Saturday

Wells Fargo tower downtown (not very big because the LDS church has a stronghold on building heights to keep the church offices the tallest. I think a bigger one is currently being built at the old ZCMI site?)

The Lungs O' Fire team

During the news shoot...

...Our Captain of the team (my old wildland squad boss) Riley Pilgrim...

...our vantage during the shoot...

Masking up right before the 598 steps/23 stories

Steve Quinn (right, my Engineer on shift) and myself (left)

Away I go. What was I thinking? Massage?


At the top

Teamwork at the top. Get it off me!

This wife knows her place! Where did he find her?

Man massage?!

Not what PJ and I had in mind!

Thanks for matching all the donations Phil W.

Busy. Tower climb in the morning. Catching up on house projects because I finished another class Friday night. (Tara finished some painting Friday night, so I rehung the banister to the basement and installed her kitchen cupboard knobs and handles I got her for her birthday. Her projects never end. Can any husband out there help. Is this normal?) And last was UFA's (my work) prom night/year in review banquet downtown Salt Lake.

Some nice lady walked up to our car as we were going into the parking place and gave us a free ticket to park. Thank goodnes the Jazz were playing last night or else we would not have had to struggle to park and then got free parking.

Hot babes! I felt like a teenager all over.

Lucky Tara got to sit by "Tipsy" at our table. You will have to ask her about it! Truly a night to remember.

No pics of the kitchen. Tara told me she is modest. You will have to come visit to see all the work. For me, I'm through.

My Trip

Last month, Will let me go see Heidi and Maddox for 8 days. Heidi and I met eachother in highschool and have kept in touch for a long time. We have traveled to Spain and Costa Rica together, and I have enjoyed visiting her throughout the years. My most recent trip was the best because I got to meet her new addition, Maddox. I never understood how important it was to have an assistant after you had a baby until I had my own. So when I found out this little miracle was on his way, I bought a plane ticket and went to help. We laughed a lot, organized a lot, shopped, went to the doctor, and even visited the ocean. I miss the baby a lot, but I miss Heidi and Brandon even more. It is so nice to have friends that you can share so much with. I love you Heidi and thank you for letting me be a part of your wonderful expericence of being a first time MOM. That's right, Mom and you are good one. PS Brandon thanks for taking me to Pinkberry. :)

Will, thanks for letting me go. I know the kids missed me, but they had a lot of fun with their dad.

Cora's Pictures

Uncle.

And not the relative kind. Really. Help.

I have learned some things from Tara's absence:

1-I stll love mommies and I'll be a momma's boy 'til the day I die and longer.
2-I will never be a single parent and will never wish that on anyone either-no matter how bad it might get. Call me stupid but either I can listen to her scream at me all day, or I can never have me time.
3-If I post #2 you're all wondering--does she really scream at me all day long?
4-I still really enjoy my 2 days/48 hours straight at work
5-You are now wondering-Are #2 and #4 directly or inversely related?
6-Gag reflex sensitivity is present at birth and continues until about 6 months. Somewhere between 18 months and 2 years it comes back for those who suffer from it.
7-Ila has also figured out #6 and continues to prove it. Sometimes in the car. Sometimes at the table. Sometimes all over Daddy's lap at the table. No wonder why she does not want to eat. Most of it comes back up.
8-I don't need Tara present to procrastinate.
9-I don't need Tara present to stay up late, but I do need her here to go to bed before midnight.
10-Better get some homework done. It is piling up

The Lone W.

Two more days

Dear fellow bloggers,

I am so excited!! I get to leave all five children for 8 days with Will....Where am I going?

To visit Heidi in San Diego of course! I cannot wait to see her new baby and I am just dying to hold him. I will admit I am a little worried and maybe a little sick knowing how much I will miss my family, but I really want to do this for me and my friend. We have been friends for 12 years and still talk to each other almost weekly. What a better reason to get together then to go help her out. I have had great lessons from my personal nurse (Will) and Becky so I think I will know just how to take care of the new mom. Love you guys and blog you soon.

love,
Tara

PS Will is a great Dad and I know that he is just dying to take the reins for a while.

The Pictures of Explanation

Our crazy wind storm before the snow. Now we are practically buried.

One of my very few Christmas Pictures...I never take enough. I was so tired.

Cora with the Dora Globe.

The Basement, what can I say, its done. We will have to give it color later, but I am so glad and so are the kids.....

The kids room under the stairs.

FINISHED

Dearest Love,

Thanks for spending the entire last month working your butt off in the man cave. You stayed up so many nights until 2 am and later, so that we could have our basement finished by Christmas Eve. You bathed in paint, calked with a wierdo, and layed brick at a moments notice. I love you so much and appreciate you "sticking to it" more than you will ever know. I love you.

Love

Me

PS The new office is great and it is even better not having 3 kids in one room anymore.


Dear Blogetts,

I have been on Blog strike ever since the basement started. I hope to see you next year or maybe sooner. However, I am now the mother of 5 and this does complicate things. We took another foster placement on December 12th. I hope the adjustment will be short but I doubt it. This has been another busy year and I have so much to tell you all. Mostly, I love and miss you all and see all the fun things that have happened while I stepped out. I cannot wait to finish catching up. I also hope to get a new page this year because I think my current is over a year old.


Love

Tara