Tagging Along to Phoenix

February 26, 2014

The last week in February I joined Jody in Arizona, on his monthly Business Trip.  I met many of his clients, and I was able to see how great Jody is at his job.  Since it was still cold in Utah, it was the perfect time to travel with him to sunny Arizona.  While we were there, we saw the Gilbert, Arizona  LDS Temple - which was set to be dedicated the following week.  It was beautiful!

We stayed at the Clarendon Hotel.  It had an Old Hollywood feel to it.  And best of all, the pool had a bright tiled runway.  I had my gold stilettos, sun hat and beaded cover up...it would have been crazy to NOT channel my inner "America's Next Top Model"!  So, I'm a dork.  I love it.  Look at the girl in the background, thinking I am a weirdo.  Ha ha!  I don't have time to worry about that...this was WAY too fun.  Jody and I had a blast.  We ate at Joe's Farm Grill and browsed Scottsdale Fashion Square.

16 weeks pregnant with Adalynn

Will You Marry Me...all over again?!?

 

We Jumped in with Both Feet...Again...Eight Years Later!  

 

In May, Jody and I traveled down to St. George for a weekend getaway.  I had surprised him with Brian Regan Tickets back at Christmas Time, and the Event was this weekend in May.  Jody loves Brian Regan's humor, and we were really excited to see him live at the Tuacahn Amphitheater.

We had a nice drive down to St. George.  No Screaming Children.  No "She's putting the pony toy in her mouth...She's ruining my life!"  No "I love you mommy and daddy."  It was quiet.  We missed the girls, and found that even though they weren't with us...our conversation was full of stories about them and how they make us smile.

I insisted we stop in Beaver to get a snapshot in the GiANt rocking chair.  The man taking our picture, looks so happy in the reflection.  See, everyone was having a good time. 

Southern Utah really is Beautiful.  And Greg and Irene have a lovely little house down there.  It makes it convenient and comfortable to visit. 

I offered to take pictures of Jody with the gorgeous scenery.  He wasn't interested.  :)

 



Brian Regan was funny!  We had good seats; 4th row.  I was laughing so hard. the man in front of us kept turning around and staring at me.  We had a great time! 

After the show, Jody said he wanted to show me something.  We drove up to an overlook of the city.  It was beautiful.  The weather was perfect.  Jody had packed some camping chairs in the back of the trunk.  We sat down and took in the sights.  We could see the St. George LDS Temple in the distance. 

We talked and talked, and everything felt right. 

I was wearing Jody's sweatshirt. 

Jody took my hand. 

We reminisced about when we were newlyweds.  We had little money.  But Jody was working for SkyWest at the time.  So we would fly stand-by and take short 36-hour trips to places we otherwise could never afford to go.  It was just the two of us.  And most of the time, we stayed in the cheapest motels we could find or slept in the rental car.  But it was fun.  It was a time full of adventure and learning about each other. 

While we reflected back on those times, Jody took my hand and told me, "I have learned over the years, that no matter where we are....as long as we are together, I know I will be happy." 

And I was thinking, "I feel the same way.  I feel blessed."

And then he got down on one knee.  He pulled a ring box out of his pocket.  I couldn't believe what was inside.  A replica of my original wedding ring.  It looked just like the one he put on my finger when he proposed on Halloween back in 2004.  Just like the one I was wearing in the hospital when Gracie was born in 2007.  But months later that ring was stolen.  It vanished.  And although it was just an object, I have always felt terrible and so saddened that it's gone. 

Jody had been working for months with designers to make this new ring look just like the original.  I couldn't believe it.  I was so genuinely surprised and happy at his loving gesture!!   

I was talking to a co-worker the other day.  He just married his sweetheart four months ago.  He asked me what the greatest thing is about being married for EIGHT years.  The answer is easy:  After years of marriage with Jody, I am constantly having aahh--haa moments, where I smile to myself and say,

"Wow.  I married the right man." 

                   or

"Just more proof, that my decision to marry him was the BEST decision I have ever made."

These thoughts come to me usually when Gracie and Sienna are squealing with joy during a piggy-back ride on Jody's back, or when he brings home pizza because he knows it's been a rough day and he doesn't want me to stress about cooking dinner, or when I see him dedicate hours of training because he wants to give my brother Michael a chance he's never had....a chance to get out of his wheelchair and take part in a triathlon.   

There is a great deal of uncertainty in life; curve balls and struggles that can, at times, blindside me.  But I have been blessed to have constant confirmations that he is the right choice for me. 

What a fun, thoughtful and unexpected surprise!!   

 

 

Maui

Jody partnered with Destinations Travel this year again providing all of the promotional SWAG for their VIP trip. The 2012 trip was to Maui.   It was a business networking trip with delightful people. I was blessed to join Jodes on this trip.

We arrived after a long day of travel. This spread was waiting for us in our hotel room.

Our friends Kip & Missy were on the trip. Missy cuts my hair and keeps it looking fabulous. We had a good time hanging out. 

We stayed at the Grand Wailea....which is most definitely Grand.

The site inspection was a very long tour because there is so much offered here. The food and presentation were spectacular. Our last night we enjoyed lobster tail and prime rib. 

 

 The Grand Wailea has a number of pools and water slides. Jody thought it would be funny to let this slide just suck him down.

We had a fun time. There was also a water elevator that took us to the top of the slides via water tunnel and tube. Really cool. 

We went paddle boarding. I was hesitant. Two days before, boarders were evacuated out of the water because a 14 foot Tiger Shark had followed a sea turtle too close to shore. The sharks like to eat the turtles...and the lifeguards probably thought it wasn't safe to tempt the shark with a bunch of wobbly tourists falling off of their boards. Despite my nerves, Jody encouraged me. We did it! It was a blast. My hair didn't even get wet. I was determined to stay on that board and not become shark bait! Jody looks like a natural on the board. I looked like the New Year's baby with a touch of arthritis. (My white swimsuit bottoms were a bit baggy, and the way I was standing was hilarious.) But we had an awesome time. I am so glad I tried it!

We took a boat out to Molokai Rock, where we got very close to some fish underwater. It was breathtaking. Jody spotted an eel. My snorkel mask didn't leak. It also was super-suctioned to my face. When I took off the mask, the whole group burst into laughter. I had a detailed print from the mask and a hickey above my nose that stuck with me all day.

Pretty Sure the guy taking the picture said, "Say Aloha."  That explains the open mouths.  Nice. 

   The Farewell Dinner Party was exquisite.

Our last night, we watched as the orange sun melted into the ocean. Jody and I walked hand in hand down the beach. We talked about life 8 years ago when we met, and where we thought life would take us in the next 8 years.
We laughed. We took in the moment.


And then this happened...

What a beautiful trip.

"Choose your Love, and Love your Choice."
Goodness Gracious, I love my choice!

Jody is a hard worker and a caring person. Maui is not a normalcy for us. Working late hours, eating leftovers and sweeping up spilled Cheerios most definitely is an average day in the Tait household. It was a gorgeous getaway. Hopefully we can work hard to make it back for another visit.

Costa Rica

Passports renewed - Check. Bags Packed - Check. Lots of Hugs and Kisses for the little ones - Check. And Jody and I were off to Costa Rica.

This was an incredible vacation! The first place we stayed was the JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort. Costa Rica has volcanic black sand on most of its beaches. In Guanacaste, the sand is white. Both were brilliant and beautiful.


We saw a large amount of the country during our week's stay. In order to see so many sights - we spent hours and hours riding on this tour bus.




Best Nachos Ever. I'm a little nostalgic just looking at this picture.





I met this friend at the Animal Refuge we visited.


This is our mud bath. (Apparently good for the skin.) It was all natural, so when it was all said and done - we didn't smell too good!

Jody and I played Frisbee on this beach. Such a fun day!!


We celebrated Jody's Birthday while we were in Costa Rica. We hung out with an interesting crowd that day.


We saw dozens of crocodiles, and they were all about 16-feet-long. Yikes.
The locals name them. Meet Osama.


And his cousin: Tyson.


With the lovely tropical weather, we kept forgetting it was December. But the locals did some creative decorating to get us in the Christmas Spirit!!


We went horseback riding - getting a better look at Central America. We'll give my horse the benefit of the doubt and say he was having an off day. We took the detoured route. (Through lots of off-trail bushes.) But eventually I met up with the rest of the group at the Zip-Lining Platform. The Zip-Lining was SO fun!


I had such a wonderful time with Jody. The scenery in Costa Rica was unreal! This was a business trip for Jody, and I was lucky enough to come along. It was a bit surreal to be on a trip without the littlest members of our family. Every time we left our hotel room, I felt like I was forgetting something. "Do I have the diaper bag? Where is the extra pacifier...or fruit snacks?" The girls were definitely on our minds! Thank you to our parents for watching our little ones so that this trip could happen.

Ode to the Jode

I have a wonderful husband - that is no secret.

From Day 1 - he had his hands full. When we jubilantly walked out of the Salt Lake Temple on our Wedding Day, I tripped. Not like 'fall down on your face trip' - but tripped none the less. For those of you who know me well - I tend to do quirky things like this often. I was pretty excited to make that first appearance as husband and wife. Anyway - look at this picture I found of us later that day. I'm just taking it all in...and Jody is afraid I'm going to tumble down the stairs.

Like I said - he had his hands full.

I think the world of him. He is a hard worker, caring, athletic, good looking and amazing with our children. Because of Jody I can look out my back window and see this:

It is so beautiful. And it is all because of him.


I also love that Jody is willing to work hard to turn something worn into something renewed and incredible. He would rather dedicate the time and energy to have the ownership of creating something beautiful verses spending money to easily buy the finished product. Jodes took this used dining room table... (this picture is from Jody's Ugly Sweater Birthday Party.)

He sanded all of the chairs and table. It was a hefty project, which took MANY long hours. But after staining and painting - the result is amazing!

And my favorite aspect about Jodes is the example he is to others. When we visited Disney World a few months ago, we were waiting in line for Pirates of the Caribbean. A lady also in line came up to Jody and said,

"You are LDS - right?"

I'm thinking, "She must be playing 'Spot the Mormon' but how did she know?" We weren't wearing matching shirts....socks with sandals...any of the dead giveaways. :) Jody had a nice chat with her, and it wasn't until weeks later that he told me how she knew. (That in of itself is very Jody. He doesn't like to put himself in the spotlight. He is humble that way.)

She said, "I can tell you are LDS because of the way you are holding your baby. It is tender. And it is special."

Now I'm not saying those of other faiths don't adore their children. That's simply not true. However, Jody carries a radiating love for our girls. Strangers can tell there is something special about him. And I feel blessed to know he is my other half.

Celebrating 6 Years!

As a new and excited bride, six years down the road seemed like a very VERY long time away. And now it's here - an apartment, three homes, two kids and lots of memories later - Jody and I celebrate 6 years of marriage!


I'm a lucky girl. Jodes is an incredible husband. (Here comes another story.) While we were dating, I won the title of Miss Deseret and then went on to compete at the Miss Utah Pageant. When I wasn't going to school, studying or spending time with Jody - I was completely devoted to my service platform. The title of Miss Deseret gave me that extra boost of credibility I needed, and Celebrating Abilities and Advocating for those with Special Needs filled hundreds of hours during my reign. I was ready to be Miss Utah. I had started a variety of programs across the state, and I knew if I won the state title - getting funding for the continuation of those programs and the overall growth of awareness...could explode. During these months of preparation, Jody and I grew closer...and I realized he was really something exceptional. The more time I spent with him - the more I understood I wanted to be with him forever and ever.

So it's the Final Night of the Pageant. The Top Ten are called, and I'm one of them. I'm about to perform my vocal selection for the talent competition. Jody is sitting next to my family in the audience. As the emcee announces my name and the lights are about to come up; Jody turns to my mom and says:

"Let's say a prayer for Brittany."

He then went on to pray that I would sing my very best and feel good about my performance.

Jody wanted to marry me. But he also knew I had worked so hard for a dream where I believed I could make a huge difference. A dream - that would have put off marriage for another year. It may seem simple, but his genuine willingness to want me to succeed means the world to me.

I didn't win the crown that night. But I did win something much greater.

Walking side by side with Jody still makes me feel so special! I used to think it was cheesy when people would comment that they were so much MORE in love after years of marriage - compared to their wedding day. But it's TRUE. As time passes, Jody finds a way to make me laugh harder, care more deeply and just love him that much more.

“One of the most satisfying rewards of a good marriage is the sense of being the most important person in the world to one other person.”