Happy Spring Saturdays.

Saturday was one of those happy days.
I went to the temple, which never gets old.
Then I came home, wrote in my journal and fell asleep.
I awoke to the sound of playing games in the pool, and immediately joined the fun.
Laid out in the perfectly warm sun and went to sonic for big drinks.
Windows down always.
Went on a long motorcyle ride up the canyon,
and silently enjoyed the warmth on my skin and beautiful green of the mountains.
Screamed all the way through tunnels
and sat at Sundance listening to bluegrass artists warming up for their show.
We talked about how stubborn I am, boys, family, and snow-capped mountains.
Then went disco skating, which.... I mean how could you get better than that?
It rocked.
Then cute boys and jam sessions to ring in the night. win.







I seemed to fit homework in there somewhere, but somehow it isn't as much of a pain when the rest of the day is so happy.
Here's to hoping this weekend is as happy.

Taylor Ann

oh hey LA

Ok, so I had to go home.
Remember when I did that last year?
Yeah, it was about that time. I was dying.
So we decided to take a trip, Lauren and I.

At first it was a surprise, but then it wasn't.
But since daddy knew, he bought us a hotel room next to his to lure us into staying with him in LA overnight.
[as if two twenty one year-old girls need convincing to stay in a high rise in downtown Los Angeles...]
We got into the room around 9pm and just stood flat faced at the window for at least five minutes.
Unreal.




We proceeded to eat a room service dinner and watch the Office before falling into bed.
What is it about roadtrips that make you so exhausted? Sitting in a seat? Not moving? Not sure.
The next day, we were more than happy to get on the road to Coarsegold, but LA was a great adventure!
There will be documenting of the rest of the trip when I get back to a little bit of normalcy.


Thanks daddy, for taking such good care of me :)

tay

dance your HEART out. or your neck off...

This. weekend was. awesome.

We threw a dance party and....oh my.

It rocked our world, if we do say so ourselves.

Of course the day started with the baking of all kinds of valentine's-esque treats.
Red velvet cookies
sugar cookies
brownies
hand dipped pretzels
and pink rice krispy treats

yeah, the food was gooood.

So was the dancing.
We all have whiplash from dancing so hard.
My neck still hurts and it's Monday morning.
But the best news?
Aaron votes me best dancer.
Yeah. Not sure it's true but I feel great about it.
Some people say they grow out of dancing...
I'm pretty sure we never will.
Great end to a great weekend.

Love Always,
Taylor Ann

another one of those crazy weekends.

Thursday night:

"hey tay, so dad wants you to come home this weekend"

"what the heck? For real? this weekend as in... tomorrow?"

"yeah"

"yeah, I'll figure it out and we'll book tickets tonight"

[i mean who wouldn't cancel everything to fly home for the weekend?]

Friday:

cleaning checks. test. rush rush rush. airport. pick sister up from school. diet cokes and target shopping with the sister. flight. phoenix. dinner on our layover. girl talk. life talk. boy talk. back scratches. another flight. coercing people into letting us sit together. this song about 500 times. books. naps. HOME.

Saturday:

little sisters soccer game. lunch. talk talk talk. see people from home. get asked multiple times why i don't have a boyfriend. home. homework. talk some more. nap. movie. more people from home. talk talk talk. sushi with the family.

Sunday:

church with the family. more people from home. brunch. airport. flight. nap. dinner. flight. talk talk talk.

and just like that, we were back in Utah.

Normally, I'm pretty independent, but this was one of those times where I didn't want to go back to being on my own. 

So here's to moms who let you take naps and give you candy for the flight home

 and California weather- including blue skies and puffy clouds

 and wooden carved welcome bears at the frosty

 and lots of diet soda.

and being crazy. and spur of the moment trips home.

love you all. 

taylor ann

what a weekend.

Last weekend started out with beautiful blue skies and puffy white clouds.

Not bad for the beginning of October, huh?

Friday, I rushed as fast as my little brain could to finish my midterms and get to Salt Lake.

[come on, church University... midterms during General Conference?]

Grandma and Grandpa, along with my aunt and uncle's family, were in town.

So, naturally, I had a sleepover with my two cousins Saturday night...

and spent all day Sunday with my grandparents.

The company and conversation couldn't have been a more welcome reprieve from my crazy week.

Even if they're short, much-needed breaks seem to come right when you need them.

We spent the day watching conference, walking around temple square, 

and visiting the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. 

Grandma told me about staying in the building when she was a flight attendant-

at that time it was still known as hotel Utah.

We looked at the beautiful architecture and the little blurbs about the building's history.

We found out that my dad gets his love for history from my grandpa.

They both stop to read every sign.

It made me feel right at home, being with my family last weekend,

even though I'm still far from it. 

I think grandparents are one of those really special gifts He gives us.

They aren't parents, but they love you almost as much.

And you just can't help but love them back even more.

Here's to adventure

and learning

and miniature retreats from college life.

Wedding days are the happiest days.

Dear Utahans....

have you heard of La Caille?

Well, regardless of who you are or whether or not you're a current UT resident,

I'm going to tell you something. 

The place is incredible.

My roommate and I went to a wedding reception there this weekend and it's one of those places...

the kind where you walk in and everything just keeps getting better. 

We just kept opening our mouths and saying things like "wow" or "one word:classy"

Think brick colored cobblestones, lattice fences, willow trees, a pond with swans, incredible mocktails, and last but certainly not least: great company.

 The reception dinner [not to mention the fact that the food was incredible] was in a greenhouse lined with greenery and chandeliers. It was honestly one of the best wedding receptions I've ever been to. Not only was it absolutely gorgeous, but the bride and groom were blissfully happy, both sides of the family fully participated in the dancing and festivities [the bride has 10 siblings. fun, no?], and there was a live band.

Happiness at it's finest.

So worth missing the BYU v. UTAH game.

[not that there was much to miss...]

sonic and late nights.

Sometimes after a wild dance party, 

you just need you some sonic.

And when you have such good company?

You may as well stay awhile, 

appreciate the waitresses in their rollerskates,

and ask for balloons like you did when you were five.

Then if it happens that you run into old friends 

and proceed to have a spur of the moment dance party in the parking lot...

so be it :)