A New Tradition

One thing my parents are very good at is thinking up new ideas. Not only do they think up great and fun ideas and actives but they think of things for the long run. Each Christmas Eve we normally go down to Taylorsville and have a little yearly visit. Yes, I said yearly. It is usually quite awkward for me and my brother and sister. All we see are these little kids running around that I don't remember from the year before. And I don't exactly know the siblings of my dad's dad to well so it's always an interesting night. A few years ago I really enjoyed the party. I got to see my great grandparents who I liked a lot. But now they are deceased and so now there is no point for the party. My great grandparents kids have their own families to celebrate with now so according to the email...the Taylor family party is....CANCELLED! And now, my parents have though up a great tradition to start.

 My parents are always thinking ahead. The question that they ask themselves is "How can this be a tradition that will last in our family forever?" They want to be the grandparents that we don't really have. When me and my siblings are grown up they want to have fun traditions for the grandkids so they can come over to Grandma and Grandpa Taylor's house. Tomorrow night it will be soup for dinner, then baking and decorating cookies for Santa, and a fun round of Bingo. And in years to come when the grandkids come over everyone can bring a different kind of soup, each family can take a plate of cookies home for Santa, and everyone can leave with a prize from Bingo.

I like starting new traditions, and it makes me excited for my (future) family that they can have fun traditions to look forward too.

A Long Winter's Nap

The school bell rang on Friday afternoon. I was so thrilled! No more school for two weeks. This Christmas break would be nothing but fun. I knew I had some homework to do but I didn't think it would all pile up like it has. One word came into my mind.


pro·cras·ti·nate  

v.intr.

To put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness.

I thought the break would be a long winters nap. Fun in the snow, different activies, and just relaxing. On Monday my mom reminded me saying "This break is going to go faster then you think." And what do you know? It's Thursday afternooon, and I haven't really done any of my homework. And by tomorrow, it's Christmas Eve, then Christmas, and then Sunday. That loses three more days and now keep in mind we'll lose days next week to because of New Years. So I guess the lesson I'm taking from this Christmas Break is don't procrastinate. Leaving extra credit, a book to read, math assignment, and a whole scrapbook for two weeks isn't very smart. But at least I'm doing my blog. :) So much for a long winters nap. Oh well! Merry Christmas!

A Christmas Tradition

Each year the weekend before Christmas as a family we go down to Salt Lake and have a little "vacation." We normally leave on Friday afternoon after school, go check into our hotel and the weekend starts. But this year we aren't leaving until this afternoon. After my beautiful piano recital. (That's probably the greatest Christmas present.)


After my recital we will drive into Salt Lake, check into our hotel and go ice skating. I absoluetly love ice skating though I am not very good at it. I can't seem to do tricks like all of the professionals. My favorite part of ice skating is when zambonie comes out and goes over the ice. Skating on the fresh, smooth ice is the best it can get. After our time on the ice it will probably be time for dinner. My mom keeps saying "Oh! I'm so excited for our weekend. We are going to have so much fun and eat great food." Which yes, is true. Have you ever been to Rodizio Grill in Trolley Square? Well if you haven't it's like heaven on earth. Waitress bring different kinds of meats to your table and they slice you off a piece. The waitresses just keep coming and coming and coming. I always make myself sick eating there!


We will then drive over to temple square and see the beautiful lights and read the nativity My family always makes fun of my when we read the nativity because last year when we were reading the nativity I wasn't really paying attention and my sister said "Pay attention!" My family then asked me why I seemed to be off in another world and this was my reply "Because I already know the story. It never changes. Why doesn't it ever change?" Ok, we'll just leave that story at that. Probably not one of my greatest blonde moments. The nativity at my house is now known as “The story that never changes.”


Each year after walking around temple square we usually go on a carriage ride. It's always been one of my favorite traditions. Waving at the little kids, seeing Santa, seeing the lights, and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. This year when my mom called to schedule our appointment they said we would have to take two carriages because they can't fit five in a carriage. My mom said no thanks. Riding with your family in the carriage is the best part. My parents say they have thought of something new that we can start doing this year for another great tradition.


Tomorrow morning we will wake up early and put on our Sunday dress. We have tickets to Music and the Spoken Word and after that David Archuelta is preforming! I can't wait! First, I love listening the the Mormon Tabernacle Choir it's so peaceful and beautiful. And now having David Archuleta there will make it even more amazing and beautiful. If you catch my drift! :) After the concert we will head over to Little America for Brunch. Which should be amazing since it always is.


Anyway, thats one of my little family's tradition. What are some of yours? What makes you excited for this wonderful time of year? I hope you all have a great and safe break. Merry Christmas!

A Utah Thing

The excitement fills the air when school starts. Who will come and ask my sister to homecoming? How will he ask? How will we answer? And so on. Throughout the school year, there are six dances. Three when the girl gets to ask, and three when the boy gets to ask. With a sister, you have the excitement of finding a dress, finding the accessories, and then actually getting ready for the dance.


The clock ticked yesterday afternoon. Waiting for the time to come when my sister could start getting ready. At my house I am known as the "beauty assistant." I test the makeup on my face to make sure we have the right eyeshadow, I help with the hair, I paint the nails, and whatever else needs to be done.


I think the whole thing is very entertaining. I love going to the dress shop and finding the perfect dress. The process of finding one can sure take a long time, but there are so many to choose from. I think it is so fun to look at all the different dresses.


But I think on of my favorite parts is the asking and the answering part. My mom says they ask and answer differently in Utah. Where she grew up in California you just call the person up and ask them if they want to go to the dance with you. But in Utah, you do the whole affect. You send them on a scavenger hunt, or make them go caroling around then neighborhood, play the game "Guess Who?" or leave them a path of glow sticks in their neighborhood leading to you name.


The whole process is fun for me, and I'm not even the one going to the dance! I can't wait until it's my turn to ask to the dance. But for now, being the "beauty assistant" will have to do. :)

An Early Christmas...For Some

Yesterday I came home from school. There were already presents under our Christmas tree, and one had a special note on it. "Jonah: Open December 7th." As my brother wandered around the house making sure I knew that he got to open a Christmas present tomorrow. I was sitting on the couch doing homework and I asked from the couch what Christmas present my brother was getting tomorrow. No answer. Of course. I went up to my mom with my sweetest voice, "Mom, what is in the present that Jonah gets to open tomorrow? Don't you want to tell me?"



 "No." Was her nice reply. "I won't be telling you."

 So over to the tree I went. Shaking the box up and down. I mean, I really just wanted to know what could be hiding inside that skinny little box. My dad came home and I asked him the same question. "Don't you want to tell me what is inside that box?"


"No." He said. "We have never told what Christmas presents are before Christmas day, and we never will."

 I figured that was all the asking for the day. They obviously weren't going to tell me.

This morning I was downstairs getting ready when my sister yelled down the stairs "Ashley! Jonah opened his present! It's two tickets to see the Miami Heat play the Utah Jazz tomorrow night!"



I was so mad! I would love to go see the Heat play. LeBron, Wade, and Bosh! That's awesome! But no. Guess where I will be? Singing my little heart out at the choir concert. Which not to mention will be a disaster. So tomorrow while I am singing a happy Christmas song, my brother and dad will be watching the "big three."

The Secret Journal of Brett Colton

Dear Kay Lynn Magnum,

               

I just finished your book "The Secret Journal of Brett Colton" When I first started reading it, I didn't know what would happen in the story. I had heard about the rage of the book, and decide it was the right book for me to read.

               

In reading the book, I put the characters into my life. Me. I was Kitty. A high school girl, in my own little bubble. Worrying how to get through high school. My sister turned into Sam. Though my sister and her don't really have the same personality. Your brother as my brother, and Jason. The hot shot of the school. The one all of the girls squealed over, the one that gets your heart racing when you talk to him. He was the one you wanted to been seen with walking down the halls.

               

I had feeling for this book. I felt that I connected to the life of Kitty. My sister battled the same disease as Brett had. She is a survivor. As I read journal entry after journal entry of Brett’s, I wondered how an 18 month old girl could handle this disease. I wasn't when my sister and parents struggled through this trail, but journal after journal that I read, I wondered how they could have possibly survived the pain, and the sorrow. How could such a young girl handle something like this? She couldn't expression how she was feeling. She couldn't express the pain. My parents say the doctors couldn't ever believe that such a little girl could go shot after shot and treatment after treatment without ever crying.

               

One thing that I thought of a lot in this book was religion. Kitty didn’t have a religion. Where living in Utah, that could be hard. Everyone here mostly believes the same thing. The kids you are surrounded by at school all go to the same church, and same activities. Kitty became interested in the LDS church. Her parents though didn’t want anything to do with it. I thought of how hard that would have been. To do something different, to not follow the crowd. Lots of people have a hard time doing what they really think is right. They do what would make them “cool” or “popular.” This book really made me realize how much faith Kitty had in herself. She kept trying. She didn’t give up.

               

I think one of the highlights of the book is little Emily. Emily brought happiness into Kitty's life. Even when Kathy was sad or angry it seemed to be Emily that brought happiness into Kitty's life. I thought of such a little girl. She had such a positive attitude all of the time. In each of the trails she faced, I just imagined a little girl with a big bright smile. It made me think of how many people in this world are as positive as Emily? How many kids do you hear with happiness like hers?

               

This book made me think. The experiences that Kitty had, the people she meet, and the hardships she went through. But yet, everything seemed to be okay in the end. She helps everyone learn something new in the book. How to appreciate everyone and everything. Everything in Kitty’s life fell almost perfectly into place in my life, and the others surrounding it. Thank you for the amazing life story you shared with me.

                                                                  Sincerely,

                                                                            Ashley Taylor