Happy birthday Derwin

7.13.12
Happy Birthday to this man!  My dad, Derwin.  The coolest dad ever!

We went to Charlestons for his birthday dinner.  Ryan was the only one that couldn't come bc he had to work.  I took pictures with my phone and they didn't turn out that good. 

My whole family.  Jami, Mark.  Rachel, Cody, Melissa.  Donna, Lisa, Paul.  Ryan, Me, Jami. 

After dinner.  Everyone but Paul, Lisa and Ryan Gardner.  We had such a fun time together. 

Happy Birthday Dad!!!

Happy 4th!!

7.4.12

Happy 4th of July!  We started the day off right by going shooting.  We had a shoot off with my child size .22 riffle.  We all got really close to the target. 

Ryan, Troy Williams, Todd McClellan

Ryan

Troy Williams

Mallory McClellan, it was her first time shooting.  She did awesome!

We broke out the shot guns after.  I hit my first clay pigeon ever.  Everyone did awesome. 

For the rest of the day we went to the west side and ate at The Place.  It was so yummy.  That afternoon Ryan's dad and Martin came over for dinner.  Todd and Mallory meet up with us and we drove to east Mesa to try to view all the different firework shows.  That didn't last long b/c the cops came and said we all had to leave.  We resorted to watching the fireworks on TV that night.  It was still an awesome night. 

Happy Birthday Ryan!

6.28.12

Happy 26th Birthday Ryan!!! This year we celebrated it a few times.  The weekend before we went to Joe's Crab Shack with my parents and nephew for dinner.  Ryan was a trooper while they sang to him.  

"I got crabs from this horse"

When they were singing to him, they would have him yet "he got crabs from this horse"  We weren't sure why.

I always seem to wrap his presents in grocery ads due to their weird size. This year he got 2 sets of rubber mats for his truck, a leather man and Step Brothers.  He got two sets b/c I had already bought him a set from the dealership and later that night he called me and said that Costco had a set.  I said to go ahead and get them so he wouldn't think I already had some for him.  His set was $15 and mine was $110.  We took my set back, I think it was a good decision.  

That night we went to Pei Wei for his birthday dinner.  He doesn't like cake so I made him a banana cream pie and coconut cream pie.  I always make him blow candles out while I sing.  He is a trooper. 

For the past few years I have tried to throw him a surprise party and he has found out every time.  I thought for sure this year I could trick him.  I decided to throw the party the day after his birthday.  He thought I was throwing a surprise party on his real birthday bc Todd McClellan asked him to go to the shooting range and I said he could go.  Ryan thought I was trying to get him out of the house and I thought I would be the "cool" wife and let him go.  When he got home and was unwrapping his presents he asked if I had people hiding in our house.  I told him no.  Little did he know....there would be people hiding the next day...  

On Saturday I was making cup cakes while he was gone and while I was pulling them out of the oven he pulled in the drive way.  I scrambled to hide them but he saw me doing that.  He had a clue what was going on. When he got home from work everyone came out and yelled "SURPRISE!!"

He wasn't to surprised but it was till a fun party.  

Daniel Dawson, Ryan Tyler Francis

Kylie Francis, Claire Francis, and Liz Dawson

Phil enjoying the 7 layer dip

Todd and Malory.  Molly found a comfy spot on Mallory's lap, she stayed there for awhile

After the party, we went swimming. Ryan "borrowed" Christine's top and was all ready to go.

After it was all said and done, it was a pretty fun birthday.  I have come to the conclusion that I am horrible at throwing surprise parties.  One year  I will get him.  

Newest Member....

6.08.12

Look who is the newest team member at Costco......

Gardner Gathering

6.2.12

Every month we get together with the Gardners.  June was our month to  host.  We swam and bbq'ed.  It was a lot of fun!  We love the time we spend together.

Grace and Megan

Hallie and Madison

David and Ryan, such love there

Geanna, Michelle, Gene, Curtis, Zane

Bryan, Ryan

Danielle, Geanna, Michelle, Gene, Curtis

Molly enjoying the party

Lake Trip

5.26.12

Lake Pleasant baby!!   

Paul Sorensen was kind enough to take us to the lake one Saturday.  It was such a blast!

Ryan wake boarding, he did awrsome.  He's pretty good.

I got up wake boarding but Ryan didn't take any pictures of me.  Where's the love?

Ryan wake surfing.

love those sexy legs

Kylie Francis, Nick Sorensen, Clare Francis

Tyler Francis, Ryan, Me, Bonnie Sorensen, Scott Sorensen

Ryan, Patrick Olofson

Found the love. I'm glad Ryan got the camera out to capture my failed attempts to wake surf.  I tried but couldn't hold onto the rope.  I was so frustrated b/c I have gotten up before.  There is always next time. :)

CALIFORNIA!!

4.20.12

California...what!!!  Woo hoo!! Who doesn't love A LOT of pictures!  :) I need to figure out how to make a collage of pictures...one day.

We drove over and went to Disneyland for two days, LA Temple, San Diego Temple, and then San Diego.

Warning: There will be a lot of self portraits like this.  We need a third person to take pictures of us

I make chex mix for every road trip we go on.  I hate the nuts, Ryan hates the Cheerios.  We still love each other somehow. 

We stayed at Ryan's uncle Allen's house for the first part of our trip.  When we got there we played games, laughed and ate dinner.  The next morning we headed out to Disneyland!!!

Ryan's First Flight...ever

Ryan won...

 

I have been wanting to go forever and I was so excited we finally got to go, Ryan was excited to go, but not as much as me.  I talked him into wearing matching shirts the first day.  When I was little my family would wear matching shirts...who hasn't.  He was such a trooper.  The lines weren't to bad, our longest wait was Soarin over California, and Toy Story.  We discovered the Dole Whip ice cream by the Tikki Room and oh my...I love me some churros and popcorn but that ice cream trumps both of those.  It was so yummy.

Screamin



Screamin



My favorite ride, it makes me laugh the whole time.  Ryan loved to squish me on the sharp turns!

Tower of Terror

don't we look scared

Buzz Lightyear, guess who won...Ryan of course.

Space Mountain

 DAY 2!!!  I told you there was a lot of Pictures! 

Ryan's Uncle Allen is behind him, and his wife Lin behind him.
 They joined us for the first part of the morning.
Splash Mountain. I thought I could be sneaky and sit in the
front and duck so I wouldn't get wet but....

I was wrong.  We both got soaked, really soaked.  My clothes were wet most of the day. Once they were almost dry, Ryan convinced me to go on the Bear Mountain water ride in California Adventure.  I got soaked all over again.

autopia

Our car kept dying on us, so we had the guy behind us push us so it would start again. 

He forgot his hat so his head was burning. 
He looks good with mickey ears. Instead of buying a hat,
he borrowed some sunscreen from some random family. 

Tower of Terror

Toy Story Mania, again

of course he won...again

Screamin, this line was only 15 minutes so we went on it like 6 times.  

We didn't plan this at all

Toy Story was a favorite.  It was almost closing time so we decided to placed a bet.  If Ryan won we would leave and go get something to eat, if I won we would use our Fast Passes to Splash Mountain. It was a battle but RYAN WON AGAIN!  I secretly let him win b/c I was tired and didn't want to walk all the way to Splash Mountain.  Don't tell him though.

Ryan's Uncle is a sealer at the LA Temple so on Wednesday we meet him over there and did sealings with him.  It was our first time at that temple and it is so pretty and big.  Loved it.

 After that we drove down to San Diego and stopped by the temple on our way.  We did initiatories while we were there.  WOW that temple is so beautiful.  We couldn't believe it.  We could have sat in there all day.

My birthday was a few weeks before and for my birthday dinner I wanted to go to Anthony's.  Its in downtown San Diego on the water and it was so DELICIOUS!!  Ryan had a steak and I had lobster for the first time.

Next morning we went on a eating fest.  We started out at Kono's at Mission Beach. It was a huge breakfast but so good. I can't wait to go back.

We hung out on the beach for most of the morning walking and sleeping. Yes sleeping, we feel asleep for a little bit and of course I got burnt. I need to learn sunscreen is my friend.

 We hit up Hodads for lunch.  Its a place Ryan saw on Diners, Drive Ins and Drives.  He has been wanting to go there forever.  They don't just put one or two strips of bacon on your burger, they put a whole patty of it.  They boil the bacon, then grill it.  It was so so yummy!  Best burger and onion rings.



Lunch at Hodads!  Totally worth the million calories

Later that day we went wondering around San Diego.  We ended up in Old Town San Diego at the Mormon Battalion tour.  It was so sweet to learn what those men and women went through.  Ryan volunteered to dress up like a soldier.

Ready for war

The next morning we headed home.  We were so sad to leave but had to get back to reality.  The drive went by pretty fast.  Ryan started the second Hunger Games book and was really into it so I read to him all the way home.  I had no voice the next day but it was worth it.

It was a really great trip, can't wait for our next one!