Dear Grandma Lamar

I wanted you write this last letter to you to let you know how wonderful you are. I am very sad to not tell you this in person; hopefully you know how much I love you. You were and are so beautiful and I am very grateful for all of the attributes you have given me (tall and thin). No doubt they helped you catch your man, a hot young soldier fresh back from WW2. Way to go!

You two were great together and you made a good team. You were so incredibly strong when he went off to war again. You worked hard and supported each other through so much. You would argue a lot with each other but we knew how much you loved each other. I wish you could see how much he misses you. You had two awesome kids and you raised them so well. You were a great mom and an even better grandma. I remember you always tried to get into whatever we were into (Harry Potter, KFC, and even super soakers). I remember climbing the tree in the backyard and you would say, “Fred, those girls are going too high.” We would sit outside and you would tell stories about when we were kids, or when our parents were kids. Truth is, we always knew how much you loved us and we loved you too. Thanks for teaching me to be frugal, and to always dress nice, and to value a good piece of furniture! Before you went into heart surgery you saw you second great grandson. I am so glad both of my children got to meet you. I will try my best to make sure they know who you are. You will not be forgotten. We miss you so much!

Love Rebecca

Father Son Camp Out!

Every year our church has a father son camp-out to commemorate the restoration of the priesthood. Last year Jonas was too young to go with daddy (he was a few months old). Jacob took a little boy from the ward who’s dad was MIA. However this year we were in a different word and Jonas was a little bit older and ready for his first camp-out. Needless to say they came home very dirty and smelling like a fire place, but they had a great time. 

He thought it was so cool that there were chairs just his size.

Daddy taught him how to warm his hands by the fire.
He now puts his hands over everything hot
(oatmeal, hot chocolate, even the car on a hot day).

Helping to put up the tent. 

Throwing rocks in the lake.

Apparently his favorite thing to do was to step from one
 tree stump to the other. 

Jonas' First Haircut

When Jonas was first born he had just a little bit of red hair. This soon fell out which made me very sad. It has taken a while (a long while) but it finally came. Time for a haircut!

He was a little scared of the lady with the scissors.

His short hair makes him look so much older.

Jonas and Timothy Meeting for the First Time

This was very important for me to post because I know these two are going to be best friends their hole lives and I know someday they would love to see the moment they met.

It isn't too flattering for me because it was a few hours after giving birth, but hey still not too bad.

Timothy Calvin Taylor

Timothy was born at a really busy time to say the least. We had just moved here, and Jacob was just about to start his first semester. I didn’t want to switch doctors so late in my pregnancy, so we talked to the doctor about possibly scheduling an induction.  I had gestational diabetes with Timothy too, so I knew that I was most likely going to be induced anyway. He said that is everything goes well he can induce me on the 1^st of Feb. (a week before my due date and 3 days before Jacob starts school). This was perfect because then I could have the weekend to recover and my dad could watch Jonas.

So Thursday night we drove down and stayed the night at dad’s house and then left early in the morning to be at the hospital at 6 AM. I know that sounds early, but at this point it could not come soon enough. They hooked to up to everything in the room (the IV was the worst! UGH Hate it!) and then a few hours later the doctor came in, broke my water, and started me on Pitocin. I thought it was all happening very fast and when I said something to the doctor he looked at me and said “Well, we are here to have a baby aren’t we?” It was at that moment that I realized I was going to be a mom of 2! I was excited and scared and anxious all at the same time.

An hour into the “labor” I turned to Jacob and said “I think I’m supposed to be feeling something”. I had been through labor before I knew that I was supposed to be having contractions but I didn’t feel anything. Jacob looked at the monitor and told me that I was having them. They were not very strong but I was having them. Then about hour later THEY CAME, hard and strong and so I quickly asked for the epidural. They made Jacob leave the room which was a little scary but it turned out to be fine. So an hour and half later (this is about 3 and half to 4 hours into labor) Jacob decides he is going to have an early lunch. So I’m there all by myself and I have start to have a strong urge to push. I waited to see if the nurses come in, but it gets really strong. Finally they come after what felt like an hour (really it was about 15 min) and I tell them I think have to push. So they check me and say “Oh, yep you’re ready to push. I’m touching your baby’s head.” They stepped out to call my doctor and Jacob came in and I told him we were ready to have the baby. I pushed for about 15 min. and then our baby was born.

Timothy Calvin Taylor was born 2 PM Friday Fep. 1^st. 9 lb.s 4 oz. 21 inches long. I guess that is what happens when you don’t stick to your diet. ‘it was at first site and ‘I love my little boys so much. I can not imagine my lie without them.

Move to Mizzou

Jacob and I graduated BUY-Idaho back in April of 2011, but Jacob always talked about going back to school for something. After living at my dad’s house for a good long time trying to find the right job, it was clear that now was a great time to go back. (The horrible economy helped with that decision too). So after a long look at where we would like to be, what career Jacob wanted and, what was in the best interest of our growing family (by this I mean what was cheap), we decided on the MBA program at University of Missouri. It took us a while to find a place to live but after a few long car drives we found a great fit. It is a two bedroom one bath apartment, in a great ward and we could not be happier to be here. Since taking all steps to get here (which was very scary, considering we had no money, a baby, and a baby on the way) it was clear that this is what we were supposed to do. Jacob and I have talked several times about how the Lord sometimes doesn’t give us a flashlight to light our way. Sometimes he wants us to take a step in the dark and just have faith that the lights will come on. That is exactly what happened to us. We took a few steps in the dark and the Lord has turned on the lights. It feels so good to have a plan for the next few years. Here we are at Mizzou. Go Tigers!

Playing Catching Up

I realized this week it has been a very long time since I have posted on the blog and I do not want to forget why I started it and so therefore the next several posts are going to be in retrospect. I’m sorry mostly to myself that I have taken so long to do this, because I know that potentially valuable details our experiences will be lost simply because I do not remember everything that happen over the past six months or so. Hopefully as I write it all out I will recall those important details.