The Hutchins

These last few months.....

2011-02-17T10:32:00.001-08:00

We have been absent from blogging for a while but it had more to do with forgetting to to it than anything. Here are some photos from last few months.

Listen here, I give the orders......

Bethany and Bronwyn sharing some mother daughter time.

Bronwyn just loves her bear she got for Christmas.

Just a day or two before the leaves were all gone....

Cousin Hudson came to play, we are so glad that my sister Summer and her Husband Eddie moved back to AZ.

She can still eat her foot.

Looking all too cute in her Christmas dress from Grandma Brown.

Bronwyn has found a whole new world now that she can walk....

Bronwyn's First Birthday

2010-10-08T17:31:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my baby is one! It's been a harder transition for me than I ever thought. She is getting to be such a little lady. She is also getting more and more independent. We had fun celebrating her big day. I had fun planning a tea party theme. I borrowed many items from Mom and sisters for decorations. My very creative friend Lindsey made the tea pot cake which was just the icing on the party. It was so fun to celebrate our little girl. She didn't know what was happening, but she was a sweet girl and loved having her friends and family close.

Ryan's Birthday, Family Reunion, and August photos

2010-08-26T23:09:00.000-07:00

Starting the month of August off, we celebrated Ryan's birthday. I am sorry we didn't get a photo of the amazing cake my sister and niece made him: a twelve layer cake with the most delicious frosting! It is my new favorite. . .

Bronwyn doesn't seem to enjoy our birthdays. Perhaps because the attention is not on her...?

Whiting Reunion 2010

We had a good time visiting with family in the cool mountain air. It rained every day, but coming from the heat it wasn't so bad. Little Bronwyn sleeping in her favorite spot. I have to remember on our next visit to bring twice the amount of pants for her. Kids attract dirt like nothing I've ever seen.

The strangest phenomenon of all was the way a heavy cloud of fog just rolled in and covered everything. I have never seen this at the homestead in all my life! It made for a very creepy setting. Perfect for ghost stories about ancestors haunting the Homestead.

A few random shots of Little B

Are we raising a couch potato? She loves her Baby Einstein movies. . .

She has the funniest scoot-crawl I've ever seen. She drags one leg and has the other one sticking out like a spider. Aunt Amanda calls her "Thump-drag"

She loves to cuddle her teddy bears! I couldn't resist taking a photo. She is such a poser.

August went by way to fast. I can't believe in a few weeks my baby will be 1 years old. I am really kind of freaking out about it!

Summer Vacation 2010! Part 2 - Montana

2010-08-25T11:11:00.000-07:00

Yes, we took tons of pictures during our vacation. So much so that I had to break up the blog posts. But up in that part of the country, it's hard not to point and click at everything. Not to mention we just wanted to capture every moment of Bronwyn's first vacation and her sweet expressions.

Island Park, ID, is not far from the border of Montana, so we spent a lot of our vacation time in that state as well.

Ennis, Montana. A cute western town with a fun mainstreet made for a nice day trip from the cabin.

Bronwyn points at everything now. Right now I think it is precious, but hopefully she will outgrow that trait when she gets older.

Note the little cowboy boots on Bronwyn. They didn't stay on her feet long that day.

West Yellowstone. The entrance to Yellowstone Park. It is only about a 20 minute drive from the cabin so we went there quite a bit.

Our favorite stop was the Grizzly Bear and Wolf Museum/Park.

I love the way Bronwyn's eyes shine when she gets excited about something

Daddy and daughter posing together

I love how such simple things make her happiest, like playing with some pinecones on the side of the road.

One of the Grizzly Bears foraging for food.

The wolf pack in action

YELLOWSTONE! Of course this was the highlight of our trip to take the drive through the park and see the sights. We picked the busiest season of Yellowstone history to make our visit. . . It really was crowded but still so amazing.

Ryan at the Rainbow pots

At the Spasm Geyser

Hurray for Old Faithful!

Waiting for a herd of Buffalo to leisurely cross the road. . . .

Yes, this picture is real and not from a post card. Ryan took this awesome shot of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. It really is that gorgeous!

Lower falls of the Yellowstone river

Bronwyn's highlight of the day? To sit in the green patch of grass and pull up flowers, grass, rocks, sticks and pinecones.

We just can help but marvel at those first people to come upon Yellowstone and what they must have thought about such a crazy but awe-inspiring place. We surely enjoyed our drive through the park and we are already thinking of what we want to see on our next trip there.

Summer Vacation 2010! Part 1 - Utah and Idaho

2010-08-25T10:01:00.000-07:00

This July we drove up to Island Park, Idaho, to spend about two weeks at my mother's cabin. We had a wonderful time. It was so nice to be able to do what we wanted, when we wanted—even if that was nothing at all! Bronwyn did pretty well with the drive, especially since we had her own little DVD player with Baby Einstein videos constantly running.... What a great trip to start those annual summer family vacations.

In our long drive we had some fun stops in Utah as well.

Stopping in Glendale at the Berry Family Monument. My dad would be so proud!

Stopping at Temple Square in Salt Lake

Exploring the backyard at Grandma Brown's cabin in Island Park

Bronwyn was so excited to see her grandma after a few months--it was like they had never been parted!

Our make-shift bathtub. Yes, out daughter can fit into a salad bowl. And yes, she does make evil adorable faces.

Bronwyn was content as usual to be held all the time, especially by grandma.

In Grandma's and Aunt Julie's "special grove." She looks so grown up in this photo!

Bronwyn still likes to chew on her feet sometimes. I promise that we feed her enough! As usual, her foot is sticking straight up as well. I marvel at her flexibility.

Not far from my mother's cabin is a beautiful site called Big Springs, and it truly is Big and beautiful.

There is an historical cabin built by John Sacks on the springs. It was fun to go and visit and see inside.

Bronwyn's highlight was chasing the seagulss and trying to catch them.

Ryan and I loved seeing a moose very close up just hanging out by the path around the springs!

We drove up Sawtelle Mountain. The view from the top was so amazing. Not only could you see other mountains, but you saw the entire valley with the rivers, ponds, lakes dotting the landscape.

Bronwyn among the wildflowers on Sawtelle Mountain. I could not believe the sheer abundance and variety of wildflowers in the area. It was so amazing to just look out and see a rainbow covering the ground.

Mesa Falls - One of our favorite sites this trip. It is just unreal for an Arizonan girl like me to see the amount of water gushing forth over the cliff.

Dangling Bronwyn over the edge. . . ha ha.

Idaho was simply gorgeous!

Bronwyn's Studio Photo Shoot

2010-07-07T21:54:00.000-07:00

We took Bronwyn to a portrait studio for some new photos, and yes we did buy a lot of photos. It was so hard to choose the one's we wanted, we just wanted them all. I think we learned our lesson this time, next time we will have a game plan on how many poses we want. Either way you look at it, we love our little girl.

Summer Fun!

2010-06-25T23:21:00.000-07:00

So far Bronwyn has had an exciting summer (at least for her!). It is strange to think that this time last summer, I was still pregnant with our "Little B." Now I just can't imagine life without her.

My first Mother's Day

We took Bronwyn to the Whiting Homestead for the first time over Memorial Day. I think she had a good time. It was lovely to be out of the heat at least for a while.

You have to have a picture of Sierra Trigo in the background

I hope that Bronwyn enjoys the Homestead as much as her mom

Taking a stroll with Dad. Thank goodness for a stroller that can go over the ruts and bumps.

In one of her new summer dresses

Meeting Cousin Cash for the first time. I love how babies interact with each other. Bronwyn is usually trying to pull hair or grab at clothes. She has made other babies cry in the past. I am not sure where the aggression comes from . . .

We had to take Bronwyn to get her blood drawn this month. It was not an experience I would like to repeat. The doctor was worried that she was not gaining weight, so he wanted to take some tests. She screamed the whole time, but she was more angry at being held down than the actual needle. The nurse said she had good veins for one so small. Happily all the tests came back normal, so I guess I did a lot of worrying for no reason. :-)

Father's Day with Daddy. Sadly this is the best photo of the two together. I am very pathetic. But it does show how much fun she has with her Dad and how much they love each other. Ryan bought her the onesie she is wearing too!

Bronwyn has discovered a new fun game: Playing in mom and dad's bed while they are changing the sheets. It's the best game of peek-a-boo ever! Plus she looks like she is ready to boot us out of our own bed and take over sleeping there.

A little trip to California

2010-05-04T21:42:00.001-07:00

We went to California for a little getaway and to see how "little B" does on a road trip.

We visited our friends Ryan and Shilo Munk and they came and rode bikes with us on the beach.

We made a stop at the Santa Monica Pier, Bronwyn loved it and was smiling at everyone.

Here we are at Dana Point Harbor, I used to live near here and it was fun to come back and see it.

Bronwyn and Bethany in Dana Point.

Bronwyn really loves her hat, we are going to have a little fashion diva on our hands.

It was a great trip and a fun time away from home. We found out that Bronwyn can travel pretty good, but travelling at night is best for her. We also made some fun stops but didn't take any pictures. If you ever want to try some Chicken and Waffles we recommend Roscoe's....

Springtime with the Hutchins

2010-04-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

We have been enjoying the unseasonably nice spring weather here in AZ. I don't know what I am going to do when it is 100 degrees outside and Bronwyn wants to go for a walk! But for now we are loving the weather and Bronwyn is so much fun at this age.

We had fun at the Harmans for her first Easter Egg hunt.
Bronwyn's cousins, Ty and Jonathan, had to admire her eggs too. . .

Our little "honey bunny"

Reaching for the camera

I think she looks so grown up here. . .and I like that twinkle in her eye.

She is onto babyfoods now and she likes them a lot.

Proof that she is set down once in a while! She is showing off how she can roll over. . .now if only we can get her to roll from her back to her tummy.

Playing with cousin Brooklyn

Smiling at her cousin Jonathan and being held by cousin Briley at Briley's birthday celebration.

It's truly amazing how a smile from this little girl can brighten your whole outlook on life!

Happy Birthday Bethany

2010-03-18T18:58:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Bethany's birthday on February 27th.

Bethany wanted a devil's food cake, so I ordered a cake because there was no way that I could make one like this.

Here are some of the partygoer's lining up for the delicious food. Thanks to all of the help from our families and friends to make such great food and to help with the decorations.

Bethany and Amanda

Here is Bethany and Bronwyn getting ready to blow out the candles on the cake. Bronwyn wanted to stay close to mommy and daddy that night.

Here are my sister's Shelly and Stacy having a great time.

Here is my dad and his wife Jenna.

Here is my mom and her friend visiting from Alaska.

Bronwyn playing in her excersaucer, we are so glad she loves it.

Thanks to all for coming to celebrate Bethany's birthday. It was such a great time and it meant a lot to have you all there. Most off all, I wish my wife a wonderful birthday and happy 2 year anniversary. We celebrated that on March 1. It's amazing how many things can happen in just 2 years, most importantly we are grateful to be married and growing our family. We are truly blessed.

Bronwyn's Professional Photo Shoot

2010-02-20T15:52:00.000-08:00

Elyse Hall [ http://www.elysehall.com/ ] took some great photos of Bronwyn which we will cherish forever. Thank you to Chelsea and Beverly for supplying the wardrobe!

Bronwyn's First Christmas

2010-01-09T08:31:00.000-08:00

Bronwyn's first Christmas was fun! At least for her mom and dad. She was just happy being held whenever possible.

We spent Christmas Eve with Ryan's family and here is Bronwyn with her Nana Susan.

Ryan's family enjoying a nice dinner of prime rib

With Cousin Jake and Aunt Shelly. Bronwyn's showing off her new mohawk hair do

With Uncle Todd

With Cousin Taylor

On Christmas Morning with Daddy

In her bumbo chair after opening presents

Christmas Morning with Cousin HeartLee

Grandma Brown

Ty, Jonathan and HeartLee

Ryan opening gifts

Hayden spent his morning tuning the zither

Ty is the Christmas Elf

Grandma reading to Ty

The Brown Family at the Nutcracker

Bronwyn being serenaded by Cousin Hayden

The Annual Dancing with the Browns - Grandma and Jonathan take their turn

The night turned into a light-filled disco

Uncle Ryan and Lily take do their dance and she was pleased to be a princess

'Tis the Season . . .

2009-12-24T11:07:00.000-08:00

Here is our pre-Christmas blog post. I kind of skipped over Thanksgiving, so we'll catch up here. We can't wait for Bronwyn's first Christmas! Of course she couldn't care less as long as she is being held. . . Having a new little one makes the whole season even more special.

This picture just makes me laugh because it is so posed! Thanks to Grandma Brown and her beautiful fireplace!

Did I mention how much I love to watch Bronwyn sleep? She goes to bed late, but she loves to sleep in . . . she doesn't like it when mom has to wake her up in the morning. She reminds me of a teenager already.

Our Thanksgiving family photo

Ryan carving the turkey. . . He used a new citrus recipe this year. Yummy!

Bronwyn having fun with Great-Grandma Marcie on Thanksgiving

Daddy found a new trick to do with his little girl, he calls it "Super Girl" because she sticks her legs straight out. I am always worried she is going to spit up.

With her oldest cousin Hayden . . . she's not too impressed. :-)

Chillin' with cousin Brisbane

Couldn't resist this picture of her folding arms . . .

Tummy time! You can't see her face, but just know that she is crying because she hates tummy time!

In the hand-made dress from her Uncle Glen and Aunt Barb. . .

All wide-eyed and bushy tailed and ready to go!

Blessed Day!

2009-11-10T16:52:00.000-08:00

Bronwyn had her blessing on November 1. She was a little angel baby that day (thank goodness!). We truly appreciate all the friends and family able to come and share the day with us, although we didn't get many photos taken of you! It was a very special and beautiful blessing day.

Our first family picture

With Nana Susan

Snapsots and Poses

2009-11-10T16:37:00.000-08:00

We like to think that she is really smiling at us . . .
I have discovered that there is nothing sweeter to look at than a sleeping baby.

Miss Bronwyn loves her dad

And she has a natural little mohawk curl. . .

Her first time in her swing

About 3 weeks old and lifting her head to stare at Dad

HER FIRST BATH

Her expression reads "What are you planning on doing to me?"

She's not quite sure how she feels about this . . .

But she loves her cuddly towel!

Too Cute to Scare!

2009-11-10T16:15:00.000-08:00

We had a fun first Halloween with little Bronwyn. It makes me look forward to all the fun holidays ahead to share with her!

AT THE PUMPKIN PATCH

CARVING OUR "BABY" PUMPKIN

HALLOWEEN!!!!

Our little "candycorn" with Mom
With Grandma Brown
With Cousin Brooklyn

Our Baby Girl!

2009-10-08T17:37:00.000-07:00

Now that we have a child, we won't have to work so hard to find a reason to update our blog! :-) Bronwyn changes so much each day, and it is so fun to capture her little personality. It's only been a few weeks, but I can't imagine my life without her. Pardon our new parent over-excitement. . . .

Her favorite spot!

Posing with Great-Grandma Marcie

Modeling for the camera already

Looking adorable in her first dress that Daddy bought

Pondering deep thoughts

At her first photo session in the cute oufit from Grandma Brown

Not amused by her parents' antics

With cousin Taylor

And cousin Jake

Wrapped up in a Bronwyn burrito

Going gangsta style for the Harry Potter Party

With cousin MerriLyn

Bonding with her Grandma Brown

Snoozing the time away

Our precious little angel

Welcome Baby Bronwyn

2009-09-14T16:09:00.000-07:00

Bethany went into labor Friday morning around 5am. After quite a long labor, on Saturday September 12th at 10:37 pm we welcomed Bronwyn Hutchins to the world.

Bronwyn weighed in at 7lbs 8oz. She was a very healthy baby and we couldn't be happier.

Grandpa Hutchins seeing the baby for the first time.

Grandma Brown using her Zen-like calming effect on Bronwyn.

Trying to grab daddy's finger.

Baby's first bath, she wasn't all too sure about that.

Uncle Scott holding the baby.

Aunt Dessie and cousin Heart Lee also came to visit.

Ok, so I am the proud papa.

And last but not least, my wife Bethany. She had to go through all the months of being pregnant and sleepless nights to make all of this happen. She was a real trooper for all that she had to go through, I love you.

Birthdays and Good-byes

2009-08-07T16:44:00.001-07:00

So Ryan turned the big 3-5! As he is fond of pointing out, it's halfway to 70. . . Way to look on the bright side! :-) We celebrated up in Taylor with a grilling feast with my family. And again this week another feast with Ryan's family and Ryan's mother's famous enchiladas. I think Ryan got spoiled. . .which he totally deserves! Happy year to you Ryan!

Ryan and sister Stacy celebrating their birthdays. . .

We are sad to see Summer, Eddie and little Hudson move to New Mexico, but we are excited for their new adventure. As it was written on the cake: "Wi'll Miss You!"

Ultrasounds and strollers

2009-07-21T10:28:00.000-07:00

Well, we have another Ultrasound photo of our little baby, but the little one keeps their hands near their face so we can't get a good photo. Nonetheless, here is the latest photo. Bethany will tell you that the baby loves to kick and put some pressure on her ribs. She is such a trooper for having to go through the last few months of pregnancy in this miserable heat.

We have also been stroller shopping. We found a BOB stroller on Craig's List and decided to buy it. It's our first big baby purchase and we are happy with it. We had to drive quite a distance to the seller's house, for those of you in Arizona, they people lived near Ironwood and Ocotillo Roads. They were actually 5 miles east of there......but it was worth it for the savings. We may venture back on Craig's List again for some good deals.

It's the heat. . .

2009-06-30T11:01:00.001-07:00

So here is a picture of the growing belly. . . . Sorry no ultrasound pictures. The baby was just too wiggly and we didn't get any good images. What a little munchkin! But I will have another ultrasound in two weeks and I hope that the baby will behave! :-) This was taken on Father's Day, but no picture of the soon-to-be father! Sorry Ryan, but I know you'll be the best daddy ever!

The Hall Boys came over and helped me clean my car. It was covered in bird poop! (My car is a magnet for birds to crap on.) Thanks for your help Ty and Jonathan! Little Jonathan got into the mud and plastered himself with it. My dear sister did snap a photo of me in my swimsuit cleaning the car, but there is no way that picture will be posted! :-)

Bethany's Two Weeks in Idaho

2009-06-15T09:07:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate to be able to spend two weeks in Island Park, Idaho, with my mother at her cabin this summer. We had some crazy weather--at least for those of us from hot AZ. We had about 3 hailstorms (where the hail is actually big!) and one snowfall. Yes, it was hard to believe it was June! But we also had a relaxing time just enjoying the cool weather. We were joined by the Smithsons my last few days there and they certainly brought some energy and excitement and they brought the good weather with them! The hardest part about the whole trip was being away from my wonderful husband for the whole time. I sure missed him! Sometimes phone calls just don't cut it, do they? It's good to be back, but I miss the cool weather.

Picture of the snowfall that stayed on the ground all morning, but pretty much melted by the afternoon.

View of the mountain from my mom's cabin. . . I forgot the name!

The River running near my mom's cabin, Henry's Fork of the Snake River.

I couldn't resist trying to take a photo of the amazing vistas and the sky. There is a reason this area is called Big Sky Country. Too bad a picture can never capture the absolute majesty of the view.

My mom at her beloved cabin.

Mom at Big Springs. If Arizona had a source of water like this, it would be the most celebrated area.

The water comes out of Big Springs source and immediately forms an enourmous river.

Angela and I at Big Springs

My mother's favorite place in West Yellowstone, The Bear and Wolf Center.

The glass partition allows the wolves to come up close and unknowingly make great poses for photographs.

On my last day the Smithson's and I went into Yellowstone National Park. We saw lots of bison and a few elk, eagles, and geese.

The Smithsons (in order): Angela, MerriLyn, Lily, Adle, Brisbane, and Bart.

MerriLyn waiting for Old Faithful. Yes, it was a little cold.

Old Faithful as it is dying down.

Old Faithful showing off.

The Paint Pots of Yellowstone. We enjoyed these more than Old Faithful. (Shh! Don't tell anyone!)

I don't look so hot in this picture, but it does show some progression in the pregnancy.

More of the Paint Pots. They all smell like rotten eggs and so did we by the time we were done hiking through.

The Smithsons in front of the Spasm Geyser going off at the Paint Pots. It was pretty exciting, and stinky!

Being enveloped in the sulfuric mists of the Spasm Geyser.

Yellowstone is a strange and wonderful place with amazing sites. (I believe this photo was taken by either MerriLyn or Brisbane.)

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-31T15:06:00.000-07:00

For Memorial Day this year we went up north for cooler temperatures. We also had the opportunity to improve the gravesite of Bethany's father. Only someone from St. Johns would have predicted the dramatic change in weather from the sunshine to the very cold winds that followed.

Here are Morgan, Bart and BJ mixing some concrete for the footings.

Hayden pitching in and helping mix concrete.

Bart pouring concrete into the ditch. Thanks to Bart for his knowledge of construction, and all of his hard work, there is no way we could have done this without him.

The Cemetary in St. Johns sort of reminds me of an old west cemetary. There are people there that were buried in the 1860's.

Ty was even helping out. He was also determined to make sure that our "food delivery" came on time.

Theron or as Mandy affectionately calls him, "Gimpy" was there despite his injury.

The Peanut Gallery:

The Baby's Progress - The Best Mother's Day Gift!

2009-05-11T10:18:00.000-07:00

We got an ultrasound a couple weeks ago and it looks like everything is progressing really well. If you can tell in the picture, the baby's legs are still up over the head. Looks pretty cramped in there! P.S. We're still not finding out what it is! :-)

Our Nation's Capital, The Hot & The Cold

2009-04-28T18:49:00.000-07:00

We had a great trip to Washington D.C. We stayed with Bethany's cousin Chelsea and her husband Andrew. They were the best hosts ever! They treated us like DC royalty. Thanks guys!

Here we are at Little Roundtop in Gettysburg.

The view from Little Roundtop, Gettysburg, PA.

Bethany and Chelsea on our hike to Great Falls, the Maryland side of the Potomac. It was nice to get out in the forest and nature after spending a few days touring DC.

Bethany and I near Great Falls.

I look more pregnant than Bethany in this one.

Great Falls Maryland side.

Bethany and Chelsea over looking Great Falls.

More Great Falls.

We met up with Bethany's friends from High School, Sokphal and Seema at a good Peruvian Restraunt. They spoiled us with presents for the new baby. We are set to go now!

Here I am at the FDR Memorial. When we were there, one of the kids from a tour group commented on how big the dog was, neglecting the 8+ foot tall FDR.

I wanted to get a shot of the Jefferson Memorial and Washington Monument together.

Jefferson Memorial.

Here we are at the Lincoln Memorial.

Vietnam memorial, this is a very special place.

View of the Lincoln Memorial from the WWII Memorial.

I really like taking pictures of the Washington Monument, I like the different looks it has depending on where you view it from.

It's always fun stopping a passer by to take a photo, you never know what you are going to get. This one turned out nice.

Another view of the Washington Monument. Completely different feel in this photo.

Here is an exhibit at the American History Museum.

Bethany looks much more Presidential than me.

The Constitution at the National Archives.

No, I am not saluting the Fuhrer.....

Here are some Tulips in front of the Capital.

A view of the Capital Dome through the trees.

Inside the Rotunda of the Capital.

Outside the Capital. What a great country where we can walk up to our Nation's Capital and go in and see our government in action (inaction)....you can decide which word suits the best.

Bethany all bundled up.

Okay, Ruby didn't come with us to D.C., but she was too cute to leave out of this entry.

D.C. was truly a great experience. We saw many museums and went through our fair share of metal detectors. The most frustrating thing is the weather, one minute it's 55 degrees and rainy, and then it's 70 degrees and sunny. Not the easiest to plan for. All in all, we realize that we will need many more trips to see all that we wanted to see, but that's the great part, we can come back and keep learning about our country.

These past couple months . . .

2009-03-30T13:47:00.000-07:00

We've been keeping busy with new jobs, new job locations, birthdays, family visits, thinking about the upcoming new arrival in our lives. It's time for another update I guess.

My mom always has a beautiful garden every year. She truly has a green thumb and I hope one day to have a little area that I can try to emulate her example.

Jonathan is such a cutie pie! I love his smile and laugh. How could that little face not warm your heart?!

My husband was so sweet to organize a wonderful birthday weekend for me. We went to California and I stayed with my cousin Nikki and her husband Darren, but as an added plus we got to see Lexi and Casey, Misha, Arden and Uncle Phil, and Timmy and his family too! I was happy to spend time with family and to get Ryan introduced properly (reunions don't always count!) On our return, Ryan put on a nice birthday celebration for family and friends. He barbequed some yummy fish and steaks, and everyone brought such great food. I was so spoiled. The party landed on our FIRST ANNIVERSARY too. It 's crazy to think we've been married over a year now. How time flies by!

18 year old (!) Hayden and his Aunt Amanda

Michael and Joe who arrived despite traffic issues. . .

My wonderful husband

Ty boy had a fun time "painting" walls and windows with a stick. Hey, it kept him entertained!

Amanda and Lindsey looking so pretty!

Blowing out the candles. . . no there were not 29 of them! :-) I don't need a full reminder of how old I am!

HeartLee and her little buddy Jonathan

Opening all of my so wonderful gifts

HeartLee and I in our balloon popping race

2009-02-26T06:44:00.000-08:00

We are having a baby!

Bethany and I are excited to be welcoming a new addition to our family in September. We couldn't be happier.

Here is how I found out, I arrived home from work one day to find a note on the front door. There were clues to take me to the next note, and each clue was a special memory that each of us shared. The last clue was a note telling me I was going to be a father.

Bethany will be a great mother and we look forward to the blessing of raising a child.

Dancing with the Browns

2009-01-31T14:47:00.000-08:00

We had our 3rd Annual Dancing with the Brown's Competition in December. It's fun to see the different couples and what dances they create.

Our very esteemed and impartial judges . . . Shawna, Dessie and Morgan

The first dancers stole our hearts, Ty and Lily! Ty was such the male leader.

Hayden and Briley boogied down to ABBA's Dancing Queen, much to Hayden's disappointment.

Theron and Merri Lyn used her "wheelies" and some fancy flips to gain points with the judges.

A solo dance for Brisbane showed his manly moves.

Adle and Hayden showed their musical talents during the intermission.

Adle and Angela moved with grace and beauty and a daring moustache.

Ryan and I danced to "Oh What a Night!" by the Four Seasons. He was a good sport to participate and dance with his wife. And I even got him to practice!

HeartLee and Brooklyn busted a move in colorful costumes and unique dance-styling.

BJ and Amanda got down to a funky beat that had everyone cheering.

While the Judges tally the votes and their scores an impromtu dance line began with everyone taking a turn.

After a fierce dance-off between the finalists the winners are. . . BJ and Amanda and HeartLee and Brooklyn!!!!!

Christmas 2008

2009-01-17T13:31:00.000-08:00

Hayden and HeartLee with Dessie

Hayden after opening gifts

Little Jonathan and Grandma enjoying a moment

Ty found a great use for big box

Mandy with Ty and Jonathan, looking cute in their matching PJ's

Bethany in her ASU PJ's

Ryan holding up some of his presents (Bethany always finds exactly what I wanted)

Jonathan's at the stage where he puts everything in his mouth

Here is another of Grandma and Jonathan, he kept the cap on just about long enough to take the picture

HeartLee and Dessie lounging around

Jonathan learning how to open a present

Ty holding up some toys he got from Santa

Jonathan enjoying time with Aunt Bethany

Ty with Grandma

Jonathan and Bethany

Marilyn opening a gift

We had dinner at my Grandma's and here is Stacy and Jeff after dinner

Taylor rocking out on her iPod

Jake and my Grandma

Christmas dinner at my Grandma's

We are so grateful to have wonderful families, Christmas was great. The most important part is enjoying time with family.

Las Vega$$$$!

2008-12-22T13:44:00.000-08:00

Okay, the title is misleading. We won absolutely no money in Vegas! :-( But we still had a great time! Here are some photos of the trip.

At Ceasar's palace in the shopping area

At the Cirque du Soliel Love show. We loved it! It was truly amazing. We reccommend it strongly to anyone! Probably the most kid-friendly show in Vegas!

From the Bellagio looking at the Paris Hotel and Casino.

At the Bellagio atrium.

Ty loved the fake plastic snow in the Atrium!

Sunday Brunch at the Bellagio. Stuffed ourselves yet again!

"Volcanic" activity at the Mirage.
At the Luxor where we stayed.

Bethany, Amanda and Sarah. We all agree that the Bellagio had the best Christmas decorations of any of the hotels!Again at the Bellagio. . .
The fountains are magnificent any time of the year!

Ryan gambling away. . .

The bridge being constructed over the Hoover Dam. We can't wait until it is completed! We were held up for 2 hours on our return to Arizona because of the slow-moving traffic.

All in all a good trip but I can't believe Christmas is this week!!!!

Little Joys

2008-12-02T10:05:00.000-08:00

November was a wonderful month to spend with family and friends. Here are a few photos to share just a little of our fun:

First we have little Lily. She spent the day with Grandma and Aunt Bethany. We love her because she is a girly-girl through and through! We've never seen a little girl so interested in her pretty clothes (it's a struggle to get her to wear pants!) She insisted on a fashion show with the dress-up clothes.
Her full-pantaloon outfit.

Her white slip ballgown. What an angel!

And her patriotic pose.

Next comes our little nephew Jonathan. . . .

Jonathan and Ryan doing some bonding at Amy's wedding. Jonathan is taking a very thorough study of his Uncle Ryan.

Jonathan decided he liked the taste of his Uncle Ryan too!

We were horrible about getting some Thanksgiving phtotos, so we were determined to take some of us decorating our little place for Christmas!

We love our little tree!

And now for the progress on little Ruby and her growth! Check out those paws! She is going to be quite the dog as she gets older.

Ryan and I celebrated our 9 months of marriage on Dec. 1st! It's gone by so quickly!

Butterflies, Halloween and Fun!

2008-11-03T12:38:00.000-08:00

Why does it always seem to get so much busier around the middle of October? Well, at least we have things to blog about now! I had a good time going to the Butterfly Exhibit with Ty, Jonathan, Amanda, and Mom at the Desert Botanical Gardens. Ty was somewhat interested by the fluttering insects, but I am pretty sure he would have been fascinated if they were scarier and sucked your blood. Jonathan was as cute as ever. And it was blasted hot outside! It's October for Pete's sake!

I had to laugh at Amanda's giant stroller! Big enough for two!

I absolutely love Jonathan's face here! What a crack-up! He totally reminds me of his Grandpa Brown with that expression. For such a smiley guy, you'd think I would be able to get just one smile for the camera. He wasn't up to it that day though, and with such heat, I don't blame him a bit!

My husband was a good sport and agreed to dress up for Halloween. We'll probably recycle these costumes for years. Or at least for the Renaissance Festival! It was hard to find matching outfits that wasn't a slutty pirate for me or something completely ridiculous for Ryan. But we had fun being Lancelot and Guinevere. We got to wear them twice this year: once, to our ward trunk-or-treat party (We had to dress up--We're the activities committee leaders!) and then on Halloween night. We went trick-or-treating with Ty (a scary fireman--but no bloody ax!) and Jonathan (the most adorable spider ever!). A few people asked if we wanted candy too. I was tempted, but didn't take them up on it. Then we went to watch scary movies with friends. A good Halloween!

Marilyn's Birthday

2008-10-23T21:22:00.000-07:00

We invited a few friends over to celebrate Marilyn's birthday.

Of course the Grandkids stole the show.

The grandkids sure do love their Aunt Bethany.

Merrilyn is hanging on to Bethany.

Of course the seasoned veteran's are talking shop.

Angela gives Hayden a finger (not THE finger)

I must say that all of the siblings made some great food. I am surrounded by great cooks.

Ty and Lily are playing in the sandbox.

Hayden and Heartlee took a moment off from texting to pose for a photo.

Friends sit and talk about how things used to be...........

Dessie and Kathe enjoying the fall decorations.

Of course, Bob and Fei Fei had a great time.

What we love about Arizona is the beautiful sunsets. It made the evening just perfect.

Happy Birthday Marilyn!

PS.

There was another addition to Marilyn's family, here is little Ruby. Of course Marilyn calls it Ruby Star....but rest assured it will answer to Ruby. The puppy came from Angela's dog Sadie's litter. Ruby's father is Morgan and Shawna's dog Cola, so this dog really is family. What a cute little pup!

My Friend Matt

2008-09-16T14:37:00.000-07:00

My good friend Matt Bachrach was killed in a car accident on September 7th. I have known Matt for about 1o years now and we were roommates as well. I wanted to share some memories and pay tribute to a dear friend who was called home. Matt was one of the most dynamic people I have ever met. The first time I met him he fell a sleep in an Institute class I was substitute teaching. The reason I know he was sleeping was that he was snoring.....Matt also knew a friend of mine and we were introduced. We hit it off well as friends. Myself, Matt and Shaun our mutual friend had decided to fly up to Salt Lake City for General Conference, I had purchased the plane tickets and Matt wanted to write me a check for the amount. He asked me' "How do you spell Hodges?" I replied to him, "H-O-D-G-E-S, but that's not my last name." He would still call me Hodges after all this time.

I also had the chance to work with him for most of the year 2005. Matt at the time was touring and performing at various cities across the country. In fact from April to December 2005 we went to 25 cities and 22 states. That song by Johnny Cash about being everywhere, I began to feel like it. Matt and I would drive great distances to each city and then fly home each Sunday morning so he could attend church with his family and to fulfill his callings. I learned a lot from Matt, he always told me that I had a great potential with whatever I decide to do. For those of you that do not know Matt, he had quite the sense of humor. We laughed most of the time we worked together, he was always cracking jokes and making faces at me. I will treasure those memories forever.

My heart goes out to Matt's wife Brenda and their 2 boys. They have a 3rd boy on the way any week now. It is never easy to lose someone that you love, but I am certainly glad that knowing we have a loving Father in Heaven that provides a way for families to be together forever.

I count myself fortunate to have known Matt and am grateful for the time we had to work together and travel the country. Matt wrote a song called "Along for the Ride," I can certainly say that I was glad to be along for the ride in knowing Matt. God be with you til' we meet again.

Ryan's Birthday Celebration

2008-08-14T22:16:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Ryan's birth again with his friends and family last Saturday. Ryan really enjoyed the grilling. In fact, he was pretty much behind the grill all night. But the food was great and the company even better!

Chicago

2008-08-14T22:07:00.000-07:00

So I went on my last work conference to Chicago last week. I did two touristy things while I was there which made the trip somewhat worth it: I went up the Sears Tower and I went to the American Girl Doll Store.

My camera pretty much sucks, but I had to make the attempt.

I so wish I could have gone here 21 years ago. It's like every little girl's dream come true. . . If only I had my Molly doll with me. Although I guess you can see I couldn't resist buying some accessories.

Whiting Reunion at the Homestead

2008-08-04T19:22:00.000-07:00

Ryan survived his first Whiting Reunion! He was a great sport and put in time serving breakfast, sitting on the porch, visiting and listening to stories of ancestors, and sleeping in a tent. He took the 1000+ attendance in stride and it was fun to introduce him to the extended family. It was his birthday on Friday, so my wonderful family made a special celebration for him on our arrival to the homestead that night.The Birthday boy enjoying his cupcake.

BJ and Ryan serving breakfast--What troopers!

Little Lily even wanted to wear a dress at the Homestead! (Notice the missing boots.)

HeartLee at a meal (breakfast? lunch?). Look at that gorgeous red hair!

Adle with little sleeper Jonathan. Her arms are much stronger than they look!

The porch crowd (Theron, Ty, Amanda, Briley, Ryan)

Jonathan with his favorite auntie :-)

Aunt Geraldine (who looks younger every time I see her!) with cousin Caroline

After 18 years of marriage, Morgan and Shawna are still in love!

BJ doing some yo-yo tricks. I coached Adle and BJ for hours on their yo-yo routine. . .

Ty's highlight of the reunion was the old-time clothes washing. He didn't need any instructions but went right to work scrubbing, rinsing and scrubbing again. He'd probably still be there cleaning if we didn't have to go home. . .

An attempted old-fashioned portrait of us. We'll work harder on the costumes next time. . .

I promise that they really love each other.

My highlight of the reunion was seeing Uncle Phil and his "Cancer sucks" pin. I loved listening to stories and conversations on the cabin porch. Exactly how reunions are supposed to be. We love you so much Uncle Phil!

It was so fun to have my husband at the reunion with me!

Ty and Lily with another impromptu dance!

BJ and his braces. How did he get in so many photos?! It is still so hard to believe that my little BJer-man is 12 years old!

Hair-braiding train! Surprisingly, they lasted all day!

The picture perfect pioneer family! (Lily hated her hat!) Way to go Smithsons!

View of the Homestead from atop Sierra Trigo

A beautiful sunset on our way down

The Sierra Trigo group! Thanks for driving Bart!

HeartLee and Brooklyn tore themselves away from Breaking Dawn long enough to do some dancing

We had a good time. But for me it was somewhat bittersweet knowing how much my father loved the reunions. He never missed a Whiting Reunion his entire life! I especially missed his ancestral stories and his ability to remember everyone and how they were related. He passed along his love for the Homestead and family and I treasure those things. I'm sure he approved of this well-planned and excuted reunion.

Disneyland

2008-07-28T22:03:00.001-07:00

Here we are at Disneyland.....check out the view.......

Bethany with some beautiful marigolds

California Screamin'

The Blue Bayou

Disneyland Railroad steam engine

Disneyland Marching Band

Bethany was such a good sport to pose for pictures....

The Jungle Cruise is a must

A very busy Main Street U.S.A

California Adventure

Needless to say we had a great time, if you want to know how to get on all the rides without having to wait all day, just ask. We have been given a tried and true ride schedule to follow on your visit to the park.

July 4th Weekend in the White Mountains

2008-07-08T18:59:00.000-07:00

Bethany and I went to the White Mountains to escape the heat of the Valley. We spent the evening of the 4th in Show Low for their fireworks show, it was great. On Saturday the 5th, we headed up towards Springerville to the Whiting Homestead for some more fun.

Here we are at Green's Peak

The great views from Green's Peak

Despite it being July in Arizona, it was 55 degrees at the top of Green's Peak.

Here is Lily and Merri Lyn getting ready to head out in the truck.

Mandy and Brooklyn enjoying little baby Jonathan.

The kids are showing us their fort.

Bethany with Adle, B.J., and Brisbane.

We mustn't forget Briley....or she would remind us.

Brisbane jumping out of the truck.

Ty, actually stopping for a split second so I can take his photo.

Merri Lyn, Adle, and Brisbane trying to keep warm.

Here is most of our group, Theron was back at the Homestead preparing dinner.

Sadly, we did have a bit of tragedy on our trip. We are all fine, but on our way down from Green's Peak Angela spotted an ATV that had ran off the road. Here is a link to an article about the accident.

http://www.wmicentral.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19838459&BRD=2264&PAG=461&dept_id=505965&rfi=6

Thankfully we had cell phone service so we could call the police. Bart was the one who kept a cool head and was able to do all that he could to help the one survivor.

Updates!

2008-06-19T09:08:00.000-07:00

So we have been very remiss in updating our blog. We will just use this post to show some of the moments of the past few months.

St. Patrick's Day with the traditional Corned Beef, Potatoes, and Cabbage. Everyone was a good sport and wore their hats for the photo.

Ryan got his Guitar Hero and the Wii! (You can see this took precidence over unpacking and cleaning our appartment. :-)

Easter time with Ty and Lily. Ryan and I were the egg hiders.

My cousin Annalee got married. We were happy to be married around the same time as each other.

We went on a trip to Rocky Point in May. We stayed with a group of Ryan's friends at a great beach house. This picture was taken from the rooftop balcony. My first time in Rocky Point definitely made me want to go back!

Ryan's highlight of the stay was setting off fireworks at the beach. I've never seen anyone get so excited about setting them off before!

I have to say that I was proud of myself for catching one good shot out of so many attempts!

Most of the group inside our rental home.

We were able to pay tribute to my father's life and honor him as a great example and loving father. We feel so blessed that he was able to be with us at our wedding earlier this year. We will miss him more than words can ever say.

NASCAR

2008-04-13T11:25:00.001-07:00

We went to the NASCAR race this weekend. The Subway Fresh Fit 500, a night race held at Phoenix Interntational Raceway.

I even took my beautiful wife, who probably thought that she would never go to a NASCAR race and may never go again :) I think she actually had a great time, I may be turning her into a closet NASCAR fan (although she would never admit it).

If you have never been to a NASCAR race, they are full of spectacles before the race, like the Goodyear Blimp, Parachute Jumpers, Air Force jet fly-overs, and of course the Whiskey Tango's....

Parachute Jumpers

F-16 Flying overhead

Whiskey Tango's (Photo Courtesy of Theron Hall)

Here we are on the Hillside enjoying the heat of the afternoon

Theron and his brother Ashley

Our view from the Hillside

The Honeymoon

2008-03-25T09:11:00.000-07:00

Ryan planned the perfect honeymoon. We took a cruise to the Eastern Caribbean for a week. We stopped at the Dominican Republic, the British Virgin Islands, the US Virgin Islands, and the Bahamas. Our favorite stop was St. John in the US Virgin Islands. It was picture perfect with secluded beaches, soft white sand, clear turquoise water, and not too many tourists. Ryan is already planning how quickly we can return and stay longer than just a half-day. We had an amazing time and it was so hard to return to normal life. I had a wonderful time traveling with my new husband. . . He is the best traveling companion ever! (Maybe Ryan can be persuaded to offer his perspective on this blog finally! He was the main photographer of the trip, so you'll see it from his view that way. He just has to post some of the hundreds of photos he took . . . :-)

Ok, I will chime in as well. This is Ryan here.... I must say that one of the best parts of our Honeymoon was our visit to Trunk Bay on the Island of St. John. As Bethany mentioned, it was beautiful. I have never seen such a more beautiful beach in all of my travels. I will get some more photos up shortly. I really did enjoy the deep blue and turquoise water, I hope the photos will do it justice. I had a fun time taking photos, I really enjoy to capture scenery in various types of light. Wait until you see a sunset photo I took. I also have to mention what a great time I had with my wife. She was great to travel with and she just let me lead the way. Of course at some time in the future, she will do some leading on our travels. She has a great eye for sights and I don't want to miss any.

Tortola

In the Dominican Republic overlooking the bay.

In the Dominican Republic

Tortola British Virgin Islands

Pirate Caves, Near Tortola

Tortola

Trunk Bay, St. John US Virgin Islands

Working on our tans at Trunk Bay.........

Sunset from the Norwegian Dawn

Our last sunset aboard the ship

Oh yeah, Norwegian cruise line was great! They had fun shows and entertainment and good activities. The food was pretty good too.

The Perfect Day

2008-03-05T11:42:00.000-08:00

Now I know what people mean by "wedded bliss." It was truly an amazing day. I had so much gratitude in my heart for friends and family. I began crying the night before at our rehearsal dinner and the happy tears continued through the next day. Ryan didn't know he was marrying an emotional basketcase!

I am so blessed to have such wonderful husband. Together we are so blessed to have such supportive and fantastic families. The day would not have been possible without all of their hard work and help.

We both agree that in our estimation, it was the perfect day.

Thank you!

Below are some photos taken by Ryan's father. More photos to come as I receive them.

The Bridal Shower

2008-02-11T11:51:00.001-08:00

What a wonderful day! I had so much fun and I am so happy friends and family were able to come. It was definitely a perfect "Jane Austen" tea party, with fabulous gifts to "feather the nest."

More pictures coming as soon as they are able to be downloaded! (Forgive my technical inabilities!)

THE COUNTDOWN!

2008-01-28T08:29:00.000-08:00

..
MySpace Countdowns

Harry Potter Party

2008-01-28T07:45:00.000-08:00

Well, not all of our time has been taken up with wedding plans. . . Here are a few pictures from our Harry Potter Party on January 19. It was a welcome distraction from all the frustrations with the wedding. The kids had classes all morning (divination, potions, stilt walking, transfiguration), then we had the feast at night, followed by the Hall of Mysteries Maze, and a final battle between the Death Eaters and Dumbledore's Army.

Most of the group in costume.

Dumbledore starting off the battle.

A scary Voldemort and Professor Umbridge . . . a new twist to the story?
The potions portion of the Hall of Mysteries . . . Rat Juice anyone?
Voldemort practicing his evil.

After viewing the pictures, you may be asking yourself if we are totally sane. The answer is of course not!

The Quiz

2008-01-10T12:42:00.000-08:00

Okay, take this quiz for fun, but don't stress out over it. You might even learn a few facts that you didn't know about Bethany and Ryan.

Quiz About Bethany and Ryan

Pictures in the Desert at Cave Creek

2007-12-28T11:00:00.000-08:00

Things that Women Care About. . . (although I think that men might have some interest too!)

2007-12-27T10:23:00.001-08:00

So, I've been asked about wedding details and I am happy to oblige . . .

One of the first decisions I made was to wear my mother's wedding dress. I've always loved it and growing up I thought my mother looked like the perfect princess bride. However, the dress needs to be altered to fit my larger waist proportions (my mother loved that!), and I decided to remove some bows and add some beading, but other than that it will be the same. It's a bit retro and quite pouffy, but I love it! I still have to find a veil that will go with it. . .

The theme of the wedding is going to be pansies, my favorite flower. (My decision, not Ryan's! :-)

There will be no attendants for either of us, but all the nieces (7 of them!) will serve as bridesmaids/flower girls.

Caterer: Posh Nosh http://www.poshnoshcafe.com/

Photographers: Elyse Hall http://www.elysehall.com/
and Sara Baldwin http://www.sarajanephoto.com/

Flowers and bouquets: A Wedding Occasion http://idoaz.com/

Now I just need some input on what music to play and how I should do my hair. . .

The Proposal

2007-12-12T09:35:00.000-08:00

I love to tell the story of how Ryan proposed. . .

The weekend before proposing, Ryan had been working out with a trainer and he had pulled his calf-muscles and strained them very badly. By Sunday night, he could hardly walk. I must admit that I rather unsympathetically called him "gimpy." But on Tuesday, October 23, 2007, I decided to bring over some dinner to my injured boyfriend who had been laid up on the couch all day--or so I thought! Ryan had actually gone to pick up the ring, ask my father for permission to marry me, and bought red roses to boot! All this he did, while still being in pain and walking with a slow limp! I give him major credit for being able to surprise me and take me completely off-guard.

When I brought him dinner that night, he started to get up to get something, and trying to be solicitous, I made him sit back down and I told him I would get whatever it was that he needed. This suggestion seemed to take him aback, and while I looked expectantly at him he said, "Uh, it's in the fridge." I'm sure I looked at him strangely and asked, "Well, what do you want?" Again, this seemed to throw him and he said, "It's red." At this point, I was a little frustrated and I just shook my head and strode over to the fridge and when I opened the door there was this beautiful bouquet of red roses. In the meantime, Ryan hobbles over and comes up and gives me a hug and then he carefully and painfully kneels down on one knee. . . Now, I must be honest and admit that at this point--the most romantic moment of my life!--I was laughing because I could tell that Ryan was hurting so much trying to kneel down! So yes, Ryan can now tell people that I laughed in his face when he proposed to me. But I believe that I was laughing from the sheer joy and happiness that I felt when he asked me to marry him . . .