Happy Anniversary Mandy and Ryan

"Um Mom, I think I'm in love with him..."

"No, I know I am"

Pretty tough to let your beautiful daughters go

off and get married at 12 years old - but we
made an exception - because we also fell
in love with Ryan. (ok - she was 13)

I remember stealing Ruth - her new mom-in-law to
be, and making sure she came with us to pick out Mandy's
Wedding Dress, and also for the pictures.
(She's the amazing mom of 4 Ninja Boys)
I only almost killed her in the passengers
seat of the car a couple of times!
*someone forgot to warn her about my driving...
We had a great girl's day out with Ruth,
Ashley, Bethany and I, oh - and the
bride to be. (ok she was 14, or 15)

Margo did a wonderful job with Mandy's bridals,
and she was amazing the day of the wedding.
There were a lot of choked back tears because
I wanted to keep her my little girl for a bit
longer - but after meeting her sweetheart
we knew that it was a perfect match.
(ok, she was 16, or 17, or was it 18?)

We did try to warn Ryan about Mandy,
he didn't want to listen. I would love
to have you hear him now talk about
the funny things she does, and we all
just look at each other and say,
Didn't we warn him about that?
Most of the things Ryan really had to get
used to were the crazy things our family
does and how in your face we all are.
He's pulled his weight many times at
our family gatherings and it's really fun
to see him come over to the dark side.
They work very hard to make sure that
they take care of each other and their
love is very contagious - they both are
always smiling - except
when the car
is sad....
(was it 19?)(or 19 1/2?)

Here's the next best reason we love the
fact that she married Ryan. The Merriman
family are exceptional human beings!
Randy, Ruth, Ryan, David (now married to
beautiful Ashley - no not ours, his) Kyle (leaving
for Honduras on his mission in a week or two)
Missing is Kevin - who was on his mission in Brussels,
eating brussel sprouts, and speaking French. We
sent him a tie and he wore it on the day of the wedding.

The most important thing on that day?
Our family grew just a bit bigger, and
that meant a whole lot more love.
Happy 2nd Anniversary Mandy and Ryan.
You have shown us many things
about life, love and the pursuit
of dual college degrees...

Now we have Bob, Dad, Matt & Bethany,
THE CUTEST GRANDSON Andy!!,
Ashley and Mike, Mandy and Ryan, and Ryan
Mandy's Ryan is the one she kisses,
we love having 2 Ryans....
(We think Ryan H should marry a Bethany,
an Ashley, a Mandy or a Bob.

Mandy and Ryan are currently starting
their Senior Years at BYU. Mandy is a
Music Performance Major and Ryan is
pursuing his degrees in Economics and
Political Science and will be attending
Law School upon Graduation.
(I voted for BYU Law School)
She performs and tours with the BYU
Wind Symphony (just returned from Korea)
and Ryan is the fastest runner you've ever seen
for the BYU Cross Country Team and Track Team.
Mandy is the Primary Secretary (she's scared of children)
and Ryan is in the Elders Quorum Presidency and chief
moving van person every weekend.
Great Kids...

(Wait - I think she was 20...)
YEP! Still too young to be
kissing the boys in the first place eh?
Bobby Shew loves you both

Scruffy is coming home....

'Michole' (as Mandy says it) Doxstader
come home. We freaking miss you.
(You had better not talk funny)

Edited: I stand corrected Mandy -
Michaow Doxstaida
and his first born son will be
Tommy Hawker...

What was I thinking? OH - that's right, I WASN'T!

Friday morning - thinkin', hum... X96 free tram ride up Snowbird... why not! 7:30 am board the tram, 10 minutes to the top, then stupidity set in... why not run down? Read it again slowly, why not run down? So I think that I still live in the 16 year old body that used to live in the Mountains behind Mendon, hiking, horseback riding, going to the top of those mountains and down again for a simple workout on a Saturday. Well, that was many many moons ago. I decided to take advantage of the cool weather, quiet trails, and a little time alotted for adventure. At the top of Hidden Peak Summit you'll find yourself at an 11,068 foot peak, it's a 3,240 foot vertical, 1.6 mile straight down. But you're not thinking about that - you're looking around at the top where the heavens start and seeing glimpses of Mt Superior, Monte Cristo, Cardoff Pass, Albion Bason, Sugarload, Devils Castle , Mt Wolverine, and Sunset Peak. I bid Adeau to the Tram (did you know that most reasonable people ride it BACK down the mountain?) The run started out great - I am never the less invisable right? Not. 1/3 of the way down I realize that I'm not taking the hiking trail, but the trail I ski on - which includes random cliffs, deep ravines and several rattlesnake pits dotted with stinging nettle, which are normally covered by a million feet of snow! At this point I am realizing that my thighs and knees are yelling up at me "Hey Stupid!" and I actually fell and rolled a few times covering myself with burrs. I understand and remind myself that the only way to get down, is now to go up and return to some sort of actually marked trail other than a black diamond run sign, where ever that is. Did you know that God answers the prayers of even stupid people? I am now about 2/3rd down the mountain, making note to myself that this adventure only took 10 minutes to go up in the tram, and I'm working on an hour of getting down, going back up and still not there yet. (Don't be deceived by these switchbacks - shale is a new concept for me, added to steep, and shoot!) I decided to actually see if I could do a 911 call - silly me... But I did manage to find the small overgrown trail that was marked "Easiest to tram", and most all of the blasting towers. (please tell me there is civilization somewhere soon....) During the last 20 minutes or so, I'm sorry to admit that there was crying, praying and pleading, not a pretty sight. Pretty sure someone thought they were funny posting this sign.....but it wasn't....The 2 deer, 1 elk and 500 chipmunks laughed their butts off. I decided there and then - besides never feeling bad that I kill one of their offspring driving down the canyon - but that I was going to need a walker with tennis balls on the bottom of it if I ever made it to the car. At one point I did stop and take some pictures - you know - documentation of my final moments in life. I think I'll blow them up and say - ya - you've been there - don't go there again. Someone will find my bruise and broken body, next to the camera... right?

I did get to see the two Temples in the V...
(V being for - Holy Cow - what varmint just moved

in the bushes over there?!)You know you're really up there when the pictures
you are taking are of the TOPS of the trees....

My 50 before 50 list - is now - one less. *Ski and Walk down Snowbird's Hidden Peak Summit in the same year. (Does rolling into the trees count? Wanna argue with me? I'm a mountain woman now!) It's now Sunday - 3rd day on painkillers, no upstairs, no downstairs, and I believe sitting and standing would also be unavailable. I can, though walk forward and backwards very slowly and I really like the glow in the dark tennis balls on my walker. Lesson learned? Probably not. Humbled? In every way. Stupid? Beyond all compare. Prepared to actually run down a hill? Sure! I had my Visa Debit card and my Drivers License! Kinda grinning inside that I actually transversed down a mountain alone in the wild?

You know it.

Next time, ski down the mountain you idiot!
Pass my bed pan...and stop laughing...

Hut, Hut, Hut

So I'm at my 900th wedding reception of the summer and I meet up with my friends Tracy, Julie and Kyra. We're chattin' about Missionaries a bit, Kyra's son Clint is in Mexico, the same place that Tracy's son Kyle will be leaving for in September, Ryan (mine) is in El Paso and Julie is just mother to them all. Kyle, Tracy's son, will be playing for BYU Football when he returns, and so I mentioned that Elder Michael Edmonds will be headed off to Ryan's mission, he will be BYU's Wide Receiver when he returns. Kyra looked up and said, "Well, their Quarterback is headed to Clint and Kyle's mission!" Um, are we going to have enough for a team this year? Good Luck Elders - Bronco will hold your spot! Gotta love the sacrifices and courage it takes to serve the Lord...

The year that most of them were actually born!

To Know Her, is to LOVE her

Ashley returned home from Georgia, but while she was
away I missed some very interesting things about
her that defy who she is, and makes it why we love her.

• The huge purse - this one being her most recent purchase, with matching wallet inside
• The I-pod, totally loaded
• The I-Phone (probably called it the wrong thing) totally charged
• 400 Keys, only one will start the rabbit slayer
• Coupons and Discount cards - hey the girl's not stupid!
• Almonds, and healthy snacks
• Mega Max Pills
• Bare Essentials - the entire line
• Cute Drivers license
  
• Cute Military ID
• Cute ATK ID
• Cute Express/Buckle Credit Card - what?
• 5 Gym passes from random places
  
• Camera
• Weapon of choice, licensed and card carrying (you really don't want to mess with this one)
  
• Receipt for her George Foreman grill (and probably George Foreman himself)
  
• lists of things that have to be done - right now
• pictures of her hot hubby & tough puppy
• 8 tubes of lip gloss
• stray earrings (at least 6 sets)
• my phone bill payment for next month
• stray carrots and of course
• hot tub
  

Gotta Love my girlie girl!
You should see her workout bag - let's talk later...

Paint yer freakin' wagon...

Let's get right to the point on this one - My family has been very instrumental in breaking every single United States Postal Service rule on mailing things. My mom, in her sweet innocent way has mailed actual live plants to me - she watered them before she sent them... ya, kinda like what you're imagining. When my son was in Taiwan on his mission - I would make sure that the packaging that needed to remain square in order to mail it, was as round as a basketball. Recently, the mail man at the post office called me a Mormon Missionary Mom - because we always break the rules.... to that I smiled and replied, wanna hear more about our church? (He mailed off the package for me - hope it doesn't 'roll' off the truck!) BUT, this takes the cake. Mandy called me and said - 'Mom, I'm mailing you a can of paint!' She was so proud of herself! I reminded her that it was kinda illegal of sorts. She told me that Glidden was giving away cans of paint as a promotional! Well - soon after that, I received my 'can of paint' it was so banged up and distorted I cannot believe that the top didn't pop right off! Never-the-less - Mandy, you take the prize. Just don't tell Grandma -she'll probably send me a litter of kittens or something. By the way, thanks for thinking of me sweetheart - I received, and will enjoy my can of 'Very Olive Olive' and will use it wisely. PS - Mandy sent one to herself and her seester Ashley - rack that up for 3 misdemeanors....we won't post your address Mandy....

He Lives! and he's happy...

Several people have wondered why I haven't posted pictures

of Elder Hillary - and the answer would be - because if any of
you have Elders out there, the mom's have to beg and plead
for them to actually take one picture. (I'll let Mandy tell the story
of Ryan her hubbie on his mission and his pictures to his mom...)(Busted)
So.... I finally received a clip of a few pictures I could post. I wanted to include Elder Carter from Logan, Utah in case Momma and Bish Carter were checking in. Our sons would be the two handsome Elders on the back Left side. Awww cute. I have no clue who anyone else is because Ryan's handwriting is so TINY that you can't read it.

Now needless to say - I'm sure that they have taken really nice pictures of each other.... but this one was dedicated to Mandy, the queen of stealing the camera and taking crazy pictures, such as the picture under this one which was actually one of the pictures left on Ryan's camera before he left....case dismissed. Don't you just love crisp white shirts.....ooooo

da manda...

These 2 families were among those being baptized last Saturday. Elder Hillary said he was asked to give a talk about the Holy Ghost, in Spanish of course, he said - It'll be fine. Hopefully they understand taco, enchilada, and horchata right? Oh, and, please pass the chips... Those are the only words I know... These two families have been very kind and open to Elder Carter and Elder Hillary, they have fed them and loved them (these pictures were from a party they had and invited them over for dinner) - they are so beautiful inside and out.

Well except for this little diva -
I asked Ryan to FedX her home she's EXTRA cute!

Just had a question on this picture, can you really
give rabbit ears to the Missionaries AND have
Barbie moon you in the same picture?

Gotta love our Missionaries!
PS - If you'll look to the counter on the right
you'll see - 500 days left as of today, whew, and I thought it
would be longer than that!
We love you Elder Hillary!! (and Elder Carter!)
Would you please put some sunscreen on that nose?
You're starting to look like your mom!!