Kaltenbach Reunion by way of Denver...

Most would think it was crazy to take off for a family reunion in the middle of our move, and they would be correct. It was crazy... but it was so worth it and of course it worked out in the end. We were able to have a much needed break from organizing, sorting and packing and come back refreshed and ready for the big moving day! While we were gone the painters were able to complete painting the entire interior including all the cabinets so the timing really turned out perfect.

We headed to Denver a few days before we were supposed to meet the Kaltenbach Clan in Buffalo Wyoming. We wanted to spend time with my Uncle Chad and his family and see Keri's new baby Noah. We also wanted to take a trip down memory lane and revisit the scene of the crime. Boulder is really where Ryan and I fell in love with each other and knew we wanted to be together. We were anxious to see all of our favorite places in that awesome town. It was SO great to spend time with Chad, Robbi, Carly and Brock. Brock and Harrison became fast buddies!! It was also so great to see Keri, Rick, Keri's mom and precious baby Noah! I had just planned to give Keri's giant belly a kiss but since Noah decided to make an early entrance, I got to hold and cuddle him and it was wonderful!

After a few days in Colorado, we headed to Buffalo. This is where Terry, Ryan's dad grew up and it was so great to see the old house and the darling little town. As we drove down main street, Ryan said, "Don't blink or you'll miss it!" It was neat to reconnect with so many Kaltenbachs. Thank goodness Linda was there to introduce and explain who everyone was. There were several generations there and different lines so it got a bit confusing but really we were all just family!!

Harrison was so good and Terry and Linda were such a big help. Harrison definitely preferred hanging out in Grammy and Grandpa's hotel room : )

Some of the highlights were:

*watching Harrison play in Chad and Robbi's basement...car heaven!! We literally couldn't get him out!

*tattered cover- our favorite bookstore in Denver

*staying up talking to Chad and Robbi

*meeting NOAH!

*flat irons, 808, CU, pearl street, illegal petes, and subaru counting in Boulder :)

*Harrison being invited by a huge biker to sit on his Harley at a rest stop on the way to WY

*watching Harrison try to be one of the big kids at the park with all his older cousins

*visiting Dorothy and Chuck's cabin - SO beautiful

*Kevin's retirement ceremony

*Harrison being an absolute angel on both flights...not a peep! (Thank you Toy Story Two!)

Click on the collage to enlarge it for a better view!

Thank you mom and dad Kaltenbach for making this amazing trip possible, we enjoyed it so much!!

An angel turns 30!

"Friends are kisses blown to us by angels." ~Author Unknow

My best friend turned 30 today and as this blog is a place where I can pay tribute to "my angels," I want to share how grateful I am for the gift that Suedy is in my life.

I met Suedy 21 years ago. We bonded over Teddy Grahams, we both had them in our lunch boxes and something seemingly so inconsequential started a friendship that will last my whole lifetime.

"The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart." ~Elisabeth Foley

Although Suedy and I have completely different lives, our souls are so connected that time can pass and distance can separate us physically but our friendship remains steadfast. She is the person in my life who is the easiest to be with. There doesn't have to be any conversation and it is just comfortable and easy and fun! Being with her is seriously like putting on my favorite old t-shirt, I feel like I can just curl up and be myself and feel completely happy and satisfied : )

"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares." ~Henri Nouwen

Suedy has helped pull me through every trial and has always believed in me, believed that I could do anything I wanted to and encouraged me to do so. When I think of the hours she has spent beside my hospital bed, making me laugh and not letting me give up...I know that Suedy was heaven sent to me!

Here are some pictures that take me back : )

Last day of Seventh Grade!



Del Mar Fair



High School Graduation '97!



Breath of Life Gala 2006


"Friends are relatives you make for yourself." ~Eustache Deschamps

Suedy is a sister to me in every sense, we've shared clothes, secrets, embarrassing moments, tears and incredible joys. Happy Birthday Suedy, I love you!

Recipe for a Perfect Palm Springs Trip!

What do you do when your mom tells you that she has a time share in Palm Springs that is going to go to waste if you don't use it?! We packed up the car and headed to the Gorgeous Desert Springs Marriott Villas for a week stay without a moments hesitation (Thank you Mom for your generosity and thank you USANA for that time freedom!)

Here are a few of the ingredients that made for our perfect trip:

* lots of pool time

* consequently, lots of "motor boat"

* night swimming

* rub a dub dub... all three of us in the tub! (It was enormous, actually room for one or two more!)

* taking Harrison to his first movie, "UP"

* feeding the Ducks

* watching the sun set behind the purple mountains

* movies in bed

* eating breakfast, lunch and dinner on our balcony overlooking the golf course

* oven baked frozen pizza for dinner and drumsticks for dessert (that's what happens when you send your husband to the store for more milk : ) )

* a morning at the children's museum

* a walk around the pond and time at the park

* a walk down El Paseo and dinner at Tommy Bahama (Harrison especially loved the Steel Drum player!)

* reading Leif Enger's new book


POOL TIME







CHILDREN'S MUSEUM









HARRISON LOVES DUCKIES!





...AND STEEL DRUM PLAYERS (he was mesmerized by his new friend!)



Even Harrison throwing up on the way home, (a little too much swallowed pool water) could not spoil our trip...we cleaned him up and he slept soundly on the way home. A stop at In n' Out for dinner on the way home topped off the trip just right : )

First Father/Son Campout!!

Ryan and Harrison had a little outing this weekend : ) Zak invited Ryan to attend his wards Father/Son campout and Ryan figured...what the heck, it'll be an adventure!! We wondered how Harrison would do but Ryan was willing to take the risk and went with no expectations.

They had a great time with Zak and Zachy and Harrison loved running around the campsite, watching the campfire and so much time with his daddy. Unfortunately, when it came time to go to bed he was a little confused! With some help from WALL-E on the iphone, he finally fell asleep but when he woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't figure out where he was or how to fall back asleep, the adventure had to come to an end. I got a call at 4 in the morning from my wonderful husband saying, "Can you come unlock the front door for me?"

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry but after we got Harrison into his comfy bed, Ryan assured me that they had a great time and he did not regret going so I was relieved! It will make for a funny story to tell Harrison about his first campout!

I was so glad Ryan got some photos before they made their early departure : )


The Set-Up



His favorite activity was collecting sticks and dirt in his bucket!



Exploring the site



He found his throne : )



Get me outta here!!



Thank goodness for WALL-E



Just chillin' in the tent with daddy!



I think we'll wait a few years before embarking on a camping trip again but next time I won't miss it!!

Weekend Warriors!

What a great weekend! Ryan follows Jenny Cavnar on Twitter. She works for Channel four here in San Diego and she was giving away tickets for the Padre Game. He tweeted to her that he would love to take his wife to a game and he WON!!

We had no idea what kind of tickets they were but thought it would be fun to have a spontaneous date night. We dropped Harrison off at my mom's who so generously wanted to watch him for us...thanks mom! Then we headed downtown to Petco Park. We picked up our tickets at Will Call and and this funny old man giving us our tickets asked if we knew where we were sitting. We told him that we won the tickets and had no idea where they were. He showed us a map and pointed to the worst possible nose bleed seats and said, "you are way up here in the corner." We were kinda bummed but didn't really care. Then he giggled and said, "just kidding, you have awesome seats right behind First Base!!"

THANK YOU JENNY!! We had a blast!!


During the game Jenny came down and introduced herself, what a sweetheart she is! We told her about the funny old man who played a little trick on us! She said that her and her boss were trying to decide who to give the tickets too and then they decided on Ryan because they thought it was cute that he wanted to take his wife : ) Thank you for a fun date night honey! I don't know if you can tell how cool our seats are from this picture but I have never sat so close to the field before and it was so fun to be able to see the players chatting and blowing bubbles with their gum...definitely a different experience!



This weekend was also our Great Strides Walk. If you're not sure what that is, check out this post!! To be honest, we hesitated in being involved in GREAT STRIDES again this year, we were going to take the year off. We thought it would be hard to ask for help in this economy but then we realized that people with C.F. don't get to take a year off struggling to breathe and fighting this disease. We can't wait for the day that we don't have to "solicit" dollars for C.F. research, it has not been easy. However, we know we can't quit until the cure is found... my life depends on it!

In a last ditch effort to raise more funds, I sent out an e-mail blast to family and friends and was OVERWHELMED with the response I got!! As we were at the event I seriously struggled to keep the tears back while I thought about all the wonderful people (some of whom I don't even know!) who just poured out their love and gave what they could to support this cause that is so dear to our hearts!

They (The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation) have extended the deadline for donations so it's not too late to help! We know times are tough and seriously, it sounds cliche, but every dollar counts so even small donations are appreciated!! It's so easy, just click on the GREAT STRIDES Widget on the right hand side of my blog to go directly to my webpage. From there you can read part of my story and donate! I have never been so hopeful that a CURE for CF will be found SOON!! It is a day I pray for and anxiously anticipate. Here is a picture of my little family at the walk. Harrison is smiling despite having been woken up and taken from his warm bed at such an early hour : )

I said it Once...

And I'll say it again,

". . . It's really my mom's fault that I wanted a child of my own so much. All I wanted to do as a girl was be exactly like my mom when I grew up and to be exactly like her meant being the best mom in the world and loving my children as much as I was loved. I only wanted a chance to emulate my hero. I am a mom now and I still want to be exactly like my mom when I grow up : ) I continue to learn from her every day and hope and pray that Harrison knows, as I know, how much his mom adores him. . . ."

That was part of my Mother's Day post last year and I can't express my love and gratitude for my mom enough so I thought I'd re-post it!

I had such a special Mother's Day this year. Ryan totally spoiled me. The highlight of the day was definitely listening to him speak in Church. He paid such a beautiful tribute to the "mom's" in his life, his own mother, my mom and the mother of his child. His words were genuine and thoughtful and I was so proud of him.

We also had such a fun get-together at my mom's new place and it was a night filled with delicious food, raucous rock band, good friends and family...in other words, a perfect night : )

The absolute JOY of my LIFE is being a mother to Harrison. I am definitely figuring it out as I go, but am loving the journey that I felt was my purpose. I am humbled every day by motherhood, the privilege it is to have this precious spirit to raise and nurture and guide. I pray for the courage and strength to teach him correct principles and help him realize his potential in this life. I am so grateful to have Ryan by my side in this role. I told him the best Mother's Day gift I got from him was the fact that he treats me like it's Mother's Day everyday. It sounds corny but it is completely true and I love him for it!

These pictures were taken for the Cystic Fibrosis fundraiser coming up in September:

Me and my little Man!!

Think One Person can't make a Difference?

This man HAS!!

Last night I accompanied my Mother-in-Law to hear Greg Mortenson speak and hearing him definitely made an impression on me. What an incredible man. What an incredible mission. I read his book
Three Cups of Tea last year and was so touched by Mortenson's genuine and sincere desire to promote peace and make a difference. I would highly recommend this book as it is captivating, uplifting, inspiring and motivating. Greg Mortenson is a true hero and it's refreshing to read about something positive and good happening in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

I won't make this a book report but I will tell you that Mortenson's story began with a devastating personal failure. He quoted an African Proverb last night, "When it is dark enough, you can see the stars." How true. He could not have known at the time of his utter disappointment, that his failure would lead him to discover his life's mission.

One thing Mortenson made very clear last night is that it is not his intention to "fight terrorism," it is his intention to "PROMOTE PEACE." This struck me as a very wise and powerful statement. His publishers wanted the tag line on his book to say, "One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism...One School at a Time" Greg Mortenson urged them to change it to "One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time."

He believes strongly that fighting terrorism is based in fear and promoting peace is based in hope. He chooses to cultivate hope and uses education to prevent the Taliban from manipulating and indoctrinating young boys into violence and hate. He also quoted another African Proverb last night that says, "If you educate a boy, you educate an individual. If you educate a girl, you educate a nation." He believes that educating the girls who will become mothers and leaders in their communities is the most powerful way to limit the Taliban's power. He now advises General Petraus and his book is mandatory reading for certain military groups.

For more information and inspiration see Greg's Blog!

There were many take-home messages for me but, one of the greatest lessons we can learn from Greg Mortenson is that ONE person really can make a huge difference if they are willing to persevere! So...what are we going to do to make a difference?!