Welcome Home Taylor

an autumn day walk

The other day, I had a long list of to-do's. It consisted of cleaning my bathroom, reading "Antigone", putting away all my clothes from my trip to Chicago, and so on. Instead I did none of those because the lighting was perfect outside. I decided to take a walk down the path by my house and photograph the outdoors. Let me tell you, it was absolutely refreshing. My bathroom still has black nail polish spilled on the floor, I finished "Antigone" just moments before class started, and although my clothes aren't in the suitcase anymore, they are all over my floor instead. But I'm okay with that right now because sometimes you have to choose your battles. That day, it was nature and the last bits of this Indian summer that won me over. Really, it was exactly what this girl's heart needed at the moment. I can't tell you how refreshed those few moments outside doing exactly what I love made me feel after the whirlwind of homeworkandreadingandworkandreadingandhomeworkandChicagoandlife. Sometimes all it really takes to make you happy is a walk on a path with a camera in hand.

 

xoxo

Cooperism.

After fourteen wonderful years of being a loving and loyal friend, we lost our dog Cooper from age and sickness. It's been a hard past few days for us all, but especially my mom. Cooper was her baby and he followed her around everywhere she went. My mom started calling his attitude, "Cooperism," and would joke about making it a new religion. Cooperism entails being loyal, never being sassy, always being happy when someone walked in the house, and eating everything on your plate...or something like that at least. The house has been a little quiet and lonely without him. Our other dog, Newton, is taking it a little rough, but we're doing our best to keep everyone in high spirits (for my mom and I that means watching a lot of Downton Abbey). It's hard losing a pet and it's something I've never had to do as an adult or with an animal that was practically a family member. I'm just happy that he's somewhere now where he's not suffering and in pain anymore. We love you Cooper.

xoxo

a day with kids

While spinning this globe that had all the continents painted as white, Riley yelled, "there's so many Antarcticas!"

 

On Tuesday, David and I made breakfast -- pink pancakes and scramble eggs -- for his two

nieces and his nephew. Afterward, we took them and Riley to the Meadowbrook Science Center.

Oh boy, was it a trip!

We had a crazy, hectic, and entertaining time with them. It was so

funny seeing all of them at such different ages and stages of their lives (and most

importantly, attention span). Colin was such a good big brother to all the girls, showing

them all around the museum and what does what and reading the signs to them, it was just

precious. Makenna and Keira for the most part were observing the things around

them quietly and intensly. Then there was Riley. That girl is a crazy ball of happy.

Most of my time was probably spent running around with her since her attention span doesn't last

too long, but it was so much fun to see her interact with the other kids and the things around her.

In the last picture of her walking down the stairs, right before I snapped it, I tried holding her

hand on our way down the steps and she said to me, "It's okay Tay-Tay,

I can do this on my own." I'm sorry, but what?!? Sinc when did you get so big??

Why are you already four and a half?? Riley had us all laughing with her wise cracks and

crazy-smart comments, oh and of course with her trying to get the whole car to sing

Justin Beiber songs with her. On the way home after lunch she said, "I'm so tired, Tay. I think it's

from all that talking today." Oh, she's such a hoot. They all are in fact. Every single one of them are

beautiful and amusing in their own way and it's just an incredible thing to watch them go through

the world as they try to figure it out on their own. Life is pretty cool, especially when you have

some kids to keep life interesting.

There was a picture that I didn't post because it wasn't very good. All the kids had been staring at

huge globe, but as soon as I went to take the picture, something else caught their eyes and

they were headed off in a different direction. Needless to say, every one of them was a blur.

It captured our day -- and their lives -- perfectly. You hardly blink and then off they are,

going down steps without holding a hand; getting sassy with their uncle; eating four slices of

pizza; and then passing out on the car ride home.

xoxo

a birthday party

Last Friday I hosted a birthday party for my friends Omar and Kyle, and just as I promised you guys last week I took some pictures. Let me just say, that I tried, I'm not going admit to succeeding much on this one though. The pictures definitely aren't the best thanks to the worst lighting ever. I'm glad I did take the pictures despite the lighting though because I was able to catch a few good memories for the night. And at least one decent video of me embarrassing my good friends. They're good sports though and I made it up to them with pink cake with cream cheese frosting (don't worry, I'll get to that later this week).

A few people stayed the night and I made lots of french toast, bacon, and eggs and we also had some (store-bought) danishes. Breakfast, although we were absolutely exhausted, was just as fun as the night before.

And can we please just talk about how much I love this picture of Maria? Two of my favorite things just loving each other. It's so cute!

 

All in all, it was a pretty great night full of lots of laughter, cake, and memories. I'm glad I finally followed through with this picture taking thing.

xoxo

happy thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone this year! I hope everyone has a wonderful time stuffing their faces with yummy turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie!

Although I try to say what I'm thankful for everyday, since today is Thanksgiving and all, I thought I'd share it with everyone else as well.

1. Family. I have the most incredile family out there and I'm so grateful that I was born into such a loving, caring, and understanding one at that. Not to mention they're pretty weird too. I'm especially grateful for all of my siblings. Lately, I've been realizing the downsides to growing up. I used to live in a house filled with my sisters and my brother and now it feels so empty. Trying to figure out what to wear has become more difficult, getting ready in the morning without a dance partner in the bathroom is pretty lonely, and not to mention family dinner now. Having two sisters live with my dad, one in Ann Arbor, and one in North Carolina has made it pretty prevalent how much I really do love them and appreciate their company. It's wonderful having so many cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents around as well. I'm especially thankful for my parents. My mom for raising us and teaching us kindness and compassion towards others. My dad gave us all wonderful funny bones that have made it much easier to go through life when you learn how to laugh at it all. I love every single being in my family and I wouldn't trade them for the world.

above photos are from our family vacation.

2. David. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm so unbelievabley grateful to have this wonderful man in my life. He makes me believe in love everyday and teaches me to always strive to be a better person. His love is undying. I'm so thankful to be in love with my best friend who loves me so much back, shows incredible compassion, and undeserving patience. David has taught me that I am stronger than my fears and throughout these past three years I've been able to grow into the woman I've wanted to be. I'm still befuddled as to how I convinced him to promise many, many more years with me.

3. Work. I don't have a picture for work (although quite honestly I should since they're all over my house every other weekend). I'm so grateful that I decided that odd ball of a day to walk into Villa Penna and apply for a waitressing job. Unknowingly, I didn't just walk into a job that I find rewarding (waitressing? rewarding? yep) but I walked into a family as well. Every day I go to work I know I'll get smiles and laughter out of it. I work with people who love and care about me as if I was one of their own and when I'm down I can always count on a hug, or two, or five. The people there have taught me that the little things aren't always worth getting worked up over. I've met good-friends-for-now and also great-friends-for-life. The other night at dinner I told David, "it's just a really loving family," and as he so eliquently put it, "a loving and dysfunctional family." Just the way I like it.

 

4. Life staples. I have a roof over my head, food in my belly, heat in my home, clothes on my body, and a warm and loving environment. These are a lot of things that we take for granted a lot. But, when all seems so wrong and I'm down in the dirt, these are the things that cheer me up. Knowing that I have the most essential parts of survival is sometimes what gets me through the day and that's all I really need sometimes.

5. My able body. This is obviously something else that we all take for granted. Especially learning more and more about the body and all the weird and tragic things that can go wrong, I'm so glad that the worst thing I can think of is that I have to wear glasses. Things could be much worse. I'm grateful that I have a strong and able body that can not only get me where I need to go on my own, but one that allows me to run, jump, play games with a four-year-old sister, that can jump out and scare people, that can help push a car to the side of the road, one that can crouch down to pet a puppy and not to mention one that can dance! If I can dance, I'm happy. This is such a wonderful thing that we all need to appreciate more often!

on a nature walk part II

I had to go on my second nature walk of the semester and this time I got to take along The Weasel (a.k.a Riley) with me. We had a blast hanging out together. It felt as though I was hanging out with just another one of my sisters, which she is, but she just happens to be 16 years younger than I am. We went on a long walk together, played on the playground for a bit before she got distracted and starting stalking two little kids with their grandparents, then we ended our trip with a walk around the nature center to look at all the animals they had. Riley had a great time explaining to me that all the animals in there were once alive, but then they got killed and they were stuffed so that we can look at them. That little one, I tell ya!

love + brunch.

This afternoon my mom and I had some of my old friends over to make them all brunch. Although, as David pointed out, this was lunch time, not brunch time. But the fact that we were eating breakfast made it brunch. It was so nice having everyone around the table together while we shoveled forkfulls of scrambled eggs, french toast, and cinnamon muffins into our mouths. As my brother's best friend said, "it's like we're all a family eating a meal together!" We are all family and it was so unbelievably wonderful having them all over. They're the kind of friends that don't change no matter how many jobs you have, all the places you live, and all the other people you come into contact with. This is forever.

 

I hope you're all enjoying your labor day!

xoxo

 

p.s. I'm almost positive that my friend Maria is incapable of taking a bad photograph, which is why I always end up with so many pictures of her.

traverse city part II

* I'm not exactly sure how David can look so angry while eating ice cream.

Missing this place already.

xoxo

Traverse City part I

This past week I spent the majority of it up in the Traverse City area with my whole family. And when I say my whole family, I mean my whole family. I went up Saturday with my mom, my step-dad, my dad, my step-mom, David, my brother, his two friends, my sister and her (now) fiance, my two half-sisters, David's parents and his two young nieces. whew! What a list! We had so much fun and got to spend most of the time with my aunt and two cousins that live in that area along with my two grandmas. It was the best mix of people you could imagine and I don't think anyone had a bad time while we were together. 

We all stayed in little cabins that are cozied up next to Duck Lake and surrounded by trees. David and I shared our own tiny cabin (and I mean really tiny) and it was so nice playing house with him all week. I loved watching all the little ones run around from cabin to cabin and do nothing but laugh and paint rocks all week. And our family dinners were the best as we placed three picnic tables together and had no personal space to eat our food. It was absolutely wonderful.

 

I am the luckiest girl.

xoxo

an anniversary.

David and I don't have an official anniversary date because technically it was never official. Instead, we have one very special day that I hold so close to my heart. It could have been the day that we first kissed each other under the street lamp on a chilly autumn night. Or maybe even our first date out together when the sunshine beat down on us as we walked around the park. It could have even been the day he first met my family and brought over a fresh-baked apple pie. But, no, it's not any of those days.

The day that we both call "our day" is the day that my life changed. We sat on the bench outside his work and, as we talked getting to know each other, I decided right then and there that I wanted to be a better person. He made me want to do good things for others and not do bad things for myself. I found my best friend sitting on that bench on that warm summer night. We told each other things that we would never tell another stranger but found ourselves so comfortable with one another.

That day might not be considered an official anniversary in anyone else's book, but it's our day. We don't really celebrate our anniversary or anything, but it's a good day to remember the time that we've had to share together. I am so grateful for all the things that David has given me. I can't believe that I found my best friend in a book store one summer day when I least expected it. But, man, am I glad I did.