Adventurous Soul

Last weekend we went to a water park called Yuemei (you A may). There is a water park much closer, two actually. However, for Emmett, the unknown, getting down and dirty with the culture, and going somewhere no one else does or will makes any outing that much more fun. Emmett has an adventurous soul!! Have you ever seen "Christmas Vacation" with Chevy Chase (Clark Griswald). Emmett is a Clark, an idealist, a man who does it big, a man who dreams it up and then makes it happen. We once took a trip with the Ricks family to go tree "hunting" for Christmas. We spent a whole day finding the tree. Funny thing is, we didn't have a truck. Emmett meticulously tied the tree to the roof of the Nissan Sentra. We drove six to seven hours with that tree. Most of the needles on one side were practically gone. The tree had a unique "wind blown" look about it and the roof of the Sentra paid a dear price. Of course that will always be our most memorable tree, a tree that we will always be proud of. Emmett and I have been married for eleven years now, so when Emmett told me about going to this water park I didn't need to question his motives. I've learned to trust his adventurous spirit.

Taylor woke up with a fever and Emmett and I were out late the night before(late for us 10:00 PM now). We got a late start. I wasn't sure we should even go with Taylor's elevated temperature. By 8:30 snacks, floaties, goggles, sunscreen, towels, first aid kit, thermometer, medicine, water, juice, and a change of clothes were packed. We were ready to head out. We hit traffic, and the 1 and 1/2 hour trip turned to 2 and 1/2 hours in traffic. We tried to make the most of it enjoying the new found scenery, but around the halfway point the kids DVD player gave out and we were becoming a little impatient.

One rest stop and at least 20 "are we there yets" later and we had made it. The park was great for little kids. It had two areas devoted to slides for children 8 and under. Emmett and Tommy went to do the "man stuff" while Taylor and I took it easy at the kiddie pool. After a few hours we noticed that the park was becoming extremely crowded. Not Lagoon-A-Beach crowded, this was more like sardine crowded. I decided it was time to give Taylor a dose of fever-reducer and a nap. Nothing better than a five-year-old letting you hold them while they nap :).

We spent the rest of the day waiting in lines, playing in the biggest pile of bubbles ever, getting stared at (we were the only foreigners in the entire park!) and just being together. As we were leaving there was a live band and fireworks to be enjoyed. The drive home was quicker. I'm not sure if it was due to a reduction in traffic or Emmett's mad driving skills (a topic for another blog).

Sometimes the journey is longer or a little more bumpy when you are married to an adventurous soul, but trust me, it is totally worth it.

Thanks for the adventures Emmett!!

Back to the Family Blog

My friend and I decided to go back to our family blogs. Sorry for the change again. I'm back to blogger again :).

I have a new Blog

I have a new blog that I am using for my adventures in Taiwan. A friend and I made a "Pinkie Swear" that we would stay in touch through a blog. The blog is http://pinkieswearpromise.wordpress.com/. There are lots of fun adventures! Check it out.

Michelle

A Jump Start

Here I am coming upon change. A situation that will give me a fresh start. No one knows me. I don't have a reputation. I could decide to change things about me and no one would know. It is kind of refreshing. I used to feel bad for people that grew up in the same area their whole lives. The reputation they built would always be with them. Mine will vanish in five days.

This morning I woke up at 4:30. It is now 5:53. I couldn't sleep because I was thinking of all the things I would like to change in my life.

1. I don't want to drink soda.
2. I want to eat healthy.
3. I want to be a little more ladylike and a little less crass.
4. I want to consistently read scripture.
5. I want to gain a stronger testimony.
6. I want to exercise.
7. Talk less and listen more.

These are all person goals that I have not been able to muster up the motivation for lately. Moving to a new place where I will have more time to focus will be the perfect opportunity for me to change. This has been my mentality for the last four months. However, in the last four months I have only worked out 6 times, I have been more crass than normal, I have been more inconsistent with scriptures, and I drink soda almost daily. As for the healthy eating... well lets just say I've gained 9 pounds in the last four months!!

Last night, after a conversation with friends, I realized that there is no need to wait. In fact, waiting is the easy way out. So I'm giving myself a jump start. I'm starting today. Bye Bye soda!! Hello to eating more healthy. Time to apologize for crass words. It's 6:08 so there is still time to exercise and read scriptures. Here I go. I already feel better. I feel better this very minute :).

Are You Passionate?

Do you know what your passion is? Have you found out who you are or what you really want to do? I haven't. Sometimes I hear of a passion that someone else has and I try it out for a while, but it isn't really mine so I give it back like a shirt I borrowed from a girlfriend. I followed after my sister for a while. I ran. I never truly liked it. I used to think that songwriting was my passion, but when there's no one to share the songs with it takes the fun out of it. Sometimes I still write, but more in journal form (definitely not for entertainment purposes). I once wrote a song and submitted it to the American Idol Songwriting Competition. Of course it didn't go anywhere. It wasn't a total waste of the ten dollar submission fee. I did complete a song, recorded it and all. My husband, unlike me, has so many passions that he has a hard time choosing one. Not to mention so many talents that he is needed by everyone. How would that be... Probably a little stressful. Maybe I have a passion, but it changes so frequently that I peg it as a passing fad. Maybe being busy is my passion. I really hate boredom or empty blocks of time. I love people! Maybe people are my passion. Maybe I'll find my passion in Taiwan. The search is on!!

The man in this photo is the first person I spoke to in Taiwan. I only knew three phrases in Mandarin. He spoke to me in spite of my inadequate language skills. I didn't understand a lick, but he was very pleasant. Maybe my passion will be learning a new language...

A Change is a'comin!!

This is where I will be living in Taipei. I will be on the 22nd floor. This building is about 50 years old. I've been told that this is a good sign. It has withstood the typhoons and earthquakes. It must be pretty solid :)!

Taipei Taiwan here we come!!! I'm going to start a Taipei blog very soon. My friend and I are going to compare/contrast our experiences while I'm living in Taipei. I am really excited about the new adventure my family and I are about to embark on. I know there will be challenges, but overall I am quite sure we will learn, grow and have a lot of fun. More to come...

Cold

It turned from summer to winter this year. No Fall... I was ready for a change, but summer to winter doesn't seem drastic enough. Maybe a vacation is in order. Then there's the problem of committments and school. Maybe I could just be irresponsible and take Tommy out of school for a few days and go visit family or better yet, drive to LegoLand. Sometimes I secretly wish my kids were just sick enough to stay home but not sick enough to have to stay in bed. It would be a great excuse to throw out the schedule for the day or the week and do everything together with no interruption. Thomas had Chicken Pox a few weeks ago. I loved every minute of it (it was a very mild case). Even better would be the "secret wish" that Emmett could retire really early. He has so many talents and abilities but can't use them because he is so tied up at work. Most of my dreams include him and his talents. If he can't free up some time, then my dreams are shot :). Schedules, time, committments, responsibility make up the reason for my inability to satiate this need for change. For now I'll just dwell on the weather and it will have to suffice.

An Organized Mess

Taylor made a big mess, but it was so organized that it didn't really seem messy. I was gone for the evening. Emmett was busy on the computer. Emmett made Taylor clean it all up, but neither of them knew which drawer was for what. I dealt with the aftermath. It wasn't too bad. Someday I know I'll miss the little messes. For now I think they're cute.

The X-Box is Broken!

This is what happens at our house when the X-box is broken. Emmett resorted to watching TV in our room while eating his lunch. I admit that I have been quite sad that I haven't had media center piping through the TV in the front room. I need the X-Box just as much as he does.

Taylor's First Day in Primary

Taylor is finally old enough to go to primary. She didn't miss a beat. I don't know if she even thought about it or noticed. She has great teachers. I'm hoping she doesn't chase them away. Taylor or so full of energy and life. It takes a runner to keep up with her.

Night Skiing with Dad.

Tommy went skiing with his dad and cousins. I wasn't there, but Emmett said for his first time he did a great job. What a fun thing to do.

Tommy came home really excited and told me all about it. He told me that sometimes he ran out of energy and had to fall to the side. When he wanted to slow down he had to make a "slice of pizza" shape with his skis. Emmett must have been a good teacher.

A Night Out on the Town

There's no better way to beat the wintertime blues than going out with friends. We went to BSU, played pool, and Chili's afterward. We were all being goofy. It was great.

Do I actually look like I know what I'm doing? I don't.

Emmett's making me a little nervous in this one.

What a fun night.

Disengaged Motivation

The new year has come. Usually I am very motivated. I set goals and feel excited to start again. This year is different. I am motivated in some areas, but in others I just plain don't care. Sadly, I haven't been eating very healthy, my pants are fitting (but a little tighter), and for some reason I couldn't drag myself to make any goals pertaining to weight, working out or nutrition. So here I am blogging, hoping that maybe a confession will light a fire under my "can" and get me going.


Here are a few little tidbits from the year that I want to include that I forgot.


Daddy is the best toy ever!

Tommy's game must be extremely tiring for onlookers.
This was my first attempt to be as cool as my other mom friends who make way cool birthday cakes. Mine fell to pieces before it was eaten. Oops.

Ugly sweater day at Micron has gotten a little out of hand. I still love you babe.

All in all it was a good year. Maybe even great. Truely I have been blessed with a great year. I can't wait to see what the next one brings.

Little Miss Ballerina

Ballet at three? Crazy right? Taylor didn't learn how to dance, but she ALMOST learned to stand in a line, take turns, listen to an adult, and follow directions. Honestly, it was so cute to watch my little ballerina in her pink duds. It was worth every penny spent on ballet shoes, tap shoes, leotards, etc...

I love you TayTay!

December in a Nutshell

December is always a funfilled month. This year was no exception. So here are some pictures in no particular order (I'm too busy for order). Let the chaos ensue.
Santa is such a great guy. He always pulls through (even if it takes a last minute run to the nearest Walmart).

I can't tell if the look on his face is a good sign or bad sign.

Tommy knows for sure that this was the real Santa. Strange that Santa's roots were coming in black.

Silly children! This was our traditional family photo at the micron Christmas party.

Uncle Rob read "Twas the Night Before Christmas". He had a captive audience.

Emily and I have so much fun together. I'm so greatful that she has kids around the same time as me. Our kids are such good friends.

What a wonderful season. Can't wait till next year!!! Sad to think that we only get approximately 80 of these.

Advent Calendar idea

Taylor woke up this morning and told me she heard Santa on the roof. With 2o days left until Santa will (actually) be on our roof I needed something to help her get a grasp on time. I decided to make an advent calendar. I bought a cute little calendar from Target for $20. Inside I will put a little candy and a daily activity idea.

1. Read Christmas story from the Bible and the Book of Mormon.
2. Have hot chocolate with all the fixings.
3. Make Christmas treats for friends.
4. Sing (or listen) to favorite Christmas songs.
5. Play a board game and eat popcorn (If there’s time, string some for the tree).
6. Give a present to someone in need.
7. Go out and see public light display.
8. Write letters to Father Christmas.
9. Use puppets to tell a Christmas story.
10. Write out ideas for presents we can give to Jesus this season.
11. Tell stories of childhood Christmas around the fire.
12. Have a camp out around the Christmas tree.
13. Talk about the symbols of Christmas.
14. Donate canned goods.
15. Wrap a toy and take it to a charity.
16. Make a Gingerbread house.
17. Do a Christmas coloring page or game.
18. Fold origami for the Christmas tree.
19. Dance like crazy to Christmas music.
20. Watch a Christmas movie with popcorn.
21. Perform a quick service as a family.
22. Go out to see the Christmas lights in the neighborhood.
23. Make decorative sugar cookies.
24. Special Christmas Eve treats TBA.

All of Emmett's dreams come true

Tangerine Dream!

Emmett has been a fan of a band called Tangerine Dream since childhood. The band is based in Germany, so they rarely come to the states. It just so happens that at the beginning of November they were coming to UCLA. There was no question about it. We had to go. We were a bit hesitant to go on another vacation, but it almost seemed necessary. So once again we packed up. However, this time we brought the children. If there is a trip to California, then (it goes without saying) there will be a trip to Disney Land. We drove to Zack and Shannon's house (thanks guys), spent some time in Vegas, stayed with Jim, Terri and Amelia (thanks guys) went to Knottsberry Farm, Tangerine dream, Disneyland, and then came home. Tommy was tall enough for all the rides except Indiana Jones. Emmett and Tommy went on the "big boy" rides while Taylor and I visited princesses and such. Here are some pictures.