The Pits of being sick

To stay home or not to stay home? Well I have been sick for nearly 3 weeks now and let me tell you the frustration that goes along with being sick. 

I spent the first two days in bed so I would be healthy enough to go to work and not get the old people sick. Well I went back perhaps too early but thankfully no one caught my sicks. 

Feel almost completely better we headed to an awesome Thanksgiving with the Families in Draper. It was great but the cold was coming from both sides of the family, and wham it got me again. This time worse in the throat so not only do i feel like crap but I sounded like it too. Ugh. I am almost to the point where I think Flem is part of life. 

All I can hope for is, Not to be sick the whole winter. and pray Jordan won't get it.

November

Well it is the beginning of November and unfortunately fall is just about over. The leaves were lush here in Rexburg. Unfortunately I didn't pick my "Perfect Leaf" of the Year but I think beginning next year that will become a tradition. 

I am sad to see the cold moving in but as the crisp chill moves in and snow occasionally falls WE (Jord and I) feel our hearts beat about 3x faster because we know what is coming the anticipation is excruciating but thrilling. SKI SEASON IS COMING!! 

We dress up in our ski gear every chance we get, call it Halloween costumes or weekly dress up. Not only do we dress up but we also irrationally spend towards our hobby. We call it early Christmas Presents. New goggles, new ski pants, new snowboard, new coat, new snowboard, new ski socks, new bindings, and boots from the local pawn shop. Needless to say we are excited and have a spending problem. But if the snow is good well forget about the $$$. Jordan watches the same ski movie once a week and then finds new ones online every day. At the moment Jordan is waxing all snowboards and skis. He says he is glad he married me, as it has kept him from being a ski bum and or addict, i thinks he has an problem and is in denial. 

Church

I asked God to help us to read our scriptures. Well we read them now as we have been called as the Gospel Doctrine Teachers..... If that is not overwhelming intimidating and scary, then I don't know the definitions of those words. Plus I procrastinated prepping for last weeks lesson because I figured Jordan would do most of it. He claims it was food poison. Regardless of the excuse I ended up knees shaking, splotchy neck, and forgetting to breath in front  of a class of return missionaries, while Jordan laid in our cushy bed.  All I can say is God answers our prayers.

School/ Work

Jordan doesn't seem like the studier but he is doing great in all of his classes and is loving school. He is smug when the class talks about beating up the kid with the highest grade who is throwing the curve way off for everyone else. He spend his days in classes on his new favorite toy, his mac book, and yet his grades are great. You can call him, "Oh Mister Brilliance" next time you see him.

For me it is the joys of working with seniors all day. Being hit on by Grandpas is my new way of finding self worth. You think that they look at you the way  they would view their Granddaughter but  no they think they are my age and that the more they flatter me maybe they'll get lucky.  And really they do get lucky, they get to play bingo with me and there is not much more exciting than that. 

What can I say our lives are always full of adventures.

Moving on

Well we left the lush Caribou-Targhee National forest ..Grand Targhee on the day of the first snow, a huge signal that summer is over. Despite age and career there is always something magical about the summer time. I was feeling a void as all my friends headed back to school but living in the college town of Rexburg is helping me feel as though I am still a part of college life, or that college life is still a part of me.
Since Jordan was "over qualified" for two part time jobs he applied for he decided to make the jump from working for others to working for himself. He got his business license and his contractor license. The name of his company is "TAYLOR CONSTRUCTION AND REMODELING" and he already has a couple jobs lined up. I bet we could all put money on the table that Jordan will never work for someone else again. He is a go getter and he is in the process of getting!!!
When it comes to careers for me I had felt a bit lost but this time the answer to my prayers was quick it just took kneeling and asking. Which took me four months to finally do. But with counsel of a good mother I prayed and was guided to the perfect job 2 days later. I hope I got the job, I will find out tomorrow, the position is "Director of Activites, for Teton House" an assisted living facility.
OTHER EXCITING NEWS
--We made it to our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!!! It has been a blast, to celebrate we went to Yellowstone for three days and saw all the geysers, paint pots, and tourists. While we were there we saw a grizzly bear and were rushed by a large man bison (Jordan was terrified).
--We also left our home on wheels and moved into an apartment it is only $325 a month and we have screaming baby neighbors who wake us up at 4:00 in the morning, needless to say that is fabulous form of birth control, they may look cute during the day but they are monsters during the night.
--Jennie turned 22 years old she is really growing up..
--The jenny's were reunited again a much needed cuddling was called for.
--Jordan bought a bunch of tools

Nothing but fun

Ok so we'll give you a huge update. Since last posted Heather and Mary(mom) came to visit it was great. We explored Jackson. Then Jordan worked as the bread winner while Jennie went back to SLC to hang out with all the originals who were under the mama and papa's roof for a week, it was awesome. Then Howie and the boys (Braden and Garrett) came to visit. yes all 5 of us slept in the RV and it was great fun. So that is another shout out that we accept visitors. The Schmidt boys and Jennie ran the snake river while Jordan continued to work. Jordan has become an even better fisher man seeing as he goes every time he gets a chance, he is particularly good at catching carp.
Jennie finally left the unemployment and went to work at Grand Targhee also, she gets twitterpated when she sees Jordan on the job. We have made new friends, they are way cool and definitely hippie-ish, we are hoping it will rub off a little bit.
We got hit with 3 days of June snow which was not very cool in our opinion, Jordan was snowblowing 14 inches of snow at work. Well by the end of that week the sun choose to show itself which was awesome. So we decided to go camping we went up Darby Canyon, it was beautiful with the exception of the dead deer in the stream that had been kept so cold in the rushing ice water, it had stayed completely preserved other that that the rushing water had removed all the deer's hair. We then went to the wind cave which was a treacherous hike but incredible and we are proud to say we were the 2nd group to enter the cave this year. There was an ice plug blocking the tunnel so we helped the first guys in the cave by hacking at the ice with an icepick, we didn't make it through the ice, so we turned around and went fishing for the evening.
Jennie is loving her job, talk about adventure check this out.......she got to go flying with her co workers to get a sweet view of the Tetons and the entire area. Unfortunately she almost hurled all over her as of 3 days new co-workers. she wasn't just feeling queezy but the puke saliva started it was awful but the view was incredible.

Gone Fishing...

Jordan and Jennie Taylor consider themselves fishers. Since they moved to Victor, Idaho, they got their fishing licenses and all of a sudden they are fishers. The fact that their main fishing hole has a sign that says, "Kids Fishing Pond", doesn't insult their expertise.
On Jordan's day off plans were made to go to another lake for fishing. Apparently there were fish to be caught that were bigger than the standard 11 inch fish from the kids pond. Well the fishing began and no bites. Finally Jordan taught Jennie to check to see if fish were on the line. Jordan reeled in the first fish and it was drastically larger than the daily catch from the kids pond. Jordan was in a state of euphoria, at the thought of such a big and pretty fish.
Jennie caught the next fish. Her excitement was still great despite it being smaller than many of the kid's pond fish. Jordan continued to reel in larger fish. We were quite thrilled to see how hard each tugged on his line. The joy was smashed when the unfortunate mouth of the sucking carp reached the surface. Jordan was more than disappointed and figured that the carp deserved to die. Of course when it tried to get away Jordan nailed it with a large rock. Then proceeded to pick it up with his hands and chuck it far away into the rocks where the poor desperate sucking carp would have no chance. Jordan claimed that he only did it for the sake of the birds which deserved a great breakfast. Good hearted????? yeah right he was just embarrassed.
Jennie let her beginners luck show through and caught the largest fish of the day. Jordan acted like a child at Christmas when he saw the huge fish. Jennie just followed his lead in the excitement, and then she wanted picture after picture taken of her with her fish. She was thrilled.
Jordan was very proud of his girl but wanted something big too. He continued to fish and caught a beautiful brook trout.
The day was awesome the two of them caught enough fish to last the two of them a couple weeks and Jennie didn't tell Jordan that she really doesn't like eating fish all that often. But he will figure that out in time.
Jennie did feel rather bad about killing the fish and about having to cut the worms, they were fishing with, in half. Once she had her trophy fish she didn't feel so bad. She wanted everyone to see her fish including the local mechanic in town, her neighbors, and of course she wanted her daddy to be proud of her so she had to call him right away.
Jordan and Jennie are stoked about their great adventure of fishing and can't wait for another day of it.
Currently Jordan is using his cheffly expertise to cook the fish up for a fabulous dinner.

Went Exploring

On Tuesday I decided to get out and go exploring, it was awesome. I had been looking at trail maps trying to decide where to go. I chose to go to Baldy's Landing, to get there I would pass Mud Lake. My favorite part of hiking, is coming to a stream, river, lake or waterfall. So I figured Mud Lake would be the place for me. It sure was muddy on the first half of the trail. I came to the lake it was beautiful with wild grass all around, little splashes of flowers made me smile. I also saw a duck glide across the Lake.
If you know me well you know that I have a connection with ducks. I think they are magnificent and I would be thoroughly pleased to be reincarnated as one.
I continued on the trail completely content and enjoying myself, a few miles further I reached snow. Luckily I brought my waterproof hiking boots. So I continued. For the most part I could walk on top of the snow, but every few steps I would sink to my knee in snow. After a little over an hour in the snow, I was realizing it was time for me to get back but I had yet to reach my destination, I hiked another 30 min. I thought I saw my destination so I began to run in the snow. I don't know if what I arrived at was really the destination but it was time for me to turn around. The way down was just as pretty as the way up. It was the highlight of my week.
When Jordan got home from work I was so excited to tell him about my adventures, unfortunately I was reprimanded for going alone. Apparently there are bears, creeps, and oppertunity for injury; all of which are defiantly threats but really who wants to stay in a motor home all day when there are beautiful mountains to be explored. I am struggling to find a hiking buddy, but I am working on it.

The following day, my new found hiking buddy bailed on me, so I was left alone again. I couldn't go hiking even though I researched what to do around bears. So I had to come up with something else and "27 Dresses" only lasted 2 hours, of the 12 hours that Jordan is at work. So I decided to go on a bike rid to the post office. Well, that ended up being the most beautiful 8 mile bike ride. Going to the post office was less than a mile so I continued on. I saw horses, cows, fields, and ranches. It was so beautiful just open country road. Then I got to the mountain and decided to follow a dirt road along the edge of the mountain. It was glorious. The trees and the cabins were awesome. I headed up another dirt road and camp to a pond so i hoped of my bike and sat on the dock, put my feet in the water and read my book. Now this definately made my week it was awesome.
As for Jordan, he is defiantly enjoying work, everyday he arrives home with stories about Ron, Ron, and Ron. Some of the guys he works with. I think all they do is tell stories and goof off. But he loves work and the people he is working with.

Motor Home Life

Motor home –noun , a small bus or trucklike vehicle with a roomlike area behind the driver's seat outfitted as living quarters.
Well for us it is not just a "room like area" rather it is our home. 31 feet is rather large if you think about it being transportable...connected to a vehicle. Although perception can be a bit different. Measure the room you are currently in. How big is it? Our entire home is just under 300 Sq ft. that includes our bedroom, kitchen, study, bathroom, outdoor gear area, and BBQ grill. We have beds for 6 people although it would not be impossible to have more guests sleep over.
When the idea of living in a motor home was first presented I thought,
'hum." Not hum in a bad or a good way. I just hadn't thought of it. I took a tour of the motor home and thought, "sure this would work. I will only be able to bring a weeks worth of clothes but I could manage. " The space would be tight but it was still our best option.
The reality of this life style is that there is so much space. I brought 3 weeks worth of clothing and Jordan managed to bring more. We have plenty of space for food and we have more meet frozen in the freezer than we ever had in our last apartment. The storage compartments are comparable to Mary Poppins' carpet bag.
Now, when Jordan and I are at home we are always very close. It is less than three of my body lengths from one side of our home to the foot of our bed at the other side of our home (I measured). So we are enjoying the time we get to spend near each other.
Our neighborhood is always changing on Friday we had 5 new people move in and today we had 3 families move out.
When it is time to clean the house it doesn't take hours running up stairs and down stairs and cleaning tons of bathrooms. It is the perfect size you can clean it so fast and then it is time to go outside and play.
There is a slight problem with the idea of going outside and playing. The theme "April Showers Bring May Flowers" we have found to be quite incorrect. May is the month of showers. It rains day in and day out. With a few moments of beautiful sun. Yesterday the sun was bright as can be. I was outside reading getting a tan when all of a sudden God turned on the sprinklers. it was just like a July day of jumping and twirling in the sprinklers. Due to the high amounts of rain we end up frequently caged inside. But the sound of the rain is fabulous, it reminds us of those wood insturments you turn upside down to hear the rain. But imagine a 5 yr old that won't stop turining that thing over for days on end. Yes the constant piter patter of the rain does manage to get old. Despite the shower being in May not April, the flowers are coming, the grass is covered in dandelions I just can't wait to receive a bouquet of them.
The cliche, " When this van's a rockin' don't come a knockin'" Doesn't quite have the same meaning when it comes to this motor home. The single act of walking from one side of the home to the other causes a rocking motion. So feel free to visit, when we are a rockin' it just means we are here so come on in.
I have yet to experience the motor home shower. It is definitely a luxury to have a shower in our vehicle. The only problem is it reminds me of an airplane or a tour bus bathroom. Basically small. Maybe I just have a phobia. It is hard enough to squeeze into an airplane bathroom, now imagine trying to shower in it too. I try to avoid using airplane toilets, but I have become accustomed to using the motor home toilet although the shower is something to take on another day. Until then our camp host provides reliable showers. So mom, incase you were worried I am still getting the needed showers. And not just by dancing naked in the abundant rain.
The Motor home life is really great in many ways. I don't know if it is lifelong way of life for us. Yesterday I saw our neighbor, she is from Mass. and she and her husband and two Golden Retrievers have been living in their RV for 4 years. The other neighbor Jim from Flordia has been living with his wife in theirs for 5 years. Most of our neighbors have silver hair, and older bodies but that doesn't slow them down, they are our exploring the world having adventures. And are making RV life a lifestyle not a vacation. We are following their lead and loving it. We'll just keep our stay 5 months instead of 5 years.
We just want to put a special thanks to Steve and Kelly Taylor for letting us use their motor home. They are waiting for us to bring it back so they can sell their house, put all their belongings in storage and live in their motor home for the rest of their lives.

FLood or Famine

I have always thought of the concept of Flood or Famine when it comes to dating. A person will go days, months, and possibly years with out a date and then that same person may get hit with the flood and find themselves with so many suitors and options they don't know what to do with themselves.
I have recently realized that this can be compared to many different aspects of life. For instance. I am currently not working, craving a job, an oppertunity to do service, social interaction, basically a chance to do something. But no matter how many temp agencies I call I get nothing. I call to do volunteer work and I cannot find anything. It is a bit frustrating. but i am fully aware that in a week the poles will change and I will be utterly overwhelmed with all the things that I have to do. And at this point I await the flood and I fear the flood. But the famine has got to end or I might just die.