Sometimes Work is soooo Awesome!!

I had the opportunity to go the University of Utah School on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependencies June 20-25, the 59th Annual Session. I got to the hotel about 1:30 in the morning Sunday night after leaving from the cattle drive. I woke up early and Jolene helped me get registered. I decided to switch to the Professional Treatment section instead of the Substance Abuse overview so I would be with everyone from our team. I am so glad I did. I learned so much from the doctor's and scientists that spoke on different things from pain medicines to the process of addiction and the processess of the brain. Some of them shared their personal stories of addiction. It was soooo interesting! The brain is a miracle and Recovery is possible but so very difficult and a life long process, and that is recovery from any addiction which I learned we all pretty much have in one way or another. It is important to learn how to manage stress most of all!! The conference gave me insight into myself and I took lots of notes so I can remember and share with my family. I hope to be able to go again some day! Monday night Jolene and I dropped off her Saab and tried to go shopping. We ended up getting locked in the malls because they were closing. Tuesday night we had dinner and got to see the Native American Indians in full costume doing some dance routines. They were amazing and really beautiful. Jolene and I even joined in the friendship dance at the end. Wednesday Jolene and I took a break at lunch to take a bike ride up City Creek. It was beautiful. A guy at the top showed me where a spring was where you can get fresh water. He also said he saw a black bear last summer in this spot. Matt came up and we went out to eat at Red Lobster. It was delicious and we both thought it was better then the last time we went there. Matt had to get up and leave early to get to Park City but I am so glad he was able to come up. Thursday after the conference Jolene, Lance, and I went for a ride up Immigration Canyon to This Is The Place Monument. It was a beautiful ride and we came back to the hotel and soaked in the hot tub. The week went by way to fast and I definitely wasn't ready to come home. I had so much fun with Jolene and Cindy. I decided I need to get one of those GPS'. I think it would really come in handy for me. I am just so terrible with directions. Cindy is such a hoot and we had an interesting little ride back from the Greek restaurant from lunch, but it was worth all of the laughs.
My mom kept the kids all week and they had a great time in Tabby. Jabin helped grandpa with the sprinklers and Dallas and Haddy helped plant seeds with grandma. They even went to Woodland to the water park.

Cattle Drive June 19, 2010 She Said Yes!

Dallas and Sophi's cow rattles.

Starting off on a good note.

Riley, Ben, and me.

Sophi and Dallas holding Buster back while we head out. Buster was laying under Dan, Matt's horse, trying to get some shade, and Dan accidentally stepped on his toe. It probably broke it, so we kept him in the truck. The girls and Mike blocked off all gates and helped keep the cows moving down the road. They worked so hard!

Matt helping Juan and Victor shoe the horses. This is right after the horse jerked and ripped Matt's pants. He had his chaps on to shoe Bell but took them off.

Kristina, Sara, Me and Wendi

Come and get it! Riley made his famous beans and we had a delicious salad and chicken fried steak. Sam and Alisha and Chase and Tomi came up for singing and laughs around the camp fire.

SHE SAID YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a rock Juddy!

Welcome to the family Wendi!

Head em up and Move em out! We let them settle here before we pushed them out on the road because with all the comotion the cows get seperated from their calves and then once we get them pushed where we want them they cut back as soon as they can. They tend to go back to the last time they were with their calf. It was a little frustrating to work so hard all day and as soon as we quit pushing them they headed right back. It's always great to head home for the weekend and see all the cows that have come out of the willows that we didn't find scrambling in the willows on the way. Judd ends up pushing them up several times before it is all over. Ben and my brothers decided to make shirts for next year "How many push ups can you do?"

Matt's pretty awesome with the bull whip.

Kristina staying back with Dallas trying to help her be a little more confident on her horse. Sadie may be old but she can still be a brat. It was a little scary for Dallas but it was good for her to learn how to control her horse and make her mind without following other horses all the time.

Daniel, Riley, Kristina, Judd, and Matt

Dallas and her little friend Sophi. It took Dallas a little while and after my advice of "pretend Sadie is Jabin and you are mad at him and want him to mind you" she started to get the hang of it. She was yelling at the cows "Get a going, Yeah, thats right, I'm talking to you cow!" It was pretty cute, and it was great to see her take charge and control her horse. I was pretty proud of her. I did have a scare though when Dallas was trying to get Sadie to go up a little dug way and Sadie wanted to go with another horse, so she started backing up not knowing that there was an embankment behind her and she backed off of it. Luckily, Dallas held on and Sadie didn't go over backwards. The drive can be pretty stressful at times and is very hard work, but so fun. I am really glad Dallas came this year. Congrats Judd and Wendi! Judd had to stay up with the cows after we pushed them so they wouldn't turn back and Wendi came up later, after she ran in the Wasatch Back Relay. Judd had it planned out to ask her the first night of the drive and she was suprised. I guess the date is November 12th.

Poker, Running, and Wedding Bliss

Dusty invited us to come over to Oak City and do the Poker Run Trail Ride. We brought Dallas along and Jabin and Hadden stayed with Robyn because the boys were playing baseball in Fillmore all day. We started the ride with a card and as we went along the ride there were different stops where you would get another card. The best hand at the end won a saddle. Dallas rode Wakara, Matt on Dan, I rode Badger, Dusty was on Molly, Kelly rode Pow Wow, because Orphan Annie got in the wire, and Mark Mundy rode Chief, Dusty's cousins Steve Roberts and Stewart rode with us too.

Dallas did pretty good and said she had a good time. The trail was really steep. On the way down my saddle started to slip over Badger's neck. Matt said it wouldn't go over his head but it was just enough that the back strap tightened up and Badger kept bucking until I pulled over on the trail and adjusted and tightened the saddle.

There were 77 riders that entered the game but there were probably alot more riders then that because a lot of the kids that were there didn't sign up. There were only a couple of times on the trail that we had to wait because a couple of groups got to close. We ended up passing some riders because their horses were out of shape and having a hard time climbing that steep trail.

Dallas Matty or, as Steve called her...Tuna Salad, because she told him her name spelled backwards is Sallad. He got a kick out of her. Dusty calls her Matty.

Getting out of harms way... One of the rider's horses was really out of shape. The horse was trembling because his muscles were so spent. Everytime the guy would stop the horse would just slowly back down the trail just shaking. The guy got off and lead the horse up the mountain and the guy was a little "tuned up" (with what he was drinking) and ended up falling down a couple of times and getting scratched on his face. When he got down to the trucks he was bleeding in a couple of spots and his horse was trembling, it was quite the sight. We didn't think the horse was going to make it. Dallas was right behind him on this steep pull so Dusty had her quickly get around him in case the horse went down.

Getting a drink at the end of the ride. We didn't have the best hand and heard that three guys had three aces, so the high card won. It was really a fun time even though I wouldn't have known if I had a good hand. I can play Black Jack but don't really care about Poker so I've never learned how to play.

It was a fun ride with our friends. It felt like fall though instead of the middle of June. We went and picked up the kids and headed out to Meadow to Dusty's place and met his wife. He has a beautiful home and yard. Dallas found his little squirl trap and made him promise he would got turn them loose and not shoot them. He promised. It was really nice to meet Diane. We think a lot of this family and look forward to the rides and good times we are sure to have in the future.

Julia was visiting for the weekend because she had work in SLC. It was so nice to stay up late when we got home from the ride and catch up with her. Julia and I got to go for a run together in the morning before we got ready and headed over to Bicknell for Alan and Lacie Grundy's wedding. Marcus and Marianne pulled their trailer up to Mill Meadow and camped with everybody. The wedding was really nice and she had the cutest flower pots for decorations; I'm going to have Matt make me some for my porch. I liked a saying she had printed on an old glass window pane. It said: Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway.....Love it. Congrats Alan and Lacie!

Enough cussing the camera!! I'm getting a new one this week!

Happy Birthday Haddy!

Birthday fun! We had planned our family vacation this year and decided to do it for Hadden's birthday. I had got us a hotel in Moab and we were planning on hiking Arches and either riding the river or going to Dead Horse Point. We were all looking forward to this and unexpectedly a family friend of the Taylor's passed away, Max Albrecht. The viewing was Friday night, Haddy's birthday, and the funeral was Saturday. I had to cancel our reservations and we had a change of birthday plans. I felt bad about telling the kids so I waited until Matt got home and he told them. They took it very well and were so good to be patient while we attended the funeral. I told Haddy we would celebrate all weekend for her and she was excited. I apologized for not being able to go to Moab and she said "I'm okay with it." I rushed home from work and grabbed the birthday cake I had made the night before and carried it on my lap and the kids waited while we went to the viewing. We ended up standing in line for three hours so when we got home we ate and patient little Haddy finally got to open her presents. The only thing she wanted was a bumble bee pillow pet and a giant note book. This kid is so easy to please, unless it comes to doing her hair! Grandma and Grandpa Taylor got her the pillow pet, a card and $5, Grandma and Grandpa Roberts gave her a cute card and $20, We got her a note book, markers, movies of the Old Testament and money for her savings.

After the funeral Grandma and Grandpa took us to the Rice King Buffet, Haddy's choice. After dinner we asked Haddy if she wanted to go bowling or go to the Dollar Store and, with a little help from her brother and sister, decided to go bowling. We had a good time even though the kids lost interest in the game after the first couple of rolls and were more interested in spending quarters on the video games and candy and gum machines. I started off with a lucky strike off the bumper.

Jabin playing muscle man with the hand dryer.

Haddy strikes a pose after lobbing the ball for the spare. I think she took the record for how long it takes a ball to roll down the lane.
The kids wound up at Grandma's. I think it is about 11:30 at night in this picture.

Matt rolling his lucky "Big John" ball goes for the heavy strike.

Dallas couldn't figure out how to get a strike. She is not sure bowling is her thing.

Jabin's skills

Keeping score. Mom is ahead in this picture, thanks to the bumper pads. Dad ends up pulling ahead in the end after wrapping it up with a double striker.

Late night birthday cake.

This is the wonderful pillow pet Haddy has been wanting for months. I told her not to be dissapointed because everything looks bigger on tv. She wasn't. She loves it and it is really soft and comfy. Great, one more stuffed animal to add to the collection.

I told the kids to help make Haddy's day a special one so Dallas worked hard and made a home made tea set with her molding clay that hardens. Haddy loved it and while I was at work they made her a picnic lunch in the front room. I told them to take pictures and maybe I should have them do this more often. I found out, through evidence of the pictures, that they made a big picture of lemonade and the picture shows Haddy putting her hands in it. Who knows what games they were playing, but when I got home I gladly through the huge picture of lemonade away, otherwise I probably would have had a big glass of it. Thanks Dallas for making Haddy's day a special one. You both are lucky to have each other, you too Jabes!!

Thanks to sister we have green birthday nails, just happens to be Dallas' favorite color. Dallas is always one for details putting a silver tip on each one. I'm glad you are a pink girl Haddy. Green is fine, but a girl has got to love pink! We'll get Dallas to come around. Love you Haddy!! Happy 6th birthday.

I couldn't decide to go with the beehive and bee's this year or a lady bug cake. I couldn't find black shoe string licorice, so we went with the bees.

Haddy got breakfast in bed on her birthday but I had her take it to the table to eat, after all her nickname, even though she hates it, is....SPILLS.

Haddy Po or Haddy Pearl, you are such a sweet and fun little girl and you bring so much happiness and laughter to our family. You are so loved and I hope you had a special and happy birthday this year. You are 6 years old!! You have quite the fashion sense and do not agree with mine, so we have quite the time getting ready in the morning some times. You like to wear your hair straight and want to grow it out. You love to play school and carry your purse and wear lipstick. You have very cute friends at school and you are so kind and sensitive to everyone. You always have cute little things you tell me about your friends at school like "I need to be extra kind to Herman because he misses his mom." You love to talk like your teacher, Mrs. Roberts, and it is hilarious. You love bacon and Caprisun's.