Prognostication nation

Our family is into the second year of ESPN-sponsored college football and basketball picks contests -- a weekly picks contest during the regular season of football, an end-of-the-season bowl picks contest and a March Madness picks contest to pick the men's basketball tournament.

Last year's winners — Cheryl won the regular-season football one, Tyrel won the bowl contest, and Breanna claimed the March Madness contest. We even created some traveling trophies - at least for the two football contests (be patient, Breanna, we should have the March Madness trophy by, say, March). Maybe we'll post photos of the trophies some time.

In addition to the three aforementioned winners, other participants include Jenna, Braden, Austin & Laura, Jenny & Jon Spell and Scott.

Austin just recently won the 2009 regular-season contest - we think Cheryl will gladly forward the trophy to him. It's a single football shoe, awash in glitter spray paint, afixed atop a gaudy candlestick.

Austin created a logo for our bowl-picks contest, which was lacking a formal name. He gave it two "name" sponsors, as you can see. In order for me to link the logo to our ESPN contest site, the logo had to be available online — so posting this blog with the logo is essentially the sole reasons for the post. Others can post comments about contest formats and how we get together every week to watch the results of the games.

New grandbaby ... new blog!

May we call your attention to a new little blog that Scott has started -- it's called "Carter's Revenge." Here's the web address -- http://cartersrevenge.blogspot.com/ -- and here's a link to click on to take you right there.

Carter's parents -- Jenna and Tyrel -- have provided us with lots of digital images. Some of the expressions just beg for a caption. Other faces make us wonder what Carter would say if he could talk.

So, now you can help us help Carter communicate with the world. Leave your comments on the respective photos, and we'll update the photos with your suggested captions. Check back every few days for new photos ... or become a "follower" to find out by email when a new post is added.

First Freshman Basketball Game!

Braden had his first game of the season last night against Westlake, a new high school out by Saratoga springs. We were surprised and happy to see the other team being coached by one of Austins friends from Provo High, Aaron Robison. Aaron was the tallest guy there.Braden's team was pretty large tonight, with all freshmen playing together including the ones that will normally play up with the older teams.

Braden got into the game in the last quarter...and it was not too long before he was muscling it up...and causing a foul.
He got some pretty good action and set some great screens and got some rebounds while he was in.
He even got off one shot...looks like it made it...but it was an "almost."
Final score Provo 64 Westlake 27 Yay Provo Bulldogs!!

Pumpkins 2009

Halloween is gone, but we have pictures of this years' pumpkin creations! We had Austin and Laura over for an evening of pumpkin carving and dinner and roasting pumpkin seeds!

Braden came up with this creative pumpkin...this is a picture of each side. If you really think, you may come up with what he is trying to say. Give up?

Well, first there is a "face." Then the word "book." Oh yes, the dreaded "facebook" pumpkin!

Scott got online and came down with his secretive pattern ready to go...

which turned into THE JOKER!!

Austin laughed and laughed when he came up with this design...it is about as simplistic as you can get!! It made us all smile...except the pumpkin, that is.

Moving On To Basketball

The count is in and Braden comes up the big winner!

After two days of Freshman basketball tryouts, Braden was surprised a bit to make the first cut. About 40 guys tried out for 12 positions on the Freshman team. They first cut it to 24. Braden was pretty nervous about going back for final cuts and when he got home that night he was certain that his chance of making the team was zero. He felt he had performed pretty bad that night.

So, the next day during lunch, when the phonecall came from Braden, I was expecting to be consoling him and telling him to get together a good Jr. Jazz City League team. When he told me he made it, I almost did not know what to say! Of course I congratulated him heartily and he then asked me to let Dad and Austin know.

Scott was almost as shocked as I was, then he told me to call Austin and trick him by asking Austin if he would be a Jr. Jazz coach for Braden.

When I called Austin and asked him if he would coach, the silence went on for a long time. Then he asked how much time I thought it would take. I told him a lot of time, but he did not need to say yes. Austin kept thinking, and the great thing is, he was really willing to make the sacrifice for Braden. I told him one more time, "You do not need to say yes, because he will not be playing Jr. Jazz this year." "You mean he made it?" was his shocked reply.

I do not know for sure who was more excited, Austin or Braden. It will be a building year for Braden and he is up for the challenge!

CONGRATULATIONS Braden on reaching yet another of your goals! GO PHS Basketball!

BEATLES ROCK BAND

Jen and Jon invited the Taylor clan over for an evening of

Beatles Rockband and Pizza!

We had a really good time trying out all the instruments...yes, Laura and I even did the drums and guitar, though she was much better at it than I was...oh, and we got a kick out of trying the vocals...on EASY level you could not go wrong so it was pretty fun.
We learned that we did not really know a lot of what the Beatles were really singing and it was a little interesting singing about knickers and barking like a dog etc.

No, that is not smoke in these pictures, these are cell phone pictures from Jon.

THANKS for a great evening of wonderful company and wonderful food!!

Happy birthday, Bunkerhead Woman

Breanna and a prince-in-waiting

Our favorite youngest daughter ... and only youngest daughter ... turns 20 today.

Since March, she has paid tribute to family members on their birthday with lengthy lists of talents, traits, quirks and favorite memories about that person. See some of her "greatest hits" selections from Jenna, Josh, Scott, Cheryl, Tyrel and Austin listed at the bottom of this post (we can't wait for February to see what she writes about Braden!).

Share two of three of your similar thoughts about Breanna - either as a comment to this post or in an email to Cheryl (taylor_home@comcast.net) or Scott (taylor@desnews.com) and we'll compile them for her.

From “Ode to Jenna”:

• Jenna has tickled a bee — and lived to tell the tale.
• Jenna can make the fish face. Tyrel doesn’t like it. But it’s truly a gift. Jenna can make lots of weird faces actually. It’s a good thing she’s cute.

From: “Some fun facts and favorite things about Josh”:

• He loves to vacuum. ‘Nuff said.
• Josh has spidey-senses. I’ve been on a quest to catch him off-guard and scare him for a while now, but he always seems to know where I’m hiding, or takes alternate routes that foil my plans.

From “some fun facts about my dad:”

• My dad is the master pumpkin carver. Every fall our porch is decorated with his entertaining, random, funny and amazing creations. We’re talking “getting out the jigsaw, thin knives and toothpicks” kind of skills.
• Some of you may know my dad is actually a very creative cook. Brought to you by Chef Scott: Breakfast Nachos, Black Bean and Pineapple Burritos, and Ranch and Pepper Jack Quesadillas, to name a few.

From “My most amazing Mum”:

• My mom still lets me snuggle with her when we meet in the family room for prayers and scriptures. We’re going on 20 years here of her allowing me to wrap myself around her arm like an octopus, put my legs across her lap, or snuggle in and ask for “scratch-a-backs.” I can always tell she’s had enough though when she threatens to lick me. Then I have to snuggle Braden instead.”
• She’s always on the go. I don’t know how she fits it all in, but she does. She’s like the Energizer Bunny.

From “My favorite brother-in-law … and only brother-in-law” [Tyrel]:

• He dresses very nice. He even wears the tie I gave him for Christmas, which I think is very cool, since it has polka dots, and I’m still not sure if he even likes polka dots. But, the point I’m trying to say is that Ty looks classic and professional … except for when he’s wearing his huge, puffy NJ Nets slippers that he got for Christmas this year. Then he looks silly. But it was hilarious to watch him open them and put them on. It was an extra bonus that the cats were terrified of them. Ty chased Mieka around with his slippers for the rest of the day.
• Tyrel says what he thinks. (But not in a socially unacceptable way.) It’s refreshing, and more often than not, hilarious.

From “My favorite older brother … and only older brother” [Austin]:

• When I was about four or five, Austin and Jenna convinced me that “oomaguama” monsters lived in our basement. For the next few weeks, they took turns hiding behind shelves in the storage room or under my bed so they could jump out at me and scare me. One time they even did a “summoning chant” to try and get the monsters to come. I screamed.
• On a similar note, Austin once tried to convince me that he was a vampire, showing me his pointy side teeth. He told me he was waiting until Jenna and I were old enough to turn us into vampires, too.

Our Autumn Ladies Night!

Autumn was the theme for our semi-annual "Ladies Night" get together during General Priesthood Meeting. We started this tradition a couple years ago and have really enjoyed this excuse for getting together with family and friends. Breanna decked out the table with some great berries she found on her way here.
We started the night painting pump-eh-kins...yes, you have to say it that way. The creative juices were really flowing in the kitchen! Laura and I painted some cute "afraid of spiders" pumpkins and Breanna striped hers in all fall colors. Anteres Barton joined us tonight and she painted a very cool Provo High pumpkin for her boys...wow! She thought of them on "Ladies Night!!

Larlee and Nikki came from the dorms and were glad to get away from studying and writing papers! Larlee did a New York Yankees pumpkin and Nikki began the amazing task of putting the entire Wizard Of Oz onto a small pumpkin.
Here we are with our finished products. They all turned out so cute!
I had to take a close-up of Nikki's...and this was before even more finishing touches were added including a yellow brink road that led to New Jersey of course!
We also watched " A Little Princess" while we created some very cute cards. Here are a handful of the creations!!! I guess I better mention that we fondued cheese and chocolate with all sorts of things to dip into them...I totally forgot to put out the veggies and dip...I think it was a subconscious desire to really pig out!

It was a great Ladies Night at the Taylor household...want to join us next time? Just call and then come on over!!

Miracles

How can I tell you what it means to be a grandma?

How does a parent really express the wonderment of being a parent?


I do not know how to describe it other than one word...miracle. It is a miracle given to us by heavenly Father that we have the ability to create bodies for these beautiful spirits. And it is perfect the attachment that we have to one another...forever.


I love all the miracles in my life! Thanks for being you!

Great Horned Owl

Jenna and I went on a long walk the other day around her neighborhood. The fall weather is just beautiful and we have really enjoyed getting out and about with baby Carter. We were walking past some of the huge homes in her area when we noticed a large bird perched on the roof of one. "That looks like a great horned owl" say I...expert on birds that I am...ha, ha.
We were very impressed at our luck when we notice the next house also has an owl on top as well, and then yet another. Wow, this was our lucky day! We discussed our luck and kept walking only to discover upon our return that the amazing owls were still all there, they had not moved a muscle! Well, hard to move a muscle that you don't have. All three were decoys, set there to scare away those pesky smaller birds that poop on expensive rooftops I guess.
We really laughed about our discovery. Now I know the perfect souvenir to bring back from my trip to New Jersey!

We Are GRANDPARENTS

And we can prove it! We have received our first "grandparent-type" gift...from Austin and Laura when they went to St. George on vacation. I Love It!!And I love this little guy in his BYU onesie.
Here is more proof! Just a few pictures of our beautiful grandbaby Carter Tyrel Jensen born August 22, 15 days early at 8.2 and 21". We are so excited to go see him in person! If you want to see more pics, check out Jenna and Ty's blog at: tyrelandjennajensen.blogspot.com

Congratulations Jenna and Ty on a job very well done! He is beautiful!

Braden's Eagle Project is COMPLETE!!

Here is the finished product from several months of work by Braden and yes, his family and a whole bunch of neighbors!

Austin designed the lettering on the stone sign, pretty cool huh?
We cleaned up and dry landscaped two pieces of property in the entrance of our neighborhood. Below is Braden with a YW group that came to landscape fabric the smaller piece of property.
This is the day the sign was delivered. It was something like delivering a baby...we worried and watched as they hauled it out of the truck and worried it would fall or get broken. But the monument company were great to work with, and did a great job!
We had a crew there to place cement all around it...then pose with the sign!
Last night we got the load of red lava rock for both pieces of property. Look how hard Dad Scott is working!!
And how hard scout Braden is working too!
Braden got to be there most days when there was something going on. He got to help brace the sign...
Great work Braden...and a sigh of relief from Mom and Dad that the manual labor stage of this project is done!!! We will love driving into our neighborhood and feel a sense of pride each time we go by this sign...as will all the hundreds of neighbors that logged over 500 hours helping with this amazing project!

First Day of School

I about forgot to post Braden's first day of HIGH SCHOOL!!! And the sad thing is...he looks old enough to go there! No worries about him getting crushed by all the bigger kids...he is one of them!

Our baby is starting high school! We had to go in the first day of school and tweak some classes to get a couple of different teachers, and we think it was worth the huge wait in the counseling center to do it. And we have already had to pull him from class to get his football physical!

Welcome to Provo High Braden!

First Game of the Season

Number 54 in this top picture is our baby boy!!
Braden started off his football season by heading to Springville. He looked pretty sharp in his Provo High green!! And, yes, he is posing here.Braden played all offensive line and some defensive line. The bulldogs played very strong, but ended up losing by just a couple points. There were some really great plays, and it was a fun game to watch.

We had Austin, Laura and Breanna join us at the game so it was really fun to be there as a family...and they all wore green!!

GO BULLDOGS and GO BRADEN!!

A Visit to Missouri

I had so much fun visiting Susan and Jordan in Missouri this August! It made me wonder why I waited so long to get there! Marty and Amanda were still in Japan when I went, so it was mostly Susan and I doing our thing...a lot of walking/running and shopping!!One purchase made us laugh so hard in the store, that we just had to buy it...the strange bird you see Jordan holding. It was worth the 2 bucks it cost for the impact value. Have you ever seen a stranger yard ornament...other than the bird I bought for our yard that is?
Susan and I did not sit around at all!! We took on the project of painting her bathroom. The entire house had been painted an interesting shade of brown before they bought it, so it was in desperate need of some color. Susan chose a beautiful light avacado color that matched her favorite shower curtain. We found some nice flowers to match and she had some gorgeous purple towels, and it really took shape! Hmmmm what can we paint next year?
Susan and I spent the first day together in Kansas City. There was so much to do there!

We found the Nelson-Atkins museum that was really cool...and free!
We loved the City Market area. There were some little shops and fresh veggies for sale really cheap, and we discovered a great little arabic restaurant and market where we went twice!! We stocked up on some spices while we were there too and then tried them out at home. Yum!
We went to a botanical garden for a long time as well, and we found the Lewis and Clark monument and park where the famous group went into the rivers there heading west on their explorations.
It was a great visit with Susan. She is an amazing person, so much energy for a "big sister."

Looking forward to more visits in the future!