Playing Catch-up

Wow… How have I not touched this blog for almost two years?! I was doing so good with posting consistently too. Ugh, SO many things have happened! Like lots of big life stuff. Should I do separate posts…?? Or PHOTO DUMP!!! I know it’s your favorite thing. Just be prepared for a huge one since it’s about two years worth of life. Let’s go!

December 2019:

Ricky got a new job…again! He got hired on as the night guy at Maverick just down the road from where we live! (After some time as a driver, Ricky started feeling very anxious and uncomfy with the job, so we talked, a lot. After some soul searching and counseling with the Lord, he left that job.) Now his schedule keeps him up all night and he’s basically nocturnal. It’s hard because I’m not. BUT he’s sleeping when I’m at work, he’s at work when I’m sleeping so we’re “home” together more than we have been. AND we have our weekends together back again! It’s been a huge blessing, but we’re still trying to find our groove again.

Merry Christmas from the Taynors! Ricky had to work Christmas Eve, so we got to have dinner and hang out with Dick, Joddee, her son, and his girl! It was a fun filled evening with family and love. Ricky went to work and I went to bed. Then as soon as Ricky got home, we hit the road! (By this time, he had been awake for about 18 hoursish?) We drove to Pocatello and had Christmas morning with my family! We spent the whole weekend eating, laughing, and having so much fun.

My cousin Justin got married the weekend after Christmas so we got to go witness their sealing. It was beautiful and they are so perfect for each other. Kim, I can’t wait to get to know you!

November 2019:

I’m weird and have missed school and learning new things everyday, so I have set a goal to learn (and practice) a few new hairdos a week so I can up my hair styling game!

We went to Cora’s house for Thanksgiving. I forgot to get pictures of dinner, but I do have this one…and I didn’t even take it. Oh well. (I sure love all my sisters I got when I married into this family!)

October 2019:

Ricky surprised me with a trip to go pick pumpkins! We also got to go on a wagon ride, ate lots of honey sticks, and had a wonderful night of quality time building memories!! 

Every year for the last few years, all the adult girls on my dad’s side of the family have gone to Saint George and partied for a weekend. There’s lots of shopping, laughing, crafts, and a Tuachan show! This year we saw The Little Mermaid.

I got new glasses! They are super cute and they transition into sunglasses when I’m in the sun.

Another year…with another annual appointment. We did something new this time. No biopsy!! I did a stress echo instead and it was nuts! There were also a few med changes and lots of pokes. The docs said everything looked beautiful and that the didn’t want to see me again until next year!

September 2019:

Just a random night, neither of us could sleep so we ate cereal and watched Lucifer at 3 o’clock in the morning.

One of my favorites released a new song and I’m still obsessed! And Ricky actually admitted to me that he kind of likes her, so that was fun.

August 2019:

Our car got totaled but everyone involved got to walk away with nothing major wrong.

After month’s of healing, looking, and praying, Ricky got a new job as a shuttle driver! It’s been fun for us to work in the same place! His schedule was the opposite of mine, so we really didn’t see much of each other.

July 2019:

I turned in my very last LDBC interior design project! Even though I walked in April, I was short one credit. I hated the class…but loved what I learned! It was so much stinking work for just a one credit class.

Yes, those are my wedding pictures in my model. 😉

I DYED MY HAIR RED AND GOT BANGS….again! We went over to my cousin’s salon and she made me pretty!

Ricky’s friend invited us to drive up to Lava to swim on weekend. As insensitive for me to come too, I got ice cream. I think it was a pretty good trade. Besides, who would pass up square ice cream? It’s the best!

June 2019:

June was filled with lots of traveling…but not with each other. Ricky’s uncle died, so he went to Washington and got to be there with family. It was hard, but so good for him to be there.

While Ricky was gone, my dad and I were guests at the Utah Heart and Stroke Ball. I was recognized at a heart worrier, along with several others. If you know what we are like around each other, it was a night of giggles and memories!

Almost as soon as Ricky got back from Washington, I jumped on a plane and went to New Jersey! Lydia was getting married and I got to be a part of it! I saw some amazing architecture, got poured on by a rainstorm, ate at Rita’s, and had a wonderful time with my friend as she started the next step in her life!

May 30, 2019:

We moved!! Since Ricky wasn’t working, we couldn’t afford to continue living in our apartment. It was sad, but we were able to move into the basement of an amazing couple in our ward. They had just bought an RV and planned to be gone lots during the summer. They didn’t want to leave their house, cats, or garden unattended and we needed a place to live. It worked out perfectly and I have NO doubt that Heavenly Father’s guidance pushed all of us closer. We have loved living with Dick and Jodee. They have become our family. We love them so much!

May 2019:

Ricky’s “kinda” started a business! He etches the gorgeous patterns on vases. We decided that with me being the only one working, he needed something that would keep him busy and try to help our income. I am in awe of his many talents.

April 2019:

April was a BIG month for us! I got to participate in the Senior Showcase and display my portfolio, I received an award that is only given to one graduation student in each department, I graduated college, celebrated my heart-aversary, and we had our one year wedding anniversary!

For our anniversary, we went to this adorable little air bnb bed and breakfast for the weekend as celebration of me graduating AND our anniversary. I really slacked on the pictures during that trip, so enjoy a video from the day we got married, because who wouldn’t want to see that cuteness?!

And as you know, April is also my Heart-aversary! It’s been 6 years since this wonderful gift was given to me! I can’t even begin to express my gratitude for the last six years of my life. So much has happened and I am so thankful that I was here to experience my life for myself! (Again, I slacked on pictures of our balloon launch. Oops.)

February 2019:

Ricky fell on some ice and screwed up his knee. After a few days of prayer and conversation, he went in and quit his job. This was a crazy thing to have happen. We were just floating along through life, then this had to happen. This started what felt like the whirlwind of “bad luck” that was 2019 for our little family.

The couch was the only place he could sleep comfortably. Good thing we have two couches! We just squished them together and slept in a little nest for a few weeks.

Our cute little kitty also had a health scare about the same time Ricky fell. He got super bloated/swollen, wouldn’t let us even touch him, and just overall didn’t look like he felt good. One morning, Ricky rushed him to the vet because he was pooping just blood… Long story short, the dr thought it looked like kitty cancer. She gave him some meds that seemed to help, but also told us that it was just a matter of time before he flared up again. We had to have the hard talk about what to do if/when that happened again.

But…we haven’t had to do anything about it yet! He’s his playful, cuddly self again! He’s doing wonderful and we are so glad! <3

January – March 2019:

I was an intern at an actual design firm for about threeish months. I was able to have the opportunity to learn and grow thanks to some amazing interior designers at Alice Lane in Salt lake. I got really good at organizing the sample library, pulling samples, finding inspo or pricing, and I even got to sit in on a few client meetings. It was so cool!


January 5, 2019:

We went to the aquarium just because we could! There are so many crazy animals in this world.

New Years 2019:

Happy 2019!!! We stayed home and had a Harry Potter marathon with lots of food and homemade butter beer. We brought our mattress out into the living room. We may have left it there for a few days longer than we planned. It’s definitely going to be a tradition.

December 25th, 2018:

CHRISTMAS!!! It was the Taynors turn this time. It was so fun to get to spend time with my amazing in-laws and cute nieces/nephews! (I really slacked on pictures this time.)

November 28th, 2018:

Thanksgiving with the Browns!

November 5th, 2018:

We actually did it! We adopted a cat! We had been talking for a few months about adding another element of crazy to our lives. One night we just went to “look” and just fell in love with this little fluff ball named Flannel. He’s been the best little fur baby!

October 19th, 2018:

My annual biopsy for my angel heart. This was another first for Ricky. Luckily, my mom was there to help guide him through the medical technicality of it all.

July 22nd, 2018:

I gave Ricky the first haircut of our marriage! I was so nervous….and he hasn’t had me do it again since. I’m not sure what that means for my future as his hair dresser.

Sometime in early June 2018:

We went camping with the Taynors! It was soooo fun! During the week, Cora, Anthony, and Layla got sealed in the temple. It was crazy to go from camping, to the temple, and back to camping. We also took family pictures while everyone was there. Since then, there have been 3 more grand babies have been born!!

May 23rd and June 11th, 2019:

We had birthdays! Something fun about getting engaged at the end of the year and then getting married before anything exciting happens, is that we got to do a lot of “firsts” as married couples. It was fun to celebrate our “first” birthdays together being married.

For Ricky, we just did a quiet stay at home thing. For mine, I went to lunch with Ashley and Lydia. Since our birthdays are like two weeks apart, we went out to dinner and celebrate both of us.

May 16th, 2018:

We bought a car and named her Felisha! She was very first married purchase. She’s been a fun addition to our little family.

April 21st, 2018:

We went to Primary Children’s for lunch and ate while I told hospital stories. Then we went on a walk through the Angel Garden and sent balloons to my heart angel. This was Ricky’s first Angel Heart Birthday. It was fun to show him where such a huge part of my life took place.

Happy 5 year Heart-aversary to me!

April 13th, 2018:

WE GOT MARRIED!!! It was the most incredible day. I grew up knowing what I wanted my wedding day to be like, but I didn’t know if I would actually get the opportunity in this life to be married. This day was a dream come true in WAY more than just one way.

March 21st and March 27th, 2018:

We finished interviews and got our “grown up” temple recommends so we could receive our endowments and be one step closer to getting married. Endowments help us become closer to our Heavenly Father. We make eternal covenants and learn how he blesses us when we strive to follow the promises we made in the temple. We had lots of family and friends (including 2 of my roommates that I love and miss living with!) there with us. After we were done, we all went out to dinner! It was such a wonderful night.

I am so grateful for the opportunities we have to go to the temple whenever we want. I love escaping life and feeling the absolute peace of the Spirit.