Life Lately...

Pretty sure that was my longest blogging break ever. Just seems like there is always something else on top of the priority list, but I do like to keep things current here as it's the only form of record keeping I currently keep on my family. So...today's the day.

Here the latest:

Justin: We are loving that he's done with tax season! Always feels good to have him back in the fold. The kids love it when he's around, even though they all get in maniac mode, attacking him and chasing him around and such.

His office closes at noon on Fridays in the off-season, which is fun because he gets to be involved with stuff we've got going on. We went to my mom's neighbors house to show our kids these baby lambs. Jaden LOVED them, the other two...scared silly. Jaden has no fear and would walk right up to them, pet them (or hit), grab them by the tail... whatever.

Jus has also been getting our yard in shape. He's always busying himself with some sort of project. He's fertilized, burned the weeds on the other side of the fence, mowing, weeding, planting stuff, setting up the sprinklers, etc. The lawn is greening up and looking good with all his efforts.

In mid-April, Justin's brother, Rich & family came from Maine for their yearly visit. We did all sorts of fun stuff: swimming in Jackson, tin foil dinners/S'mores down by the river, going out to eat, visiting, etc.

Justin's parents were asked to speak in Sacrament Meeting, so the whole fam came to listen. This is everyone in front of the Menan Stake Center after church. 16 grand kids and 32 total members of the Taylor Family. We had a fun week together.

Jus is serving as the First Counselor in the Young Men's, which keeps him pretty busy. We hosted mutual at our house a few weeks ago and one of his YM went through our trampoline. Pretty funny! It was a combined activity and I was just glad that it wasn't one of the girls. The tramp was the one I had as a kid, so it was 20 years old and probably ready to retire anyway. Poor kid though-he felt pretty dumb.

He has also been playing basketball regularly. Our Ward was the Stake Basketball Champs, so lucky us...we had a really long season. He enjoys playing with these guys and doesn't get so in to it as he used to (you might recall his previous problem with technicals). Glad it's just for fun now. He still plays once a week, eventhough the season is over. Good exercise.

And...I might add that Justin was the winner of his office's tax season weight loss competition. He lost 10 lbs. and is looking great! Won himself $100. Not bad.

Justin decided to drive one of his dad's old classic trucks home after helping his dad with something and our kids loved it! Jace especially, but Rylee and Jaden got so excited over it too. Jace would sit in it out in our driveway for a few hours playing like it was his truck. When Justin took them on a ride, they were grinning ear to ear. A big, loud truck is just Jaden's thing- he was in heaven! They love how there are no seat belts and that everyone gets to sit "up front".

Natalie: Besides my daily tasks of being a wife, mom and CEO of the household (which consumes almost all my time and energy). I've been focusing on trying to get our house back in order. After a year or so of total mayhem, it was overdue. I love to organize and have been taking one cabinet, room, drawer, system, etc. at a time. I'll show you some pictures later...but it feels so good to start climbing back on top of things. Seems like things are constantly changing and therefore requires revamping things often. I'm feeling pretty good about what I've accomplished so far, but just trying to do a little everyday.

I've had a few other things going on too. My cute friends from high school all got together for a little reunion. We try to make it happen atleast once a year and unfortunately, I had to miss it last year due to an emergency trip to Primary Children's.

My friends are and always have been great people. I love seeing what life has brought each of us- we have all faced our own set of challenges and have all traveled our own paths, yet when we're together, it's as if nothing has changed. Friends Forever! I feel so secure knowing that I've got a great bunch of gals behind me no matter what. We've got 20 kids plus 1 on the way (and 3 step kids) between the 9 of us. We've all been friends for a long time. We met each other sometime between 1st and 7th grade & have been friends ever since.

Also had a great time at BYU's Women's Conference with my mom & sisters again this year. We do it every other year. It's such a fun get-away. We shopped as much as the Suburban would hold (literally- not a spare spot anywhere), ate at great places with no kid interruptions, talked, ate and came home totally inspired by the classes and speaker there.

If you've never been....go sometime. They always have amazing speakers who have led inspiring lives. You always leave wanting to do and be better.

This year they had 15,000 women in attendance. What a sight! In the closing session, I'm always overwhelmed by this. The whole Marriott Center is filled with women and you can just feel a certain power with that. I love it every year.

Loved it even more to come home to a perfectly clean house, everything calm and handled without a problem by Justin. I love how capable he is. He was even reading a book for leisure, which he NEVER does, because he was "bored". Oh brother....he made it seem so easy taking my place. Maybe that's a sign to do it more often?....

Next post: What the kids have been up to. That's all for now.