Catching Up!!

So, I am not staying current at all when it comes to blogging, in case you hadn't noticed!! I can always seem to find other ways to spend my time or I could just be avoiding the computer. No the last one isn't it because I can find plenty of time to waste on facebook. Oh well, I will ponder it further and then it can be a future post!
Because of my procrastination I will touch on a few big things that happened in the past few months and then make a solemn vow to stay current. Okay, here we go...

In Feburary, Ry and I celebrated 11 years of wedded bliss, HA!! I am only speaking from my POV but the last word that I would ever associate with myself would be bliss! I am difficult, demanding, assertive and occasionally moody. That is right people, I own it!! Every inch of stubborness and every pound of pride! That is why I consider it no small feat that Ry is somehow able to put up with it every day. It goes far beyond just the fact that he accepts my many and varied flaws. Amazingly, he loves them or maybe more accurately he loves me and in turn accepts the whole package "as is"! Now Ry is definately not without his own "special qualities" but that is the beauty part, we each call it as we see it!! I think the most important thing I have learned from Ry is to laugh it off! I cannot tell you how many times I have choked on toothpaste while we were brushing our teeth. Usually it happens because Ry will do his rendition of a phone conversation we had that day where I was yelling about something(it doesn't happen that often, but when it does they make for great nightime bathroom standup)! Once we were going to Idaho and I had spent days getting us packed because Ry was out of town. Ry said he would be home by 2 or 2:30. I had the car packed, the kids ready, the house clean and finally get a call at 4:15! Needless to say I was not nice! Ry calls from his cell, "HI, um I am in a helicopter about a half-hour from the office, okay?" Along with many other screams that I let out that day, the one that has stuck and is repeated often is "You better get your Ass home!!!" (Must be said in a somewhat high-pitched voice with alot of vinegar behind it!) Ry puts his shoulders back and flips his head from side to side when he says it and I die of laughter every time!! That seems kind of a trivial story to share when I think of the past 11 years and all the many incredible things that we have been through! Each time I had a baby and the look on Rys' face as he welcomed our children into this world. Each time we stayed up late embroiled in some useless argument. Each time we considered new employment or a move to somewhere else. Each time we drive in the car and he reaches his hand out to hold mine. Each time we kneel in family prayer. Each time he leaves for a trip and each time he comes home. Each kiss, each hug, every smile, all are burned indelibly on my heart. I could not have imagined a more wonderful life or a better man. I am so blessed!!

Tagged!!

1.How long have you been together?
Married 11 years in February.

2.How long did we date? I am afraid to answer that one!! We talked on the phone for the first time Dec. 13, 1997. We were married Feb. 27, 1998. I wouldn't change a thing!!

3. How old is he? 32

4. Who eats more? Me, sadly enough!!

5. Who said, "I love you," first? I don't know...According to Ry I kissed him first, but I didn't he came 90 and I came in the other 10!

6. Who is taller? Ry, thankfully!

7. Who does the laundry? That one is mostly Ry!

8. Who does the dishes? Again I would say Ry. I cook, he cleans up!

9. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? If you are looking at the bed I do.

10. Who pays the bills? Ry mostly!!

11. Who mows the lawn? Again Ry, this is looking bad for me!

12. Who cooks dinner? Oh good, this one is all me! Ry does make the most phenomenal waffles though!!

13. Who is more stubborn? That has got to be me, I am a pain!

14. Who kissed who first? I will say that is a draw, we both wanted to kiss!!

15. Who asked who out? Kind of me! I had a work party and my parents knew his parents and I called him because I didn't know anyone else and his girlfriend answered the phone!! That is right, girlfriend!! I spoke quickly and when I hung up I thought I was headed to the party stag but he called me back 2 hours later, we talked forever. He asked me out for the night before the party, that was a Thursday, and on Sunday he asked me what temple I wanted to get married in? Two weeks later we were offically engaged, INSANITY!!

16. Who proposed? Ry, on his knee the whole bit!

17. Who is more sensitive? Of course the girl, hello!!

18. Who has more siblings? Me, 5 brothers.

19. What were you doing ten years ago? Pregnant with Isabel, whoa how time flies!!

20. Five things on my to-do list: Make dinner, paint stripes in Griffins room, get a cool mantle for the fireplace, make a cheesecake for Rys' B-day, pack for going home for the holidays!!

21.Things I would do if I was suddenly made a billionaire. Definately pay off the house, travel somewhere with a great beach and save baby save!!

22. Three of my bad habits: Procrastination!! Aw I stink at planning ahead sometimes. I get worked up way too fast, I don't live in the moment as often as i should!!

23. Five places I have lived: West Valley, Utah, Bountiful, Utah, Pocatello, Idaho, Shelley, Idaho, Montrose Colorado.

24. Five jobs I have had: Supergrinders night manager, The Buckle, Bank of Commerce, Office manager, Photographer

25. Things people don't know about me: There is so many like I am going to list them!!

Edward Who????

I am still trying to figure out what exactly a blog is supposed to be. People use them for everything from keeping in touch with family to sharing recipes and beyond. I started our blog back in September mainly to show how the kids were doing and to give me some motivation to take more pictures(it was still feeling like a job until a few months ago). Thanks to the inspiration of others I find myself with the urge to share my ideas and opinions, express don't repress!! HA Ha Maybe I need to seperate the two? Oh, well...
Last night I went with a gaggle of ladies to see the much anticipated Twilight. We drove to Grand Junction (which is an hour away) to not only see the movie but to get a break from the norm. As we were driving the women, and we are all women age 30 and above, started talking about the book and I found myself to be the only one who was not completely infatuated with Edward. I would consider myself just as much a fan as anyone. Goodness, I read the first 3 books in less than 5 days!! Of course Edward & Bella seem perfect for each other and he is written as sensitive, strong and protective. He is also described as breathtaking to look at and a body that appears to be chiseled from marble. All of that is great, but Edward has never been the motivation for reading the books. I suppose it is more a chance to remember what it feels like to fall in love. Crap, that sounds totally corny!! It is however the truth.
Years ago, before I was married I sat through a relief society lesson that I thought was a load of steaming hot manuear!! The Stake President was talking to us about marriage and relationships when he said something to the effect that on the day he got married he didn't really know what love was and that the love we find in our youth can't even compare to what it can become. I was 18 at the time and knew everything! Of course I knew what love was all about. At the time it was about getting something on Valentines Day or flowers for no reason. It was about stolen kisses and long talks tying up the phone lines. It was about having a date on Friday night or to the prom. It was about holding hands with someone as you walk to class and feeling butterflies every time you saw that person. My idea of love was infatuation or lust, but definately not love!
Now, more than a decade later, I am getting just a glimmer of what it truly means to be in love. Don't get me wrong, that intial feeling of uphoria is a powerful force but it truly cannot compare to the ever deepening flow that exsists when 2 people truly love each other. Ry shows me that every day!! I have said before that I just don't get out much. Griffin is my little sidekick, which I love, but it can make a simple outing such as a girls night out nearly impossible. Sherrie, my friend was coordinating the whole Twilight extravaganza. I told her earlier in the week that I was not going because I could not leave Griffin for that long due to the nursing that he refuses to cut back on and his outright refusal of any bottle. My amazing husband came home that night and said no way was I missing a chance to hang out with other adults. He drove to Grand Junction and took care of Griffin while I went to the movie. Beyond that he went and picked up a light fixture that I wanted for the dining room. Not the one he wanted the one I had picked out. I think that for me love is about the small and simple, compromise and sacrifice, and above all it is about putting their needs on the top of the list. I am truly grateful for a man that shows me how that is done everyday!! And just for the record, I still get butterflies everyday he walks in the door!

Long lost Love...

The girls and I rarely have the chance to spend time together just as girls, you know? Having Griffin has been wonderful but also a reality check! When you have a little 2 foot person who relies on you for their main food source you don't get out much (yes Mom I am feeding him other things but he loves to nurse!!). Anyway, back to me and the girls... Growing up with 5 brothers didn't exactly prepare me for the non-stop emotional roller coaster that is girl. When I was little I had 2 Barbies, one that Blake and I decapitated, and the other that we burned holes in using our trusty glasses (which we all had) and the sun. Suffice it to say I was not a "girlie girl". While friends were growing out there hair to have it long and curly, I was cutting it short and straight(there was alot of perming in the 80's but that was only because it made it very easy to do!). I loved hanging out with boys most of my childhood. Boys were what I socialized with at home and they seemed to be easier all the way around. If you got in a fight with a guy, you would punch each other or call each other on the carpet and it was over. I have several white slips from Whittier Elementary for fighting during recess that prove I could roll with the boys!! With girls it is a never ending string of peaks and valleys. Constant snapping at each other and gossiping, Yuck! With all that being said, there was one "girlie" thing I could not get enough of, dance. When we moved to 6011 Contadora Dr. fate intervened. Next door to us was a lady who taught dance out of her home. My Mom enrolled me at once. I believe I was 6 and completely in heaven. I couldn't learn enough. I would beg Pam, my dance teacher, to have extra classes or classes on Saturday(mind you I lived next door, poor woman!). Most of the time she would let me go downstairs and dance for hours in the studio, it was marvelous! I continued dancing til I graduated High school. I performed with the studio at recitals and competed all over. I danced with the high school dance team and was even an officer my senior year. Hell I danced at the grocery store, my backyard, the parking lot on the way to the car. Anywhere that had an open space! I did tap and jazz, modern and lyrical, but my greatest love was ballet. One of my proudest days was when my mom took me to get my first pair of toe shoes. I have goosebumps just thinking about it!! I had worked very hard to strengthen my ankles and every other inch of me so I could be on pointe. I don't remember every broken toenail or the severe muscle ache after countless hard workouts, what I do remember is a hand full of performances that I swear I was floating above the ground. The feeling of expressing an emotion without having to say anything. When high school was over my family moved to Idaho Falls and I reluctantly followed. My dancing days were over. On Saturday I had the opportunity to take the girls to see the BYU Ballet Company. Izzy & Ella started taking dance lessons in September. Izzy has chosen to do just ballet and Ella is still on the fence, she does a mixture of tap and ballet. They were excited to go see some real ballerinas. We had to drive about a half hour and as we did I thought back to my days of tights and leotards. A dull ache started in the center of my chest, which I thought was odd. As the lights went down and the Pas de Deux from Romeo & Juliet began I understood where the ache in my chest was coming from, it was loss or grieving. I had no idea that there was such a large hole in my soul. The performance was very well done and Izzy was breathless most of the time(Ella gets bored with anything pretty quickly and she was annoyed that we didn't have treats). We left the theater and on the drive home I started concocting ways to get back in to dance. Our town is not that big but I am going to figure out something. When I became a Mom, like it does with anyone who becomes a Mom, my gaze shifted completely. Everything became about my kids, my husband, my church calling, the house, the laundry, the bills, dinner AARGHH!! Some days it feels like you are just a robot on autopilot. Where is the passion and excitement? Well for me I found it on a stage in Delta, Colorado on Saturday night. Okay so while I was thinking about writing this I went through "the box". It holds pictures and memories from long ago. So I picked a few out and thought it would be fun to share! Laugh away at the hair-dos and large glasses!




Just as a update, last night was dance lessons for the girls. I have been asking since I signed them up if they were going to have adult classes and the answer has always been "when we have enough interest". Well last night I got good news that I can come and try out 2 different classes and see which one suits. Of course I will be dancing with teenagers but what better motivation to loss some more baby weight!!

Halloween

Halloween is always fun!! I remember when I was little the fun I had dressing up, doing funky makeup and of course binging for days on candy. I think it is even more fun now to dress up my own kids and walk from house to house in the dark!! Ry stayed home this year and gave out candy and I took Ella around (Izzy was with her friends). We had a great time talking about school and friends that she has made. It is still amazing to me that this move hasn't shaken things up more. The girls really have been so amazing! Not to brag, but we went to parent/teacher conferences last week and the girls are both in the highest reading and math levels and doing beautifully. I am so grateful for the little women they are becoming and the opportunity I have to be their Mom!!

What's Changed...

I have not put anything new up for awhile due in part to craziness around here and also the disgusting amount of time spent on Facebook. Talk about a time waster!! It is amazing to see old friends and how we all change. I suppose that I have never been anywhere long enough to see those around me really grow and become something different then they are for the 3 or 4 year period that we inhabit the same world. Ry and I will have been married 11 years in February. In that time we have not stayed in one place longer than 3 1/2 years. Does anyone get to stay in their hometown and enjoy the security that comes from knowing those around them for decades rather than just months? Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed the experience of a new place, different house, exciting possibilities that come from moving. There is something very enticing about the chance to "start over". As if you could be someone new just because your next door neighbor has no idea what a brat you were as a 7 year old. However, I subscribe to the old adage, "wherever you go, there you are". Maybe I shouldn't say subscribe. More accurately I know it to be a constant truth. Every time Ry and I get a new vehicle(we are on our 6th attempt) I always say "I am going to keep this car so nice!! I'll vacuum and wash windows...blah,blah,blah!!!" Somehow that never seems to happen, go figure. Ry always ends up taking care of it and I always seem to make a mess! I guess if you were a brat as a 7 year old, chances are that will show up from time to time. Change is definitely possible, but a new place or a different car aren't the catalyst for that change. I have been blessed to have experiences that almost force me to glance over my shoulder and scrutinize the path I have walked. When I can see where I have been it gives me the chance to change and redirect where I am headed. I feel that is a true gift, hindsight is always 20/20. Change never happens overnight, but I believe that if we know what course we want to be on, it does happen!

Griffins' New Toy

Griffin is growing so fast!! I thought he needed a little something new, so we got him this baby einstein jumper that he totally digs!! He loves to jump and grab anything he can reach so that it will ultimately end up in his mug for a little taste test. YUMMY, dosen't that plastic son look delicious? I also took a pic of him on the phone with Daddy. Ry has been gone the last couple weeks and thankfully is coming home today!! We sure miss him when he is gone!!