Merry Christmas to All!

Decorating cookies!

Even Grandma got in on the action!

Maddie loves Uncle Chewey's funny faces.

All the grandkids together.

Hailey's favorite books-Olivia!

Bronson looks like he wants to fix Uncle Chewey!

Hailey's Favorite Gift from Santa

The lights at Temple Square--Maddie was too cold to get out for the picture!

Well, Christmas has come and gone all too quickly. I had a wonderful day! I was able to pick up the kids and we headed to Nana's house to see what Santa had left. Hailey, Bronson, and Madison all opened up their gifts and thoroughly enjoyed the morning. After everyone had opened up all of their gifts, Santa called my phone to inform me that he had one gift for Hailey he left in the garage. Hailey overheard the entire conversation :) and as soon as she heard the word garage--she bolted!! The squeals, and giggles that escaped from her mouth made every painstaking effort on my part to actually haul the bike home and assemble it (well, my brother assemble it) well worth it! She absolutely loved it! She spent about the next 30 minutes freezing in the garage just riding around in circles. It is so fun to be a mom!!! I really believe that the quickest way to feel the Christmas spirit is to do something for someone that just brings a huge smile to their face. I love Christmas and the feeling I get every year when I please someone the way I pleased Hailey this year. It makes every year better and better. Although I must say Bronson was just as pleased with his Toolbox. He ran around the house "fixing" everything and measuring with his tape measurer. Maddie just rolled around on the floor and didn't even bother playing with her toys....she loved the boxes way too much! What a great day. The next day we braved the cold and went to see the lights at Temple Square. It was beautiful, but I don't remember it ever being that cold as it was that night. We were all bundled up, but the cold just seeps through every layer and we ended up spending most of the night in the visitors center trying explain to Hailey that the voice overhead at the Christus was actually not Jesus. She wouldn't believe me. Oh well, she got the picture. I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas and had a wonderful day. I can't wait to see everyones pictures on their blogs! These are just a few of my favorite...

Skiing on Christmas Eve!

My brother and sister and I had a great time today skiing at Snowbasin! The weather was awesome until about 3:00 when it turned into a winter wonderland blizzard with zero visibility and hail pelting our faces as we skied down the hill as fast as possible. Afterwards I went and treated myself to an awesome pedicure. Then I came home to assemble Hailey's new bike from Santa. If you notice in the picture my brother is the one doing all the work, but I certainly micromanaged well! The finished result is awesome! I can't wait for Christmas and Santa to come. I must say though that the best part of the whole day was when my mom and sister told me they were giving me a trip to Paris in the Fall for my birthday gift!!!!!!! I couldn't stop balling, and I am continuing to cry as I post this. I have the best family in the world!!!

The EVE of Number 27!...

Today being the eve of my 27th birthday I have been lost in thought and contemplation. Thinking about my life and the fact that I am now 27 and soon-to-be divorced with three children is sobering. I am not throwing myself a pity party by any means, I am merely contemplating how different life has turned out from what I had imagined. I have MANY blessings, and MANY things to be grateful for. I do know life is generally good, but that I have just been dealt a difficult set of cards as of late. I realize that my life will eventually get better, and I will eventually find true love and happiness again. I am merely at a crossroads in my life. I know that I will look back at this time in my life and be proud of myself for what I am going through and be proud of myself for how I am handling everything. It is just difficult to be at this point, wanting only to be years down the road. I thank all of my friends and FAMILY who have comforted, loved, praised, and adored me during this time. I feel their love and strength around me always. I hope that my 27th year will be full of nothing but happiness, love, and new beginnings. But if not, I do KNOW for sure, I can make it!

Where do you belong?

You Belong in Rome

You're a big city soul with a small town heart Which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand And gorgeous Italian people - could life get any better?

What City Do You Belong In?

http://www.blogthings.com/whatcitydoyoubelonginquiz/

The Polar Express...

Tonight the kids and I along with my sister and mom went up to Heber City to ride the Polar Express.  Wow...what a production!  The kids loved it!  The adults...well, we do it for the kids right?  Don't get me wrong...it really was fun, but imagine if you will screaming, sugar-induced, can't wait for Santa and Christmas-to-come-kids thrown in with dancing elves, a blaring microphone, and a hard bench to sit on for 2 hours and you get the picture.  My head sure hurt by the time all was said and done, but well worth time.  The spirit of Christmas was manifested once again.  12 more days!!!!!

'Tis the Season to Be Giving....

I have a hilarious story to tell that I just can't keep to myself anymore. Today, Hailey and I were at the store. We were in the checkout line and they had a big bucket of money that was for donations to those less fortunate. Prior to this time, Hailey and I have talked a lot about helping other people in need and why we help people less fortunate than ourselves, especially at this time of year. So, when Hailey saw the large bucket of money and change she asked what it was for. I was in a hurry and quickly told her it was money to help people have a nice Christmas. She asked if she could have some money to donate, and I said that was great and to get some money out of my coat pocket and put it in the bucket. I was so busy watching the clerk ringing us up to make sure she gave me the right price on every item that I didn't even notice Hailey's small hand digging into my RIGHT coat pocket. It just so happened that at the very moment Hailey was depositing the money she scraped out of my pocket I happened to glance over and notice a $50 bill sliding right down into the bottom of the bucket never to show its crisp green face to me ever again! My throat went numb....I couldn't move. I tried to compose myself before I said anything that would wipe the satisfied and proud look off her face. I didn't know what to do. I knew that $50 was such a huge sacrifice f0r me at this time of year and at this time in my life, but was I really going to try and plunge my chubby hand in the tiny, narrow opening and fish around for my $50 in front of all these witnesses? I looked over at Hailey once more and seeing for the second time in a row the look that we should all have at this time of year I decided to let it go. I paid for my groceries and tried not to stare at the bucket of money all the way out the store. I got to the car and asked Hailey how she had felt giving that money to someone who really needed it and she confirmed to me that I had done exactly the right thing by leaving the money as much as it had hurt me to do so. I started my car and reached into my LEFT pocket to find the $1 bill that I had thought Hailey had grabbed and went to the nearest gas station to get me all the Diet Coke I could get! Merry Christmas!

Oh Tannenbaum!

I finally got our tree up! After lugging it down from the attic and spending about 2 hours with the lights, I finally did it. Hailey and I spent the afternoon putting the ornaments on the tree and hanging decorations. We are so excited for Christmas! Hailey informed me that she wants camping stuff (?) and jewelry. Kind of polar opposites, but whatever! We'll see what Santa brings!

Thanksgiving

I know it is now time to get ready for Christmas and I am so excited.......but I want to step back for just a minute and write about my Thanksgiving. My family and I all carpooled down to St. George on Wednesday to enjoy Thanksgiving together. We stayed in a big beautiful house together until Sunday night. We went swimming, hiking, played games, watched movies, and of course Thanksgiving dinner! We had such a fun time! Thanks to Emily's parents for letting us use their beautiful home! This has been an amazing Thanksgiving for me and I couldn't have enjoyed it more. It was just what I needed. That brings me to what I am thankful for.

I am so Thankful for:

1. My children. I have the most amazingly beautiful and intelligent children. Each of them have their own unique personalities that makes our little family so wonderful. Hailey is my sunshine. She is so happy and such a social butterfly. She will make friends wherever we go. Hailey was asked at preschool what she is thankful for this year and she told her class she was thankful for her mommy and Jesus. Bronson is my tender-hearted one. He is so sensitive to everyone and knows just when you need a hug or kiss. Madison is so happy! I have never seen such a happy and good baby! I am not saying that just because she is mine either. She is happy all the time. She wakes up with a smile and goes to bed smiling in her sleep. My children are such a blessing and a joy in my life. I could not possibly make it through what I am experiencing right now in life without them. They bring me such peace and happiness that I will be forever grateful to my father in heaven for them.

2. My family. I have the most awesome wonderful family in the whole world! Family means everything to me. Life is not bearable without them. I want everyone in my family to know just how thankful I am for them. They have been there for me in my life through thick and the even thicker! I couldn't have asked for a better family. I feel so close to everyone in my family and I would do anything for them and I KNOW they would do anything for me and they already have. I really couldn't have asked for a better family!

3. My Savior. I am currently going through the most difficult time in my life right now. I KNOW that my Savior has been through what I am going through and has felt the pain and sorrow in my heart personally. I KNOW he is with me everyday cheering me on, gently urging me to get up and try again everytime I fall. I know he weeps with me when I weep, and I know he is filled with joy when I am happy and at peace. I know I will get through this and I know he will see to it that I do.

I couldn't be more blessed in my life than I am right now. I have so much to be thankful for, that I could go on for pages. This is just the top three. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.....Now bring on CHRISTMAS!!!!

My laugh of the Day!

Why men shouldn't take messages:

Someone sent me this email to brighten up my day.  I laughed so hard, my cheeks were throbbing!  Enjoy a good laugh today, I sure did!  Happy Thanksgiving!

Do Brunettes like have more fun?

I needed a change in the worst way.  (not like my life isn't changing enough already, but whatever).  I just felt stuck in a rut.  So, on Saturday I bravely entered the world of being a brunette.  I think I like it.  This picture does not do the color justice.  Thank you Shannyn!  It will just be interesting to see what is more fun....Blonde or Brunette?  I'll keep you posted....

This is a terrible picture of me...but Hailey took this picture!  She's pretty good!

"I've been Tagged..."

Yes, it finally happened.  I am officially cool in the blogging world.  Do you ever notice when you are going through blogs and you see the infamous "I've been tagged" post and secretly covet being tagged yourself?  Well, thank you Iliana!  I am officially cool, although this whole post almost makes me sound lame.  I think I am damaging my coolness.  Anyways, I'll get to the point.

The rules:

A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.

B. Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves.

C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

1. I am a thrill seeker at heart.  Not many people know this about me, but I love to be scared.  I have been known to jump off high cliffs and bridges, para-sail, bungee jump, and ride through river rapids without a boat.  This of course pretty much all happened before I had children, but I would love to get back into the habit anytime!

2. I am a closet Disney Channel lover.  I would never admit this to anyone face to face but, I absolutely LOVE the Disney Channel.  Hannah Montana, That's So Raven, and The Suite Life are my favorites.  Sometimes when I am all alone I watch the Disney Channel because "there is nothing else on."  Crazy!

3. My favorite place to shop is Nordstrom.  I seriously can't afford it, but I could spend hours there just browsing.  When I was little I always thought that people who shopped at Nordstrom's were so classy.  I remember buying my first pair of Doc. Martens at Nordstrom's in High School and I thought I had pretty much made it in life!  It is killing me right now that the Half Yearly Sale is going on!  Snap!

4. I absolutely love food.  I love cooking and making food, I love eating food, and I love trying new food.  I think it is pretty much a family trait because everyone in my family loves food too.  I am not a great cook, but I am pretty good at pretending.  Tonight I made BBQ Beef Sandwiches for a family get together at my house and my mom secretly told me that they were better than my sister's recipe.  (For those of you who don't know--my sister is like the Iron Chef of cooking.)  Sorry Kristen!  I also make some to-die-for-Fajitas.  

5. I love to fish, but I absolutely hate eating fish.  I hate anything that comes from the ocean for that matter.  I can't stand the smell or the texture.  It's just all bad.  But, give me a rod and send me to the lake and I am a happy camper.  This is interesting to me that I love to fish because when I was younger I was fishing with my Dad and he was flyfishing and swung his rod around and I got his barb stuck in my nose.  Yes, it was awful.  I seriously thought that something had jumped up out of the lake and was attacking me.  Some evil starfish or jumping clam or something.  I didn't have to go to the hospital, but let's just say if I had been into nose piercing's I was in luck.

6. My absolute worst habit is chewing my gum with my mouth open or popping my gum.  It's disgusting, I know.  But I seriously can't help it, I don't realize I am doing it until someone who is absolutely fed up with it chastizes me or I pop my gum at the worst time ever (like in the middle of testimony meeting at church).  Yuck!  I have had some serious talks with myself about this annoying and repulsive habit, but I just can't seem to kick it.  Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks  again Iliana for making me feel cool!  I tag: Carrie C., Cariann, Jenny B., and April (because I noticed that Iliana tagged her and she hasn't done it yet!) 

Happy Birthday Bronson!

Bronson turned a big boy 2 years old today!  Wow, time has really flown by.  I am so grateful to have such a sweet, loving, son.  He definitely keeps my hands full and helped take those last ten baby pounds off!  He is a mover and a climber.  He seriously never stops.  He loves to climb up on the counter when I am getting ready in the morning and do everything that mommy is doing.  (he wants so badly for me to let him put makeup on)!  Uh oh.  I better stay on top of that!  He gives the sweetest hugs and kisses and always knows when to be tender with me.  His latest thing is that when he is mad at me or wants something he will in his cutest little boy voice say "I will bite you!"  What a cutie.  Bronson got a tool set for his birthday and the first thing he did when we got home was run to our entertainment center and try to fix the cupboard he broke.  After that he has been running all over the house saying, "I fix it!"  That suits him well.  He is the fixer in our family.  He is always so tender and loving to everyone and wants to make sure everyone is okay.  He has fixed my broken heart many times over the last few months and I can't imagine life without him!  I love  you Bronson!

Pictures!

Cute Madison!

Recently I took the kids and I and had our pictures taken at the park. They turned out really cute, and just what I wanted. I wanted pictures of the kids and I that were happy, playful, and loving at this time. If you feel like viewing them (there are a lot) you can do so by going to:

www.heathergibbphotography.com Click on Recent Sessions, then on View Slideshows, and then when it asks for a password type in "taylor" all lowercase. It will play a slideshow of all the pictures. It was kind of difficult with three kids to get them all to smile. I don't think I got all of them smiling together in the same picture, but oh well! Let me know what you think!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

We had a great Halloween! We made caramel apples for FHE, and went to Thanksgiving Point for some scary tricks! It was so much fun trick-or-treating. Bronson loved all the treats, and was busily eating them in between houses. Hailey loved being "in costume" and Madison just went along with all of it. What a trooper! Bronson couldn't wait to get home and dump out his stash and dig right in. We might have to accidentally lose the trick-or-treat bag or Bronson will be losing his teeth!

ICE

Hey everyone..

I got this in an email and I felt it was important to post as my 2nd blog post in history!  It really does make sense:

We all carry our mobile phones with names & numbers stored in its memory but nobody, other than ourselves, knows which of these numbers belong to our closest family or friends.

If we were to be involved in an accident or were taken ill, the people attending us would have our mobile phone but wouldn't know who to call.  There are hundreds of numbers stored but which one is the contact person in case of emergency?  Hence this "ICE" (In Case of Emergency) Campaign.

The concept of "ICE" is catching on quickly.  It is a method of contact during emergency situations.  As cell phones are carried by the majority of the population, all you need to do is store the number of a contact person or persons who should be contacted during an emergency under the name "ICE" (In Case of Emergency).

The idea was thought up by a paramedic who found that when he went to the scenes of accidents, there were always mobile phones with patients, but they didn't know which number to call.  He therefore thought that it would be a good idea if there was a nationally recognized name for this purpose.  In an emergency situation, emergency Service personnel and hospital staff would be able to quickly contact the right person by simply dialing the number you have stored as "ICE".  For more than one contact name simply enter ICE1, ICE2, and ICE3 etc.  A great idea that will make a difference!

Ready, get set GO!!

Okay, as if I am not busy enough already in my life to add one more hobby but I can't resist. Imagine a whiny voice while I am justifying, "but EVERYONE has a blog. I have to have one!" After all, it is a good way to keep in touch with friends and family and let people in on what is going on in my life. I hope to keep current with news, events, pictures, complaints, etc. I guess I will jump right in and share a few of the photos I have taken this last week. Enjoy!