when you clean the garage...

I was cleaning the garage yesterday evening and listening to the radio. I am trying to consolidate all of our junk to put into storage once my parents get home, so they can have their garage back! It's a mess and I was taking a break sipping some ice water and heard on the radio that caller number nine would win something.

I dialed the phone number and it was busy. I dialed again, and it was busy. I said to myself that I would try one more time and I got through. The DJ answered and we conversed about me cleaning the garage and stuff. Then he broke it to me...I was caller number NINE!

I won Jordin Sparks new album that hasn't even come out into stores yet. I LOVE her music and so I'm so excited.

The best part was that I got a few texts from friends that said that they heard me. When I asked them how they knew it was me, they said that my laugh was a dead giveaway!

I get to pick up my new CD on Monday morning, so I'm really excited!! I guess that cleaning the garage has its perks.

food, fun, family and a suicidal bee

Ryan's most favorite holiday is the Fourth of July! He looks forward to it, saves for it, and always has fun during it. This year was no exception. He planned and carried out a detailed and successful family BBQ! We also had The Denton Family join us, they are friends from Moscow we went to law school with.
Tena brought yummy sugar cookies and Ashley made delicious cupcakes. I loved my Fourth of July BBQ presentation, it was festive and quite red, white and blueish!

See my flag presentation? Oh I waited all YEAR to use it!

I just love seeing all the red, white and blue!

Carter and Timothy got along very well, they're only a couple months apart! Here they are throwing bark down the window well, along with all the toys they can find. Silly boys!

Yes, Alexis is standing alone! Ryanna's right by her, but I snapped this while Alexis was all alone. Ryanna loves her little cousin.
Dawson was very upset after this picture was taken. He came up to me and said, "My little cousin WON'T play with me!" I explained that she's only 9 months old and can't even walk yet. As soon as she can run and play, I'm sure she'll wrestle with him!


Ahhhhh, now for the fireworks! TANK WARS are the perfect beginning for this season's festivities!



Go Tena! Go Tena!

And the highlight thus far:
I was bending own, ready to light my own tank and partake in victory against Ashley when she said, "Ang, BEE!" I lit my tank and stepped back, realizing that it wasn't the tank I was noticing. It was throbbing pain coming from my ARMPIT! I ran inside and when Ashley got the stinger out, the pain really began. My poor underarm swelled and was purple for several hours, and it HURT! It rubbed against my clothes so it was constantly irritated and throbbed. I doused my arm in Melrose oil! Because I didn't want to alarm the kids, I tried to be "cool" and explained that it wasn't until you tried to squish stupid bees with your armpits, they won't sting you.

Oh well, back to the festivies! Dawson doing sparklers

This was the mother load of all Fireworks Displays! For Ryan's birthday he was given a $100 bill specifically designated for fireworks. Then some chipped in for the rest of it. There was more than pictured here, we still have some left over!

Ryanna adores her Grandpa Gaylan!

The Denton Family. Poor little Timothy didn't know how to take the fireworks sometimes! But he was a good sport.

Ryanna announced the fireworks before they were lit! She was so cute reading them and trying to pronounce them.
Yup, he loves fireworks.

The spectators enjoying the show.

Dawson LOVED the fireworks. He would squeal, clap, cheer, yell, give high-fives and just LOVED them! I don't know which was more fun to watch.

Ryanna and her glow stick. She loves fireworks too!

Ryan singed his thumb, the skin turned black and is numb. I guess I'll grab the Lavender oil for his thumb.

We mostly came out unscathed...the only casualties? One numb thumb, one burning armpit, a whole lot of used fireworks and one dead bumblebee that died from Dove deodorant poisoning...it was a pretty good Fourth!

let's give a toast to the man I love most!

Hello World! I'm back. Oh my goodness, was I down and out last week! I got this awful bug that caught me off guard and knocked me on my back for 6 days. I didn't get out of bed, I didn't eat, I didn't shower, (I know, ewwww) and my DEAR HUSBAND was such a trooper. He took care of the kids, made meals, cleaned the house and kept up the best he could and did a fabulous job! He put up with my fevers, with my chills, my doctor's appointments and ran to the pharmacy, ran to Sonic for milkshakes on more than one occasion and STILL studied for the bar. What a guy! Needless to say, I'm back doing housework, cooking, cleaning and being Mom again. No more summertime strep and flu for me! Seriously, Ryan, you rock. Thank you for all your hard work and for loving me when I'm sure I looked horrible. I haven't gotten sick like that in a few years. I had my tonsills out over four years ago...first time with strep since before then. Wow, lucky me.

Ryan, here's my SHOUTOUT to you:

You are one in a million!!

I've missed so much! Fourth of July, my mom's birthday, and more! Check back often as I will have posted about these occasions.

all about ryan

In honor of his 30th BIRTHDAY TODAY, I wanted to tell my husband why I love him:


You look cute in expensive chinese star hats on the Great Wall of China,

You can do anything you put your mind to, even entering and WINNING a school competition, (McNichols Moot Court Competition in 2007, he won best Oralist!)

You are fun to go on roadtrips with,

You are fun to play in the snow with, and your forts and tunnels are AWESOME,

You look so handsome in your suits, it's a good thing you chose the right profession where you can wear them!

(pictured here with Chief Justice John Roberts)

You not only SURVIVED law school, you were successful and flourished!

You are a tremendous father,

You are a hard worker,

(taken on the very first day of law school, August 2006)

You make dreams come true,

(Riding the MAGLEV train in Shanghai, China)

You have big muscles,

I love your sense of humor, no one makes me laugh like you do.

You are artistic,

And....there's many more reasons!

Happy Birthday Rysie Lynn, I love you and am honored to be your wife. You are an amazing person and I'm so proud of you. Have a very Happy 30th Birthday and know that you're a special part of my life! Now, let's party!!

how to throw a frisbee

There's much speculation about the correct way to throw a Frisbee. Here are our different views on the matter:

Dawson's technique is rather fluid. His body is straight, his wrist-motion is steady and he follows through with his hand when letting go of the disc. He plants his feet and stays in the same spot on the lawn. He pretty much can hit a target or if not, he doesn't miss by much. He catches the Frisbee with one hand and is actually quite coordinated. Dawson's thinking is, "If I just do it slow then it will be easier to catch and then I don't get dirty." Touche, Dawson.





Now, with Ryanna, the technique differs entirely. She flails about, her hair whipping to and fro and she's constantly on the ground. One can hardly watch her with a straight face, due to the "cuteness" factor from her delicate and precise technique. Dancing all over the lawn, she throws the disc, then proceeds to fly with both of her arms twisted around her body. Then, trying to catch it, she usually runs into some nearby tree or trips over something. The spectators watching her skill usually erupts into giggles. Her thinking, "Well, it's hard. The Frisbee doesn't cooperate very well makes it hard to throw. But I still do it, and I sometimes hit the tree."






When Uncle Britton was asked how to hold a Frisbee, he looked up and gestured:

Then Aunt Sabrina tried the same gesture. She wasn't so sure.

Even Grandpa thought this technique was correct!


Carter and Aunt Sabrina gave up on the Frisbee part and elected for a ball instead.

Then I got DISTRACTED!!! My very photogenic niece, Alexis. She's so cute!!

I love this one. She's concentrating very hard on something important.

After we were done playing outside, we went in for some cake and ice cream to celebrate Carter's birthday. The cake was only $6 and not very boyish, but the price was right and it was GOOD cake!


Ryanna and Grandma

Aunt Sabrina and Grandpa

A very exhausted Birthday Boy eating his cake and loving his new books that Holdies gave him for his birthday!



He LOVES his new books that he got, he refuses to sleep without them!

Thank you, Holdaways, for your help in my research for the correct way to throw a frisbee.