30 Years...Just a Stepping Stone

Before this month is over, I wanted to commemorate my 30th birthday. My birthday was April 5, so it's a little after-the-fact, but 30 only comes once you know.

So my sweet husband gave me just what I needed for my birthday. Some "Me" time. I was queen for the day. He suprised me with a day at Sage Day Spa. He had the appointments all set up and everything. I got a facial(picture taken just after- sorry for the no makeup scare!), a pedicure and an eye brow wax.

It felt so good! I could certainly handle pampering myself like that every month if I could(or week really). To top it all off, I decided to splurge a bit more and got myself a double scoop waffle cone from G's Dairy before coming back home to the chaos.

So, wow! I'm really 30. I remember when 30 seemed so old. I especially feel old when I realize I can now say stuff like I've had certain friends for 25 years, or when I realize that I've known Justin half my life, or when I remember that I've been out of high school for 12 years and out of college for 7! I realized the other day that Jace will be graduated from high school in the same amount of time that I myself have been out of high school-13 years next year. That's old. I've also been noticing some fine lines and my body is definitely not what it used to be. Age will do that to you.

It's really put me in a bit of a reflective mode lately. I've been thinking a lot about what's in 30 years? What have I done with 30 years? What will the next 30 bring, etc. Sometimes I feel like I've got more life in my years than years in my life, and other times I can't believe some of the things I haven't yet experienced. So, I decided to write a few things down and realized that you really set your life up in the first 30- most of my goals and accomplishments were about getting me to this point and the next 30 seems to have a little different focus for me. True what the song says, "Just a stepping stone to where you are, where you've been. I'd do it all again."

I've had so many fun memories in my life that it's hard to love one certain time the best, but it was fun to think back on everything collectively. So just for fun, here's my list of 30 things in 30 years.

Random stuff done within 30 years:
1. Was born into this world
2. Learned all my basic skills of life (walking, talking, reading, writing, etc.)
3. Completed all primary schooling (Elementary, Middle School, Jr. High, High School)
4. Have only broken one bone- my finger (actually my sister Hollie broke it for me when we were in a fight over me wearing her lawn mowing shoes to mow the lawn?!)
5. Was a cheerleader for 5 years and have done gymnastics since about 2nd or 3rd grade. (I think I could still do a back handspring, but tucks- only on the trampoline these days.)
6. Experienced first kiss (and maybe a few more:)
7. Have snow skiied, water skiied, ice skated, roller bladed, tried snow boarding, wake boarding, boogie boarding, snorkeling, I've gone paintballing, rock climbing, repelling, fencing, white water rafting, been on rollercoasters, skycoasters, and water slides, have gambled, stayed on a house boat, got flipped out of a speed boat, driven motorcycles, snow machines, jet skis and 4-wheelers. {I'll try just about anything once.}
8. Have had long hair, short hair, curly hair, straight hair, colored hair, bangs and no bangs
9. Been through braces, boyfriends and breakups (and all the drama that comes with)
10. Was in a pageant
11. Worked at 8 different jobs
12. Been blessed with several true friends
13. Wrote a missionary for 2 years
14. Went to two different colleges and earned both Associates and Bachelor's Degrees
15. Have danced a lot- country dancing, social dancing, ballroom dancing, hula dancing, hip hop, cheer, been to too many dances to count, I've crowd surfed and have even been in the middle of a mosh pit.
16. Have lived with 23 different roommates
17. Seen inventions such as the Internet, Microsoft Word, cell phones, digital cameras, DVD's, iPods, texting, etc. come forth. Plus.....does anyone else remember stuff like renting a VCR from the video store- (maybe my family was the only ones deprived of not owning one).
18. I've been to dance clubs, fight clubs, concerts, plays, musicals, Broadway shows, rodeos, monster truck rally's, demolition derbies, college and professional sporting events and too many games and parties to even count. Plus have hosted or thrown several parties, bridal and baby showers.
19. Have never tried any drugs or alcohol
20. Have been a model, more than once. (I know what you're thinking- yeah right! I have modeled at a couple of bridal shows, once in a hair show as a hair model and at my old job (ad agency) I had to model my butt for an ad campaign and stand in as a Dr. using a medical device for my client's company collateral. Bizarre I know. Watch out Tyra!
21. Have been on TV (Channel 8 news at Blackfoot fair in about the 6th grade),
22. Have recorded 2 songs (once again, at the Blackfoot fair- some friends and I sang, I Saw the Sign, also recorded a song with fellow cheerleaders on a CD for the radio station, KLCE 97.).
23. Been to 12 out of the 50 states, but have never been out of the country or even on a cruise
24. Married my best friend/found my eternal companion
25. Have had 4 surgeries (1 tonsils out, 3 c-sections)
26. Had a career (Public Relations Coordinator @ a marketing/ad agency), then retired to motherhood
27. Have lived in two different states, 6 different cities, 13 different dwellings
28. Gave life to 3 human beings
29. Have sang karaoke, sang the national anthem at a game (not a solo-with all of the cheerleaders in H.S.), had a leading role in a play (Anyone remember my role as Sherriff Buford from 9th grade drama?)
30. Have owned 3 different vehicles and one home

There you have it. I feel like I've been around long enough to have been there, done that in some regards and have also learned a lot of value life lessons. But...I still feel like I have a lot to learn and do. I won't make you suffer through my list of things I'd like to do in my next 30 years though.

Farewell to Hair

Well, the day has come. We knew it would eventually and it has. We're six months in with Rylee's chemo treatments and her hair is basically gone. Last week was the final week. So...Hair we Aren't! (probably not funny to anyone who isn't familiar with the salon Hair We Are in Rexburg.)

Photo taken: April 13 (Approx. 6.5 months into treatment)

Don't worry. Nobody is going to do anything drastic, like shave our heads. It's all good.

{Throughout this post, I'm going to take a trip down hair memory lane.}

Rylee Jane was born with a head-full of dark black hair

Her hair has probably been the subject matter of the majority of questions/comments we get regarding Rylee. People wondering if she had lost it, some surprised by how much she still had, others wondered whether she'd lose it at all. I remember in the first few days as we were learning about the new journey ahead, this was one aspect that both Justin and myself thought would be very difficult. We cried. None of this is easy, but for some reason, the hair thing makes it so obvious. It's like we might as well strap a big neon flashing sign on her that says, "Look! I've got cancer." It's either that or people wondering if we're some militant family raising up a GI Jane.

She had this great head of hair until she was about 6 months old. Then it started to thin as her head grew.

She was always a bow/headband/hat baby. I think she wears them well.

It has been thinning gradually all throughout, but this last week it was literally like hair today, gone tomorrow. I’ve been bracing myself for the day that it would fall out- a little anxious by the uncertainty of it. I wasn’t sure if it would be like a shock- she wakes up one morning and it’s gone suddenly, or if it would fall out in chunks or little by little. I even began to hope that maybe we wouldn’t end up losing it in the end, since she held on to it for so long. Well, the anticipation is over. Now I know. For her, it left kind of like an onion in reverse. Layer by layer from the bottom up. Rylee's also split or broke off, almost like being cinged as opposed to falling out in big chunks. She just has a few straggling pieces on the top layer, which we're debating whether or not to just shave it and finish the job.

Her first official pony tail was at 10 months old. A single front pony.

And two back pony's followed a few days after (once I figured out all I needed was a fine tooth comb and some tiny elastics).

It has actually been easier than I had anticipated. Rylee seems to be okay with it, so I’m okay with it. At first, the mother in me worried that she might miss sitting up on the counter to get her hair done up all cute. I think I miss it more than she does. I was afraid that she might be insecure over it, but she just goes about her business as usual. She seems pretty unphased by the whole thing.

By her first birthday, she was starting to have enough hair to try a few different styles. The front was getting longer.

I've definitely experienced some loss in what might have been. Sometimes I get a little sad when I see other little girls with so much hair. I imagine what I might have done with Rylee’s hair, what she would otherwise look like right now. There are so many cute cuts and ways to fix it. This will all have to come later for us. And I can accept that. I swear all things are relative. I never wanted my two year old to go bald, but all things considered, I'd rather have Rylee than Rylee's hair. I feel the same way about everything else we have endured and dealt with.

She had more hair last Easter than this one. (Top double pony's). We never thought that would happen.

I’m glad that it happened gradually over time. It’s gets you used to the idea. Time has a way of healing and preparing you. I’m also thankful that she had it for as long as she did. In the beginning, they said some kids lose it in the first couple of months and some hold onto it for six months. They said if she kept it for this long, it wouldn’t be gone for long, because it’s able to start growing back in the maintenance phase, which we are now in. I thought it would be gone by Christmas, so having it for as long as she did was a nice bonus for us.

By last summer, we were just getting to the fun stage. I could do low pigtails in the back.
A full back pony with ribbon. High pig tails, which basically became her signature look. I even got to try some fun clips and curls.
And of course the double loop throughs.

Or an easy single paired with a bow. So many options, so little time.

So…it is, what it is. Bald is beautiful! Hats and headbands, here we come! I’m very anxious to see what her second crop of hair will grow back like. They say that it often grows back in a different color or texture. Come what may....and we'll love it!

{And then she was diagnosed with Leukemia and little by little we lost our little crop of hair. Here's a look at the goodbye process.}

October- month of diagnosis. Still there as normal. By December we still had a good covering, although it had been breaking off over the past months. January: I could still do most the styles we had been doing. We still had good coverage, but still thinning. February: I thought that this would be our last back pony tail. The Dr. was certain the chemo she got this month would take her hair. It didn't. I was thrilled that she had more hair than her new baby brother by mid-Feb. We could even still style it in back pony loop throughs. A month later, on her last day of the last phase of treatment (March 19), was her last set of pony tails. It was now noticeably taking a toll. It would thin more and more each day. By the very end of March, I could still get a single pony up front, but had to include all the bangs. It was pretty slim pickins' to get enough to fit in the elastic. I did the best I could with what we had to work with. And her last official "ponytail" was at the first of April, just a few days before her second birthday. It was a back pony that looked more like the "shave the bottom, leave the top look" popular from the early 90's. Oh ya, we're bringin it back!

On April 7, we had thin, blow in the wind, bald on the bottom hair. The very first picture of this post was taken just 6 days later.

Goodbye hair.

So now we're here. Sporting looks such as:

The hat

The headband (minus most hair)

But probably not so much this look. Although she's brought it to me a few times and says "bow". Um...maybe if we go to Disneyland?!

Also not sure about the do-rag look. We'll see. Never say never.

Celebrating 2

Goodbye babyhood, hello toddler hood! My baby has crossed the threshold- she is now more like a little girl. Why does two do that?

Rylee had a great second birthday. We kept it pretty low key since we've been running around crazy these past few months, but it was great nonetheless.

The day before her birthday, she got to go with Grandma Taylor to pick out her present. She got a little doll that crawls, goo's, toots and says "ba, ba, ba, ba." She likes how it is so real. She wraps it up in a blanket and always wants me to hold her and not set her down. We found her in her room lathering the new babe's butt with Desitin. Maybe it's a little too realistic. I think she's got this baby thing down. Too funny.

On the day of her b-day, we were up bright & early for Rylee to open her first present (per Jace's request). Jace pulled out the party hats and all at about 7 a.m. It was the Little People house (to add to our ever-growing collection of all the Little People stuff). The kids stayed busy all afternoon playing Little People, which was great since the weather was miserably cold that day. At lunchtime we let Rylee open her next present, a crown and some earrings. She always loves my earrings and tries to stick pens in her ears to pretend they are her earrings, so I decided to get her some clip ons. When I put them on her though, she said they hurt, so she hasn't been too big of a fan of those. Oh well, I'm sure she'll grow into liking them.

That night, she was treated to a birthday dinner at Applebees, dessert included. Just our little family went and we had a great time. We were all due for a night out!

On Sunday, we celebrated with the Price side. We had a double b-day party, since my birthday was on Sunday, the 5th. We did cake & ice cream and opened presents from my parents and cousins (in between and after conference, of course). It's always fun for all the kids to be together. That makes it special.

Rylee was so excited about the princess outfit my parents gave her. It was so fun watching her open it. She's kind of a girly girl.







Happy Birthday to our little princess (a straggly little princess in this picture). We sure hope you have a great second year!

April Fools!

Since we've been about as serious as cancer (pun intended) around here lately, I decided to play some April fools pranks. Because everyone needs a good laugh now & again.

This is how it all went down. I was up late (as usual), looking at a magazine. I realized that the next day was April Fools and wondered what I could do to get Justin. {One year I got him really good and it was funny because he got all worked up over it.}

So...I see a picture of a dog in the magazine. Decide to tape it on Justin's phone, since it's something he uses everyday. Thought it would be funny when he answered it or went to call someone. What the heck? I was secretly hoping that he'd get it out in front of everyone at work or something.

Chapstick and watch were sitting right next to the phone, so I decide to be about as mature as a Jr. High schooler and roll his chapstick way down and set his watch an hour ahead. Then I decide that my fun isn't over yet. I go out to his car, turn up the radio full blast, turn the wipers on, etc.

By this time, I was about dying laughing to myself. Just the thought of him leaving for work at 4:30 a.m., getting blasted out of the garage and then get to work and get all of his other annoyances.

But guess what? He didn't get it! He had three different phone conversations and didn't even notice the dog! Hello- it's right over the ear piece. I even had Jace call him to make sure he talked on the phone. He got the car prank (he thought Jace did it, does that mean I'm about as mature as a 4 year old?), but when he came home from lunch I asked if he found his other pranks and he hadn't, so I told him to look at his chapstick and watch. Not the most observant fella I guess.

O'well. Atleast I got a kick out of it. To top it all off, I tried to stick the dog face on the back of his coat on his way out the door, but I didn't fool him. The slap on the back was a dead giveaway.

A Name & A Blessing

We blessed Jaden on Sunday, March 29, 2009.

He is officially Jaden Max Taylor.

He was blessed by his father, Justin Max Taylor. I'm so glad that Justin holds the Priesthood. It is a blessing and a comfort to have this power in our home and for our family. We've used it a lot over these past few months. Jus did a great job and it was a nice blessing.
Here's our whole family before church. (I apologize for the bad photo- far away, bad lighting, self-timered, only one we took. Not the best result). Sometimes it's hard to believe that we really have 3 offspring.

We had tons of family support! We're so thankful for our families- we both have big families and we're so glad! We did a dinner at our house after the blessing. BBQ beef sandwiches, lots of yummy salads/side dishes and tasty desserts. I personally ate way too many.















Here are some of the grandkids on the Price side at the kids table. Also glad to have so many good cousins.
Emily, Lauren, McKell, Olivia, Haylie, Halle, Preslie, Raegan, Payton, Savanna, Rylee and Ava.

And the other pic is of all the Price granddaughters. 12 of the 19 grandkids on my side are girls! Apparently history does repeat itself since 6 out of 7 siblings are also girls. Girl central around there for sure.

It was a nice day enjoyed by all. Bless you Jaden, we love you!

Look Who's Two!

A tribute to my girl, Rylee.

One of the most amazing things to me is how deeply our children affect our lives. Our sweet Rylee turns two today. Where does the time go? I cannot believe that she's only been a part of our lives for two short years. How did we ever live without her? She has been such a gift to our family. The other day, it really hit me how different our family would be without her. She is our little sunshine and always puts a smile on our face.

I had an instant and immediate love for Rylee. Even before she was born, I was so grateful to know that I would have a daughter (they are rare in the Taylor family). She was and is a precious addition to our family. She is more than I could have ever imagined.

She was such an easy baby, happy toddler and has always had such a good disposition about her. She's feisty and can hold her own, but she is also very compassionate and nurturing. She is the mother hen to her brothers, her daddy's little sweetheart and holds a very special place in my heart. We have had quite the journey together.

Rylee has always had an independent spirit. She's brave & shows courage everyday. She walked at just before 10 months, has always been a good eater and is friendly to most people. She's a little pack rat and clean freak. She likes to have a paper towel next to her while she eats to wipe up any messes, she always wipes her nose on a tissue and always piles up a bunch of crap into corners, hallways and entries and feels like she's picking up. One time she went and picked up any and everything off the floor in Jace's & our bedroom, piled it all up into her crib and then came and got me to show me her cleaning job. She was so proud of herself.

I love the little wide-eyed surprise look she always does. She is full of expression & is so cute to watch. I love it when she wiggles her hips when she dances. I love how she acts after getting all dolled up in the mornings- she feels cute & goes and prances around to her brothers and dad to show them what a princess she is. We always say, "Woo, woo..look at you, you're a fancy lady." or "How do you like me now boys, how do you like me now?" as she admires herself in the mirror or prances around to the boys. I love how loving she is- always has to give hugs and kisses before Jus leaves for work or before she goes to bed at night. I love how she plays on her phones and gets a paper and acts like she's having some business call. I love it when she says, "MOM" every morning when she wakes up- if I don't come after awhile, she'll start on "Dad", "Mom, Dad". I love it when she plays babies or loads a bunch of purses up on her arm and walks around playing store or house or whatever. I could go on and on.

I was going to list all that she's accomplished milestone wise so far, but then I thought, what really trumps fighting cancer? On many levels, she's just on a different playing field. We're looking forward to a lot in her second year though. Now that the intense part of her treatments are done, we hope that her language will take off some more, we hope to have her hair thicken back up, we look forward to having her finally go to nursery, have her counts higher more consistently so that we don't have to be such germaphobes and she can do all that any other 2 year old enjoys doing. We plan to potty train, make the move out of the crib, take the pink bink away and see our baby girl blossom this year. I think it will be a good year!

Thank you for all the love you've given to our girl that we love so much.