tile was put down under the washer and dryer. New wood floor was put in.

Ceiling makeover 2010

2010-03-18T14:07:00.000-07:00

Ceiling Makeover
It was really interesting to do the ceilings we got to use "MAGIC PAINT" It was purple paint that went on purple and then when it dried it turned white. The ceilings really liked it since they needed at least 5 coats of paint to make it look nice.

Date of coming home!

2010-03-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

Very exciting news, we have found out when Sister Erin Taylor comes home and its going to be June 23 2010.

***Important to know***
I spilled the beans a little to early about Sister Erin Taylor. She is aware of when she is coming home but please do not write her and tell her that. She does not need the distractions or the reminders, let het focus on her work. Thanks

Fears and Phobias

2010-03-06T15:06:00.000-08:00

I always wanted to see what tpye of fears and phobias were out there and I found some interesting things. I know this is real for alot of people and its nothing to laugh at but it was interesting to see what people could have a phobia with and here is what I found.

Agrizoophobia- Fear of wild animals

Chiroptophobia- Fear of bats

Bibliophobia- Fear of books

Elurophobia- Fear of cats

Alektorophobia- Fear of chickens

Ecclesiophobia- Fear of church

Coulrophobia- Fear of clowns

Demophobia- Fear of crowds

Cynophobia- Fear of dogs or rabies

Dutchphobia- Fear of the Dutch

Hoplophobia- Fear of firearms

Alliumphobia- Fear of garlic.

Chirophobia- Fear of hands

Equinophobia- Fear of horses

Genuphobia- Fear of knees

Gamophobia- Fear of marriage

Arrhenphobia- Fear of men

Catoptrophobia- Fear of mirrors

Ballistophobia- Fear of missiles or bullets.

Aichmophobia- Fear of needles or pointed objects

Gerascophobia- Fear of growing old

Didaskaleinophobia- Fear of going to school

Heliophobia- Fear of the sun

Bufonophobia- Fear of toads

Dendrophobia- Fear of trees

Caligynephobia- Fear of beautiful women

Some others that you may have never thought of:

Omphalophobia- Fear of belly buttons.
Soteriophobia - Fear of dependence on others.
Verbophobia- Fear of words.
Russophobia- Fear of Russians
Zelophobia- Fear of jealousy.

Ombrophobia- Fear of rain or of being rained on.
Theatrophobia- Fear of theatres.
Sophophobia- Fear of learning.
Verminophobia- Fear of germs.
Oneirophobia- Fear of dreams
Thanatophobia or Thantophobia- Fear of death or dying.

Zeusophobia- Fear of God or gods.
Pharmacophobia- Fear of drugs
Proctophobia- Fear of rectums
Thalassophobia- Fear of the sea.
Ommetaphobia or Ommatophobia- Fear of eyes.

Zemmiphobia- Fear of the great mole rat.
Rhytiphobia- Fear of getting wrinkles.
Rupophobia- Fear of dirt.
Vestiphobia- Fear of clothing.
Zoophobia- Fear of animals.

Somniphobia- Fear of sleep.
Spacephobia- Fear of outer space.
Thaasophobia- Fear of sitting.
Prosophobia- Fear of progress

Texting and internet shorthand!

2010-02-12T10:11:00.000-08:00

I have learned a few things when it comes to texting or chatting on the interent. if you want to save time you can do lettering shorthand. I wanted to see how many words or sentences could be cut down to a few letters and here is what I found:

:$ Embarrassed '( Crying :( Unhappy, sad :(:) Pig :(|) Monkey

:) Happy :* Kiss :-( Sad :-) Smile :-* Kiss :/ Sarcasm

•GBNF Gone But Not Forgotten •FIO Figure It Out

•4YEO For Your Eyes Only •NPI No Pun Intended

•CMB Call Me Back •DWU Don't Wait Up

•TYMBI Thought You Might Be Interested

•MTYK More Than You Know

•PEBCAC Problem Exists Between Chair And Computer

•YGTBK You've Got To Be Kidding

•WML Wish Me Luck

•S&D Search and Destroy

•CSL Can't stop laughing

•S&M Sadism and Masochism

•JM Just Messing :L , Laughing

:O Surprised :O) Clown nose smiley face :P Sticking tongue out

:S Confused :X Zipped lips :[ Sad Vampire

:] Happy :| Disgust, disapproval, not funny ;( Crying

;) Wink ;-) Wink

•S&P Salt and Pepper •S/B Should Be •EDD Estimated Delivery Date

•T4M Transvestite looking for a man •H Hug •EEG Extremely Evil Grin

•H&K Hugs and Kisses •H/O Hold On •EDDRESS Email address

•EDJ Energy Drink Junkie •EEPROM Erasable EPROM

•H1N1 Swine flu virus •EFA Edited For Accuracy

•T-T Crying •H2CUS Hope To See You Soon

•T2M Talk To Me •H2G Had to Go, Honest To God

•T2UL Talk To You Later

This is only a small portion of what I found there is alot more short hand lettering for sentences or phrases.

Famous signs!

2010-01-24T17:33:00.000-08:00

Growing up we have associated images, signs and logos with different companys. Often times that image is burned into our minds without realizing it and we know what it is as soon as we see it. Here are some logos that you may be fimiliar with and if not then the answers will be at the bottom of the page.

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

6)

7)

8)

9)

10)

11)

12)

13)

14)

15)

16)

17)

18)

19)

20)

21)

22)

23)

24)

25)

26)

27)

28)

29)

30)

31)

Answers:
1) Yellow Pages logo
2) Xbox 360 logo
3) Walmart Logo
4) Valvoline Oil/Gas logo
5) Toyota logo
6) Tom tom logo
7) Timberland clothing store logo
8) Texaco gas station logo
9) Target Store logo
10)Shell gas station logo
11)Safeway food store logo
12)Rolling stones rock group logo
13)Rca entertainment logo
14)Radio schack logo
15)Pepsi drink logo
16)Opera logo
17)Msn logo
18)Motorola Phone logo
19)Dell Computers logo
20)Lexus car logo
21)Girl Scouts logo
22)Etrade logo
23)Continental Airlines logo
24)Cingular Phones logo
25)Athens logo
26)atandt Phone Company logo
27)Apple Computers logo (Old logo)
28)Apple Computers logo (current logo)
29)Air Canada logo
30)Adobe logo
31)Acura Cars logo

License Plate Madness!

2010-01-10T17:44:00.000-08:00

Have you ever thought of getting a personalized license plate for your car and wondered what you would put on it. Would it reflect you!, or life or just simply something really dumb! Here are a few that I found that I though were really interesting.

Here are some Creative Plates and what they mean if you don't really get it the first time.

20GS-- The cost of the Lincoln Continental when the owner bought the car
22 NICE-- Too Too Nice, on a 1987 RX-7 that will be in the IASCA shows
2 3PAIR -- Too(th r)epair...get it? On a dentist's car
24 KT -- A jeweler's car
26E4U -- Too Sexy for you!
29 CRIB -- The owner is president of the Madison Cribbage Club. For cribbage neophytes, 29 is a perfect hand, VERY VERY rare.
2BENVD -- To be envied, on a Corvette
2BLND4U -- Too blonde for you. The plate was in a plate holder; the top of the plate said, "some blondes" and the bottom of the plate said, upsidedown, "are intelligent."
2BORWAT -- To be or what? Modern day Hamlet?!
2BSAVED -- Don't we all wish? ;)
2BWED -- This was the vanity plate the owner came up with for his wife while they were engaged. He hoped it would discourage any "prowlers" on the road. I guess it worked, he just celebrated 4 years of marriage with a baby on the way! Ohhhhhh.
2COY 4U -- Too coy for you

FE2O3 -- On a rusty '46 Chevy pickup...get it? Fe2O3 is iron oxide or rust
FEATURE -- On a VW Bug
FENRY -- (on a) Honda. Hint: think of famous actors.
FEOZZI -- Hint: the owner is an Australian Triathelite and remember your chemistry symbol Fe (Iron)?
FIDL DD -- Fiddle dee dee, on a Nissan Maxima (Gone with the wind ref)
FILLRUP -- The owner is in the petrolium business
FINAGL -- on a finagler's (i.e., accountant's) car
FIREBALL -- On A Fierro, Because The Engines Are Known To Blow Up
FIREDUP -- On a sports car driven by a seemingly (it was at night) attractive lady
FIREHWK -- Fire Hawk, on a firefighter's car
FIRETURD -- On A Firebird
FIT2SKI -- Fit to ski

HOT-TKT -- Hot ticket, on a Corvette with a blonde female driver. Turns out she was a travel agent.
HOWDEDU -- On a Dodge Van
HSSSSS -- (A Cobra's Hiss) On a Mustang in Dallas
HUMONGO -- Bodybuilder's car
HUMR ME -- Humor me, on a Colorado plate
HUM THIS -- On a Hummer from Denver (With Illinois plates)
HUT ONE -- Football player's car
HYPRDRV -- Hyperdrive, on a modified Eagle Talon TSi AWD
HYRTHNU -- On a small Toyota pickup with VERRRY large tires. Unfortunately, this did not intimidate the cop who pulled the owner over for speeding.

IMABRAT -- You sure are!
IMA NERD -- He looks like an LA surfer punk, but he admits he's a computer geek
IMAQT -- I am a cutie, on an actress's car
IMATEN -- I'm a 10!
IMB4U -- I'm before you!
IM BLIND -- Seen in the Pentagon parking lot in Virginia(handicapped spot?)
IMD14U -- I'm THE one for you! Seen on Vette in Baton Rouge, La
IMEZRU -- I'm easy, are you?
IMLEVNU -- I'm leaving you

MEETNM8 -- Meet and Mate
MEGOB4U -- Me go before you!
ME HURT -- On a car with a handicapped driver symbol
MI6 SPY -- A British car. MI-6 is the popular designation for Britain's Secret Intelligence Service.
MINE -- On a Lincoln Town car
MINIAC -- On a 60' Austin Mini Cooper
MINUET -- A Musician's car
MI TU U -- Me to you

NUNSRUS -- On a van carrying a group of sisters clad in habits
NVIGOR8 -- Black Acura Vigor (California)
NVMYZ28 -- Envy my Z28
NVRENUF -- Never Enough
NVRLKBK -- Never Look Back, on a DeLorian. This is in reference to the movie "Back to the Future"
NVRSADI-- Never say die on a cherry 1985 Nissan 300zx with 130,000 miles
NY AXXNT -- The owner is a fan of NY and has the original plate hanging in her office in NYNY.
NYMFEO -- New York Mafioso and proud of it!
NYOFACE -- In Your Face, on a supercharged Celica

Getting away for Christmas!

2009-12-29T16:02:00.000-08:00

Chana had us for Christmas this year and part of the gift she gave us was a one night stay to the Zarmott Inn located in Miday. Since we were pressed for time to use the pass we arrange to go up on the 23rd of December and stay overnight and then the next day continue to Logan where we were spending Christmas this year.
This resort is very nice and we had lots of fun many thanks to Chana for letting us go.

We ate Tommys BBQ in Heber Located by the train station its was really good.

A closer look at Tommys sign.

The front view during the daylight.

The front view during the night.

What fun! we get a cabin! Mmmmm! I thought it would be bigger!

Lori thinks its going to be a tight squeeze!

Just kidding we got a really nice room. Our window is the Second row from the top and the Corner window.

A tribute to Chana we included a jumping picture. Lori had to be careful or she would hit the ceiling if she jumped to high.

This is for you Chana! Getting some serious air.

Road Signs to other places.

A hole!

Met a very nice family from the highland area and they were creating thier own fun my roasting marshmellos on the outdoor fire pits.

Getting ready to flash!

Gotcha!

Some of the ice Castles that were created. looks cool in the night.

Another shot of the ice castles

A daytime shot of the ice castles

The ice castles were fun to see!

Had to get a shot with the bear!

Crazy fun!

Christmas in Logan!

2009-12-29T15:29:00.000-08:00

This Christmas we were up in Logan and dispite it being a little cold it was fun to be up there.

Caleb and Hanna, and Jacob playing with some of thier gifts.

Tanner with some of his gifts.

Mayson sitting in the corner waiting to unwrap gifts.

The kids are checking thier Stockings while waiting to hand out the gifts.

Hanna, Caleb, Jacob being showing something interesting

Troy and Natalie on the couch visting with Angie who is on the floor.

Mcall sitting in the chair being cheeky!

Hunting for the gifts under the tree.

Chris recived a pocket knife and Lori showing off her Jar that has quarters in it.

Lori Counting the quarters in her money jar she recived from Grandpa.

Tanner helpiing to rip off the paper with Dad and Jacob

Tanner is sitting on his gift so it won't be taken away.

Tanner wandering around looking for the next gift to open.

Tanner not happy with Chris while trying to make gingerbread man.

Mcall, Hanna, Chris, Caleb and Mayson around the table makeing Gingerbread man.

Tanner just loves the new play horse that he recived for Christmas.

Caleb playing with his new helocopter.

Tanner and Hanna snuggleing up in Hannas new blanket.

I was lucky to unwrap my wife for Christmas.

Bendaroos-- what fun they are!

2009-12-29T15:02:00.000-08:00

We got to go around to Lori's brothers houses to see what they recived for Christmas the Kids of Troy were excited that they got bendaroos for Christmas and wanted to show them off and Chris could not help but join in the fun.

One of the Kids gave Tanners picture a makeover!

Caleb found out what happens when you drink too much strawberry milk!

Caleb and his bendaroo beard!

Looks like Chris will be shaving his beard later!

Gotta love the new glasses!

Looking Good!

The before picture with Hanna

ooops!!-- must of been something extra in the christmas dinner!

Not sure what to call this!

Still looking good even with glasses on.

Tanner and Hanna keeping busy at the table at Wingers

Christmas at home!

2009-12-29T14:36:00.000-08:00

Even though we were up North for Christmas we got to come home and got to see Chris's family and hang out for a little bit with them.

Copper with Chris (Cooper was excited about the picture and could not sit still)

kelton can't resist taking a clothing optional picture

Kayden showing off their tree house they got for Christmas.

Kayden looks really Happy when he has no hair!

Cooper with Grandpa

Chana snuggling with Izzie

Gibson is going to be a model when he grows up, he already knows how to pose!

Chana learned (thanks to Dad) that shrimp tails are good for pedacures!

Addie is taking orders in her Kitchen.

izzie looking all innocent with her parents looking on in the background.

Cooper is always ready for the camera.

Addie-- always ready with a smile

MURPHY'S LAWS

2009-12-13T18:10:00.000-08:00

Here are some murphy's laws that you may not have heard about but have experence in some way or the other.

--If you have to ask, you're not entitled to know.
--If you don't like the answer, you shouldn't have asked the question.
--When eating an elephant, take one bite at a time.
--When working toward the solution of a problem, it always helps if you know the answer

--A memorandum is written not to inform the reader but to protect the writer.
--Anybody can win -- unless there happens to be a second entry.

--When the plane you are on is late, the plane you want to transfer to is on time.
--The theory is supported as long as the funds are.
--A great many problems do not have accurate answers, but do have approximate answers, from which sensible decisions can be made.

--All bicycles weigh 50 pounds:
A 30-pound bicycle needs a 20-pound lock and chain.
A 40-pound bicycle needs a 10-pound lock and chain.
A 50-pound bicycle needs no lock or chain.

--When in doubt, mumble.
--When in trouble, delegate.
--When in charge, ponder

--The chance of the bread falling with the buttered side down is directly proportional to the cost of the carpet

--Tell a man there are 300 billion stars in the universe and he'll believe you. Tell him a bench has wet paint on it and he'll have to touch to be sure

--If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong.

--If there is a worse time for something to go wrong, it will happen then.

--An expert is one who knows more and more about less and less until he knows absolutely everything about nothing.

--All's well that ends.

--A meeting is an event at which the minutes are kept and the hours are lost.

Thanksgiving 09

2009-11-29T17:22:00.000-08:00

RULE # 1: WHEN YOU TAKE THE CAMERA, DON'T FORGET TO TAKE IT OUT AND TAKE PICTURES!!!
It was a fun Thanksgiving Lori and I went down to Salina and ate with the Grandparents and some of the cousins. Here are some pictures that we did remmeber to take.

Mom and Aunt Kathy helping to get things ready!

Uncle Mike and Grandma and Aunt Brenda waiting for the fun to begain.

Carey and his boys playing in the park near by.

Chris is having fun on the playground.

Carey going down the slid with kayden.

Chris and Cousin Sasha playing on the slide.

Get ready here comes Chris!

Cousin Sasha getting ready to go down.

Chris and Lori being serious!

Chris and Lori getting ready for Broadway!....Actors we are not!

What a cute couple!

MMMMMM! Need I say more!

Nice Picture on the stairs in front of a piller!

Saying goodby!

2009-11-01T17:02:00.000-08:00

Its sad to see when family moves away to follow their goals. As you know its Chanas turn to leave the state and go explore another area of the United States. Chana and Fred were leaving to head to AZ so Fred could go to Golf School. I'm sure we will see them again when they visit but its still sad to see them or anyone else go. Halloween night was the last time we would see them for a while and we wish them luck on thier new adventure. If you are wondering why Fred is not in any of the pictures he was too busy with Jared getting things done.

Sydney and I and Chana

One last picture before they hit the road. I'm sure Chana's face is due to my Costume. LOL!

Halloween 09

2009-11-01T16:39:00.001-08:00

Halloween was alot of fun this year. I made my custome from paint samples that you would get from a paint store and spent a few hours creating a suit out of it. I have to say it turned out pretty good. here are some pictures that were taken plus a few that were taken of the kids.

I had to lay on the floor and slither in the pants. Lori got a big kick out of it.

The paint sample man and Optimus Prime (Gibson) posing for a picture.

Me and Elmo (Kayden) and Nemo the orange clown fish (Kelton )

Kelton dressed up as Nemo the orange clown fish

Buzz light year(Easton)showing how he can fly down the stairs.

Buzz light year (Easton) is here to save the day!

Optimus Prime ready to save the day

Elmo is here to be tickled

Carey took over the role of the Grim Reaper its a little frighting when you don't know whats in the fog.

A picture to be proud of.

What fun its been to dress up.

Nursery rhymes

2009-10-17T15:14:00.000-07:00

I am sure everyone has a favorite nursery rhyme they heard as a child and has always remembered. I decided to explore and see what nursery rhymes were out there and if there was any history to how they came about. Here are some that you may recognize and others maybe new to you.

One two buckle my shoe:

One two buckle my shoe
Three, four, knock at the door
Five, six, pick up sticks
Seven, eight, lay them straight
Nine, ten, a big fat hen
Eleven, twelve, dig and delve
Thirteen, fourteen, maids a-courting
Fifteen, sixteen, maids in the kitchen
Seventeen, eighteen, maids in waiting
Nineteen, twenty, my plates empty

Devised as a pleasurable and fun way to teach children how to count using different imagery to fire a child's imagination.
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Christmas is coming:

Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat
Please to put a penny in the old man's hat;
If you haven't got a penny, a ha'penny will do,
If you haven't got a ha'penny then God bless you!

The lyrics of this song were to associate the Christmas feast with geese which were traditional English Christmas fayre. The meaning that was conveyed to a child was that the festive period was where each should give to charity, according to their means...even if they could only give their blessing!
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Georgie Porgie:

Georgie Porgie pudding and pie,
Kissed the girls and made them cry
When the boys came out to play,
Georgie Porgie ran away.

The Early Battle of the Sexes?
A Nursery Rhyme demonstrating the different attitudes between the sexes! Even at a very early age children in Britain would play a game called 'Kiss Chase' - in fact the girls would actually chase the boys and then kiss them! their were no tears from the girls but the boys fought like mad to get away! The origins and history of the lyrics to this nursery rhyme are English and refer to George (Georgie Porgie), the Duke of Buckingham, from 17th century English history. His dubious moral character was much in question! This, however, was overlooked due to his friendship with King Charles II until the parliament stopped the Kind intervening on his behalf - at this point all of the jealous husbands vowed to wreak their revenge causing Georgie Porgie to 'run away'!
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Old Mother Hubbard:

Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard
To get her poor doggie a bone,
When she got there
The cupboard was bare
So the poor little doggie had none.

Origins of lyrics in British history
The Old Mother Hubbard referred to in these nursery rhyme words and lyrics allude to the famous Cardinal Wolsey. Cardinal Wolsey was the most important politician and churchman of the Tudor history period in 16th century England. Cardinal Wolsey proved to be a faithful servant but displeased the King, Henry VIII, by failing to arrange the King's divorce from Queen Katherine of Aragon which would enable him to marry Anne Boleyn. The King was the "doggie" and the "bone" alludes to the divorce (and not money as many believe) The cupboard relates to the Catholic Church
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Red sky at night:

Red sky at night,
Shepherd's delight;
Red sky at morning,
Shepherd's warning.

A practical nursery rhyme
Practical origins for this English nursery rhyme are based on the weather predictions of England and how a red sky at night would indicate fair weather on the following day. Conversely a shepherd would say that a red sky in the morning would suggest inclement weather to follow. It should be remembered that there were no weather forecasts, as such, in days gone by and one had to make one's own weather predictions. Those with the most knowledge and experience were those who worked outside all year round and were fully conversant with changing weather patterns like the shepherd referred to in this rhyme
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Ring a ring o' rosies:

Ring a ring o' rosies
A pocketful of posies
"Atishoo, Atishoo"
We all fall down!

Origins in English History
The lyrics to this nursery rhyme has its origins as a children's ring game. The period in history dates back to the great plague of London in 1665 (bubonic plague). The symptoms of the plague included a raised red rash on the skin (Ring a ring o' rosies) and violent sneezing (Atishoo, Atishoo) A pouch of sweet smelling herbs or posies were carried due to the belief that the disease was transmitted by bad smells. The death rate was over 60% and the plage was only halted by the Great Fire of London in 1666 which killed the rats which carried the disease which had been transmitting it to water sources.
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Diddle Diddle Dumpling:

Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John,
Went to bed with his trousers on;
One shoe off, and one shoe on,
Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John!

The origins and history to Diddle Diddle Dumpling?
A mother's words in a nursery rhyme to a typical boy child!
How many parents would be able to associate these lovely lyrics to their own child sprawled out , fast asleep, clothes half off and totally oblivious to their surroundings? Perhaps when told it could be a plea to become more tidy?
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Simple Simon:

Simple Simon met a pieman going to the fair;
Said Simple Simon to the pieman "Let me taste your ware"
Said the pieman to Simple Simon "Show me first your penny"
Said Simple Simon to the pieman "Sir, I have not any!"

Simple Simon went a-fishing for to catch a whale;
All the water he had got was in his mother's pail.
Simple Simon went to look if plums grew on a thistle;
He pricked his fingers very much which made poor Simon whistle.
He went for water in a sieve but soon it all fell through;
And now poor Simple Simon bids you all "adieu"

Origins and history to lyrics
In the days before fast food and convenience restaurants were invented food was sold from individuals. A fair was an extremely popular place to sell 'your ware' The tradition and history of fairs dates back to before the period in history referred to as Medieval England. The term 'Adieu' meaning 'Goodbye' is no longer used in the English language but will never be lost forever due to rhymes such as Simple Simon
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Mondays child:

Mondays child is fair of face,
Tuesdays child is full of grace,
Wednesdays child is full of woe,
Thursdays child has far to go,
Fridays child is loving and giving,
Saturdays child works hard for his living,
And the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.

Traditional Nursery Rhyme lyrics
The words and lyrics of this nursery rhyme poem were used to introduce a child to the order and the different days of week. The wording guaranteed to ensure that a child would take a keen interest in which day that they were born on! Sunday was traditionally referred to as the 'Sabbath day' in the religion of Christianity. This is the only reference to history for the origins of this nursery rhyme poem
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The lion and the unicorn:

The lion and the unicorn were fighting for the crown
The lion beat the unicorn all around the town.
Some gave them white bread, and some gave them brown;
Some gave them plum cake and drummed them out of town.

Origins in British history
The lion and the unicorn lyrics date from 1603 when King James VI of Scotland became James I of England unifying the Scottish and English crowns . The virgin Queen Elizabeth 1 named the son of Mary Queen of Scots, James, as her heir. The new union of the two countries required a new royal coat of arms combining those of England which featured two lions, and Scotland, whose coat of arms featured two Unicorns. A compromise was made thus the British coat of arms has
one Lion and one Unicorn
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Hush a bye baby:

Hush a bye baby, on the tree top,
When the wind blows the cradle will rock;
When the bow breaks, the cradle will fall,
And down will come baby, cradle and all.

Nursery Rhyme or lullaby?
The lyrics to this famous nursery rhyme were first published in 1765.
The words and lyrics to this song are often crooned to a baby in an effort to rock them to sleep. When repeating this song children often make a rocking motion with their hands and arms. The imagery conveyed appeals to a child's imagination! The origins and history of this nursery rhyme are said to originate from America and the habit of some Native Americans of placing a baby in the low branches of a tree allowing the young child or baby to be rocked to sleep.
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There was an old lady:

There was an old lady who swallowed a fly
I don't know why she swallowed a fly - perhaps she'll die!
There was an old lady who swallowed a spider,
That wriggled and wiggled and tiggled inside her;
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;
I don't know why she swallowed a fly - Perhaps she'll die!
There was an old lady who swallowed a bird;
How absurd to swallow a bird.
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;
I don't know why she swallowed a fly - Perhaps she'll die!
There was an old lady who swallowed a cat;
Fancy that to swallow a cat!
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;
I don't know why she swallowed a fly - Perhaps she'll die!
There was an old lady that swallowed a dog;
What a hog, to swallow a dog;
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;
I don't know why she swallowed a fly - Perhaps she'll die!
There was an old lady who swallowed a cow,
I don't know how she swallowed a cow;
She swallowed the cow to catch the dog,
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;
I don't know why she swallowed a fly - Perhaps she'll die!
There was an old lady who swallowed a horse...
She's dead, of course!

Nonsense nursery rhyme which aids memory retention
A favourite nonsense nursery rhyme amongst most children whose famous lyrics aid memory retention and whose origins have no basis in history! Just look at a child's face the first time the rhyme is repeated to them! Sheer delight in what is happening - the imagery paints a very strong picture which stimulates the imagination whilst clarifying the relative size and order of all of the animals mentioned. The words become more incredulous as they progress and there is almost a sense of relief and also astonishment at the abrupt ending of the tale! There is no basis for the words and lyrics in history -it is perhaps better described as a traditional folksong, the lyrics of which have been set to music and recorded by many various artists.
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What are little boys made of:

What are little boys made of?
Snips and snails, and puppy dogs tails
That's what little boys are made of !"
What are little girls made of?
"Sugar and spice and all things nice
That's what little girls are made of!"

The lyrics!
The origins and history of this nursery rhyme date back to the early nineteenth century - the battle of the sexes was raging even then! The lyrics obviously reflect this, but what is the meaning of 'snips and snails'? Many meanings have been suggested but the one that has the most credibility is that the original words were in fact 'snips of snails' snips meaning 'little bits of' No redemption there for describing what little boys are made of' !
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Hark hark the dogs do bark:

Hark hark the dogs do bark
The beggars are coming to town
Some in rags and some in jags*
And one in a velvet gown.

A cautionary tale - Nursery rhyme dates back to 13th century England
The origins of this story, reflected in the lyrics, is seeped in history. Wandering minstrels and beggars went from town to town singing their songs and rhymes - secret messages of dissent were often found in the lyrics and could lead to plots and uprisings against the crown and governments of the day. Dogs barking alerted communities to strangers in their midst, hence the words 'Hark, hark the dogs do bark ...' - " Beware of strangers"
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Little Tommy Tucker:

Little Tommy Tucker sings for his supper,
What shall we give him? Brown bread and butter.
How shall he cut it without a knife?
How shall he marry without a wife?

Who was Tommy Tucker?
'Tommy Tucker' referred to in the words and lyrics of this nursery rhyme was a colloquial term that was commonly used to describe orphans. The orphans were often reduced to begging or 'singing for their supper'. The reference to marrying and the lack of a wife reflects the difficulty of any orphan being able to marry due to their exceptionally low standing within the community

American Pie Song breakdown!

2009-10-09T09:42:00.000-07:00

The Song American Pie has aways intereted me with its history and how so much is said in so little wording. Talking to Dad one day he explained some of it and what it means and it was really interestig to hear. I decided to find out the whole storie and here it is.

THE ANNOTATED AMERICAN PIE
(What the song is talkin' about!)
By Rich Kulawiec

The entire song is a tribute to Buddy Holly and a commentary on how rock and roll changed in the years since his death. McLean seems to be lamenting the lack of "danceable" music in rock and roll and (in part) attributing that lack to the absence of Buddy Holly et. al. (Verse 1)

A long, long time ago...

"American Pie" reached #1 in the US in 1972, but the album containing it was released in 1971. Buddy Holly died in 1959.

I can still remember how
That music used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance,
That I could make those people dance,
And maybe they'd be happy for a while

One of early rock and roll's functions was to provide dance music for various social events. McLean recalls his desire to become a musician playing that sort of music.

But February made me shiver,

Buddy Holly died on February 3, 1959 in a plane crash in Iowa during a snowstorm.The news came to most of the world on the morning of February 3, which is why it's known as The Day The Music Died.

With every paper I'd deliver,

Don McLean's only job besides being a full-time singer-songwriter was being a paperboy.

Bad news on the doorstep...
I couldn't take one more step.
I can't remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride

Holly's recent bride, Maria Elena, was pregnant when the crash took place; she had a miscarriage shortly afterward.

But something touched me deep inside,
The day the music died.

The same plane crash that killed Buddy Holly also took the lives of Richie Valens ("La Bamba") and The Big Bopper ("Chantilly Lace"). Since all three were so prominent at the time, February 3, 1959 became known as "The Day The Music Died".

So...
(Refrain)

Bye bye Miss American Pie,

Miss American Pie *is* rock and roll music. Don McLean dated a Miss America candidate during the pageant. (unconfirmed)

Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry

Them good ole boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye

Singing "This'll be the day that I die,
This'll be the day that I die."

One of Holly's hits was "That'll be the Day"; the chorus contains the line "That'll be the day that I die"

VERSE TWO

Did you write the book of love,

"The Book of Love" by the Monotones; hit in 1958.

And do you have faith in God above,
If the Bible tells you so?

In 1955, Don Cornell did a song entitled "The Bible Tells Me So". Rick Schubert pointed this out, and mentioned that he hadn't heard the song, so it was kinda difficult to tell if it was what McLean was referencing. Dave Tutelman tells me that this particular song wasn't exactly a gem of rock 'n roll.

There's also an old Sunday School song which goes: "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so" (Stephen Joseph Smith tells me that Bartlett's gives the source of this as "The Love of Jesus", by Anna Bartlett Warner, 1858.)

Now do you believe in rock 'n roll?

The Lovin' Spoonful had a hit in 1965 with John Sebastian's "Do you Believe in Magic?". The song has the lines: "Do you believe in magic/it's like trying to tell a stranger 'bout rock and roll."

Can music save your mortal soul?
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?

Dancing slow was an important part of early rock and roll dance events -- but declined in importance through the 60's as things like psychedelia and the 10-minute guitar solo gained prominence.

Well I know you're in love with him
'Cause I saw you dancing in the gym
Slowdancing COULD just be dancing, or it could be vertical "making out". It wasn't hard to watch a couple slow-dancing and figure out whether they had some sort of relationship, if you knew anything about slow dancing. So just the fact they were dancing didn't tell you anything, but if "I saw you dancing in the gym" I could tell from watching whether there was anything between you (figuratively :-). (Thanks to Dave Tutelman for this note.)

You both kicked off your shoes

A reference to the beloved "sock hop".(Leather-soled street shoes tear up wooden basketball floors, and rubber-soled sneakers grip too much for dance moves, so dancers had to take off their shoes.)

Man, I dig those rhythm 'n' blues

Some history. Before the popularity of rock and roll, music, like much else in the U. S., was highly segregated. The popular music of black performers for largely black audiences was called, first, "race music", later softened to rhythm and blues.

In the early 50s, as they were exposed to it through radio personalities such as Allan Freed, white teenagers began listening, too. Starting around 1954, a number of songs from the rhythm and blues charts began appearing on the overall popular charts as well, but usually in cover versions by established white artists, (e. g. "Shake Rattle and Roll", Joe Turner, covered by Bill Haley; "Sh-Boom", the Chords, covered by the Crew-Cuts; "Sincerely", the Moonglows, covered by the Mc Guire Sisters; Tweedle Dee, LaVerne Baker, covered by Georgia Gibbs).

By 1955, some of the rhythm and blues artists, like Fats Domino and Little Richard were able to get records on the overall pop charts. In 1956 Sun records added elements of country and western to produce the kind of rock and roll tradition that produced Buddy Holly. (Thanks to Barry Schlesinger for this historical note. ---Rsk)

I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck

"A White Sport Coat (And a Pink Carnation)", was a hit for Marty Robbins in 1957. The pickup truck has endured as a symbol of sexual independence and potency, especially in a Texas context. (Also, Jimmy Buffet does a song about "a white sport coat and a pink crustacean".

But I knew that I was out of luck
The day the music died
I started singing...

Refrain

VERSE THREE

Now for ten years we've been on our own

McLean was writing this song in the late 60's, about ten years after the crash.

And moss grows fat on a rolling stone

It's unclear who the "rolling stone" is supposed to be. It could be Dylan, since "Like a Rolling Stone" (1965) was his first major hit; and since he was busy writing songs extolling the virtues of simple love, family and contentment while staying at home (he didn't tour from '66 to '74) and raking in the royalties. This was quite a change from the earlier, angrier Dylan.

The "rolling stone" could also be Elvis, although I don't think he'd started to pork out by the late sixties. It could refer to rock and rollers in general, and the changes that had taken place in the business in the 60's, especially the huge amounts of cash some of them were beginning to make, and the relative stagnation that entered the music at the same time.

Or, perhaps it's a reference to the stagnation in rock and roll.

Or, finally, it could refer to the Rolling Stones themselves; a lot of musicians were angry at the Stones for "selling out". Howard Landman points out that John Foxx of Ultravox was sufficiently miffed to write a song titled "Life At Rainbow's End (For All The Tax Exiles On Main Street)". The Stones at one point became citizens of some other country merely to save taxes.

But that's not how it used to be
When the jester sang for the King and Queen

The jester is Bob Dylan, as will become clear later. There are several interpretations of king and queen: some think that Elvis Presley is the king, which seems pretty obvious. The queen is said to be either Connie Francis or Little Richard. But see the next note.

An alternate interpretation is that this refers to the Kennedys -- the king and queen of "Camelot" -who were present at a Washington DC civil rights rally featuring Martin Luther King. (There's a recording of Dylan performing at this rally.)

In a coat he borrowed from James Dean

In the movie "Rebel Without a Cause", James Dean has a red windbreaker that holds symbolic meaning throughout the film (see note at end of Annotated American Pie). In one particularly intense scene, Dean lends his coat to a guy who is shot and killed; Dean's father arrives, sees the coat on the dead man, thinks it's Dean, and loses it. On the cover of "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan", Dylan is wearing just such as red windbreaker, and is posed in a street scene similar to one shown in a well-known picture of James Dean. Bob Dylan played a command performance for the Queen and Prince Consort of England. He was *not* properly attired, so perhaps this is a reference to his apparel.

And a voice that came from you and me

Bob Dylan's roots are in American folk music, with people like Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. Folk music is by definition the music of the masses, hence the "...came from you and me".

Oh, and while the King was looking down
The jester stole his thorny crown

This could be a reference to Elvis's decline and Dylan's ascendance. (i.e. Presley is looking down from a height as Dylan takes his place.) The thorny crown might be a reference to the price of fame. Dylan has said that he wanted to be as famous as Elvis, one of his early idols.

The courtroom was adjourned,
No verdict was returned.
This could be the trial of the Chicago Seven, but McLean seems to be talking about music, not politics at this point in the song. With that in mind, perhaps he meant that the arguments between Dylan and Elvis fans over who was better just couldn't be settled.

And while Lennon read a book on Marx,

Literally, John Lennon reading about Karl Marx; figuratively, the introduction of radical politics into the music of the Beatles. (Of course, he could be referring to Groucho Marx, but that doesn't seem quite consistent with McLean's overall tone. On the other hand, some of the wordplay in Lennon's lyrics and books is reminiscint of Groucho.) The "Marx-Lennon" wordplay has also been used by others, most notably the Firesign Theatre on the cover of their album "How Can You Be In Two Places At Once When You're Not Anywhere At All?". Also, a famous French witticism was "Je suis Marxiste, tendance Groucho."; "I'm a Marxist of the Groucho variety".

It's also a pun on "Lenin".

The quartet practiced in the park

There are two schools of thought about this; the obvious one is the Beatles playing in Shea Stadium, but note that the previous line has John Lennon *doing something else at the same time*. This tends to support the theory that this is a reference to the Weavers, who were blacklisted during the McCarthy era. McLean had become friends with Lee Hays of the Weavers in the early 60's while performing in coffeehouses and clubs in upstate New York and New York City. He was also well-acquainted with Pete Seeger; in fact, McLean, Seeger, and others took a trip on the Hudson river singing anti-pollution songs at one point. Seeger's LP "God Bless the Grass" contains many of these songs.

And we sang dirges in the dark

A "dirge" is a funeral or mourning song, so perhaps this is meant literally...or, perhaps, this is a reference to some of the new "art rock" groups which played long pieces not meant for dancing.

The day the music died.
We were singing...

Refrain

VERSE FOUR

Helter Skelter in a summer swelter

"Helter Skelter" is a Beatles song which appears on the "white" album. Charles Manson, claiming to have been "inspired" by the song (through which he thought God and/or the devil were taking to him) led his followers in the Tate-LaBianca murders. Is "summer swelter" a reference to the "Summer of Love" or perhaps to the "long hot summer" of Watts?

The birds flew off with the fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast
The Byrd's "Eight Miles High" was on their late 1966 release "Fifth Dimension". It was one of the first records to be widely banned because of supposedly drug-oriented lyrics.

It landed foul on the grass.

One of the Byrds was busted for possession of marijuana.

The players tried for a forward pass

Obviously a football metaphor, but about what? It could be the Rolling Stones, i.e. they were waiting for an opening which really didn't happen until the Beatles broke up.

With the jester on the sidelines in a cast

On July 29, 1966, Dylan crashed his Triumph 55 motorcycle while riding near his home in Woodstock, New York. He spent nine months in seclusion while recuperating from the accident.

Now the halftime air was sweet perfume

Drugs, man.

Well, now, wait a minute; that's probably too obvious. It's possible that this line and the next few refer to the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The "sweet perfume" is probably tear gas.

While sergeants played a marching tune

Following from the thought above, the sergeants would be the Chicago Police and the Illinois National Guard, who marched the protestors out of the park and into jail.

Alternatively, this could refer to the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". Or, perhaps McLean refers to the Beatles' music in general as "marching" because it's not music for dancing. Or, finally, the "marching tune" could be the draft.

We all got up to dance
Oh, but we never got the chance

The Beatles' 1966 Candlestick Park concert only lasted 35 minutes. Or, following on from the previous comment, perhaps he meant that there wasn't any music to dance to.

'Cause the players tried to take the field,
The marching band refused to yield.

Some folks think this refers to either the 1968 Deomcratic Convention or Kent State; following on from the Chicago reference above, this could be another comment on protests. But perhaps the players are the protestors at Kent State, and the marching band the Ohio National Guard...

This could be a reference to the dominance of the Beatles on the rock and roll scene. For instance, the Beach Boys released "Pet Sounds" in 1966 -- an album which featured some of the same sort of studio and electronic experimentation as "Sgt. Pepper" (1967) -- but the album sold poorly.

This might also be a comment about how the dominance of the Beatles in the rock world led to more "pop art" music, leading in turn to a dearth of traditional rock and roll.

Or finally, this might be a comment which follows up on the earlier reference to the draft: the government/military-industrial-complex establishment refused to accede to the demands of the peace movement.

Do you recall what was revealed,
The day the music died?
We started singing

Refrain

VERSE FIVE

And there we were all in one place

Woodstock.

A generation lost in space

Some people think this is a reference to the US space program, which it might be; but that seems a bit too literal. Perhaps this is a reference to "hippies", who were sometimes known as the "lost generation", partially because of their particularly acute alientation from their parents, and partially because of their presumed preoccupation with drugs. It could also be a reference to the awful TV show, "Lost in Space", whose title was sometimes used as a synonym for someone who was rather high...but I keep hoping that McLean had better taste. :-)

With no time left to start again

The "lost generation" spent too much time being stoned, and had wasted their lives? Or, perhaps, their preference for psychedelia had pushed rock and roll so far from Holly's music that it couldn't be retrieved.

So come on Jack be nimble Jack be quick

Probably a reference to Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones; "Jumpin' Jack Flash" was released in May, 1968.

Jack Flash sat on a candlestick

The Stones' Candlestick park concert?

'Cause fire is the devil's only friend

"Sympathy for the Devil", by the Stones -- seems to fit with some of the surrounding material.

It's possible that this is a reference to the Grateful Dead's "Friend of the Devil". But I doubt it.

An alternative interpretation of the last four lines is that they may refer to Jack Kennedy and his quick decisions during the Cuban Missile Crisis; the candlesticks/fire refer to ICBMs and nuclear war.

And as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
No angel born in hell
Could break that Satan's spell

While playing a concert at the Altamont Speedway in 1969, the Stones appointed members of the Hell's Angels to work security (on the advice of the Grateful Dead). In the darkness near the front of the stage, a young man named Meredith Hunter was beaten and stabbed to death -- by the Angels. Public outcry that the song "Sympathy for the Devil" had somehow incited the violence caused the Stones to drop the song from their show for the next six years. This incident is chronicled in the documentary film "Gimme Shelter".

It's also possible that McLean views the Stones as being negatively inspired (remember, he had an extensive religious background) by virtue of "Sympathy for the Devil", "Their Satanic Majesties' Request" and so on. I find this a bit puzzling, since the early Stones recorded a lot of "roots" rock and roll, including Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away".

And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite

The most likely interpretation is that McLean is still talking about Altamont, and in particular Mick Jagger's prancing and posing while it was happening. The sacrifice is Meredith Hunter, and the bonfires around the area provide the flames.

(It could be a reference to Jimi Hendrix burning his Stratocaster at the Monterey Pop Festival, but that was in 1967 and this verse is set in 1968.)

I saw Satan laughing with delight

If the above is correct, then Satan would be Jagger.

The day the music died
He was singing...
Refrain

VERSE SIX

I met a girl who sang the blues

Janis Joplin.

And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away

Janis died of an accidental heroin overdose on October 4, 1970

I went down to the sacred store
Where I'd heard the music years before

There are two interpretations of this: The "sacred store" was Bill Graham's Fillmore West, one of the great rock and roll venues of all time. Alternatively, this refers to record stores, and their longtime (then discontinued) practice of allowing customers to preview records in the store. (What year did the Fillmore West close?)

It could also refer to record stores as "sacred" because this is where one goes to get "saved". (See above lyric "Can music save your mortal soul?")

But the man there said the music wouldn't play

Perhaps he means that nobody is interested in hearing Buddy Holly et.al.'s music? Or, as above, the discontinuation of the in-store listening booths.

It's also possible that this line and the two before it refer to the closing of the Fillmore West in 19?? -- but I've been unable to verify that it was actually closed when this song was written.

And in the streets the children screamed

"Flower children" being beaten by police and National Guard troops; in particular, perhaps, the People's Park riots in Berkeley in 1969 and 1970.

The lovers cried and the poets dreamed

The trend towards psychedelic music in the 60's?

But not a word was spoken
The church bells all were broken

It could be that the broken bells are the dead musicians: neither can produce any more music.

And the three men I admire most The Father Son and Holy Ghost

Holly, The Big Bopper, and Valens
-- or -- Hank Williams, Presley and Holly
-- or -- JFK, Martin Luther King, and Bobby Kennedy
-- or -- the Catholic aspects of the deity. McLean had attended several Catholic schools.

They caught the last train for the coast

Could be a reference to wacky California religions, or could just be a way of saying that they've left (or died -- western culture often uses "went west" as a synonym for dying). Or, perhaps this is a reference to the famous "God is Dead" headline in the New York Times. David Cromwell has suggested that this is an oblique reference to a line in Procol Harum's "Whiter Shade of Pale", but I'm not sure I buy that; for one thing, all of McLean's musical references are to much older "roots" rock and roll songs; and secondly, I think it's more likely that this line shows up in both songs simply because it's a common cultural metaphor.

The day the music died.

This tends to support the conjecture that the "three men" were Holly, The Big Bopper, and Valens, since this says that they left on the day the music died.

And they were singing...

Other notes:

American Pie is supposed to be the name of the plane that crashed, containing the three guys that died. This is not true.
Dan Stanley mentioned an interesting theory involving all of this; roughly put, he figures that if Holly hadn't died, then we would not have suffered through the Fabian/Pat Boone/et.al. era...and as a consequence, we wouldn't have *needed* the Beatles -- Holly was moving pop music away from the stereotypical boy/girl love lost/found lyrical ideas, and was recording with unique instrumentation and techniques...things that Beatles wouldn't try until about 1965. Perhaps Dylan would have stuck with the rock and roll he played in high school, and the Byrds never would have created an amalgam of Dylan songs and Beatle arrangements.

Andrew Whitman brings a sense of perspective to all of this by noting:As to what they threw off the bridge, Bobbie Gentry once went on record with the statement that it was the mystery that made the song, and that the mystery would remain unsolved. Don McLean later used the same device to even greater >success with "American Pie," which triggered a national obsession on figuring out the "real meaning" of the song. Well, probably not a national obsession, but certainly the life's work of many talented scholars. According to the latest edition of the "American Pie Historical Interpretive Digest" (APHID), noted McLean historian Vincent Vandeman has postulated that cheezy country songs may have played a much more prominent role in the epic composition than had originally been thought.

In particular, the "widowed bride," usually supposed to be either Ella Holly or Joan Rivers, may in fact be Billie Jo. According to this radical exegesis, the "pink carnation" of McLean's song is probably what was thrown off the Tallahatchie Bridge, and was later found by the lonely, teenaged McLean as he wandered drunkenly on the levee. Of course, such a view poses problems. McLean vehemently denies any knowledge of Choctaw Ridge, and any theory linking the two songs must surely address this mysterious meeting place of Billie Jo and her husband Billy Joe. Vandeman speculates that Choctaw Ridge may have been the place McLean drove his Chevy after drinking whiskey and rye, and that McLean may have been unaware of the name because of his foggy mental state.

Still, there appear to be many tenuous connections in Vandeman's interpretation - Tammy Wynette as the girl who sang the blues, the proposed affair between Wynette and Billie Joe which later led to d-i-v-o-r-c-e and Billy Joe's suicide, the mysterious whereabouts of George Jones, and why McLean insisted on driving a Chevy to the levee instead of a more economical Japanese car. My own view is that none of it makes much sense. Vandeman's theory is intriguing, but it seems far more logical to hold to the traditional interpretation of "American Pie" as an eschatological parable of nuclear destruction and the rebirth of civilization on Alpha Centauri.

Labor Day weekend!

2009-09-20T18:04:00.001-07:00

This year for Labor day we had the second Taylor Family reunion up at Accord lake. Here some of the Pictures that were taken up there.

Chris is helping to spot someone while they shoot a gun. Addie is thinking she will get her turn soon.

Erika is helping to take care of Cooper.

Mom and Dad with all the grandkids.

Aunt Lori is hanging out with kayden----Cooper----Erika.

Andrea, Gibson, Kayden watching a movie

Lori, Jason, Chris, Sydney, Chana, Fred. Ignoring the sign as Taylor kids can!

Jared and Easton going for a ride on one of the 4-wheelers

I am about to go in the dark tunnel! Ohh what fun we have to keep ourselves entertained.

Field trip in a dark tunnel or Carey and Rachell looking for a place for a private moment.

Addie, Kelton, Gibson, Kayden. The kids are having fun at finger painting

Golf is never far off when Jared and Fred are around.

Grandma and her Birthday cake. Grandpa and Chana are waiting to get a piece of the cake.

The kids grabbing at the candy that they were playing for in a game.

Copper having fun in the sandbox.

Sydney and Jared looking very excited about something. Chris looking on in the background

Creed wants to drool over the little house that is by his side.

party time in moab

2009-08-10T12:54:00.001-07:00

We had so much fun in moab for the fourth of July with Jason and Jen being wonderful hosts.Shris and I loved the parades and time we got to spend with Addie,Izzie and Cooper. It is absolutely amazing. We had the fun watch the fireworks. It is truly one of the most memorable fourh of julys I can remember.

Chris and Lori in Moab

2009-08-10T12:46:00.001-07:00

Chris and I on a view from our trip in the desert.It was so beautiful I wished we had more pictures to share. Maybe next time I will keep a honieng device on my camera-- haha! If any one knows my luck wit hlosing things on trips.

Blog Hopping!

2009-06-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

I have to say I have enjoyed blog hopping. For those who don't know what that is I will explain. Its clicking on a link in someones blog and seeing where it takes you, and then you continue to do that in each blog and see where it goes. I have learned a few things:

-- Moms love to blog about their kids.

-- Moms love to take pictures of their kids and post them.
-- Moms don't like to be in the pictures with kids.
-- Girls/woman/ladies/moms are the most common bloggers and will write about just about anything and can make it interesting.

-- Despite the tough times there were alot of familys that found the time to go to Disneyland.

-- Alot of couples got married in 2007 up to 2009 and posted their engagement pictures and wedding pictures on their blog.

-- Couples love blogging about their pets if they don't have kids.

-- People enjoy traveling and have created travel blogs showing where they have been, what they have seen, what they did in the area.

-- People use their blogs to sell or show off their products.
-- There are some really creative blogs out there for just about everything.

-- Alot of LDS missionays seem to have access to computers while on their missions and wright about their missions when they can.
-- Collage students love blogging about collage life.
-- There are blogs from other counties in their own language.
-- People love blogging about the holidays telling what they did.
-- Alot of familys have the PJ's tradition during Christmas.
-- You can learn alot from a group trip when you read the different blogs and get each persons view.

As big brother once said all blogs lead you back to the begining, and its interesting what you can find when you do a little exploring.

Year two!!

2009-06-26T09:01:00.000-07:00

Its really interesting the little things that you remember, or certain dates that stand out no matter how hard you try to forget them. Its been two years today since my little mishap with a ladder and reciving a broken foot while helping on a house building project. I am walking on it and doing great! It aches when it gets too cold and it tingles every now and then. Its a time I will always remember.

Crazy weather!

2009-04-22T15:34:00.000-07:00

Its Spring!! and its the time when all the trees start to bloom and get ready for the leaves to appear I was really impressed last week when it seem to me that the pinkish color the trees were giving off was the brightest and was really pretty. I did not think it was going to last when we had a freak snow storm that just covered everything. One day it was nice and sunny and the next we had tons of snow and of course it was gone again the next day when the sun came out. I happned to get some pictures of before and after which I thought was really cool and so enjoy!

The tree before the storm!

A closer view of the pink budding leaves.

A self photo of a very good looking guy standing under the tree!

The next day when the storm hit you can see how much we recived!

The tree and its now droping branches covered with snow!

Good looking guy now bundled up again standing under the tree!

Wicked!

2009-04-13T13:30:00.001-07:00

Not sure how I kept it a surprise but for Christmas I gave Lori a ticket to go see the Opera Show Wicked at the Capital Theater in Salt Lake City. It was a family event so we got to go with the Taylor family along with the Condies and Bringhurst. The Show was good, better then I thought it would be. Yes I wish I got more pictures but o'well if you have not seen it you need to go.

Gettting out of the elevator from the parking lot going to see Wicked. Love the mirrors on the wall!

Lori taking a seat before we go in to eat at the Olive Garden.

Carey and Rachel in front of the Capital Theater for the Showing of Wicked!

Lori and I in front of the Capital Theater for the Showing of Wicked!

Waiting for the show to Start!

No Names!

2009-03-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

I had to write this experence in my blog but I don't want to put down anyone or anyplace down and so I will not name names, and if you happen to guess the place good for you and I hope I don't ruin your own experence if you enjoy the place. I like the place but this Restaurant is not what it used to be. It just seems the last few times that we have gone there our order is either incomplete or we get something different then what we wanted.

My problem started when there comes a time when nothing at home sounds good to eat, and you don't want to make anything, or your not in the mood to clean up the mess from the cooking, what do you do?

I had this problem the other week in the evening and Lori was out visiting with a friend that was in town and I was left to defend for myself. I decided to go to this Restaurant. Yes it was a little busy which was not unusual, since I did not want to pull in I did the drive up window route. I place my order and then for some reason had to verify it 3 times to make sure it was right. I pulled up and was the third car in line and there were another 3 cars behind me. I did not mind waiting for a few minutes to get my food. After a few minutes the cars in front of me got their food and left and I pulled up to be the first car in line and by this time there were more cars behind me that had come had also ordered through the drive-up way. A few more minutes went by and they came out with orders for the cars behind me and so they left. Another few minutes went by they came out with orders for other cars and they left.

While I was waiting they did provide some entertainment as in the workers were running the orders out to the cars and running back in to get the next order, it must have been really fun because the manager or supervisor also got into it and was also running back and forth helping with the orders and at the same time yelling at his workers to pick up the speed.

During all of this I am still waiting for my order, most of the cars that I started out with or were there before me are gone now. and there are no longer any cars behind me. After 30 minutes one of the girls comes out and admits they had forgotten what I had ordered and could I verify it again. Once again it was verified and a few minutes later I get my order. They were really nice about it and took responsibility for it and since it took so long it was on the house and I did not have to pay for it. It was very kind of them and I thanked them for their service and left.

The Story does not end there. I took my order home and I started to eat it and realized it was not what I ordered. It was NOT my order that I usually enjoy when I go to this place, I am not sure what I got that was wrapped up but I ate it anyway and it was kind of good. I should have gone back to complain but since I ate the evidance and they gave it to me for free I did not want to cause anymore problems. It seems our running streak continues with this place so good luck to us in the future when we decide to go back.

Take a guess!

2009-03-07T21:19:00.000-08:00

Alright so I will admit it! I saw this on another blog and just had to copy it to my blog, but I also check it out and found it on the interent and so you can't say I took someones writing. ha!

Chances You're a Mormon If . . . .

My son's a CTR, I go to PEC.
I work for CES, I study the TG.
I read the B of M,I probe the D&C.
I search the KJV, I ponder the JST.
Today at BYC,we planned for EFY,I
stayed a little after and had a PPI.
The YM and YW are putting on a play,
it's one that I rememberfrom when I was in the MIA.
Before our oldest son went into the MTC,
He helped the BSA complete their SME.
Soon our oldest daughter is headed for the Y,
soon our oldest clothing will be going to the DI.
Now if you understood this alphabet mess,
The chances are quite good that you are LDS

Additional Details - Just in Case
CTR - Choose the Right (Primary)
PEC - Preisthood Excutive Committe
CES - Church Educational System
TG - Topical Guide (the Tropical Guide for Mormons, haha)
B of M - Book of Mormon
D&C - Doctrine and Covenants
KJV - King James Version
JST- Joseph Smith Translation
BYC - Bishop's Youth Committee
EFY - Especially for Youth
PPI - Personal Preisthood Interview
YM & YW - Young Men and Young Women
MIA - Mutual Improvement Association
MTC - Missionary Training Center
BSA - Boy Scouts of America
SME - Sustaining Membership Enrollment
Y - BYU, Brigham Young University
DI - Deseret Industries
LDS - Latter Day Saint

What a start!

2009-03-02T16:46:00.000-08:00

Hello! out there in crazy world!
Yes its been quite a while since we last posted anything and yes we are still around and yes as you can see from some of the pictures that we have posted we are catching up from Christmas. For those who didn't know We had a friend from England come for a visit and her name was Clare. It was great having her here with us and it was alot of fun, We had her for two weeks and she was able to recharged her batteries get some shopping down for some LDS books that are hard to come by in England and while she was here she got to spend some time with the kids who had a really fun time with her at Christmas. It was sad to see her go but we are glad she was able to come. This new year has gone by really fast and here we are in March now. Some Highlights of this new year are:

--Little sister Erin is serving her mission in Louisville Ky Spanish Speaking Mission.
--Chris is Working at the Stoffers Nestle Food Plant.
--Lori is doing well and smiles alot these days.
--We are excited to have another nephew in the family sister Sydney is having a boy in April, she will have 3 boys to have fun with.
--We had a great time up in Logan last month with Lori's family who's dad is now retired and seems to be enjoying it.
--Lori likes to bake and create new dishes for Chris to taste and enjoy, so far he is really enjoying it.
--We enjoy playing with the kids when they are in town and helping out whenever we can.
So may this year be interesting and this blog kept up to date.

2009-03-02T16:31:00.001-08:00

Breaking out the Christmas PJ's for the kids

Kelton is reading the store ads with Clare

The kids are breaking Clare in while playing games.

A picture of Lori and Clare at Christmas

Being creative!

2008-11-25T18:46:00.001-08:00

(1st Picture) Look! no Pimples!

(2nd Picture)Just being creative or I just ate something that does not agree with me (ha ha)

(3rd and 4th pictures) Found Spiderman and his faithful sidekick (little blue boy) fighting crime down the street and just had to take a picture.

I spy!

2008-11-25T18:27:00.000-08:00

This past Friday I happened to be looking at the City's Newspaper and saw that a High School friend was getting married the next day and his open house was that evening. I had not seen this friend for quite a few years and always wondered where he ended up and so at the spur of the moment I decided this was a good time to go and catch and congratulate them. As you can see there is a bit of a height difference I knew he was tall but it seems he got taller in the years that I last saw him or else I got smaller. His wife was just as tall as he was and just as outgoing and charming as he is. I also learned that his job allows him to travel and they will be living for a time in Israel for some time. That is going to be a neat experience. I wish the best for them

Erin-mania weekend!

2008-11-25T17:49:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was crazy, it was non stop action all the way through. Little sister Erin is going away for 18 months to serve a LDS Church mission to Louisville Ky Spanish Speaking mission. She leaves on Dec 3rd 2008 to enter the MTC (for Non LDS people that is the Missionary Training Center). The time is getting shorter before she leaves. Here are some of the highlights of the weekend:--All the kids in the family come in for this event--Saturday morning we find ourselves Going to the South Jordan temple to see Erin take out her endowments. Had a wonderful experience there.--Later in the afternoon had family pictures taken, with 7 kids under the age of 5 and 12 adults trying to help control the kids to get the pictures taken it was a very funny and interesting afternoon. --Saturday evening went up to the Parents house to visit with everyone and at the same time help clean the house for the next day and watch the BYU vs. Utah game. --Sunday morning got up to go to Erins farewell, totally forgetting that where ever Erin goes she is very good at finding people and makes friends everywhere she goes and the church was packed. Erin did a really good job on the talk that she wrote.--After Church rushing home to help setup for the open house for Erin's well wishers including family and friends some who traveled more them a few hours one way to be there for her. --It was a Erin-mania weekend, full of laugher, visiting with friends and eating and playing with the kids. Everyone will miss Erin even by her brothers who enjoy giving her a hard time every now and then. She is starting a new adventure, and will do it in a style that only Erin can get away with and people remember her by. So let the adventure begin.

Car still Lives!

2008-11-04T17:13:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to announce the Totoya lives for another year! It passed inspection and the emissions test. I will add pictures later.

Trick or treat!

2008-11-04T16:39:00.000-08:00

I found the pictures of the huge Pumpkin I saw while up in Logan.

Also found a strange family down in Payson all dressed up and going trick or treating. A strange family that consisted of A zombie, a green bird, a little dinosoure, two fairys and Zelda with pink hair.

Happy Halloween!

This year was almost forgotten, One of the main reasons of dressing up on Halloween is to go dressed up and go to work and see who else dressed up and this year since I changed jobs and it was a little hard to be in a costume while have to be in a uniform throwing noodles into a tray. I happened to get the day off and have to admit I did not plan on dressing up but on the spur of the moment when I heard Carey and the boys were going to the costume parade at moms school I threw something together and went with them. I have to say it was alot of fun. Those kids can be quite creative. It was interesting to walk in the costume parade and go through the classes and see who everyone was. there was a few mini Careys who were mini monsters it was fun to see. Kayden had fun even though he wasn't sure why we were walking around and going past so many kids who probley looked a little weird to him. Kelton would not be around Carey with his mask on, and would go running to someone else to hold him.

The Mad Doc and his creation!

Wow what news!

2008-10-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

Along with everyone else I have been bad at keeping this updated. Now I don't have a good excuss like some people. but plain and simple not a whole lot has been happening. so I will see what I can do to make this interesting

If you have not gone to Erins mission web site you will see that she is now registered on it, fron the looks of it there is another missionay from utah who will be going in about the same time. horraah for Erin!!! Here is the address again http://www.mission.net/kentucky/louisville/index.php

I don't often have weekends off anymore. I often have to work saterdays but when I find I do have it off we usually try to go somewhere I happened to have it off last week and so We were up in logan for a baby blessing and it was for Lori's little brother Troy who had a baby blessing for thier son Tanner Astle. of course we went up during the first snow storm of the season and it was cold. So I hope Chana and Fred dress warm once the snow really comes in and stays for the winter. As far is babys go it was a cute kid. likes to sleep alot and so it was amusing to watch the baby being passed around in sacrement meeting while asleep, I guess you gotta grab the moment when you can. When I came out of church I passed a truck that had a huge pumpkin in the back, I could not resist and had to take a picture of it, but with our luck when it comes to cameras I can't seem to get it off the camera onto the computer and into the blog and so I have done the next best thing I found a pumpkin like the one I saw and just posted it. as a bonus a kid comes with it and I have no Idea who he is or the truck belongs to truck, but doesn't he look happy!

Also I found this quote the other day and took a liking to it and decided to post it.

Insanity -- a perfectly rational adjustment to an insane world.

also I could not resist adding this thought of the day I found as well.

If you farted consistently for 6 years and 9 months, enough gas is produced to create the energy of an atomic bomb. (Now that's more like it!)

Erin's new ride!

2008-09-19T16:12:00.000-07:00

As you all know Erin recived her mission call to the Kentucky Tennessee Mission if you would like to know more about the mission here is the website that you can go to http://www.mission.net/kentucky/louisville/index.php

I showed Erin this site for her mission I don't know if she already knew about it but was impressed just the same.

Also found the type of car she will be driving.

Can't you just see Erin in this car!

Lost! but found!

2008-09-19T09:36:00.000-07:00

Yes I admit its been a while since I last posted anything. Its interesting to note from my last blog its been two months from this exact date since I last posting anything. Life has been crazy and don’t you just hate it when it gets away from you and it takes you a while to roped it back in. Here are the high lights of the last few months.

I did change jobs back in July and no longer work as a customer service rep for the post office handling calls asking where peoples mail is. Its really interesting to look back and find I don’t miss it Yes I will miss the people I worked with and knowing ahead of time when a post office rule was changing but it was time to move on. I now work at the Stoffers food plant here in Springville as a GP which is a General production worker that means I get to do a number of things like dumping noodles in pans for other people to place in the trays as it goes down the conveyer belt. Or I get to break open boxes containing blocks of cheese or veggies of some sort and put them in containers to be mixed with other things, or I get to help clean the floors and make sure it does not get too messy when the people miss the trays with the food they are handling that day.

It’s a very busy place where you have to be alert at all times. It is amusing when it feels like you are playing leap frog in the main traffic isles with the other people and the fork lifts as they bring new products out to the floor. I was asked to help one day to help put noddles in the trays as they came down the belt, and I did that for a few hours and for the fun of it also mainly to keep myself from getting bored I counted how many trays I put a noodle in as it went past. I stopped counting after I did 500 trays and that was only a half hour so you can guess how much they do in a hour or in a ten hour day and it can be around 25,550. I am always moving and one good thing is I have lost some weight and of course depending on what I am doing I go home at night and be completely wipe out or very sore where I have learned soaking in the bathtub can be a good thing and muscle relaxing cream is a very good thing to have.

Lori also changed jobs she went from a House Keeper at the hospital to being a Pharmacy tec at Walmart. She did that for a couple months and then moved on to be a casher at the store and did not like doing that and so left the walmart store to find something different to do. She now works at Natures Way which is also in Springville in the same area where I work and she is also doing some form of general production for that plant. She helps to place items in boxes as they come down the belt and right now she is working with cold medicine and helping to box those up.

Its really amusing that we now both work 10 hour days and work early in the morning where she goes in around 5:00 am and I can start anywhere from 2:30am up to 4:30 am and so that means we both go to bed around 8:30 – 9:00 pm. At times we feel really old when we go to bed that early. Ha ha!

In August we celebrated our eight year anniversary of being married. still happy, still poor, and still in love. What ever life as thrown at us we have met it together and solved it together.

We had our first Taylor sibling family reunion at Accord Lake at the cabin which is located down around Salina/Richfield area in the mountains around labor day and all the kids were able to make it and we had a lot of fun on the four wheelers and playing games and chatting and chasing after the little kids.

Also had a a few problems with our computer where it finally died a few weeks ago and its one we have had for 7 years and I was hoping I could coach it to last untill Christmas and save up money to get a new one but it had different ideas. As it turns out which was a really good thing we found a old computer that was in storage and it belong to Chana and thanks to her good will she let us have it to use.

Sorry no pictures from our camera but you can catch some at the blogs of my brothers and sisters, and also catch some of the highlights on their blogs.It is now September and fall is coming and its fun to see the leaves starting to change on the mountains. My birthday along with Carey’s came and went and we had a family dinner to celebrate it. Also had a announcement where my little sister decided to go on a mission and put in her papers and recived her call to go to the Louisville Ky mission Spanish speaking. Really excited for her and if you know Erin you know she is going to be a great missionary.

Still working on getting more pictures in the blog but having issues with the camera right now. Maybe Santa will bring a new one for Christmas. Life is busy and always changing its calm enough that I can stay on this blog and keep it updated. Until then always remember to have fun where ever you are

A little Late!

2008-07-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry there has been no new information posted, working on getting some posted and some pictures added. Life has been a little crazy and ever changing. Just stay tuned and just keeping checking back for someting new to read.

A day to remember!

2008-06-26T14:34:00.000-07:00

The rock that started it all

Another angle of The Rock that started it all.

Can anyone guess what day it is today. You may not remember and that is okay but its not something that I will forget anytime soon. Today is the day that I decided to add some excitment while helping to build a house for Carey and his group down in Payson. I happned to come down a ladder wrong and step on a rock and break my foot, As you can see from the picture it was a big rock and it was half buryed in the dirt and I caught the top top half of it and it was enough to put me down and break my tibia and fibia Not a fun thing to do, At the time I did not know that it was broken and could not figure out why my foot was at a odd angle and when I tried to get up and coudn't then it dawned on everyone who was preasant that something was wrong as a result I had to have surgery on it and now I have a plate in my foot and with a few bolts. (On a side note at a follow up doctors visit I found I broke the plate in my foot, but the bone was knitting together and I am still walking on it.

The next following months were not fun at all In a nutshell here is the events that followed. Wore a soft cast for two weeks and being doped on good medication help with the pain. Got around on crutches which was a experence you have to try when you really have to use them. I then got real cast on and had to wear it for a month and a half still getting around on crutches. Its interesting I didn't get any pictures with my new cast on. With the help of family I was able to get around and learned to plan in advance to where I needed to go. Finally the excitng day came when I got the cast off and figured I could get back to walking right away.
Boy! was I wrong!
I found that my foot was really weak and I could hardly walk on it and so with a foot brace and a borrrowed cane I got off to a rocky start and got a little better by the time that Chana's wedding came about. It was a long and slow recovery finally I used the cane less and less and walked around with a little limp. At the preasant I can walk and if I over do it then the limp comes back and also during the cold months I now understand what they mean when your bones ache. It was a interesting experence and I learned quite a bit from it.
Here are some pictures I could not resist putting in.

The Scare I will never forget! ( more faded by now)

The other side of the food after the soft cast was taken off

Another shot of the foot after the soft cast was taken off.

The bulky cast!

Its been a year to remember. The Houses are done down in Payson and everyone is moved and doing little things like yard work to finish up. Interesting to note that I got hurt a few days before they starting to work on Carey and Rachels house. I missed the whole thing. When I finally went back I found out that with all the injuries on the site, my injury was the most serious one. As you notice I have the rock. As it turns out Dad went back later and dug out the rock and later gave it to me when I was able to get back on the site.
What a day! What a year!