Alaskan Snow Cones

We are now back from Alaska and oh what a wonderful time we had visiting with family and seeing the beautiful sights of Alaska. One of my favorite things were the glaciers. Ryan's parents were nice enough to take us on a glacier cruise and we got an up close and personal look at the incredible Alaskan glaciers. They were just breathtaking! They really looked like big snow cones. You just wanted to take a big bite. After our cruise, we all hiked up to a local glacier called Exit Glacier. Ryan and I were even able to walk right up and touch the glacier. I was tempted to lick it, but I decided that our unlawful touching of the glacier was enough on its own to help the glacier hurry along with its already rapid rate of melting to extinction. I learned that the aqua blue color of the ice, that gives it the snow cone look, is from rich glacier minerals. The glacier runoff gives many of the lakes and rivers and bays incredible aqua blue water. It is absolutely beautiful. The pictures just cannot capture what you are able to take in with your eyes.

"Little Kid Lover"

All mothers hide your children because there is a creepy hairy man on the loose. Actually it is just my husband Ryan in a Chester Molester mustache. He looks like he should be behind the wheel of an old van with no windows, driving slowly through a suburb. Luckily the mustache only lasted a few days and Ryan gave in because I refused to kiss him with the caterpillar on his lip.  I am happy to have my cute husband back.

Breathtaking!!!

Ryan and I are currently in Alaska visiting his family and it is stunning here. I have been taking a million pictures but they just don't do it justice. It is the most beautiful place I have ever been. There are a few pictures of beautiful Alaska. There are more to come.

And You Didn't Think We'd Make It

Yes, we have been married a year now. Shocking I know, but Ryan still thinks I'm alright. It is amazing how much more I love Ryan today than the day we got married. I am one lucky girl. Life with my best friend is bliss.

Date Night

Since my wife decided to embarrass me with that last post, I decided to return the favor. These are a couple pictures from our date night a couple weeks ago. I think they speak for themselves.

My Husband's a Super Hero

After watching the Padres lose at PETCO Park, my eight year old husband magically turned into a super hero. As we walked through the streets of downtown San Diego back to our car, I found that Ryan tied the blanket we had brought around his neck and had now proceeded to run across the streets with his newly created cape flapping in the wind. It was quite the sight. My husband has a very vivid imagination.

Having Fun With My Camera

The more I learn about my camera, the more lost I get. I have a long way to go, but I am having fun trying.

Darby Camp Out

As mentioned in the blog about Ryan's mohawk, Ryan and I went camping in St. George, UT with his family. We had a great time getting dirty and sweaty. It was a scorcher, but I guess you cant expect any less in St. George in June. We went on hikes and played a lot of bocce ball. And I am happy to report that the anxiety attacks I had on the trip were all in vain because we did not see any snakes. I was a little freaked out at the possibility of running into a snake, but luckily we had no such encounter.

I HATE JAMES!!!

On memorial day we had some friends come visit us and we all went to the zoo. We had a great time! Ryan and I even bought zoo hats . Yes we are hard core.


Well, towards the end of the day Ryan, James (one of Ryan's good friends) and his girlfriend, and I took the bus tour of the zoo. As we sat in our seats waiting for everyone to load I asked James if I could have some of his water. For about a minute I tried to figure out how to squeeze the water out of this high tech, hiker water bottle. Finally I asked James to help me-- big mistake! James grabbed the water bottle from me and showed me how you had to give the bottle a good hard squeeze in the middle of the bottle to get the water to squirt out. And James gave it a good squeeze alright. He squirted a high powered stream of water right into my wide open eyes. I was soaked with black mascara smeared down my face. Of course James and Ryan thought it was the funniest thing ever. And as Ryan took a picture of James and I to commemorate the "hilarious" event, James held the water bottle up in front of my face to get the whole story in the picture and I don't know why I didn't see it coming, but right as Ryan said three James gave that water bottle a hard squeeze and again, right in my already blood shot eyes. I could of killed him, but I really couldn't expect any less from James.

Ryan's New Look

So haircut time is not a happy time in our household. I have to beg Ryan for weeks to cut his hair and then when I finally corner him and force him into a chair he requires me to rent him a movie or he will not sit still, but I must say that even with a movie running, I have about 10 minutes before Ryan starts to squirm. I have never seen anyone hate getting their hair cut so much. Well, in the beginning of June it was hair cut time again and Ryan thought it would be a good idea to cut a mohawk. I of course said no, but he pleaded. I told him that he could have a mohawk for a week, since we were going up to Utah that weekend to go camping, but he had to shave it off when we got home. So the clippers came out. Ryan was so excited. It was like watching a kid on Christmas morning. He has never sat so still for a hair cut. I think Ryan was happier after getting his mohawk than he was the day we got married.


Well, the next day we got a call from the Stake presidency at church saying they wanted to meet with Ryan that night. Of course Ryan couldn't go meet with the Stake presidency with a mohawk. He made all efforts to comb it down to make it look normal, but there was no way he could fool them. We had to shave it off. I think Ryan was the saddest I had ever seen him. He was utterly depressed. The mohawk that he was to have for a week (which was already far to short of a time in his eyes) was now cut down to 24hrs. Well at least we got some great pictures. Ryan is now sporting the buzz cut.