June 4 - Happy Birthday to me

* Warning - these are older posts that we never posted...I have some catching up to do

Above are the logos of all the corporations that wished me a Happy Birthday via email. And now a couple of favorite Birthday stories...

This year's birthday was great! It was better than both the ‘forgotten’ birthday and when my birthday landed on a Sunday…my family would be telling me right now "to just give it a rest".

The forgotten birthday was a while back and everyone…and I mean everyone forgot until about 6pm. It started (and almost ended) when Jen said, “Oh, it’s your birthday today isn’t it?” The kids latter (after a 'mom prompting' came and said Happy Birthday.

The "Sunday birthday"... I was asked what I wanted to eat for my birthday dinner. I said chicken enchilada casserole. After a long day at church, I strolled in about 3:00-3:30. Megan and Rusty were eating some of the casserole on the couch. I went to the kitchen and searched everywhere for my dinner. I looked in the oven…no. I looked in the refrigerator…no. I then asked Megan, “Where is my dinner hiding?” Silence… I walked in and saw two surprised looks on both their faces - they were holding plates with 1-2 bits of casserole left on each of their plates…The family (including Megan and Rusty) had the casserole for lunch. Then at 3:30p, they thought that I had come home, eaten, and was taking a nap. They were having what they thought were everyones leftovers. Yes, that is a Mitch Taylor family favorite – It will be an often told story.

Shoot, I wood pun but I am stumped...I'll just leaf....KNOT

Connor, Jessica, and I help a couple of sisters in the ward. Connor and I hometeach these two sisters.

We went on a saturday and moved bark from the front driveway and spred it in the back yard. We used a wheelbarrow and two recycle bins.

The bishop's 12 year old son helped too - the two women are his grandma and great grandma.

They had a chia cat. It used to be covered with greenery and she said it looked pretty cool.

I thought it looked like a mummy cat. I wanted to take it and put it in front of the house to show our cats what could happen it they didn't listen.

Words to the world - cat's don't listen - unless there is food or strings attached...kind of like teenage boys too.

June is challenge month

The Family has made June challenge month. Last week during family home evening we had a discussion of what would be best for our family. We also talked about what we each needed to do for the month and also our personal challange week. Below is the form we all had, filled out and signed.

JUNE IS --- CHALLENGE MONTH
Every Monday is FAMILY HOME EVENING
Every night is family scripture @ 9_pm
Every night is family prayer @ 9_pm

Week 1 – (June 1-6) - Happy Words - Happy Voices
Week 2 – (June 7-13) - No Soda - eat better
Week 3 – (June 14-20)- Personal - choice your own challenge
Week 4 – (June 21-27)- Service Week
Week 5 (June 28-30)- No screens - TV / Computer / Cell Phone etc - unless job requires
Week 5+ (July 1-July 4) Game week


I Mitch Taylor promise to participate in CHALLENGE MONTH!

I have chosen updating my blog every day as ONE of my personal challenges for the month.

I have chosen ______________________ as my personal challenge for the personal challenge week.

__________________________
Signed

Should be an exciting week and month.

The YM are going to Jail

We took the Teacher's Quorum (14-15 year old boys from church). to the County Prison. One of the TQ advisers works at the prison (that would be Corrections Officer Darling).

HIGHLIGHTS...

• We went to the 'padded' room. This is for the 'out of control' people that are brought in. The floor, walls, door and ceiling are all a rubber coated kind of thing. The tour guide also told us that those put in these kinds of rooms (there were four) that they were a little crazy in the head. He said that they like to 'paint' and were called Poop-casos. They have had inmates 'paint' so much that a bio team has had to come and clean up the room. Just two minutes after he told us that, one of the youth, with is hand full flushed on the wall, said, "Why are the walls squishy again." I said, "Dylan, remind me not to shake your hand on Sunday".
• We got to visit the various wings of the Jail - min, mid, and max security. While in Max security for the men - one of the inmates just happened to be looking out of his cell. He started hooting and hollering at the group. The tour guide said that they all do that, because they don't every see anything but guards and other inmates. The max-security inmates get out of their mini cell to a larger room (about the size of an oversize class room) for one hour each day. 23 hours in the little cell, one hour in the group cell.
• We went through the women's wing. No one from max-security of the women's section saw us. All the others just kind of stared at us with blank looks on their faces.
• Some of the inmates worked at the jail. They did janitorial, laundry, and other minor duties. They would get paid for their services - in either reduced time or phone privileges. We say maybe 15-20 workers the whole night. We even passed some in the hallways of the prison. When we near the end of the tour, someone asked why some workers were in blue while others where in orange. The guide told us that the orange suits were people who had done something bad - attacked a guard or inmate, or something like that. He said that the guards never turn their back on an orange. What about a Pear - two inmates...After I heard that, I noticed that C/O Darling became more attentive every time we passed working inmates...great! It's not that he started doing it...he was being overly attentive all night when we were around the inmates. I just noticed it at the end.
• We also got to see the psych ward. They get to were heavy denim 'gowns' so they can tear them or use them as a hanging device. They are under 24-7 watch. they were happy to see us too and let us know.
• It was a good night - it helped those who were interested in law enforcement and helped those who needed to see what happens to those who don't make wise choices.

On a funny note...the next day, I was at the Chevron that I go to every morning. The clerk there is Tammy. I told her about our tour of the prison. She asked if we visted the C or D wing. I said yes. She said that is where she used to live. She said she has changed her life around. Last week she told me that her Dad and Step mom (converts of one year) just went to the temple to be sealed. One of the other customers at Cheveron asked what that meant and she proceeded to tell the customer exactly what that meant...and yes, I have invited her to church. Our mission has what's called invitation Sunday...but that's a different story.

Long lost friend...

I had my laptop stolen from my car last month. I was coming home from work and stopped off at Fred Meyer's to pick up 3 things. I got out of my car, opened the back door and put my laptop on the floor in the back, locked both door and went into the store. Five minutes later I came back to the car to find two doors unlocked and one missing laptop bag. I called the police and waited on now, an even cloudier afternoon. The officer showed up and it began to rain and then hail. I think the rainstorm was only a three foot radius around me. I lost my laptop, bag, Megan's CT scan disk, a few music cds, two spare batteries (one for my phone and one for my laptop), my sd card reader, and some misc office supplies (leather binder and the coolest pen known to mankind (it had Jacobsen construction printed on the side). It took 10 days to get a replacement from work. That was very frustrating. Most of my day is spent connecting to client's systems across the USA...I had all my short cuts and links all set up. The temp laptop was slow and old and not worth setting up any short cuts until the newer computer was secured. I've had my 'new' laptop for a couple weeks now - I think that everything is set up again.

Toys will be Toys

These are items from my desk at work... First is the sheriff badge that Lori bought for me at DIA after a Fourth of July week at Mom's in Colorado. I had a plastic badge when I was in Ft Collins and was flashing saying I was the Sheriff and in charge. The funniest look I got was when Mom, John, Lori and I were getting food at Sam Club.

This is the HITACHI the Sumo wrestler - he is a stress ball. He is part of my collection of 20+ stress balls. They just sit there - not much stress relief there. Maybe I should start using a couple. Yes, he is wearing Bronco helmet.

Nappy D is a talking statue - He says things like "Get me my chapstick, my lips are real dry" and "Tina you big fat lard come get some dinner" and "Go with your heart, that's what I do". The person I sit next to has one also...sometimes that talk back and forth.

This is my talking Hulk - Connor gave him to me for Christmas. I get a new desk item from someone in my family every Christmas. Hulk talk. Hulk say 'Arrrrrrrrgh' and 'Hulk Smash' and Hulk favorite - "You're making me angry...you won't like me when I'm angry" He hold conversation with Nappy D. Yes, I put a candy heart in his mouth. (for the curious - it says "Yes Dear"

And this is Darth. He too is a talking statue. He too likes to join everyone else in conversation. He says things like "Most impressive" and "Never under estimate the power of the dark side. When we get all 4 talking (2 Napoleons, hulk, and Darth there can be some great conversations.

**** All my picutres are taken with my cell phone...that's kind of my personal touch on my blog. It really doesn't like close ups, but did a great job on Connor's birthday pics.

Spring Has Sprung...

Above are the rouge flowers that jumped over to the grass...rebels.

There were white ones

Yellow ones....

And purple ones... this is what they look like on a cool afternoon

And this is what they look like on a warmer afternoon.

They are gone now - short lived, but let us know that warm weather is just around the corner