phone blogging!?!?

Who knows how this blog will turn out...I am trying it from my phone(while I get a pedicure!!!), so please excuse any typos(more than normal that is).
It is so hard to believe that tomorrow is August 1..I am not ready for summer to be over that is for sure. The last few days @ the lake with my mom were lots of fun. We haven't had girl time with just the two of us in a while and it was nice to sit and chat about fun girl stuff...our fall fashion wants, hair, Bachlorette gossip, exercise(or lack or) and plans for the next few months-just to name a few!
Yesterday I headed back home to meet Nathan. I must admit I was missing him already!! His parents along with our neice and newphew came up to visit(YIPEEE) They are babysitting Morgan and Marek while Mark and Mandy are out of town. WE HAD A BLAST!!! We played outside when they first got there and then headed to dinner. I just love to hear those little laughs and they sure did lots of laughing!! We had a few choices for dinner and Morgan decided she wanted Texas Roadhouse :) which was just fine with me. The waiter kept looking @ Nathan and I when it came to ordering for the kids...they are so stinking cute I sure didn't mind!! The kids were very well behaved thought dinner and both ate their fair share of food!! I think Marek thought someone was going to eat his food, at one pointhe put too much food in his mouth and then started spitting it out- I asked him if he was ok and he shook his head no- as he contined to spit the rest of it out! Too funny. Diner was very yummy..thanks Mom and Dad T!!
Once dinner was finished Marek was Nathans little buddy ! They were so cute together. Morgan and I had a lots of fun too! They got to watch a little of Nathans softball game before it was time to head home with grandma and grandpa. We were very sad to see them go. Morgan was in tears and ask if she could stay with us...too sweet.
Today Nathan was up VERY eary(4am) to head to work. Once he gets home tonight we are heading back to the lake for a little more RandR and a little fishing too.
Happy weekend!!!

Pedi and blog are finished at the same time...this is a pretty sweet deal!

quick update

Nathan and I have been out of town since Thursday(hence the no-blogging in a few days). We have been at the lake cottage in MI with my mom. Its been a great few days. Nathan and I are home tonight and I am heading back tomorrow morning to spend a few 'mother-daughter' days while Nathan is hard at work.
Just a few things that we have been doing these last few days:

-soaked up the sun(yes we wore sunscreen this time but Nathan forgot his foot...its VERY RED!!)
-went fishing and caught some fish
-celebrated my birthday(I got dancing lessons from Nathan!! and a new golf club from Gavin and Mom)
-ate ice-cream cake
-took a few pontoon rides
-went cannoning
-read a book- Nathan read a war book I read the Tori Spelling book
-slept in
-visited with 'lake friends'
-golfed
-enjoyed not having to go to work!!!
-went running
-relaxed!

I will post pictures when I get back...keep smiling and remember...

God is good all the time and
ALL the time God is good!!

Anniversary Surprise

My husband is amazing!

Yesterday was our 2 year Anniversary and he said that we were 'going out to dinner downtown and you need to get dressed up!' I was so excited all day- I had no idea where we were going but I couldn't wait. He said to be ready to go around 4. I was dressed and ready(well almost) when he got home. I had just finishing getting ready when he said he needed me to come 'look at something'. He had beautiful flowers and a present for me on the kitchen counter. I opened the box and to my surprise and excitement there was a beautiful blue dress in the box!!! Not just any blue dress but the exact blue dress from Banana Republic that I had been eying for quite sometime now. I could not believe it!! He is wonderful.
He said he was sorry that I had to change but didn't think I would mind..that was for sure! I put on my new blue dress, finished getting ready and we were off to the city.

I still had no idea where we were going but I was to excited to care. We were together and I was loving my new dress. We parked next to Water Tower Place and he said we had some time to kill so we walked in and out of stores for a while until around 6 when he said we needed to go across the street to the John Hancock Building. We got into the elevator and headed to the 95th floor...yes I did type that correct the 95th floor. He had made reservation at The Signature Room Restaurant on the 95th floor of the John Hancock Building!!!!!!!!!!

just before going into the Hancock Building


It is a beautiful restaurant overlooking the city and Lake Michigan. Talk about breath-taking. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner all while sitting 95 floors up! Nathan had Snapper and I had Eggplant Lasagna for dinner each with a glass of wine and we shared an amazing fruit cobbler for dessert.

the view of the city from our table


just after dinner in my new blue dress(those are the shoes I wore at our wedding too!)

It was an absolute perfect evening.

The Wedding!

Kelly's wedding was so much fun. The celebration started on Thursday with a dinner boat cruise on their boat the American Beauty II. It was a perfect night to be on the water and the boat was amazing. We cruised up and down the Ohio River, had dinner, drinks and enjoyed meeting Tims(the grooms) family/friends.

bride and groom

my love

bridal party


Friday morning my mom and I ran to get my nails done early in the morning and then headed to Lynn's Paradise Cafe to set up for the Bridal Luncheon. This was sooo much fun! Mom and I had gotten magnetic frames and letters for everyone to decorate. Each girl got their own frame and could pick and choose what they wanted their frame to say. The food was delicious and a good time was had by all.
Lynns Paradise Cafe

Kelly & I

bridesmaids

everyone decorating their frames

table before everyone arrived


Friday night we headed to the rehearsal dinner @ Hubers Orchard & Winery where there was a blue grass band, delicious fried biscuits and apple butter along with horse shoes and fried green tomatoes!! yummy!

Saturday was the big day!! We started the gettin' ready process around 10am. We had our hair and make-up done then started taking pictures. The wedding and reception was held at the e Henry Clay in Louisville. It was a beautiful place! After the ceremony we headed to a cocktail hour followed by dinner and dancing. We had a really good time. Kelly looked absolutely beautiful and her dad gave a very nice speech welcoming everyone. I had never been to a black tie wedding but it was really cool seeing all of the men in their tuxs and the women in formal gowns. I am not going to brag too much but... Nathan was by far the hottest guy there and looked VERY handsome in his tux!!
Bride & I

Nathan and I dancing
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Nathan & I

Mom, Gavin, Nathan & I

Bride & Groom

Mom & Gavin being silly

tables(so beautiful)

our good friends Heather & Stephen and us

Gavin and I dancing together


It was an absolutely wonderful day and we could not be happier for them. They make a great couple and I am confident that God has many awesome things in store for them.


Today is Nathan and I's 2 year anniversary!!! It is soo hard to believe that it was two years ago today that we were walking down the aisle for the first time as Mr. & Mrs.Taulman!! Time really does fly when you are having fun & flying with your best friend. I am the luckiest girl in the world to be married to such an amazing man. He is taking me out to a surprise dinner downtown tonight!!! I can't wait!!
my Prince Charming!

Not me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week. This week I decided to join in on the fun- hopefully it will give you a few good laughs.

Yesterday I did not consume more than my fair share of daily recommended calorie intake(the wedding was over and I did not have to worry about fitting into the bridesmaid dress!)- this did not include: an order of french toast from IHOP, 1 hot dog, chips, fudge, french fries, Pen Station sub, M&M's...ok I am not telling anymore because it is making me sick!

This week I did not have to wash the same load of laundry 3 times because I left it in the washer to long and the clothes smelled. Then my husband did not fold the clothes after he had just worked for 12 hours!

There is no way that last week I would lay out side for 4 hours without sunscreen on.(shhh.. dont tell Nathan)

I did not read The Bachlorette blog and message boards just to see what everyone else thought about Jillian keeping Ed!

Today I am not going to take a nap outside instead of doing laundry from the weekend.


Be sure to check back tomorrow for Kelly's Wedding Weekend(it was in the New York Times!!!) details... o so much fun and LOTS to post about.

packed & ready!

Kellys wedding is finally here!! Saturday is the big day, however they have lots of fun things planned for us before then. Thursday night we have a diner boat cruise on the Ohio River, Friday mom and I are hosting a bridal luncheon for her at a crazy Louisville Restaurant called Lynns Paradise Cafe , followed by the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner at Hubers Orchard & Winery.I can't wait!
I just finished packing ALL of the bags(only 2 LG suitcases and 1 SM), Nathan is getting ready to load up our bikes, golf clubs and of course the dress and tux. We are so excited, it is going to be a great three days I just know it.
It has been a process getting everything ready today..there was a slight mishap with my hair appointment this morning...they didn't have an apt. scheduled for me (panic mode set in) however, a really sweet girl had a cancellation so she squeezed me in. Then I decided today that after trying on and re-trying on my dress that my shoes were to tall(panic mode set in again) so I made a mad dash to DSW and found a shorter pair(that's what happens when you are taller then 5'5!). After finding the shoes I went to pick up Nathans tux and they could not find it(panic mode set in for third time), however they quickly realized that they were looking in rentals instead of alterations and found it ready to go. After that morning its a good thing I had a run this morning or I think I just might have gone a little crazy today. Never the less, everything is packed and ready!

Have a great Friday and stay tuned for pictures from all of the events!

walking taco's

The walking taco's last night were a huge hit!
For all you city folk or anyone else missing the Fair this year, here is the recipe and a few pictures.

Ingredients
1 pound of ground meat cooked
1 package of taco sauce
shredded cheese
lettuce
salsa
sour cream
1 bag of Fritos(this is the most important part)


Directions:
1. Put LOTS of Fritos on the plate
2. Load them up with any other taco goodies that you choose
3. Diner is served!!



Nathan's plate after the walking taco's walked away-haha!

if you REALLY want the 'fair walking tacos' you serve them out of a small Fritos bag so that you can 'walk' the fair all while enjoying your tacos!
-the best part about these delicious treats is that you can make them as healthy as you choose(Nathan got lots of Fritos and meat while I only had a little to stay within my WW points range for the day!!)

Happy cooking and enjoy your Tuesday.

golf, bridal showers & shopping

We have had a very fun last few days that consisted of golfing, a bridal shower and shopping. On Friday we..you guessed it- went golfing with Nathan's parents- we didn't play so well but still had a good time. Saturday I went to a bridal shower for a good friend from college who is getting married in September. The shower was at an AWESOME restaurant in Indy called Petite Chou
. It was such a cool restaurant and had delicious food. She got lots of great gifts and it was fun seeing her and fellow ZTA girls.

While I was at the shower Nathan met up with Kyle (a very good friend from college)who lives in Kokomo and they played a round of golf together(that made 3 days in a row for him...I think he needs help). They got started a little late so I had time to do a little shopping in Indy(YIPPPEE). Indy might just be my favorite place to shop-its way better then Chicago!! I made a trip to Anthropologie and they were having a sale(otherwise there is not too much in that store I can afford!) I have been looking for a dress to wear to Kelly's rehearsal dinner on Friday so I was on a mission. Unfortunately- but to Nathan's excitement my mission was unsuccessful....however, there still is time and I found a few other good buys(shh).

After his golfing and my shopping trips we went out to dinner with Kyle, his wife Annie and their adorable little girl Teagan. They are such a great couple and we had a wonderful time. Teagan was very well behaved and enjoyed trying out the lemon's from our waters. Hopefully we will be able to see them again soon.

here she is after the first taste.


she needed 'sweet' hug from daddy to take away the sour taste!


Since today is such a beautiful day here, Vicky and I had a 'lay-out' day and now I am a little on the pink side! I am trying to get a little sun before Kelly's wedding next weekend (more on that later) but that sun was a little stronger then I thought-opps.

Tonight, in celebration of all of the Indiana fairs that are happening, I have decided to make 'walking tacos' for dinner! I will post the recipe and pictures for all you city folks tomorrow!!

fighting a nap & Welcome baby Hadleigh

I feel like a little kid who's mother will not let her take a nap because she knows she will not sleep tonight if she does!! I have had a 'busy' summer morning and am pretty tired. :) Here was my 'busy' morning consisted of:

-I got up to make Nathan breakfast and pack his lunch before he headed to work.
-Did a little laundry.
-Headed to the gym to meet Vicky for our spinning class that kicked our tails but loved it.
-Went to the eye doctor and had my eyes dilated. everything checked out good(new contacts on their way)
-Gave a basketball shooting lesson to a past player for an hour- you know her shot looked bad if I could help her!!
-Folded the laundry.
-Posting a blog now because I do not want to nap... however this could be me soon!!






Baby Hadleigh:
Our good friends from sm(small group), Jonas and Hilary, had their first baby on Monday!!! YIPPEEEE. Her name(which I just love) is Hadleigh Brooke and from the pictures we have seen she is absolutely beautiful! We are so excited and happy for them. We can not wait to meet the little one...hopefully tomorrow!

Blog Hop!!

Blog Hopping?!?!?!

This is the first time I have ever done this... I think I already screwed it up once!opps. From what I understand this week they are doing a 'favorite' picture post. I took this picture a few weeks ago and every time I look at it it makes me smile! It's Nathan and I's wedding bands laying inside of a flower @ our house. I thought the colors turned out really neat.

Happy Monday!

It is an absolute beautiful July day here...its about 82 and sunny with a slight breeze. Nathan and I just got off of the golf course(yes, we really are addicted) a little bit ago and are getting ready to cookout in a bit.
Yesterday at church we started a new series called 'faith @ work'. This weeks sermon focused on integrity. Our pastor focused on how integrity reflects who you are @ work and at home. He used a passage from Colossians 3:17 that I have thought about alot today. Maybe it will give you a little different perspective as you go about your week.. I know it will me.
And whatever you do, work at it with all of your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Happy Monday!

American Tradition & Taste of Chicago

I hope that everyone had a wonderful 4th of July! Nathan and I decided a few weeks ago that we would spend our 4th doing something that has been a great American tradition for a while now, we went to a....BASEBALL GAME! Not just any old baseball game a... CUBS GAME!
The weather was a little on the chilly side for July 4th here in Indiana(it was 72 and rainy) but we were under a canopy so we stayed warm and dry. We were hoping for an exciting Cubs victory but unfortunately the Brewers seemed to have the magic bats. Despite the 2-11 loss we still had fun and enjoyed being at Wrigley.


Happy 4th from Wrigley!


just before the National Anthem


outside Wrigley


Notice that the Cubs have the bases loaded, they did this twice...too bad they didn't score either time!!




On Wednesday we had very special visitors up in our neck of the woods. Nathan's hs basketball coach and his family took a trip to Chicago and made a stop to see us! They invited us up on Wednesday to experience the Taste of Chicago with them and then stopped by our house on their way home. They have a 'little' Nathan who is a very fun, dinosaur loving, 4 year old and a little sweetie named Addie who is just as cute as can be. We enjoyed lots of good food- everything from corn on the cob to chocolate dipped bananas(one of my favorite treats!). After The Taste we went to Navy Pier and enjoyed some fireworks. It was very neat to watch the expressions on the kids faces each time a firework went off. On Thursday they stopped by our house and we enjoyed dinner outside. Nathan and I just really enjoy spending time with them. They are just really an amazing family. They are always so positive and easy going and have a wonderful outlook on life and love for each other.

little Nathan showing me his dinosaur face


Addie enjoying her first taste/ear of corn


Nathan enjoying his corn on the cob!


little Nathan is telling big Nathan about the dinosaurs they saw at the zoo!


I got to enjoy play time in the park with little Nathan and Addie


my love


Samantha and Nathan enjoying the fireworks
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Coach and Addie(I just love her expression)

Welcome!

Welcome to our new blog!! This summer I have had a little extra time on my hands and have done some 'blog research'. Through all of my 'intensive' research (haha) I have decided to make the move from wordpress to blog spot. It seems that there are many more fun things to add and its free! Not to worry for some of you(mom, this is for you!) I will keep a link on the old blog just in case you happen to forgot the new web address.

I thought a good way to start the new blog was to show you a few pictures of our home sweet home. It is still a work in progress(maybe get more then 2 walls painted before we decide to move!haha) but we love it and hope that you enjoy it too! Visitors are ALWAYS welcome!!

Enjoy our house and our new blog...

Our Sunroom(Nathan picked out the blue wall color and it looks great!)

Our Living Room


Our Living Room


Our Dining Room

Our Kitchen


Office(notice 'Wallie' on the wall- he is Nathan's prize fish and our pet! I would highly recommend one of this kind he is very easy to take care of!!)



Office looking through the french doors


Guest Room(maybe someday a babies room :) )


Our bedroom(looking into the master bathroom)

This is our 'summer' duvet- if I could afford to change bedspreads every week I would!