HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Today is Keith's 28th Birthday! Holy Moly! I can't believe it! He really is an incredible person though, and here are just 28 reasons why:

1. He is easily the most patient man...ever!

2. He is actually pretty funny, even though I tell him he's not

3. He has self discipline that is OUT OF THIS WORLD!

4. He is very devoted to the things he loves

5. He spoils me rotten, even if it means he will have to go without

6. He is a great help around the house and does dishes and laundry all of the time! (without me asking)

7. He is a great cook.

8. His testimony of our church is rock solid.

9. He always prays first thing in the morning.

10. He writes in his journal daily.

11. He would love to be a ski bum.

12. He will probably never go bald, he has nice thick hair.

13. His skin smells good even when he doesn't have on cologne. (except for the 2 days after he eats something full of garlic)

14. He is an excellent teacher!

15. He doesn't love to get his hands dirty unless it is on the football field, but he will if he needs to.

16. He is a good example of service.

17. He is very routine-oriented. He likes to go to bed, wake up, work out, etc. at the same time every day.

18. He tries his hardest to help me be a better person.

19. He loves kids.

20. He is really fun to be around, I love to stay home and hang out with him in the evenings.

21. He is respectful of his parents.

22. He is a very hard worker.

23. He lost 70 lbs. in 1 1/2 years (thanks to his work ethic)

24. He can now dunk a basketball again! (thanks to his weight loss)

25. He loves all products produced by Apple.

26. He is a surprisingly talented actor!

27. He would ride a motorcycle year round if he could.

28. He never treats anyone badly and has a heart of gold!

To celebrate, we went to dinner and had French Silk Pie for dessert, since Keith isn't a huge cake person. He had to blow out candles that were in jars, since we didn't know where the birthday candles were.

He got a new basketball for his birthday--I caught him mid word in this picture.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEITH! I LOVE YOU!

Halloween 2009

We did a few different things the day of Halloween. We spent Halloween Eve and Halloween morning/early afternoon with my cousins in Idaho Falls while my Aunt and Uncle were in Utah. We then came home and Whitney and Tobin along with our friends Brian and Dana came over for dinner, which was soup in a loaf and then caramel apples.

Brian the cowboy with a gross wig (tucked under his arm) and some serious chaps made of fur!

Dana had a great witch costume!

I haven't dressed up for years, but thanks to my Aunt Juanita who pulled through with a costume for me as we were leaving her house, I was a bird this year.

Keith, of course, was a pirate. He has been working on this outfit for years, and adds something to it every year. This year it was huge rings on his fingers, a shrunken head hanging off his belt, and beads in his wig.

Whitney and Tobin came without costumes, so Whitney got to be Medusa and Tobin got to be a bat-like fairy (Thanks once again to Aunt Nita for sending additional costumes)

He was really thrilled about the wings. :)

After dinner we made a few quick visits and ended the evening around a fire pit with warm apple cider. Happy (late) Halloween!

Halloween-Past and Present Pumpkins

Jack-O-Lanterns from 2006-We had only been married a few months.

2007 (I'm obviously not as devoted as Keith to pumpkin carving)

Sadly, no Jack-O-Lanterns were produced by the Taylor family in 2008, but I wish we would have carved something down in Dominica...... I'm not sure what we would have used though.

2009

The dirty look is not because of the goo from the pumpkins, I don't mind that part. It because we had just purchased them and they had been outside where it was literally freezing!!! The goo was SO cold and painful to clean out! (and I was trying to tell Keith but he just kept taking pictures and laughing.....)

The master at work. He wanted a big pumpkin and since the first 3 stores we went to were sold out of pumpkins, when we found one that still partially green we had no complaints.

The finished products! Pirates of the Caribbean--Dominica, we are still with you in spirit!

I promise our hair is not as big and puffy as it looks--there is a shadow on the wall making it look much bigger than it is! :)

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Picnic

When we got back from Dominica (2 months ago-sorry for the delay) we really wanted to go out on a date.   We originally wanted to do something along the lines of going out to a nice place and then to a movie that just came out.  Once we started planning, we slowly came to better grips with reality: a nice dinner and newly released movie will not be in our budget for about 10 years.  So, we packed a picnic and headed to the park.
It ended up being incredibly fun and we had a good time (and laugh) watching the little league football team that was practicing across the street from us.
It was a perfect evening and I think I had more fun on the picnic than if we had gone to a nice restaurant!  Thanks for the great date Keith!

 

Lame Update

So, it turns out that blogging is a lot harder for me when I'm going to school, working, and not living on a tropical island.  I just feel like most of my "extra" time is spent studying and doing homework and if by chance I have a little time after that, Keith is lucky enough to get a real dinner.  But, here is a lame update of our lives.

For those of you who don't know, we are back in Pocatello, Idaho.  Keith's parents have a house with a basement apartment off of their garage and have been nice enough to let us stay here, and we love it!  No one has lived here since the fixed it up (they actually gutted and re-did the whole basement) and we really like our upstairs neighbors, so we are happy.

I am going to school at Idaho State University.  I went back and I'm taking some generals so that I can get my Associates and then transfer more easily when we move.  I am also working on campus in the Nursing Department.  I worked there when Keith and I were first married and luckily I got hired back.  I help in the Lab, run the mannequins, set up for students coming down to do labs, etc.  I actually really like it, the lab is brand new this year (it opened in the spring) and it's incredible!  I'll take some pictures one day at work so that everyone can see.  

Oh, I babysit 1 day a week too, and I love love love it!

Keith is currently at the PASS Program in Champaign, Illinois.  It's a review/study course for the STEP 1, which is the first part of his licensing exam (and also the biggest test he'll ever take).  He's been gone a little over a week and has not quite 3 left!!  :(    He said he's learning a lot though and that it has been extremely beneficial.

Such a lame update, but there you go.  Hope everyone is doing well!

Wild Wild West

AH!  I love Idaho!  I miss Dominica too, but I love Idaho.  Here are a few more things we've done since we've been home.

We went with my sister Whitney and her husband Tobin up to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to hang out for a little bit and go to the Bar J Wranglers.  We had an amazing meal of ribs, baked beans, applesauce, a biscuit, baked potato, and spice cake.  (Still one of my favorites!)  After wards, the Wranglers came out and sang and performed, and they did a pretty good job too!

One of the antler arches in Jackson

Whitney and Tobin-aren't they pretty?

Everyone had a different reaction to the bear..... even Whitney who wouldn't touch it.

The Bar J Wranglers

A sweet old lady in line told me that she didn't think my hat would hold up on the trail.  I wanted to tell her probably not, but the ones that would, didn't come in pink.  :)

Over Labor Day weekend, we went camping with Keith's parents to Island Park.  They weather was beautiful and we had such a great time.   

Bill and Katherine, enjoying the beautiful weather.

We took bikes and went on a fun little ride.  

Our campsite was right by Island Park Reservoir, it was beautiful!

Keith reread (for the ump-teenth time) the abridged version of The Count of Monte Cristo in one weekend, it's only 500+ pages in the smallest font you've ever seen.  

It's amazing how 2 places can be so different but both so beautiful!

Home Sweet Home!

Wow, I have a lot to catch up on but here is some stuff that we did our first week home.  My oldest brother Brandon was home for a week when we first got back (we missed you Becky!) and Keith's younger brother Jason was home for 2 weeks from Iraq.  It was great to spend some time with our brothers (and of course, the rest of our family).

My sister Whitney and I (and stitch) at a BBQ/lawn party they had the night we got home.

Our new sweet niece Mackenzie.

My youngest cousin Morgann and I in the sunflower patch. We went and spent one morning working with my Grandma and Grandpa Cornwall in their orchard and nice big garden, Morgann provided much entertainment.

Me, Grandma, and Brandon

Whitney and Morgann--Bruce had to get in on the action too.

I can't get over the sunflower covered  mountains!  Idaho, I've missed you!!!!

Brandon, under a tree in the orchard, taking a break.

Keith at my Grandma and Grandpa Cornwall's house, by the corner of the garden.

After a hard morning of work, we went and played at Lava Swimming Pool.  We played water basketball and although it was fun, it was also a free-for-all.  About anything went, so it was tiring!

Tobin, Whitney, and Keith

This picture took A LOT of tries to get.

Tobin

Tobin and Whitney's "lover's leap" off the diving boards

Brandon jumping off of the 3rd platform!!!

Brandon

Us, about as goofy as we could possibly look.  I was trying to make a fish face and I'm not sure about Keith.

BBQ at Mom and Dad Mennears after a full day of working and then playing.  

We love being HOME!!!!!