Miranda and Tai Conlin

Playing catch up--this time for real!

2010-11-26T13:13:00.000-08:00

Alright, enough already. I am... after OVER a year now REALLY going to update our blog. Black Friday seemed to be a more appropriate time than any to finally add a new post. So, here I go...

Tai and I purchased our first home last November in Lincoln, CA. We went from living in just a couple of bedrooms to a 3,279 sq ft home! Needless to say we had A LOT to purchase and a whole lot of house to fill up (which is still pretty bare)! As soon as we could we started painting because we simply couldn't deal with the crayola yellow and brown paint motif on the walls. Thankfully, other than the paint, the house was in great shape.

In December of 09, right after Tai's interview with Sacramento County we went to the Sac county animal shelter which has an OUTSTANDING facility and purchased Ace (see pic on the left). Ace is my smoky gray little snuggler and a wonderful friend for Bronco. They are great friends and it was a wonderful relief for me to find a friend for Bronco while it was just the two of us living in our big house all alone.

Last February Tai started working for the water department as a Sr. Operator/Engineer for the county of Sacramento. After living apart for almost six months I was missing Tai desperately. But, my excitement about living in the same state as my husband again was short lived. A few weeks after Tai started his job I hut my left ankle tumbling one night. Thinking (or at least hoping) I had sprained it, I walked around on it for a couple of weeks until I finally went to the doctor for something unrelated. I casually told the doctor that I thought I had sprained my ankle but didn't want to do any x-rays or anything, I just asked her to take a look at it to make sure it was healing okay. So, the doc felt around my ankle and then pinched my Achilles and could quickly tell by the look on my face that perhaps my issue wasn't really a sprain. Once I got in to see a specialist...he took one look at it, pinched my calf and said "yep, you've totally ruptured your Achilles, we need to get you into surgery right away." Thus, 24 hours later I had my tendon surgically re-attached was sent home with painkiller and a large splint. To make a long story short, I was in a splint for a couple of weeks, then a cast, then a walking boot and banned from running or tumbling for 6 months (which I interpreted to really mean 3). Thankfully, I am back to all of my normal activities with just a nasty scar and a more painful awareness that my body isn't quite as durable as it used to be!

A few weeks after the tendon rupture, my older sister Sarah gave birth to beautiful twin boys, Bretlan and Ashton. I got my cast off just days after they were born and was elated to have mobility so I could see them in the hospital. They were premature (of course) but are now ADORABLE, energetic, special little boys.

Right before Tai moved from Texas he (without my knowledge) bought Bailey our sweet little boxer. However, when Tai moved to Cali Bailey was still too young to make the trip so, she stayed behind until April when Tai's parents brought her out via airplane. She actually rode underneath Tai's parents seat as a carry-on for 3 hours without making a sound!

This past summer we were lucky enough to have most of Tai's family out to visit us! We had so much fun with Tai's sisters, Cody and Kacee, and even got to have Kacee's family stay with us for a couple of weeks. Unfortunately for them they came in the middle of July just in time for an intense heat wave. During their visit we detoured to Southern California for Tai's grandma's 90th birthday...I got to meet many of Tai's family members for the first time and had a very fun trip!

Then, in September Bo, Tai's younger brother and his family (Julie, Kaylee, and Cooper) came out to see us. They too came to visit right in the middle of a heat wave so we sweat a lot, went to Apple Hill, and before we knew it--it was time for them to leave. Bailey was beside herself with excitement having such fun kids around to entertain her she was so sad to see them go.

Since then, things have calmed down a bit. We dedicated our only downstairs bedroom as my "craft room" and now I have two desks and an awesome closet with tons of shelves Tai put in for me to hold all of my craft supplies (which is a lot). Lately, I spend most of my time on the computer creating Christmas cards or mixing music for the teams I coach. I still love to knit but haven't been able to dedicate as much time as I would like to it over the past year.

And...I think this brings us to now...a very chilly November in Northern California. We are all healthy and happy! We love our home, our neighbors, our ward and feel very blessed. Although California is completely different from Texas, Tai is adjusting well and I think is even learning to love some things about this state. Hopefully Tai will be able to snowmobile at least a few times this winter and then the move will be a little more worth it!

Since I have been so out of the blogging world please update me with new blogs, our privacy settings so I can be better about keeping in touch with everyone. I glanced at a couple of blogs today and realized that nearly everyones lives have already changed so drastically that I'm totally and utterly behind!

Back in the Saddle Again!

2010-05-05T08:06:00.001-07:00

UNDER CONSTRUCTION!

What a year for us...new jobs, new pets, new house, new friends...it's been a monumental year. And I will have to admit that amid all of the craziness, I just got too overwhelmed to possibly blog it all! After a nice long sabatical, I think I'm ready to re-enter the blogging world and catch up with all of my friends out here in blogging cyber space. Check back soon for an a new and improved blog.

Hope everyone is happy and healthy!

Miranda

Changing, Rearranging

2009-06-29T22:18:00.000-07:00

It can't possibly be July yet...although considering the weather we've had lately...I shouldn't sound so shocked. It has been MISERABLE!

Speaking of miserable situations, we are still missing our teenager Screech. Thanks to everyone who has commented on our sad situation! We call him our teenager because we believe that he is out doing exactly what teenagers do---rebel--and torture their parents. Going on day 34 of his disappearance we're trying to stay hopeful. We have had several different sightings from our neighbors that seem to be quite reliable. Thus, we think he's running around with a bad crowd and will come home when he returns to his senses (at least this is what we're praying for).

Searching for Screech, houses, and jobs have kept us really busy! We just recently put an offer on our third home in the California house search, but this home is a short sale...so we are going to have to be patient while we wait to hear back from the bank. Home prices are great, but the inventory is really lacking, and home are not staying on the market for long. We're hoping that the third time's the charm because to be honest, I'm tired of house shopping.

I will be leaving to start my job in California in a little over two weeks now! Tai, however is going to stay behind until we have a house secured, which hopefully won't be long. We are also still in the process of finding him a job and have some good leads, but as of today don't have a position for him. Thus, Tai's going to stay in Texas and keep earning money for a little while longer. I am definitely NOT looking forward to this temporary seperation, but I have faith that things are going to work out for us and we won't have to be apart for too long. :(

In the midst of all of this upcoming change we've had some fun too! Tai's sister Kacee and her three kids came to visit for a couple of weeks and we got to spend some time playing with them.

This is 9 month old Dane. He is so precious...this poor kid hasn't had it easy, he was born with Hydrocephaly...but if you spend anytime with him you wouldn't know anything was wrong except that his head his larger than normal. He is happy and as handsome as can be! We had such a great time with him!

Come Home Screech!

2009-05-27T18:41:00.000-07:00

To all you animal lovers out there...we need your prayers! Screech our beloved California transplant has been missing for almost two days now and we are heartbroken. Screech is extremely resourceful, athletic, and an excellent hunter but he has never stayed away from home longer than a day. Tai and I are so distraught to not have him home, so as silly as it may sounds we need your prayers! We have searched everywhere we can think of and feel like now all we can do is stay hopeful. Screech has become an invaluable member of our family and we are hoping that he will soon return home to us. Thanks everyone.

"Awwwww" Moments

2009-03-30T19:33:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went to the gym to coach, like I always do on Monday's, but what was unusual about tonight was that I had an "awww..."moment with some of the girls. Monday night's I coach the younger team (ages 7-12) at Ultimate Cheer and after two hours I usually feel like pulling my hair out. However, the girls had their last competition of the season on Saturday so today we played games and gave the girls free reign to do whatever they pleased for a whole hour. After a lot of trampoline jumping a group of the girls decided they wanted to play American Idol on the balance beam. So....for about thirty minutes the girls took turns "performing" for the "judges" on the balance beam. I sat and watched as a quiet observer and as they played and dance and sang in their adorable Texas drawls I began to see these girls in a new light. For a little while they weren't obnoxious or clumsy, they were just little carefree girls who love Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, and the Jonas Brothers. Awww.....cute.

Here's a few other things that make me saw awww...
The Jones' new puppies we got to meet last week

Aww....

Cute Puppies + Cute Husband (who has recently lost 20 lbs and is hotter than ever---go Tai!)

Super cute pictures taken by the super talented Jillian Goulding that help me attempt to make super cute announcements....awww.....

And, "CAMO" bear. My second knitted teddy bear, I love him.

Fur Cut

2009-02-25T07:55:00.001-08:00

Last week Tai surprised me by stealing Bronco for a few hours and taking our somewhat sloppy looking kitty to the groomer. And although it took me a few hours to get used to it, the end result has been great. We were amazed at what was underneath all that fur----a pretty slender looking cat! For the longest time we just thought that Bronco was overweight, but ever since his "fur" cut...we've seen a new Bronco emerge! His sleek new look makes him more aero-dynamic and since his transformation he hasn't wasted anytime lounging around.

Thanks Tai for making Bronco so happy!

Our So-Called Lives

2009-02-09T11:42:00.000-08:00

January flew by, just and February seems to be going at the same pace! The highlight of the month was our trip to California...but it went by so fast and we were so busy most of the time we missed out on seeing a lot of friends we wished we could have! Our apologies. But, we are doing all we can to get moved there ASAP...and with real estate prices the way they are we are very excited about the great deal we know we're going to get on a home ;)

On the plane ride I had the good fortune to knit without distractions and work on this little guy:

Other than our trip, life has been pretty uneventful. We work...come home...and play with our cats...

It's sad, but true!

My Etsy Shop

2009-01-12T07:38:00.000-08:00

This weekend I put together some pics of my DARLING new nephew, Cooper on a few different birth announcements and posted them on etsy.com

I had so much fun doing Holiday cards this year that I decided to make a little business out of it. If you think you or a friend might be interested, check it out! My shop name is: mjccustomdesigns

I will be posting different digital photo card designs for different events i.e. baby announcements, holidays cards, save the date, invites, etc. I'm doing this in my spare time so whenever I can steal a few hours I plan on updating my shop. So... there's not a ton of stuff at my shop today but...check back daily for updates!

I will also be posting some knitted items with the help and talents of Tai's mom, Jan, (knitting extraordinaire) and will have a few items like this:

How cute is he?! Isn't Jan awesome?

I am also open to designing custom cards if you have something very specific in mind.

I hope everyone is enjoying their January!

Miranda

More Cards

2008-12-13T08:56:00.000-08:00

Busy, busy

2008-12-06T09:57:00.001-08:00

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

2008-10-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-10-10T12:03:00.000-07:00

Birthday Vacay

2008-09-29T13:30:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-16T07:23:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-11T07:49:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-01T09:44:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-26T08:09:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-01T15:04:00.000-07:00

Waving a Fond Farewell to July

2008-08-01T13:04:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-08T07:07:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-07-07T07:30:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-06-26T14:30:00.001-07:00

Cowboy Up!

2008-06-06T08:08:00.001-07:00

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

2008-06-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-05-27T12:23:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-24T12:05:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-21T07:05:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-14T06:54:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-04T08:22:00.000-07:00

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!

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-26T23:14:00.000-08:00

So, Tai and I have literally lived the past couple of weeks in a complete whirlwind. December 14th we began our trek to California from Texas w/ a snowmobile trailer in tow. We arrived in Utah three days later thanks to a wonderful winter storm sweeping across the U.S. It was great to spend the beginning of our Christmas vacation in the snow. Tai and I went snowmobiling--and I even drove. It was an absolute blast to share that activity with him. Still, after about five days in Utah, I was ready to get to Cali to enjoy some slightly warmer weather.

Since arriving in California, I am no longer concerned that my toes will need to be amputated due to frost bite. Christmas was just as good as last year (when we got engaged)! Tai totally spoiled me...making me even more thankful to have married such a great guy. I hope everyone else has enjoyed spending time with family and friends.

Please don't judge me for not putting up updated pictures. We lost our camera charger so we've been horrible about taking pictures, but I am determined to get some this next week.

-Miranda

Road Trip

2007-09-13T13:55:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning we are leaving bright and early for Tulsa, Oklahoma! I've never been to Tulsa before, so I am pretty excited to get out of Texas for a couple of days and see what Oklahoma has to offer. Saturday night we are going to the BYU vs. Tulsa game---Go Cougars! It should be a good match up (although, let's be realistic, I will probably be watching the cheerleaders the whole time). Neither me or Tai are "Y" graduates, but our parents and siblings are alumni, so supporting the big blue just seems like the right thing to do ;)

-Miranda