Little Getaway

Last week Riley and I were able to sneak out of town for a few days to Spokane where he was going to attend a convention for work at the historic Davenport in downtown Spokane.

I wanted to tag along for a few reasons:

1. I've always wanted to stay there, it's gorgeous and fabulous.

2. I needed some rest and relaxation time desperately. Like ASAP before I drove myself off a cliff.

3. Riley's birthday, valentine's day, and our anniversary all fall within a few weeks of each other so why not wrap it all up into one fun little mini trip?

With arrangements made with family to help take care of the kids, we were able to have a few days to slow down, spend some alone time together, and for me - sleep in. (I can't even count how many times I've been able to sleep in the last few years, but I'm willing to bet I could do it on one hand.) Riley and I don't get to do things like this very often where it's just us, so it was great.

One of the best bonuses of the trip? Riley gets reimbursed for pretty much all the expenses. We even got an upgrade to a king suite which was super lux. The beds were so comfortable I could have slept all day - best nights sleep of my life.  Not exagerating.

While Riley popped in out of his meetings with clients I lounged around, worked out, swam and sat in the hot tub, ordered room service, shopped, and got caught up on my addiction of Downton Abbey. In the evenings when he was done we shopped some more, went to dinner, and walked around. One of my favorite purchases of the trip was when we visited the Northface store and I splurged on an awesome new coat to keep me warm and dry during softball and soccer seasons. (If I have to sit out in one more rainy game, well at least now I'll be more comfortable.) Friday afternoon was also a treat. I got to meet up with my girl Nancie for some visiting, lunch, and shopping. It was great to catch up with her and do some bargain hunting (which I needed to do after buying that coat) and scored a super cute dress for only $3. Yep, that's right.

They totally spoiled us at the Davenport and we'll definitely be going back again. I could not stop staring at the unbelievable architecture and design that had recently been restored. It was nothing short of spectacular. I loved walking around taking in all of the beautiful features. The story of the restoration of the hotel is absolutely amazing.

I felt so refreshed and rejuvenated after our little time away. I realized we need to do things like that way more often. It is so worth it to reconnect, have that time to just think about yourself a little for once, charge your batteries, and a relief to know that your children are being well taken care of in the process.  I was glad they were in good hands and for everyone that helped us. It takes a team sometimes when you have kids in school, and sports, and everything in between.

Now we are already planning our next trip.........

The Long and Winding Road

Today was our 8th wedding anniversary. I jokingly told Riley that it feels more like our 80th anniversary. He agreed. It feels like we've been married FOREVER. Most of the time that's a good thing. I think if I had to make a graph of all the ups and downs we've experienced in the last 8 years it would look pretty rollercoaster-ish. We've done a lot of growing together and weathered some tough storms. That's been a good thing for us because I know we'll always stick together no matter what. I know there are times when we drive each other completely crazy. Sometimes we can let little things build into big things. It really bugs me when Riley leaves his socks, shoes, and jackets all over the house. I know it bugs him when he wants to go to sleep and I'm STILL reading with the lamp on. But, we can never stay mad for long and we make a good team. This last year especially, it has become more evident than ever that it takes both of our unique qualities to make our marriage work and our family life function smoothly. I know that Riley always has my back and constantly works his tail off so he can make a good life for us. He has really stepped up this year with all sorts of things that most guys hate to do, but he does it willingly and that makes my life a heck of a lot easier. Grocery shopping, stopping by the library to pick up my books, and getting up in the middle of the night to help with the babies are just a few of the things I really appreciate. Really isn't it just the little things and trying to make each other happy that makes all the difference? I truly think so. And never underestimate the power of kind words.

The last 8 years have included:

3 moves
4 different jobs (and then some)
4 babies
1 mischevious dog
9 months (at least) of horrible morning sickness
7 vehicles
1 car accident (Riley hit a deer, or the deer hit Riley depending on how the story is told)
1 ankle surgery
1 tropical vacation
2 Emergency Room Visits
4 coast trips
1 rained out camping extravaganza
Saying goodbye to 3 loved ones
2920 days of being married to my best friend
And very little sleep........

What an adventure!

Happy Anniversary

This morning while helping Kendle get ready for school, she grabs something from underneath her pillow and hands it to me:

(front)

(back)

Today is not just a celebration of our marriage, but of our family as well. We have two of the most wonderful children I could have ever hoped for and I feel it is a great accomplishment and a blessing to be a wife and a mother.

While we were away this past weekend I really enjoyed how lovely it was to have some peace and quiet and get caught up on my sleep. We had nothing tethering us to a schedule and it was fabulous. It is quite freeing to be able to go shopping, go to a movie, and out to eat without feeling the need to rush home to a babysitter or have a time crunch. The ability to get a good nights sleep without a little one waking me up was very restorative. I literally felt like a new person (minus this dratted cold I've been nursing). Everyone needs a break like this once in a while.

But what is not surprising, is how by Sunday afternoon I was anxious to get to my parents house and see our kids. It was great to get away for that very reason. I'm glad I missed them. I couldn't wait to see Morgan's happy little face and Kendle's toothless grin (she lost her other top tooth Thursday night).

I really feel so lucky to have such a great family and am thankful for the marriage and husband that I have.

*Some of the best parts of our weekend:

-The scenery was gorgeous! To get to where we were staying we had to drive around the lake and through the mountains on a very snakey twisty turny road. There was lots of snow, but the sun was shining for the most part and the lake was stunning. We saw a lot of deer. Every direction you looked was an unbelievable view. I'd go back in a heart beat.

-The Mackenzie River Pizza Company. They only have locations in Montana and Coeur d' Alene. We need one here, the food was fantastic.

-Riley humored me all weekend. We saw a chick-flick (which he actually thought was funny) did lots of shopping, and he didn't listen to sports radio at all the whole weekend. It was great!

**Extra tid-bit: Did you know that for the 7th wedding anniversary you are supposed to buy something made of copper or wool? How exciting. Could that wool have anything to do with the 7 year itch? Ha.

***I also need to add that my parents are rockstars, without them this weekend would not have been possible. The kids had so much fun with them they didn't want to leave. My mom even made sure the tooth fairy visited Kendle at their house. They were spoiled with root beer floats, treats, and lots of love. You guys are the best!

On the Radio

Last night as I was driving home from the Pine Wood Derby, I heard a commercial on the radio that caught my attention. Now usually I'm either:

A.) Listening to talk radio

B.) Listening to my iPod through my car adapter
or

C.)Listening to the radio, but will channel hop when commercials come on. I can't stand commercials on the radio.

So as I went to push another channel button, I heard this commercial and I stopped to listen to what it was about. I think it was from Catholic Family Services or something similar to that. Anywho - What caught my attention was a man talking and saying how he made the bed for his wife and even put the pillows how she wanted them. He really wanted to make her happy.

"That would be nice", I thought to myself. The commercial went on to ask:

"What have you done for your marriage today?"

Wow - if I would have been walking I think that would have stopped me in my tracks. I thought about if I had done anything nice for Riley that day and all I could come up with was that I let him order a pizza because I had to be at the church by five o'clock to help set up.

This year the church wide theme for primary is "My Eternal Family" and I do not think it is coincidence that as the world and society try to break down and tear apart the family unit and come up with new definitions for it, that our church is choosing to emphasize this important topic this year. The significance of a mother and father who love each other, and are working together to raise their children is more important than ever before.

I think most couples experience rough spots and have their grouchy days/weeks/months depending on your situation or relationship (maybe you don't which is fantastic), but I think most couples do and I'm speaking from personal experience. But it seems like the couples who serve each other (most likely on a daily basis) are the happiest, and I think that was the point that the commercial was trying to drive home. Little acts of service.

So many times we get wrapped up in trying to do service for those outside of our home - which is great and we must do it- but does the thought cross our mind to do it for our spouses and children? I know that usually I feel like I'm doing enough already by keeping the house clean, cooking meals, doing laundry -that those are my acts of service and sometimes I even get really selfish and wonder "Where are my acts of service, who's serving me?"

But honestly, that question from the commercial "What have you done for your marriage today?" stayed with me all night, and I woke up this morning with a different attitude.

*Sometimes we are sent a message that we really need to hear.*

*photo via

Happy Anniversary

6 Years under our belt!


















"What counts in making a happy marriage
is not so much how compatible you are,
but how you deal with incompatibility."
-Leo Tolstoy

I've learned that you need to laugh a lot, forgive a lot, listen a lot, and love a lot. Things are not always going to be easy, but it's how you deal with the hard parts that define your marriage. I married my best friend, and I hope that 80 years down the road we're still best friends.

Life sure has a funny way of working itself out sometimes.

Riley, he's the coolest

The story goes, that the day my husband met me, he told one of his best friends that I was the girl he wanted to marry. I often joke that it must have been his lucky day! But really it was mine, yesterday reminded me of this and let me tell you why.

I'm so glad I have a husband who can pick up the slack for me when I need it. Yesterday being about 1,000 degrees, I didn't want to take Morgan (3 wks. old) to the parade for over an hour and then to Kendle's swimming lessons, so of course Riley takes Kendle by himself and they have a great time. As they headed out of the driveway I wondered to myself - how did I get so lucky to be married to someone who doesn't mind doing all sorts of "mom" tasks for me? I know lots of guys who won't even watch their children so their wife can run to the store. A couple of nights ago he went grocery shopping for me at 10 o'clock at night without a single complaint (even though he knows this is how he can buy the stuff he really wants). At the beginning of my pregnancy when I was throwing up for 3 months straight, he took Kendle to school, took her trick-or-treating, did all the shopping, helped clean the house, would go buy me anything that remotely sounded good to eat no matter what time it was, and gave me a blessing when I didn't think I could throw up one more time and live to see the light of day. I know I can depend on him for anything. I'm confident in him that if anything happens to me or I'm away he can be a great caregiver for our family.

Riley is one of the hardest working people I know. He is great at his job, and works hard for every sale. He is awesome at developing relationships with people and knows more people than the president. I often joke that he will be the mayor someday. His life growing up was not very easy, and from a young age he has always had a job. When other kids were just being teenagers in high school he was going to school, playing three sports and working part-time. Sometimes I feel bad and wish he could go do more of the fun things he would like to do. People often ask me if I get annoyed that he goes golfing all of the time, but if they knew how hard he's worked for everything we have, and how hard he's worked his whole life, they would know that he deserves it. And just like with golfing, Riley is passionate about whatever he does and doesn't settle for being mediocre, he wants to be the best. I give him a hard time about that, but really I wish I was more that way myself.

He tells me I'm beautiful even when I'm at my worst, and that I still knock him off his feet. And the thing is, I know he's not just saying that to make me feel good, he really feels that way and that is the best thing! He's my best friend and one of the most fun people I've ever met. We can laugh and laugh when we're together. He fits in with my family like the missing link, and my family loves him. He lets me vent without interrupting, and we can disagree without bad feelings. I know he will always stand by me and honor our commitment to each other. He is a GREAT dad and sacrifices so much for his family. Kendle loves nothing more than to tag around with her dad all day.

Riley always knew what he wanted out of life and when the opportunity came knocking (literally) he seized it. He joined the church a few months after we were married and I'm so proud of the way he lives his life. He made me want to be a better person and to get re-activated in the church. I know there was some divine intervention there. Those missionaries were pretty persistent. He loves our family and loves being with his family.

Some other little facts about Riley:
-he's ultra competitive at everything

-he loves 711 slurpies

-he owns more hats than anyone I've ever met

-he can recall almost any sport statistic or fact

-he's loyal to his friends and is still friends with his kindergarten buddies

-he's a softy and has a big heart

-his eyes can change from green to blue

-he loves Johnny Cash (I can't figure this one out)

-would love to own his own golf-course someday

-he's the BBQ man

-he was a stud footballer back in the day ( I knew he'd love that I threw that one in)

Well, he will probably be embarrassed by this "tribute" post, especially because he makes fun of me and all of my blogging friends but I felt like I needed to share how I was feeling about my hubby today. Tomorrow, who knows.....