For Kristen!!

So Kristen (my wonderful step-sister-in-law) or as I like to call her, my sister, has been the inspiration for many things in my life. The newest of which is my inspiration to learn to quilt. She has been this amazing quilter for years and I have always wished I knew how, so I took it up! I have a dear friend, Diane (not my sweet mom), that took it upon herself to teach me how. With her guidance and my mothers sewing skills, yes, skills, I have been quilting up a storm. My first quilt I blogged the square a while ago. I finished the quilt and then sent it out to be finished on top and apparently the woman who does it is raising the silk worms or the lambs for the wool to make the thread to then use to quilt on the top of my quilt. Either that or she thought that it was sooo beautiful that she is claiming it as her own and taking it to the world fair and winning a blue ribbon as we speak!!

Anyway, while I wait I decided that I would just make them on my own. So yes, I talked my dear sweet husband into buying me the machine of my dreams. Here is a picture of my next creation. It is a quilt that I have made for my sweet little niece Reese!! She will get it when I see her at the beach in July. I don't think that my sister-in-law checks my blog much so I think it will still be a surprise. Anyway, there are still many mistakes because I am learning, but I think that it is adorable. It is as soft as can be and I sewed a jingle bell in it so it makes noise! How fun is that.

The next quilt is a quilt in the making. I am making it for my other sister-in-law Tricia who is having a baby. I have a sneaking suspicion that she is having another boy so I have been making this quilt for her. If I find out differently then I will make another one, but I just have a feeling that it is a boy. Anyway, I think that it is just so fun with all the Dick and Jane fabric.

Anyway, this post is for Kristen to tell her thank you for all of your inspiration! You are the best. I only wish you lived closer so that we could quilt together. Now you only have to tell me what you are having and I will quilt something for you. I know that it won't be as gorgeous as what you can make, but I have learned in the short time I have quilted that it is all about the time and effort that goes into the quilt. It is all about the love and thought that goes into it. I can't wait to make one for you!

These are some cute pictures that I forgot to blog of my mom and Kate. My mom took Kate to go and see Annie when it was in town and these are from their night on the town!!

Rocky Mountain High COLORADO!!!

This raging river is amazing and beautiful and a site to see; however, I tell you not quite a site as the beautiful, funny, smart, engaging, entertaining, and enjoyable lady that Sawyer has been dating!! Ryan and I took the kids to Colorado this weekend to go see Mike, Mikey, Michael, SawDawg, Sawyer and what a treat is was to visit him and see exactly what he has been up to. Let me tell you she is beautiful and I have been thinking that if things don't work out we may just have to keep her and get rid of the Dawgler.

The trip started out slow for we hit traffic, traffic, and then more traffic. Then we went into Spanish Fork Canyon and thought it would be a great idea to just put our car into park for about 2 hours. After we got to know all the cars around us and the kids got to run around for a while we finally rolled into Mike's place around 2:00 a.m. For all of you out there with kids, visit with me for a while that enjoyable fairy land where your kids think that you are going on a 5 hour drive and it turns into an 8 hour drive and they love each other so much that they giggle and laugh the whole way telling each other all the way that they love each other and can't wait to get out of the car so that they can HUG!! Yes, that was my car. I am so lucky to have such children that never fight or say things like, "stop touching me," or "No" or "that's mine, that's mine, that's mine." I really love when my children repeat things over and over and over again because hearing it just once is NEVER enough.

We did get to Colorado safely which is important. We got up and Mike made an amazing breakfast (maybe if my husband had been single longer he would have learned how to cook). Then we went up to Aspen. Talk about gorgeous!! We had a blast. Here are a few pictures from my camera phone because I forgot the camera. We went to John Denver's Sanctuary. Apparently that is what you do when you go to Aspen. I didn't know that John Denver was from Aspen and asked Ryan if he knew that and he said, "I don't know but I do know that his Grandma's feather bed is nine feet high and six feet wide and soft as a downy chick!" That man kills me.

Hanging out of the rocks of lyrics of John Denver Songs!!

We came back and had Bethany over, yes, the better half of Mike. Bethany came over and we had dinner then walked down by the river and went to a movie. The next day the boys went golfing and the girls went shopping and fun was had by all. It was a trip to remember. Colorado is breathtaking and I can see why Mike stays. He has quite the life there. He lives in the cutest town and is in walking distance to just about everything. Now he just needs to figure out how to keep this Bethany and all will be well.

Kids along the Colorado!!

Mike and kids on the bridge of the Colorado!!

Bethany, Kate, and Mike

In front of a huge totem pole.

Ryan, Kate, Marshall, and Mike in front of Mike's house and in front of Mike's POS of a car. Seriously, he hit a deer and backed into a pole and hit something else, but it is a diesel and worth a ton so he won't sell the stupid thing. It is a serious POS he can't even get in the driver's side he has to go through the passenger door. Whatever Dawgler!

Breakfast at Tiffany's???

For Mother's Day this year I got my very first official "Blue Box"!!! Yes, that is an actual picture of my blue box from Tiffany & Co. The reason that I blog about it is not to brag about it, (which is so me to want to do), and don't get me wrong I am bragging about it too because I LOVE IT!!

I would love to share the exchange in which my Tiffany's moment happened.
Emily: (sent an email of the Tiffany's website) Hey honey, I thought that just in case you were wondering what might be a great gift for Mother's Day, here is an idea. I love you tons. Emily.
Ryan: Knock yourself out. Happy Mother's Day.

Yes, that is the end of the entire conversation. I tried to explain to him that it really is the thought that counts and I didn't care so much about the gift and that all he had to do was go to the website and click. I had tried to make it easy enough so that very little effort would have to be made on his part.

However, to my sad dismay he refused. So, yes, I did get my first blue box for Mother's Day, but I bought it, I picked it out, I called Tiffany's, I told them where to send it, and when it came I gave the blank card to Ryan and said, "here did you want to say anything to me on the card." His response....laughter.

I know wipe your tears. I just had to get it off my chest. But the real reason that I did was to remind myself that is the very reason I married Ryan. I know that most of you have heard this story so sit tight while I tell it again.

When I was first dating Ryan I was dating someone else. The kindest nicest guy I have every met, (for the purpose of anonymity we will call him Shawn). Shawn and I had gone to Vegas for the weekend and I was blow drying my hair. Shawn was in a completely different room of the house. I yelled his name, within seconds he was standing in front of me asking me what he could do for me. I was just wondering what time it was. I thought to myself, wow, he is really attentive. Not long after that I was in Vegas with Ryan. I was blow drying my hair yet again and Ryan was in the same different room so I thought to myself that I would do a little experiment. So I yelled his name. I hear him yell back, "What!" I ask what time it was and he yells, "Don't you have a watch?" I remember smiling and thinking to myself that this was the guy for me.

I told my mom this story soon after and she asked me why I would rather have Ryan and I said, "Shawn would give me the world if I wanted it and wait on me hand and foot, but I don't want that I want someone that I know loves me the world over and would give it to me only if I came and got it myself."

So, this Mother's Day was just another small reminder of why I married Ryan and didn't marry Shawn. I have to continue to remind myself that's what I wanted, but when I look into his big blue eyes it isn't hard to remember. Oh, and the fact that he still worships the ground I walk on...that makes it easier too.



This is the cake that I made for Ryan's mom on Mother's Day. We had a great meal at her house on Sunday and I brought dessert. Ryan said that this is the best cake that I have ever made. I am not sure if he was trying to make up for the Tiffany's thing or if he really loved it, but it was pretty tasty. It was a lemon lime cake with lemon curd in between the layers with butter cream icing. It was very spring and refreshing.

I hope that you all had a great Mother's Day. I am still on my Stephenie Meyer high because The Host was fabulous!! I loved the book, if you read it please post a comment because I am dying to talk to those that read it. And it has been a while since I had a movie quote, so if you made it though my rant here it is...

"She is expecting."
"What, a social security check!"

Obsessed Much!!

Obsessed Much!!

Okay you all know that I am obsessed with the Twilight series and yes I am sure I will love the movies also, because I LOVE movies. I naturally have an obsessive personality (which I am sure that my husband is grateful for, tee hee hee). So, the discussion begins. Now that you have seen the preview for the movie I have to say that I actually agree with the casting of Bella and Edward. I didn't even think to cast Cedrick Diggory for Edward; however, I did shed a mini tear when he died in Harry Potter and not because he was such a great character, but because he was so stinkin handsome and I was sad to see him go and leave Harry and Ron. What a British pity.

Anyway,Bella's cast is great because she is pretty and yet has that constant look of confusion. She did that well in Zathura also. I am already getting little butterflies of excitement in my stomach to see the movie. I am happy to be in Stephenie Meyer mode all over again. I of course have begun her newest novel.




For all of you wondering out there if it was just a fluke with the Twilight series, NO WAY!! I am again HOOKED. It is a page turner and just as fun. However, just to let you know. This might make it more readable, this is not a children's book, this is for adults. So, needless to say, I was all over it and loving it. Not, that I didn't love the Twilight series, but I am very glad that this is an adult novel. Once again, obsessive much!!

So, on to my next obsession. QUILTING!! I love it and want to do it more and more. I however feel like I am bothering my dear friend all the time because she is so sweet and letting me do it at her house on her machine. So, my new obsession, again that I am sure my husband it very excited about is...

The Bernina 230!!
I know that it is so beautiful that you all are drooling from the mouth. Well, it can be MINE with your kind donations. Please feel free to send cash, check, or money order to my address. I promise that it will be used with love and care. If you send money (over $50) I will make you a quilt of thanks. (size of quilt is determined on size of donation).

Lastly, I went to Las Vegas last weekend for my sweet niece Sarah's Baptism. She is the cutest thing ever and I am so glad that I went. I took Kate and she got to spend the weekend with her cousins. A fun time was had by all.

I took some girlfriends and stayed at the Paris Hotel and "did" Vegas!! I would love to give detail...but what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but I will give you the top 5 things I learned going to Vegas that I didn't know before I went.

1. Apparently underwear is optional (we found this out first hand)
2. Apparently you have to have a drink in your hand at all times of the day.
3. Apparently being from Vegas is of no help when you haven't been there in 15 years.
4. Apparently asking the hotel where the closest movie theatre is, is not a common question.
5. Apparently two days is plenty of time to be in Vegas, but not enough time to eat at all the fantastic restaurants!