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31 December 2011

2011 from A to Z

2011 has truly been one of the best years of our lives. I can't believe we are already into 2012! Although life is never perfect, it just keeps getting better!

Here is a little look at our life during 2011



getting a Dream job working at a social media agency
watching my brother open his mission call to England

taking trips and hanging out our best Friends


watching a lot of Kardashians
a trip to Lake Powell with the Skousens



hiking fat man's Misery in St. George



visiting the Orange County Fair with the Barkers
discovering Quinoa - one of our new favorite foods




going Vegan
eXploring the beautiful outdoors in Utah
hiking the Y on a regular basis


learning how to sew Zippers and so much more in a sewing class


As you can see, we've had a pretty great year!  We are so excited for all the great things in store for us this upcoming year!

See 2010 from A to Z here.

30 December 2011

Christmas in Mesa wonderland

Christmas is always my favorite day of the year and 2011 was no exception. Our holiday was absolutely perfect. I say it every year, but this year we had the best Christmas ever! We spent the majority of the holiday with the Skousen family. Because we were in Kansas for Christmas last year, we were especially excited to have a nice warm holiday in the "Mesa wonderland."

We had a great time at the Skousen Christmas Eve party. Grandpa Dick famously played his accordion, there was a talent show, nativity, delicious food, gift exchanging and family fun.




We went back home and opened matching Christmas pajamas. There is nothing better than new jammies on Christmas Eve. I love having these cute sisters to match with!


We woke up early Christmas morning and opened presents. We were seriously spoiled! It is so fun to be with Rachel on Christmas morning and see her excitement about her gifts and letter from Santa Claus. We had a yummy breakfast together and quickly got ready for church. Celebrating Christmas on Sunday made the holiday extra special. We were able to focus on the Savior and the real reason for Christmas. We were able to feel the Spirit through beautiful words and music. It was great to be together with the whole family.


 

 

After church we spent some time with my family and opened presents. This is the last Christmas with Cole we will have for two years! I can't believe it. I definitely soaked it all in and enjoyed having my entire family together. This year was especially fun because we all picked out gifts for each other. Normally mom and dad do all the shopping but this year the kids were given money to buy presents. It was so much fun! I got so excited to see the look on their faces as they opened the gifts I picked out. Ryan is the best gift giver and always comes up with sweet surprises and keeps me on my toes. There is nothing like being in love on Christmas! 

Cole's wrapping job had to be the funniest part of the day. Everything was in multiple boxes and wrapped haphazardly. 



{Cole admiring his new book}

We went to Grandma Donna's for Christmas dinner where we had a cousin gift exchange and also opened presents from grandma. It was perfect to spend time with family and celebrate the birth of our Savior.

I am so sad to see this holiday season go! This Christmas was definitely one to remember.

25 December 2011

Merry Christmas!

This Christmas was perfect. We had an amazing day filled with family, food, laughter, gift giving, singing and joy. Celebrating Christmas on a Sunday was extra special as our thoughts were turned to the Savior and the real reason for this holiday season. Sending our love to our family and friends everywhere!

Merry Christmas!

Love, Shelby & Ryan

11 December 2011

annual update

2011 has been a great year for Me&Ry.

This year we have seen countless blessings. We have experienced a lot of fun as well as many big changes. Possibly the biggest highlight was graduating from BYU, interning in New York City and entering the working world. I have a great job that I love, doing social media marketing. Ryan is anxious to finish school and will be done this April. We are enjoying living in the beautiful mountains of Provo where we ride our bikes in the summer and snowboard in the winter. We were able to go to Lake Powell, take numerous trips to California, attend General Conference and hike in St. George and Park City. This year we have been especially blessed to make many great memories with amazing friends, old and new. Living so far from family has made us really rely on good friends as our adoptive family members. We have made many friendships this year that will surely last a lifetime. We are looking forward to 2012 and the excitement of a new year... but it will definitely be hard to top 2011. 



We are especially grateful to have so many great friends and family members far and wide. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!


Love, Ryan & Shelby

04 December 2011

twinkle*

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here! Decorations are finally up and our weekend was filled with wonderful holiday activities. Our DVR is filled with recorded Christmas specials and holiday music is the only thing coming out of our speakers. We absolutely love this time of year!


peppermint and salted caramel hot chocolates in adorable red cups


We took our very first trip to see the temple lights in Salt Lake with Chase, Jenna and Charlotte. We have the best time with these guys! We feel so lucky to have them as friends. Little Char looked beyond adorable in her puffy coat and kitty hat. She was quite the trooper in the frigid temperatures. Getting all bundled up in coats, scarves and gloves made me realize that winter is finally here! Admiring the twinkle of the lights was the perfect way to bring in the Christmas season. I am trying to enjoy the chilly weather and actually hoping for a little "white" for Christmastime.