Making Lemonade out of Lemons!

I couldn't resist posting this picture because the way Gracie looks is exactly how I feel! It's been a tough couple of days...err...weeks. Let's just say our garage has a nice fender mark to match the one on the truck. (Again, I'm so sorry Jody!) In addition to my reckless driving, Jody locked himself out of our house, the cell phone bill was atrocious and I can't get over a terrible flu-like cold. However, those all seem trifling compared to our most disheartening news...someone stole my wedding ring! We're praying that whoever took it may have a change of heart and that this sentimental treasure will return.


Yesterday was certainly an eye-opener. It occurred to me that when "Mom" is sick...she doesn't really get to rest. Poor Gracie suffered through the day with me trying to read her stories without coughing and holding her without falling asleep standing up. She wasn't feeling so great herself. After the fourth messy diaper and second bath - I had been thrown up on three times. After getting all that out of her system, Gracie felt much better. :) I, however, was still not quite up to par. Jody has helped out where he can - changing diapers in the middle of the night - so that I wouldn't have to get out of bed.

Being a Mom is the Greatest job a woman will ever hold - it also can be very overwhelming. It's hard to find time to do everything on your list. (And if you're like me, you love checking things off of your list.) For instance - a week or two ago, I asked Jody to help me come up with some exercises I could do to work on my legs. He suggested lunges and then said, "You could try doing some sit-ups too." (Now this is a legitimate suggestion - especially taking into account all of the Chips Ahoy Cookies I have eaten in the last five months.) Alright sit-ups...add them to the list. :)


I just want to say a big Thank-You to my Mom and all the many amazing Moms out there!
What an inspiration you all are to me!


So I was thinking, "Who takes care of Moms when they are not feeling well?" I feel so blessed because I know that our Loving Heavenly Father knows our thoughts, our intentions, and our hearts. And HE takes care of Moms when they feel like the world just might be too overwhelming for the moment. When bad things happen...and they happen to all of us - it's not because the Lord doesn't LOVE us. It's because He wants to see how we'll react. Will we make Lemonade out of Lemons...or let the sour taste in our mouth get the best of us? Our little family is so blessed. We're thankful for each day we have as a family...the sweet days and the sour ones too - because the bitter ones help us appreciate the sweet days even more.

Cute as a Button at 5 Months!

Wow! Where does the time go? Our sweet Gracie Girl is five-months-old TODAY! Her accomplishments this past month include: rolling from her back onto her tummy, saying "da da", arching her back to let us know she doesn't like being put in her car seat, and laughing and smiling more and more each day. She hasn't been introduced to any solid foods yet. She continues to grow bigger and stronger each day. Everyday I look at her and feel so blessed that the Lord trusts us to watch over this precious angel. She makes life so sweet. We love our Baby Gracie!

The Young and the Restless

Any Y&R fans out there?...Because last week Missoula was Genoa City. Turns out that Eric Braeden...a.k.a Victor Newman on "The Young and the Restless" has roots here in Western Montana. So, what do you know....he made an appearance at KPAX for a TV interview. Jody and I took Gracie to meet the Soap Star. (We don't take our child to sit on Santa's lap...just Daytime Celebrities...) :) I happen to know some "die hard Y&R Fans" - so it was imperative that I got some autographs.




Look Mom he's signing it "With Love" - Not everyone got that.



Mr. Braeden was talking about his new movie, which is showing in Missoula. He sure loved Gracie - I didn't think I was going to get her back!

Look Who's Rolling Now!

Gracie rolled over for the FIRST time from her back to her tummy on April 14th. During the past week, we captured some of her efforts and "successful rolls" on video! Whew...it's hard work trying to roll over! We hope you enjoy this video! Remember to pause the music at the bottom of the blog as this movie has it's own "theme appropriate" music! Enjoy!

A Day at the Park!

Mother Nature hasn't been smiling down on us lately. Temperatures have been in the 30's for weeks now - but this weekend was a different story. The sun came out...so Jody and I took Gracie for a walk in her stroller.



It did get cooler as the sun went down - And the winter fleece hat made an appearance again!


Gracie loves being outside! We are fortunate to live across the street from a beautiful park. Once summer comes, we'll probably be over there everyday!

100 Things About Us!

We've been Tagged! And it certainly is a big task - 100 things about us. The first 50 are all about me, and the last 50 are about Jody. Enjoy - Hopefully you'll learn something you didn't already know!

1- I’m in love with Jody Greg Tait.
2- I wish we lived in a musical where everyone danced to choreographed routines.
3- I was held at gunpoint by West Valley Police. (They mistook my car for a stolen vehicle.) I was traumatized!
4- I played the part of Little Orphan Annie in my junior high play and dyed my hair red.
5- My brother Michael is my Hero!
6- Jody and I have seen an Angel…in fact she lives with us – Her name is Gracie!
7- My mom makes me laugh so hard when she does the “Elaine Dance” from Seinfeld.
8- I am eating us out of house and home, ever since I started nursing.
9- Always Hungry….Always….
10- I would some day love to visit “Brittany”, France!
11- I love it when Jody rubs my feet.
12- I want to become famous…NOT to be famous…but so I can be on “Dancing with the Stars!”
13- If I’m not smiling - then I’m crying because everything is so moving and touching…or so it seems.
14- Even Allstate commercials make me cry. (You know the one where the football kicker wins the game with the winning field goal, and no one even knew his name…) So sad!
15- My dentist tells me I brush my teeth too hard.
16- My dad taught me the valuable lessons of determination and hard work.
17- My mom taught me to embrace life and laugh every chance you get.
18- They both taught me to always look to the Lord.
19- I played “Mabel” in the Opera “Pirates of Penzance”. I had to kiss a married man – that was strange.
20- We had a German Shepherd named “Lady” when I was three.
21- I competed at the Miss Utah Pageant three times.
22- I admit to using toupee tape to keep my swimsuit in place in competition – but firm grip spray works much better!
23- I wanted to win Miss Utah so I could give a voice to children with disabilities.
24- I HAVE SO MANY BLESSINGS!!
25- I had an infectious growth removed from my neck when I was three-years-old. Doctors said the surgery should have paralyzed my face.
26- Labor and Delivery were the biggest adrenaline rushes I’ve ever experienced.
27- I love anything with caramel.
28- Jody and I traveled to Peru to film a documentary back in 2004.
29- I played London Bridges with Peruvian Children outside their village on the banks of the Amazon – it was an amazing day.
30- I’m terrified of Jaws!
31- I’m always cold – Jody is always warm.
32- I am a bit of a neat freak.
33- I love lip gloss.
34- I enjoy working at a television station.
35- I love doing live shots and tagging out “Back to You.”
36- Gracie’s laugh makes the world go round!
37- I do NOT like spicy food.
38- I wish we had a Red Lobster in Missoula. Oh, how I miss the coconut shrimp and crab legs!
39- I have big teeth - the dentist had to pull a handful so they could all fit in my mouth.
40- I’m a talker who married a non-talker.
41- I loved feeling Gracie kick and move when she was in my tummy.
42- I sang in Show & Chamber Choir and danced on the Drill Team in High School.
43- I had the BIGGEST bangs you’ve ever seen in 7th grade. Really - they were a hazard to those around me.
44- I have to eat a hot dog if I’m at the ball park.
45- Math was always my worst subject in school.
46- I was a thumb-sucker.
47- I love to pray.
48- Gracie said “Hi” to me yesterday. She did. Jody doesn’t believe me, but I know what I heard!
49- I am very jumpy – Jody has to clap when he’s coming around the corner in case I don’t know he is there.
50- I love my life!

Okay, now it is Jody’s turn!

51- Jody has been asked if he bleaches his eyebrows.
52- He has run a marathon.
53- Loves Weezer
54- He has been to 29 states.
55- And visited 6 countries.
56- He likes to cook.
57- He loves playing in flag football leagues.
58- He loves Brittany so much.
59- Thought Brittany was the cutest girl on BYU’s campus.
60- He loves Gracie Jo.
61- Likes it when people say Gracie looks like him.
62- He loves to go camping.
63- Loves his truck and reasons to put stuff in it.
64- Even though he doesn’t post much, he’s a big fan of blogging.
65- He is the assistant scoutmaster and also in the young men’s presidency.
66- He likes to work in the yard and make things look good.
67- He thinks this year’s Super Bowl was the greatest.
68- He has weighed the same for 10 years.
69- He wants to have a dog one day. (When we have a bigger yard)
70- Wants to have a motorcycle one day.
71- He loves playing on the beach and in the ocean.
72- Loves to go to the lake.
73- Jody almost landed a back-flip on the wake board last year.
74- He gave himself whiplash from wakeboarding and visited a chiropractor for the next 3 months.
75- He doesn’t like to shop for more than 10 minutes
76- He wishes he could spend more time on the golf course with his favorite foursome, Dad and his brothers.
77- He would like to be closer to extended family.
78- Fall is his favorite time of year.
79- He enjoys washing the cars on a nice day.
80- He works for a lobbying organization.
81- He spends a lot of time on the road, and hates looking at the cost of gas go up.
82- He wishes he could spend more time painting and drawing.
83- Would love to go back to Brazil one day.
84- He killed a rat during his mission.
85- He killed more than 30 bees during one picnic.
86- He broke his arm in a trampoline accident.
87- He also broke his jaw on Jeff’s head - playing basketball in their room.
88- He got in trouble with BYU security for driving a motorcycle on campus grounds.
89- He loves to snack all the time.
90- He likes to rent movies and watch them at home.
91- He wants to learn how to fly fish better this summer.
92- His favorite TV show is “The Office.”
93- Second favorite show is “America’s Funniest Videos.”
94- He wishes he worked at Dunder Mifflin.
95- He wants to go on a cruise to Alaska someday.
96- Gets sneezing attacks, usually while driving in the car without Kleenex’s or napkins.
97- He gets a kick out of the Sonic commercials.
98- He used to play the clarinet.
99- Likes to play trivia games.
100- Jody is grateful for the many blessings his family shares.

So now I tag Tristin, Cathy, Janna & Emilee. Good Luck!

New Discoveries...and Fascinating Feet!

She's learning more and more each day. Here's what Gracie has been up to this past week. She loves those feet! (It's probably because she overheard her pediatrician telling me she has really nice feet at her 4-month check up.) She is always doing her baby sit-ups trying to reach for those toes.

She loves to squeal and chuckle! She gets pretty excited and LOUD to let you know she loves life!

And she's trying out her rolling skills - well not quite. We're doing more floor and tummy time to encourage her to start rolling. It's not her favorite - but she doesn't scream anymore. She has great head and neck control.

We love our Baby Blue Eyes!

Which Princess are YOU?

You Are Cinderella!

Dignified and hard working. With a gentle and soft-spoken manner you have something many people don't. Patience. Even through the moments of heartbreak you're still able to hold onto all of your hopes and dreams. Bide your time; your dream will come true.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

Silly Pictures for a Silly Day!

Happy April Fool's Day! As I was browsing through our photos saved on our computer - I couldn't help laughing at all the semi-ridiculous and fun pictures I found. In honor of April Fool's Day - we hope these pictures bring a smile to your face. They are some of our less glamorous photos.