Day 31: Bookworm

January 31, 2011

Ok, so I actually took this photo a few days ago when we were at an elementary school for Nick's Readyman training. The training in the library and it totally took me back to when I was a little girl. I love libraries. I love books. All the different stories, the facts, the information-all right there, just waiting to be picked up and delved into. It was a walk down memory lane as a lot of the books in there were ones I remembered reading and loving as a child. I know, I am a total nerd! LOL

Day 30: Fetch

January 30, 2011

Ranger loves to play fetch. I think he would play all day if he could. It is funny because he has this super bouncy ball and if you bounce it, he will jump into the air and try his very hardest to catch it. Which is exactly what he is doing here. He is completely off the ground, and if you look closely, you can see the ball in his mouth...he is getting pretty good at catching things mid-air!

Day 29: Birthday for Scott

January 29, 2011

We had a great night with Scott and Nancy. Dinner was superb, we had delicious homemade hamburgers, roasted potatoes and our favorite salad. Then of course birthday cake! We watched a movie, visited and laughed like crazy at some pretty funny things.

Scott and Nancy are technically Greg's aunt and uncle on his dad's side. When he was 13 he went to live with them and they raised him from then on, which was a huge blessing. Scott has a special place in his heart for Greg and is an amazing dad...he and Nancy have always been there for Greg (and me too) and even though there have been times we all may not agree, they have loved and supported us regardless. It is sweet to see he and Greg and the bond they have and love they share. They helped make Greg into the man he is today!

Not the best picture of the food, but I was too hungry to really care! LOL

Pièce de résistance!

They are so cute!

This is usually with some other flowers in a vase in my house, but they were being total goofs and using it as a prop! We were laughing SO hard!

Ahh!

Day 28: Great Aunt Rosie

January 28, 2011


Tomorrow Greg's mom and dad, Scott and Nancy, are coming up for dinner at our house. We are celebrating Scott's Birthday, which was January 3rd.

Scott loves my German Chocolate Cake and has requested it for tomorrow. I made the cakes tonight so they would be cooled in time and ready to assemble tomorrow afternoon.

The recipe is actually a family recipe is from my Great Aunt Rosie on my mom's side. When assembled it is this beautiful, decedent 3 layer cake of ooey-gooey-goodness (I will post a picture tomorrow of the finished product). Both the cake and the frosting are homemade and it is to die for! We all grew up loving it and pretty much everyone who tries it loves it too. Yum, yum, yum!

Day 27: Readyman

January 27, 2011

My nephew Nickolas, is a Boyscout Webelo. In their book they are currently on Readyman Training...which is basically learning things like CPR, First Aid, how to use an AED, treat shock, etc.  My sister asked my dad to teach the courses, as that is right up his ally and he does it for a living. He asked those in our family that have the training and knowledge to help if they were able, and me to take pictures for the boys to remember it all.

They are going to teach the topics one night each week for a few weeks. Tonight was the first night and the topic was Adult CPR.

There were only four scouts, but they all did a great job and had a lot of fun! They all caught on and were doing a great job applying their newly acquired skills.

Boys being boys they were totally grossed out at having to bear the chest of the mannequin. But then they thought it was totally cool when they were doing the side roll to each other, to completely exaggerate and make noises as if they were "throwing up"...yeah, like I said...they are boys! LOL.

Day 26: Mmmm, Mmmm, Good!

January 26, 2011

About every two weeks we go grocery shopping and plan meals for the next two weeks. We always have pretty tasty and healthy options. My wonderful friend Jessica H. gave me this adorable ceramic white board for Christmas...depending on the day or week we will write different things on there...our menu, love notes, scriptures, inspirational sayings (like TGIF lol). I love the saying at the top and I love how classy it is...thanks Jess!

Looking at all our meal options is making me hungry! LOL. Yummmmm!

Day 25: Her Royal Highness

January 25, 2011

Our little kitty, Toler, is quite a princess. Neither Greg nor myself are huge cat people, but we found our precious little Tolie the day we left Gardnerville in 2005 and she has been with us ever since. The street in Gardnerville that we lived on and found her on, was named Toler. She was a lonely, skinny lost kitty and we decided to take her with us and named her Toler. She is a really cool cat...very sweet and loyal. Very much like a dog in a lot of regards. She is a beautiful calico and has the prettiest green eyes. She loves to cuddle and is very intelligent. I call her my Little Kiki. She also is quite the hunter and has brought home many a different catch. She was very best friends with our pit bull, Shadow and she was very lost and depressed after we had to put him down. She isn't too sure about Ranger yet, but everyday they get more comfortable around each other. I know one day they will be best buds like she and Shadow were. She loves to lounge around on the fluffiest, softest and most comfortable surface available and she is always loyally waiting for us to come home and give her some much deserved pets...she is a princess after all!

Day 24: Thin Ice

January 24, 2011

So, either this goose can't read, or he thinks quite highly of himself and thinks he is thin enough and won't fall though. From how stuck up geese seem to be, I would say it is the latter! LOL

Day 23: Little Em-n-Em

January 23, 2011

Today we spent the afternoon with my siblings and their families. We all got together to watch the Packers vs. Bears football game. We had a great day hanging out and spending some quality time with each other. Nick and Keira played the whole time, mostly riding around the house on the Plasma Cars; they were super cute and had a great time playing with each other. Keira loves to do whatever Nick is doing and was his little shadow the whole day. He is very good with her and loves playing with her and having someone look up to him.

Little Emmery was adorable, as always. She is a spunky little spitfire and is so extremely intelligent. She knows she is younger than Keira, but that doesn't stop her...in fact it makes her try even harder to be just like Keira and do what Keira does. They are a riot together and are very sweet and loving sisters. Most the time they are inseparable and have the so much fun playing with each other. 

Today Em-n-Em was a little sick, so the second half of the afternoon, she and I watched Toy Story 3. She LOVES the Toy Story movies and it is so cute to watch her watch the movie...she is very intense on watching the movie and seeing what is going on. I think my favorite thing is when she thinks something is funny and she just laughs and laughs and laughs and she will look at you as she is laughing, to make sure, you too are laughing and enjoying the silliness. She is such a sweetheart and is so much fun to be around. I love watching her, Keira and Nick as the grow every day and seeing the joy and amazement in their eyes as they discover new and amazing things. I can't even begin to tell you how much Greg and I adore them...family means the world to us. XOXOXOXO

Little Miss Em-n-Em 

 I love the wonder in her eyes!

Go! Go! Go!

Keira and her riding buddies/bears!

She LOVES her Uncle Greggy!

Day 22: SAR Banquet

January 22, 2011

Tonight we went to the Washoe County Sheriff's Search and Rescue banquet. They have one every January to honor and appreciate the members and their families that so willingly serve the county on a volunteer basis. During Assistant Sheriff Emerson's thank you speech he mentioned that the services that SAR offered to the county in 2010 would have cost the tax payers close to $250,000.00, if it wasn't a volunteer operation. Pretty cool that there are those that are willing to go out in the middle of the night, in the harshest of conditions and put their lives on the line to help those in need...and they do it for FREE.  I am very proud of my hubby and his heart and passion to help others, regardless of the lack of pay or glory.

We had a great night with a wonderful group of friends, great food and lots and lots of laughs!

Me and Mama Burger

Day 21: It's A Small World After All

January 21, 2011

This was an amazing garage sale find when I was still living at home, and I brought it with me when I moved out. I love the glow and ambiance that this sensational light-up globe gives our home, and just felt inspired to take a photo of it. The end. :)

Day 20: Waterlogged

January 20, 2011


Did you know, that it is recommended that every day, you should drink one ounce of water for every two pounds of body weight? Well it is. And I have to say that believe I do just that...but if I didn't have my CamelBak insulated water bottle I probably wouldn't. You see, I love ice cold water...and if it is ice cold, I will drink it quickly and go back for more. But the second it gets luke warm or room temperature, I just have a hard time drinking it. Thankfully, though, I have my amazing insulated CamelBak and am able to enjoy ice cold water, all day long. I know...you are just finding out so much about me and all my little pet peeves. Haha!

Day 19: Truck Stop Sunset

January 19, 2011

Driving home today there was another amazing sunset, I pulled in an empty lot across the street from the Alamo Truck Stop and tried to capture it before it quickly slipped away.

Day 18: It's a Scentsy Kind of Love

January 18, 2011

One thing I asked for this Christmas was a Scentsy Warmer and Scentsy wax bars. And that is exactly what my in-laws, Scott and Nancy gave me!

I have many a pet peeve, and one of those pet peeves is if my home does not have a pleasant aroma to it. It absolutely drives me crazy. Candles are always a good option, Glade plug-ins work well, Febreze can definitely help, but Scentsys...they are amazing, plain and simple. They make the whole house smell incredible. I can't tell you just how happy it makes me and how much I love coming home everyday, or having company over, and having my house be filled with a sensational aroma...nothing seems more welcoming than that pleasant scent that completely envelopes you the moment you walk into the door.  It may seem like a small thing, but I truly love it, and I truly love my Scentsy. :)

Day 17: Visitors at Work

January 17, 2011

I worked today, but since it is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Greg had the day off. He and Ranger came to visit me at work and we went to lunch. It was a nice treat and super fun to see my honey and my puppy in the middle of the work day! Ranger got to come into the office and he was very, very well behaved. Everyone loved him-he got lots of pets and impressed my co-workers with his tricks and good manners. He is a good boy!

Day 16: Birthday Sushi

January 16, 2011

Today we went to CJ Palace for some sushi...Travis had given us a gift card for our birthdays back in November, and we finally decided today was the perfect day to use it! It was super delicious and we had a great time...we love our sushi! Thanks Travie for such an awesome gift! :)

This is only the first plate of many that we ordered! :) We dug right in and I almost forgot to take a picture! LOL

Day 15: Moon, Moon, Shining Bright

January 15, 2011

Today I babysat Abby again and Greg had avalanche training with Search and Rescue; we both got home later in the evening and relaxed together. Around 7:30pm I went out to the truck and noticed how gorgeous the moon and night sky looked...I ran back inside and got my camera.

I am very pleased with how the picture came out...I love how I was able to capture the craters and mountains and the mare (dark lava plains) that cover the moon. I set my camera on manual and adjusted the settings, taking a few photos, each one with a different shutter speed. This one is my favorite and seems to have just the right amount of light and shadow on the moon. Settings for this were ISO 100, f11, 1/200. The phase of the moon in this photo is between a Waxing Gibbous and a Full Moon (I feel like a total nerd with all these facts LOL).

What an amazing Creator we have...His magnificence and power are evident in all things!

Day 14: Popcorn and A Movie

January 14, 2011

Thank heaven it is Friday! I am very blessed to have such a good job, but I thoroughly look forward to the end of the work week and having a couple of days off.

We spent tonight just watching a couple of movies and relaxing together on the couch. We made homemade popcorn, with a little butter and salt, it was delicious!

Not the most exciting night, or photo...but that is what we did and it was wonderful and relaxing! :)

Day 13: Abby

January 13, 2011

After work, I will occasionally babysit an adorable little girl named Abby.  Her daddy is in the Army and is currently stationed across the country; her momma is a stay at home mom and works from home as a consultant for a direct-to-sales company. I will watch Abby when Christy has workshops in the evenings or on Saturdays.

Besides Abby's nightly routine of dinner, a bath and quiet time, tonight our activities included playing with play doh, cooking in her pretend kitchen and reading a ton of books! We always have fun together! She is a total crack up and is very smart; she loves to dance and read books and she will just chatter on in her toddler gibberish.

I took this photo right after bath time, as we were settling down for the evening and starting to read some more books. She had just given me a book she wanted to read and then went and sat down in her little rocking chair! What a doll!

Day 12: Glorious Sunset

January 12, 2011

Lately it has been very cloudy and when the sun rises and sets there isn't much color; instead,depending on the time of day, it just seems to get lighter or darker and everything is hidden by dreary gray clouds.

Today was an exception though...the clouds had cleared and the blue sky was gorgeous. As the sun slowly set over the horizon, the sky was set ablaze with gorgeous hues of purple, pink, blue and orange. The colors were so soft and beautiful. What a nice sight to see after the dreary gray!

Day 11: Back to Work

January 11, 2011

I have to say...it is extremely hard to come back to work after 4 days off. Especially when those 4 days were super relaxing and fun!

But I am thankful to have a job and albeit, it is not always the most enjoyable, it is secure, I know my job inside and out, and since I have been here 4+ years I get 3 weeks off this year! :)

Here is a picture of my desk...fun, fun, fun for me! LOL

Day 10: Bittersweet

January 10, 2011

We left for home today. It is always bittersweet…it is nice to get home and sleep in our own bed, and see our pets, but it is so hard to leave family...I hate it! It was a great trip and many wonderful memories were made! I am glad we all were able to spend the time together!

We flew out quite early and were super tired, so once we got home, we did not really do much except nap, eat dinner and watch a few episodes of Lost.

Back to work tomorrow! Oh boy!

Disclaimer: Obviously, I did not take this photo, nor was it taken today...it was taken last night at Aaron's b-day celebration. I was so tired today and didn't really get around to taking any decent photos. Besides, I wanted to remember the great vacation we had...and this photo does just that! :)

Day 9: A Day for Aaron

January 9, 2011

Today was another wonderful day spent with the family. More relaxing, hanging out and having fun. Greg took Mikayla out for her first drive with her permit. Overall she did really well.

Aaron's birthday is on the 11th, so we decided since we were all there we would celebrate it today. We had a wonderful dinner and a delicious cake. As the cards were read aloud, it was very sweet and touching. There was this immense love in the room, and you could just tell that this family really takes the time to celebrate and care for eachother. None of us are perfect, but we all know that and it is perfectly ok. We are there for eachother and that is all that matters.

Aaron has a big heart and really loves his family. He works hard to provide for them and really tries to take the time to love each and every one of us. He has battled cancer, (and won!), he has lost a son and daughter-in-law, but he hasn't let that cripple him, but instead tries even harder to love and live for his family. He loves and accepts each of us for who we are. He isn't perfect and doesn't pretend to be, but he is our dad, brother, husband and friend, and we love him immensly. Happy Birthday Daddy A!

(((HUGS))) Steve, Aaron and Maria

No one ever said Taflingers could dance! Haha!

Day 8: Celebrating Rosalie

January 8, 2011 (Ok, so some days I can't put up just one photo! lol)

Today is Rosalie's 13th Birthday! We had a great day spending time together and then went to dinner. She wanted to go to Joe's Crab Shack for dinner, so that is what we did! We ate lots of amazing food, had a billion laughs and celebrated an amazing young woman!

Over the last few years, I have seen her grow from a sweet, adorable little girl to a strong and beautiful young woman. Her smile lights up the world, her laughter is music, she has a strong spirit and a humungous heart, she is brilliant, she has an amazing singing voice, is athletic, poetic, a wonderful writer, does well at everything she tries, and her sense of humor is wonderful! She is funny and loving, yet spunky and stubborn. She will not let anyone walk on her, but she will share everything she has with you. She is beautiful, both inside and out!

She is so beautiful!

Dancing to her birthday song!

She loved her Dino Cake!

That's a lot of Taflingers (and it's not even all of them:)!

All lit up.

The amazing view from Joe's.

So pretty!

Day 7: Morning Ice Fog and Taflinger Family Circus

January 7, 2011

We woke up early this morning to head to the airport. It was still dark outside and very, very cold. When I went out to start the truck, I noticed there was pogonip on every surface. It was gorgeous! I ran inside and grabbed my camera-I couldn't believe the unique patterns that had formed on the branches. This is not a thorny bush...but the pogonip makes it looks that way! It is just a normal, bare branch...all the "thorns" are really ice crystals! Beautiful!
Here is a link with an explanation for what pogonip is, if anyone isn't sure. :)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_fog)

After we landed in Portland we made our way through the airport out to where the family was waiting...it was a happy and hug-filled reunion!

Then we all went to Shari's for lunch. Uncle Mike ordered a cheeseburger and was in seventh heaven! He and Uncle John usually eat a vegetarian diet, except when Mike is on vacation without him, and then he eats as much steak as possible! lol.

Mikayla and Rosalie finally arrive home from school and then we took Mikayla to get her driving permit...she was super excited and totally adorable! She is a typical 15 year old and was "totally embarrassed" by me taking pictures, but this was a moment that required pictures to be taken! :)

The rest of the night we hung out at the house, played Wii (my favorite was Just Dance!), ate dinner, played and just relaxed and enjoyed each other's company. What a great start to our trip!