Last day...

Today is my official last day of working at Provo City Utilities.

It's a sad day. I have really enjoyed working here. I've enjoyed my co-workers. They are the nicest, most geniune people I have ever worked with. They remember my birthday, play with my son, LOVE it when he visits, make him feel so special, and worry about me when I'm sick or stressed.
They've worked with my crazy school schedules and the fact that I am a mom. They let me pick my hours and do homework when it was slow.
They let me have time off when I had my Brody and held a spot for me when I was ready to come back.
I'll miss working there- but at the same time I'm happy to almost be done with school. Student teaching here I come...and then GRADUATION here I come.
I will miss my co-workers and managers...I am not so sure I'll miss the crazy customers anytime soon- but maybe with time!

Thanks for the great almost 3 years! It's been fun.

Here's a few remember whens:

Remember when Leslie gets a Spanish speaker on the phone, and I know it is a Spanish speaker, because she talks louder and louder as she trys to clarify her message. NOTE: loudness does not equal translation abilities
Remeber when I got hired and I was already 4 months pregnant with Brody but I didn't tell anyone. One day I stood up and Tracy exclaimed, "How far along are you??!!" I gave her a look like a deer caught in the headlights. She gave me a look back like, "Oh shoot, she's not pregnant." I stumbled over the words as I told her I was due in July. We still laugh about that one.
Remember when Amanda was training me and I answered the phone very clumsily and awkward by saying, "Helpline, Tara, this is Provo Shity." ha ha. It is still funny.
Remember when I had Brody and the entire staff threw me a huge baby shower and gave me many things that I needed and they all ooed and awwed over him.
Remember when I played on a softball league with Becky and had so much fun getting out of the house and playing ball.
REMEMBER WHEN: I was nominated to put my face on the Provo City Power brochures for the entire city to see. Treasure that lovely picture of me.

I have many more great memories working here and getting to know everyone. It's been the best part time job I could have asked for. Thanks to Provo City and the great employer they have been!

I promise to bring Brody & my new baby in to visit when it is born....around JUNE 25, 2010!! So there you have it people: I'm PREGNANT!!

my days...

What do you do when the grandparents steal your kid for a week and you don't have school or any homework to worry about?

1. You get ALL your last minute shopping done. Fighting the crowds without a kid is about 115% easier than fighting the crowds with a kid.
2. You stay up and watch a good movie with some friends.
3. You vacuum without terrifying a little 2 year old boy.
4. You wrap presents listening to music as loud as you want and sing as loud as you want without judgement.
5. You take your husband on a surprise get-a-way to a quaint bed and breakfast and ENJOY the peace, quiet, and breakfast in bed at the expense of someone else's labor.
6. You get laundry caught up, folded, and put away....all in ONE day.
7. You give yourself a much needed facial and pedicure.
8. Sleep in.
9. You go to church and realize how quiet it is without a kid to wrestle. You also realize that you are the one that makes you late...and not the 2 year old. So much for blaming it on the kid.
10. You realize that your life was semi-organized, quiet, simple, and down-right BORING before you had a kid.

I have a few more days to get some stuff done. Baking cookies, sewing, and sanding & finishing a table are on the To-Do list.
I am am very excited to come down to AZ for the holidays. Its going to be so fun. Family, eating, playing cards, sledding, hot chocolate, and NO school OR work...it's going to be GREAT!!

CAN'T WAIT!!

excited...

I love Christmas.
SO much.
There is nothing like the feeling of getting ready for the big day.
Excitement, planning, making, sending, decorating, baking....and the little stress that goes along with it.
I especially love my new duty: SANTA. (shhhhhhh....don't tell.)
I can't wait to see his face full of excitement and wonder on Christmas morning.
I can remember when I was little and I could hear Santa's sleigh bells ringing as the reindeer took flight into the night.
I can remember waking up at the sound of my oldest brother, Ryan, saying "Wake up!! Santa came!" Of course he had already dug threw his stocking and snooped around everyone else's gifts.
I can remember seeing my shiney new gift under the tree...ALWAYS exactly what I asked for.
I remember calling my cousins and waking them up....we'd been up for hours and they still hadn't even opened ONE present. I thought they were crazy.
I remember wearing my bestest new clothes down to my grandma's house and taking our toys to play and "show off" to our cousins.
I remember my Aunt Molli's cookies. My Grandma's rolls. My mother's burnt Monkey bread (which she stopped trying to make it after the 3rd year of burning it).
I remember listening to christmas music and singing along.
And I remember all of us grandkids putting on the "Nativity Scene" while someone read the story from the bible.
I love Christmas...I sure do!!
I hope I can make such great memories for my kids...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

my goodness

Well: thanksgiving sure came and went in a hurry.

MY GOODNESS. Where does the time go?

To sum up thanksgiving: we drove all night. got to beautiful heber, AZ at 7 am. My dad drove over to show low and picked me up at 7:30. We drove to show low. I took a quick shower, we got in the truck and left at 8:30. We drove to duncan, az. We listened to honky-tonk country THE entire way down. We had an AMAZING feast with all the wonderful fixings. I started to help clean up and then ended up on a bed sleeping for about an hour or so. We loaded back up into the truck and drove to thatcher. At thatcher we met up with my little sister and her inlaws to bless her sweet little boy, cole (triple c).

HE IS ADORABLE...and he loved me. He was all smiles and I just wanted to hold him ALL day, every day.

After the blessing we drove back up to show low. I put on some sweats and did nothing besides eat pumpkin cake and watch a movie and chit chat with my wonderful parents.

The next day Trace and Brody came over to show low to chill. We put up some decorations and just hung out. Then we headed over to visit the Porter 12 tribes....except NO ONE was home. We waited for everyone to get home from the "black friday" shopping. It was great to see some of them- I promise I'll spend more time during Christmas.

We flew home the next day, courtesy of Porter Flight Inc. It was a wonderful and quick holiday and I enjoyed the time I had with friends and family.

This brings me to my point:

I'm so thankful for family and loved ones and the comforts that they bring.

I love my inlaws and I'm very thankful for them.

I'm thankful that I got a break for a few days to regain my sanity.

I'm thankful for my husband and 2 year INDEPENDENT son.

I'm thankful for our jobs and the opportunity we have to finish school.

I have A LOT to be thankful for.

Ok now an awesome picture of my cute lad:

I love him....i really, really do.

looking forward to THANKSGIVING.

I love Thanksgiving.
I love food.
I love family.
I love laughing.
I love football and yelling at the TV.
I love building crafts.
I love food.
I love the weather.
I love that I just get to eat with no sight of stopping.
I love the bargains of Black Friday.
I just really LOVE Thanksgiving.

What's even better is that I get to go to Arizona for Thanksgiving.
I've had a lot on my plate these past couple of weeks and it will be nice to get away for a while and enjoy a mini-vacation.

I'm looking forward to relaxation, food, fun, family, and all the festivities.

I'm just dreading the drive...

BUT- it will be worth my Aunt Molly's *famous sugar cookies!

*deemed famous by me and my brother, Rustin.

i just have to say...

Sunday:

Woke up with and intense MIGRAINE. The kind of migraine where all you want (or should I say CAN) do is sit in a dark room and try to sleep it off.

Monday:

Woke up on the recovery of a bad migraine. Felt pretty good. Got dressed for school. Packed mine and Brody's backpack. Hauled everything out to the car. Started the car. Loaded Brody up. Put him in his carseat...only to realize 2 seconds later that it was FREEZING and he needed a jacket. Run back inside to get a jacket. Come back outside to find Brody in the front seat "driving" AND with the doors LOCKED. First thought: Where's the spare key??? Second thought: I hope he doesn't know how to put it in drive. Third thought: *&%!%^*%#
So after 30 minutes of trying to point, explain, playing peek-a-b00, and trying to remain calm he finally figured out which button UN-locked the doors.

Tuesday:

I'm on time. Dropped Brody off at the sitters. Things are going good. I'm on the freeway. Cruizing. Not in a huge hurry. Just mindin my business. THEN all of the sudden, traffic is stopped....and I'm not. Screeching hault with a big BOOM at the end of it. The "big BOOM" happened to be my poor little carolla (that I've loved for a long time) smashed against another car. It pretty much sounded and looked like the front end of my car exploded all over the road. First thought: I sure wish I could just rewind time. Second thought: Am I ok? Is the other driver ok? Third thought: *&%^!#$*&@
We have insurance. Everything will be ok. I will miss my car....and going "rollin' in the ROLLA."

Needless to say, my week is off to a pretty good start. (sarcasm people, SAR-CAS-M)

cute stuff & good deals

My mom and little sister put on their creativity hats and have made A LOT of cute stuff.
They have many good deals and GREAT gifts for Christmas.
Take a look HERE: MY MOM'S BLOG

Take advantage of some great holiday bargains!

Halloween 2009

Meet my little caveman.
He sure LOVED Halloween...or should I say the candy.
He LOVED the candy. This is the caveman war cry...He would get right up on the edge of the door step and wait patiently for more candy.He was VERY successful at getting candy.
Fun fact: Whenever he would get a Reese's he would hold it up high and say, "YEAH!! POPPI'S CANDY!" Trace was proud.Halloween was great. It was fun, candy filled, and time spent with loved ones.

Until next year...

gooses and ducks

When my mom & dad came up to visit we took Brody to feed the ducks and geese.

They were as big as him.

They nipped at his fingers and he didn't even flinch.

He threw the bread right in their face...and then he let out an evil laugh.

Oh to have the mind of a little boy...

things i love...

I felt that my last post was a little bit NEGATIVE...

there is actually a lot to love...

1. when Brody wakes up the first thing he does is crawl into my bed, put his arm around me, gets right in my face, and says "Hi mom."
2. when Trace unloads the dishwasher.
3. when a due date is extended.
4. take-home tests...much love.
5. when family comes to visit.
6. oreos with a big glass of milk.
7. surprises of any kind. (flowers, love notes, visits, & when i get home Brody covers his eyes to "hide" and then yells SURPRISE!)
8. the first snow...and how i got slightly excited for Christmas.
9. health.
10. the bond of a good friendship.
11. date night with the hubby.
12. ok....and this: Last night my visiting teachers came over. Brody was upstairs. We were having a nice little visit. I could hear Brody playing...he was supposed to be building me a castle with towers. Well- as I was telling one of the "expecting" ladies how much I love being a mom- I look up and see Brody standing in front of me...BUTT naked. There wasn't much to say. I just pinched his bum cheeks and told him to go get so clothes. I sure LOVE him.

irritation...

No particular order:

1. toilet paper rolls with no toilet paper. is it really THAT hard to reach under the sink and change the roll?
2. whispering when it is not needed.
3. one particular student in my class who thinks it is his obligation to express his opinion on EVERY subject.
4. allergies.
5. open cupboard or drawers.
6. chatty people or teachers. for instance: when giving a 10 minute presentation, SIT DOWN when 10 minutes is up. I'm not listening after your alloted time is up...SIT DOWN.
7. clutter (even though my house is full of it.)
8. when batteries die on the fire alarm and they beep, and beep, and beep. HOLY CRAP.
9. slow, ignorant drivers.
10. *complainers.

*I'm not complaining: I'm venting.

I really do love everyone....

Trace + Tara + Brody {2009}

They say a picture is worth a thousand words...so I'll let them talk.

I love them.

"them"- meaning those two boys.

The pictures are good too!

my Brody boy

My little buddy is getting old. This is what has been happening lately...
1. Potty training with much success!
2. Fell of the porch and got a killer scar.
3. Ran into a table and got a scuff on his forehead that never wants to heal.
4. Got new clothes that are still a little big from a GREAT friend.
5. That same great friend, WENDI, took these cute pictures. (thank you mucho!)6. He still has red hair.
7. BUT- when he wears a jacket it MUST be zipped up ALL the way and the hood must be on.
8. He just got done finishing eating his favorite food: quesodilla with salsa. I did not wipe his face off.10. He still loves ALL sports and loves try to throw a frisbee. All I can say is "Watch Out!"
11. He loves to color, draw, and has some wicked dance moves.
12. His legs are so short that "shorts" play a dual-role as "pants".13. His new favorite word is "NO".
14. His thighs are bigger than my upper arm.
15. He loves to wrestle, play football, shoot his wooden gun, and gallop like a horse.
16. He says funny things everyday and has awesome facial expressions. 17. He's so cute and I wish I had everyday off of school & work so that I could hang out with him. He rocks. I love you Brody!

Love, Momma

i laughed...

Text message conversation between Trace and I:

Trace: Laron and Leti's little baby girl. Isn't she so cute? (with attached picture of the little baby girl)
Trace: They named her Either Mayla or Either Brin.
Me: Oh my! So cute...look at all that hair!
Trace: I know, right?

In my mind I'm thinking, "Either...like either/or? That's an interesting name, that can't be right."

Later that day:

I came home and Trace and I are casually talking about our days. He brings up Laron and Leti's new baby girl and says, with confidence, "Ya little Either Mayla or Either Brin."
I look at him and ask if he is SURE that they named her "Either".
He said, "Well, that's what Laron sent me."
I asked to see his phone.
The message read: "We'll Name her Either Mayla or Brin."
I VERY sarcastically explained that Either = One OR the Other.
I was laughing so hard.
1. because in the past few days Trace has been so ditzy. and
2. He was so confident that she was going to be named EITHER.

I think I'll call her Either...just for fun.

61 degrees

Forcast for Provo, Utah: 61 degrees, Sunny.

61 degrees. Sounds lovely, right?

Wrong- well, in most situations it would be lovely- HOWEVER, I had to ride THIS around the town today.
According to my calculation (thanks to my Exercise Physiology training) wind chill of 50 mph brought the actual temperature down to 30 degrees.

Clothing: undershirt, shirt, cardigan, sweater, Trace's jacket, pants, sweats, wool slippers, gloves, AND a BIG blue helmet.

I looked like the Michelin Man with a big blue bobble-head riding on a little scooter.
Fun times in Provo.

{little triple C}

My little sister had her baby.
I didn't get to go. (so sad)
Everything went well.
8lbs 3 oz, 22 inches long.
Mom and Baby are healthy.

He makes me this much baby hungry [------------] times infinity.


I can't wait until I get a chance to cuddle him and kiss those chubby cheeks!

{story of my Papa Reidhead}

(NOTE: Re-posting this story per request of a few people.)

First off, for those of you who don't know my Papa Doy Reidhead- he is a little old cowboy, with a cowboy hat, wranglers, boots, spurs, mustache, chew...horses, cows, dust, rodeos, ropin'...a true- through and through-COWBOY! He has also been know to swear a time or two. In fact I think I recall him talking at my cousin's missionary farewell and saying "Hell" in church...with no remorse, it just flowed out like in a normal conversation. So, now that you have a nice image...on with the story.
It was Rustin's farewell (to New York) party and Brody's blessing party and the whole Reidhead clan was gathered at my parents house for some hamburgers and a fiesta.
My mom had, of course, cleaned the house before hand....a nice DEEP clean.
Everyone was sitting out on our back patio, just visiting and what not. Someone happened to close the sliding door. Well, Papa gets up to go into the house and WHAM...runs right into the door, pert near knocked his hat off. He didn't really say anything...just opens it and walks in.
(I'm in the background, trying not to laugh...looking around to see if anyone else saw what I saw.)
Anyway, the party continues back out on the patio...Papa is back out there at this time. Then he gets up again to go back inside...takes a few steps and WHAM...hits his face on the sliding door again...this time leaving a face smudge!!! And these are his words...and I'm quoting so it's ok, "Tamra must have scrubbed the hell out of this. This is the cleanest, damn, son of a bitchest door I've ever seen."

It's still as good & funny now as it was back when it happened.

patience leads to victory.

Do you need to go potty?

Oh...actually I didn't mean to say that. It's autopilot. I hear myself asking that a few thousand times a day so it's only natural for me to start off saying that.
As for the success. YES! (with Napoleon Dynamite fist pump)

SUCCESS is SWEET...and we are ALMOST getting to the point where he will tell me that he has to go. No accidents in-count them 1, 2,....3...4 days!! Lovely.

Patience, Persistance, and Practice is not just a sport's moto! It pays off in all aspects of life. (thanks coach)

It will only continue to get better, RIGHT?

morning bike ride

We took a pump on the bikes this morning.
It was lovely.
My thighs burned.
Brody kept saying "where's mamma? oh HI momma!"
Tracers and Broders are twinners... OFF to the BYU game! Go cougars.

how he sees me

Does he see me as a mom who is super stressed with school, work, and life...yet comes home and tries to devote her time to him until he's fast asleep in bed?
Does he see me as a mom that is kind and caring...even when I get frustrated and snap a time or two?
Does he see me as someone that will love him forever and ever...no matter what?
Does he see me as a mom that he can run to...a mom that can always fix all his problems and make him happy?
Does he know that I will always share my favorite candy bar or cookie with him?
Does he see me as a mom that just loves him to pieces?
Does he see me as a mom that will always come down to his level to talk, to hug, to listen, and love?
I sure hope so....This picture was taken by him, my little Brody. Though capturing a little finger, out of focus, and slightly crooked....I hope he knows that i love him dearly...no matter how blurry, fuzzy, crazy, and at times- completely INSAIN- I may get.

{BIG smile}

I told Brody to give me a BIG smile.
This is what he gave me...

Pretty darn big if you ask me.
Do you think he learned the sarcasm from me or Trace?

i would also like to add that Brody went two days without an "accident" in his BIG BOY underwear. i couldn't be happier.

randomness...

So there we were.
At the dinosaur park in the mall watching the kiddoes run around.
Talking about this & that.
Somehow we came across the fact that we needed a vacation.
A good, quiet, relaxing vacation.
We threw out a few ideas...jokingly.
Cause realistically- would both of our *husband's mutually consent to letting us escape- most likely NO.
It wouldn't hurt to ask, right?
The next morning at 6 am we headed out. Bags packed, hotel booked, ready for adventure.
This was our second stop...after hitting the outlet malls in LAS VEGAS! We both enjoyed catching some rays without wondering if the kids were going to drowned or get dunked by our husbands.

Here is my compadre...Wendi Peffercorn (That's what Trace calls her.) I call her Wendy's...like the fast food.We went to a magic show and because this blog is rated "G" I am not allowed to disclose the things we saw on the strip. All I can say is that some people are VERY special.

OH- and we got to watch the Bellagio water show 1 1/2 times. Wendi was amused with the fact that I was so amused with the shooting water in coordination to music. It really is awesome...or maybe I'm just easily entertained.

Every girl needs a get-a-way every once in a while.

We missed our hubbies and kids...BUT we sure did have a great time.

*Special thanks to our sweet husbands for letting us go and spend some of the money that we don't have. Thanks for watching the kids and surviving a night without us. It was honestly fantastic! I owe you one, Tracers.

the BIG 26

AUGUST 30th...4 years ago...Trace and I were dating.

I lived in Mesa. He lived in Heber.

It was 22nd birthday and I was supposed to drive up to Payson to meet him for dinner.

Just as I was getting out of the shower I heard a knock on the door.

I hurried and got dressed and went to see who was there.

IT WAS TRACE....and he was holding 2 dozen red roses and a card.

the card read:

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Good hell if I didn't drive all the way to Mesa

Just to see YOU!!!

Very clever if you ask me. He has always been so sweet to me on my birthday. Dinner, dates, dogs, random trips to Flor-i-da, back rubs, and lots of spoiling.

This year was no different.

Breakfast, a HUGE shopping spree, dinner, swimming in a hot spring,...and the list goes on.

Here was breakfast (courtesy of two handsome boys)...

I got a delicious cheesecake (courtesy of Wendi Blair).

Oh and my poor little buddy fell off the porch and there was nothing that I could do to stop it. So sad. So there is his official FIRST shiner...poor thing. (plus this picture was taken with a phone and I think it looks worse than it actually is)Anyway- all wounds heal, RIGHT? He'll just be wearing dark sun glasses when we go out in public.I had a great birthday! I don't even care that I'm getting old. I'm still young at heart.

our trip

Remember how I said that I was itching for a trip?
We decided around midnight on Friday that we would go to...

We packed our stuff, took a quick power nap, and hit the road at 3:30 am.

On the road we saw 10 of these...(Idaho Falls Temple- so pretty and in such a beautiful location. I love it.)

We drove around Yellowstone Park and walked around the gysers and hot spots. Lots of bubbling mud, steaming water, and aurora of a lovely rotten egg smell. One little boy, in particular, love it...

Make that TWO boys...As we were driving through the park I saw SASQUATCH...aka BIG FOOT. Seriously, I saw him...I am NOT kidding. I even slightly screamed. He was standing in the road in front of my car. IT was as BIG as my car. He was brown and had a hunch back and furry...scary beyond all reason.Ok, so maybe it was a buffalo. BUT- I literally asked Trace, in a very confused voice, "WHAT in the world IS THAT??....BIG FOOT???" I blame my stupidity on the fact that I had been up since 3...with a couple of "in-the-car power naps." Or maybe I'm just naturally that way...you decide.
either way...It was a great trip.

It was such a nice break. We got to see a LOT of trees (alive and dead). We got to see some animals. Play at the Bear Lake beach. Each some good "vacation" food. And spend some quality time as a family! I loved it.

My sweet little Taralee

So the other day I forgot my phone at home. Well when I got back home from work this is what I found on my phone.

My sweet little Taralee thought she would be funny and take about 5 katrillion billion pictures of herself making goofy faces. So I told her I was going to do something funny back. But even when my wife makes a goofy face she is still so adorable. I love you Taralee:)

my little sister

Danica's reply to my previous post:

Flash forward to August 2002 and remember how mean you were to me during my freshman year? Your friends would even say hi to me and you just snubbed me like I have no idea who that is! Guess it toughened me up in the long run!

I think a public apology would help soften her heart...

My Dearest little sister Danica,

Please forgive me for being such a mean older sister in High School. After all...it WAS 7 years ago.

LOVE YOU.

Taralee

school day

Flash back to August something or other in 1999.

I was a soon to be freshman at Show Low High School.
I had done ALL my school clothes shopping with my money that I earned from selling hay in 112 degree heat at a auction on the outskirts of Hel...I mean Holbrook.
The night before school started I picked out my "first day of school" outfit: Silver jeans, a T-shirt of some sort, and Doc Martin sandals. I was styling and lookin dang G-double O-D, good!
Had my 5 star folders, pencils, paper, pens, and backpack all stocked up and ready to go.
Set my alarm to wake up in enough time to try to straighten my hair by running a curling iron through my fluffy hair. (never worked, but at least I tried.)
Also gave myself enough time to make sure that I was ready before BOTH of my older brothers so that I could beat at least one of them to their vehicle....to ensure that I had a ride to school.
I also prepared myself for the pep assembly and the "Cougar Fight Song" challenge...and how they always booed the little freshmen when they didn't PROUDLY yell out all the words.

Back in the day I was prepared and excited for school. The friends, the practices, the games, the trips, and a little learning here and there.

Flash forward a good 10 years.

I still get the "first day of school" jitters. There is still the crisp August morning air. The excitement of new classes and teachers. The chance of making a new friend. HOWEVER...

I am the wife and mother to two special boys.
I work part-time at a lovely electric company.
I do not have a new outfit to wear to school tomorrow.
I have a straightener that conquers my fluffy hair with ease.
I will grab my back pack in the morning and hope that there is a least one pencil in there.
I will drive myself to school via the scooter or the "Rola" AND
I go to school with two desires...
1. To survive
and then
2. Graduate in approximately 8.5 months.

There is no "fight song challenge" to get me pumped up...but the support from my fun-loving husband and husky little boy is enough to rally me through to the end! Here's to a good semester.

stretchy pants

Seriously...who rips out stretchy pants?

I'll tell you who.

A VERY busy and chubby 2 year old boy that can't hold still for 2 minutes.

That's who.

our new ride

Can I just tell you how much I HEART this... [-------------------------------THIS MUCH------------------------------] x 3 million times.

And I look pretty darn cool driving it.