Shaver Lake, Ca

Life

So I had the goal of finishing a book before the summer was over. Last week I bought the book Escape, by Carolyn Jessop and I just couldn't put it down. I finished it in like 5 days. I was that hooked. I had to force myself to not bring it with me while I worked or I wouldn't have knocked on one door all week. I have always had a thing for books that are intense and empowering... maybe because of some of the experiences I have had in my life, and some of the amazing women I look up to that have dealt with and overcome some incredible obstacles.. I dunno. But that kind of stuff absolutely fascinates me (Steve sometimes makes fun of me for it ha. But it's whatever). 

Any who, I've been thinking a lot lately about this life that I have been given. About how I am living my life right now, and the luxuries that I have that so many people in the world are so unaware of. I probably sound like a crazy person right now, ha the fact that one single book brought all of these emotions to surface for me (that and Steve and I had an awesome talk about obedience last night - I love talking about smart, in-depth things with my husband. I feel like we grow closer with every word that comes out of our mouths and I love it), but it's true. I have been reflecting on how blessed I am to live the way I do. I think about some of the hard things that I have had to go through in my life, or that Steve and I may have ahead of us, and it truly makes me grateful. It makes me grateful to think that there is a God that cares about us enough to help us learn how to become stronger. To give us chances to improve ourselves, and is there every millisecond that we may need help. Then I think about the people in our world like carolyn jessop. The life that she, and so many women had to (and still have to) live. That "Why?" question always comes up when I think about stuff like that, and even though I already feel like I know the answer (maybe the answer is just sufficient for me) I always get curious and have to have long thoughts with myself about it. Then I come back to the same few sentences every time. Our spirits our strong enough to endure anything that is put in our way, as long as we are obedient and willing to work with our Father in Heaven. I remember that those women who live any FLDS community, and those children that have to face all that they do in Syria, or the babies who sleep in huts at night, all have spirits strong enough to withstand their circumstances. (but that doesn't stop the other part of me that wants to walk into Colorado City and shake every single women silly and go and buy them mini skirts and take tops and take a bat to every man's head - was that too harsh?)

Bottom line, I'm grateful. I'm grateful that I have to worry about whether or not I am going to get yelled at by a complete stranger when I knock on their doors a couple times a day. I am grateful that I open the fridge and have an endless amount of items I could scarf in seconds. I am grateful that I have a man who respects me, and see's my worth, and loves me for it. I'm just plain grateful.

{oh, and last night steve and I drove home from a little sight seeing and that picture above is what we ran into. I mean, really? Heaven is for real people. Like seriously for real. I love this life.}

And now Steve and I are going to go and write down 100 things that we are thankful for. Heaven knows we have been blessed with much more than 100 things, and for that, I wouldn't give up what I know and the Gospel I live for anything.

Let's all be blessed together.

>Ry

HMB

Half Moon Bay, Ca. 

Our spontaneous summer continues. This past weekend we drove to the quaint little city of half moon bay. We walked two miles {starved} to the beach and we were so hungry/delirious/excited to be in a new place that everything was funny and we had to take breaks on the sidewalk because our legs hurt from walking. You'd think we would be used to that by now considering the fact that that is all we do all day long, but I guess not. HMB (Half Moon Bay) really is such a beautiful place. It wasn't quite what we expected - we were thinking it would be more of a beach city like santa cruz, or huntington, and boy were we wrong haha. There were some shops on main street, (that my grandma would probably adore) and quite frankly all we wanted to do was eat so we didn't even do much exploring. We settled on a hole-in-the-wall indian place that was seriously so amazing. It was one of those, "I'm so hungry I can't even think and probably can't walk a step further and this place is just around the block and we want to sit down to eat (obviously) and we don't even know if we like indian food, sooo let's go"

That's the conversation we both had in our heads - didn't really make sense, but it worked. and this indian place was so good we didn't even know what to think. It made me love indian food forever. This place was actually in a house and I was a little sketched but it all worked out. 

One of my favorite parts of this weeks adventure was the drive. OHHH the drive. We drove through fields of Christmas tree farms and the smell? oh it was heavenly. heavenly heavenly heavenly. 

I love my life. and my guy. and our relationship. and how he can make me laugh even when i'm super mad at him. random love chant over. 

>> Ry

Capitola Vol. 1

Capitola is the most perfect little beach town just south of Santa Cruz here in California. I have already said a few words about this place in previous posts, but I seriously just can't get enough of it. It is probably one of my most favorite vacations. It's one of those places where your beach house is literally across the street from the beach, as well as across the street from every cute little shop and boutique you can think of. Oh and if being a hop, skip, and jump away from the beach isn't enough, this sweet little abode has it's own little park with a dock right next to the most beautiful river that you ever did see. Complete with mini sails and paddle boarding. See I told you. It's heaven. Literally. I love it so much. I can't wait to continue to take little trips there. Over the weekend we went and stayed a couple days with my family out in Capitola while they were visiting and had the most perfect day. The pictures explain what our adventures consisted of better than I could. Enjoy. 

(P.S. we are looking for couples friends to assist us in our next Capitola adventure. If you wanna have a great, sunny time, bunk for free, and have endless amounts of comic relief, let me know. - Dance parties may be an extra fee, but that can be negotiated.)  

-Ry

thoughts on grocery stores

I'm obsessed with shopping. but i should probably clarify.. window shopping is something I have a problem with. whether it is online, or in person. Doesn't sound too horrible right? I mean I don't spend tons of money.. but I create deep, heartfelt relationships with grocery stores depending on the vibe they give me. Stupid. I know. But I have seen my fair share of these large buildings that we sometimes depend on in life. whether it be having to pee my brains out in the middle of the day while knocking, defeating my boredom by walking down the furniture and decor isles, or just trying to get something healthy for dinner, I get to know my grocery stores. And considering the fact we have moved quite a bit in our 'almost' two years of marriage i've been able to grace my presence at more Raley's, Winco's, Target's, Walmart's, Ralphs', Harmons', Fresh n Easy's, Sprouts', Whole Foods' (and don't forget Walgreens or Rite Aid) than you can think of.

Anywho, I am sort of getting sick of going to five different stores to get everything I need and still get the satisfaction of that "grocery store" vibe every wanna be house wife and aspiring mama need.

Someone build me a grocery store that is as nice as, harmons, with the quality of food like Sprouts and Whole foods, with the prices of maceys and smiths, that has bundaberg's ginger beer, along with trader joes chocolate covered bananas and kettle corn, but that I can get shoes at after I get bored looking through produce like target. Thanks.

>Ry

Utah

Last weekend was a great one. 

I went home and saw almost all of my spectacular family and had the most refreshing time. I spent a whole day with my sweet mama filled with yoga, rawtopia, whole foods, and shopping. (literally refreshing, I told you). The yoga class that I went to was so needed. Before we left for the summer I did yoga on a regular basis at 3b, like 5 minutes away from where we lived, and I have missed it so much since we left. I always forget how much it helps me not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. Let's not forget to mention how eating lunch at rawtopia helped me physically, mentally, AND emotionally as well. Holy cow face that place is delicious. Seriously. All raw, vegan, gluten free goodness that is so incredibly healthy for you and has that same incredible taste. You can basically feel the health pouring into your body. I'm not even kidding. If you are ever in Sugar House. you HAVE to try it. I felt like I could conquer the world when my mom and I left that place. 

Side note: I drank the most delicious chocolate milk from whole foods while I was in Utah. I don't even remember what brand it was. But it was amazing. Considering the fact I HATE milk, like loathe and don't even put it with my cereal (rice milk all the way baby), I got super stoked when I started craving that creamy stuff. I obviously had to go the route of chocolate though. Just to stay safe. And you bet I'll be making a trip to our nearest whole foods to get some of that goodness again. 

The main reason I booked this trip was to see Mckenna graduate! She left Orem High with honors upon honors and I was so happy to be able to see her complete that phase of her life! She is way smarter than me. And more talented. But I'm grateful for it. 

P.S. I forgot how long those dang things are. 3 hours?? I was dying by the end. Hunger Pangs to the max, and when the Petty girls get Hangry... you don't even wanna know. 

I also had a 4.5 hour massage. Ya. you read that right. four and a half flipping hours! I have the most amazing massage therapist. I don't even know why she did that for me, but we did realize that my body was (is) a lot more messed up than we thought it would be. 

And whats a trip home without hours and hours with the BFF? It was so good to be able to vent and eat ice cream without feeling horrible again. And that electro dash run was awesome too. Still miss you Hales. 

And my mom made me a rice bag out of flax seed. She put lavender in it and it reminds me of her. She is awesome. 

Here is my trip in pictures! (I was having so much fun I didn't even think to take out my good camera except for Ken's graduation. Crappy iPhone pics will have to do). 

Our pool is open now. Here is to hoping I get a tan this summer! Wohoo!

>> Ry

Hello World!

We are alive! If any of you were wondering. We are most definitely alive and well. We are now in the blessed land of California that we love so much for the second summer in a row. I have such a love-hate relationship with these four, warm months out of the year. But surprisingly it is starting to turn into more of the "I'm loving this even though I have to knock on people's doors and get screamed and yelled at for no reason" kinda love. Really. As crazy and weird as it sounds. I love the summers that we have.

Our lives are so simple when we are away for these four months. Its funny because you would think that things would be more stressful, intense, whatever you want to call it (since we have one of the most uncommon jobs in the universe) and even though it is that way sometimes, it's the best. I don't really know how to explain it, and I'm probably making no sense. But the summers that we spend working crazy hours, being exhausted and starved by the end of the day, getting yelled at by complete strangers are so great. They are so great because we get to experience new things that we never would have, we get to go on all different kinds of adventures together, just Steve and I, that we never would have if we didn't sacrifice the things that we do with this job. We grow in ways that are not possible without doing what we do, and it's just great. I love it.

Sappy, cutesy part over. Want to know what we have really been up to lately? For those that really care, it is only three weeks into the summer and we have already had a roller coaster of fun and craziness. The "stories from the doors" are already piling up, and we have finally settled down for the next little while. (I know what you are thinking, "it took you 3 weeks to settles down?")

So we live in Antioch/Brentwood, Ca with about 10 other people from our office. The rest of our buddies are down south a little bit living in Fresno. (aka all of the wives/married friends that we have out here during the summer). We first lived in Fresno, and then a week later decided to move up north for area/knocking/didn't want to drive 4 hours + to work every day. It makes logical sense, but I had an emotional crazy moment because I had just met some of the most amazing ladies that I was going to get to spend the summer with, and was already seeing the light at the end of the long summer tunnel. So it was a rough move. But a needed and beneficial one to say the least. I created some of the most sweet, marvelous relationships that I will carry on forever. Those relationships that even if you don't see each other for months at a time, it doesn't matter cause then you just pick up and are chatter boxes the second you see each other again. Awesome friends like that. It's just all good.

Okay, now the sappy part is really over. I'll stop blabbering my feelings over here.

The best part about the move? We are only ONE hour away from San Francisco! Steve and I took a drive last weekend and explored on a small part of the city - aka the pier. It was beautiful, and I loved it. The drive itself isn't bad either which is a bonus. Maybe we are just used to the california driving so it doesn't phase us anymore. After a long week it was such a great break to just be with the two of us, exploring like we love to do. Our time together is the best.

I will stop writing now so that my novel doesn't bore you, but the pictures below give a pretty good explanation of how beautiful this place is that we live.

Much love peeps, 

>> ry