RYAN AND KRISTIE

I finally have internet access!!!

2010-10-06T21:32:00.000-07:00

Okay my few followers I finally decided to use Ryan's old work computer and buy a wireless card so I could surf the internet. Also try to keep up on a few blog posts. Nothing new to post here other than Ryan is busy with school and as a result I have way too much free time. Seriously I need to get busy with projects, learning Spanish, or just surfing the internet for way too long. I think learning Spanish might be a better way to spend my extra free time. I say this because I have many Spanish speaking patients that I am unable to communicate with other than a few short phrases consisting of "abre la boca" and "serre la boca" ( I most likely have mis-spelled these so don't correct me just yet). I would like to buy the rosetta stone to learn it, but I don't have an extra 500 dollars just lying around. Hopefully I can take a class or something........we will see how it goes. My next post will hopefully consist of pictures. This old lap top might just let me download some photos to share. For now you will have to enjoy my short boring post :)

Sad to say it!!!

2010-09-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

So I know I haven't posted anything for a long time! Well the terrible news is our computer died!!! Yes our two year old iMac is worthless. There was a storm about two weeks ago that made the lights flicker and the power go out for five hours. Our computer was plugged into what I thought was a surge protector. As a result I took our computer into the Mac life store to run some diagnostic tests as to why it wouldn't turn on. A few days later they call and give me the bad news.........a bad main logic board, which will cost at least 600 dollars to fix and that doesn't even guarantee it will fix it!!!! The only good news is they were able to save my thousands of pictures I had downloaded on it! Now those are priceless!!!! I guess things could be worse and at least we are healthy with no major tragedies. To end on a good note my knee is healing properly this time and in about a month I'll hopefully be cleared to play sports again. So my posts from now on won't have a lot of photos to share until I get them downloaded on an external hard drive. I really was looking forward to sharing pictures from the Blackhurst Family reunion and California. Hope you all are well!

Where to Begin!?

2010-07-29T20:52:00.001-07:00

Okay people I have been slacking on my blog posts. First, because it is the summer and I would rather be outside. Second, most of the people who read my blog are in town visiting. Third, I get overwhelmed when it has been a long time between posts! ( ya I know it is ridiculous, but hey I don't have much to worry about)
So about two months ago the dental office I work for gave us free tickets to see Carrie Underwood. I immediately knew Ryan wouldn't enjoy the concert as much as my sister Cindy so I invited her. At the last minute I snagged another free ticket from a co-worker and invited my sister Mary. Let's just say we had a blast! Carrie put on a great concert with her rockin' vocals! Oh and yes she did sing in a truck suspended above the crowd!

Sisters :)

My old Kentucky home!

2010-05-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

Heide and I drove about two hours south to visit Louisville, KY. I attended school here four years ago!!! Seriously time goes by so fast! We had such a fantastic time talking with Lexi and Shanah while the kids played. Aiden and Jayden were like long lost friends running around. It was so fun to finally meet baby Owen and baby Lakai. Baby Owen is more darling then the pictures reveal. Lakai's eyelashes are really an inch long. All these cute boys are going to be heart breakers some day! We enjoyed a lovely lunch (thanks lexi and shanah it was so yummy),the one and only grater's ice cream, and then an evening in the park (Cherokee park). I've forgotten how much I enjoyed strolling in Cherokee park. It is simply gorgeous with all of the trees and green rolling hills. I couldn't have asked for a better day trip talking with girlfriends and holding sweet babies.

Jayden giving Aiden a squeeze

Jayden playing with the hose in the backyard
(he looks like he is peeing :)

Cute boys

Swinging in Cherokee park

Yum ....Grater's ice cream

Shanah and Lakai

Lexi, me, and baby Owen

Jayden really is enjoying spraying Aiden in the face

Look at that Buddha belly

Could Owen be any more adorable! I loved holding him :)

Heide, me, Aiden, Jayden, and baby Owen

A trip to Indiana

2010-05-30T10:25:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I flew to Indiana for a weekend visiting darling Aiden and Weston! The weather was perfect! Considering it snowed in Boise and we enjoyed 85-90 degree weather laying out by the pool! It was so nice to relax and talk with Heide and watch the kiddos. Both boys love the water, at one point Aiden was jumping from the side and laughing sounding like a little dolphin. Seriously hilarious!!!! Weston was so adorable trying to blow bubbles and wanting us to just let him go and swim. Not to mention Heide and I nearly peed ourselves watching a lady struggle with her swimsuit malfunction. Let's just say she slightly flashed everyone at the pool when her daughter pulled her tube top down. Heide and I laughed and will continue laughing when we think of that day! Thanks so much To Heide, Trent, Aiden, Heidi, Scott, and Weston..... I enjoyed my long weekend in good ol' Carmel, Indiana!
............More to come about our day trip to Louisville, Kentucky to visit Lexi and Shannah! You won't want to miss the pictures of all the darling babies :)

Aiden is ready for swimming....he looks like the next Michael Phelps

Heidi and Weston ready to take a dip

Weston sporting a spiked hairdo and swim trunks. Adorable :)

Heide and Aiden

30 isn't that bad! Check him out!

2010-05-03T15:41:00.001-07:00

So my adorable husband turned the BIG 3....0 people! I asked him if he wanted a big party......his response nope I just want my favorite cake! So he got the rainbow chip cake! We also went out to dinner at a steak house where he celebrated with none other than a nice hunk of beef! Nothing says 30 like a sheet cake and beef! He was excited though! I also got him a few other items like a flat magnetic wallet ( thanks to his brother Scott), some running clothes, and school supplies! Ryan will be starting school at NNU in a few weeks to get his MBA! He has been 30 for over a month now and I think it looks pretty good on him! Love ya!

Cindy's 29th birthday was a few days before Ryan's....we had two cakes to celebrate

Izabel and Ford absolutely adore Ryan ( I can't blame them....he is pretty cool)

Happy 30th Birthday! Love you so much! :)

Baby Isaac

2010-04-06T18:50:00.001-07:00

On March 9th baby Isaac entered this world! He is precious, sweet and if he doesn't make you baby hungry I don't know what will! A week after his joyful arrival I was able to fly to Utah and spend four perfect days pampering my best friend. It is amazing to watch a dear friend transform into an incredible mother. It was so fun to watch her interact with Isaac. I would often watch Denae as she would hold baby Isaac. It was easy to see how much she already cared for and loved him! I loved the feeling of joy, peace, and love while I visited for those few days. There is something that can't be expressed, but felt when you are in the presence of a new little spirit. Isaac is one lucky boy to have such wonderful parents to raise him. I am so happy I had the opprotunity to feel of his sweetness and help out my dearest friend. I still can't believe we are old enough to have kids. Time goes by way too fast.....:)

Baby Isaac all wrapped up on his first outing out to get the mail.

Daddy Jake and his baby boy

Bath time

So sweet and so little. He didn't even scream! He loves bathes just like his momma :)

Young Women Yurt trip

2010-03-28T09:06:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted anything for a while so I decided to finally update you all. I am in the Young Women presidency for my ward. I absolutely love this calling and the girls are so much fun. In February we had the chance to go on a yurt trip. We had so much fun just hanging out, snowshoeing and ice fishing. I think everyone had a great time getting to know each other better. We also had the chance to snowshoe around warm lake and also ice fish. No one caught any fish, but the people next to us caught a bunch :( Maybe next time.

Snow shoeing at Warm Lake

The group of us!

Just hanging out playing games

OH BABY!!! A shower for my friend

2010-02-04T20:17:00.001-08:00

Last weekend I drove to Utah with my mom to help throw a baby shower. It was not just any baby shower.....it was my friend, Denae's first baby shower. We have been friends since birth and always wanted to be pregnant together and have our kids grow up together. Well one of us is pregnant and due in March.....nope not me!!!! I AM MORE THAN EXCITED FOR HER!!!! I can't wait to meet this sweet little boy and give him a big kiss. I decorated and had so much fun making it look lovely. I must say the cupcake platter turned out adorable! The remainder of the afternoon/evening was spent shopping with my mom at.......IKEA!!!! Thanks to my sweet mom who drove with me to Utah and helped me enjoy Ikea for five hours! Let's just say my feet were throbbing from walking around the store. I think Ryan wasn't too happy about my time spent shopping and buying too much home decor. Gotta love IKEA. :)

Denae and her sister in law Whitney are both due in March! Aren't their bumps just too cute?!!

Cupcakes YUM!!!!

The house all decorated and ready! I must say they both received some great gifts

Freezing Florida? and Bahamas!

2010-01-18T10:53:00.000-08:00

Where do I begin!!! Okay so I had a second knee surgery Dec. 30th. Everything went well! Thankfully :)I started my road to recovery five days later hoping to just lay out on the beach and soak up some sun. Let's just say it wasn't quite warm enough to even put on a bathing suit or even think about taking off my hoodie. Florida was experiencing an unusual cold front. The coldest weather they've had since 1989! Freezing temperatures at night, which is no big deal if you live in Idaho, but all the locals were bundled up like it was below zero! So after the first few days of sunny, but windy cold weather we were hoping to escape the cold front in Florida by heading further south. Bahamas here we come.......time to relax on a cruise and eat way too much! So we managed to eat a ton, but again our two stops one of which was canceled due to rain and rough water! Seriously is this a joke....nope it is not :) We managed to stop in Nassau, Bahamas and enjoy walking around the Atlantis resort. The beaches were beautiful and the sand was soft and white. Seriously all I wanted to do was lay out. Again it was too cold! I guess it was a blessing because I had no desire to get in the water. That was the only thing my doctor did not want me to do. Ryan wasn't going to let the cool weather turn him away from enjoying the ocean. The water felt like bath water compared to the air temperature. After our three night cruise we stayed one more day and night in South Beach, Miami. This was the one and only day I got in my bathing suit and laid poolside for five hours!!!!! Finally! One day of nice, sunny, warm weather. To end the trip we made all of our flights and the last leg of our journey ended with a two year old barfing in the row in front of us! Yikes! I have a new appreciation for mothers who travel with children :) Oh and guess what the temperature was the weekend after we were gone 85 degrees!!!!!!! What do you do?!!!! Ryan and I had fun together though. We love to travel and always enjoy spending all day and night together. Someday we will make another trip to Florida and it will be warm and beautiful!!! Oh and the knee is feeling great and I am thinking positive. This ACL replacement just has to work and it will :)

Ryan body surfing in the warm water.  He didn't want to get out because the air temperature was freezing!

Atlantis resort in Nassau, Bahamas

The mannequins were all enhanced!!!!   Check out those triple D's

Ryan posing outside our cruise ship

Formal night on the ship

Everglades boat ride and alligators

Everglades air boat ride!  Beautiful but sooooo cold!  Ryan was wearing shorts and had goose bumps

White sandy beaches!  So lovely :)

South Beach, Miami

A little bit of Christmas Cheer!

2009-12-28T19:40:00.000-08:00

Christmas is my favorite time of year! I love it even if my Doctor tried to ruin it with telling me I have to get knee surgery again. Seriously I am the 1% out of the 99% that have to have an ACL reconstruct due to no fault of mine or the doctors. Really now that is not the way to start out your Christmas holiday. Other than that awful news Christmas was spectacular. The kids were all super excited and could not wait for Santa's arrival. I think Sam asked to open presents nearly 30 times Christmas Eve. It is easy to forget your worries and get lost in the magic of the holidays with kids capturing the purest joy of the season. Hope your holidays were Merry and Bright! Wish me luck on my knee surgery in less than two days! The cutest Christmas elf(Easton) and his momma

Santa made a surprise visit!

Ford with his favorite Uncle :)

A little bit of the Christmas Craziness!

Some of the grand kids! Sam is about to squeeze Kaisley with his toes! :)

Trent and Aiden on our road trip to Salt Lake the weekend before Christmas. We celebrated with the Kemp family for Ryan's mom's 60th birthday.

Sisters and Brian (He loves us)

Happy Turkey Day !

2009-12-07T10:40:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving was a little smaller than normal we were missing Cindy, Adam, Summmer, Chris, Jenelle, Joe, Russell, Julie, and their kids. It was a great day with yummy food and family. As a tradition before we eat we have to say two things we are grateful for. Grandma Arlie started the tradition years ago and isn't doing well so of course we all started crying when Mary mentioned she was the one who kept the tradition. It is such a special holiday and I have so much to be thankful for. I love Thanksgiving it is the perfect start for the Christmas season. Now on to decorating for Christmas........another post to follow showing my "Buddy the elf" craziness for decorating :)

Isn't this just hilarious! I loved Elly's turkey hat.....gobble gobble

sweet Tesla June

Dad carving the turkey

Amy and mom working their magic in the kitchen :)

Hope you all had a fabulous holiday!

Reconnecting with good friends

2009-11-25T16:31:00.000-08:00

So it is a rare occasion that my girlfriends from high school get together. It was so fun to catch up and chat while the kiddos ran around making a mess of Sara's house (thanks Sara for letting us come over). It is always fun to reconnect with good friends and see how much our lives have changes since high school. Now they are all mommies and a few are pregnant! Kori is due this summer with her third baby. Lexi is due with her second boy this spring, and Sara is due with her second this summer. It is just crazy how fast time will pass, but the friends you make along the way make it all worth it. Hopefully we will be able to get together more often.

Lexi, Sara, me, Kori, and Lacey

Jack, Mckenzie, Trace, Hallie,and Jayden

Next time we get together we will be out numbered. Aren't they adorable!?

Halloween Party 2009!

2009-11-01T14:56:00.000-08:00

Mary hosted the annual Halloween Party and it was a success! We had so much fun seeing everyone dressed up in their costumes. We started the night out right with chili, clam chowder,bone shaped rolls, rootbeer w/ dry ice, and salads. Oh and tons of candy from the ghost pinata! We ended the night trick-or-treating with the kids and enjoyed watching them earn their treats. I love Halloween and hope you enjoy all of the photos. I had to get all of the costumes documented. Hope everyone had a fabulous Halloween.......Summer,Chris, Kaisley, Jenelle, Joe, Evan, Sam, Julie, Russ,Brian, Riley, Mom, and Dad were all missed. Love ya

The 50's couple! Doesn't Ryan look hot! :) love him

Group shot

Look at all of the candy! The kids were picking through it! Seriously they were choosing which ones they liked. It was hilarious

Ford taking a swing at it!

Cindy the witch, taking her nails to Adams face

He went to the BSU game while she made chili and got all three kids ready for Halloween. Let's just say she wasn't too happy about it :)

Family photo. Izabel is Cinderella, Ford the monster/dinosaur, Easton the pea pod

Ryan the ninja and his geisha Emily

Aiden is the cutest little frog

Sisters ( We miss ya Jenelle and Summer)

Pence family photo

Emily the geisha( she has her wig on here) cute little Easton

The monster/dino has arrived to scare the princesses

Disney Princesses

Layla the bunny and Alice

The stoic pumpkin farmers and their little pumpkin Tesla

Last but not least Alice in Wonderland. Elly you are a doll face :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

Ultimate Road Trip!

2009-10-27T20:33:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I were in need of a break from the usual routine. So we decided to take a road trip to see the Grand Canyon. We both have never been and figure now is as good a time as any. We started our trip Thursday night and drove four and a half hours to Salt Lake. We slept over at Ryan's friend Nate, and his wife, Becca's house. We began the main part of the trip Friday morning. We drove to Zion's National Park and spent four hours hiking,taking pictures, and just enjoying the beautiful fall scenery. That evening we drove to St. George and were really hungry. We at at none other than In-N-Out Burger! We were all starving and seriously scarfed our hamburgers! Ryan had a double double burger and we shared a second one. Ya we stuffed our selves, but it was worth it! That night we stayed with some friends of Nate and Becca's. Saturday morning we began the second leg of our crazy road trip. We drove four more hours to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon was AMAZING! We spent a few hours taking in the amazing scenery and attempted to capture a million pictures. We again jumped in the car and drove two more hours to Page, Arizona. Ryan and Nate enjoyed a dip in the gorgeous Lake Powell ( I must plan a boat trip here with a boat house). We ate some delicious Mexican food, played some games, and passed out at the Days Inn. Sunday morning we went to church and left early to get a start on our six hour journey back to SLC. I begged Ryan to take a slight detour to Bryce Canyon National Park. At this point I think we were all a little sick of driving, but my husband loves me so much that we tacked on another hour to our journey. I figured that we had come this far and I wanted to see Bryce Canyon. It was worth it, even if Ryan was a little annoyed :). We arrived in SLC and surprised Ryan's parents! We left Monday afternoon to drive five more hours back to Boise. It was a fun trip and thanks to Nate and Becca for all the memories. Total driving mileage 1900......wooooo that is a lot of time spent in the car! Totally worth it! Enjoy all of the photos in no particular order.

Ryan sporting his In-N-Out hat and my sunglasses! He wore it everytime he was in the drivers seat.

Of course he made me wear it while I drove and everyone else slept :)

Becca and Nate at the Bryce Canyon. The last leg of our journey!

Yes they are still smiling :)

AMAZING!

Bryce Canyon

Lake Powell and the boys jumping in!

here they go!!!!......

Ryan and me

North Rim of the Grand Canyon

Group shot at the Grand Canyon

Nate attempting the Karate Kid on top of a ledge (Becca did not like this idea)

In-N-Out Burger YUM!!!!!

ZIONS NATIONAL PARK

Weeping Rock hike

We started the Road trip with Nate popping his stress ball! It was like a huge zit! Of course I enjoyed it :)

Pumpkin Patch with the Zickgrafs

2009-10-18T11:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was such a beautiful day, 72 degrees sunny, but really windy! We first drove out to Linder Farms, but there was so much dust blowing around that we decided to try another pumpkin patch. Ford was complaining of dust in his eyes and we were taking shelter behind a shed. Not quite the experience we were expecting. We jumped in the car and drove a few more miles to the Farmstead pumpkin patch. The kids got to pick out their pumpkins without so much dust flying around! Ryan joined us towards the end of the outing because he enjoyed the morning wakeboarding with a few guys from our ward. It was a fun day spent with the cutest darn family! Enjoy all of the photos.

Family photo! Aren't they adorable! :)

Ford and his buddy! Everytime Ford is with Ryan he plays non stop! This results in Ryan being exhausted from constantly running around (Ryan loves it though)

Could this little guy be any cuter! Easton is such a sweet little boy.

Ford and Izabel

Cindy carrying the kids pumpkins :) love you

Adam trying to find Ford a good pumpkin while packin' around baby Easton

Izabel found hers!

Ford found his too! He is just a little bit excited....ha ha

This is funny!

2009-09-21T14:36:00.000-07:00

So I was looking through the blog world and came upon Hilary and Andy's blog. They had an image of two pictures morphed together to show what their baby would look like. I decided to try it just for fun. Ryan and I died laughing at some of the morphed images that we did with different famous people! I must say my picture with Brad Pitt turned out adorable! (really it just looks like a mini Brad). Ryan thought it was interesting that our photos made a girl. He thinks we will have all girls! (so do I poor kid). Anyways if you want to try it out because it is hilarious go to www.morphthing.com and upload some pictures. Happy morphing ! ha ha

This is our morphed photo of a baby girl! ( I used a photo of Ryan and me)

What do you think? Does it look like it could be our kid?

Here is the cute one with a picture of me and Brad Pitt! He looks exactly like Brad:)

Last but not least Ryan's photo morphed with Britney Spears. Oh another girl!!!!

Labor Day Hike

2009-09-09T10:24:00.000-07:00

So Ryan had to work a half day on Labor Day and we were wondering what we should do for the afternoon. I asked him if he has ever hiked to Table Rock. He has lived in Boise for three years and I have never taken him on a nice short, but steep hike to overlook Boise. The weather was absolutely perfect, not too hot! It made me realize that Ryan and I need to explore more areas here in Idaho. There is so much to do, see, and enjoy. I hope to explore more areas and show Ryan the good ol' state of Idaho. Oh and for dinner we enjoyed some BBQ chicken, corn, salad, and homemade bread. It was a perfect end to an eventful afternoon. Thanks to Danny and Lisa (Some friends from our ward) for inviting us over. I hope everyone had a relaxing Labor day.

The start of our hike

View from about half way

I made Ryan point up to the cross where we were hiking to :)

got to love the self portraits

Overlooking Boise from the top of Table Rock

Beach Bums part 2

2009-08-28T17:16:00.001-07:00

So I finally developed my disposable water proof camera. The photos didn't turn out the best, but I guess it is better than nothing. I always look forward to the annual beach house trip and I can't believe it has already come and gone. Ryan loves this relaxing week, but seriously he is always going. He is constantly in the water body surfing and when he finally emerges he dives right into a book. We are ready to pack up and fly back to Newport to enjoy some free time with the Gabrielsens. Here are a few more pictures of our California Beach trip.

Kylee making a lovely face :)

Ryan reading........he is addicted to it and seriously once he starts he has to finish the book before he puts it down. I try to teach him to savor books, but he never takes my advice.

Hanging out on the rocks

Visiting Sam in Dana Point, CA

Ryan and Jake searching for crabs and gettings splashed by the waves

Denae and Jake

BFF's me and Denae

California sunsets every night....I miss those

Jenelle and baby Evan........

Oh and I almost forgot. Jenelle and Joe taught me how to paddle board. Jenelle and I paddled out and went along the coast. We had such a fun time and it was nice to do something new. If you get the chance to do it you'll love it.

Beach Bums part 1

2009-08-19T07:54:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I have been gone for a week enjoying some California sunshine. We had such a great time hanging out with the Gabrielsen clan and relaxing on the beach. Newport was such a blast and I want to go back tomorrow. I must say it has been difficult adjusting to working instead of playing 24/7. I have a few pictures of our trip, but about half way through my camera decided to get all blurry so I had to buy a disposable camera. I haven't gotten those pictures developed yet so I will have to post those photos later.

Best Friends posing on the beach (I've been lucky enough to get to vacation with her on the beach since I was 13 or 14 yrs. old) It has become a tradition.

Kylee relaxing in the sand

Lori Anne and baby Gabby

Moke he is seriously adorable

Jenelle, Joe, Sam, and baby Evan came to play one afternoon. They are so lucky to live right by the ocean. So jealous!

Ryan and I eating dinner at our favorite restaurant Rockin' Baja Lobster

love the seafood bucket! YUM :)

Sam and Moke being silly and enjoying every minute of it.

Denae and Jake at Rockin' Baja Lobster

Playing in the ocean......goodbye until next summer :(

Pizza party!

2009-08-02T14:49:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Jay invited the family over for a pizza party. He built a brick oven in the backyard and was ready for a pizza party. The pizza was amazing with homemade pizza dough and fresh garden ingredients to load on top. We all walked away stuffed from all of the yummy food! We also enjoyed some hula hooping and cutting Chris's hair into a emo fo hawk. Ryan also took the kids for a bike ride in Jay's sweet bike. It was a great party!

Mom giving it a whirl

(the grandkids loved it)

pregnant Mary going for it! (she is due in two weeks)

sweet little faces:)

Summer rocking the hula hoop

Chris's new hairdo!

total fo hawk

Chris getting his hair chopped! Mary did a great job styling his mohawk

Baby Easton is such a doll. I just want to squeeze him every chance I get

The three amigos. Going on a bike ride

Blackhurst Family Reunion 2009

2009-07-20T13:45:00.000-07:00

Blackhurst Family Reunion 2009.......McCall, Idaho.

This past weekend the entire Blackhurst family gathered for a family reunion. Considering it was 103 degrees in Boise it was a perfect weekend to escape the scorching heat and retreat to the mountains. It was sunny and warm, while the lake was perfectly cool. We all enjoyed boating, eating, sun bathing, talking, fiesta dinner night, talent show, and a pinata!(great idea Summer and Cindy we all had some fun) It was a circus with all of the nieces and nephews running around, but it kept everyone entertained. It was a perfect weekend with all of my parents ten kids in attendance. We couldn't have asked for better weather or a nicer place to gather (thanks to the Carberry's letting us use their cabin). What a blast! We will all remember how much fun we had. Looking forward to many more family reunions with more children running around.

Ryan and I getting sun burned by the lake

Baby bums :)

Boy bums :)

getting ready to run and dive off of the dock

Chris and Kaisley sporting their mohawks

Amy and Tesla chillin' in the shade

Izabel, Elly and I getting in the cool water

Best friends+cousins=fighting like sisters( these two really do love eachother)

Ryan and I pretending we can play the tiny guitar

Can we hear Mary's baby in there! We already love this baby girl.

Watching Sam and Elly jump of the rocks. They loved the audience cheering them on.

Elly striking a perfectly adorable pose after her leap from the rocks

Elly in action!

Ryan is such a kid at heart. Look at them enjoying their ice cream cones.

Listening to Ryan(Emily's boyfriend) jam on the guitar. Evan was really focused and loved listening to him sing.

Demolition derby and visiting the Kemps

2009-06-29T20:54:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Ryan and I made a short trip to Utah to visit his family, celebrate his dad's birthday, and meet two new little additions to the Kemp family (baby Nathan, and Avery). Before I get to my first demolition derby experience I must say the drive to Utah was more pleasant this time. The last picture provides a small glimpse of the green rolling hills and blue sky. Yes I did say green and as many know that this drive to Utah is usually brown and nothing but brown. All of the rain has made the drive quite scenic and not so boring. Enough about that let's get to the important part. The West Jordan Demolition Derby brought out the "white trash" in me! By the end of the event I wanted a car to catch on fire and I found myself yelling "flip that car"! What added to the charm was the nice vests we had to wear so we didn't have to pay to get into the event. Ya we all were volunteer ushers. I must say when people had to ask me where their seats were located I looked just as confused as they did. All in all it was a surprisingly fun event. We had a great time with the family and enjoyed our weekend in Utah.

Here is one of the cars that flipped that evening! I must say we were cheering pretty loud when it happened.

More collisions.....and smoke from the crappy engines

Rick and Ryan

Zack, Austin, Julie, me, and Ryan. Gotta love the vests!

the green hills on the way to Utah?

Baby blessing and a birthday

2009-06-08T20:16:00.000-07:00

Sunday was such a great day! Baby Easton was blessed in the morning and we all enjoyed a lovely brunch hosted by the Zickgrafs. We spent the afternoon and evening at my parents playing ping pong, running through the sprinkler, and Ford using his racket all afternoon. He is really good at hitting the ball and is very coordinated. It was also my 26th birthday and we ate my favorite cake.....TCBY ice cream cake. It was so good. Thanks Ryan for remembering! There are a lot of pictures because I love taking pictures of my nieces and nephews. They are so adorable. Being an Aunt is so much fun.

Izabel, Elly, and Ford attempting to play ping pong.....Ford is the only one who can hit it.

Ryan getting the kids wet. They loved having the trampoline all wet while they jumped.

Look at the three amigos enjoying themselves. It really wasn't very warm, but they didn't seem to mind.

Cousins sporting their new matching swim suits. Grandma June is the best!

Blowing out birthday candles. Well what was left....Ford blew them out before I could. :)

Easton smiling for his Auntie Kristie

Aunt Emily, Uncle Brian, and baby Easton on his blessing day

Baby Easton is such a precious little boy. I was happy to share my birthday with his blessing day.

Ford playing with his racket. He can through up the ball and hit it.

Elly tried to hit the ball like Ford. Maybe in a couple more years, but she sure looks cute in her sunday dress.

Bakfiet bike ride and babysitting

2009-06-06T09:58:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Amy and Jay asked if we would watch their little girl for a couple of hours. Of course we would! It was the most fun I've had babysitting in a long time. We rode Jay and Amy's bikes all over the greenbelt while baby Tesla slept. Seriously this bike is amazing! We had so much fun going on an afternoon bike ride that we honestly forget that we were babysitting. That is Tesla was so good and didn't wake up until we ended the ride. Jay and Amy arrived ten minutes later and our afternoon bike/babysitting ride was over. So if anyone would like us to babysit please provide a bakfiet bike to rock your little one to sleep :) It was fun to spend some time with Tesla she is so darn cute and we love those chubby cheeks.

Tesla just woke up after a long bike ride.......time for a snack

it looks like the cactus is coming out of her head! ha ha

posing.....Ryan actually rode the bakfiet bike

I rode Amy's cruiser bike

Tesla just waking up! Look at that double chin....too cute. :)

Tesla are you ready for your close up!?

Pool Party! oh and #10 graduates!

2009-05-30T16:11:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was another beautiful summer day and what goes best with warm weather? ......water of course! Most of the family gathered for a dinner before Riley (the youngest of ten) graduated! The graduation wasn't until eight so the grand kids wanted to take a dip in the pool. We didn't have to convince Ryan or Andy to join them. They had so much fun! Little Izabel is a fish and loves to swim to anyone and jump off of the diving board. Elly loves to blow bubbles and ride on her dad's back while he swims. Ford just loves to be thrown really high and wear the goggles! After a nice swim we all went and watched Riley get his diploma and sport the yellow valedictorian cords!!!! We are so proud of him! Oh and my mom and dad will soon be empty nesters, well good thing they have tons of grandkids to keep them occupied. I am excited for many more pool parties and warm summer weather. WAHOO SUMMER IS HERE!

Izabel swimming doing her circle arms (like grandma and Auntie Kristie have taught her to do)

go little fish :)

Elly and Izabel

Tesla the cutest darn chubby baby girl and her mommy

Elly going for a ride

Sweet Izabel

Look at her jump!

Ford and Uncle Ryan

Last but not least, Ford sporting his swim goggles!

California Fun!

2009-05-19T20:07:00.000-07:00

About a month ago I won a trip to Disneyland from work. I filled out a short essay and figured it wouldn't hurt to submit it to my boss. He sent out the original e-mail explaining the offer. So this past weekend I flew to Aneheim, California for an all expense trip to enjoy Disneyland and attend the California Dental Convention. I also made some time to visit my sister Jenelle, her husband Joe and their two little boys, Sam and Evan. It was a perfect trip and I would have loved it even more if my husband could have joined me. Maybe next time! Seriously though Disneyland was tons of fun! I really did feel like a kid again and I wanted to dance around and wear a Cinderella dress! All of the little girls were dressed up like princesses with tiaras. The rides were fun (Splash Mountain, Matterhorn, Soarin', Monsters Inc. (California Adventure). Kelly (a fellow co-worker) and I enjoyed a busy afternoon and evening at Disneyland and California Adventure on Thursday. Friday we attended the dental convention, as well as Saturday morning. I then rented a car a drove about 35 minutes to Dana Point to visit my sister. We enjoyed spending the afternoon at the beach watching Joe surf while Sam ate fries and a hot dog, and Evan pooped in his diaper. Jenelle ran out of baby wipes and had to use Sam's napkins to clean his bum! I laughed pretty hard while she wiped his bum with a dry napkin. Oh the things moms have to endure! Love ya Jenelle! That night we ate at a yummy Thai food restaurant and had frozen yogurt for dessert. It was the perfect day.........thanks Joe and Jenelle! I had to leave the next morning for the LAX airport and come back to good ol' Idaho! I must say as much as I love to visit the beach I love Idaho and how small it is! I also love my baby......I always miss him when we haven't scene each other for a few days! It was a great weekend packed with good memories.

Mickey Mouse! I had to quickly snap the picture as he rushed by on a bike!

Sam enjoying some fries and a hotdog! This was a special treat :)

A few of the characters at Disneyland ( I had to get a picture of Cinderella for Elly. She is obsessed with Disneyland and princesses)

Sam riding his bike! This kid can fly down the hills and he is only three!

Kelly and I after the Disney parade! It was a dance party :)

Posing at the entrance to Disneyland

Sisters and Evan

Evan is so big now! The last time I saw him was Christmas!!!!!!

Joe walking down to his surf spot! Love ya!

Run Ryan Run....

2009-04-22T19:52:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Ryan and I drove to Utah for the Salt Lake half marathon. We left Friday after work and didn't arrive until 12am! Ryan had to wake up at 6 am to run in the race. My best friend and I were the ultimate cheerleaders and waited at the finish line for our boys to complete the race. I must say it was hard to watch all of the runners as I was supposed to run this race before I tore my ACL. I think I won't sign up for this one ever again. The year before I got terribly sick from out honeymoon and couldn't run in it either. I think from now on I'll sign up like a week before so I won't curse myself! So Ryan and Jake ran the first 6 miles in 48 minutes. Ryan finished in 1 hour and 51 mins. Jake finished in 1 hour and 43 mins. I think Ryan pushed it a little too much for the first 6 miles, but he did a great job. I miss running with him! Now we go on tons of walks together, but it isn't quite the same. I know before long I will be able to run along side my hubbi.

Denae and me! Go boys!

Jake and Ryan.....sweat, smiles, and a thumbs up

Jake pushing it to the finish line

Ryan flashing a smile as he is near the finish line.

Baby Easton

2009-04-20T09:24:00.001-07:00

On April 16 at 2:41 AM, the newest member of the Zickgraf family was born. Another baby boy to keep Ford from feeling out numbered. Easton William Zickgraf weighed 6 pounds 12 ounces and 21 inches long. Both Cindy and baby Easton are doing well and the family can't get enough of him. He is the perfect mix of both Izabel and Ford! Izabel is such a good big sister and loves to hold him/ kiss him. It is really fun to see the little kids with the baby and Ford doesn't quite understand how little he is. Ford want to play with him, but is also very sweet. It was so much fun to just sit and hold him. Easton is a darling baby boy! Everyone is happy that he has finally arrived.

The proud Aunt and Uncle

Ryan holding Easton like a football!

Izabel giving her baby brother a smooch

Izabel is such a little mommy

Easton William Zickgraf

He can't wait to meet everyone!

Easter Splash!

2009-04-13T10:10:00.000-07:00

Easter couldn't have been a nicer day! It was sunny, bright, and full of fun. I had tons of fun because I was out of the house and spending time with the family. Ryan had fun too and got a little carried away in more ways than one. First of all on Saturday we went shopping to buy a few treats and eggs to hide for the kids. At our first stop Ryan bought three bags of candy and no plastic eggs. So we drove to Wal-greens and I told him to buy just a couple bags of candy and some plastic eggs. Fifteen minutes later, he comes out with a huge bag full of easter candy and plastic eggs. He spent nearly 35 dollars! I couldn't believe all of the treats he bought! We filled nearly 50 eggs and still have at least 8 bags of candy left. I guess we need to return it, but Ryan reassured me by saying, "Don't worry it was all on sale". So now we will be taking some of this candy to Utah this weekend to share with his nieces and nephews. What we don't use I will be returning! :) The kids loved all of the eggs for the easter egg hunt. Better yet they loved all of the candy! Ryan and my little brother Brian thought it was so nice that the next thing I knew they were jumping in the freezing cold pool! Elly, Izabel, and Ford all enjoyed jumping on the trampoline, easter egg hunt, and dress up! It was such a perfect Easter Sunday filled with a perfect easter message at church, good food, and family. We missed all who couldn't be there. We love you and miss you! ......oh and a little update on my knee......it is feeling better each day and rehab is working my muscles back into shape. I am walking around and headed back to work tomorrow. Thanks again for all of your thoughts and prayers.

Brian attempting a cannon ball

Ryan trying a flip that ended in a back flop! :)

Izabel and Elly playing dress up.

Brian wanted his picture taken, but the girls didn't want him in it!

running out to find the easter eggs!

Elly posing! Hmm I think Mary and Andy have a future dancer on their hands!

Andy removing the snow white dress before I could take a picture. There aren't any boys Ford's age so he often gets stuck playing dress up with Izabel and Elly.

Sweet Izabel and Auntie Kristie

Ford and Uncle Ryan

The last few days were a blurr!

2009-04-06T16:08:00.000-07:00

So I am finally feeling normal and I wanted to write a little about my first surgery experience. I have been surely blessed to never before had stitches, broken bones, surgery on anything, and for the most part been completely healthy. I went in early Friday morning for my ACL surgery. I must say I was really nervous, but having Ryan with me helped to calm my nerves. The nurse took me back and began her routine. First I had to pee in a cup.........I hadn't had anything to drink or eat since 12 the night before so I was kind of worried! They needed to make sure I wasn't prego. So the test came out negative and then she proceeded to prepare me for surgery. She took my blood pressure and put in an IV. Basically she hooked me up to a number of machines which drove me crazy! Before numbing my whole left leg they gave me some sedative meds that seriously made me feel like there was a treadmill on the ceiling. After the numbing started to spread though out my left knee both the nurse and anesthesiologist proceeded to prep the other five or six patients who too were having ACL surgery. So I am laying on this bed hooked up to all of these monitors for what seemed like a lifetime! After 45 minutes of waiting and ease dropping on the patients around me, the Anesthesiologist checks to see if I want to be asleep for the procedure. I explain that I would like to be awake for the beginning and then put to sleep. They proceeded to transport me to another room where the surgery would be performed by Dr. Jennifer Miller. They wash my leg, which is completely numb, so it feels incredible weird having someone basically massage iodine all over it. They start the procedure and I am able to watch on the screen above me. It was pretty crazy to feel the pressure and movement but no pain! She explained everything to me, but had some bad news. My medial meniscus looked okay, but my lateral meniscus was torn badly and they had to remove it. At that point the doctor kept talking me through everything, but I kept thinking about not being able to run long distances and being limited on playing impact sports. I started to hear what sounded like a lawn mower and a weed wacker. The doctor said they were preparing my cadaver ligament. They showed me the ligament, which looked more like a piece of beef jerky. At that point in the surgery I watched what I wanted to and I asked to be put to sleep. The next thing I remember is waking up still hooked to all of the monitors and feeling a little pain. The nurse looks at me and asks if I am in pain. She gives me more pain meds and leaves to get my mom. (Ryan had to go back to work) The nurse comes back in with my mom and asked if I was still in pain. At that point I proceeded to ask if I could get all of the monitors off of me! They were making me so claustrophobic! They finally take off all of the monitors and wheel me out to the car. Now the next few days after surgery were such a blur. I just know my best friend Denae and Jake stopped by, Heide and Trent, and my sister Cindy with her two kids. I really feel like I slept for two days straight! Today I am feeling much better and I can put a little more pressure on my leg with out unbearable pain. I am no longer taking the hard core pain killers and I am feeling less drowsy. I head in to rehab tomorrow and I am feeling a little nervous about what they will have me do. At this point I am afraid to bend it. It is getting better and less painful everyday. A special thanks to Ryan and my mom for taking care of me. Ryan was a trooper because for some reason the pain pills made me kind of angry and irritable. So thanks for putting up with me! Thanks for the prayers and support!

Sunny Arizona and basketball

2009-04-01T07:50:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Ryan and I enjoyed some NCAA basketball games in sunny Arizona! I met a few of Ryan's friends and had tons of fun hanging out with them. Besides basketball we enjoyed getting lost on the freeway's of Arizona, swimming, shopping, eating, and staying two extra days thanks to US Airways. Our flight home was scheduled for Sunday and when they announced that the flight was over sold Ryan was more than overjoyed!!!!! He was like a little kid saying, "Kristie can we please offer to stay so we get the free flights, hotel, and meal vouchers." Of course I was on up for an extended vacation and the opportunity to fly for free on our next vacation. We couldn't pass it up. So we spent the remainder of the day learning the Phoenix train system and all day Monday laying in the hot sun by the pool. We left Tuesday morning and as we left the beautiful hot sun we flew into a sea of gray clouds!!!!!!!!!!! Boise weather is terrible! Cold, cloudy, rainy, and now I want to go back tomorrow! Instead I get to have knee surgery........hoorah!!! :( Wish me luck! I'll post once I am off of the pain meds and feeling normal!

The group outside Cardinal Stadium

another group photo at the NCAA basketball game

This is Ryan's favorite vacation........I too had fun

UConn vs. Missouri

photos taken from the car. We were lost and I found an orange field. So I took a sample :) Nothing beats a fresh picked orange from the tree.

posing with the cactus........

Ryan entertaining too of the cutest boys ever! I swear one looked exactly like Ryan. These were his friend Greg's kids.

This cute boy is 29!!!!!! today :)

2009-03-23T20:21:00.000-07:00

So my adorable husband turned 29 today! We enjoyed lunch together and then had a few people over for dinner and cake. I made his favorite cake with rainbow chip frosting. I made it in the sheet pan so there is more frosting then cake......he really likes it that way....:) For his birthday we are headed to Arizona for the NCAA basketball games, which he is more than excited for! I must add Ryan wanted me to get more excited about the games so he had me fill out a bracket. I just guess which team will win and this year I am beating him! I don't think he is too happy about it, but it is getting me more excited to watch basketball all weekend because I am so darn competitive. So we are traveling again to some warm weather and basketball.........what more could Ryan want for his birthday?! Let's see a BACK SCRATCHER! I bought him a dollar backscratcher and he grinned from ear to ear. I think he likes it :) I also wanted to post the top 10 reasons why he is so wonderful.

10- he is my other half and takes great care of me

9-he has the most adorable eyes and smile( just thinking about his cute face makes me happy)

8- he stays up late with me even when he has to wake up early!

7- he cooks.....need I say more :)

6- he actually enjoys running with me!

5-he loves to travel and visit new places.

4-he is a hard worker and is always willing to serve

3-he is spiritually strong and lifts me up

2-he pampers me and is always helping me out with whatever projects I come up with

1-he loves me with his whole heart!

Babe I love you so much and I look forward to all of the many birthdays we will celebrate together.

Now the best part is what a cute boy Ryan is ........

here he is as a youngster. Look at that bleach blond hair and baby blues.

Love ya and Happy Birthday!

29 years young!

Ryan blowing out his birthday candles!

a few more photos of Ryan through the years......

Just a quick thought!

2009-03-18T21:30:00.000-07:00

So I don't have any pictures to post of this past weekend trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. For some reason I didn't find the energy to take any photos. The volleyball games took a lot out of me and I mean a lot!!!! I ended up tearing my ACL!!!! After the initial shock of it all I am beginning to see that although life is difficult it will get better! I am supposed to have surgery in a few weeks and I am ready to work hard to get my left knee strong again. I more or less wanted to post this unfortunate news to say that I am so grateful for the man I married! He has been so calm and even when I was rolling on the court yelling a few choice words he was right by my side comforting me. It is amazing to think that I am so lucky to be blessed with such a perfect man for me! I am also blessed that I have wonderful friends and family who have been there and will continue to be there for support. I'm not sure why certain events happen, but I do know I will look back and know that it taught me ......something......right? ......maybe patience......faith.....one day I'll know why? In the mean time I am struggling with the fact that I can't go 100 percent seven days a week! I guess I need to slow down! Maybe that is why it all happened......who knows? I'll keep you all updated!

One fabulous year and a few more Maui pictures!

2009-03-01T11:34:00.000-08:00

So officially Ryan and I are celebrating a full year together! It has gone by so quickly and we have had so much fun. I am excited to spend many more years with him. I had to post the picture below because he looks so darn adorable and I just want to pinch his cheeks! I love him SO MUCH and I look forward to the many more adventures we will share together. Oh and I had to post a few more pictures of the beach. We miss it and Idaho is so cold right now.....I am freezing and turning pale white again. Good thing Ryan loves me so much he actually is allowing me to turn up the heat!!!! ha ha

The picture below is Aiden smiling after spitting up on his Uncle Ryan. He thought it was pretty darn funny!

the kemp boys checking out one of the beaches......they looked identical walking out to the ocean so, again I had to take a picture.

Ryan looking for sea turtles.......he didn't find any at this spot!

Sunday church with an ocean view. Nice location! Tempting though I wanted to run across the street and into the ocean :)

One last view of beautiful Maui, Hawaii

More Maui Please!

2009-02-26T19:53:00.000-08:00

So Maui, Hawaii was such a beautiful vacation. I had to post tons of photos so everyone can see how spectacular it really is. Honestly though it is better in real life and all who have been there I'm sure agree with me. Where do I begin with what we did and all of the funny stories. I'll give a brief overview and if you want more details you'll have to give me a call! Seriously I have to start with bringing Aiden was surprising really fun! He did great the whole time. He slept on the airplane and the beach. I am sure Heide will blog about him too so I won't say too much, but I loved having him with us. We all enjoyed snorkeling, playing in the waves, seeing a whale jump, seeing a huge sea turtle, eating, relaxing, tanning, cliff jumping, boogie boarding, card playing ..hmmmmm

I could go on for hours! Basically I want to go back tomorrow even if I have to fly stand by again and stay at a rinky dink hotel for two extra days! I would do it all again to have the sand between my toes and the sun tanning my skin. Let's just say I now want to look for a job there so we could enjoy

the laid back life that Hawaii has to offer. Ryan is on board for an adventure living on an island, but I'll keep you posted if any crazy ideas develop.....ha ha. Enjoy all of the photos they took me forever to post. Sending love to all and

I am sad to say my tan is already fading and I just arrived home Wednesday afternoon.

Oh and if you want to know how our extra days went without our husbands Heide and I survived, but we were missing our boys! The stand by situation wasn't my favorite part, but I would honestly do it again so I could see that darn sea turtle and look out at the ocean holding hands with my adorable husband! We will celebrate our first anniversary as Mr. and Mrs. Kemp on March 1st. We combined Valentines and our Anniversary and celebrated by taking a trip to Maui! What can I say I love him dearly and am grateful everyday I am married to him.

McCall with the Zickgrafs

2009-02-01T14:44:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Ryan and I decided to try to escape the inversion and drive to McCall to visit Cindy, Adam, Izabel, and Ford. We arrived Friday night and both kids were asleep. Ford woke up at about ten that night and decided to hang out with us for a couple of hours. The next morning we surprised Izabel as she nearly fell off the table in amazement. She had no idea we were there and she also has a crush on Ryan ( she thinks he is pretty cute)!!! After breakfast we headed out for some afternoon sledding. Seriously I am going to post the video so all can see how extreme it was. I wasn't able to capture Ryan's first run because I was laughing so hard! He flew like four feet off of his sled. It was hilarious so I made him try it again! While we tried to convince a new group of extreme sledders to try the same hill they popped the sled running over a tree! Thankfully no one was hurt, at least severely! After a few hours of sledding Cindy decided the kids better take a nap. We ate lunch and then after nap time (for everyone besides Izabel and me) got on our swim suits and drove to Zim's hot springs! Izabel and Ford had so much fun swimming in the warm water while it was snowing! It was a whole new experience for them, they loved it! After a few hours of swimming we ate at Chapalas against Izabel's request of a hamburger and fries! We finished the evening watching the Miss America Pageant . Well, Ryan and Adam kept switching from ESPN to the beauty pageant! Cindy and I love it because it reminds us of when we were little pretending we were in the Miss America Pageant! Both Izabel and Ford fell asleep quickly and we weren't far behind them. We had to watch the crowning of the new Miss America! We ended the fun weekend attending church Sunday morning. Ford ended the meeting with a loud "ALL DONE"!!!!!! It was hilarious! People around us were smiling and laughing. Thanks again to Adam and Cindy for letting us crash on your extra bed! We had such a fun weekend.

A weekend away....

2009-01-22T20:58:00.001-08:00

Last Thursday I had the pleasure of visiting my good friend Kelly! I flew into Denver, Colorado thursday night after I barely made it flying stand-by, but that is another story. Kelly and I had such a great time catching up and remembering when we were in dental hygiene school together. Let's just say we shared stories and laughed until 2 am. We haven't seen each other for almost three years so we had a lot to catch up on. Kelly and I attended a dental convention in denver and completed our requirements to renew are licenses. After a full day and a half of courses we went on a wonderful hike in Boulder. The weather was amazing, 58 degrees sunny and clear! It was a much needed escape from the terrible inversion that is looming over the Boise valley! I also had the pleasure of meeting her adorable boyfriend (Jeff) and also reunite with her puppies (Cyrus and Jammer)! It was such a fun weekend and the only thing missing was my hubbi. I missed him so much and although the weather in Denver was beckoning me to stay longer I couldn't wait to get home to Ryan! Thanks Kelly for a great weekend! Now we can't let three years go by before seeing each other again!

Kelly and me overlooking Boulder, Colorado

Kelly, Jeff and Jammer! Kelly said she could only bring Jammer because "he is tough enough"!

Kelly and me towards the end of the hike. Look at the blue sky and no jackets.

This Christmas.....

2009-01-07T19:07:00.000-08:00

I am sad to say the holidays are over and now I get to re-cap our Christmas events! This was officially our first Christmas together as a married couple. We kept it sort of low key due to the fact that most of our extra money has been spent on remodeling projects! None the less it was a brilliant holiday spent with my large family! For the first time in a long time everyone was home to celebrate Christmas Eve in style. Let's just say as the number of grand children grows the louder it gets at the Blackhurst house! I enjoyed every minute of it as for Ryan I think he found refuge in the basement with the brother in laws watching........you guessed it football! Christmas morning we had the pleasure of visiting little Elly as she captured the pure joy of the season with her kitchen that Santa brought! We stopped over at the Zickgrafs and played with all of the play dough that Izabel and Ford received! We opened our gifts to each other and surprising enough my dear husband gave me beautiful pearl earrings and a pearl bracelet. So much for keeping it simple.......I got him an electric razor :). We ended Christmas day at the movie theater with Brian, Riley, and Emily. We also enjoyed sledding with the nieces and nephews! Ryan got a work out hiking up the hill with a kid in each arm. The best part was watching Ford and Ryan go off of a jump. Ford came back up smiling and saying "Let's do it again" Ryan let me know he kind of hurt himself by landing on his tail bone! Thankfully enough no one got seriously injured because there were many collisions that afternoon. What can I say he loves kids and they love Uncle Ryan! We had a glorious holiday spent relaxing, sledding, eating, laughing, and loving every minute of it! Hope your holidays were spectacular and perfect. Sending love to all friends and family we weren't able to enjoy the season with this year. We love you!

let it snow.....let it snow.....let it snow!

Ford can hardly wait to get on his snow gear and head out into the winter wonderland!

The beautiful table that Emily put together! She has such a talent for decorating!

The new mommas and their new little babies. :)

Ready to go! Ford never stopped smiling.

the madness Christmas eve! Uncle Brian was the horse and all the grand kids wanted a ride. Sam thought this was the greatest event of the night.

Uncle Brian is home for good now. Here he is meeting baby Kaisley for the first time.

Ryan and I at the annual Zickgraf "Ugly Sweater Christmas party"!

Finally an update!

2008-12-07T21:59:00.001-08:00

So here is our finished bathroom! There are still some small things left to do. Like put up towel racks and a few shelves, but the big project is complete! I am loving my new granite countertop with an under mount sink! We put in the bead board ourselves, which took us all day to do because we had no idea what we were doing. In the end I am happy with the finished project and grateful for Ryan's hard work.

below is a the bead board almost installed!

Ryan working his safety glasses and using some borrowed power tools! Thanks Danny for letting us borrow your saw!

.....one more just because I'm proud of how it turned out.

Almost there!

2008-11-15T20:52:00.000-08:00

So we finally have a shower that is working! It has been a long five days!!! We still have a lot to do, but at least we can take a shower after all of our hard work! It makes me very grateful for the simple pleasures in life. Ryan has done such a great job and I think he has learned a lot from all of these projects. He not only is a wonderful husband, but has become a /painter/plumber/electrician/and the list will continue to grow. Thanks so much babe, I LOVE YOU!!!

the shower tile is complete! YaY :)

and no more linoleum......

oh and the cabinet + toilet we are still working on! .......to be continued :)

The bathroom is DEMOLISHED!

2008-11-10T22:27:00.000-08:00

So we kept busy tonight....and I think our neighbors hate us now. All of the pounding and scraping, but we stopped at 8:45 pm so they can't be too upset! Ryan is in all of the pictures, but just so you all know I did help out! So now our bathroom is completely torn apart and I am so excited because we get to fix the creaky floor! Once it is done I'll post some more photos!

the 80's cabinet is finally gone! HOORAH :)

Ryan working hard tearing out the tile and dry wall

now this is what is left! I can't wait to get this shower working again. Thanks Trent and Heide for letting us use your shower! We were covered in dry wall dust and tile fragments. Remodeling is a blast!!!!!!!!!!!

Next Project!

2008-11-09T13:48:00.001-08:00

So this week Ryan and I are starting the remodel of our master bathroom. Again it is highly outdated and I absolutely hate linoleum flooring! So tomorrow we are demolishing everything! This is Ryan's favorite part......we are tearing out the cabinet below, linoleum, and shower tile. We will probably be without a working shower for 4-5 days. I guess we won't take showers or just head to the gym and use the shower there. (which will get me to go so it isn't entirely a bad idea:) Wish us luck! I will post after pictures too so I can appreciate the much needed change and hard work!

the bathroom is a disaster......I can't wait to see how good it will look later this week.

Halloween Party 2007!

2008-10-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

A few more pictures of Halloween! Last year I hosted the annual party. It was so much fun and as you can see there were some creative costumes! I'm sad we aren't having one this year....I needed Summer to help plan it, WE MISS YOU!

Group photo Halloween 2007!

The hot cowboy and his Indian princess!

Mary and Andy wore these fat suits! We all tried them on and had so much fun as you can see Ryan is enjoying grabing the inflated boob!

Kristie and Cindy!

Halloweens of the past!

2008-10-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

So I began searching through photos of past Halloween parties and decided to post a few pictures. The pictures below are from Summer's annual Halloween party 2006! Summer we are sad that this year we don't have a party to go to!

Cindy and Izabel

Mary and Elly

Summer and Chris

Cindy Adam and Izabel ( Ford is in Cindy's belly :)

Mary Andy and Elly

Izabel and Adam

Denae, Saren, and Kristie

Denae and Kristie

Spyglass Pumpkin Patch!

2008-10-27T19:08:00.001-07:00

So I helped Cindy with Izabel and Ford at the Spy glass pumpkin patch. It was so fun seeing how excited kids get over the smallest things. It definitely brought back good memories of past halloween adventures. So sad Sam and Jenelle weren't able to join us like last year! WE MISS YOU SO DARN MUCH! Actually Izabel asked about Sam tonight when I stopped by Cindy and Adams. She asked what Sam was going to be for Halloween. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

the kids having fun in a pile of pumpkins

holding hands :) too cute

more pumpkins!!! YAY!

a picture I found online....it just screamed autumn!! had to post it :)

Keeping busy as Newlyweds!

2008-10-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

So here a few pictures of the kitchen and living room.......they aren't completely finished, but I think it looks a lot better. I guess you can be the judge of that!

Ryan working hard. We put in a new floor, painted, assembled and installed kitchen cabinets, put in a new light socket for a microwave (plus many more small things I never dreamed we would get to learn to do!!!!! Ryan got shocked while attempting to be an electrician, but he pulled through and we were able to install a new microwave. Let's just say we learned a lot while working together on these projects....

Before

(Ryan's bachelor pad!)

After

(we updated thanks to Ikea)

Before

(Ryan's couch his grandma gave him)

After

(a couch I purchased while living with my roommates)

I entered the blog world!!!!

2008-10-18T14:09:00.000-07:00

So after some thought I decided to create a blog to keep in contact with family and friends. I know I don't have any kids to update you on, but it will be fun anyway!! Below are a few pictures of the wedding. We were married on March 1st on a really cold rainy, but perfect day! Now we spend most of our time working, playing, and REMODELING!!!! I'll have to show some before and after pictures. My next project is our bathroom. I've already painted and will hopefully have it completed by Thanksgiving.

2008-10-18T13:59:00.000-07:00

Cindy Bigelow took my wedding photos. She did such a great job.

Denae and me

Ryan posing.....

here is my cute baby!!!! Isn't he handsome!

here are a few of my siblings. Jenelle, Russell, and Brian weren't able to make it.

Jay's handle bar mustache looks hilarious or shall I say, CREEPY! ha ha