More Cards

Busy, busy

I have certainly been keeping myself busy with projects! I've been having a blast designing Christmas Cards for family and friends.

I've also been doing a lot of knitting! Baby hats are my favorite things to make right now. I love this pattern I used a couple of weeks ago. It was tricky but turned out really cute. The picture doesn't do it justice!

Last month we got our pictures taken by Tyan Jacox (http://www.tinybirdphotography.com/). Besides having to endure the FREEZING weather, we had a lot of fun working with her. She's super talented, adorable, and just one extremely cool chick! Here's a few highlights from our session, but I will only include a few... I don't want to give away what's to come on our Christmas card!

Holiday fun here we come!

Favorite Things

Who doesn't love fall? The weather starts cooling off and the leaves start changing signaling the beginning of the LONG holiday season. Aww...it's the best!

Here in Texas we've just been working and taking the time to enjoy some of our favorite things. For Tai, that means spending some quality time watching football. Last week we went to the TCU/BYU game. Apparently, the Conlin's are bad luck for the Cougars. At least I was semi entertained by the cheerleaders. But, college football games are too long for my taste and with TCU stomping the cougars, we left before the beginning of the fourth quarter.


While Tai is watching football I try to devote some time to my new favorite hobby, knitting. Tai's mom is an excellent knitter and she is slowly but surely teaching me the tricks of the trade. I really enjoy it...even if Tai calls me an "old lady". It gives me something to do while I am watching TV.The rest of our spare time is spent tormenting our cats. Bronco is especially fun to torment. I got him this little hat at Target purely for the fact that I knew that we would be entertained by making him wear it.
We hope everyone is gearing up for a Happy Halloween!

Birthday Vacay

Last Wednesday Tai and I returned home from our mini-vacation to San Antonio. In short we... ate too much ice cream, were astounded by the home prices (so cheap), leisurely enjoyed the riverwalk, chilled at the alamo, toured the temple grounds, slept in late, went to the imax, and relaxed by the pool. We accomplished a lot in two days. But now it's back to the daily grind...darn...is it time for another vacation, yet?

Y'ike's Part II: The Aftermath

This past weekend, Hurricane Ike was a little bit less friendly to our neighborhood than Hurricane Gustav had been over labor day. When Ike swept through Longview it was only a tropical storm, but it was unlike any storm I had ever seen. Honestly, if I had known it wasn't causing so much devastation, I may have actually really enjoyed it.

Everyone enjoyed watching the storm. Especially Screech. He decided he needed to experience the hurricane first hand and ran out in the front yard, sat under a tree for a few minutes, and then sprinted back inside.

We lost Power about 5pm on Saturday. Still, this was only a minor setback for Tai...there was NO way he was missing the BYU/UCLA game. Before I knew it he had hooked up the generator and had the TV in our bedroom up and running. The power was completely off in the rest of the house, but the TV was spared. Tai is such a dedicated fan.

Church was completely cancelled on Sunday due to the large number of evacuees taking up shelter in our building. (Another Sunday School lesson skipped-yes!) As far as our trip to Galveston next week is concerned---it seems IMPOSSIBLE we will still be able to go-- even though yesterday expedia told me that our hotel plans to be up and running by Friday. After looking at pictures like this, I would have to say that statement was...amiss.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Houston.

Yikes!

Last month, Tai and I made plans to take a two-day mini vacay to Galveston/Houston on the 22nd of September (my birthday). With Hurricane Ike moving right through, it should be interesting to see what our trip has in store! ;)

Seven Years Later

It really amazes me that it has been seven years since September 11th, 2001. The images of that day are still so fresh in my mind, so vivid, it seems almost impossible that it is nearing a decade since our country was so dramatically forced into an era of heightened security.

My mom woke me up the morning of 9-11. I was attempting to sleep the day away until I had to go coach cheer practice at the high school that afternoon. Four days earlier I had broken my ankle doing a pyramid on my college all-star team...and needless to say...I was feeling quite sorry for myself. I was still in a lot of physical pain, not to mention suffering from a lot of the emotional distress that comes along with temporary immobility. In short, I was feeling like life had just dealt me a tough hand. Little did I know that my entire perspective was about to be changed forever.

"Miranda, New York City is being attacked!" Trying to shake off the mental fog that accompanies a fitful nights sleep, I slowly opened my eyes. My mother was sitting on the edge of my bed, eyes wide with disbelief. As my mom began to relay the details of the first plane hitting the WTC, 'this is a strange dream', I thought. Yet, as she continued to talk and I began to feel the familiar tug of the cast on my leg I realized that I was, in fact, awake. My first coherent thought was one of panic, "where's dad?!" I asked.
My dad had been taking quite a few trips to New York lately and he had a business meeting scheduled in New York that very day. The night before, September 10th I had wished him a nice trip and safe return home and then took no more thought in the matter.

"He's at work," she said. "His plane never took off."

With a sigh of relief I sat upright, adjusted my crutches, and pushed off the edge of my sleigh bed in order to give my arms a little extra assistance. As I hobbled into my parents bedroom to the nearest television I paused, transfixed by the horrific image of a fiery plane thrust into the side of one of the World Trade Center Towers like a spear. In the hours to come I sat glued to the television fearing I was watching the end of the world unfold right before my tired eyes. I watched as the second plane struck, as desperate men and women jumped out of the towers. I watched as those magnificent buildings crumbled into a tsunami of ashes and smoke that encompassed the whole city like an atomic bomb unlike any scene out Hollywood's highest grossing action film. I watched as newscasters cried as they interviewed survivors and family members searching for loved ones...I cried too. I cried tears of joy that I was so unaffected but I also cried tears for my generations' lost innocence. Kids my age had seen relatively so little conflict. We assumed that America was loved by nearly everyone, everywhere. We had never seen real war. We had only read about it in our history books in sepia-toned pictures and fancy computer generated charts.

At that point in time, things felt like they might never be the same. In many ways, they haven't been the same. They won't ever be the same. But, September 11th, 2001 was not the end of the world. After the media stopped showing the images of the planes crashing and the anthrax scares began to die down, life began to restore itself. The radio stopped playing audio clips of the president's rousing speeches and promises to retaliate against terrorists. My cast came off and I returned to my college team. Life was restored to its usual ebb and flow...but I was forever changed. I will never forget the events of that fateful day. Seven years later I am so thankful for the blessings I enjoy and for the way my outlook changed on a sunny September day from a surly eighteen year to that of a concerned, patriotic citizen.

My First Hurricane

Since we are only about an hour away from the Louisiana border here in East Texas, this weekend we have been sharing the experience of Hurricane Gustav with our neighboring states. Thankfully, the Hurricane has been slightly less powerful than originally expected...and Tai and I live far enough out of the hurricane's path that we will likely only have heavy rain and wind.

Yesterday in church, we only met for sacrament meeting. For the time being, our building is acting as a temporary shelter for evacuees, and all the rooms (except the chapel) are housing people evacuating from the hurricane. I must admit it's really interesting to see how the church responds in this type of a crisis. And...the upside was that I got out of teaching a Sunday School Lesson :) Things like this just don't happen in Northern California!

The Birthday Boy

Tomorrow is Tai's 25th Birthday! It's time to celebrate!

Umm...okay, okay, so he might be a day or two over twenty five...but really, who's counting?

Vacation Pics

Waving a Fond Farewell to July

July was certainly a busy month! Wednesday night, Tai and I returned home from our much anticipated 9 day vacation to California. It was a blast! The week was filled with fun activities, among the highlights...BBQ-ing with friends, swimming, celebrating my sister Sarah's birthday, and cooling off in Monterey. Thanks to everyone for fitting us into your schedules. We LOVE YOU!

Jill's Husband Tag

Husband Tag

What is his name? Tai William Conlin
How long have you been together? Married for 1 year and almost two months
How long did you date? Dated 4 months, engaged for 5 months
How old is he? I am not at liberty to say...
Who eats more? Tai
Who said I love you first? Tai, but I quickly followed :)
Who's taller? Tai
Who can sing better? Neither one of us are trying out for American Idol anytime soon.
Who is smarter? In what ways?! I have better grammar, Tai has more common sense.
Who does the laundry? Me
Who pays the bills? Me
Who sleeps on the right side? Tai
Who mows the lawn? We both do!
Who cooks dinner? Usually the chef at the restaurant. Ha, ha. When dinner is cooked, it's Tai who has cooked it.
Who drives? Usually Tai.
Who is more stubborn? We're head to head on this one.
Who kissed who first? It was pretty mutual
Who proposed? Tai
Who has more friends? Not sure...
Who is more sensitive? Me
Who has more siblings? Me again
Who wears the pants? We share em'

And I tag...Marian Kanet and Brooke Castle

Updates...

Fourth of July brought Tai and I a much deserved day off...which should be enough to tide us over until our California vacation in two weeks. Most of our time has been spent remodeling, working, and trying to stay cool. As you can see..everyone is exhausted!

We have been working so hard that Tai is even getting gray hair (okay....well that's actually just ceiling texture in his hair)

Still, no matter how busy, Tai makes sure he takes some time out to be the best uncle he can be!
What a great guy!

Cowboy Up!

Last night I went to my first official Rodeo, The Gladewater Round Up. Seeing as how the Rodeo is an integral part of Texas culture...I braided my hair, squeezed into some wranglers, and topped off my outfit with a ten-gallon hat. (Okay, not really...only the braiding my hair part is true.)

And as it turns out, the Rodeo is pretty darn fun! Here's just few of my thoughts concerning the evening's highlights...

-The Grand Entry: lots of pretty horses, my personal fav:
The Pink and Black one...it's not everyday you see a horse like this!

-Saddle Bronc Riding: Loved it! The only thing sobering thing about this event was thinking about how much pain the riders were going to be in the next day.


-Tie-down roping & Steer Wrestling: Not a fan of either of these events. I can appreciate the athleticism involved, but no matter how much Tai insisted the steers weren't hurt in the process of being wrestled or roped to the ground, it still looked brutal to me.

-Mutton Bustin' and Barrell Racing: Equally entertaining events involving the female riders and kids.

-Bareback Riding: If I thought the saddle bronc riding looked painful, this was in a whole different league!

-Bull Riding: I realize this is going to make me sound quite ignorant, but until last night I didn't know what actually made the bulls try to buck off their rider. I guess it's a good thing I am living in Texas in order to expand my cultural awareness. If anyone else is a clueless as I was, my husband will be happy to enlighten you.

So, at the end of the night after all the cattle had been rounded up, the muttons busted, the riders trampled, and the barrells raced...I can only conclude that the fondest memory I am taking away from the Gladewater Round-up is this:

The mini-cowboy! It doesn't get any better than this!

His and Hers

Tai and I have different things we like to do in our spare time. Even though I have been doing it FOREVER... (all-star) cheerleading is still one of my biggest passions. I love tumbling, choreographing, coaching, flying, dancing, competition, etc. This year I've taken a break from coaching, but I plan on returning to it as soon as we move to California.

This video is of Tai snowmobiling. He says this is not that great of a video, but it's the only one I could find for now. I guess it will just have to do. Come winter, Tai eats, breathes, and sleeps snowmobiling.

One Year and Counting...

This month, Tai and I celebrated our first anniversary---we made it (lol)! Besides celebrating we've been busy working and playing. Memorial day weekend was a blast. The weather was really warm ---but unfortunately we didn't have access to a pool to cool off in---we were too big for the inflatable one in Bo and Julie's backyard. In true Memorial Day fashion we BBQ'd all weekend. I'm so glad summer is finally here!

Going Green

The images that come to mind when you think of Texas are usually that of sagebrush, lonestars, cowboy hats, etc. I never would have expected any part of Texas to get this green in the spring time...but here in Longview it's gorgeous! Yesterday I decided I just had to take some pictures. I'm so glad I live in a place with so many trees.

The Difference between Cats and Dogs

Tai's dad forwarded me this email entitled "Pet Diaries"...I laughed pretty hard. Of course, I could just be REALLY tired so everything is funny...but all you pet lovers out there might appreciate it.

Excerpts from a Dog's Diary:
6:00 am - At last! I go pee! My favorite thing!
8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
6:00 pm - They're home! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

Excerpts from a Cat's Diary: Day 983 of my captivity. My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet. Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage. Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs. I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.

Bath time for Bronco

When we brought little Bronco home from the humane society, he was so filthy that we just had to give him a bath. Now days, a bubble bath in the sink promptly followed by a blow dry has become the weekly norm. I actually think he kind of enjoys the whole thing.

Under construction

Even though our lives are fairly uneventful, I've decided I need to dedicate a little bit more time to our blog in order to stay in better touch with friends and family.

Consequently, our blog is undergoing some construction to make it visually more appealing! If you find yourself curious about what we are doing, please check back often for updates.

In staying with the construction theme...Tai is building me a tumble strip of my very own! This means I will have a small stretch of spring floor to practice tumbling on just two minutes from home at our office. I am so excited! Pics will be posted soon!