Derek's Birthday

The big number "1"

 

Baby D sure enjoyed ripping into his gifts and stuffing his mouth with a delicious homemade vanilla butter cake for his first birthday.  Thanks so much to everyone who wished him well on his one year anniversary of birth.

 

 

I was going for a car design, but it ended up looking more like a spaceship.  Oh well, those both work well for boys, right?

 

 



Piano Recital

We're so proud of Alexis...

...and all the hard work she put into preparing her piano recital piece, "Turkey in the Straw".

 

 



Preschool Spring Program

Little Sparks' Preschool proudly presents...

...its 2015 moving-on-up student, Audrey!

 

 

Mary Had a Little Lamb Recitation

 

Easter 2015

If you're hoppy and you know it...

 

 



Audrey's Birthday

Fabulous four!

 

Turning 4 in our family is a big deal because that's when the Taylor kids get to host their first "friend" birthday party.  Audrey chose to mark the occasion with a Frozen-themed affair including lunch and games for all her preschool friends.

 Pin the Nose of Olaf

 

Ring around the reindeer

 

Snowball fight

 

Blowing out the candles

 



Paige's Birthday

It's heaven being seven!

 

A big thank you to everyone who made Pink #2's day so special.  She had a great time with her sisters and a good friend at her activity of choice:  an enormous indoor tree house venue called

Makutu's Island.

 

 



Room For a Boy

When Derek turned 4 months...

...we decided it was time he moved out of Mom and Dad's room and into his own.  That required installing new baseboards to match the rest of the house, repainting, and a little redecorating, too.

 

 

BEFORE: 

 IN PROCESS:

Alexis proved to be a very good painter.

 

AFTER:

Great Grandma Sue made the beautiful baby quilt hanging on the way which was our inspiration in decorating the room.

 

 

And for those of you who've known us since our California days, yes, that furniture is the same set that we purchased at the Palo Alto Ikea back when Alexis was a baby.  It's graced the rooms of Taylor children for nine years now and in six different apartments/houses.



 



Christmas 2014

Having a baby boy around...

...made the holidays extra special this year as Derek's presence helped us feel, reflect, and appreciate in a very real way the marvelous gift of the Christ child's birth.  Here are a few pics of our family festivities.

 

Baking cookies for neighbors

Assembling gingerbread houses for FHE

 

Visiting the Mesa Temple Christmas lights



 

The aftermath of Christmas morning