Road Trip - Day 7

Well, we made it to Kalispell, MT, and we're headed up to Polebridge today! (that's where the school is located).  It's so good to be back here again... I missed this place so much!  Anyhow, we'll be up in Polebridge for the rest of the week/weekend, with graduation on Sunday.  Looking forward to an awesome weekend! :)

- Shannon 

Road Trip - Day 5

Right now the time is 9:30 p.m., and I can still see the last fading rays of the sun... but that's not the only unusual thing... I'm sitting here, out in the middle of nowhere, somewhere in North Dakota.  We are staying at the Lewis and Clark St. Park - a campground located on the Missouri River.  Supposedly we're 30 miles east of the Montana border... which I wouldn't doubt, considering that we've hardly seen another soul most all day today, and the campground that we are at now has only about three other campers.  But, as I was saying before, the most unusual thing is that obviously, there is wireless internet here!!!  Mind you, we don't have a single bar of cell service... lol ...haven't had any nearly all day long.  And most likely, we won't have any nearly all day tomorrow. :)  But I don't mind... it's kind of freeing. lol  Anyhow, we should be getting into Kalispell by tomorrow afternoon/evening sometime.  I'm looking forward to it.  I love the wide-open spaces, but I also love the mountains.  I'm also kinda looking forward to getting out of the van for a few days... one can only handle so many hours of coloring, I-Spy, pillow fights, and Your Story Hour. :p  So yeah, guess I'll guess hit the sack here in a bit... try and get some sleep... didn't get much in the van... kinda hard when there's three antsy kids in the general vicinity... one behind, one in front, and one sitting two seats over... :p

- Shannon

Road Trip - Day 4

So where in the US have the Taylors been so far?

Sergey's graduation from Highland Academy in Portland, TN.

Audrey and Luke's house in Grand Rapids, MI.

Spent the night, and left with Audrey in the morning.

Audrey and Luke's church in Grand Rapids. 

...and one last picture - Isaac doing what he does best. :)

- Shannon

P.s. Right now we're in Minnesota... should make it into Montana by tonight.

A Road Trip

Well, tomorrow we leave for Montana. I'm looking forward to driving up the North Fork again... that feeling that I always get bumping along the dirt road, coming around that last corner before the view opens and you're rendered speechless by your first real glimpse of the mountains... I miss those mountains. I miss waking up every morning to see the sun rising over their purple peaks. It's hard to believe that it's been nearly two years since I was there last.

I can't wait to see the Polebridge Mercantile again too! :) I really grew to love that old place... the crickety front porch, the smell of baking pastries, the payphones in barrels, Sparky and the other dogs, the outhouse out back... lol I have so many good memories from our Friday afternoon bike rides there.

The reason we're driving up to MT is for my brother Michael's graduation. Four years ago, he and I were crazy enough to believe that we could attend a boarding academy out in the boonies of Montana, where the snow banks tower over your head, the only phone is a radio phone, and the nearest real town in over an hour away. :) Two years ago I graduated from Tamarack Springs Academy, in Polebridge MT... and Sunday, the 25th. of this month, Michael will be graduating as well. :)

First, though, we're stopping up in Nashville, TN for my brother Sergey's graduation from Highland Academy. Then Sunday, after grad, we head up to Audrey and Luke's place in Michigan, to pick up Audrey! :) Monday morning we will be taking off for MT, driving an upper-US rout through Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota. We should be arriving in Kalispell sometime around Wednesday afternoon (hopefully we'll all still be in one piece... ;).

I hope to be able to post some pictures and updates as we travel along, but I'll have to see... There's no telling where we're going to have internet access. lol

- Shannon

Happy "Mothers" day?...

Here's to wish you all a Happy Mother's day, seeing as I'm sure the majority of you were not so fortunate as to receive such cheerful tidings!

Granted, I'm still somewhat confused as to why I myself should be the recipient of such tidings...

Maybe it has something to do with age... or maybe it's because I do some of the cooking and cleaning... or maybe it's because I was the lucky soul that got to reprimand the girls last night, for making too much noise after they were supposed to be asleep...

Non-the-less, it was with great rapture that upon hearing dad wish mom a happy mothers day, Heidi came bouncing into the living room to wish me a happy mothers day too!

I sat there a moment dumb-struck... Do I take that as a compliment, or was it some sort of subliminal insult, suggesting an attempt at usurping the matriarchal position?...

She and Hannah then suggested that we call Audrey up and wish her a happy mother’s day as well. (So much for the subliminal insult...)

When informed that Audrey wasn’t a mother either because, “she didn’t have any kids yet, did she?”; Heidi replied, “well we don’t know… let’s call her and find out!”

Needless to say, we called her up, and were reassured that there weren’t any kids in the picture yet. She appreciated the well wishes anyhow. ;)

So hopefully now we've clarified in the little girls minds, as to who holds the title of "mother" in this household... Far be it from me to ever try and usurp THAT position!

- Shannon


P.s. Mom read this peom last night, in one of our Calvin and Hobbes books, and absolutely loved it. lol It's definitely one that most of us Taylor kids could relate to at one point in our life or another. ;)


My mother has eyes on the back of her head!

I don't quite believe it, but that's what she said.

She explained that she'd been so uniquely endowed

To catch me when I did Things Not Allowed.

I think she must also have eyes on her rear.

I've noticed her hindsight is unusually clear.

- Calvin & Hobbes

The Inevitable Conclusion...

This morning, as Hannah was setting out stuff for breakfast, she found the table scattered with crumbs from the previous meal. Seeing as it’s Heidi’s job to clear the table, Hannah called her over and began lecturing her on her poor table clearing skills (typical Hannah-Heidi interaction).

As Hannah continued with her lecture, Heidi grabbed a cloth and began wiping the table; not listening to a word Hannah was saying (typical Heidi-Hannah interaction).

Exasperated with Heidi's obvious lack of attention, Hannah concluded with a final, “… and if you don’t cwear the table good, you can get BACTEWIA and DIE!” (the inevitable conclusion to any chore poorly done… you die.)

Now I’m just wondering what we have growing on our table, that the rest of us are unaware of…

Care to join us for a meal?

- Shannon

Sticky Situation

Last Sabbath, I was standing in the Beginners class room with my six-year-old sister Hannah, when a church member came up and commented on seeing me back home. They then asked if I was home for the summer. Before I had time to reply, Hannah grabbed my hand and said, "Yep, and she's stuck with us now!" :)

- Shannon