Legen...hope your not lactose intolerant...dary

Dylan really got into Ryan's birthday last week. He is still telling him happy birthday every day. The day of his birthday Dylan was INSISTENT that it was also my birthday and when I corrected him he would argue vehemently. I loved it! Even today I was on a work call and Dylan came over and said "Hi daddy" and started singing Happy Birthday into the phone. Luckily the guy I was talking to also has a toddler and thought it was pretty funny!


On the big day we decorated with "alloons", the banner Dylan chose and the card he made. Then we made numma french toast.

I had planned a surprise dinner with Ryan's family but of course it didn't work out as a surprise! Ryan was starving and I ran out of excuses as to why he should wait until 7 to eat...Thanks everyone for coming and keeping it on the down low.
Thank goodness Grandpa took pictures because I wasn't very good about that this week! Of course they are all of Dylan, we all saw enough of Ryan in this post - or did we???


Everyone was so thoughtful with gifts! We got him a new belt buckle and watch, his mom and dad got him a beautiful copy of Farewell to Arms, Kristi got him the running stuff mentioned before and Mike got him some of his favorite shows and a very funny card.

Saturday the celebrations continued with my family at SDRC and dinner at Texas Roadhouse. It was so much fun and really yummy! Again spoiled he got one of his favorite films Orange County, an Apple gift card and the book "Roanoke" which is right up his alley.

(where was my camera??)

My mom took Dylan home while we went to Guster that night.

I know you are thinking "I'm exhausted already!" but that's not all, not even close!

Here comes the tasty icing...

Sunday we had dinner at Madsens. It was so much fun, I have serious withdrawals without you guys, it's not pretty! We did our Christmas and Ashlii and Ryan's birthdays, watched the Golden Globes and played this awesome new game they got us called Dixit - check it out! It's hard (for some of us!) but really unique and fun.

Sophie and Rubie have a special place in my heart, Ryan and I both love these girls! And every time I see them I love them even more. Especially with Dylan. Sophie is so good at playing with these little ones and Rubie and Dylan are absolutely in love, as god intended. They were hugging and holding hands all night without us directing them at all. Granted we betrothed them in utero but since then they have made this choice all on their own.


Thanks to all for the fantastically legendary week! I love that I get all the benefits of Ryan's big day too.

Run Ryan Run

If Ryan had any thought of slacking off with his running his "support" group is making sure that doesn't happen!

It started at Christmas when my mom gave him a large supply of gels to keep him fueled, then Kristi gave him high tech running socks and sport beans for this birthday all to be topped off with this incredible basket from the Madsens. Really? You're all so generous.
You better not let them down Ry, Boston 2012??

Kudos to Cole for the clever contents of the running basket and HUGE thanks to you both for the shoes. He was out in the cold breaking them in last night and raved about them and his happy feet the rest of the evening.


Contents: Men's Health and Fitness magazines, "Where Men Win Glory" by John Krakauer, Clif Bars, 5 Hour Energy, Forrest Gump and ...wait for it... the perfect fanny pack, Ryan wears it even when he isn't running ;-)

Thanks everyone for keeping him equipped and motivated!

A Happy Birthday for ALL!

I think Krissy put it best the other day when she was talking about how old we are --> "we are in our thirties not just 30 anymore!" But old is all about perspective and if we don't keep each other young then Dyl will do it for us.

I KNOW Ryan is going to absolutely KILL me for posting this but here we go...Enjoy it while it lasts I forsee a post removal request coming but for now you're welcome!

Dylan loves to do anything and everything daddy does! His favorites are shaving, fixing things ("fik dat"), push ups and lifting weights (we have a 2 lb weight, and it's "heaby"). He usually starts out alongside Ryan doing pushups but as you can see ends up on top, adding a solid 27 pounds to the workout for Ry. The proof shows that Dyl's 'help' is worthwhile and for that we thank you! (*wink-wink*)

Ryan: Is this what you meant when you said you can do whatever you want because this video is going in the vault?? (1:15)

LOVE YOU AND

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

YOU SEXY BEAST!!!

**Mom disclaimer: Dylan was wearing a normal outfit and specifically asked to put his "didi" jammie top over his t-shirt, his fashion sense has not yet developed.

12

ELEVEN years ago today we were just two young kiddos tying the knot and look at us now!

We used to joke that we would shoot for five years, then ten, now that we have happily reached eleven and have this little guy I think we have officially accepted it's forever {yikes}

Don't you just love those faces??

Ryan was watching this video on Ashlii's blog which has a portion of the following quote and he could relate, so yes I am writing something from him to me but I know he means it.

If I loved you less,

I might be able to talk about it more.

But you know what I am.

—You hear nothing but truth from me.
Mr. Knightley to Emma ~ Jane Austen

The second nicest thing he said to me this year was about this post. He read it and said that it was very good, I am a great writer, good enough that I "could be a columnist, back when people read columns, like a really good columnist in the 90s".

So sweet, single tear.

Yup, we are full of romance around here and I just wanted to share a glimpse of how I am the lucky recipient of so much love.

But really, I am!

And maybe I am not much for sappy, mooshy, loviedovieness either but I truly appreciate that you are my husband Ryree! I know that you and I are the perfect match. No matter what we go through it always amazes me how we make it work. I credit so much of that to your persistent (sometimes annoyingly) communication, you have made me a better person in that respect. Thank you for loving me for who I am but always supporting me in pushing myself further. Amidst the last few months of change I am so lucky you were the one by my side, keeping it real, that is something I can always expect from you and it provides stability for myself and our family.

Things may not always be perfect but they are real;

- real fun, real love, real life -

And for that I thank you!


Here's to change and our not-so-traditional love song...Love you Ry.

What was he thinking??

Last month Ryan accomplished an incredibly difficult race to the top, literally the top, of the mountain in Kaysville. There's this little race called the Bairgutsman, little in the sense that you can't find much information about it and what you do find is very ambiguous. Well, at the suggestion of his "friend" Scott he decided to sign up...kind of, he was talking about it for months before I just went in and committed him by registration!

Essentially this race goes from Fruit Heights FIVE+ MILES STRAIGHT UP THE MOUNTAIN - a 5,000 foot climb - to the radar towers on top, it's then finished with a mere 5+ miles along the top to the finish line before you hitchhike down Farmington Canyon. Hence the title of this post "What was he thinking?" Well, what I was thinking is let's take out more life insurance! But of course he made it and in great time (2h57m, 20th place!! I know, he rocked it!) with minimal thrashing of this legs from the brush - this is definitely not a groomed trail.

Thanks for taking a couple of breaks to share with those of us mere mortals who were sleeping and missed this breathtaking morning view!

Ryan's Birthdays - with an S

So I thought I had it figured out with the big, fun birthday celebration but I think Ryan has proven himself the smartie-pants once again! He actually ended up with 5 - yes FIVE - birthday celebrations. Genius!

First we celebrated with my family at our Christmas party in December.
I will have to find those pictures and add later!

Next, we celebrated with just the three of us on his actual Birthday.
Click here if you missed it...

Third, the lovely Hammers had us over for dinner, decorated all "Hammer-Style" and gave him some essentials for growing old. So funny!


Fourth, the beautiful Madsen's made us a delicious dinner and got him a new version of Ticket to Ride so we could all play together, it is totally "our" game!


And finally, we celebrated with this family with cake and ice cream at our house and bowling at Boondocks.


Dylan had just woken up and was NOT happy with the loud singing! Unfortunately he also had a fever so he and I missed out on the Boondockulous fun times! And my cakes wouldn't come out of the pan so Ryan got three not-very-pretty, but still quite tasty homemade red velvet cakes!

I don't know the story behind this picture but I can tell they were having a good time!

Really? Look how loved this guy is! I am lucky because I get to partake in all the festivities as well. Hope you enjoyed welcoming the big 3-0 babe!!

And then THEY were thirty...

**Disclaimer - this picture is a joke, Ryan doesn't rock this look - but he could!

I cannot tell you how much Ryan has enjoyed the last 4 months 'in his twenties' while I was way up there 'in my thirties'. He has always had fun teasing me during this short time period where we are different ages, even though technically I am always older than him, but this year was especially fun... for him! It doesn't help that I was born in the 70s and he the 80s, but that does make me oh-so-much-cooler than him, right?!? I mean come on, the 70s?? Regardless there is little defense for "How does it feel to be in your 30s? I feel so great in my 20s!" and "Do you remember that? It was in the 70s? That was the decade before I was born so I don't remember it at all!" [mind you this event was typically not something that happened after September of 1979] and so on... But now I get 8 months of peace while we are the 'same' age - meaning we are equally old, or is it young? Regardless we both agree that we don't feel that much different than we did when we turned 20 or 25 so what's the big deal? The big deal is that it's a BIRTHDAY and you all know how much I LOVE Birthdays!

If you remember I had a big party on my 30th, not because I necessarily wanted one for myself but I did want a big party and my birthday was the perfect excuse! What a night - I loved it! This is where we are so different, Ryan's idea of the perfect birthday? Dinner with the fam. Something we do almost every night anyway. Even when a friend asked to watch Dylan (thanks Abi) Ryan declined, he is so in love with Dylan - what an awesome dad!

We went to one of his favorite restaurants, Thai Siam. If you haven't been there or it's been a while - GO! I don't know how they could make it better but they did, deeelicious!! Dylan even enjoyed some Calamari, it seems he thought it was more fun than tasty but whatever it takes to make that boy eat, playing in a ramekin of water and eating sticky rice right off the spoon.


Happy Birthday RyRy - My love for you is ageless
(...as long as you're still hot of course!)

Ten years of...marital bliss?

I don't know that I would have thought that at every moment over the last 10 years but at this moment I do. I understand that Ryan is the lucky one in our relationship (sarcasm intended) but I don't think I could have married anyone more perfect for me! He is an incredible support to all my crazy whims - and I certainly have more than my fair share. He is a fantastic dad! And he still makes me laugh EVERY DAY and I am not exaggerating. His dad consistently shakes his head when I laugh at something 'dumb' and says "it's a good thing you married her because you really aren't that funny". But you ARE that funny to me and let's face it, that's all that matters.

Thanks for being my best friend and here's to ten more with all the good and the bad as long as we're laughing!

LOVE YOU

I love these boys!

Happy Birthday to ... ME!

September was an EXTRA EXCITING month for me as I welcomed the big 3-0 with open arms! Thanks to my awesome husband for throwing an incredible party! He spent countless hours getting the backyard finished in time and it was not an easy task. The pictures speak for themselves, it turned out absolutely beautiful - Thanks babe!! Thanks also to Ashlii (she cleaned up the whole place after, including doing dishes - who does that?), Kristi, Marlena, Mak and Neil for helping with the food and rolling around 30 sushi rolls. And to Jim for taking photos and Florence for helping clean up as well.

I am so lucky to have such an incredible family and loving friends.

I love this patio!

Dylan was SO TIRED after all this fun! There were so many kiddo's - thank goodness Ryan had the genius idea of paying his awesome cousin Heather and her friend Jaime to babysit.

I love this picture of Dylan playing with Reagan - Look at all that yummy food!

How many people does it take to light this bonfire?? Thanks to Ryan for providing some extra air I couldn't get them all by myself!

Again with the beautiful yard and patio - Could Mike BE having any more fun!?!

Thanks again everyone - I couldn't have asked for a better birthday party!!

Ay Yi Yi - Who is this guy??

For those of you who know Ryan you know this is very out of character! For some reason he decided to grow a beard, which only lasted about a week and a half (still a record for him), but where would the fun be if he didn't mess around with it a bit when he did finally shave? First a little while with a goatee, no biggie I could handle it, but THEN hilarity ensued when he came out with this! Can you imagine?!? Well you don't have to it's right there but WOW who knew he could be so...um...errr...unattractive!

Thank goodness it was short lived ~

Love you Ry!!