The Joys of SPRING!

We woke up this morning to freshly fallen snow.

However, we have had some BEAUTIFUL days so far this Spring! We attended the Tulip Festival with our good friends, the Jensens. I think it's safe to say this is Gracie's BFF. His name is Sawyer - She looks forward to playdates with him!!




There is something so beautiful about this time of the year that makes you excited to be outside and see the world in full bloom.


Nothing like a piggy-back ride to the car - after an exhausting evening chasing tulips!


This is Gracie with her cute cousin, Nahla. Gracie really adores her and talks about her all the time.


If you couldn't tell, Gracie is a VERY happy little girl. The girl likes to smile.


This Spring brought many Easter Egg Hunts. Gracie was so thrilled about hunting eggs, that it has become a weekly occurrence.


And what would Spring be without GRANDMA GRACE?! Jody informed me that sometimes I dress Gracie like a Mini-Grandma. (As Pictured Below.)

I thought the Grandma look was really working for her. :)


And here I am at 18 weeks. My belly button has already popped! That's funny - because it never even did that when I was preggers with Gracie.

I Want To GLOW!

We've all witnessed it...a darling pregnant woman walks into a room, when someone exclaims, "Look at You - You're Just Glowing!"

And She Is.

I Want To Glow.

I'm glowing on the inside. I just think there are other pregnancy-related dominant physical factors that are smothering my potential radiation. The acne that hasn't gone away in four months, the outbreak of cold sores, frizzy hair, dark circles under my eyes, not to mention that some days Gracie and I are hiding in the house when someone rings the doorbell at 3:00 in the afternoon...because we are still in our JAMMIES.
(Yeah, that's definitely not helping me to GLOW.) :)

I heard the baby's heartbeat again yesterday. AMAZING.

And I felt like I was glowing.

In fact, it's the Best Feeling in the World! It's a sound I will never get tired of hearing. 153 was the heart rate number. It will be so exciting to take another peek at the baby next month at the 20-week ultrasound. Can't wait!

Best News of the Year!

In six months, "Our Tait Trio" will be adding another special member to our family.

We are Expecting a Baby!!!

And We Couldn't be Happier!!

The most recent ultrasound shows our little one arriving on September 25th. Here's a peek at Baby Tait #2 from a sonogram done at 12 weeks.


I'm now 14 weeks along. This pregnancy has been different than my first. I have been exhausted and nauseous. (More so than with Gracie...or did I forget? I can't remember.) :) Even the most simplistic of tasks have seemed like climbing a mountain. Gracie has been very patient with her less than mediocre mother these past three months, and Jody has picked up middle of the night duty with Gracie - giving me a chance to rest.

But even in the moments when I've been lifeless on the couch - I'm excited - I'm thrilled - and I'm blessed. No amount of sickness could take away the joy I feel knowing I get to be a mother for a second time. Having Gracie has changed both my and Jody's lives for the better - we can't imagine what bliss this new baby will bring!!

Here's a picture of my mom and me on her Birthday a few days ago. I'm already showing a baby bump. Everything seems to be happening faster the second time around. We've made it to the 2nd Trimester, and we're looking forward to September!

Aspiring Hair Bow Model

Gracie had the chance to model for "Katelyn & Co." - which is an accessories company mostly specializing in hair bows, leggings, and cute hats for babies and little girls. They have some darling stuff. Check out their website here.


Gracie just wanted to jump on the bed during the entire shoot!


I remember when we lived in Montana, and Gracie was a baby. We would go out in public and people would just stare at the enormous bows I would place on top of her head. No such thing as Big Bows up in the Big Sky State. It didn't seem to be an acceptable fashion statement. They tend to be more of the trend in Utah. :) Anyhow - she should have known it was coming...just look at this picture!

Desmoplastic Trichoepithelioma-What?!

It sounds like a fake diagnosis.
But it's real, and no longer a part of me.


I went in for a routine check at my dermatologist 3 weeks ago. I asked him about an unusual bump on my face, below my left eye. He acted concerned, and so he biopsied it. I really didn't think much of it because this particular blemish had been on my face for years, but I had noticed it seemed to be spreading.

When I went to get my stitches out from the biopsy procedure the following week, my doctor informed me I had a Desmoplastic Trichoepithelioma - a Tumor that originates from basal cells of hair follicles. He said, "This won't kill you - but it will destroy your face." (I started laughing. Totally inappropriate I know. But his wording surprised me - and that's how I dealt with it.)

So last week I had surgery to remove the tumor. Jody and Gracie came with me. I was thankful to have them there. The surgeon removed the tumor, bandaged up my face and sent me to a room where other people with giant gauze taped to their faces were waiting to hear results. After about an hour of the doctor biopsying the tumor, he came back and said he didn't get it all. He was able to remove the full tumor the second time around. When he took the bandage off my face so he could stitch up the area - Jody's face turned white. I thought he was going to faint.

"There's a huge hole in your face, Sweetie."
That's what you want to hear.

The Surgeon did an excellent job stitching me up. "You're a gem," he said. "I perform 10 surgeries to remove cancer-related cysts from patients everyday - but your type of tumor...I only do two of those surgeries each year."

Strange. Rare. And now Gone.

My tumor was benign (great news) but this type of tumor destroys nerve-endings; in my case affecting the vision in my left eye. I'm thankful everything went so smoothly. I'm really blessed - truly blessed. Here's a picture of the stitches before getting them removed. (Maybe a little too close for comfort. It had been a rough week...)


Jody bandaged up my face before church, four days after the surgery. It had to stay completely covered for a week. (I don't know why we didn't snap a picture of me with the GIANT bandage on immediately after the surgery. Sorry.) Gracie kept me laughing during all of this. She comes up with hilarious new sayings every day. The other day, my mom asked her, "Gracie - are you a Princess?" To which she replied, "No...I'm a Robot." She then started moving her hands in stiff motions and dancing like a robot.

FYI - Princess, No. Robot, Yes!

Winter Retreat

Even before we left the house, Gracie was mentally preparing for the snowmobiling and sledding....

We spent a few days in the depths of Emigration Canyon, in Idaho, for a Winter Family Reunion with my mom's side of the family. There were 26 people in one cabin, some great food & and funny moments. One evening, the rest of the family drove in from Bennington. Here's a picture of all of my Aunts and Uncles from the Crane side of the family. (Minus Uncle Jerry who couldn't be there.)


The boys had a blast snowmobiling for hours on end. I even took one of the machines for a test drive (a modest SLOW drive) around the cabin. No trees were uprooted - nor did I injure myself during my ride. It takes alot for me to get on a snowmobile after (pause) my Sweethearts Dance Day Activity Tragedy from High school. Let's just say I went flying through the windshield, over the snowmobile and was unconscious until my date found me in a pile of snow. Embarrassing...yes. And if I had the dance pictures from that night - I would post them. Hilarious - I looked like a Muppet with a black eye and a swollen upper lip. Good times.


Staying Warm while Snowmobiling...Check.
Dad was well prepared for the cold weather.


*Gracie and Courtney*


Mom and Gracie ready to play outside. Don't you love her smile as of late?! :)


Gracie had fun on the sled. After an unfortunate 'snow in the face' incident, she wouldn't stop covering her eyes every time we went down the hill.


The sledding hill was right outside the back door of the cabin. It was so fun. Tubes, sleds, boots, gloves - at times even children flying through the air! No real injuries, but I was knocked over more than once while trying to video tape the fun.

5 Years Ago...

...the most magical thing happened - I married my best friend.




This week, Jody & I celebrated our Five Year Anniversary. However, our relationship started more than a year before we walked out of the Salt Lake Temple as Husband and Wife.

In the Fall Semester at BYU in 2003 - sparks started flying. By November of that year, Jody and I had been on a handful of dates. He forwarded me this email, which he had written to his Ethics Teacher. His teacher had asked the students to email her a justifiable reason why she should give them 10 points, when they had been tardy to class. (And yes, after all of these years, I still have the email saved.) I thought it was sweet at the time - but didn't realize how accurate it would prove to be!

Dear Sister Egan,
I should be restored my 10 points because I was in class last Wednesday. It's been quite a while since I've missed, and I'm pretty proud of my attendance. Anyway, the reason why I didn't get my paper that day was because I was about 5 minutes late, and I was late for a really good reason. There's this girl named Brittany who I really like. We cross paths as I leave my religion class in the JSB on my way to Comms. 480 and she's on her way from Spanish to her religion class in the JSB.

Anyway, Wednesday we met and had a good talk, we joked around with each other for a couple minutes alone by the Benson building and had a "moment" with each other that, I think, was important in the progress of our relationship. I feel I made the right ethical decision in being a little bit late in order to, like I said progress in an important relationship. After all, I did end up coming to class, I was just a bit late. Thank you for allowing a justification, I hope you will accept it.
Jody Tait

This was us THEN, back in college.


This is us now. This picture was taken Friday night at the Miss UVU pageant. I was asked to judge, and it was a really fun experience.


It's been a beautiful 5 years! Jodes and I have grown to love each other even more. I remember that "moment" he was talking about in his email. It was raining, and we stood talking under a canopy. There were hundreds of students rushing by us to get to class. We kept talking. Soon, it was just us. I know it sounds silly, but I remember thinking, "I could marry this guy"...It was the first of many "Moments" to come.


Jody's teacher granted him those 10 points.

The Way She Counts...

Being the mother of a toddler who recently turned two is an adventure. Well, Let's be honest - that's an understatement. Life can go from true bliss to a melt-down in less than a second. This age is also an incredibly rewarding time. I wanted to post this video before the holidays. Here it is now. I got out the camera a day after I heard Gracie count to ten all by herself. I got so excited. We count all the time - but I had never heard her say the numbers, all by herself, without any prompting. She makes me laugh everyday!! This girl is such an amazing blessing in my life. I love her so much.

A New Decade...

The year 2010 brings much hope and extreme excitement for me - a Brand New Decade. A chance for me to try harder in many areas and accomplish the goals I have set for myself. One of my favorite books is, "I am a Mother," written by the former Co-Host of The Early Show on CBS - Jane Clayson Johnson (Love Her!) It seems every time Jody finds me reading it, I have tears streaming down my face. He then replies, "Are you okay?...Oh you're reading that book again."
She says this in regards to the challenges and rewards of motherhood in her book,

"The poet William Ross Wallace wrote that, 'The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.' I love those words. I even believe them; but how can I rule the world when I can't keep my eyes open?"

My goals this new year include: being an influence for good, being a better mother and making sure I'm alert and awake enough to enjoy all the special moments 2010 has to offer! :)

One of my dear friends had a description of her life in the last decade on her blog. I'm going to follow in her footsteps and reflect on the past 10 years. If you want to, I tag you to do the same.

2000

I recently had graduated high school and was attending UVSC. Tried out for the Miss UVSC pageant, and was chosen the winner. (The judges saw something in me much beyond what I saw in myself. Really - for my talent, I danced with a cane and sang while wearing a top hat and tuxedo coat tails!) I found that now people listened to me when I spoke about my brother Michael and his disability. It became my new platform on which I stood.

2001

My parents moved from the home where I grew up in Orem. I moved in with roommates, and served in Student Government at UVSC as the Director of Service.

2002

Finished up at UVSC with my Associates Degree, had a new set of roommates who are still some of my dearest friends, dated some real unusual guys (understatement!) and won the Miss Orem Pageant. Advocated for those with Special Needs statewide - and learned some serious lessons in humility. Before attending class, I spoke at Elementary Schools about accepting differences and loved it!

2003

Transferred to the Y - officially a zoobie. Studied in the Broadcast Journalism program where a guy named Jody Tait started saving me a seat in class. I thought he was too good to be true. Got those amazing butterflies every time I saw him. Lucked out when he asked me to be his girlfriend at the end of the year.

2004


Competed at the Miss Utah Pageant and was named 1st Runner-up. Then competed at the National Sweetheart's Pageant in Illinois to represent UT. Walked hand in hand with my sweetheart Jody, at BYU's Graduation Commencement - We both graduated with our BA Degree in Broadcast Journalism. Traveled to South America, with Jody, to film a documentary on the banks of the Amazon River for my internship.



Jody proposed to me, on Halloween, by coming Trick-or-Treating with a ring in hand.


2005


Married for all time and eternity in February. Had a serious budget, ate Hamburger Helper ALOT, realized we didn't agree on everything - and that was okay. After seven months of renting an apartment - we made a daring jump and moved to Butte, Montana - where we bought our first house.

2006

I worked as the one-woman band at the tiny CBS affiliate in Butte. Jody woke up so early to make his shift at the Butte Airport. We froze for 10 months out of the year - built a snowman on Christmas Eve, and it was still there (all 6 feet of it) come May! We laughed alot, bought a truck (Jody convinced me we were living in MT) traveled four hours to get to a LDS temple and appreciated the gospel in our lives.


2007

Now living in Missoula, MT - we made new friends, bought another house, transferred jobs and found out we were expecting a baby. Gracie was born in November, and she brought a slice of heaven with her.


2008

Sleepless Nights. Learned Motherhood was no walk in the park - but the most fulfilling and marvelous walk I'd ever take. Still working at KPAX-TV...it was time to move HOME. Sold our Missoula house, packed up and headed home to Utah in October. Great to be back.

2009

Bought a home we plan to stay in for a long time. I work sporadically for channel 2 as a reporter. Jody still makes me walk on his back, and I still beg him to rub my feet. He tells me he loves me everyday before he leaves for work, and I still get those butterflies in my tummy when he holds my hand. Some things never change. This next decade is sure to bring new surprises, and I can't wait to see them unfold.

So This is Christmas...

Here are some of our JOYS OF THE SEASON.


LITTLE GIRLS IN CHRISTMAS DRESSES. Thanks Grandma Wiscombe for the darling dress.


LENDING A HAND TO SOMEONE IN NEED. Gracie loves Uncle Michael. She enjoys helping give him his medicine and pushing him in his wheelchair.


THE ULTIMATE LAWN ORNAMENT. Jody creatively equipped our snowman with arms and a cold beverage.


GETTING RED NOSES, WHILE EMBRACING THE CHILL OF WINTER.


SEEING THE LIGHTS AT TEMPLE SQUARE.


The 2-year-old in Gracie shows through in this picture. Look at her yelling at us, telling us she is done with pictures. :)


AN UNEXPECTED VISIT FROM SANTA CLAUS. The Big Guy up North knocked on the door when we were visiting Grandma and Papa Tait. What a Wonderful Surprise.


THREE JOLLY ELVES.


THE THRILL OF CHRISTMAS MORNING. (It looks like a Toy Workshop Exploded!)


We hope the spirit of this season warms your heart throughout the entire year.