Christmas Lights!

We made a few updates to our Christmas Lights this year and added music... just wanted to show you guys!! We had a great holiday this year and are very fortunate to have such a wonderful family!

Intercontinental Christmas

Merry Christmas!!

Last night we had a Taylor Christmas gathering at Mom & Dad's with all 12 of us - including Lynn & Mike via skype from Japan! We had good food & wine, did our typical "sibling exchange", spent time catching up, and learned all about a few of the Okinawa customs from Lynn & Mike.

We learned about "Engrish" t-shirts, the "shishadog" (sp?) and new & exciting candy. Paul and Dave were so excited about the "shishadog" that they took it upon themselves to not only figure out how it worked but also to make their own version which was dubbed "the solo-dog". The shishadog is a cup that when filled too high will drain all of the liquid inside. The custom is believed that food & drink should be consumed in moderation, and that if one pours too much into his/her cup, the shishadog will empty it's contents... pretty cool if you ask me!!

It was so nice to have some time that the 12 of us could get together and celebrate the Holidays. We are pretty darn lucky to have such a great family if you ask me!!

Love you guys - Happy Holidays!!

SUMO!

Hey gang,

I put a full post on our blog about my day at the sumo tournament, but I thought I'd give you a little teaser. It was an awesome experience!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LYNN!!

Mike, she's quite a catch huh?!  

Hope its a great one Lynn, wish we could celebrate with ya!  

Tis the Season

I just wanted to let you know that Rusty is ready for Christmas! Hope he brings you some Christmas cheer! Just so you know, Mariah Carry "All I Want for Christmas" was playing while this was taken... that makes it a true Taylor Christmas experience!!

Can't wait to skype on Friday!!! Miss you all!!

Hello from Japan!!

Hey guys,

I have posted on our other blog and have put some photos on Facebook too, but I want to put a few pictures on our Taylor blog too! We are doing great here in Okinawa. There is so much to learn, to see, and to explore! So many times I have said to myself, "My family would LOVE this!!" Sure do hope that a few of you can come over for a visit! It's a whole different country! Anyway, here are a few pics and explanations of the fun, funny, and fantastic!

Never had sushi this good in my life!! Even Mike will try it! They also have big beers.

Rusty loves his new ride... '92 Surf. They keep their cars in fantastic condition!

My new favorite drink: Chu-hi. It's a canned wine cooler and oh so yummy!!

Orion... For Your Happy Time

They put anything in a vending machine and place them EVERYWHERE!! We had to take a photo of this one... HOT DOGS IN A MACHINE! Fantastic!!

The seawall lines the coast in the crowded area around base. It's a great place to eat, drink, shop, scuba drive and take photos.

I really miss you guys! I will keep taking photos so I can pass along the latest and greatest crazy stuff from our end!

Cheers to the Glass's!

Here are a few pictures from Lynn and Mike's send off. We can't believe the time came AND went for you to head to Japan. We sure do miss you already and know we are only a short skype away! (Once you get all set up of course)

It's a Marathon not a Sprint...

I just wanted to post a few pictures from the Indianapolis Marathon! I am so proud of all of the runners, and know that they all have accomplished more than many even dream of!

A Day... or shall we say a few days to give Thanks

It is becoming a "tradition" to celebrate Thanksgiving the weekend before the holiday as an immediate family (sadly without Lynn & Mike) by attending the Oaken Bucket Game in Bloomington / West Laffayette.  What a great weekend!  This obviously does not take place of the actual holiday weekend, in which many of us celebrated again!  

The Pre-thanksgiving weekend at Monroe was fun, relaxing and rejuvenating.  Thanks for a wonderful weekend all, and I hope you all enjoyed the actual Thanksgiving day! 

26.2 and 7,368

This has been a big week for the Taylor clan. This past Saturday Julie, Paul and Kevin ran in the Indy Monumental Marathon. Yes, that's right... 26.2 Miles!!  All three of them dug deep and made it across the finish line! They had quite a cheer team, equipped with loud cheers, signs (some appropriate, some not so appropriate) and as much enthusiasm as they could offer to the runners! It was a very fun day traveling all over Indy to see Julie, Paul & Kevin achieve such an amazing accomplishment. Congrats you guys!

Now we know that 26.2 miles is a long distance, but another distance we are well aware of this week is 7,368 miles. This is the distance from Indianapolis, IN to Okinawa, Japan. The time has come... its moving week for Lynn, Mike & Rusty! We were so excited that they could make it up to Indy on Monday for one last visit before their big trip! Everyone came over to our house for dinner. It was a bittersweet evening... we were so happy to see them, and very sad to say goodbye. We hope they have a safe trip to Japan and hope they know that we are only a "skype" away! Love you guys! (Can someone post some pictures from the evening, I don't have any!)

Confucius said "A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step"... good luck on your journey Lynn, Mike & Rusty! We are with you every step of the way.

Learning to post

Going to meet up with the whole fam damily tonight. Mike and Lynn are in town for a bon voyage get together. I am sure we will have some photos to post later.

So, this is the first post on "Keeping up with the Taylors"... just thought I'd give it a shot!

Lynn & Mike - we hope your move is going smoothly. We are thinking about you guys & can't wait to see you in a few days before you take the big trip across the pond.

Here is a picture of the whole gang just to bring a smile to your face.