Christian & Emily

Our Graduating MARINE!

2009-04-09T12:11:00.033-06:00

For those who don't know, Austin is my youngest brother and when he stepped out of boot camp he was a new man! Before mom had to fix him breakfast every morning, iron his clothes, and basically be at his beck and call. Then after his graduation ceremony in January he sat down with us and said, " you know before boot camp, life pretty much revolved me, but I don't want to do that anymore." All of our jaws dropped and for the first time we saw an independent Austin. Not only that but after boot camp Austin decided he wanted to receive his patriarchal blessing and was preparing to be ordained an Elder. Some pretty significant steps forward for those of you who knew the old Austin. What amazes me most is that Austin seems to fill a lot more secure in his own skin. He just appears happier and more comfortable and confident about himself. I am truly so proud of the man he has become and hope that he continues to grow into the Austin we all know and love.

Have you ever seen a group of men be so in step?
This is Austin marching with his platoon into the graduation ceremony. They did a lot of marching which wasn't exactly Austins favorite part. (he is the first man on the middle row)

I don't think Austin has ever been so excited to see his family! (Lara getting the first hug)
On the far right is my grandfather who was a navel officer by career, and sure proud to see his grandson serve in the military.

(Christian, Avery, Emily, Mom, Private Edmondson, Lara, Dad, Grandpa, and Uncle Mark.)

Since we we're all in beautiful San Diego for the weekend we decided to have dinner near the peir and watch the navy ships sail on by. It was so fun to hang out in the warm weather and just play together as a family.

(Christian, Avery, Emily, Austin, Lara, and Mario)
The new guy is Lara's BF Mario who is on leave from his naval tour in Japan. It was our first time meeting him and by the end of the weekend I think we all loved him ;)

Its not easy carrying the world on your back.

All the kids.

We have an impostor!

... but doesn't she look cute!

(Mom trying on Austins marine hat)

When Austin finished boot camp he did a lot of sleeping for the next couple of days. This is our attempt at trying to see how quickly he could wake up. Although he didn't jump out of bed and stand at attention, I do think this is the fastest I have ever seen his head leave the pillow and I love the look of confusion on his face...priceless!

W

2009-04-02T00:47:00.003-06:00

Just like politics, I made a promise I couldn't keep, and it's been a while since I've updated the blog (you might of noticed) but Christmas in now on the docket and there is more to come!

Christmas 2008

2009-04-01T21:11:00.020-06:00

Christmas with the Edmondson's.

It's always picturesque to be singing about a white Christmas as the snow falls around you but it is a whole heck of a lot warmer to be singing in your shorts! And for that reason (as well as many others) I love spending the holidays in Texas.

My dad (also known as Santa), Avery and I.

Our Christmas story included: Emma as Mary, Garrett as Joseph, and Katy and Gavin as the shepherds. Then of course, little Avery played her part of quietly as baby Jesus sleeping quietly in the cradle. It was so precious to see our little Avery, laying there in all her sweetness, representing the Savior.

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas with out Dad going around with his trash bag as we unwrapped our presents.

Katy made me the cutest name plate for Avery's crib. She is so creative!

Our trip to NASA

How cool is this Space Ship!

All the ladies lining up for our tour. Lara, Grandma, Avery, and me.

Grandma taking care of all her babies!

Avery getting her hair done by cousins Emma and Gavin

Grandma took great care of all of us, but some handled the pampering better than others ;)

Our Little AVERY

2008-12-02T11:56:00.004-07:00

For all those who occasionally follow this blog I give a preemptive apology. Avery has been with us now for three weeks and I am just getting around to updating our blog.

Now for all those who don't know, and would like to, Avery Rytting was born on Monday November 10th at 2pm. She weighed in at 6 lbs 1 oz and was 19 in in length. As you can see she has a full head of beautiful brown hair which was one of our biggest surprises when she arrived. If Christian wouldn't have told me about her hair during the last part of delivary I don't know if I would have believed this was our baby when they put her in my arms. I thought for sure we would have a whole family of blondies but am so grateful for this amazingly beautiful brown hair, olive skinned little girl.

Labor and delivary went smoothly and I thank my lucky stars that I live in a time where women have epiderals! Those who have experienced natural birth may laugh, but after they broke my water I only made it threw half a dozzen "hard labor" contractions before I was begging for an epideral. Then after the epideral was administered I couldn't believe how wonderful labor seemed. I took a nap, chatted with family, snuck some food, and watched as my contractions spiked on the monitor, all without feeling any pain. Then when it was time to push I gave nine hard pushes, the doctor used some suction, and after a massive episiodomy Avery was here! If it wasn't for the tearing I think I could easily do that kind of labor any day of the week... or at least it didn't scare me enough to sware off ever having children again.

However difficult women told me labor would be, I think the weeks following gave me a run for my money. Technically I knew babies only slept in two to three hour incriments but I had no idea what it would actually feel like when I was experiencing it, not to mention the pain of breast feeding. Physically I was exhausted, emotionally I was a nut case, and all while being strung out on all types of pain killers. Fortunatly I have an wonderfully compassionate husband and an amazingly wise mother who made sure every loose end was taken care of. Even though our kitchen is in the middle of being remodeled (I know, bad timing) meals were taken care of and the house was always clean. Christian and I even got to go on a dinner date before my mother left last week and for once my life seemed normal again.

In contrast to all the new challenges of being a mother I have to admit there is nothing more rewarding than seeing my little girls smile and hearing her giggle threw out the night (even if it is only gas). I LOVE being a mom! And although I still have plenty to learn I will forever be grateful for my little Avery and all we will learn together!

Blog Takeover

2008-10-14T10:05:00.008-06:00

Since its conception, this blog has been run by Christian, it was his idea to start it, he wrote all the postings, and displayed all the pictures....but not any more! I (Emily) have official taken over the Ryttingfamilyblog site, and as the new underwriter I promise ... change. ;) From now on I will have decreased taxes for all fellow bloggers, I will talk about stabilizing the economy and post recipes of yummy treats you can eat while reading my thoughts on such nonsense, and I give you my word to post pictures regularly (as soon as Christian walks me through how to do it ;)
In short, I am really looking forward to being apart of this new sphere and keeping in better contact with all those I know and love!
Best Regards,
The new owner and operator,
Emily

PS. Some have commented that I'm still looking a little small for being as far along in my pregnancy as I am... well the truth is I just haven't posted any recent side shots of myself. So here I am in all my 9 months of glory!

What's the latest - August 2008

2008-08-27T19:47:00.010-06:00

IT'S A GIRL!!!

Well, for the 64% of you who voted for a girl...you were right! Emily is expecting a girl! We have known that since July. Oops. You can blame me for that. Sorry for delayed update!For those who voted for a boy...well, maybe next time ;) I will never forget the moment when we found out we would be having a girl. For all of those who know me well, you know I have been wanting a girl. It was such an anxious, exciting moment for us. Emily laid there, holding my hands tightly and then I blurted out..."I don't see anything, it's a girl! Is it a girl?" The nurse quickly responded, "calm down, just a moment." Moments later she said "it's a girl!"

There was such a sweet feeling that both Emily and I felt as we found out we were having a girl. We were so thrilled! Since finding out we are having a girl we are just getting more and more excited the nearer we get to actually having her here with us. I consider myself the luckiest man in the world! Marrying the best woman in the world is enough. But then having a daughter that I hope is like her? ...now that is lucky! ...See more pics.

Ok...so I realize its been a little while since I updated the blog. Sorry to the one or two people that actually noticed ;) There has been quite a bit that has happened! In addition to finding out we are having a girl...

The other big announcement is that Emily has graduated from BYU! I am so proud of her and how hard she worked during this last year, especially with all of the changes that come with being married, moving and being pregnant. Just a little to deal with ;) The best part about these new changes...now that Em is home, that means she can start working on this blog with me...yeah! I have felt a little lonely in this effort as the network of "blogging husbands" is a little small. Right now I feel a little like an outsider in the relief society. Anyways we are glad Emily graduated. Congrats Em!....more pics to come.

To celebrate, we left from all of the graduation festivities to spend a week in Lake Tahoe with Emily's family and Grandpa George. Man that place is gorgeous!...see more pics.

Oh...and those June and July highlights I failed to post...here they are!

Celebrating Mom E's Birthday

Debra had been up here, living in SLC while Austin played Rugby for Olympus High School. Before she left back home to College Station, we had the chance celebrate her birthday with her. Though we are glad she is back hom in Texas, we miss her!...see more pics.

Rytting Family Reunion

Well I guess one indication that our family is getting bigger is the fact that we now title the time when we get together as the "Rytting Family Reunion". What a blast! From crashing Dad's work party at the buzz game to the trip at the cabin. The stars of the show were the young members of the family...see more pics.

Down with the bush!

Hopefully each month we will have some progress that we can share with you on the house. The big project this past month...removing the enormous, overgrown bush in our front yard. The only comment the inspector has when we were buying the house, "yeah, that thing is a definate fire hazard"...so? Down with the bush!...see more pics.

Stopping by while in Texas

While attending the Microsoft Partner Conference in Houston, I was able to stop by Garrett and Katie's home to say hi to the Edmondson family. It was great to fly into Houston and feel a little like I was coming home...see more pics.

Date to Thanksgivin Point

Man I love going on dates with my wife! Here is one of our latest simple but fun dates to Thanksgiving Point. Whenever you go there, you have to check out the landmark we left!...see more pics.

Our Trip to Lake Tahoe

2008-08-25T18:08:00.000-06:00

The best part of the trip was just being able to visit with Em's family!

Emily and her Grandpa George

On our way to the Tahoe North Ward

Man. It is hard of even thinking of leaving this place!

The "backside" of the lake

Dad E...right before he pulled his back out!

Taking a ride on the ski lift through the mountains

Skipper will fetch anything

See what we mean

Celebrating Uncle Mark's birthday! The big 50!

Getting older means getting help blowing out the candles

Notice Mark is wearing the present he just got...a new shirt

Uncle Scott, Oliver and Grandpa George

not necessarily what we would call the "lazy river"

A little cold Austin?

Uncle Mark was a natural on the river

Yes I am singing....yes I am that white...yes I am now that burnt!

Punch anyone?

Dad floating on his blow-up mattress, Why not?

A shot of the whole family

Christian's birthday cake. Man that still looks good!

Thanks for only putting one candle instead of the 28. AHHH

I think Oliver liked the cake!

Jada Lee and Machawn having fun at the B-day celebration

Adam and Adrienne came down from Alemida to spend the weekend with us

Man we wish we could hang out with Machawn more often

Patches

Skipper

Going for an early morning swim

Adam and Cael on the south side of the lake

Danny, Jenn, Kyson and Kaleb also joined us for the hike

Em and Lara

Kyson

Danny and Kaleb

Check out that smile!

What a great family!

Kaleb loved the lake and the hike

For some reason Kyson loves these cars

Grandpa George and his girls

Date to Thanksgiving Point

2008-07-29T20:07:00.000-06:00

Man this place is beautiful!

So...we found this golf ball along the trail. It was Emily's idea to place it on the big bronze moose and leave it there to see if we could find it when we came back some other time.

We weren't able to make it to the moose...there were carefully placed thorn bushes around the bush! But...if you look on the rock ledge closely you will see the golf ball! YES. If you happen to stop by Thanksgiving Point, let us know if it is still there.

A close up of the golf ball for evidence that it is there.

Man, she is gorgeous.
Camouflage

The waterfalls

From the backside of the waterfalls

Emily after one of my great jokes ;)

The pregnant lady can still climb!

What a fun date!

Business Trip to Houston

2008-07-27T21:23:00.007-06:00

What a great home! Garrett and Katie were so kind to invite me over for dinner and a great visit! Thanks.

Dad E. and little Gavin. I honestly have never met a happier baby. What team these two make.

Emma has a right to be pround of such a cool room! Way to go on cool paint job Katie!

Emma was facinated by the zooming ability of the camera. As you can see, the nose was the first area she wanted to explore. Thank goodness, you can't zoom these pics!

...and now the mouth right after dinner. Nice.

Man am I lucky to be part of this family. Now I get to call this cute girl my niece.

Not the best picture but this is proof I was there!

Man it is incredible to see what Microsoft puts into these conferences. I forget her name but I know she is famous. Anyone know who she is?

You just might recognize him....the CEO of Microsoft since Bill Gates decided to step down....Steve Balmer. Man he is an animated fellow.

...another Microsoft big shot...Kevin Turner.

This was the highlight of the conference. Dr. Muhammed Yunis. I love his perspective on world poverty and every company's social responsibility.

How often do you leave a work conference feeling inspired to make a difference.

Nothing like a little soul!

Another shot of Steve Balmer in an interview with the Chief Editor of Fortune 500.

Rytting Family Reunion

2008-06-29T22:01:00.000-06:00

Little Caleb enjoying the baseball game with his Dad

Nothing like a baseball game on a summer night

I think Caleb liked my camera

Cael as cute as ever!

I am not sure he knows what a camera is yet

Megan and Kyson cooking away at the Cabin...I am guessing it was Chocolate

Grandma and her three grandsons (Kyson, Caleb and Cael)

Kyson playing golf in Evanston with his Dad

Grandpa and Kyson hanging out!

The bear river was high enough Adam and Andrew decided to go down it!

Andrew and Adam after the ride...with only minor scrapes and bruises

Man we love the cabin!

The golfing crew. Don't ask who was the worst among all of us. It might be too obvious

At the beginning of the bike ride...we thought would be easy

...The Ghost town was cool

After some 25+ miles up and down, on gravel with wind and heat...the bike ride wasn't so easy! But still fun!

Dad and Caleb going for a little hike

The whole family. What a reunion!

Down With The Bush!!!

2008-06-29T17:21:00.001-06:00

The long awaited day!

Man this thing is huge!

The first cuts!

There she goes!

Timber!

It took some effort from the neighborhood kids but we got it all in the trailer!

There. Now that looks a little better!

Celebrating Mom E's Birthday

2008-06-27T21:07:00.000-06:00

Mom E had been so nice to come to our house and spend time helping us with the yard and garden. It was so fun to have her around. She gave us some great tips! Though it was not much, I think suprising her with some ice cream cake and a gift made her day.

Emily is such a good listener! While having dinner at Bryce and Lysa's home several months ago, Debra had mentioned she loved the pie dishes Lysa used. So what did Emily do? She bought them for her mom's birthday. Debra even used them that next day to make her great Zucchini Cresent Pie.

Grandma Joanne, Grandpa Billingsly, Em and Mom E. in front of Ottavio's. What a great resturant! It was so fun to celebrate her birthday there!

We have it documented! Austin actually ate desset! Well, not really...he tasted the gelato. I am still going to count it!

Nothing like a little serende while eating good italian food. Man what fun evening. Happy birthday Mom E! WE LOVE YOU!

What's the latest - May 2008

2008-05-31T20:04:00.019-06:00

Life Changes More Quickly Than You Expect

It seems life is changing more quickly than we ever could have expected. In March we had decided to casually start looking for a house we could move into after Em finishes school. We wanted a little more space considering the upcoming addition to our family. Little did we know what was in store for us...

Our landlord and good friend Brandon Weeks was kind enough to be our real estate agent. Maybe it was the quickest way he could get rid of us ;)
The first time we looked at houses online with him, a house caught our eye. Little did we know after driving by it late that night that it would be the very house we would buy!
We started negotiations on the house in the last two weeks of April and by May 2nd we had moved in!
Not only did we fall in love with the house but we fell in love with the previous owner. Marion Peters, 82 who was moving to live with her son because the house was simply too much to manage. Not only was she kind enough to give us a great deal but she left us the lawnmower, appliances for the upstairs and basement apartment, a month of yard care, and EVEN some 1970's house decor! We still talk to her to let her know we are taking care of her house.
Pregnant wife, Uhaul truck, our few belongings and all...we moved into our new home on May 2!

We have loved getting settled into our new home. We love our neighborhood, the ward and everything about the house! That is, except of course the massive bush that is larger than the home itself and the 70's decor. Have no worries, we have some fun plans for this place :) Anyways, life seems to get more and more busy but that is the way we love life!...see more pics.

Check out the other highlights below!

Highlights

NEW section of our blog!!! Want to see pictures of Emily as she is coming along? I know most of you want to hear from Emily and how she is doing anyway. Check out Emily's "Having a Baby" section of our blog to hear how she is doing...read more.

Trip to Las Vegas, St. George, Zions (April 23-26):For the third time in less than a 2 months I had another business trip to the lovely...or not so lovely downtown Las Vegas. Though it was Vegas, it was the perfect way for Emily to relax after finals. 3 days in the a suite at the Venetian, Circ de Sol - KA, some great food followed by a weekend in St. George and Zions. We love ZIONS! The Angel's Landing hike was definitely the highlight...see the pics.

Golfing for the first time in years! (May 24th): My brother Danny and his wife Jenn invited us to go golfing with them. It evidently has been a while since Emily and I have golfed. We knew we were in trouble when a staff person asked us to "please speed it up." I swear we were going as fast as we could! The problem is we only moved 20 feet forward with each hit...we might need some help. Danny and Jenn however were a different story - AMAZING! Sorry no pics :(

Preparing the Apartment (May 31): We can't believe it! We are Landlords. We will see if that ends up being a good or bad thing! It took a while to prepare but the basement apartment is ready. I posted the add on May 28th and after 60+ calls, over 20 appointments on that Saturday, we have our renters! They are great! Hopefully we will have pics of them in the next update...see more pics

Havin' a Baby

2008-05-18T20:03:00.004-06:00

"If one feels the need of something grand, something infinite, something that makes one feel aware of God, one need not go far to find it. I think that I see something deeper, more infinite, more eternal than the ocean in the expression of the eyes of a little baby when it wakes in the morning and coos or laughs because it sees the sun shining on its cradle."

-Vincent van Gogh

Ahhh...Finding out what we're having!

It's a girl!!!

and we have the pics to prove it!!!

Her face.

Man this technology is cool!

So, it took a bit of convincing her, but Emily finally agreed to have her picture taken every so often. Not only that, she committed to updating this page for all those friends who are wanting to hear how she is doing. Hopefully Em can provide you with some updates...right now it is finals, she is just a little bit busy. Stay tuned!

06/24/08: Moving right along...about to find out what we're having

05/25/08: Nearing the end of the 2nd trimester. We find out what we are having in a month!

05/06/2008: So we decided to start taking pictures. It took a bit to convince her but Emily came through. Have you ever seen a cuter pregnant woman?

The Move

2008-05-08T09:19:00.000-06:00

The living room of our first apartment as a married couple.

Everything WAS clean before we started packing...

We loved our first apartment!

If your newly married, best to just fork out the 35 bucks for the Uhaul and get it all done in one trip. It was a squeeze but we did it.

If you can't tell Andrew is excited to help us move at 8:00 AM on Saturday.

My nephew Kyson may not have been the "biggest" helper but definately was the most exciting about moving stuff and the big truck.

Yes...that is brown...brown carpet.

And yes...that is carpet in the kitchen!

Ready or not...the "Honey-to-do's" list begins...

Our first home! We fell in love with the house, the yard and the neighborhood in North Orem. Plus...it had a rentable basement apartment. How could we pass!

Marion, the previous owner gave us explicit instructions for taking care of her rose bushes!

The house is in a cold-e-sac. We already love playing with the kids in the neighborhood.

The Basement Apartment

2008-05-08T09:08:00.000-06:00

So, we thought we would give you an idea of what the apartment looks like with some before/after pictures. I tell you, I felt so embarrassed to stand in line at home depot with my "Home Depot: Easy 1-2-3" bright orange home improvement book. All the other men in line had this look like, " Ah, he is new at this!" Well, slowly but surely, I am learning!

Dining Area Before

Dining Area After

Kitchen Before

Kitchen After

Bathroom Before

Bathroom After

Family Room Before

Family Room After. We won't tell you how many coats the wood paneling took :)

Bedroom 1 Before.

Bedroom 1 After. Painting closets is a pain

Bedroom 2 Before

Bedroom 2 After. It's amazing what a little white will do.

Trip to Las Vegas, Zions - the Angel's Landing Hike

2008-05-08T08:31:00.000-06:00

We stayed at the Venitian in Las Vegas. We had fun enjoying the Venice like atmosphere.

We should have taken more pictures of Vegas but these are the few we have. I hired Nick Gough and his friend Amanda who are TV personalities in the UK to come to our company conference and host some of our sessions at the company's internal sales and marketing conference. Nick was HILARIOUS. Definitely turned what could have been a boring conference into something incredible. See more of Nick on his site: http://www.nickgough.co.uk/

Emily had a chance to attend one of the sessions I managed with Nick and Amanda. Overall the work conference but spending time with Em in Vegas and then hiking Angel's Landing was even better!

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful morning to hike Angel's Landing.

This picture was taken at the base of the hike

Ready to go! If you have not done the Angel's Landing hike in Zions National Park,

we HIGHLY recommend it.

There were so many beautiful flowers along the trail. You'll see more later...

How do I get out?

We have too much fun together!

Check out that valley...can you see the trail below?

The trail climbs pretty quickly

I can't believe I got so close!

Yep...you are going to have to climb up that! How about this hike as a modern day example of the iron rod! Although there wasn't any fruit at the top, it was rewarding to get there!

Can you spot others on their way up?

a 1500 foot drop off on each side!

...More of the flowers

...and more.

Hold on tight...4 feet on each side, then the 1500 ft drop-off

Is that the highway down there?

No Fear!

Look at those switchbacks!

More beautiful spring flowers.

We made it!!!

I can't believe we hiked to the top of that!

What's the latest - April 2008

2008-04-02T20:48:00.021-06:00

So, we finally decided to be more dedicated at keeping our family and friends updated on our life. Whether you are "bloggers" or not we hope our site helps you get the latest updates on our life...

SPRING IS HERE! Just as the trees are about to bloom and the flowers about to bud, our life is about to change! In March we found out that Emily is pregnant!

As I came home from a business trip late one Wednesday night and turned on the lights, I was so shocked to see our apartment decorated in blues and pinks with a big poster that said, "Welcome Home Daddy!" There couldn't have been a better way to tell me! We are so excited to begin building our family together and although we are still early in this whole process, we wanted to share the exciting news! All I can tell you is that I never knew there were so many books about having babies, and my goodness, so many names! The new edition to our family should be here in November. We are so excited to be parents and begin building our family together.

Highlights

Trip to San Fransiscio (Mar. 14-17): No better way to see the city than renting some bikes. One of my favorite Indian restaurants in SF - The Shlamar. Nothing better than the hole-in-wall restaurant....see more pics

Emily turns 26!!! (Mar. 9): Emily hit the big 2-6. Though she seems to think special attention shouldn't be given to her...how could we not! Her birthday included opening presents in the middle of the mall, dinner @ PF Changs with mom and dad Rytting, shopping with her mom and sister, breakfast in bed, dinner is SLC with family and Julia, her best friend. Happy Birthday sweetie - trust me, you deserve the attention. Sorry no pics :(

Trip to St. George (Feb. 29-Mar. 1): What a weekend. Hikes in snow canyon, watching Austin's(Emily's Brother) Rugby tournament, and time with family...see more pics.

San Fransisco Trip (Mar. 14-17)

2008-03-14T20:45:00.002-06:00

I thought this was a great shot of the Golden Gate Bridge

Some flowers on the edge of the marina

What would San Fransisco be without a visit to China Town.
Lookin Good Emily!

I've got friends in China Town!

One of the best Indian Restaurants in SF - The Shalamar.
And yes, it is a hole in the wall...how is it those are always the best places to eat?

Can you see the guy drumming?
That is the way to wake up on Saturday Morning.
He was incredible!

Man she is cute!

Lunch at the CheeseCake Factory with Emily's Aunts and their families

Some Cathedral in downtown SF

Herbie was here!

Getting ready for the bike ride.
We won't tell you how long it took us to find the shop!

Us and the Golden Gate Bridge

Man it is hard biking on the bridge while taking pictures...

I nearly died!

Has there ever been a bad picture of Emily?

We tried to beat to boat to the point where it would cross under the bridge.

Beautiful coast. It started to get really cold.

"It's cold"...ditto.

A WW II cemetary near the marina

Another shot of the cemetary

Saying farewell to the Hotel Rex where we stayed.
What a sweet hotel! The people, service and room were great!
It was in the heart of downtown a block from Union Square.

We attended a stake conference near the Oakland Temple where we were
priveledged to hear Elder Nelson speak...talk about good timing!

We loved visiting with Adam and Adrienne (my sister and brother-in-law)!
Emily and Adrienne loved talking about babies.
This was just days before Adrienne's boy was born!

Trip to St. George (Feb. 29 - Mar. 1)

2008-02-29T18:12:00.001-07:00

Sitting in the oversized chair somewhere on the way to St. George.

Anyone know where this is? I can't remember.

Man, it fit all four of us (Emily, Christian, Mom E, Dad E)

Don't ask Greg who locked the keys in the car...he is just enjoying his ice cream :)

Was it Debra?

Hiking in Snow Canyon was beautiful!

The father/daughter pic

How about this for a cool pic.
I love being able to see the reflections of the clouds in this small pond.

Another cool picture. Shapes like these were all over

Where's Austin? This is the Highland Rugby Team

...and this was only on the way down!

my thighs were never big enough.

Dreams Do Come True

2007-11-18T21:30:00.000-07:00

On August 23, 2008 Emily Edmondson and I were married in the Salt Lake City Temple at 3:00 PM. But let's set the stage at least a little...

How do you describe the best day of your life? Well, women have been dreaming of the day since they were young girls and us men, though we may not spend time looking at cataloges or magazines, I have to confess, I too have been dreaming of this day for some time. Both Emily and I are getting married a little later than we expected, but looking back on our paths that led us to one another, we wouldnt have it any other way!

One of my favorite moments of the day was arriving to the Temple. After parking at the Joseph Smith Memorial, Emily and I were able to stop by the Lion House Cafe in the Joseph Smith Memorial building for a quick snack before we the ceremony and busy afternoon began. With dress, temple bags and all in hand we sat down for some sandwhiches and drinks in a table that had us facing west looking toward the temple.

As we sat down, in that moment it seemed that all of the hustle and bustle of the previous weeks had paid off. Both Emily were able to enjoy the peace of knowing we were suppose to be together forever. We were both impressed with the beauty of the day, the temple and the marvelous feelings of peace we felt before being sealed together. We both feel that this was Heavenly Father's moment to pull us aside from the events of the day, help us feel peaceful and prepared for what would occur within the next few hours.

Soon enough we were in the temple and being led in our different directions to be prepared for the sealing. Ironically, the temple couple that was escorting Emily and I were Brother and Sister Skousen - next door neighbors of my Dad while he grew up. While I waiting for Emily, Brother Skousen told me some pretty good stories about my Dad-they may come in handy ;)

Before we knew it we were in the Temple with the ones we loved. We wish we could have fit everyone in there but will never forget how special it was to have those that were with us. Not only did we have our immediate family with us but also close friends. I was particularly impressed that my close friend Brother Judd King was able to make it! Just two days before the sealing had donated his kidney to a cousin yet determined he would make it to the sealing got special permission to be there though he was in a lot of pain. Thank you Brother King. It meant so much to me to have you there!

There are fewer things on this earth that are more sacred than the feelings felt and words expressed during a sealing in the LDS temples. Elder Carmack who had served as my Mission President in the Porto Portugal Mission and also knew my grandfather Lorry Rytting sealed us.

The sealing was an unforgettable experience. The sealing is a ceremony in which one given the sealing power through the priesthood seals a couple together for all time and eternity rather than just mortality. In the beauty of Heavenly Father's house we made promises to each other which, if honored, will help us ensure that we return to Him, together. We both appreciated the clarity with which he spoke and the importance he expressed to the promises and blessings offered. In fact, those who were there will attest, this was one time where I may have beat Emily according to the number of tears that were shed.

After the ceremony we enjoyed greeting our family and friends but in those quit moments as we took pictures and walked around the temple grounds together, we knew that the most important event we had both dreamed about had already taken place - we had been sealed together for all time and eternity! The pictures, reception, we just the icing on the cake. I still find it hard to describe how wonderful August 23rd was for me.

While I can simply say that it was the best day of my life, it's simply impossible to describe through words how special this day was! As we reflect on the paths that led us to each other, we know those paths led us to the journey we are now starting together! We are excited and couldn't be happier to be together!

A HoneyMoon to Remember

2007-11-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

After the reception on the 24th, we were off! We were off to our honeymoon. The only hitch was Emily had no idea where we were going. Although we had discussed saving some time and money by staying close, Emily likes suprises so I didn't let her know what the plans were. WE headed east through the canyon in the direction of Park City and before long we had made it to the Marriott Mountain Side resort where we would stay for the next week. Thanks to my co-worker David Hunt, we were able to get a great deal on the room there. Thanks David!

It was amazing, although we were not far from Salt Lake or Provo, we still felt like were on a vacation, on our honeymoon. The blackberry was turned off and we were ready to party! Rather than give you a detailed agenda of what we did...I'll give you the agenda, without the details and call out some of the highlights for me, how does that work:

Saturday, Aug. 25: Shopping in Park City, Eating at 315 Main, Park City Jazz Festival
After having some sushi and a great Halibut meal at 315 main, we went to the Jazz Festival. We got there just at the right time that our meal was free. Yes! Always a bonus on a honeymoon. Anyone ever heard of India Arie? We fell in lover with her music and begin dancing along with the several other hundred of the people there.

Sunday, Aug. 26: Park City Tourist Ward, Our First Sabbath
Interesting. Who would have guessed that there was actually a ward in Park City, with a called Bishopric etc that serve a tourist ward. It was fun establishing the pattern of how the Sabbath would be for our family - a day of prayer, study, church meetings and walks

Monday, Aug 27: Park City Rides and Mines, Baja Cantina, Our First FHE
The Alpine Coaster was my favorite, individual rollar coaters down the mountain. Check out this great shot of Em while both of us were in motion! Later that afternoon we discovered one of our favorite Mexican restaurants - Baja Cantina. Not too expensive-great flavor!

The best highlight of the day though was having our first family home evening. We sang, "Familiar are Forever" and discussed how we would run family home evenings. This is one of the things I look forward to doing with Emily every week now!

Tuesday, Aug 28: Jordanelle Reservoir, Melting Pot, Josh Groban Concert
Nothing like going for a little canoe ride when the weather was so beautiful, just don't try building a sand castle in the shore of a Utah lake, we didn't have much success. Although we would highly recommend the food at the melting pot and going to a Josh Groban concert. We sat next to the Hawkins, a kind couple who had just returned from serving as the Mission President of the Honolulu Hawaii Mission. As we talked we ironically found out we were in their ward! We love the Hawkins, what a blessing it is to know them.

Wednesday, Aug 29: Helicopter Ride, Mountain Top Picnic, Starting our Marriage off Right!
Emily was surprised when she found out we would be going for a helicopter ride for the last day o our honeymoon. Little did we know how fun it would be! The highlight was landing on the top of a mountain near Provo Canyon, looking out at Timp. and having a picnic together (the pilot had left us for a little while :). We took a short hike to the Summit. I will never forget the feeling I had as we held each other and kissed - now I understand, to not loose the wonderful high perspective in our marriage that this week has given us!

It is fun to reflect on the honey moon and the great time Emily and I had together - another collection of memories for our family. We both felt the first week of our marriage was important due to the habits and patterns we would establish for our future family. We established those habits that continue to be the foundation of our marriage today. Needless to say, the honeymoon was a success!