Slacker!!!

Yes, I know it and you can say it. I am a big slacker, terrible blogger, etc. Things have been a little crazy in the Taylor household and to be honest since hunting season has started, I rarely see my husband anymore. I am a hunting widow.

For those of you who know my husband, know that he is a hunter, has been and always will be. So in order for me to stay busy while he is gone, I decided to go back to coaching cheerleading. This is something that I have done on and off for the past 13 years, and this is something that I absolutely love. I coach at an all-star gym in Norman called Oklahoma Twisters http://www.otsfcheer.com/ When I went back to coaching, I started with one team (Senior Level 3) and since then I have been asked to coach two other teams as well (Mini Level 1 and Youth Level 2).

We have had two competitions so far this year and we are currently at our third competition this weekend in Tulsa. Our first competition with our Senior team was in Texas at the Dallas Convention Center. Our second competition was in Edmond, Oklahoma at UCO. Our Mini team placed first and they won grand for their level. My Youth team placed second.

After day 1 in Tulsa, my Senior team and my Youth team are in first place and my Mini team is in third place. We still have one more day of competition tomorrow, but I am so happy and proud of my girls. They are doing an awesome job this year!! Way to go girls!

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

Hello all, sorry it has been awhile since our last post. JJ is getting ready for hunting season. Bow season starts tomorrow so I will be officially widowed this weekend :(. It won't be too bad, my nephew is going to come and stay with me Friday night, then the OU game Saturday night will keep me occupied. So that will pass the time when JJ is gone. I also went back to coaching a couple of weeks ago so that is fun.

Last weekend, JJ, Gigi and Grandad and I all took a mini vacation to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge is located in southwestern Oklahoma near Lawton and it has protected unique wildlife habitats since 1901. It is the oldest managed wildlife facility in the U.S. fish and wildlife service system. The Refuge measures about 59,020 acres (238.8 km2) and hosts a great diversity of species: 806 plant species, 240 kinds of bird, 36 fish, and 64 reptiles and amphibians are present. The Wichitas are approximately 500 million years old.

After leaving the Refuge, we stopped in at Medicine Park for some lunch and some shopping. Medicine Park is a town in Comanche County, that is situated in the Wichita Mountains, near the entramce to the 60,000 acre Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge. Medicine Park has a long history as a vintage cobblestone resort town. Many of the original structures in Medicine Park are constructed out of naturally formed cobblestones which are unique to the Wichita Mountains.

After leaving Medicine Park, we drove into Lawton and onto Fort Sill. Today, Fort Sill remains the only active Army installation of all the forts on the South Plains built during the Indian Wars. Fort Sill is designated as a National Historic Landmark and serves as the home of the United States Army Field Artillery School as well as the US Marine Corps' site for Field Artillery MOS school, United States Army Air Defense Artillery School, the 75th Fires Brigade and the 214th Fires Brigade. Fort Sill is also one of the five locations for Army Basic Combat Training.

In 1894 Geronimo and 341 other Chiricahua Apache prisoners of war were brought to Fort Sill where they lived in villages on the range. Geronimo was granted permission to travel for a while with Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show and he visited President Theodore Roosevelt before dying of pneumonia in 1909. The rest of the Apaches remained on Fort Sill until 1913.

Another amazing email......

Here is another amazing email that I got this week. Thought I would share it with you all.

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. you will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. you'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. you'll blame a new love for things an old one did. you'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spent upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back. Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.

God Bless,
JJ and Jess

Life Lessons!!

Someone sent me this list recently through email. After JJ and I both read it to each other, we came to the conclusion that it is a pretty good list so we wanted to share it with all of our friends and family.

Life Lessons was written by Regina Brett, and was published in the Plain Dealer on Sunday May 28, 2006.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don't ask, you don't get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Now ask yourself, “what needs to change inside me so that this list is actually do-able?”

We love you all, god bless!!
JJ and Jess

Where has summer gone.......

As JJ and I are sitting wondering what to blog about, we began talking about how Hunting and Football are near. We then begin to ask ourselves, is summer really almost over........

After a week long trip in Dallas, it is so nice to be home. However, JJ and I are really not good without each other. This week while I was gone, JJ's right knee began to bother him again. He went to Ada to the Indian Hospital on Tuesday. His knee is beginning to swell again, making it difficult for him to walk. JJ got a shot and some medicine to help with the swelling. They doctor that he saw, thinks that he may still have gout.

Gout is a disease hallmarked by elevated levels of uric acid in the bloodstream. Gout is characterized by excruciating, sudden, unexpected, burning pain, as well as swelling, redness, warmth, and stiffness in the affected joint. This occurs most commonly in men's toes but can appear in other parts of the body. Low-grade fever may also be present.

The patient usually suffers from two sources of pain. The crystals inside the joint cause intense pain whenever the affected area is moved. The inflammation of the tissues around the joint also causes the skin to be swollen, tender and sore if it is even slightly touched. Gout usually attacks the big toe (approximately 75 percent of first attacks); however, it also can affect other joints such as the ankle, heel, instep, knee, wrist, elbow, fingers, or spine. In some cases, the condition may appear in the joints of small toes that have become immobile due to impact injury earlier in life; the resulting poor blood circulation can lead to gout.

Well for my drama.....this past week, while I was in Dallas, I was taking a showed in the hotel shower, when I lost my balance and fell, hitting the corner of my forehead, eyebrow on the edge of the toilet. After about 30 minutes, my eye began to swell and bruise. The bruise is a lot better today, but it is still pretty purple. JJ said that he was glad that he was not with me, or people might think that he caused the bruise. I just blamed my fall on my roommate (Mecca) who works as an investigator with child welfare, so you can imagine how well that went over!! The funny was that the conference that I was attending in Dallas, was a child abuse conference so that was interesting as well.

JJ and I both went back to work this morning, and we are both relieved that the weekend is here. We have also made a pact that we are going to start frequenting the gym more often. We have both decided that we need to go with each other, so we can have accountability. We have set our weight goals so wish us luck.

Take care and god bless!!
JJ and Jess

Happy Birthday Abby

Hello everyone. Just a quick post. Can you all believe that it has been a year since Miss Abby was born.

Here is what Abby looked like when we brought her home.

Here is what she looks like now. She is all grown up.

JJ is already talking about finding her a boyfriend (looking for someone to go on boat rides, duck hunting, swimming, long runs through the countryside and long naps during the middle of the day) marrying her off and keeping a pup of hers. We shall see.

On a side note (from JJ), Abby is wanting bones as in a T-bone steak bones, Frisbees and yes Slim Jim's if anyone is wanting to buy her a birthday present. Might be a little spoiled. We hope everyone is doing well. We love and miss you all!!

God Bless,
JJ and Jess

One -Year

Wow, we can hardly believe that we have been together a year, but we have and we made it. In celebration of our one-year anniversary, when JJ and I were in Santa Fe, we bought a piece of pottery, called a wedding vase.

Believed to have originated in South America, the wedding vase has been a part of Pueblo life for centuries. The graceful spouts represent two separate lives. The bridge at the top part of the vessel unites these separate lives together as one. The future husband's parents provide the wedding vase in Indian ceremonies. This happens two weeks before marriage and is a very festive time. Gifts and advice are given to the bride and groom as they prepare to establish their new home together. On their wedding day, this vase is filled with Indian holy water and given to the bride. She drinks from one side of the vessel while the groom partakes from the opposite side. This ceremony is equivalent to the exchanging of wedding bands. The couple will cherish their wedding vase throughout their married life.

Here is the wedding vase that JJ and I bought to celebrate our first year of marriage.

On the top of the wedding vase is a Kokopelli. The Kokopelli is a fertility deity, usually depicted as a humpbacked flute player (often with a huge phallus and feather or antenna-like protrusions on his head), who has been venerated by some Native American cultures in the Southwestern United States. Like most fertility deities, Kokopelli presides over both childbirth and agriculture. He is a trickster god and represents the spirit of music.

As we reflect on our first year of marriage, JJ and I first are thankful to have god in our lives. We are also happy to have wonderful friends and family. JJ and I have both come to realize that "Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own."

We thank everyone for their well wishes!!

God Blss, JJ and Jess

Vacation - Part 3

Hello everyone. First I just want to say what a beautiful day it is here in Oklahoma. JJ and I have been sitting on the patio drinking a cocktail and cooking out, enjoying this beautiful evening.

Well, here is the last leg of our trip.....

After leaving the Aztec village, we headed to Taos. We arrived at Taos late in the evening, so we went straight to our hotel and checked in for the night. Just a little history about Taos. Taos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico. Taos calls itself the "Town of Taos" and was incorporated as such in 1934.

Taos was established in about 1615 as Fernandez de Taos, following the Spanish conquest of the Indian Pueblo villages. Some of the tourist attractions in Taos, is the home of Kit Carson, Governor Charles Bent and Mabel Dodge Luhan, along with the Rio Grande Gorge and Taos Ski Valley.

The town has attracted the attention of Hollywood with famous residents such as Julia Roberts, Val Kilmer, and Donald Rumsfeld among others. We unfortunately did not see any of these residents, however we did visit the home of Kit Carson, did some shopping, site seeing and ate very well. Here are just a few pictures of the pictures from Taos.

Home of Kit Carson - Christopher Houston "Kit" Carson (December 24, 1809 – May 23, 1868) was an American frontiersman. Carson left home at an early age and became a trapper. He gained notoriety for his role as John C. Fremont's guide in the American West. Carson also played a minor role in California during the 1846-48 Mexican-American War, and later became a rancher in New Mexico. During the American Civil War, he helped organize the New Mexico volunteer infantry, and fought against Navajo Indians, against his will, but by order of the U.S. Army. By 1864, about 8000 Navajo had surrendered to the U.S. Army, while another 8000 hid in the back country. Kit Carson finally went home to his family. After the Civil War, Carson moved to Colorado, where he died. When JJ was younger, this was one of his heroes!!

After leaving Taos, we headed to Santa Fe. Santa Fe is the capital of New Mexico. It is the fourth largest city in the state and is the seat of Santa Fe county.

After leaving Santa Fe, we headed back home to Oklahoma. What a wonderful trip and a great time we had. Thanks grand-dad and Gigi. We love you guys!!

Vacation - Part 2

Hello everyone, here is part 2 of the Taylor Family vacation.....

After spending a full day at the Grand Canyon, we drove in to Mesa Verde. On our way into Mesa Verde, we stopped a Four-Corners took some pictures and ate the biggest frybread I have ever seen. For those of you who don't know, frybread is a Native America food. It is a flat dough fried or deep-fried in oil, shortening or lard. The dough is generally leavened by yeast or in our case baking powder.

Four-Corners is a region of the United States consisting of southwest Colorado, northwest New Mexico, northeast Arizona and southeast Utah. The name comes from the Four-Corners Monument located where the four states touch—the only location in the United States that is on the boundaries of four states.

After we left Four-Corners, we headed to Mesa Verde National Park. We got up bright and early the next morning and headed to the park. JJ and I were completely taken back by how amazing some of the cliff dwellings were especially knowing that they were all hand made.

The Mesa Verde National Park features numerous ruins of homes and villages built by the ancient Pueblo people known as the Anasazi. The Anasazi made these stone villages their home in A.D. 1200s. It is best known for several spectacular cliff dwellings — structures built within caves and under outcroppings in cliffs — including Cliff Palace, which is thought to be the largest cliff dwelling in North American.

The structures contained within these alcoves were mostly blocks of hard sandstone, held together and plastered with adobe mortar. Specific constructions had many similarities, but were generally unique in form due to the individual topography of different alcoves along the canyon walls. The cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde reflected a region-wide trend towards the aggregation of growing regional populations into close, highly defensible quarters during the 1200s.

While much of the construction in these sites conforms to common Pueblo architectural forms, including Kivas, towers, and pit-houses. A kiva is a room used by modern Puebloans for religious rituals, many of them associated with the kachina belief system. Among the modern Hopi and most other Pueblo peoples, kivas are square-walled and underground, and are used for spiritual ceremonies.

After spending a day at the Mesa Verde National Park, we loaded up in the Mercury and headed to Durango so JJ and I could ride on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. This railroad is a narrow gauge heritage railroad in the State of Colorado that operates over 45 miles between Durago in La Plata County and Silverson in San Juan County. The railway is a federally designated National Historic Landmark.

The trackage was originally built between 1881 and 1882, by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, in order to carry silver and gold ore mined in the san Juan Mountains. The line was an extension of the D&RG narrow gauge from Antonito, Colorado to Durango. The line from Durango to Silverton, has run continuously since 1881. In March 1981, the Denver & Rio Grande Western sold the line and the D&SNG was formed. Some of the rolling stock dates back to the 1880s. The trains run from Durango to the Cascade Wye in the winter months and run from Durango to Silverton during the summer months.

After riding the train from Durango to Silverton, we met JJ's parents in Silverton. We ate lunch, did some shopping and some site seeing, then headed to Taos. On the way to Taos, we stopped off at The Aztec Ruins National Monument. This national monument preserves ancestral Pueblo structures in north-western New Meixco, located close to the town of Aztec. The buildings date back to the 11th to 13th centuries. This site was declared "Aztec Ruin National Monument" on January 24, 1923 and with a boundary change it was renamed "Ruins" on July 2, 1928. As a historical property of the National Park Service, the National Monument was administratively listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.

After leaving Aztec we drove to Taos. That is all for now, will finish the last leg of our vacation next time.

We love and miss you all!!

God Bless, JJ & Jess

Vacation - Part 1

Hello everyone. Well JJ and I were finally able to take a few days off work and enjoy a nice vacation with his mom and dad. First up, we left OKC around 4:00 [because that was the earliest that JJ could manage to get off work] and drove west on I-40. We made a stop in Amarillo at the Big Tex, home of the 72 oz. steak.

None of us were brave enough or even wanted to attempt that big of a steak, but while we there, a group from Australia arrived and 6 brave souls from that travel group did. Here is what the actual steak looks like.

After we left Amarillo, we drove through Tucumcari, NM and onto Santa Rosa, where we stayed overnight. The next morning we go up bright and early and headed to Williams, AZ where we stayed the night. After eating dinner in Williams and taking some time to shop, we watched a gun show reinactment on the street.

After staying overnight in Williams, we got up the next morning and drove to the Grand Canyon. This was my first trip to the Grand Canyon and JJ's and needless to say we were both completely blown away by the experience. Here are just a few of the pictures that we took.

Will post more later. Until then, hope everyone is doing well.

Take care and Gold Bless

JJ & Jess

More Home Improvement Projects

Hello all, just a quick update. JJ and I have still been busy working on the house. Here are some more pictures from this past weekend.

Also, we would like to officially introduce you all to JJ's sea urchin Spike!!

Promise to write more after this weekend. Hope everyone is doing well. We love and miss you all!!