Two years and still going strong!

Ryan and I celebrated our two year wedding anniversary on July 6th. It has gone by so fast! I wanted to do something romantic and memorable, but neither of us were able to get the day off work. So instead, we celebrated over the fourth of July weekend. We stayed at the Crown Plaza hotel in St. Paul. There was a huge 4th of July festival within walking distance of our hotel. It was called the 'Taste of Minnesota." They had amusement park rides, music, and lots of food! We ate buffalo wings, corn dogs, mini donuts, funnel cakes, corn on the cob, and ice cream. (We are lucky we didn't have a heart attack!) Ryan was a poor sport about the fireworks. We had to wait 10-15 minutes before they started, and he was not being patient. Then he wanted to go back to the room before they were over. I was a little upset that I missed the grand finale.

On our anniversary, Ryan surprised me and came home with roses and a heart felt card. He usually stresses out about what to get for me. He is a wonderful husband, and that is all I need. I bought him a pair of roller blades for our anniversary. He has been wanting them for a while. We went to Lake Calhoun to test them out and he had a great time. The only problem was he wore ankle socks and ended up with some big blisters.

Two FUN weekends!

#1 Memorial Day Weekend in Arizona.

Ryan and I flew to Arizona to spend some time with his family. It felt great to enjoy the hot, 90 degree weather. We spent most of the vacation lounging by the pool. Ryan's niece had a birthday party on Saturday with a huge blow-up water slide in her backyard. They grilled hot dogs and hamburgers for lunch. They even had a snow cone machine. The party was a huge success, I think the adults had more fun than the kids.

Ryan's birthday was on Memorial Day this year. We spent most of the day at the airport. Our layover took us to Houston, which is not really on the way to Minneapolis. Ryan's favorite birthday present came on Thursday when the cable guy hooked up the HD/DVR receiver. I don't know how we ever lived without DVR.

#2 Weekend with the girls.

My friends came to visit me!! I have been looking forward to this weekend for months. I haven't really made a lot of friends out here and I really miss my girlfriends. Jalene and Treo flew in from Vegas on Thursday, and Deb came from Chicago on Friday. The weather was good on Friday so we took a walk by the Mississippi river. We had lunch at a cafe near the river and went on a boat tour. I was glad we were able to spend some time outside, because the rest of the weekend was cold and rainy. On Saturday, we spent the whole day at the Mall of America. Eleven and a half hours of shopping- we didn't leave until the stores kicked us out. We went in every baby store at least twice. Two of my friends have babies, and the other one is pregnant. We stayed at a hotel downtown. We watched movies and stayed up all night talking. (Ryan was a bachelor for the weekend.) On Sunday morning, we went to brunch at Hell's Kitchen, then it was time to take them to the airport. I was sad to see them go.

For All Eternity...

Last weekend Ryan and I were sealed in the Salt Lake temple. The best part was that we were able to have all of our siblings with us. We flew home after work on Thursday. The majority of our trip home was spent apart. Ryan stayed with his family in Provo, and I stayed in Salt Lake at the Residence Inn with my family.

On Friday I went shopping with my all of my sisters. Most of my purchases were from the LDS distribution center, White Elegance, and the Shade store. I was anticipating some drastic changes to my wardrobe.

Saturday was a very big day. We arrived at the temple at 11:30 and didn't get done until 4:30. It was so neat to have all of our family in the temple together. After the sealing, we took a few pictures in front of the temple. (Ryan was not cooperative!) We had dinner afterwards at Rodizio Grill. Everyone was hungry and we ate plenty of meat.

Sunday was Mothers Day. My family and I went to the Spoken Word on temple square and took my sister to the airport. I finally went to Provo to see my husband. His sister just had a new baby boy and named him Ryan. We had a fabulous Sunday dinner and played with the nephews. Ryan surprised me with a gorgeous diamond necklace in the shape of a circle. ("He went to Jared!") I am spoiled!

On Monday, I did more shopping! Lets just say this was an expensive trip. I went to lunch at Cafe Rio with my friend Marie. I have been craving Cafe Rio and we don't have it in Minnesota. Then I had dinner with my favorite cousin, Becca. We don't get to see each other very often, so after dinner we got pedicures.

Unfortunately we had to go home on Tuesday. It was a short trip, but we were able to spend lots of time with family and friends. Ryan spent time with his nephews, played tennis with Greg, and enjoyed his Mother's cooking.

Now we are back to life as usual. This weekend we are going to Arizona for Memorial Day to spend time with Ryan's family and soak up some sun. It still doesn't feel like summer in Minneapolis.

Nothing new or exciting.

When I first started blogging, I was committed to blog once a week. Now I have lowered my standards to once a month. Here are a few random happenings from the past month.

#1 EASTER WEEKEND.

It is strange to be away from family over the holidays. Ryan and I got a hotel room downtown for Easter, just a few blocks away from our apartment. We went to a flower exhibit at Macy's (my idea), and a Timberwolves game (Ryan's idea). It was fun to get away (even if it was only a few blocks away), it really felt like we were on a vacation.

#2 RYAN FOUND HIS WEDDING RING!

As many of you know, my husband rarely wears his wedding ring. He only wears it on special occasions and to church. When he does wear his ring, he has a habit of taking it off and playing with it. (i.e. spinning it on the table) Last October it suddenly disappeared. I searched high and low, but there was no trace of it. I had finally accepted the fact that it was really gone. For Christmas, I bought Ryan three replacement wedding rings.

A few weeks ago, we were getting ready for church and he found it! It was in the pocket of a pair of chuch pants that he rarely wears. I am sure that he will lose it again, but now at least we have three replacement rings. (The orginal wedding ring is on the right.)

#3 I GOT A NEW PHONE.

My pink motorola razor finally stopped working. I had that phone for almost three years. I didn't want a blackberry. I had one for a month and I was annoyed by the amount of e-mail and notifications that I was getting. My new phone is great! It has a touch screen and a great camera. (old phone on right, new phone on left)

#4 I MADE COOKIES!

I am definately not Betty Crocker, but I can follow a recipe. I made snicker doodles for Ryan and they turned out good. (even though I left out the cream of tarter) He said they were not as good as his Mom's, but they were a close second.

Then I took it to an even bigger scale. I made 85 oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for a primary activity. It was a 4 hour project, but they turned out delicious! We took them to the primary presidency and the bishop of our ward. Next I am going to try to make Apple Pie!

#5 RYANS WATCH COLLECTION.

Ryan has a shoe fetish. He has multiple pairs of similar looking athletic shoes. He can't get enough of them. But lately he has a new hobby, collecting watches. He bought two new watches this month. I wish he would collect something cheaper, like baseball cards.

Sun, Sun, and More SUN!!!

During the winter in Minnesota, 99% of my day is spent indoors with artificial lighting. I was in desperate need of a warm vacation. After several months of no sun I finally got my fix. My generous in-laws took us on a wonderful 7 day cruise to the Eastern Caribbean.

We flew to Fort Lauderdale and spent the night in a hotel prior to boarding our ship. Our ship was incredible! My favorite amenity was the huge jumbo tron above the swimming pool. We watched movies while we layed out and soaked up the sun. The food was divine! The best part was that I didn't have to cook or do dishes. We had a formal dinner in the dining room together every night. It was so much fun to talk and tell stories. I learned a lot about Ryan as a child and a teenager, and I think his parents learned a few things too! The entertainment was good- they had a couple of funny comedians, but Ryan refused to go to the production shows or the magician. He dragged me up to the night club a few times where we would sit and watch sportscenter or basketball while listening to the loud music. On the last night, I did get him to bust out some of his moves on the dance floor. The weather was nice- there a couple of cloudy days but we got plenty of sun. Ryan and I and his mother went snorkeling in Grand Turk. It was a cool, windy day and the water was really rough. We were all cold after getting out of the water. I shivered all the way back to the boat, but it was still warmer than Minnesota! We also visited St. Thomas and St. Martin. Overall, we had a fabulous vacation. It was extremely relaxing and nice to get away.

We were welcomed home by a snow storm yesterday and freezing temperatures today. Will this winter ever end? At least I have a nice tan to remind me of the warm Caribbean sun!

I am LOVED!

I have never been a huge fan of Valentines Day, but now that I am married it is nice to get flowers once in a while. This year Ryan surprised me with a dozen yellow roses. I am loved!

On Valentines day, we stayed downtown at the Hilton hotel. It is only a few blocks away from where we live, but it really felt like we were on a mini-vacation. Ryan agreed to take me to the movie, "He's just not that into you." I really liked it!! The hotel had a nice gym, pool, and sauna. We had reservations at a Italian restaurant for dinner, but Ryan was concerned about missing the slam dunk contest. So I reluctantly agreed to eat at the hotel restaurant. Ryan was thrilled because of the big screen TV located directly in front of our table. It was All-Star weekend and Ryan didn't have to miss any of the action. He is lucky to have such a wonderful wife!

My TOP TEN from the HOLIDAY SEASON.

Ryan and I had a wonderful holiday break. We were both able to get time off work to go home and spend the holidays with our families. It was a much needed vacation. I have come up with a list of my top ten things I loved about this holiday season.

#10 Going to the MOVIES.
Ryan and I saw a total of six movies during the month of December: Yes Man, Seven Pounds, Benjamin Button, Bedtime Stories, Valkarie, and Marley and Me. (Ryan also saw Madagascar 2 with his nephews!) My favorite movie was Valkarie. Tom Cruise has still got it!!

#9 Going to a Christmas Party with Ryan's Friends from Work.

Ryan's friend Todd invited us to a Christmas party before we left town. There was lots of good company, Christmas cheer, and awesome FOOD!!


#8 Family night with my parents dressed up as JOSEPH and MARY.

My parents dressed up as Joseph and Mary to tell the story of Jesus' birth for Christmas. My dad was less than thrilled about the idea. The grand kids enjoyed it and I got a good laugh!

#7 Watching the Utah UTES win the SUGAR BOWL!

What a great game!! For all you non-sports fans out there. The Utah Utes played Alabama in the Sugar Bowl on January 2. The Utes were the underdogs. In the first quarter, the Utes scored three touchdowns! They ended up beating Alabama 31-17. Go UTES!!

#6 Getting a KISS at midnight on NEW YEARS EVE.

New Years Eve isn't as wild and crazy as it used to be when I was single. This year we stayed home and watched the ball drop in our pajamas. The best part about being married is that I know I will get a kiss a midnight every year!

#5 Going to lunch with my High School FRIENDS.

I love to get together with my girlfriends from High School. I wish I was better at keeping in touch during the year. But it seems like every time we get together we can pick up where we left off. We reminisce and talk about how much everyone has changed. I hope we can continue this tradition until we are old women.

#4 Great seats at an NFL playoff game, VIKINGS vs. EAGLES.

I bought Ryan playoff tickets on the second row!! It was a great game, even though the Vikings lost 26-14. I felt like we were in the middle of the action, and Ryan had a great view of the cheerleaders! The only bad part was walking home from the Metrodome in 10 degree weather. Brrrrr!

#3 Food, Food, and more FOOD!!

There is never a shortage of food during the holiday season and I definitely ate my share. At home we ate: Honey baked ham, cheesy potatoes, cinnamon rolls, Fondue, and my mother-in-law's famous chocolate peppermint dessert! We also went out to eat at Goodwood, El Mexicano, Pepperbellies, and Outback Steakhouse. To top it off, we had a Candy Bar tasting competition with my Cousin Becca. It is time to start working out again!!

#2 Opening presents!!

We definitely get spoiled by both families and Santa Claus. It is still fun to wake up on Christmas morning and see presents under the tree. Ryan favorite gift was a PLAYSTATION 3 with The Dark Knight on BluRay. My favorite gift was a large framed portrait of the Salt Lake Temple.

#1 Spending quality time with our FAMILIES.

My very favorite part of the holidays is spending time with our families. It was so fun to just relax and play with our nieces and nephews. Ryan went sledding with his family while I was in Richfield. Everyone was able to come home this year. It is not very often that our whole family can be together. We made some wonderful memories this year!