Summer Series: the summer I had a fling with motorcycles

I don't know how it happened...

but this summer I had a real thing for motorcycles, apparently.

It started spring semester when my roommate was dating a boy.

Him and his roommate owned motorcycles.

I was single.

So we formed a motorcyle gang, the four of us.

Then so happened that they left for summer,

and another friend needed a girl to ride on the back. 

Oh wait, I could probably help you out with that one... you know?

And yet another friend came in town from Boston and I got the text,

"how about a motorcycle ride up the canyon, lunch, and the best ice cream you'll ever have?"

I said no. 

whaaaaaattttt. jokes. 

How could I possibly refuse that.

 [thus all the pictures. i LOVE the drive to Park City]

Then I went home, and I was sure my adventures were over. 

But fate would have it otherwise, 

I was about to have my best one yet.

I got asked if by a friend if I wanted to take an adventure...

but wasn't allowed to ask questions. 

Take it or leave it. 

And hallelujah I took it.

 Not only was it one of the best adventures I had all summer...

but completed my motorcycle adventures for a while.

you know, I'm not really sure I would want my husband to have a motorcycle 

if we're being really honest here...

but I sure don't mind someone else's future husband giving me a ride. 

The combination of slight danger and wind in your face....

Doesn't get much better than that.

I had a thing with more motorcycles than boys this summer. 

Go figure.

How I get boys.

Last weekend I went to a wedding,
and I met a boy.
And by boy I mean group of boys.
They were circa 8 years old.
And I can't be positive, but I'm pretty sure they thought I was cute.
We all stood at the candy table and they dared me to try the most sour candy.

I, of course, accepted the challenge and they patiently waited for my reaction.
I squirmed and giggled, and scrunched my face like a champ.
That's probably when they all fell in love. 

I should probably not egg little boys on like that,
but it's way too much fun to play along.
Plus, it makes you an immediate fan club.

I think little boys are the best.
Food stains on their shirts
Coolaid/juice stains on their mouths
toothless grins
shy, but bold flirting tactics
they win me over every time.
They are my immediate favorite in any crowd.



Yerri was one of the first, but I'm sure he won't be the last.
He held my hand,
curled up in my lap,
and danced on my feet.
All under a Peruvian sky.
I'm not really sure I'll ever be able to let that one go.

My mom teases that I will one day be a mother of all boys.
I secretly wouldn't mind so much.
[and I'm sure this will be so funny when I have all little girls...]
But that's just one of those things making me happy these days,
hope your weekend was as good as mine!

-Taylor Ann

A typical Saturday

Saturday morning I heard my phone go off at 9:06.
Oh my gosh.
The text message read "ding dong".
I had, naturally, fallen asleep on the couch.
in my clothes.
and boy was here to make breakfast before he went back to Wisconsin.
Too late to even scramble. I rushed to my door in...
would you know it?
My nineties outfit from the party the night before-
I wasn't even in normal clothes!
Shoot.
Thank heavens for sweet souls who let you go change while they make breakfast.
And seriously, best breakfast ever.









I thought it was a great way to kick off finals week ;)

I probably love being 21. Ok, I really do.

But really, my birthday was one of the best days EVER, 

as was the rest of the week spent with my family.

Someday I will tell you about all of the celebrating.

But for now? I am going to record 20 important things that happened in my 20th year of life.

1-Walked the Brooklyn Bridge

2- Explored Central Park

3- Went through my first sudo-relationship [booya. it was longer than two weeks.]

4- ...and subsequently my first DTR

5- ...and subsequently my first breakup? if that's what you call it

6-  Lost 5 pounds

7- Ran a race. a hard race.

8- Kissed a boy or two

9- Took several roadtrips. [idaho, vegas, california(x3) anyone?]

10- Chose a major

11- Moved into a new apartment

12- Threw a sweet dance party or two...ok maybe more

13- Spent a million nights up at the house

14- Explored Yosemite with Linner

15- Discovered my love for Thai food on a whole new level

16- Cut off ALL of my hair

17- Became a Vice President for Student Alumni

18- Put some blonde in my hair

19- Found roots in the 1950s and my obsession with lipstick.

20- Lived a whole heck of a lot

I feel like that's a pretty solid list for a year of life.

And I'm continuing to love every minute.

Can't wait to see what this year has in store.

I mean, it started off with a sequin shirt...

it's already going the right direction.

[Kudos to Jess for the picture at my birthday dinner!] 

Love Always, 

Taylor Ann

the moment when you sit and think after it's over.

here are the basics...
care.
and try.

Pretty simple.
just a thought.

and this video blew my mind.

"that new profile picture is manly"

Let me tell you a little story.
One time the professional Spartan photographers put this up online last week.
My thoughts? Oh whoa hey that makes me look like I have real muscles...sweet!
I, knowing how into fitness my father is, thought he would appreciate it.
So naturally I text it to him.
Little did I know this was license for him to pass his phone around his Sunday School class.
Apparently it was license enough, because yes.... yes he did.

"dad, you're joking.. you didn't really pass it around did you!??!"
"heck yeah I did!"

no shame, people. no shame.

My whole home ward is now aware that I am capable of climbing a wall.
And sweating real good. yep.

Mom thinks this makes me daddy's girl..
even more than everything else that already qualified me for that position.
I am very qualified, let me assure you.

A boy today said I looked manly in my new profile picture.... interesting.
14 girls have liked it on facebook.... 9 girls have commented on it.
1 boy has left a comment, and 1 boy has liked it.
I have known them both for over 5 years.
I can't really tell if that bodes well for me...? probably not.
Whatever. boys are weird.



also..
no big. I bought red pants today.
by no big, I mean it is big.
they're skinny jeans.
I normally am not brave enough for those...

baby steps.

Love Always,
Taylor Ann

conversations with mama

me

The thing is, I would be fine with or without him

mama

you feel that way about every boy, honey

but someday, you will like someone more than that.

more than "take it or leave it".

you might get your heart broken the first time it happens,

but it will happen

I saw this video today
real, true love.

Someday.

Love Always,

TaylorAnn

my little man

Look at this little bugger.
His favorite things include placing his hands on his hips when he makes statements...which is often,
running like a line backer.. or a gorilla [with his arms swinging by his side], 
being a man's-man playing with cars and "killing" all the girls with his screwdriver,
and enjoying being the youngest grandchild and only grandson in the last.... 14 years?

Needless to say, we think he is DARLING. 

But really... can you blame us?
Homeboy has my heart.
Aside from daddy, of course...

Love you Always.

Taylor Ann

all kinds of bruises

Remember that race?

I SURVIVED! 

Seriously, I wasn't sure there for a second or two.... or three...

The spartan was the most intense race I have ever run or attempted to run.

Hallelujah for David, who invited me to run with the boys, because I may never have tried it.

The race was 8 miles of straight mountain climbing basically... plus 12 obstacles.

Now you may be able to see why I thought I wouldn't survive.

I knew David, but the rest of the boys on the team I hardly knew or didn't know until the 12 hours before the event. 

The night before the race they sat in the kitchen and the conversation went something like this...

"So, are we all going to stick together as a team tomorrow?"

"Yeah man, we aren't doing it to win, so let's all stick together"

Me... thinking.. [whoa-hey! remember how there's no way I won't slow you all down in a major way. so embarrassing.... oh dear....]

"Yeah, so I'm thinking we should NOT stick together so I don't hold you guys back"

"Well, we will figure it out tomorrow, but let's try to stick together"

[thank heavens they chose not to argue about it, because I was set on not being the weakest link]

So the next day came. and somehow I kept up with them....almost.

But when I fell a bit behind they would wait for me at the next obstacle. 

And inevitably somebody would ask how I was doing,

or make sure I was ok after jumping off a wall,

or give me a smile and a high five.

Best team ever?

I would argue that yes, yes they were.

Now I will share with you our ever-so lovely before, right after, and next-day-super-sore kind of after photos. In case you were wondering how 8 miles and 12 obstacles can make a girl sore....
think food storage buckets of sand and cement,
dragging blocks of cement through sand,
hoisting yourself over walls with nearly non-existent amounts of upper body strength,
carrying tires up a mountain,
wading through mud,
and army crawling under barbed wire.
Sweet.

These are just the pictures that Zack's lovely, blogging mother took of us.
Time will tell if the photographers at the race got any sweet action shots.

Until then, 
bruised, scratched, and still slightly stiff,

Taylor Ann

ranch days

Ok, so I love home.
I really, really love home.
So what if home makes me secretly love the smell of hay,
and somehow not mind the faint scent of manure?
Once you experience it, you will understand.
For starters, I was sick for, well... all of Christmas break.
[but, because I'm training for a race... which happens to be tomorrow]
I ran over to the ranch to meet up with the boys.
Amadore and his boys were up to brand their cattle,
and Zane brought a friend.
That, including dad and Brooke rendered me nearly useless. 

So I was perfectly content to sit around and watch the boys work,
take pictures, help when I was needed, and snuggle with daddy's cowdogs.
At the end of a long work day, Amadore and his boys opened up their trailer.
They had brought everything necessary to make dinner for all of us.
Real, authentic, wonderful basque food.
Real gentleman who cooked,  cleaned, and loaded without letting the girls touch a single thing.
And when we tried, they simply smiled.. "no, no. I will get that". 

[and one son happened to be darling and have a dimple...I didn't complain...]
Oh, and my brother is a pretty darling cowboy too, agreed?
Yeah.
I miss those kind of boys.

And home too.
And ranch days.

Until then- embracing Provo.
Oh, the rapture...

 Taylor Ann

it is what it is, whatever that means

Have you had those friends that you just love?

There's no reason you should, really. 

They maybe do dumb things sometimes. 

Maybe you never get to see them. 

Perhaps there is no logical reason why you should be friends, 

but somehow you just are?

No other way to say it. 

You just are.

Over Christmas I got a call from France.

I haven't talked to him in... I don't know, maybe a few months?

But he called. And we talked. 

About nothing really important. 

I wanted to know about his life, 

and he wanted to know about mine.

I was so blunt with him that it made the little girls in the back seat giggle.
But that's just the way it is.

At the end of the conversation I asked him what he does with his time. 

He says he reads whatever he can get his hands on, and I ask if I can send him a book.

He promises me a postcard.

I say he must write a lot.

And there must be pictures of his adventures. 

He agrees.

I'm really good at interrogating him. 

Well, I'm really good at interrogating, period. 

But here's how you know we're real friends.

He interrogates me back.

Give and take.

"It's my turn to interrogate you now.....

Do you feel like a business woman? 

How many more years before you become president of the world? 

Do you ever feel overworked?" 

He knows just what to ask,

and I will wait for him to sit still long enough for me to have an address to write him back to.

For now, I have a postcard from France.

There's nothing like a good friend.

Love Always,

Taylor Ann

My kind of boys.

I'm serious. 

I have the best boys...
I am so spoiled when i go home.
I have a daddy who will watch serendipity with me when I'm sick,
and get me out of a packed house when I feel yucky.
I have a brother who drives me around and runs errands with me.
And a baby boy cousin who lit up our world this Christmas with hugs and kisses.

 

What can I say?

I'm just a lucky girl.

[ladies, the cute little brother rockin the raybans is still single...just sayin']

Love You Forever 

and Always,

Taylor Ann