Sunday, January 30, 2011

9th Anniversary


January 31, 2002 Ryan and I were married in the St. George, UT Temple. It was a very exciting day for us. We were only engaged for two months, which didn't leave much time to plan things or for our parents to pull things together during the busy holiday season. It wasn't very nice of us, but our mother's did an amazing job with everything.
After the wedding we had a very delicious catered lunch, and then we were off to our honeymoon. But not before our siblings and friends trashed our car inside and out. We found crushed cookies and candy under the seats for months. We stayed at The Green Gate Village Historic Inn in St. George for a night and then spent the weekend in Las Vegas. We took a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon, which was amazing. The next weekend we had a ring ceremony and reception in Delta.
It's been 9 years since our wedding. We look a lot younger and thinner in these pictures. I feel very lucky and blessed to be married to my best friend. Best decision I have or ever will make. I love you Ryan- Happy Anniversary!

Friday, January 7, 2011

Christmas 2010

We have been married almost nine years and this is our very first Christmas on our own. We have always spent Christmas at one of our parent's homes with all our siblings and so many presents they didn't all fit under the tree. Once the okay was given we all went to town opening presents one after the other and before we knew it the tree was empty and the living room was full of wrapping paper, boxes, and piles of each person's stash. I have many great memories of these past years. We just made a trip to Utah for Thanksgiving and decided to stay in California for Christmas.

We spent Christmas Eve at Uncle Phil and Aunt Beth's home with their children and grandchildren. We had a delicious Mexican dinner and great company. Loren opened up one present before bed, which was a Rapunzel nightgown to sleep in. We set out carrots for the reindeers and cookies and milk for Santa. Loren made Santa a nice card.

Christmas morning started out with Loren sleeping in past 8, no complaints. We checked out our stockings and presents from Santa. Loren was so happy to get Ariel. She knew Santa would bring it for her, since he told her when she sat on his lap at the ward party. We made Birthday cards for Jesus to remember the reason for the day and celebrate his birth. We had crepes for breakfast, Loren's favorite.

Our family was ready to Skype with us on the computer and watch us open up the gifts they sent. It was great for them to see us since we couldn't be with them. And then my favorite part of Christmas day was sharing our good news with all of them. Ryan held in front of the camera for them to see the positive pregnancy test I had taken that morning. I loved seeing how excited and happy everyone became once they realized what it was. It still hadn't sunk in for us since we found out only 10 minutes before them, but what a perfect day to find out. Once we explained to Loren that we were going to have a baby and she'll be a big sister she said "Oh Boy!" and put her hand up to her head. She asks about the baby everyday now and is so excited. It's going to a pretty long wait, baby isn't due until September.

We went out to lunch at a favorite Indian Buffet and spent the rest of the day playing with our new toys and Wii. We ended the night watching "Joy to the World" and being thankful for Christ's birth.

It was a wonderful first Christmas on our own.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Memories




November and Thanksgiving always bring back memories of the homecoming of Elder Staples serving a mission in Londrina, Brazil from November 1999-2001. Most of our photos are still being stored in Utah, but I found a few in a photo album. I'll have to add more photos to this post at a later time.
When I first opened a blog account back in 2008, I had every intention of scanning in all the photos from the dinosaur age before digital cameras. I wanted to start from the beginning of our story and make a chronological account of our little family. Obviously that hasn't happened and now two years later, I've decided to attempt this challenge again. Now that we are so far away from family and friends, I figured having a blog would be even more fun for everyone to see what we are up to.
Moving to Arizona and now California, we have met and made a lot of great friends and hope that continues. Of course in meeting new people the question of "Where are you from?" and "How did you meet?" get asked quite frequently. Most don't know where little Delta, Utah is on a map even after explaining. But after we tell them that we have known each other since middle school, dated in high school, survived two years of writing letters during Ryan's mission, engaged the day after he got home, and married two months later. Well, it usually makes for good conversation with lots of questions.
The engagement and proposal part is a little fuzzy for Ryan to recall, however, I remember it like it was yesterday. I rode to the airport with the Staples' clan to pick Ryan up from the airport the day after Thanksgiving. We wrote each other faithfully for the entire two years he was serving and become very close through letters and knew we would get married. I was very excited and nervous to see him, I had thought about that day the entire two years he was gone. Surprisingly, his parents let us ride together in the back seat of the Suburban from Salt Lake City to Delta, even though he wasn't released yet. There was a big empty space on the seat between us. We didn't talk much, guess we didn't feel the need to. We just looked at each other the entire way home. When we pulled into town we drove straight to the Stake President's home, so he could be released. The family stayed in the car and Rod and Ryan went in. He came out of President Corey's house, climbed into the back seat where I was and scooted right over to my side and put his arms around me. At his house he gave us all souvenirs from Brazil and he opened his belated birthday presents from everyone. We then went to visit my family.

The next day was our first date. Ryan called me while he was changing flights at the airport in Chicago at 3 or 4 AM and he scheduled in our first date for Saturday night on his weekly mission planner. That should have been my first indication of how that date would turn out. We watched the Light Parade on Main in front of RC Staples and then went to the movie (Monsters Inc.). After the show we headed back to his house where a few friends were waiting to see him and our moms were preparing food for the luncheon after his homecoming address in Sacrament meeting the next day. We escaped down to his room through the back yard and back door because he wanted to talk. As we are sitting in his room, he starts asking me some questions that resembled a conversation a missionary might have with an investigator wanting to be baptized. He used the commitment pattern on me and asked me to marry him. No ring, no romance, but of course I said YES! We decided to wait and tell everyone at the luncheon. We went upstairs and visited with friends and family like nothing had happened. That night was impossible to sleep. I was sleeping in the same room as my sister Tara and in the middle of the night I woke her up and told her I was engaged, and had her promise not to tell anyone. I could finally sleep after that, but then she said she was up the rest of the night. We announced our engagement at the luncheon like planned, there were some shocked faces. Family had already made some bets on when we might get engaged. Christmas, New Years, Valentine's Day. No one guessed it would happen that soon. We had a short engagement of two months. Ryan did propose again with a ring on top of the Dixie Look-out with a lot more romance than the first time. We were married in the St. George Temple on January 31, 2002.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Attitude of Gratitude

"To express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven."

Thomas S. Monson

I am grateful for:
My membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
My Savior who died for me so I could return home again after this life
Ryan, my best friend and better half who I wouldn't want to live without
Loren, a beautiful daughter that I am blessed to raise and learn from each day
Wonderful family who support, encourage, serve, and love me unconditionally
Friends new and old that have been great examples to me