Birthday Boy!

Ryan turned 28 on Friday, and we had lots of fun on his Birthday. I made him eggs benedict for breakfast and then we headed over to his work for lunch so that I could surprise him with his Birthday present. I had spent the night before secretly decorating his new office for him. It turned out pretty nice. I forgot to take pictures though, so I will have to post those latter. I was going to try and attempt to paint the office as-well, but last minute decided not to. It just would have been to much to deal with in the short time I had. Then latter that night we went to the nickel-cade with Jared and Marshall. It was my first time going and I was not super excited about it because I thought Jayna and I would be bored, but boy was I wrong. We blew through nickels like no tomorrow! Jayna loved all the sounds and lights on all the games, and loved watching the crazy kids running around. I loved playing the games with her strapped in the front pack squealing with delight. We played for about two hours while the boys played their gun games. We racked up so many tickets that we had enough to buy the sparkle baton we had our eyes on. Remember those as a kid? By the time we left she was about to pass-out. She was struggling to keep her eyes open, there was just way to much stimulation. Ryan and I decided that we will take her to the nickel-cade and wear her out for two hours before we go on our drive to Arizona. My favorite though was that there were all these kids at the nickel-cade having their birthdays and I was there with my 28 eight year old husband for his. After we ran out of nickels we went to the Wing Coop, an all wing restaurant. The boys eat about 50 wings there and then we went back to our place for an angel food pudding cake I made.



Ryan with his friends at the nickel-cade. I was laughing so hard when I saw him playing with this random kid.



Friends Marshall and Jared.

I Tried My Luck...

I tried my LUCK at making homemade fortune cookies this week. They turned out pretty good, but I think the consistency of my batter may need some work so that it is not so caky in the center. I also think one of those silicone pads you put in the cookie sheets would help as-well. They were surprisingly easy to assemble, you just have to work fast before they cool. I think they would make a great favor at a wedding or party.





I also stole this cute Thanksgiving card idea from a local scrapbook store. I thought it was adorable so I made them for the sisters I visiting teach. I thought I would share the idea incase any of you need to make your own Thanksgiving cards.

Let It Snow...Let It Snow...Let It Snow

It snowed pretty much all day today which was fun to watch from inside my cozy home. I really wanted Jayna to see the snow and experience it for herself so I brought some in for her. She had fun feeling it and grabbing handfuls of the cold white stuff. Her poor little hands were bright red by the time she was done with it. I am not positive that she is teething yet, but she sure has been grumpy this week. It got me thinking though that snow balls would make a great all natural soother for a teething baby. I wonder if that is what the "cave mommies" used?

Remember To Vote!

Jayna was grumpy today so I needed to find something to keep us occupied until Dad came home from work. With the election on my mind and the desire to fine tune my baking skills this is what we ended up with. We made the cupcakes and frosting from scratch because I did not have any cake mix on hand. It was fun. Ryan got a kick out of them when he got home, and we took them to our neighbors as a little reminder to head out to the polls tomorrow.





So Happy Voting Everyone!

Witches Night Out

Meet our daughter "Spooky Jayna". Every October we attend Witches Night Out at Gardner Village to see the fun costumes, festivities, and cute little shops. Since Grandma found Jayna a cute witch costume for Halloween we decided to dress her up when we went. It was kinda chilly outside and she was really busy looking at all the people walking by so she never gave a big smile. We thought it added to the spooky nature of the pictures though. Ryan thinks they look like those creepy 1800's pictures you see of children were they are all sad looking and serious. Everyone thought the wig was hysterical and she doesn't mind it, she just leaves it on. I was a witch for my first Halloween and since we have the same birthday my mom thought it appropriate that that is what Jayna would be. So here are some pictures of Witches Night Out, carving pumpkins, Ryan's work party, and other Halloween day pictures. Hope everyone had a "spooktacular" Halloween evening. (our internet has not been working great so I will have to post the rest of the pictures later)

7 Months Old and Growing So Fast!

Jayna is 7 months old now and is still growing and changing everyday. She is doing so well. I cannot believe it was 7 months ago that we were worried she would not make it here safely. We feel so lucky and blessed that she has progressed with no growth or development set backs due to being born 3 weeks early. She is a sharp little cookie with tons of personality and we cannot imagine life without her. Friends keep asking us if they can babysit, but we are not sick of her yet. Ryan and I were married for 5 years before having her so we jokingly tell them we had her because we were tired of looking at each other. She is our little "Berry" and we love her. Here are some recent pictures of her.



Jayna is rolling and squirming everywhere! Sometimes she gets herself into some pretty tight corners like under the bed or under the couch.



She is a good little shopper, but sometimes she just can't keep up with the big girls.



After getting ready for church she plays in her highchair with her new little toy tiger Grandma sent her for Halloween.



I always make pumpkin cookies in October and November so we decided to let Jayna have a seasonal treat. I figured it was just like her baby food since it was pure pumpkin. She really liked it too.



Jayna got her first little cold a month ago so I thought I would play a baby einstein movie for her. She only made it through the intro.



Along with pina coladas and getting caught in the rain Jayna loves to play with her dog Red.

My Dad Has Been Leading A Double Life

Apparently my Dad has been leading a double life come to find out. While he is not working as the General Manager of Freightliner Arizona or at home with my Mom and Brother he has been moonlighting as the head coach for the Green Bay Packers and has been keeping it a secret from all of us. While Ryan and I were out to dinner with our friend Jared he asked me if my Dad got mistaken for any one famous. I told him no and he said that he thought my Dad looked like the Green Bay Packers head coach. As he was pulling up a picture on his phone I was trying to think of what courteous response I would give when I looked at the picture and it looked nothing like my Dad. Jared has only seen him twice in somewhat brief circumstances. When he showed me the picture above I just about died and my only response was, "That's my Dad". The funniest thing about all this is that for years when we lived in Granite Bay and Craig played football at Granite Bay High-School my Dad wore the High-School hats and shirts all the time, which look just like the Green Bay logo. It bugged him all the time when he was out and about because people would always think he was a Green Bay fan and would want to talk to him about it, or they would shout out "Go Green Bay" when they would walk by.



I am going to try to find a better picture of my Dad because I know my Mom has to have one of him in his Granite Bay clothes at one of the boys games. So for now this badly photoshopped picture of my parents on vacation will have to do (sorry Mom).



That same night I called home and had Mark look up the same picture on line and he thought it was ridiculous. He told my Dad to come in and "meet himself" and my Dad thought for a quick second that it was himself at a Granite Bay game. So needless to say we have a Halloween costume idea for my Dad this year.

Where Were You?

I had recently moved back home after living in Utah and attending BYU. I was asleep in my bed when my mom woke me up and told me I needed to come watch the news. I remember going into my parents bedroom and laying on their bed to watch the T.V. to see just what was going on. The first tower had already been hit of course and they were showing video of the burning tower. It was unclear to everyone just what had happened. No one both in our house or on the news could figure out if it was an accident or not. At this point no one even knew if it was a small private plane or a large commercial plane. Then it happened, as we were watching the live news on CNN a second plane crashed into the south tower. It was unbelievable. You knew right away that this was not an accident and that something terrible was unfolding right before your eyes. Then the news began reporting about possible other high-jacked planes that may be in the air. The Pentagon was then hit and a plane went down in Pennsylvania. The media seemed to be frantic as they tried to keep up on what was going on. I just remember having that terrible thought and feeling of what next. Then I remembered that Marshall was flying home from his mission. Would his flight be in the air right now? Would he of had a layover in New York if he was coming home from Taiwan? How many flights are in danger? It was not a day that you wanted to have anyone you knew or cared about in the air traveling. I remember calling my friend Kelli that morning. She answered the phone from her sleep and I asked her if she knew what was going on she said "no", and I remember telling her "well you better turn the news on then". I watched the towers collapse, and watched the aftermath for weeks like so many others. It was a scary time. It was my generations Pearl Harbor in a way. Something I will never forget, and was glad I watched not experienced. My heart still goes out to all those effected by that day.

Our Car-Seat Came With A Roller-Coaster

Jayna has so many cute dresses she is starting to fit into, so when it was a little cooler on Sunday I was excited that I could put her in this cute little long sleeve dress. Of course right as I go to take a picture of her she spits up all over herself.



Last minute we switch her cute bow out for this cute as can be hat. Everyone at church loved her hat and she even kept it on for most of church.



After we got home Ryan did this roller-coaster game with her in her car-seat. Her reaction was so funny, almost like she was just going along with it, giving him pretend roller-coaster screams. We thought is was hilarious and had to get it on camera. So now we know that the straps in the car-seat really work, leave it to a Dad to test that one out. I couldn't get the video to post so a picture will have to do.



We did not realize how unhappy Jayna was that we do not subscribe to the Friend until she shredded the Ensign. She always wants to rip stuff apart and finally she did, just to bad it was the Ensign.

Hutchings vs Hurst

No these are not pictures from the U.S. Open, sorry if you thought they were. Ryan and our good friend Jared like to play tennis every once in awhile at our complex so that is what we did on Friday night.





Jayna, Red and I watched them play from the dog park behind the courts. Jayna was not impressed with the boys and got quit board, but Red loved running around and watching them hit the ball. After tennis we all took a dip in the pool minus Red, and had burgers from a little hole in the wall bar Jared knew about (not that he frequents bars or anything). It was a good end to our Full Throttle Friday.

BYU or BUST!

Ryan's brother Devin transfered to the Y this semester from BYU Idaho, so we went down to Provo this Friday to see him. We had fun buying Devin some groceries at our favorite little grocery store Macys that we used to shop at when we lived there.



Jayna was too cool for school cruising around campus with her shades and toys. She wanted all the Freshman at orientation to know she was hot stuff.



While we were in Provo we just had to stop at Jay-Dawgs and get a bite to eat. Sorry if this last sentence is causing anyone cravings. Jayna had fun playing on the blanket while we ate our "dawgs" and savored ever bite.





We also had to get a picture of Ryan next to his scooter sign, which we have been meaning to do forever, but forget every-time we go down there. It is a long story so to make it short I will just explain that this sign was not there until Ryan had a confrontation with the BYU police who pulled him over after chasing him on foot while he was riding his push scooter to school. He considers it his mark on the world and is quit proud of it.

We are excite to have Devin here in Utah with us and hope we get to see him often.

New Meals This Week

I have been on a new recipe kick recently, which Ryan just loves. This week we tried ultimate tuna on a bagel sandwiches and homemade pot-stickers. Both turned out great and made the cut to stay in our rotation of meals. The best was that I was able to freeze a ton of pot-stickers for later.

Jayna Trading Stocks on E-Trade

I know this picture is dark and blurry, but does it remind you of a certain E-Trade commercial? My mom wanted to see Jaynas new high chair over iChat so we set it up like this and she took the picture with her webcam. Jayna loves iChat and just like the E-Trade commercial she has even spit-up all over the keyboard before.

Dog Attacks Baby Or Maybe Baby Attacks Dog

I try to stop these violent and dangerous games in my house, but it is hard to tell Ryan to stop flinging her around when she is reacting like this. She loves Red, and we wonder why Red does not feel the same.

First Time Eating Food

The same night as the dinner fiasco we gave Jayna her first taste of rice cereal. The pictures say it all. It will be a slow process I am sure, but it is so fun to see her experience new things.

If You Can't Take The Heat Get Out Of The Kitchen!

I was flipping through the channels the other day and came across a Rachel Ray 30 minute meal episode. She was making Fiery Texas T-Bones with Chipotle Smashed Potatoes and Sweet and Hot Pepper Saute. I knew it was a meal Ryan would love so I looked the recipe up online and bought all the things I would need to make the dish for the next night. I even sent Ryan to the State Liquor Store to pick up the Bourbon the recipe called for after looking online and finding out there is no substitute for Bourbon when it comes to cooking. I was really excited to make the meal and put on a good show while cooking it just like I had seen Rachel Ray do the previous day. Well I put on a show to say the least. When a recipe says to heat the pan until it is "screaming hot" that means on high to me. So basically I smoked everyone out of the house. The steaks had a chipotle rub on them so when they started to smoke really bad when I put them on the pan the chipotle went air born and it was like you where sniffing the ground chipotle out of the bottle. Ryan started couching and poor Jayna started coughing and her eyes began to water. They ended up having to sit out front while I finished making dinner and aired the house out. Not the show I was looking to put on. I was cursing Rachel Rays name the whole time. It was a fun recipe to make though because at the end you add the Bourbon and light it on fire. The meal was actually really good, but obviously I will make some adjustments to the recipe if I make it again in the future.

Grin & Bare It

We had so much fun at Lake Powell! A big THANKS to my generous parents for all they do to make these fun trips to Lake Powell possible.





It was quite the car ride this year since we have a baby and decided to take Red. We were at least smart this car trip with Red and got her some drugs from the vet. In the past on car rides Red gets really nervous which makes her difficult to deal with and I knew I did not want to deal with that on top of a long car ride with a baby.



We made it there with only one blowout. Right after taking this picture Jayna peed all over Ryan. It was great! The other part you can't see in the picture is Red on a leash hooked to Ryan's arm and me trying to get Red not to step in the pee. We were laughing so hard. We can only imagine what we looked like to on going motorists.



The night we got there we slept on the boat at the marina and the next day we went grocery shopping and stocked the boat. Ice in Paige is a hot commodity and it takes a lot of it to stock the big coolers with drinks for a week. It is not the cheapest thing so when we saw this pile of ice on the dock we knew Dad was going to be disgusted, because it had to have been one of the boys ahead of us that broke one of our bags of ice while taking it to the boat.



On that same trip to the boat we saw all this commotion on the dock. People started running down one of the strips and other people started gathering to see what was going on. One of the boats had caught on fire and we later found out that our very own Captain Mike from Triple L Marina put the fire out with a hose from the dock because the fire and rescue boat could not get their water hoses to work.





We headed out the following day to find a spot up by Dangling Rope Marina and found a great one in Cathedral Canyon. Jayna loved the boat and driving it with Grandpa. Red freaked out when we first left the marina and was a little concerned that she was surrounded by water. She got use to it fast though and loved being up top with the wind blowing in her hair.



The boys did a great job at drilling and anchoring us in our spot. It is a tough job but someone has to do it.



It was a lot of fun to have Lindsey (Craig's wife) with us at Powell for the first time. On one of the nights they made an apple crisp. It looked like it was a chore to make, but it was sooooo good. I am craving it as we speak, I will have to call her and get her recipe.



Red claimed this chair first day. The funniest part was that she blended in with the living room furniture like she was wearing camouflage. We would be looking everywhere for her only to realize she was right in front of us on the couch or chair.





Jayna loved going on the ski boat and did not mind her huge lifejacket at all. In-fact she fell asleep most of the time and we would just carry her onto the house boat and lay her on the couch jacket and all.





Mark wore this stupid lifejacket the whole trip almost. He must have felt safe in the tube with my Mom because he doesn't even have it buckled up. He did switch jackets when Craig and him went tubbing, obviously he knew my Dad would not take it quit as cautious with them in the tube.











It was fun to watch all the guys wake board, they did great especially considering they only go once or twice a year. We would go out at dawn and dusk when the water was nice and everyone would take turns. I got some pretty good shots of them from the back of the boat and managed to get great video of Ryan's most successful run of the trip.





On one of the days we took a boat trip up to Rainbow bridge and had lunch in the boat and swam. It was a blast and the funniest part of the whole trip was when my Dad got disgusted with the music Craig and Mark where playing and started dancing and talking like a rapper on the back of the boat. I did get video footage of the whole scene, but do to the nature of the video I am too afraid to post it on the blog for fear of backlash.





For weeks before the trip I racked my brain to come up with a fun craft or activity we could do on the boat and finally I thought of one. It took me forever to find the things I needed for it, but after going to some unusual stores and places I finally was able to get everything I needed for it. We did Henna tattoos! It was a lot of fun and neat to learn and figure out how to do them. I did one on Ryan's back one on my hand and everyone else did their own thing.



We were sad to head back to land at the end of the week, but were glad we had such a wonderful and smooth trip. Jayna was excited to drive the boat with her Dad back to the marina though.





Once we got docked I packed the car up and Ryan helped load the wave runners onto the truck. In all of the hustle and bustle I forgot to get Ryan's change of clothes out of his bag and by the time we realized it the bag was at the bottom of the pile packed in the back of the car. We went to Jack in the Box with everyone right after that and Ryan had no shirt. We could not stop laughing at how white trash he looked. This guy with no shirt and his swim suite on, a tattoo on his back holding a baby, and on-top of all that his sandals had broken. It was to perfect. I could barely eat because I would just crack up every time I looked at him. The picture of him with Jayna looks like an Amber Alert. "If you see this man with this baby please call police." He was not to thrilled with the attention we were giving him. My mom gave him one of my Dads shirts she could easily get to so that he did not have to drive home topless.

Again, Thank you Mom and Dad for inviting us to the house boat and for all that you do. We love you!