the real thing

2011 from A to Z

2011-12-31T13:40:00.000-08:00

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

many drives between Utah and Arizona

Bike rides

taking a few trips to sunny California

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

Graduating from BYU!

visiting a Haunted house for the first time together

Interning in New York City

seeing my favorite Jimmy Fallon (and making it on TV!)

watching a lot of Kardashians

a trip to Lake Powell with the Skousens

hiking fat man's Misery in St. George

touring NYC with Ryan for his first time

visiting the Orange County Fair with the Barkers

a trip to Park City with the Mosleys

discovering Quinoa - one of our new favorite foods

dressing up as the Royal couple for Halloween

Snowboarding at Sundance

attending General Conference and the lights at Temple Square

reUniting after 2 months of living apart

going Vegan

traveling to Jackson Hole Wyoming for LOTOJA

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.

Christmas in Mesa wonderland

2011-12-30T23:07:00.000-08:00

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.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T22:29:00.000-08:00

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

annual update

2011-12-11T21:35:00.001-08:00

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

twinkle*

2011-12-04T20:31:00.001-08:00

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.

thanksgiving

2011-11-30T21:09:00.001-08:00

I just love Thanksgiving. This year was relaxing and perfect. Me&Ry were so excited to have an entire week in Arizona with all our favorite things and people. We ate like kings, spent time with friends and family, did a little shopping and slept in!

This year my mom hosted the big dinner at our house. We had a great time shopping for food, planning out our dishes and even cooking together! I usually leave the cooking up to the moms but I had a blast being in the kitchen with the other ladies.

One of my favorite parts of our trip was being able to ride bikes with the Mosley family. They are hardcore and I love it. I rode almost 125 miles throughout the week, including a long 50 mile ride on Saturday. Let's just say we have a new hobby!

The very best part of Thanksgiving is reflecting on all that we have to be thankful for. Our health, families, friends, the gospel, educations, job, brother's mission call and of course each other!

Me & my dad on our 50 miler. Looking out at 4 peaks.

The Mosley clan on Thanksgiving Morning - Ryan, Carrie, Michael, Paul, Jacque, Dad, Chris and Shelby

Mom's birthday dinner at Tempe Marketplace

st. george getaway

2011-11-29T20:08:00.001-08:00

Me&Ry spent the weekend before Thanksgiving in St. George with some of our best friends. We met up with Karly and James, Nicole and Blair and Dani Bree and Daron. We all used to live just steps away from each other. Unfortunately growing up, graduating and new jobs have spread our besties all over. We figured Thanksgiving would be the perfect time to get together for a few days.

We absolutely love St. George! Luckily Nicole and Blair live in this adorable city so we get to visit a lot. We woke up Saturday morning to the most gorgeous sunny weather. That was the perfect way to start off the weekend. While we waited for the rest of the group to arrive, a few of us explored the famous red rocks.

Nicole took us to "fat man's misery."

I think it should be renamed "claustrophobic girl's misery."

"Fat man's" is a teeeeny tiny crack between two rocks where you can only scoot through sideways. I was truly terrified to go in. I took two steps into the crack and freaked out. I didn't think I could make it. I have never felt so cramped, stressed and claustrophobic. Nicole and Karly convinced me that I could make it through and Nicole even held my hand the entire way. Let me say it was the biggest adrenaline rush! There were some spots where the rocks were pressing up against my back and chest and I barely scraped by.

This hike was so much fun! Although Ry tried to go in, only the girls could fit through. It made us feel pretty good that we are way skinnier than our husbands! :)

The rest of the weekend was filled with lots of catching up, yummy food and lounging around the Staples' gorgeous house.

Dinner at Pasta Factory

We spent a lot of time in the hot tub looking out at this incredible view.

It was extremely hard to say goodbye to our friends. We always have the best time when we're together. Thanks for the incredible weekend! We love you all so much. Can't wait until next time!

a royal halloween

2011-11-02T23:02:00.000-07:00

To me, the best part of Halloween is having a reason to celebrate. We partied at the Young's house on Halloween night and had an absolute blast. We ate chili, cornbread and too many of Dani Bree's famous cookies. We admired costumes and handed out candy to the cutest trick-or-treaters. We played games and laughed until we cried. I love that we can hang out until all hours of the night with these fun friends. This Halloween was definitely one to remember.

Me&Ry dressed up as the royal couple

Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

Tanner and Joellen cracked us up in their shark and astronaut costumes.

Dani Bree the adorable spider and Daron the terrified fly in her web.

The cutest newly engaged couple Lindsay and Brycen dressed as the Zebra and Lion from Madagascar.

Halloween was such a blast but I am so ready for November and the happiest time of the year that is rapidly approaching!

spooky

2011-10-25T21:32:00.000-07:00

To get in the spirit of Halloween we went to a very spooky pumpkin patch with some friends. The main attractions were a haunted house and haunted hay ride. Ryan has never enjoyed anything scary. Luckily he caught the spirit of Halloween and decided to join in on the fun! There was no way I was going without him. The haunted house was not only inside, but also in a forest and a corn maze. We felt a little chill in the air and held each other tight as we were scared left and right. The best part of the night happened when a monster with a chain saw started chasing us through the corn maze. Somehow Ryan was separated from the entire group. The chain saw man saw that he was alone and said, "hey, where do you think you're going tall guy?!" as he cornered him all alone. We all got a great laugh out of that one.

Me, Lindsay and Dani Bree.

Luckily Daron lent me his big puffy jacket. It is getting chilly!

Super cute boys! Brycen, Ry and Daron.

After some fun on the farm we headed back to Dani Bree and Daron's house. We warmed up with some hot chocolate and watched The Others... Let's just say I didn't sleep too well that night.

I guess that's what Halloween is all about!

fall and visitors

2011-10-09T23:31:00.000-07:00

Fall is here. We have said farewell to summer and there is beauty all around with this change of season. There is so much excitement in the air and the approaching holidays are on my mind. Me&Ry are looking forward to corn mazes, pumpkin patches, costumes and getting together with friends. There are no words to describe how incredibly beautiful the color-filled mountains are outside our window. It is a wonderful time to be alive.

Conference weekend was picture perfect. It was unseasonably warm and the most gorgeous shades of yellow and red began to appear in the trees. To make the weekend even better, Madison and Nate came for a visit! I am so lucky to have a very close cousin who is also one of my best friends.
We have so much fun with these two!

Friday when they got into town, Ryan and Nate headed straight out to the golf course. Mads and I sat on my bed just talking and catching up on everything. There is no shortage of conversation when we are together.

We had an amazing dinner at Sundance. We have been looking for an excuse to eat at The Foundry Grill and it did not disappoint. There is nothing better than a delicious dinner in a romantic setting with the best company. Dinner was followed by dessert at The Sweet Tooth Fairy. We welcome any excuse to indulge in their baked goodness.

We attended the Saturday morning session of General Conference. We felt such a sweet and strong spirit in the conference center. The best part was hearing that a second temple will be dedicated in Provo. We are so excited!

After Conference we drove up to Park City. Visiting PC is our absolute favorite thing about living in Utah. We rode the chair lift to admire the mountains and changing trees. We had dinner, dessert and a fun car ride home laughing and chatting the entire way.

Our first fall weekend was absolutely perfect. We had so much fun with Mads and Nate. We are looking forward to many more beautiful fall weekends to come and hoping for more visitors!

LOTOJA

2011-09-20T21:12:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago we supported Ryan's dad Mike as he rode in LOTOJA.

LOTOJA is a 206 mile cycling event that begins in LOgan, Utah and doesn't end until the riders get TO JAckson Hole, Wyoming. This was our second year as a SAG team and we absolutely loved it.

Friday night we went up to Logan. We ate dinner at Firehouse Pizza and slept over at the famous Crystal Inn. The riders took off around 5:45 a.m. and we weren't too far behind them.

We left from Logan and drove through canyons and forest land until we got to Bear Lake. The sun was barely awake and the water was gorgeous.
Our first stop was Montpillier, Idaho.

After Montpillier we drove to Afton, Wyoming. This little town is famous for having the world's largest elk horn arch!

Our next stop was Alpine, Wyoming.

156 miles into the race and Mike was still smiling!

The final climb went through the amazingly picturesque Snake River Canyon. Talk about gorgeous! Pictures definitely don't portray the real beauty of this place. The entire crew from Arizona rode in blue. It was such a fun and inspiring sight to see them climbing the last 50 miles.

After an entire day of driving we finally made it to Jackson Hole.

We ate dinner underneath the magnificent Grand Tetons. The Mangy Moose has become our traditional dining spot two years in a row and it didn't disappoint.

LOTOJA is such an inspiring thing to watch. We are so proud of Mike and everyone for the great job they did. Watching the riders definitely makes Me&Ry both want to race.

We really can't wait until next year!

september

2011-09-01T22:15:00.000-07:00

September is here.

(photo taken September 2009)

Late last night when we said goodbye to August, the weatherman brought cooler weather. With the drop in temperature, I feel like fall is actually upon us. I am devastated to say goodbye to summer. I am already having separation anxiety.

We have had the most unforgettable summer! We spent hours in the car between California, Lake Powell, Arizona and Park City. We didn't have jobs or much responsibility and our lazy days were spent outside laying by the pool and soaking up the sun.

This summer was perfect.

Now real life is here. Just as we have to say goodbye to summer, I am saying goodbye to my lazy college days and entering a new season in life.

I got a job!

I started a little over two weeks ago at an advertising agency north of Salt Lake. Now I go to bed at a decent hour, wake up with the sun, commute over an hour each way and work from 9 to 5. What a change it has been! But a welcome one. I feel so lucky to be employed. I feel so lucky to be working in advertising and advancing my career. I love my new job. I work with the nicest people and I have already learned so much. Some days fly by and others seem to drag on forever. The best feeling in the world is coming home to Ryan every night! We eat dinner, watch our shows, and sleep like babies in our big fluffy bed. I appreciate every single second that is my own and I live for the weekend.

This fall is so different because for the first time I'm not going back to school. It feels great! There are so many things I miss about BYU but truthfully, I am happy to be done with homework, exams, sitting in class, etc. For now Ryan will be the student in our family and I'll be the workin' woman!

I have always loved the fresh start that fall brings. As the calendar changes, summer is over and all of a sudden we are entering a new phase. I'm bracing myself for cooler weather, non-stop college football, fall leaves and everything this new season will bring.

park city

2011-08-29T22:02:00.000-07:00

As one last hurrah before the end of summer, the Mosleys came up for a week long getaway in Park City.

It had been way too long since we have all been together for a family vacation. This trip was perfect and so needed. We were tucked away in the most beautiful condo for the week. It made me ache to live near them so much.

Park City is one of our absolute favorite places to be. Being in the mountains gave us the perfect excuse to relax and just hang out. We ate a lot of good food, spent time in the great outdoors, played games, talked and enjoyed quality time together.

Highlights of the trip:

sequence, scrabble and golf

fly fishing at the ranch

many trips to Whole Foods

shopping at the outlets

Red Rock

mountain biking

dinner with friends

playing with my puppy

hiking

coconut lime cupcakes

lounging at the pool

Big Brother

Loco Lizard

jogging the trails

etc.

After dinner on Main St.

We took a lovely hike to Stewart Falls one afternoon. We started at Aspen Grove and made a loop all the way back to Sundance.

we even brought the pup along!

Another day was spent mountain biking. We had the greatest time! It made me really want to invest in a pair of mountain bikes for Me&Ry to ride around in Utah...

I am so thankful my family was able to get away from it all and spend a glorious week in the mountains. I'm really hoping we can make trips like this one a more regular thing.

We love you guys and miss you already!

one great day

2011-08-28T13:34:00.000-07:00

After our trip in Oceanside we headed up to see our friends Karly and James before we left to come home. We just love every second we get with these two! We only had one day together so we made sure to make the most of it.

The boys headed out to the golf course first thing in the morning while the girls went to take a spin class.

Karly lives right by the most amazing spinning and yoga studio... I was in heaven! They have huge doors that open up to make you feel like you are outside. Smelling the ocean air in the morning while working out is the coolest thing!

Once the class started I realized this place is actually more like hell. While the class was amazing, I truly almost died. I consider myself an advanced spinner and I have NEVER been to a class that hard. I was sweating from head to toe. The area around my bike looked like a block of ice had melted during the 45 minute class... gross.

It was great to start the day off right with a little exercise! After the class we met up with the boys at our all time favorite place Banzai Bowl for some breakfast. A-MAZ-ING. We are obsessed with their acai bowls and crave them every single day. Too bad nowhere compares to Banzai...

In the afternoon we got ready to do a little browsing at South Coast Plaza... best mall ever.

For dinner we ate at the always amazing True Food.

That night we went to the Orange County Fair! I just love the fair. I have begged Ryan ever since we have been dating/married to take me to the fair! So much great food, rides, games and people watching! Of course the ferris wheel was my favorite part... the best place to cuddle, smooch and be in love.

So basically it was the best day ever. All our days in California seem to be that way. Karly and James thank you again for opening your home to us! Don't worry we can't stay away from California for too long.. we'll be back!

annual Oceanside trip

2011-08-21T19:36:00.000-07:00

We had the best time at the annual Skousen vacation in Oceanside, California. The family condos on the beach are one of our favorite places to be. We were so excited that we got to be there for the entire week this year! We spent our time relaxing on the beach, reading good books, eating, chatting, riding bikes and hanging out. There was a lot of smashball, volleyball, boogie boarding and beach activity. We ordered food from our favorite Mexican food joint Johnny Manana's and ate on the beach.

We took nightly walks along the water.

We got so sunburned that we have sworn off tanning forever!

Overall we had a week full of lazy days which is just the way we like it.

the view from our condo

We were able to attend the San Diego Temple early one morning.

We were given tickets to Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach. It was such a fun night and a very cool show! We loved it!

Thanks to all the Skousens for such a fun week! We had the greatest time with parents, grandparents, sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles!

We love you all.. Can't wait until next year!

on the road again...

2011-08-18T10:44:00.000-07:00

This summer has been amazing to say the very least... We have logged countless hours on the road going from one vacation to the next. I haven't fully unpacked since New York! We are so lucky that our families take great vacations and we have friends to visit in fun places! We have been soaking up every single second of it.

The first week of August my cousin Alexandra got married! We were so excited to go down to Arizona to be a part of the big event. It was so amazing to be home and see all the friends and family we've been missing.
Oh yeah... and eat at all our favorite places.

The wedding was absolutely gorgeous. We are just so happy for these two!

I even chopped 8 inches off my hair and got braces!

Let's just say it was an eventful week...

cousins and the ones we love!

We have really missed everyone in Arizona and loved seeing everyone!

We can't wait to go back soon...

to the sea

2011-07-25T12:51:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday night Me&Ry decided we wanted to take a spontaneous and unplanned trip to California. Just a few hours later on Thursday we loaded up the car and headed to the sea....

With nothing going on in our lazy summer days it was a dream to get out of Provo for a weekend of fun!

This summer we have already spent a lot of time on the road and we're not showing signs of stopping. We love roadtripping together. There is nothing better than being alone in a car together for hours on end. Weirdly enough, a lot of our trips are spent in silence. No music or radio to be heard. Just the sounds of familiar road and lots of conversation. We listen to music when we eventually agree on what to play... it usually takes a few hours.

Once we made it to California, we were in heaven! We met up with our good friends Karly and James. They just recently moved from our little neighborhood to Costa Mesa. They were kind enough to let us stay in their adorable apartment. We had such a great time talking, eating, laughing and talking some more.

we tried out the juice bar at Mother's Market

shopped our favorite stores at South Coast Plaza

took a daring trip to "Wal Mart El Super"

tried two amazing new restaurants The Veggie Grill and True Food Kitchen

took morning jogs to the beach and back

daydreamed about how to design our future beach house

etc.

We had a few frozen bananas during our stay! I would definitely say Dad's Frozen Banana Stand was the clear winner (mmmm butter brickle!).

We laid in the sand for hours and hours on the Balboa Penninsula. We got a lot of reading, people watching and dolphin spotting in. Karly and I literally never stopped chatting. Ryan and James were the brave ones who went for a swim in the cold, whale infested waters!

We packed a delicious picnic and ate at my all time favorite beach Salt Creek. The boys played frisbee and we sat looking at the amazing view.

We took a stroll along the water and both felt so at peace and happy in the sun by the sea. This was the perfect little trip! We miss our beloved beach and Karly and James already!

Thank you for everything you two! We can't wait to come back soon!

lake powell

2011-07-18T22:40:00.000-07:00

We were lucky enough to go to Lake Powell for an entire week with the Skousen family. The lake was absolutely beautiful this year. The water was very high and we got so much sunshine! We had the best time with the Skousens and Cliffords. My brother Cole even got to join in on the fun! We just LOVE that place. We are so grateful to Ryan's family for putting on such a fun vacation.

Our trip included:

amazing food

sunshine

wake skating

justin beiber on the stereo

wearing nothing but our swimming suits

crazy rainstorms

waking up early and going to bed late

jet skis

bugs everywhere

celebrity magazines

tan lines

bruised legs and raw elbows

family time

boat rides

catch phrase

climbing sand king/vertical beach

adorable matching t-shirts

fireworks

and lots of laughter!

We can't wait until next year!

feels like home

2011-06-26T22:37:00.000-07:00

I have been home from New York for a week and a half now... I am loving it. I am cuddled up in my huge, white, fluffy bed as we speak. I hear the hum of the AC and TV noises coming from down stairs. I seriously missed these luxuries while I was away. Most importantly I know my boy is studying away at our kitchen table. Just being in the same building as him makes me breathe easier. It is really good to be home. I cried equally as hard when I returned as when I left. I was so sad to leave New York, but also so relieved to be back with my love and that our time apart was finally over. For the first few days I literally didn't lift a finger. That resulted in a huge pile of dirty laundry and empty cupboards and stomachs. I am now focusing on getting back in the swing of my Utah life... gym, cleaning, laundry, cooking, job search, etc. I'm not sure where life is going to take us now that I'm graduated. We will be here until April when Ryan finishes school. I finally realized that Provo is home to me for the time being. I guess it took four years of school, graduating and moving away for me to love coming back. I'm so grateful that I get a bonus year to enjoy the gorgeous mountain sky and living in this little bubble with Ryan. Wherever we end up living in the years after we leave Provo, it will always feel like home because we're together.

to our dads...

2011-06-19T23:36:00.000-07:00

This Father's Day, we are thankful to have two of the best dads in the world. We are so grateful to have such amazing men in our lives who take care of us and love us like their own kids. We feel lucky to have inherited some of your great qualities! What a blessing it is to have strong examples and priesthood holders in our lives. We are seriously lucky. Happy Father's Day dads!

We love you!

the city through my eyes

2011-06-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

[amateur night at the World Famous Apollo Theater.

It was quite an experience to say the least.]

{good conversation + food with friends}

(pizza from Numero 28 in the West Village. They let you choose two different pizzas on one pie. Abby's is on the right, mine is on the left.)

[central park]

{The Guggenheim}

(drinking a little Jamba after a yoga sesh)

[There is nothing cuter than Mexican soda in glass bottles.]

{LULA's! best place in the world. so happy to have my treat!}

{lemon cupcake from Babycakes}

(my lunching spot in Bryant Park)

[at Strand Bookstore... 18 miles of books!]

{Seriously, I wake up to this every morning. The view right out my window.}

(fresh strawberries at a street market in Union Square)

[ate lunch at bloomingdale's forty carrots... what a cute place!]

{at the highline}

[rainy city]

{the perfectly manicured lawn at Bryant Park}

I am sitting in the airport about to leave my favorite city in the world. I can't believe seven weeks has flown by so fast. I feel like I just got here and now it's already time to leave. I only got a small taste of all the amazing things that New York has to offer. There is so much more I still want to experience. I am not ready to go at all but I definitely plan on coming back soon! The magic and excitement I feel in New York has not gone away in the slightest. If anything it has grown! This city makes my heart beat faster....

fame

2011-06-08T22:03:00.000-07:00

The number one priority I put on my New York bucket list was to go to a taping of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Ryan and I watch the show basically every night and Jimmy is definitely our favorite late night comedian. I have the biggest crush on him and I'm obsessed with his house band The Roots. I started calling NBC studios every single day until tickets opened up for a taping. I really wanted to surprise Ryan with tickets for when he came out to visit. Unfortunately Jimmy was not taping ANY of the days Ryan was here... We were both so sad! But I decided to invite a few friends and have fun for both of us!

Little did I realize that I would get 15 seconds of fame and end up on TV!!!!!

See me over in the corner? I got a little face time with my friend Heidi who is sitting right behind me. It turns out a seat on the aisle is the best seat in the house... At the end of the show Jimmy ran up the stairs and through the crowd. I got to look into his big brown eyes and shake his hand! Obviously I haven't washed my hands since....

If you want to watch the hilarious Jimmy Fallon with James McAvoy (hot), Gilbert Gottfried (creepy & so dirty), Amos Lee (amazing) oh and ME!... click here

(I make my television debut at 7:10)

If you are ever in New York, I totally recommend getting tickets to see this show! Definitely a highlight of my trip...

that's amore

2011-06-03T21:22:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been in a moment where life was just simply perfect? That's how this weekend felt for Me&Ry. From the second I picked him up at Penn Station, life was pure bliss. I savored every single second and truly lived in the moment. New York is such a magical place. The energy, the food, the people, the buildings, the lights.... everything. But it is so much more unbelievable when you're in love. We had such a great time over the long weekend... eating, shopping, walking, exploring, talking and laughing. Ryan loved it here! He finally understands what all my gushing and obsessing is about. The trip was way too short for my liking. Luckily, we did get to see and do so much in the few days we had together!

Ryan arrived early Friday morning after an exhausting red eye flight. After a nice nap we went to Rockefeller Center and took a tour of NBC studios.

We had lunch at Cafe Duke and did a little shopping at H&M. We walked down 5th Ave. admiring all the gorgeous storefronts and made it to Central Park. We leisurely strolled through the park watching runners, dog walkers, pretzel sellers and all the folk that congregate in the park on a warm sunny day. We came out of the park on the West side at 72nd street and stopped in at Trader Joe's. Ryan got a kick out of a grocery store with escalators. They even have special escalators for your shopping cart... He realized right away how unique New York really is. We stocked up on a few groceries and snacks to keep on hand. This girl does not do well in the city heat without provisions. We went home to freshen up for the night and headed out for a fun dinner.

We ate a delicious dinner at Patsy's. As we ate we watched cars drive by and the lights flicker outside the restaurant. At that moment, Ryan fell in love with New York's Italian food.

Saturday we got to go on an amazing bike tour of Brooklyn.

(Thanks again to the Skousen's!)

We got to see battery park, the financial district, wall street, ride over the Manhattan Bridge, explore DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, the promenade, rode back over the Brooklyn Bridge and ground zero. We stopped to take pictures and admire along the way.

[the Manhattan Bridge]

[view of the Empire State Building through the Manhattan Bridge]

[love this skyline]

[Brooklyn Bridge]

[Lady Liberty]

After the bike ride we went out on the town.

We had Mexican food in Hell's Kitchen at Arriba Arriba! I am still thinking about their chips and guac...

We walked around Times Square holding hands...

Then we headed down to take a little ride on the Staten Island Ferry!

We stood out on the windy deck and admired the skyline at night and the gorgeous Statue of Liberty. My skirt may have blown up in front of a crazy homeless guy and some teenage boys.

Sunday we spent a day on the Upper West Side. Ryan got to see the glorious i-house where I am staying and explore a bit of my neighborhood.

We walked up Riverside Drive along the park and headed to

Columbia University.

This campus holds a very special place in my heart. I feel so proud when I visit my dad's Alma Mater. I love thinking about our young family what a great experience we had while he studied here.

[Ryan was so excited to find Tom's Restaurant from Sienfeld!]

We ate a little lunch at Amir's Falafel.

Monday our biggest activity was a visit to the Museum of Natural History.

[We saw the source of my fear... the whale.]

[Ryan loves his Moai.]

[dinosaurs]

We explored The Village and Washington Square Park. We sat outside listening to street performers and enjoying the gorgeous weather.

For dinner we found Luigi's.. another amazing Italian joint. This little hole in the wall is one of the top rated pasta restaurants in New York. Ryan misses Luigi's more than anything else in the city, of course.

As you can tell we had the most amazing time in New York! I wish our time here never had to end... Oh how I miss him. I'm so happy Ry loved the city as much as I do. Let's just say we will definitely be back!

uptown girl

2011-05-25T22:02:00.000-07:00

New York is truly getting better and better the longer I am here. This past Friday marked the half way point and I am kind of freaking out. I still have so much more that I want to do with my time in the city... I feel like this whole experience is just flying by! Let's just say I'm going to be pretty busy the next few weeks! Work has continued to pick up and I am loving being so busy. The work days truly fly by. The only bummer is that it is so hard being apart from Ryan. But luckily I get to see him Friday morning! I seriously can't wait. We are going to have the best time in the city!

Here is a little of what I've been up to...

*lunching in Bryant Park with friends

*eating at delicious restaurants all over town

Here we are at Nonna on the Upper West Side.

I don't think there is anything better than sitting outside on a warm New York night, and enjoying a little pasta with friends.

Cafe Frida - another favorite find.

After this dinner we walked from 96th to 122nd on Broadway. Our friends love to walk through the city and experience real life here. As my friend Heidi pointed out, you miss a lot when you ride the subway.

*yoga in the park!

This is most definitely one of the best things I've done in New York.

.namaste.

love my yoga buddy Heidi

*going to some of the many amazing museums

So far I have been to the Natural History and the Guggenheim

view from the top

*catching a few shows on Broadway!

Wonderland

Some of our best family friends Kathryn and Cody came out to visit! Together we went to see Addams Family and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying!

Memphis was for sure one of my favorites!

*strolling through the city and exploring as we go

Central Park...

Lincoln Center

*hanging out with the Skousens! It was so amazing to see Ryan's parents, grandparents and aunts and uncles. I was lucky enough to be invited to dinners, hang out, explore the city and even see a Broadway show. I just love this family!

Times Square

I am simply falling more and more in love with this place. (is that even possible?) I am so excited to show my boy around and witness him fall it love with it too!

work & play

2011-05-15T19:27:00.000-07:00

My time in New York just keeps getting better and better. I finally feel settled here and everything is going smoothly. I know my way around town and I can get wherever I need to go with ease. I actually understand the subway system and how to get just about anywhere. Thank goodness I have an iPhone with a GPS. I have become the go-to navigator most of the time.. What would we do without modern technology? Work is going really great. I am feeling very comfortable with the account I am working on. I just love it here and time is truly flying by. Time flies when you're having fun, as they say. I don't think Ryan feels the same way unfortunately... but he is hanging in there! We are missing each other like crazy and counting down the days until he comes out to visit (16 more!).

On Friday a big group of us went to the New York Mets game. I absolutely love professional baseball games. I definitely got this love from my mama... she is the biggest baseball fan I know. I have learned how fun it is to visit different ball parks and experience what each has to offer. We had a blast! Tickets were only $12 for a seat wayyyyyy up in the nosebleeds. We rode the crowded subway out to Queens with tons of excited and dedicated fans. When we got there I thought it was so nice to see the sky so clearly in all directions. We all felt a sense of freedom after being crowded between buildings for so long. We snacked on our favorite ball park food and cheered on the Mets!

Saturday night a group of us met up for dinner and a little culture! We hit up a really cool outdoor exhibit all having to do with light and projection. It was really interesting and totally free. There are so many amazing and free things to do in this city. Luckily we are all pretty poor so we love to take advantage of anything that won't cost a thing.

Celebrity sightings have been a very fun part of my New York experience as well. Thursday night we were walking through SoHo and realized Ryan Gosling (from The Notebook) was walking with us for a few blocks. He was taking an evening stroll with his friends and acting like it was no big deal. Oh, all the while playing a ukulele. We tried to act like cool New Yorkers who didn't really care, but then we started snapping pictures and became obvious celeb-stalkers.

I just can't get enough of all the street performances New York City has to offer. I swear there is always someone performing something... Always good for cheap entertainment. On the train ride home some thirteen year old boys entertained us with pretty sweet dance performance, and you can always count on quite a few musicians during the morning commute.

Sundays are probably my favorite days here. After church our group of friends love to meet in Central Park to rest and people watch. It is so fun to have great conversations, laugh and relax a little before the work week starts again. I don't know what I would do without the park!

I am still loving the food, crazy energy, subway, nasty smells, humidity, tired feet, fashion, crappy mattress, expensive prices, glitz & glamor of this city... I wouldn't trade being here for the world!

the BIG apple

2011-05-02T21:39:00.000-07:00

Well, the day has finally come. I am officially a.....

!!!!

I absolutely love it here. My first week has been incredible! I left around midnight last Monday so I got into the city early Tuesday morning. I hopped in a cab and headed to my new home for the next seven weeks. I am living on the Upper West Side of Manhattan! It is still a little surreal to me! It is so fun because I lived here as a little girl when my Dad was in law school. I am living near Columbia University which has always held a very special place in my heart. Just being here is a dream come true!

[this is the view from my dorm room of Riverside Park and the Hudson River... gorgeous!]

I started my advertising internship at Y&R New York on Wednesday. The office is located downtown on Madison Avenue! It is such a fun area to work in. There is an amazing energy and a hustle and bustle where I work. I just love waking up and going to my internship every day!

I am enjoying every second of it.

I just want to see and do as much as I can in the short time I am living here!

I have been hanging out with a really fun group who want to explore and see the city! We are having an absolute blast.

So far our activities have included:

Browsing at Bloomingdale's, H&M + Zara

Dinner at the delicious Patsy's

a late night movie... Water for Elephants

Buying snacks and essentials at Trader Joe's and Duane Reade [my favorite]

trying out the neighborhood pizza and pasta joints

Lunch in Bryant park

Shopping in SoHo

NUTS FOR NUTS

Exploring new neighborhoods like Hell's Kitchen,

the Upper East Side and Chelsea

Hale and Hearty [my favorite lunch stop]

avoiding scary homeless/drunk people on every corner [haha]

Friday night dinner with the crew at Chelsea Market

Walking through Times Square at night

[Empire State Building]

lots and lots [and lots] of riding the subway

AND learning how to navigate the system by heart

walking to church in Harlem

[me and Heidi]

[friends!]

and

Spending a fabulous Sunday afternoon in Central Park

I just love this city! I can't believe it has already been a week since I arrived... this internship is going to fly by! I will say the hardest part is that I miss Ryan like cray-zy! Although I'm having a blast, there is a constant ache in my stomach because I just miss that boy. He is coming out at the end of the month and I am already planning all the adventures we will have together. He is being such a trooper at home working and getting ready to start the next semester of school! [Also being very bored without me...]

Here's to more fun in the greatest city on earth!

graduation!

2011-05-01T19:17:00.000-07:00

Graduation was such a fun and amazing experience.

It was incredible to think about starting four years ago and

actually finishing college!

It seems mind-blowing that I actually did that...

I never have to take another class again! woo hooooo!

We'll see if I ever get the itch to go back to school...

I should never say "never" I guess!

It was so great to have my family out for my big day.

My parents have been so extremely supportive in every way possible.

They encouraged me to go to BYU, supported me financially, and kept me going when I truly thought I would never finish. I'm so glad they had such sound advice to give whenever I needed it.

More importantly, I'm glad I listened!

Ryan was so proud of me for graduating! He has also helped me so much on my path to finishing school. Before we got married we contemplated moving and transferring schools. I told him how important it was for me to graduate from BYU and we have never looked back. Without his willingness to support that decision I could never have made it. He has supported us completely and allowed me to focus on school when I really needed to.

It was also fun to have friends there to share it with!

Me and Lindsay Ham

I had a full circle moment with my bestie Nicole. We started our journey at BYU on the very first day together, and we walked together at our graduation four years later. What a a journey!

I have also made so many great friends in my advertising program! Chad and I started in our beginning advertising classes together, and now we are both living in New York!

This whole weekend made me feel so happy and nostalgic for the great four years I have had, with so many amazing people!

After graduation, we had a great dinner at Macaroni Grill...

It was such a great weekend with the family! Miss you guys already!

the ABC's of college life

2011-04-24T18:20:00.000-07:00

Last week I took the last final exam of my college career. It was an amazing feeling to walk out of the testing center and realize I will never have to do that again. As a little girl I couldn't wait for the day I would be done with school. I truly never felt like that day would ever come! Well, it is here whether I like it or not. Honestly, it is a little bittersweet. I have been reflecting on my time here and I realize how blessed I have been to meet so many amazing people and have unforgettable experiences. I know I will rave about how amazing my college experience at BYU was. I am already planning to brainwash my kids into coming here too.

For me, college life was all about:

living with my besties at Alpine village (137/8)

having the Best friends a girl could ask for

studying Communications and advertising

Dance parties, Dollar scoop night and Delicious cinnamon melts

Eighties nights in Salt Lake

cougar Football games

Getting home at 4:30 in the morning (or later)

having many Homesick days and nights, but sticking it out

Insanely hard religion tests

the JSB the JKB the JFSB

Kissing lots of frogs until I found my prince

fall Leaves and the change of seasons

getting Married! and attending the weddings of my best friends

taking lots of Notes

Ordering countless BBQ chicken salads from CPK

Pretending to listen in class while playing words with friends

Quietly hiding in our room during "floor meeting"

living by our favorite people at Roylance estates

Snow and Snowboarding! learning to walk, ride, drive and live in the stuff

meeting my forever roomie and best friends in Taylor hall

learning Undoubtedly that The Church is true

girls trips to Vegas

interning in Washington D.C.

gaining a little X-tra somethin' somethin' (oh, the freshman 15)

hiking the Y

Zoobie watching

Oh how I will miss the college life!

happy 24th my love!

2011-04-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

Last week, Ry had a birthday!

It was kind of a big one actually... his 24th!

We were talking about how the jump from 23 to 24 seems big to us. I have known Ry for 8 birthdays and that seems like quite a few to me.
I guess we are just getting "old."

Ryan wanted a relaxed day to hang out, eat good food and get presents. Well that wasn't quite what I had in mind. So a small group of friends surprised him for cupcakes and games!

I thought I was being so obvious that something was up. I was afraid at any moment I would give everything away. Luckily, he truly had no idea. He thought we were just stopping by a friend's house to say hi. We even fooled him into thinking no one was home and we were supposed to "wait inside."

He turned on the lights and everyone waited a good 4-5 seconds before popping up and yelling "SURPRISE!"

right after the big surprise

singing happy birthday

James "accidently" blew out his candle

try #2

Happy birthday my love! I hope that wish you made came true...

the end is here

2011-04-13T23:44:00.000-07:00

Today was my last day of class as a BYU student.

Me&Ry thought hiking the Y would be a great way to spend the morning.

As we hiked, I thought about my time in this little place called Provo. Although I have done my fair share of complaining, I truly love it here. The last 4 years have been the best years of my life. I met and grew to love my very best friends. I fell in love (again) with my Ryan. I learned (almost) everything I know. Most importantly, my testimony has grown and been strengthened more than I can even describe.

(view of campus from the top of the Y)

I always knew I wanted to attend college at BYU. But I don't think I realized how much my life would change as a result of my time here. This chapter in my life has truly shaped who I will be forever.

It hasn't quite hit me that I'm actually done with school. I think I will finally grasp it when I put on my cap and gown next week.

I am a little nostalgic for the great times I've had, but happy to finally be out of the classroom!

I know that Provo will always have a special place in my heart and I'll always be a proud COUGAR!

Birthday Girl!

2011-04-10T23:08:00.000-07:00

My 22nd birthday was absolutely fabulous!

Ryan got work off and we were able to spend the entire day together.

I slept in while Ryan went to school. He came home with all the fixin's for a delicious birthday breakfast. Ryan cooked waffles from scratch that were to die for. I sat back and ate my breakfast while watching Teen Mom... (haha). Ryan hates it more than anything, but watched with me on my special day! Ryan got me a purse that I LOVE that I really needed for New York. We went to dinner, rented a movie and made treats. Perfect birthday!

The next night we had a little get together with some friends to celebrate! I am so thankful for the great friends we have made while living here. Words truly can't describe how much I love you guys!

Thanks to everyone for coming to celebrate...

James, Karly, Nicole, Lindsay and Dani Bree

The girls! Karly, DB, Lindsay, Nicole, Joellen, Linds, Birthday Girl!

Love this cute boy!

Even baby Charlotte came!

She was the center of attention the whole night as usual...

Love that girl.

This baby loves her sugar!

Jenna and Me

I think I say this every year, but this birthday was truly the best!

I guess getting "older" isn't too bad....

make your own spring break

2011-03-18T22:25:00.000-07:00

This year, we decided to do just that. Although BYU didn't give me even the tiniest break from classes, the Skousens came to the rescue and gave us the perfect excuse to create our own break from school and daily life.

The whole family decided to come up for a little ski vacation! This time was especially fun because we had a huge slumber party in our little apartment. We hosted the parents and Rachel while the older girls crashed with Meagan.

We got to snowboard, eat at all our favorite places, have a little Bachelor party, play golf, cook and just catch up. We absolutely love when the Skousens come to town. It is so refreshing to be with the whole family. We miss you guys already!

updates

2011-03-16T23:52:00.000-07:00

Life is really good for Me&Ry.

Ryan has been staying extremely busy with school and work. He is still at Jason's Deli and doing really well in his classes. He is loving the (slightly) warmer weather in Provo and getting ready for golf season in Utah!

We are trying to snowboard together as often as possible while Sundance is still open.

Shelby can't believe I am finishing my last semester of college! Some days have felt like school will never end. Other days, I feel extremely sentimental and I know I will miss BYU.

The biggest and best news of all is that I got an internship for the spring semester in

New York!

Honestly, this is a dream come true for me. Ever since I was a little girl I have thought about living in The Big Apple one day. I will be working as an intern at an advertising agency for about 6 weeks starting at the end of April.

I feel so lucky to have this opportunity! More importantly, I am grateful for incredible support from Ryan. He encourages me and inspires me to follow my dreams no matter where they may lead.

I will be going to New York alone while Ryan keeps working on school this summer. We are already planning his trip to visit. (I can't believe Ry has never been!) Although we are both really bummed to be apart for a few weeks, we are so excited for this incredible opportunity.

Let's just say we are in for a lot of skype dates and racking up the cellphone minutes! :)

President's Day with Cole

2011-02-26T21:37:00.000-08:00

Over President's Day weekend, my little brother Cole came to visit us! We were lucky enough to go snowboarding the whole weekend. We rode half of the day Friday at Sundance and then headed up to Brighton on Saturday and Monday. It snowed the entire day on Saturday! We were bundled from head to toe and absolutely soaked to the bone. Although we were wet and freezing, there is nothing better than riding in the fresh pow! Brighton got a few new feet late Sunday night, so Monday was also an incredible day. It was fun for Ryan and Cole to shred through the trees together and I actually kept up!

***

It was just so great having Cole here. We have the best time with him! We ate at some of his favorite places, watched tons of movies, played a little Halo and some cards and had the greatest time! Cole makes me laugh more than anyone in the world. It is so fun to reminisce over stories from our childhood and laugh until our stomachs hurt. Cole and Ryan are like the brothers they never had to each other. I love it. We already miss him so much!

Coleus come back!

All tuckered out after a long day...

It was the best weekend ever!

superbowl sunday

2011-02-08T23:32:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we had a little shin-dig to watch the big game! The superbowl is by far my favorite game of the year. I don't care about which teams are playing... its all about the ads for me! (obviously). This game is perfect because it's the one sporting event where the boys can watch their beloved football and the girls might actually find a little enjoyment! We can plan a fabulous party, eat yummy food and chit chat.

What more could I ask for?

How funny is this picture? Baby C was more interested in her food than being photographed.

We just love our friends!

This little thing was the real entertainment of the night.

Every guy and girl in the room was fixated on her every move.

We are all obsessed!

We consider ourselves so blessed and lucky to have such incredible friends that double as neighbors to hang out with!

Lindsay turns 22!

2011-02-01T23:44:00.000-08:00

Some of my very best friends got together this week to celebrate our best friend Lindsay's birthday!

It was so fun to have dinner, and catch up about everything going on in our lives. Just a short time ago none of us were married or nearly as busy. We used to have a lot more quality time together! Now it is an absolute treat (and challenge) to get together. It is crazy how much things change in such a short amount of time.

I can't imagine my life without any of you girls!

We had dinner at Lajolla Groves!

On her actual b-day, we had cake & ice cream with Linds at her house.

The gorgeous birthday girl!

22 wishes!

*Happy birthday Linds! I'm so thankful to have you as my bestie!*

Sundance

2011-01-26T22:04:00.000-08:00

Last week we had a blissful day riding snowboards at Sundance. I seriously love it up there. I can't believe we live just a short drive away from such incredible beauty. The last few years we have had season passes to resorts in Park City. I must say, the change of pace at Sundance has really impressed me. I love that there is practically no one on the mountain. No matter what day or time it is, we always have the place to ourselves. Snowboarding with Ryan is my absolute favorite thing to do. We get to be together, spend time in nature, talk and hang out. This season is particularly great because I am able to keep up with Ryan. I have finally moved out of the learning stage and into a comfortable place. We saw a cute couple on the mountain that day. The tall guy was patiently teaching the long- haired brunette how to snowboard. He was holding her hands as she slowly eased her way down the mountain. It reminded me of falling in love with my cute guy as he ever-so-kindly taught me how to snowboard. I always knew Ryan would be a great husband because he is so kind, patient and a good teacher. He never once got frustrated with me throughout the many long days we spent on the mountain together. All his teaching has finally paid off!

We are headed up there tomorrow and I can't wait!

Christmas Day in Kansas

2011-01-17T14:20:00.000-08:00

Here are a few photos from Christmas Day in Kansas. I got a new camera on the big day, and I think everyone was semi-annoyed by my picture taking. Especially my pup.

iPhone photos

2011-01-13T21:51:00.000-08:00

Although I love taking pictures as a way to remember things, I find it so annoying to lug my "real" camera around everywhere.

I use the camera on my iPhone a lot to capture the little random moments of every day life.

Although some of these random pictures may have seemed silly or meaningless when I took them, it was fun to clump them together and remember a great year.

a few iPhone photos from 2010:

A yummy pesto and fresh tomato pizza I made (with homemade dough)

the Draper temple at sunset

my adorable b-day cake

cute Ryan at Michelle and Aaron's wedding

frosty Mexican cokes (the big ones)

peonies bought for me by my love

our cute little sister Rachel and her pup Coco

Saturday morning donut run

date night at The Cheesecake Factory

Ryan hanging in our guest room

The Coogs playing in Provo

the Logan Temple - LOTOJA weekend

The Skousen fam after Rachel's baptism

setting up our TV - huge family purchase

random deer running across campus

terrifying car and license plate (WHIRLWIND)

a yearbook snapshot of my little football star (Stapley Jr. High haha!)

the very first snow of the year covering our cars

It is obvious to me that we love food.. or at least taking pictures of food. I had completely forgotten about many of these pictures until I went back through to pick out my favorites.

This year I plan to take a lot more!

Christmas in Kansas

2011-01-02T22:12:00.000-08:00

For Christmas this year, Me&Ry flew out to Wichita, Kansas to be with my family! I left on the Monday before Christmas, and Ry came out on Wednesday. It was our first time being apart since we got married (crazy).

My family moved to Wichita in August of this year and we have been looking forward to visiting them ever since. Wichita is my new favorite place! The area where my family lives (Andover) is beautiful! The homes are all gorgeous with huge manicured lawns. There are no fences between houses, so our dog can just run and play where he pleases. I was surpised by how many fun things there are to do in their area. They have all the restaurants and shopping anyone could ask for. There is also a huge movie theater and other entertainment just up the street. My favorite feature is the YMCA. It is the best gym/activity center you have ever seen multiplied by 10. There are pools, classes, courts, tracks, equipment galore, etc., etc. I could live there! I would gladly ditch my pass to Gold's Gym for one to the Andover YMCA. Wichita is a little different than anywhere I have ever been. There are so many open fields covered with giant bales of hay intermixed with developed area. There are corn fields everywhere that will be full this coming year. I think the most unique thing about Kansas is the lack of anything on the horizon. I have never been anywhere that did not have a single mountain or hill in any direction. The tallest things in Wichita are trees and power lines. Seriously. I have always lived pretty close to impressive mountains and/or skyscrapers. It was very different to look up and see only blue sky in every direction.

The best part of Christmas break was family time. We haven't all been together since the Spring... which the longest we have ever been apart. I wasn't expecting Christmas in Kansas to be extremely memorable or fun, but it definitely turned out to be one of my favorites!

We spent our time exploring Wichita, baking, cooking, eating, putting together puzzles, watching Netflix and just spending time together. I love that there was no pressure to be anywhere, do anything or look perfect. Some days, we would hardly even venture outside into the frigid Wichita temperatures. We would stay cuddled up inside hanging out and talking.

Highlights of the trip:

Hog Wild BBQ -

Kansas BBQ done right.
We love their amazing pulled pork, brisket, baked beans, etc.

Three 1,000 piece puzzles - 2 finished, 1 in progress

Christmas morning - obviously. presents galore! We are so spoiled.

Cooking and baking up a storm -

this was so great, but also very bad.
There was so much yummy food,

but I literally couldn't resist eating everything in sight.

sleeping in

Christmas shopping with the family

"Kansas people" watching

Cinnamon's Deli

getting my hair done

Ryan became a "gamer" playing Call of Duty with Cole

SNUGGIES!

Cute Cole surprised all four of us with snuggies for Christmas.

We opened them on Christmas Eve and stayed in them for the rest of the break!

Kansas Sunset

Tornado warning siren (haha)

These are positioned on every other corner.

I hope we get another opportunity to visit Wichita and possibly explore more of the Midwest! We are so grateful to my family for making this an incredible holiday. We love you guys and miss you already!

2010 from A to Z

2010-12-31T11:36:00.000-08:00

This year has been so good to us!
Here is a little recap of things we enjoyed during 2010.

The life of Shelb and Ry from A to Z

Amazing family and friends

a Black eye and stitches for Shelby

lots of Cooking and baking

Disneyland, Date nights and installing Direct TV

Eating some really good food

our First wedding anniversary

playing Games

an overnight trip to Hotel Park City

IPhone scrabble tournaments

Ryan's many hours at Jason's Deli

Keeping our best friends and making new ones

Lake Powell and falling more in LOVE

eating lots of Mexican food

watching too much Netflix

a trip to Oceanside

Ryan's introduction to Pie shakes

discovering personality Quirks

numerous Road trips to Arizona and elsewhere
dealing with the Utah Snow and lots of Snowboarding

Temple Trips and Thrift store shopping

working on our Untidy habits

buying our humongous Vizio TV

visiting Wichita for Christmas

spending every second of Xtra time together
learning the benefits of saying "Yes Dear" a little more often

seeing all the Mosleys in Zion's

We are so looking forward to 2011 and all the great things to come!
Happy New Year!

simply having a wonderful Christmas time

2010-12-21T22:43:00.000-08:00

Things we are enjoying this Christmas season....

*the twinkling of lights inside our home and out

*Christmas tunes on the radio, my iPod, computer, and everywhere we go

*a fridge covered with Christmas cards from loved ones near and far...

*sending out a family card of our own

*our first snowboarding trip to Sundance

*a DVR filled with recorded Christmas specials

*planning and shopping for gifts to give our loved ones

*hosting a little get-together with good friends

*freshly fallen snow covering cars, walkways and everything in sight

(photos courtesy of Blair and Nicole who each sent me a picture of my completely buried car)

*the fresh scent of pine in our car

*goodies baking in the oven

*cuddling up in comfy clothes

*coming home to treats from friends at our door (thanks Kar and James!)

*Christmas red toenails

*the sound of our neighbors practicing their opera-style Christmas carols day and night... with no background music at an extremely loud volume
(jk I haven't been enjoying that one)

*most importantly, reflecting on the birth of our Savior during this time of year

Ryan and I are so incredibly happy to be done with this semester of school and finals week.
For me, this semester has been a stressful one!

I left for Kansas yesterday afternoon to come see my family!
We are all anxiously awaiting Ryan's arrival...
He stayed home to work a little before he can join us in the Midwest. I am absolutely loving Christmastime in Wichita!
(more updates on that to come...)

This is truly the greatest time of year!

(all photos taken on my iPhone)

Thanksgiving under the sun

2010-12-06T00:14:00.000-08:00

Our Thanksgiving in Arizona was absolutely fabulous!

We were so lucky to have a good chunk of time off school and work!
It was just the break we needed.

It was so great to hang with the Skousen family.
This was our first Thanksgiving with them since we were married...

(Last year we stayed in Utah).
Truly, they are so amazing and we are so lucky to have such a great family!

This Thanksgiving we...

Jogged in the Turkey Trot

Had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with the entire Skousen family

Took family pictures

Saw the cutest movie Tangled

Ate at many of our favorite places

Went shopping at Midnight Madness on Black Friday...

I scored some sweet deals at Gap!
(here we are, ready to run for the deals! ha!)

I went with all the Skousen girls to The Nutcracker ballet

Saw some old friends

Ryan golfed with his pops

Had dinner with Grandma Donna

Saw Katie give her farewell talk

and got a little sunshine on our skin!

It was so great to be around family
and think about the many things we have to be grateful for.
Thanks go out to the Skousens for making it such an incredible week.
WE LOVE YOU!

full of gratitude

2010-11-24T23:38:00.000-08:00

We made it to Arizona safe and sound.

It is so great to be home for Thanksgiving this year.

This is one of my absolute favorite holidays!

Our brains have fully switched from school and work mode to holiday mode.

This week, I tried to make a short list of the things I am most thankful for.. but it didn't really work out. We are so incredibly blessed.

So here is the longer version:

This year, Me & Ry are thankful for...

BEST friends

loving family

tasty food

super fun neighbors

health

a great ward

cell phones to stay in touch with loved ones

DVR

date nights

Ryan's job (and hard work!)

prayer

the opportunity to get an education

computers

internet

our cute apartment

good music

vacations

gym passes (and work out buddies!)

reliable cars

a nearby temple

our religion

living the married life together!

etc.

life is good!

photo credit

thankful (2)

2010-11-22T23:02:00.000-08:00

To contiune on with our list of most thankfuls, Me&Ry

are thankful for our faith...

There is nothing that brings more joy to our lives than our religion.
During this week of thanksgiving, it becomes even more apparent how important it is in our lives.
Since this list is in no particular order, I would have to say this is the number one.
Oh how blessed we are!

Learn more about what we believe here.

time to give thanks

2010-11-18T22:13:00.000-08:00

"Gratitude is a mark of a noble soul and a refined character. We like to be around those who are grateful. They tend to brighten all around them."

- Joseph B. Wirthlin

***

Thanksgiving is just a short week away!

I can't believe how quickly it has come.

In honor of one of the best days of the year, I wanted to highlight some of the things Me&Ry are most grateful for.

It is so easy to be bogged down with all the hard things in life.

This week I decided to remember how many wonderful blessings have come our way.

We are thankful for

family.

Our families are truly amazing.

I am grateful for our health and happiness!

I couldn't live without any of these people...

Getting married didn't only mean gaining a spouse...
I also got four sisters, and Ryan got a younger brother!
We are so grateful our new families have accepted each of us and love us like their own children.

In our first year of marriage, our families have been there with guidance, support and so much love.

Who knew that having two families could be better than one?!

To our families: we love you more than anything and we are grateful for you every day.

the beehive state

2010-11-15T23:21:00.000-08:00

This weekend Me&Ry were lucky enough to have a fabulous weekend getaway in Park City!
Thanks to Dani Bree and Darron for inviting us to hang out!

The weekend included:

great conversation

a delicious dinner

tons of snacking

more talking

intense games

pool competitions
some more chats

an insane lack of sleep

bagels for breakfast

college football

napping

shopping at the outlets

etc.

I truly felt like a freshman again!

We didn't fall asleep until 6:30 a.m.!
We were just having too much fun to go to sleep.

crazy.

It was seriously one of the best weekends we have had in a long time.

School and work have left us exhausted.

It was nice to just lose our cell phones and forget our worries for a day.

It didn't hurt to look at this all weekend either...

I am truly having a love affair with Utah these days.

In my 3+ years of living here, I haven't had the slightest appreciation for the gorgeous mountains outside my window, or the amazing yellow leaves scattering the ground. I haven't realized how great it is to have world class snowboarding 20 minutes away. I have dreaded each and every winter and the first snow falls.

I don't know why it has taken so long,
but Utah has won a special place in my heart.
(Unfortunately, I can't say the same for Ryan.)

Luckily Me&Ry have at least two more
winters to enjoy this amazing place!

Gorgeous scene captured on my iPhone after class today.

I love where I live!

no one is too small to make a difference!

2010-11-01T21:54:00.000-07:00

In the AdLab we are working with the organization TippingBucket.org. They are a non-profit whose purpose is to fund projects that make the world a better place. Instead of asking for large donations, Tipping Bucket asks normal people like you and me to make small donations.

watch this to learn more:

YOU can help this great cause! TippingBucket.org is in the running for the $250,000 Pepsi Refresh Challenge Grant this month.

To win this grant and continue changing the world, Tipping Bucket needs all the votes they can get during the month of November.

To help simply text the message 104182 to 73774 (PEPSI)

You can text once a day during the entire month.

I absolutely believe in this amazing organization and it would be so great to see them win this grant to keep changing the world!

So will you help?

You can even sign up for daily reminders. Just text 22046 to 27138 to sign up for Tipping Bucket's subscription list. We will send one text a day during November to remind you to vote! After that, the texts will stop.

happy halloween!

2010-10-29T17:29:00.000-07:00

Halloween is the time you can be anything you want to be...

for example:

You could be an adorable pumpkin...

...or a western cowboy!

Maybe you want to live under the sea like Ariel...

...or chill out with your hippy friends.

You could even be a big fuzzy bear, or Cinderella.

Maybe you've always wanted to be a policewoman...

...or rock out like Wayne and Garth!

The possibilities are endless!

We are so looking forward to making

new halloween memories together this weekend!

We wish you a spooky holiday filled with costumes, jack-o-lanterns, pumpkin goodies and many trick-or-treaters!

jammin'

2010-10-12T23:31:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I made homemade jam for the first time.

peach jam to be exact.

The fruit stands here in Utah have absolutely amazing peaches.

fresh, juicy, perfectly ripe peaches.

I spent a few hours of my Saturday peeling, dicing and tasting.

These amazing peaches made some pretty dang good jam.

Now, our freezer is stocked for winter.

(plus one in the fridge)

We've already had PB+J's and wheat toast with jam.

I can't wait to eat some hot homemade rolls smothered in the stuff.

Why buy bland grocery store jam when you can have the real thing?

delish!

2010-10-06T20:37:00.000-07:00

dear diary...

I love writing in you.

I think that's an understatement.

writing is therapeutic.

whether my day has been good or bad, it feels great to record my thoughts in you.

reading old entries is the best. it is so fun to re-live the past for a minute.

writing down memories is my favorite way to remember them.

I like to think I will always remember everything.

but I need you to make that true.

I made a goal to finish you by the end of 2010..

see... only a skinny section left.

I will have to write on a more consistent basis to finish.

there is something so great about completely filling a journal.

I've only done it once.

hopefully by the New Year you will be sitting on my shelf.

there are just so many cute journals out there that tempt me on a

daily basis.

you are cute, but you are now worn and tattered from time.

you lived in my backpack, purse, and church bag.

you have recorded one of the best years of my life.

I am excited to see what the rest of the year has to hold...

...but I'm looking forward to choosing my next cute friend (no offense).

love, Shelb.

shelby's pumpkin cookie recipe

2010-10-04T16:48:00.000-07:00

I have had a lot of requests for my family's pumpkin cookie recipe.

So, without further ado...

How to bake:

Pumpkin Cookies

ingredients:

cookies-

2 cups sugar

2 cups shortening

2 cups pumpkin

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

5 cups flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp. nutmeg

2 tsp. cloves

frosting-

1 box powdered sugar

1 stick of butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup milk

*add little orange food coloring if desired

directions:

1. in an electric mixer, blend shortening and sugar

2. add pumpkin

3. add eggs one at a time

4. add vanilla

5. in a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg and cloves

6. mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients

7. bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes (I never set a timer. I just watch them until the tops begin to harden up just a little bit. So, cooking time may vary.)

8. mix frosting ingredients together in an electric mixer for about two minutes (I use one and a half recipes of frosting.. but I get a little frosting happy! :) )

9. frost when cool

I promise these amazing morsels will NOT disappoint!

enjoy!

pumpkin cookie day

2010-10-03T22:16:00.000-07:00

today was pumpkin cookie day at our house.

the first day of pumpkin treats is one of my favorite days of the year.

Growing up, every October 1st my mom would bake the most delicious pumpkin cookies!

It is an unwritten rule in our family that any type of pumpkin goodies are off limits until October.

So, "pumpkin cookie day" is greatly anticipated.

It is means fall is officially here.

It means the weather might start cooling down.

It means the holidays are right around the corner.

I decided to carry on the tradition for the past 2 Octobers.

Seriously, our house looks like a cookie factory.

This recipe left us with so many cookies.

(not that I'm complaining or anything...)

Luckily we have a few friends to share with.

Giving them away is half the fun of baking them!

If we didn't give any away, I'm sure Me&Ry could finish these off without any problems.

scaryyy.

happy fall!

...now go make some pumpkin goodies!

snippets from my diary

2010-09-30T23:25:00.000-07:00

dear diary...

life is so good!

I am starting to get excited for Fall.
we have been sleeping with our windows open every night.
the mornings are so crisp and cool.
it's time to bring out the long sleeve shirts!

I really miss my family.

it has been way too long since I have seen them.
Kansas is feeling very far away.

living in Provo is so great.

we love being close to great friends.

they are truly our Utah family.

why are Me&Ry so busy?

school, work, school, work, and school-work consume our lives.

I miss being together all the time.

my houseplants are on the verge of death.

I thought I was watering them the perfect amount...

they get plenty of sun...

practice makes perfect I guess.

I absolutely LOVE advertising.
I feel so lucky to have found a major that I actually enjoy!

I have been slacking in the kitchen.

my most recent concoctions include mac & cheese

and microwaveable meals.

guilt...

see above "busy life" entry.
I plan to make up for it over conference weekend.

and why wasn't I born with a little latina in my blood?

I would look a lot less awkward trying to dance in Zumba class.
luckily I take a no shame policy at Zumba
and dance my little heart out anyway.

I wish my sewing machine was not collecting dust in storage.

I am dying for a project.

bedroom pillows, quilts, curtains, tablecloths..

..the possibilities are endless!

we are so blessed!

love, Shelb.

good eats

2010-09-23T21:06:00.000-07:00

Last weekend in Arizona, we ate very well.

1. Rosa's

2. BJ's pizza

3. Dilly's Deli

4. Oregano's

We made sure to eat at our favorite restaurants during our short trip.

We miss our Arizona food on the daily!

Why is it that the best food is always a state away?

Mmmm! I can't wait for next time...

no room at the inn

2010-09-21T23:30:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Me&Ry went to Arizona!

Ryan's little sister was baptized!

We were so excited for this special event that we just had to be there.

Well, we had a little adventure during our travels.

You see, it all started Wednesday.

We wanted to take off after school and go to Vegas. Breaking up the long trip makes it seem a lot shorter and easier. We planned to leave around 5:00 after my class and quiz. Well, Ryan got called into work at the last second and didn't get off until 8:15.

So, by the time we finished packing and loading up, plus filling up with gas and food it was 9:30 p.m.

In hindsight, it was a little late to start a roadtrip, lesson learned.

About two hours into the trip we realized how truly dead tired we were.

Monday-Wednesday are our busiest days. By Thursday we are so drained.

Ryan smartly suggested that we just stop at a motel for the night. Las Vegas was feeling really far away at this point. So we turned onto highway 20 and headed toward Kanab.

To be honest, I didn't really want to spend money on a cheap motel room, but how expensive could it be anyway?

At this point we were doing everything in our power to keep each other awake. Seriously? Two hours into the drive? We turned on some upbeat music (Ryan's choice of course) and just kept talking. Making it to Kanab would take a miracle.

As we rolled into Panguitch, I noticed something strange. Every motel along the highway had their "NO VACANCY" signs lit up. On a Wednesday night? Normally I wouldn't even notice, but I was anticipating finding a room of our own for the night.

Even Orderville appeared to be full. No motel rooms to be found and the streets were full of cars.

Well, we finally made it to Kanab. We were extremely tired and ready to pass out in the nearest bed.

So, we settled on the first place we saw. The Best Western "Red Hills." Ryan went inside armed to negotiate for a cheap room but came out shaking his head. "no vacancy." Hmm that's a little odd. On to the next place. The Holiday Inn: "no vacancy." The Comfort Inn: "no vacancy." Even the Treasure Trail Motel was full. There was not one open room in the entire town of Kanab.

So we started calling places in Page, AZ. The lady on the phone informed me that the Best Western "Lake Powell Inn" might have a room for us for $129.99

Excuse me?

Even if we could make it to Page, I was not going to pay that much money for a gross old smelly room. Not. Happening.

So, we found the safest spot we possibly could. That just so happened to be parked between two big cars in the Holiday Inn parking lot.

There was too much junk in the back of our car to make a bed back there, so we just laid the seats back and tried to get a little shut eye. Luckily we had two blankets, but only one pillow. So we put the pillow in between us and shared it the whole night.

I was a little nervous about the whole situation. It was hard to wrap my head around the fact that we were actually going to sleep in our car. We said a good prayer, but I was a little shaken up and I had a hard time getting to sleep. I wouldn't even let Ryan roll my window down for fear that a crazy gunman could "get me" through the tiny crack.

So at 2:00 a.m. we settled in to catch a few Zzz's. Ryan planned on waking up in a few hours to keep driving.

The next thing I knew, it was morning! The sun was shining and the hustle and bustle of Kanab was going on right outside our Subaru.

I looked at the clock and it was 8:00 a.m.

We seriously just slept for six straight hours in the front seat of our car.

Never in my life did I think I would ever be homeless in Kanab.

Luckily we survived the night and made it to Arizona by 1:00.

Lessons learned:

don't start a roadtrip late at night

motel rooms are actually kind of expensive

if Me&Ry only had one pillow for the rest of our lives, we could totally make it work

living out of your car would suck

It was definitely a night to remember! And one our backs would prefer not to repeat.

a summertime project

2010-09-06T17:03:00.000-07:00

In between Summer and Fall semesters, I did a few projects

around the house.

In our kitchen, I took boring white "cubes" and turned them into this...

It was really easy... I haven't sat down to do a crafty project in a long time, so I had fun with it!

In case you were wondering how I did it, here is a crafty step-by-step...

1. pick your fabric.

We got ours at Ikea.. they have so many really cool fabric designs for cheap.

Plus, they sell it by the 1/4 yard (if you wish).

I only bough 1/4 yard of each pattern.

2. trace & cut

Choose the part of the fabric you want to show. Trace around the box with a pencil. This does NOT have to be perfect. You can always trim the edges off when you are done.

4. cut out a section for the brackets

Fit the fabric on the cube the way you want it, and make tiny cuts for the hanging brackets. This is a little tricky. Make sure you don't cut into the back part that is going to show!

5. glue your fabric on

I just used tacky glue.. I'm sure you could use a hot glue gun or another time of strong(ish) glue.

6. cut off the excess fabric.

...and you're done!

We have had these little cubes around for a while. I think they were originally in my room in jr. high/highschool. They fit perfectly on this small wall space, but they definitely needed a little something to spice them up!

before

after

p.s. you can find the blank cubes at most craft or home decor stores!