Winter Break

As Spring Break approached and we made plans to visit the family in Salt Lake, I envisioned us having a picnic at the park, hiking in the mountains, and walking around downtown. I even packed shorts and flip-flops for everyone and we only brought our light jackets. Boy was I living in fantasy world! It's dumping snow as I write this, but we've still managed to have some fun.

• The boys have been obsessed with playing Lego Star Wars on the Wii, which normally I'd limit more, but they're playing with their dad, so it also counts as "quality" father-son time.
• The girls and I have done some shopping. It was so windy as we left the store that Brooklyn's dolly blanket (which I shouldn't have let her bring) blew away. We spent several minutes driving around the parking lot until we found it run over and dirty, but found nonetheless.
• We went to Thanksgiving Point and the Treehouse Museum, both of which the kids loved. We'll go to Sweets Candy Factory tomorrow. Hooray for chocolate cinnamon bears!
• My mom and I went to the General Relief Society training at the Tabernacle today. I took Reagan, which made things interesting. I got locked inside the Cry Room on three different occasions and had to knock on the door to get out. Do you think they were sending me a message? Really though, it was an amazing meeting and I was glad to have gone.
• Thankfully there is an indoor swimming pool that we can go to. Then we can still pretend that it's getting warm and that it really is Spring!

It's About Time!

One reason for my hiatus from blogging is that our computer is in storage while we are building our house and I've been using my in-laws' computer, which I'm still trying to figure out. Anyway, I'm FINALLY posting a picture of Reagan. My friend Kelly took so many cute pictures of both Reagan and Brooklyn. I'd like to say that Reagan was cooperative, but you know how babies are. Brooklyn felt like a little princess, posing for all the pictures. Reagan is at a fun stage--smiling, laughing, and squealing. And Brooklyn is loving the role of big sister, always eager to hold her sister and make her laugh.

I'm Back!

You know how it is with anything...the longer you're away the harder it is to come back?! Well, that's how I've been with our blog, but when I look at our last posting in the summer and the fact that we've never posted anything about Reagan I think it's about time to come back. So....more to come soon!

Welcome Summer!

Finally...I'm getting caught up on our blog after a long break! We are excited for summer to be here and are busy with t-ball, swimming lessons, going places, and playing hard. Here are some pictures from this past month.

Brooklyn is obsessed with animals. She had fun petting the goats at the Tautphaus Park Zoo, where we went for Logan's field trip.



Kids vs. Cats at Hogle Zoo. I think the kids are winning! We went with Grandma and Grandpa Stott, and the aunts and uncles while we were in Salt Lake a few weeks ago.













Congratulations Logan! He says good-bye to Mrs. Gale at his kindergarten graduation. It's hard to believe he's done with kindergarten and onto 1st grade soon!













Caden graduated from preschool, too. It has been fun watching him learn so many things this past year. Mrs. McKellar was a great teacher. He will have one more year of preschool before he starts kindergarten.

Congratulations, Amber & Nate!

My youngest sister, Amber, got married last week in the Salt Lake temple. It was such a beautiful day, and she was a beautiful bride. We're excited to have her husband, Nate, in the family now. They are great for each other. The sealing ceremony took on a whole new meaning to us with the passing of our brother-in-law. It was so touching. I can't imagine not having the promise of being together forever.

The happy couple

The two princesses pose together.

Brooklyn thought this day was all about her and took every opportunity possible to pose for the cameras.

The boys were a little less patient as we waited for pictures to be taken. We did survive the luncheon without any spills or broken glasses, and the kids were good sports at the reception. They ran around and danced like crazy, but what else would you expect at a party with stairs and a dance floor? It brought back memories from our wedding...minus the kids. I wish our day had flown so smoothly. Brandon's chicken pox kind of put a damper on things, but we look back and laugh now. That guy can't do anything the "normal" way, and that's what I love about him.

We Miss You, Big Guy!

As many of you know, my brother-in-law Jason passed away on February 25th. I have taken quite the break from blogging, and it would not be fitting to post anything, without first paying a tribute to him. Jason was Logan and Caden's favorite uncle. They always loved it when he came to visit. As you can see in these pictures, they talked him into leaving an important ball game that he was watching on TV with Brandon, to go downstairs and play with them in "the cave". I was cracking up as I watched "Big Guy", as the boys called him, cram into this little space and spend nearly an hour in there with them, playing Star Wars and super heroes. He was a great man with a big heart.

My sister is doing remarkably well. She spoke at the funeral, and shared with everyone the eternal perspective she has. She said, "Jason and I have known each other for thousands of years. When we were presented with the plan, we knew our time together on earth would be short, but that it would all be worth it." There was not a dry eye in the chapel. Brandon spoke, as well, and as he spoke I thought, "Wow! I am married to a general authority!" He did an amazing job, tying in gospel principles with memories of Jason. He and Jason were best of friends. His death has left a definite void in our lives, but we are so blessed with great memories and with the gospel knowledge that we will see him again.

Life continues on, and now with a greater appreciation for each day, for each interaction we have with loved ones, for prayer, for temples, for a loving Heavenly Father, His Son who makes resurrection possible, and for the Comforter who lifts our burdens. Thanks to all of you who have expressed your love and concern for us during this time. What would we do without you? We truly are blessed.

Basketball Fun

Logan is on a basketball team with some of his friends. I love to watch them play at this age. It cracks me up! This is their first time playing on a team, so they have been learning a lot...and still have a lot to learn! Caden and Brooklyn cheer on big brother and get into mischief, as seen here sitting in a tire on the side of the court.

The funniest thing Logan does is when he guards his guy. He keeps playing against the same kid who shares his passion for defense. While the game is going on all around him, he and this boy stand facing each other and sway back and forth with their hands up, in an attempt to stop each other...like they're dancing. The ball could be at the other end of the court and they will stand there for minutes at a time, doing this same thing.

Creating Some Structure

Since our kids are still fairly young, we are still getting into routines--chores, homework, bedtime, etc. I wish there was a manual that said "This is how you do it" and laid my day out for me. Since we got the Wii for Christmas my latest question is "How much time do I allow for video games?". I've been toying around with a few ideas, but I want to be consistent and reinforce limits that will help my children be balanced in their lives. The video games are a great reward for homework and chores accomplished, and the boys don't play unless they've done these things, but I thought I'd ask all you great moms what works for you. I'd love to hear your ideas.

If I Had My Child to Raise All Over Again

I ran across this poem the other day and I wanted to share. I love it because it inspires me to do the things that are most important and to worry less about the things that don't matter. It summarizes perfectly what my goal is as a mother this year (and always). I'm already realizing how quickly they grow up and I want to be a mother without any regrets. Here's the poem...

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I'd finger-paint more, and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging and less tugging.

~Diane Loomans, from "If I Had My Child to Raise Over Again"

Happy Birthday and Happy New Year!

We went out to lunch with two of my good friends and their families in Salt Lake on New Year's Day. This is becoming an annual event. We took a picture of all our kids in this same spot at Joe's Crab Shack last year. It's amazing to see how they've grown up in one year!














Brooklyn turned 2 on Saturday! What a big girl! We celebrated in Salt Lake with the Stott side of the family on her birthday and tonight with the Taggart family. She is definitely spoiled!











































We love our princess. She cracks us up with her independent spirit and the funny things she says and does. She's such a joy to have in our home.

Merry Christmas!

We wanted to share some of the highlights of 2008 in the Taggart home with you...

Logan (5) started kindergarten and is amazing us by how quickly he learns. He loves playing with and picking on Caden and Brooklyn. He played on a t-ball and a soccer team this year, and is currently playing basketball. He also enjoys swimming and doing flips off of the diving board. He cried the other day because it was cold outside and asked when it would be summer again. He is a great big brother, always willing to help out. He and Caden love playing wrestle mania with Brandon when he comes home from work each day.

Caden (4) is enjoying preschool. He catches on quickly and has a big vocabulary. He is the comedian in our home, always quick to laugh and make us laugh. We try to compliment him by saying he is handsome or smart and he says, "No, I'm funny!" That is the ultimate compliment in his mind. He still loves his blankie and chocolate milk, and is always wearing shorts and a t-shirt. He taught himself how to ride a bike during the summer so he can keep up with Logan. He's had stitches twice this year, so we hope 2009 treats him better!

Brooklyn (almost 2) is little Miss Independent. She loves to dress herself. Sometimes I try to help her when her shirt is stuck on her head or is inside-out and she says, "No, I do it!" I've learned to step back and let her express herself in her own way. She's quite the talker. She tells us exactly what she wants and gets a lot of satisfaction in being understood. She loves babies and dolls and playing in the kitchen. She gets into everything! Once, I sent the kids downstairs so I could mop the floor, only to come downstairs and find Brooklyn on the carpet, with navy blue paint all over herself and the carpet! After days of cleaning, we miraculously got the carpet back to normal. Talk about a counterproductive day!

Christmas is so much fun with these little guys in our home. They have an enthusiasm for life that is contagious. This has been a challenging year for us with the real estate market being slower than usual. It's been a good learning experience in many ways, as our faith and our abilities have been put to the test. Through it all, we've been reminded that as long as we have our family and the gospel of Jesus Christ, we have everything we need and we can truly be happy.

We are grateful for wonderful family and friends. We appreciate your love and support. We hope you have a wonderful holiday season and wish you the best in 2009!

Little Mommy

Brooklyn is OBSESSED with babies! It's funny what an innate attraction she has to them compared to our two boys. Here she is holding our friends' baby, who is almost bigger than she is. Anytime she sees a baby she runs up and tries to hug, kiss, pet, soothe, and hold him/her. She's helpful, but almost too helpful. She was on the baby lookout yesterday at church. As soon as she spotted a baby she would yell, "Hi Baby! Hi!" over and over again. She knows their names and when we pass by their houses she tells us where they live. Obsessed! She is a good little mommy in training.

Better Late than Never

I'm a little behind the times in getting these pictures posted. These guys absolutely loved Halloween this year...the candy, costumes, parties, everything!We borrowed this pink poodle costume from Brooklyn's cousin. I'm glad we didn't buy a costume because Brooklyn wore it for maybe a total of 5 minutes. She only wanted to trick-or-treat in her t-shirt and flip flops. Crazy girl!

Our cool clone trooper really got into the holiday. I got to help out with a party in Logan's classroom, and here he is in a parade through the school. It was all about the candy for him.

Our poor middle child...I realized when we got home from trick-or-treating and the kids had changed that I never got a picture of Caden in his costume. I begged him to put it back on for a picture, and this is as good as it gets. Funny pirate!

Stitches...Round 2

As we were getting ready to leave Grandma and Grandpa Taggart's house the other night, the kids got a little crazy and were running around with their cousins. I was about to say, "Settle down" and "Let's go!" when they ran into the living room and one of the cousins accidentally pushed Caden into a table that was holding a ceramic rose. One of the petals jabbed into Caden's cheek, leaving a pretty deep wound. We knew he'd need stitches so we left the other kids with Aunt Julie. We had to stop at home for a minute and decided to stop by our neighbor's house, who is a PA, to ask his opinion. He agreed that we'd need stitches and went above and beyond by offering to go with us to his clinic and do the stitches himself. It was late, so the only place that would have been open was the ER. It sure put Caden at ease to know that his friends' dad would be taking care of him, instead of a stranger. Thank you Matt! This was Caden's second time having stitches (pushed by brother the first time, just 6 months ago). He was petrified the first time, but he was so calm and brave this time. The best part of this experience happened when we got home. Logan had been crying and was so worried about Caden. He and the cousins drew cute pictures for Caden. Logan hugged Caden and told him how much he loved him. It was so sweet to see this tender side of our normally tough boys. They do love each other after all!

Happy Birthday Caden!

Caden turned 4 on Friday. I can't believe how quickly he's growing up! We had a busy weekend and Caden loved every minute of it. His friends, Rylan and Ethan, also have birthdays on the same day, so we had a big Halloween Party for them and some of their friends. Grandma and Grandpa Stott and Aunt Kim and Uncle Jason came up from Utah for the weekend, and spoiled the kids, of course. We also had the rest of the family over on Saturday for another birthday celebration. Caden asked me, "When I turn 4 can I still have my funny blankie?" I thought it was cute that as much as he wants to grow up, there's still a bit of a little boy in there that likes his blankie and chocolate milk.

Caden loves everything Star Wars! He was very excited about his light saber and other toys.
My attempt at making a pirate cake almost failed at the last minute. I held the cake together as we sang so it wouldn't fall apart!
We love our little pirate. He is so fun-loving and tender-hearted. His favorite things are animals, bugs, digging in the dirt, Star Wars, pirates, super heroes, and sports. He is quick to laugh or make us laugh and loves to wrestle with his brother and Daddy.