The Richardsons

Christmas 2011

2012-01-02T14:06:00.000-08:00

Needless to say, this Christmas was much more eventful than last year. Jasper was so much more into the festivities and seemed to get quite a bit of enjoyment out of the day. We spent Christmas Eve in Cody with Brandon's family and got a fun vising from Gary & Stacia Linton and their two kids. Christmas Day brought church and a trip down to Worland, with a stop-over in Cowley to read some Christmas stories to Kerrigan, for Christmas with the Foulgers. We also solved to problem of Kerrigan's empty stocking, which made things a little easier for me this year. Last year it was so hard to see her little stocking sit empty on the wall, as it was such a strong reminder that we had lost her just a month prior. So this year, we bought some fun books that Kerrigan would have loved: a new version of "The Three Billy Goats Gruff," a story she had adored since Grandma & Grandpa Foulger gave her a copy of it for Christmas in 2009, and a "Dinosaur Train" book, as it was one of her absolute favorite shows! The books were wrapped, and addressed To Jasper, From Kerrigan. And each year, there will be story books for her siblings in her stocking, since she had such a deep love of books and a love for her brother that he will never know.

Jasper's One Year Pictures

2011-12-26T12:23:00.000-08:00

Jasper Hits the Big 0-1!

2011-12-13T18:34:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday, December 11, marked Jasper's first birthday! It's so hard to believe that a year has flown by so quickly! It truly seems like just yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital, so thankful to again have a little noise in the house. He is such a joy and a blessing in our lives and is truly our special gift from heaven. He's wonderful for helping to ease a grieving heart and makes life without Kerrigan easier to get through.

Jasper's getting to be such a little man and growing much, much too fast! He has discovered a new love of toy cars and stuffed dogs, spritz cookies and eggnog, and cheesy potato soup. He loves to crawl under and around the Christmas tree and rearrange his ornaments along the bottom of the tree. He's got a winning smile that could melt any heart and the most gorgeous blond curls I have ever seen on a little boy. I know they'll have to be cut someday, but until then, I'm hanging onto them for dear life!

Jasper's First Halloween

2011-11-01T08:45:00.001-07:00

MonkeyJazz Creations Blog

2011-10-30T21:25:00.000-07:00

MonkeyJazz Creations has a new home on Blogger! Some of my pieces are not offered through Etsy, so you can find any and all of my new creations here! http://monkeyjazz.blogspot.com

Family Pictures

2011-10-23T20:23:00.000-07:00

Over Labor Day weekend, amidst the hubub of Krista & Kyle's reception and Corbin's blessing, we managed to squeeze in a quick family picture session. My brother-in-law, Brandon, being the awesome photographer that he is, took these great pictures of the fam! It wasnt' something Brandon & I were particularly looking forward to, as it was the first time we'd "officially" had family pictures taken without Kerrigan. But we found a great way to include her in our pictures, even going so far as to changing the color of her shirt in the picture from pink to blue to match the rest of the family.

Crawling Along

2011-10-10T08:15:00.001-07:00

Since he was 6 months old, Jasper has wanted to be on the go! His favorite mode of transportation: walking around while someone held his hands up. Then he figured out that if he rolled around, he could get where he wanted to go without any help. Last week, he learned how to army crawl. And then the light bulb lit up and Saturday Jasper figured out how to crawl!!! I wasn't expecting him to crawl at all and to just go from rolling to walking, but he surprised us all!

Yellowstone

2011-09-30T08:22:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we took our annual trip to Yellowstone. We've been going at least once a year since Kerrigan was two months old. We were a little bit late this year as we just hadn't been feeling up to it but decided we needed to bite the bullet and carry on the tradition.

The day we went was beautiful in Powell. A little warm for my tastes (90 degrees), but nice nonetheless. By the time we got up to the park, it was about 11:00 and 85 degrees. However, by the time we got to Fishing Bridge, the temperature had dropped to 55 degrees and a storm started brewing. A little later, we had torrential downpour that turned into sleet, which morphed into hail and finally snow. We drove a little farther and by the time we got to Artist's Point, the sun was shining and we were back to 80 degrees. Needless to say we had traditional Wyoming weather in Yellowstone.

We really didn't do too much, since Jasper didn't want to be in the car. We basically stopped at Artist's Point, walked around the mud volcano and paint pots, and then made a pit stop at Old Faithful for ice cream. It was short and sweet, so hopefully next year's will be a little longer.

Krista Gets Married!

2011-08-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we traveled to Utah for Krista's wedding. We left Wednesday night in order to spend the night in Worland and cut 90 minutes off our trip the next day. Brandon and I had decided that when Jasper got up for the second time, we'd just give him a bottle, put him in his car seat, and let him sleep most of the way. Well, Brandon and I were both wide awake at 1:00, and Jasper didn't get up for the first time until 2:00 (which would put his second feeding at about 7:00 or 8:00), so we packed up and headed out by 2:30. Despite the ridiculously early hour, the drive was relaxing, as there was no traffic! We arrived in Ogden by just after 8:00!!

We spent the afternoon shopping and had a great family dinner at Chuck-a-Rama before turning in for the evening. The next morning brought about Krista & Kyle's wedding day, so it was off to the temple! The sealing session was great, and it's awesome to be adding another great member to our family! Welcome, Normster!!

During the photo session, we found a butterfly hovering around a nearby flower bed. I went over to check it out and discovered that it was a swallowtail, just like the one that we released at Kerrigan's campsite. It was nice to know that her little spirit was with us on such a wonderful day!

All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth!

2011-08-08T10:55:00.000-07:00

Jasper's first two teeth came in on August 1st. We had no warning, no indication...not even a fever or increase in drooling, nor an irritable personality or ER visit. I just happened to decide to check for teeth last Monday, and, lo and behold, two brand new teeth! Aren't the beautiful!?

Butterfly, Fly Away

2011-08-07T15:16:00.001-07:00

Last night we released a butterfly at Kerrigan's camp site. This was not just any ordinary butterfly. This butterfly was very, very special! It just so happens that last summer, Kerrigan and Opa found a caterpillar that was getting ready to make a chrysalis. They caught it and put it in a jar with a few sticks, and there it waited. When Kerrigan passed, the jar got moved to Aunt Jill's bedroom until Oma found it a couple days ago. Thinking that it was dead, she prepared to throw it away. But lo and behold, she saw movement and before long something began to emerge. For all any of us knew, it could have been an ugly moth or tiny little butterfly, but, no. It was a yellow and black beauty. Oma & Opa took the butterfly to her campsite where we released it. It had a bit of a difficult time sticking to anywhere as it had been stuck in the jar for so long. We finally moved it to the safety of her wreath so that it could have a little shelter from the storm that was blowing in. The last we saw, it was still perched on the wreath with its wings gently flapping in the breeze.

New Decor Inspiration

2011-07-31T12:46:00.001-07:00

For the past 6 years, I've had a red gingham couch. While I love it and think it's really cute, it tends to limit my decor options. Since we moved to Powell 4 years ago, I've decorated with red, green and yellow. However, I've been debating a change for quite a while now and have been shopping around for some great inspiration. A few days ago, I found some! I've decided to start redecorating using aqua/turquoise. I love the way it looks with red and how cheerful it makes things look! Heaven knows my house is in desperate need of some cheering up! Here's a few examples that I'm planning on working off...hopefully it'll come together the way I'm picturing it in my head (here's hopin'!)

Happy (Belated) 5th Birthday, Kerrigan!

2011-07-29T13:53:00.000-07:00

Nothing can prepare us for the kind of love we feel when our babies are put into our arms. And there is nothing in all of this life that can prepare a mom when she is seperated from that love. But that love always and forever remains in our heart.

Love you forever, Monkey! Happy 5th birthday!

Splish, Splash, Jasper's Takin' a Bath!

2011-07-24T08:24:00.000-07:00

Jasper got to have his very first bubble bath a few days ago!!

I honestly don't know who had a better time with it: Jasper with the bubbles, or Daddy with his camera!

In My Own Little Corner, In My Own Little Chair...

2011-05-17T17:47:00.000-07:00

I finally have a crafting room!!! Well...not so much a room as a space in the laundry/food storage part of the basement...but it's mine, nonetheless! We finally got all Brandon's tools moved out to the shed, the new shelving for food storage put up, the food arranged, and my little crafting area set up! It's not much, but it's already been used, and I find it so incredibly relaxing to be able to sit down and paint. Jasper's been taking 2-3 hour naps twice a day, which means that I've been able to get some great quality Mommy time!

I know that I've posted these on Facebook, but I just thought I'd show pictures of my new area and a few of the things I've created over the past little while!

My "June" monthly cutouts from The Wood Connection.

My "May" monthly cutouts from The Wood Connection!

Baby stackers for our YW Second Counselor's new baby

Splish Splash!!

My little table and most of my supplies

Future/current projects

My desk

Coming soon: The Richardson Family Road Trip!

Easter 2011

2011-05-04T15:56:00.000-07:00

I'm a little bit late for posting about Easter festivities, but better late than never, right? This year we spent Easter in Worland; we went up early and spent the night at my parents' house on Saturday, then went to church in our old ward. Afterwards, we came home and had our traditional Easter dinner of ham, funeral potatoes, rolls, rainbow Jell-o and frog-eye salad.

It's depressing that this is all I have to write about how we spent our holiday. There were no eggs to dye, no egg hunt on the front lawn, no frilly Easter dress, only one Easter basket, and no finger prints in the Jell-o. It's amazing how differently the holidays pass us now. We still feel an overwhelming sense of guilt for celebrating and having a good time when Kerrigan isn't there to enjoy it with us. We know that we have to move on in life and live like she would have wanted us to. In order to do this, I try to incorporate a little of her into holidays and family gatherings. For example, I was cleaning out kitchen cupboards during the week before Easter and came across a bag of the pastel colored, fruit flavored marshmallows that Kerrigan had begged me to buy way back in September. I couldn't bring myself to throw them away, so I incorporated them into our frog-eye salad. One of the hardest things for me was making the rainbow Jell-o salad. She l-o-v-e-d picking out the Jell-o colors and then telling me which order they went in. She loved it when I got our her stool and she got to put 5 handfuls of marshmallows into the Jell-o mix. Always 5 handfuls because her hands were so tiny! It was also one of the last activities that she and I had done together: making Jell-o salad for Thanksgiving. But we also have to look at Easter as the reason why we are a forever family. Because the Savior atoned for us and paved the way for the resurrection, our little girl will live again, and we will be together forever.

On a happier note, here's a few pictures of Jasper's first Easter:

We also got to carry on the Foulger family tradition of the first pickle. In tribute to my grandma Foulger, when the grandkids are about 4-5 months old, Grandpa gets the privilege of giving them their first taste of food (other than milk or cereal) by way of a pickle. I couldn't help but compare Jasper's face to Kerrigan's. Jasper wasn't too fond of the pickle...Kerrigan, on the other hand, went to town on the darn thing once she got over the initial shock of it.

35 Bags in 35 Days

2011-04-21T14:20:00.000-07:00

I have been dying to do another major purge of my house. Dying, itching, twitching...you name it, I've done it in regards to wanting to clean my house. I was browsing through blogs a few days ago and came across "40 Bags in 40 Days" (http://www.littlelucylu.com/2011/03/40-bags-in-40-days-challenge.html) and thought that it was a great goal for spring cleaning. Unfortunately, I couldn't come up with 35 places that I could go through, so I had to settled for 35. I'm posting a picture of my list and truly hope to be able to keep up with my goal! My mother-in-law plans to have a yard sale at the beginning of June, so it gives me yet another excuse to go through all our junk and do another yearly sweep! Wish me luck!

Wooden It Be Nice?

2011-04-01T17:49:00.001-07:00

I have created a new blog featuring my wood crafts. Eventually, I hope to offer these for sale on Etsy...but it'll take a bit of practice, but I've got nothing but time! You can find it at http://wooden-it-be-nice.blogspot.com

Blessing Day!

2011-04-01T09:48:00.001-07:00

We finally got to bless Jasper on Sunday (March 27)! We were waiting, not only for family to be there, but for his suit to fit! We got our familes all together, and Jasper's suit finally fit, even though the pants went up to his arm pits! Afterwards we had lunch at our house...I was very surprised that the entire house wasn't bursting at the seams! But everyone was able to fit comfortably, to my complete surprise!!

Me and my bugger!

Sooooo tired!

Not the greatest picture...Jazz looks kinda stoned!

Chilling with Grandpa!

And now for some more recent pictures of the bugger:

Isn't he such a handsome little boy?! He's such a wondeful, happy baby! I couldn't imagine my life without him; he's been such a joy to both Brandon and I, but I can't help but be a little proud of having a momma's boy!

Chuggin' Along

2011-01-20T18:06:00.000-08:00

While there really isn't much to report, I thought I might as well update and post some pictures of Jasper on the blog.

Things are pretty boring in the Richardson house. Jasper and I ended up spending most of last week in Worland visiting Grandma & Grandpa. We had a great time with my family, and Jasper even got to go to his first museum.

He's growing like a weed, and has already outgrown most of his newborn-sized clothes. This is something we're not used to, so it never ceases to surprise me how quickly he grows! He's such a wonderful baby...I absolutely love having such a cuddle bug! It's so hard to believe that he'll already be six weeks old on Saturday. In a way, it seems like time has just flown by, but on the other hand, it seems like we've had him forever and that he's always been a part of our lives.

Kisses for Kerrigan

2011-01-01T06:22:00.001-08:00

For those of you who haven't already heard, I've started a new blog called "Kisses For Kerrigan." You can find it at http://kissesforkerrigan.blogspot.com/ For a little bit, I was journaling about the loss of Kerrigan, but then I decided that a better, more productive outlet would be to blog about it. I don't want to make it depressing, so I plan to post pictures, videos, memories, and uplifting quotes about our sweet little girl. I hope it will help with the healing process; not just on my part, but for our family and friends, as well.

How Life Changes...

2010-12-28T18:44:00.000-08:00

"You are life,
And you lived.
You gave what you needed to give.
Forever ours. Forever His.
The greatest gift was always you."

It's hard to think that it's only been a month...one month, 3 days, 10 hours and 30 minutes as I write this opening sentence. To me, it seems like a lifetime, and not one that I am entirely eager to repeat. Granted, things have changed and things have remained the same, and our world has been turned on its axis more than once. But we're still holding on, still holding each other up, and still holding true to the faith that we know will lead us back to our daughter someday.

I'll be the first to admit that life isn't easy. In fact, there are days when it's downright unbearable. There are times when the tears come for no particular reason, and then there are times when I'll find something of hers in some random spot and I can't stop from breaking down. I break down over a toothbrush in the closet, while walking through the girls' toy aisle at Wal-Mart, over cheesy potato soup, whenever I hear the primary sing, and just about every time I see a little girl about her age. The worst times are at night as I sit in the nursery, rocking Jasper back to sleep. I can't help but think about how great a big sister she would have been, and how excited she was for Jasper to arrive. I know that they got to spend some time together between her leaving and his arrival, but I only wish that they had spent time together so that I could see.

With Jasper's arrival, it feels like I have two separate families. I feel guilty for having family pictures taken without her in them...almost like it feels like by doing so, we've cut her out of the family. We do everything we can to make it feel like she's still a part of our every day lives. We tell her "good night" before bed every night, placed a picture of her in Jasper's crib so that she can be watching over him, even leave her things lying around the house as much as possible. There are times when I can almost believe that she's just at preschool, then spending the night at her grandparents' house. Then there are the times when the house just feels so incredibly empty without her constant laughter and the sound of her feet running through the kitchen. I miss her happy cry of "Mommy!" as she wrapped herself around my leg when I picked her up from preschool or daycare.

Of course, having our new little addition helps to ease some of the pain. Jasper is an absolutely wonderful baby, and we couldn't be happier (in a manner of speaking). He's a joy to our family, and is everything we could have asked for in a son. Time will tell if it'll stick, but for now, in the short two and a half weeks that he's been with us, our lives have been so blessed. We know that Heavenly Father has sent us another choice spirit, and that he was specially prepared before being sent to us. Speaking of being sent to us, Jasper was born on 12/11/2010 at 5:00 p.m. He weighed 6 pounds, 12 ounces, and was 18-1/2 inches long. I was induced at 2:30 p.m. because the doctors suspected I was experiencing preeclampsia and my blood pressure was soaring. The labor was fast, to say the least. We figured Kerrigan was ready to kick Jasper out and slam the door behind him, as she so often did with family members who visited her bedroom.

Jasper's growing like a weed, having grown out of preemie clothes in a week and now filling out newborn sized clothes quite well. He's such a calm, easy-going baby, only crying when he's hungry or has messy pants. He's content to lounge around in his Boppy pillow or in his swing, or to simply snuggle up to Mommy or Daddy and just fall asleep. It's definintely taken some adjustment on Brandon's and my part because we're so used to having a child who was so demanding of our attention and who consumed every minute of our lives. We wouldn't have had it any other way, but starting over, seemingly from scratch, with a new little one has been a challenge. We're not first-time parents who are learning all of this for the first time, but it just seems odd to have just the three of us in the house...it hasn't been that way since 2006. It makes me wonder if we will ever have an earthly family of more than three.

As for Brandon and I...we're getting along. Brandon has taken a hiatus from the nursing program during the spring semester and will start back up again where he left off next fall. I'll be taking online courses through UW/Casper College and staying home with Jasper. We're still just trying to get by one day at a time. It's a long road that lies ahead and often times it feels like we'retaking two steps backward for every step we take forward. But it helps to have each other to lean on as we make our way along the path to our Celestial child and our eternal family.

Jasper's First Christmas

Kerrigan's Christmas tree at CRC Preschool

Kerrigan's Angel Tree

Even More Catching Up!

2010-11-10T18:01:00.001-08:00

We've got a lot of catching up to do, and since there's so much, I'm basically going to let the pictures do the talking!

Kerrigan started her second year of preschool at CRC, and loves it! She also got to start attending a second preschool at NWC. It's been good prep for kindergarten next year, since she goes to CRC from 8:15-10:15, has a short break at home, then to NWC at 11:00 until 4:30. It's been especially nice, since I've been doing my teaching practicum at the high school, so Kerrigan gets to spend less time in daycare and more time in school.

We've done some home improvements over the past few months in preparation for Jasper's arrival. We finished the basement family room/playroom, moved Kerrigan into the room formerly known as the playroom, and got the nursery finished. Here's some pictures of Kerrigan's new room.

Here's some pictures of the nursery, done in a dinosaur motif! (I couldn't help myself!)

And here are a couple pictures of the completed basement family room/playroom.

The latest happening around our house was Halloween. Not a huge deal, but here's a couple pictures. I'll post more when I get them from the in-laws!

We're over halfway finished with the semester, which means Brandon's almost 1/4 of the way finished with nursing school! Advising Day was this Tuesday, and Brandon got all registered for classes next semseter. It shouldn't be too stressful a semester, with only 9 credits worth of nursing classes in addition to digital photography, which is his "fun class." I'll be doing on-line courses through Casper College so that I'm able to work towards my Bachelor's and stay at home with Jasper. It'll be an entirely new experience for me, staying home full time, which is something I haven't done since the first year after Kerrigan was born.

Anyway, that's our update for now. Hopefully I won't be too long after Thanksgiving that I update again, and hopefully next time I update, we'll have a new addition to the family!

It's A Boy!!

2010-08-24T16:26:00.000-07:00

If you read our blog, you've probably already heard, but we had our ultrasound yesterday. Unfortunately, the little bugger was being unphotogenic (upside down and facing backwards), but we did manage to get the information that we've been anxiously awaiting! We're having a little boy! The newest member of the family, arriving in mid-December, is Jasper Moody Richardson!

Kerrigan's 4th Birthday

2010-07-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday (the 25th) was Kerrigan's fourth birthday. Talk about time flying! It was the third birthday that she's celebrated in Powell, and it seems they just get crazier with time! But, I guess I should be thankful that it's only one party a year. Come next year, I'll be doing two birthday parties a year! The theme for Kerrigan's party this year was "Christmas in July," thought up by my mom. I decided to go with it because of a running joke between Brandon and I. I love watching QVC's Christmas in July specials, and it just so happens that the day Kerrigan was born, they were showing them all day. Well, while we were hanging out in the delivery room, Brandon kind of became captain of the tv remote and refused to let me watch QVC. So, because I was the one in labor and doing all the work and he denied me my one simple pleasure, he's never been able to live it down, and I take joy in rubbing it in his face! So, without further ado, here's some pictures from Kerrigan's big day!

Catching Up

2010-07-18T19:32:00.000-07:00

Although nothing greatly remarkable has occurred over the past few months, I figured it was time for a brief update. First off, I had an ultrasound done on June 22 to finalize my due date (still December 11). The ultrasound machine is a little antiquated, so the picture isn't that great. But, here's the first picture of our new little bugger:

My next appointment is this coming Tuesday, during which we'll schedule our actual ultrasound and hopefully be able to determine whether we've got a little Jasper or Alora on our hands.

In other news, Kerrigan did a session of gymnastics this summer. Needless to say that she's not the most coordinated little girl out there (she is, indeed, her mother's daughter). We did managae to get a few pictures during one of her last classes.

We also went camping at Hyattville this past weekend with Brandon's parents. It was a pretty uneventful weekend, but we did manage to get a few pictures of Kerrigan goofing off around camp.

Nursing School!!

2010-05-08T17:30:00.001-07:00

Just a quick little blurb: Brandon got accepted into the nursing program at NWC today! Hooray!!

Easter Picture Catch-Up

2010-05-02T19:50:00.000-07:00

I had said in my last post that as soon as I got around to getting Easter pictures off Brandon's camera that I would post them here. Well, here they are. We celebrated Easter with the Richardsonsbon the Friday beforehand, since Kerrigan and I were planning to be in Utah over Easter weekend.

Mmmm...Peeps are yummy!
Basket head!

Kerrigan, the basket case!

Kerrigan got "The Princess and the Frog" from the Easter Bunny. She was sooo excited!

Going through her basket from the Easter Bunny.

Ready to go out and hunt eggs. Unfortunately, it was dark, cold, and windy!

Sitting down to Easter dinner.
Kerrigan couldn't contain her excitement about the rainbow jell-o...especially the blue layer!

Big News!!

2010-04-21T18:33:00.000-07:00

So, I guess it's time for our bi-monthly (or bi-yearly) update. While we wish things were slowing down, they are only doing the opposite. Brandon and I both have three weeks left in the semester, so we're counting down the days until summer! Unfortunately, Brandon didn't make it into the nursing program this year, but there's always next year! We just registered for classes for fall semester, and it'll be another busy one!

Now, on to catching up! Over Easter, Mom, Kerrigan, and I went down to Ogden to visit Krista. (Pictures of Easter will be posted later as they're still on Brandon's camera). While we were there, Kerrigan got to spend some time with her Skype pen-pal, Ari. We went to an AWESOME children's museum. We spent a couple of hours there, but Kerrigan could have easily spent all day. The only problem was the fact that she refused to spend more than two minutes in any exhibit other than the music room (which, for her, was heaven on Earth!)

The Easter Bunny even found Kerrigan in her hotel room (she was soooo surprised!)

Also, for my Valentine's Day present, Brandon got me tickets to "Walking With Dinosaurs: The Arena Spectacular." Basically, it's put on by the BBC, based on the documentary, "Walking With Dinosaurs," and featured life-sized animatronic dinosaurs in an arena show. All in all I thought it was pretty cool. Granted, there's no way to get absolute perfect movement or appearance, but it was well put together and really held my interest (I'm not so sure about Brandon).

(More videos to follow in the next post)

Brandon has also been hard at work doing some home improvement stuff. We had an awkward little alcove/space in the kitchen right as you walked in the back door. It never really made sense and was a source of frustration on my part the entire time we've been living here. Well, a few months back I had a grand epiphany to turn it into a closet. While we were in Utah, Brandon did some hard work and made me a fabulous closet!

I'm also helping out with the 2nd grade dinosaur unit at Parkside, something I haven't done since I was in 2nd grade. Kerrigan and I made trilobite cookies last week. Boy, were they yummy! (well, as yummy as extinct bugs can be)

And on to our big news: we're having a baby! We announced it to our families last week, and Kerrigan is very excited to get to be a big sister. The baby is due December 11th (which happens to be the weekend right before finals!). We'll post more information when we have it, which will hopefully be soon. Hopefully it'll give me incentive to keep up with regular posting!

A Lot of Catching Up!

2010-02-15T11:50:00.000-08:00

Yes, we're alive! No, we haven't fallen off the edge of the earth! We've just been incredibly busy (and my computer was being held hostage for a month by Best Buy). I know that we've got a whole bunch of catching up, and I'm going to try to get everything into this post, but I'm not making any promises!

So, I haven't updated for the past few big holidays. I'll go back to Halloween and a picture before continuing on to more recent happenings.

Then came Thanksgiving. I can't say that much happened. We spent Thanksgiving Day with the Foulgers and Stroms, then the day after with the Richardsons. We were able to do the annual Richardson family pictures while Dusty, Lauren, and Ella were up for the week.

Kerrigan loves it when her cousin, Ella, comes to visit! (Sorry for committing picture theft, Lauren, but it's just too cute a picture!)

Anyway, then came Christmas. I'm going to save myself some uploading time and just post a slideshow of these pictures. (Yes, I'm lazy. School has made me incredibly lazy as of late!)

There will be more coming soon. Homework is calling and the housework is piling up!

Vampire Origin Video: Angela's TwiCon Presentation Featured

2009-10-20T18:13:00.000-07:00

Hooray! I figured out how to embed the video! Here's a clip from last weeks' spotlight on the ReelzChannel:

New Moon Twilight Weekly: Spotlight | Movie Trailers

Angela on ReelzChannel Weekly Feature!!

2009-10-18T18:58:00.000-07:00

The Reelz Channel has posted this short blurp from my TwiCon presentation on vampire mythology. I know my part is only, like, 10 seconds long, but to be included in a video with Michelle Belanger (whose books helped me to write my paper) is incredible!

http://www.reelzchannel.com/trailer-clips/43153/twilight-weekly-spotlight-vampires

I apologize for not being able to embed the video, but Blogger seems to be taking issue with my posting of videos lately. If I figure out another way to post it, I'll get it up ASAP!

Slacking Off

2009-09-23T12:55:00.000-07:00

I apologize for not keeping up with my blogging like I should be. Life has been hectic, to say the least, for the past month.

Brandon has started college again. This time he's enrolled in the nursing program at NWC. Thankfully he's got an easy course load (though he'd be the first one to argue with me) with Anatomy/Physiology, Cultural Anthropology, and General Psychology. He's also pulling in 37 hours at work each week, so I have to commend him for both working and going to school full time! He's such a hard worker and I appreciate everything that he does for our family!

Kerrigan also started school this month. She's going to the Children's Resource Center preschool here in Powell. She's not too keen on not getting to stay home with Mommy all day, but she's getting used to the idea. She goes to school Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:30-10:30 in the morning. Her favorite part of school would be the pet bunny, Smudge. She also loves the pretend room because it has a huge kitchen set and she can play house 'til her little heart's content. She's also been going to daycare for a few hours every day, which has been a wonderful thing for her! Her language skills have improved exponentially and she's even made a new friend!

And why does Kerrigan go to daycare, you may ask (or not). I took a job as a paraeducator at Parkside Elementary here in Powell. I work mainly with at-risk students in kindergarten and first grade, with a little help in third and fifth grade sprinkled in for a change of scenery. I love it so far, although it's an adjustment working at the school that I attended for so long. An even harder habit to break is calling the other teachers by their first name instead of "Mrs. Something-or-other." I find myself in trouble several times a day because I just can't help it.

Not much else has been happening in our lives. School, school, work, and more school! We're busy and it seems like our time together gets shorter and shorter with each day, but we're enjoying trying out new things!

Here's some pictures from the past few months as well.

Kerrigan's first day of preschool

New wall color in the dining room

The world's most dangerous creature

Brandon's "GQ" pose at the Dinosaur Park in Ogeden

Me and Dimetrodon

Darien, Brandon & Krista about to do the suicide drop ride thing at Lagoon

TwiCon Write-up--Part 2

2009-08-06T14:08:00.000-07:00

Alrighty...where did I leave off?

So, Friday night was our "concert night." We were treated with the Mitch Hansen Band (Never heard of them? They write Twilight-inspired songs. I highly recommend "Number 3," "Jacob Black," and "She Is Brighter.") After the MHB, we heard 100 Monkeys' warm-up band, National Rifle. They were incredible, and for the first time in my life, I felt the ground shaking and almost thumping. Rebecca and I kept joking about the headlines the next morning detailing the collapse of the 2nd floor of the convention center. After National Rifle, we finally got to see 100 Monkeys perform. Now, I've listened to their music before, but it was nothing compared to seeing them live. They're so creative, so full of life, and so talented. With each song, every member of the band played a different instrument (drum, bass, lead guitar, bongos, trumpet, banjo, egg-shaker). They didn't do any improve for us, but what they did play was unbelievable. I did manage to get a few pictures of Jackson Rathbone! However, the concert was cut short by an immature fan throwing a rolled-up shirt onto stage, which almost hit Jackson in the head. We sacrificed an incredible concert because one person couldn't control themselves and behave!

Day 3: Saturday

What a relief to not have to rush through the morning! Rebecca and I were able to take our time getting ready Saturday morning, and good thing too, as it was our morning to take pictures with a couple of the actors: Peter Facinelli (Carlisle) and Jackson Rathbone (Jasper). Thankfully there really weren't any lines for pictures, as only 65 pictures were allowed per actor. We were, however, threatened within an inch of our lives if we basically so much as breathed around the actors. A little nerve-wracking, I believe! But they were so sweet and so cute! Peter kept trying to get Rebecca and I to come closer to him, but with the Nazi-like volunteer and security watching your every move, we didn't dare come within a few inches of him. Jackson was all smiles and was such a sweetheart. He tried to strike up a conversation with us and ask how everything was going, but we were shut down by the volunteer handlers. Anyway, what little interaction we did have with these two wonderful men was above and beyond anything I could have expected.

After pictures, we went to the Q&A, which was the BIGGEST debacle of the entire weekend. We ended up waiting in line for an hour after the event was supposed to start. Once everyone got in, we were an hour and a half past starting time. So, imagine our surprise when the Q&A was cut down to only half an hour (27 minutes to be exact) from the original hour it was supposed to be. I think Peter's face says it all:

I'm going to see how many highlights I can remember, then post a couple of videos from YouTube. When asked how he took the character of Jasper to a darker level for "New Moon," Jackson told us about Peter's "Birthday Technique" of acting. Apparently, Peter's brainchild of the best acting method is to approach every scene like it's your birthday. If it's a happy scene, you've just had the best birthday party of your life. If it's a sad scene, it's your birthday, but nobody remembered. If you've got to be all emo and depressed, it's your birthday, people remember it, but they throw a party with all of your best friends, and don't invite you. Of course, they're joking through the whole answer, but it was pretty amusing. The scariest part of the Q&A was when Peter made a paper airplane, then "flew" it out into the audience by running down the aisle. When he returned to the stage a few moments later, he claimed that it was the scariest moment of his life, it sounded like a good idead at the time, and he didn't think he would make it back. Anyway, here's a couple of videos to show things better than I can explain them:

Peter's Airplane

After the Q&A came autographs. I don't really have anything to report here...just my autographed picture of Jackson to show.

After autographs and dinner, I hurried to get ready for the Meet & Greet, which was basically speed-dating with the cast of the movie. While on my way there, I ran across Peter buzzing around the hallway on a Segway. If you watch, I make an appearance at the end of the video (pink top, black skirt):

I don't have any pictures of my own from this event, since it was a stricly no-camera zone. However, since we had an empty spot at our table right next to me, I got to sit next to all but one of the guests (We missed Jackson at our table). Peter Facinelli, who is big on Twitter, told us he was initially unsure of the site because he thought "twitter" sounded like a dirty word. He also told us about his daughters (he has three, aged 10, 6, and 2). Kellan Lutz (Emmett) arm-wrestled a girl at my table and let her win. Billy Burke (Charlie) told us about the first time he met Kristen Stewart (Bella), Alex Meraz (Paul of the Wolf Pack) told us about his eighteen-month-old son and getting into acting. He's so energetic about his part and being a member of the fandom. Christian Serratos (Angela) told us about some jewelry that she and her mother are designing. We also got to chat briefly with the hand model from the cover of "Twilight." Here's a few pictures that I've snagged from other people:

Alex Meraz, Christian Serratos, Jackson Rathbone, Peter Facinelli, Billy Burke (Kellan Lutz was late as he stayed @ his autograph table until everbody's autograph had been signed)

If you look carefully, you can see me almost in the exact center of the picture wearing a light pink silk top and looking down at the table (3rd table back).

Peter arriving at the Meet & Greet

Jackson arriving at the Meet & Greet

After the Meet & Greet, we got ready for the ball. We didn't go all out, like many other people did, as we were only staying for a short while. We had tickets to a concert that night at a local pub.

Mine & Allison's masks @ the ball

Before the ball got started, we got to hear Sam Bradley, Marcus Foster, and Bobby Long sing. My pictures didn't turn out too well, but here's a few:

Also, here's a video of Sam Bradley singing my favorite song, "Too Far Gone" (it's not my video, so therefore not my singing. I was on the other side of the stage)

After their set, we made our way out to their meet & greet. I got pictures with Sam & Bobby, but, like an idiot, completely spaced getting my picture with Marcus.
Bobby Long & Me

Sam Bradley & Me

More to come tomorrow (My night out at Poor David's Pub). If you haven't already, check out my TwiCon write-up part 1.

TwiCon Write-up--Part 1

2009-08-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

I returned late Sunday night after a long, hectic, stressful, exciting, and fun-filled weekend in Dallas. There was so much to remember and not enough space left in my brain to recall it all, so I'm going to give the best run-down that I possibly can. Because of the amount of pictures and videos, I'm going to do this in two separate posts.

Day 1: Thursday

Thursday marked the beginning of our TwiCon experience. Well, technically, Wedesday did, since that's when I arrived in Dallas and met up with my roommate, Rebecca. We did dinner at a Macaroni Grill (or something to that effect), then spent the night getting rested and ready for the next day.

This is just a small taste of the registration lines that we faced. Think of cramming approximately 2500 people into a room the size of your average church gym. We waited in line for approximately two hours before getting our registrations finalized. We then made our way into the Vendor Hall, where there were tables set up with TwiCon merchandise, jewelry, Twilight Sweetheart candies, and some scrapbooking items.

Thursday culminated in a welcoming ceremony, which wasn't really anything note-worthy. If anyone is familiar with Evil Iguana Productions from YouTube, they debuted their new parody, which was pretty amusing.

It was at this time that we realized how terrifying it can be to try to find food in Dallas. Unlike anywhere I've ever been, downtown Dallas basically shuts down at 6:00. We went to try to find food at about 8:30, 9:00-ish, which was an endeavor in and of itself. Rebecca met a wonderful girl named Allison while in line at registration, and Allison offered to go with us to find food. While on our expedition, we ended up in a part of Dallas that nobody should go into. We made sure doors were locked on the car and that we didn't make eye contact. Our search for a KFC lead us to an empty, abandoned lot right in the middle of the Dallas ghetto, I guess you could call it. Needless to say, we eventually found a Wendy's ten minutes later. After that, there were no more expeditions for food outside the hotel, save for a Subway two blocks away.

Friday--Day Two

Friday was my freak-out day! I was supposed to donate blood that morning, but not wanting to be dizzy and light-headed for my presentation, on top of being stuck in a line all morning, my donation never was made. Rebecca and I waited in line to get autographs for 100 Monkeys, an eclectic-type band that is famous for their on-the-spot improvisation, and is also headed by Jackson Rathbone (Twilight's Jasper Hale). It was this first "big" thing that made us realize that things were not going anywhere near as smoothly as they should be. Jackson announced that he wanted to come sign autographs with his band, but when the head honchos of the convention wanted to charge $20 for his autograph, he refused to come out and sign. We did eventually get autographs from the other three members: Ben Graupner, Ben Johnson, and Jared Anderson.

*The line for 100 Monkeys autographs

*75% of the 100 Monkeys band (Ben, Ben, Jerad)

Immediately after getting out of the 100 Monkeys line, I retreated to my room to run through my presentation a few times. I got to the room where the panel was to be held and was shocked to see how many chairs had been set up. Now, of course, they were also set up for the 100 Monkeys concert that night, but still...it gave my heart a jolt. Thankfully, we were able to sit down for our presentations, or else I would have more than likely passed out on the spot. I was amazed to find how comfortable I was giving my presentation while sitting down. It went great, even though I was boo'ed at the beginning (Ok, so I said that "real vampires don't sparkle," which was the topic of my presentation...apparently it didn't sit so well with people. Thankfully it was easy to tell they were joking). The other two papers that were presented along with mine focused on shape-shifter myths around the world and also in the Native American cultures, and a paper proposing a theory about Jacob's imprinting on Renesmee (Her paper was entitled "There Is No Team Jacob" and talked about how the only reason Jacob and Bella ever had any chemistry or attraction between them is because Bella carried 1/2 of Renesmee's DNA. It was a really interesting paper, and I can't wait until she gets it online so that I can read it in its entirety). We also had a native Quileute story teller come and relate some of the stories passed down through her grandfather. I wish I were able to re-tell them with 1-1/10th the charisma and talent that she did, but I won't even attempt it. It was definately something you had to see and hear in person in order to appreciate it.

Me & Anita Wheeler, our Quileute storyteller

After my presentation, I high-tailed it up a few floors to the Sam Bradley, Marcus Foster, and Bobby Long meet-up room. For those who don't know who these young men are, Sam Bradley co-wrote, with Robert Pattinson, the song "Never Think" from the "Twilight" soundtrack. Marcus Foster and Bobby Long co-wrote the song "Let Me Sign," also from the soundtrack, and both performed by Robert Pattinson. They are all British singer/songwriters, and are incredibly talented. It was in this room that I had my one and only "fangirl" moment when meeting Sam Bradley, my favorite out of the three and my musical obsession at the moment. I had printed off 8x10's at home for them to sign, which seemed to take all three by surprise. Sam was surprised by the quality of the picture and kept turning it over in his hands and examining it. He took a bit to decide the perfect place in which to put his signature. Next, I met Marcus Foster. TwiCon marked his first tour in America, and it was obvious to see that he was nervous and flustered, especially with all the crazy girls around. He autographed my picture twice, once in black, then again in silver once he realized the black wouldn't show up. Bobby Long asked, very nicely I might add, if he could grafitti my picture as well as sign it.

Sam Bradley

My autographed picture of Sam Bradley.

Marcus Foster

My autographed picture of Marcus Foster.

Bobby Long

My autographed and graffitied picture of Bobby Long

Kerrigan's Third Birthday

2009-07-27T14:10:00.000-07:00

Kerrigan had her third birthday on Saturday, so we thought we'd post a few pictures and videos from the party.

The Abby Cadabby cake that I made.

Another view of the cake.

TwiCon Fanfiction

2009-07-08T09:41:00.000-07:00

I've had a few people request to read my Top 10 Fanfiction, so I've decided to post it on our blog. Keep in mind that this was just for fun and was written in about an hour duing a slow, boring night at work.

Here's the writing prompt: The Twilight Saga is complete, and Edward and Bella have finally reached their happily ever after. Their future is bright with endless possibilities, but it is certain that their adventures are not over. In addition to the joys of marriage, they have a child to raise, new alliances and relationships to forge and develop, and the never-ending pressure of the Volturi’s next move. The Cullens are poised to become a leading force in the vampire world, and their morals and ethics demand that they not stand idly by any longer.

Look ahead to Edward and Bella’s Centennial Anniversary, 100 years after the events of Breaking Dawn; what is their life like? How has their relationship changed? Where have they lived and what have they endured? How are the werewolves and how have they played out their part in this life? Has the face and fate of the Cullen family changed as they come to the close of their first century together?

In 3000 words or less, give us Bella’s story of the years following their wedding, the birth of their daughter, and the confrontation with the Volturi. Let her tell us about each of the members of their family and friends, their contributions to shaping their current life, and the prospects for the future. Explore the possibilities of what the Cullens’ destiny will be, with a focus on the one thing that has gotten them through their many trials and tribulations: Love.
~*~

"Centennial Sunset"
By Angela Richardson

I sat in darkness for an immeasurable amount of time. Not complete darkness, as I could faintly make out the soft sunset filtering through the heavy fabric that covered my eyes. The quiet thrumming of the car's engine was the only sound that my ears registered. Normally the silence wouldn’t have mattered to me, but something about it today was driving me mad. Something about the way Edward had looked at me when our trip had started told me that today would be different. It was true that immortality had significantly increased my patience and, in turn, my tolerance for secrets, but today my limits were being tested.

There had been months of whispering and glances stolen over the shoulders of my family members. I had never been left out of anything; Edward made sure of that. It was precisely this matter that had me most perturbed. Edward never kept secrets from me. Neither did Alice, for that matter, but I was positive that she and Edward had been conspiring for some time now. I was also positive that everyone else was in on it, too.

I let out an exasperated sigh and leaned my head against the cool leather headrest of my seat. Edward's grip slightly increased on my hand as he squeezed it. Whether it was to reassure me that my patience would be rewarded or to silence my sighs, I didn't know. To be honest, I didn't really care. My endurance was growing thin.
"It won't be much longer, love," he whispered, lifting my hand to his lips. He kissed it, and I couldn't help but smile. I was momentarily content. I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold everything in without screaming.

As soon as the words left his mouth I felt the car decelerate and slow to a stop. I heard Edward’s door open, shut, and then my own door repeated the pattern. The scent of damp soil was the first to hit me as soon as Edward opened the car door. He took my hand and gently led me outside. Though I had been blindfolded for the past few hours in his vain attempt to keep our destination a surprise, I knew exactly where we were in that moment. The distant sound of birds chirping in the trees and children giggling in a street wrapped my ears in long-absent serenity. Within that same instant, I was bombarded with a wave of forgotten scents: sharp salt water, crisp pine, hearty hemlock, earthy moss, and a delicate floral and citrus note wafting above all the others. We were in Forks, and Alice had been here.

Not wanting to let on that I had figured out his surprise, I turned to Edward. "Where are we?" I asked as innocently as I could.

"You’ll see," he smirked as he led me forward. "We’ve got a little bit of a walk ahead of us."

Now I was confused. A walk? Where? Was he honestly expecting me to parade after him, blindfolded and tagging along like a toddler? As he led me slowly and cautiously, my question was answered. Yes, he did.

Thankfully, instead of making me blindly trudge after him, Edward swept me onto his back and began to run. I was momentarily jealous that he was the one running while I merely hung onto him, feeling like a sloth hanging on the back of a cheetah. But I was more liability than asset in this particular situation, so I let Edward take control and whisk me off to whatever surprise he had concocted.

As luck would have it and as Edward had promised, I did not have much more time to wait. Gently he lowered me from his back and planted my feet firmly on the spongy ground. Even through my dark heavy blindfold I could tell that sunlight was pouring through a canopy of trees. I could hear the quiet babbling of a stream and smell the mellow note of wildflowers floating on a light breeze.

"Are you ready?" he asked, moving to step behind me. I nodded and raised my hands to the blindfold as he untied it. If I had still been human, my breath would have hitched in my throat and my heart would have skipped a beat. But since I hadn’t been human for some time, all I could do was stare in wide-eyed wonder at the unbelievable beauty that surrounded me. In my life, there were two things I could count on to never change: my love for Edward, and the eternal green of the Pacific Northwest. And here I stood, completely engulfed by both.

Our meadow, warm and bright and green. It hadn’t changed in the century since Edward had first brought me here. My eyes almost refused to register the swaying yellow and purple wildflowers, the dust motes spinning and shining in the sharp rays of light that passed through the leaves of the trees overhead. My memory paid it absolutely no justice. The meadow’s splendor was to me like seeing Edward’s face for the first time with my new eyes. I thought I had remembered it, reveled in its majesty, and known every facet, every blade of grass, every rock. I had been blind before. I whirled around to wrap Edward up in my arms, but in the midst of my sensory revelry he had slipped away. A few leaves rustled on their branches through the clearing where Edward had gone, and on a large rock behind me was a white envelope. I shook my head as I went to pick it up. I sat on the rock and slid my finger under the lip of the envelope. Cautiously I removed the paper inside and unfolded it. It was a map. I had to laugh. Edward had given me a treasure map, marked with numbered steps, landmarks around the meadow, and a giant X at the far end. I shook my head and set the map on the rock.

"No cheating!" I heard his voice call from somewhere in the forest.

Darn.

Huffing a sigh I snatched up the map and deftly followed his detailed instructions. Seventeen steps to the left. Twenty-four steps to the large patch of clover. Three steps past the boulder at the opposite end. He had me wandering aimlessly around the entire meadow. It was pointless. It was annoying. It had "Alice" written all over it.

At exactly three steps past the boulder, a large X had been painted on the grass. Of course. Alice never did things half-way. Lying next to the X was a small shovel. It seemed a bit strange that Edward would have me on my hands and knees, digging in the ground. It seemed even stranger that Alice would have allowed it, knowing it would ruin her glamorous fashions. However, I was not about to argue with either of them. I loved Edward too much to ever be upset with him, and I had learned through the years to just let Alice have her fun.

Soon enough I had a hole big enough to reveal a box. Not just any box. A heavy wooden box ornately carved and inlaid with mother-of-pearl and encrusted with large jewels and gold trimmings. I recognized it in an instant: it had been a gift from Aro nearly a century ago. Until this moment I hadn’t thought about it for years, merely resigning to my belief that it had been lost or misplaced through our consequent moves. How fitting that it was now buried deep in the ground, caked with mud, forgotten and nearly worthless.

A smile crept over across my face as I thought about the Volturi. Beaten, defeated, humiliated, and all but vanished from our world. It almost made me giddy as the memory of their retreat crossed my mind. We had won, and in winning, we had secured a new future for our kind: a future free of oppression, a future free of fear.
Though in the beginning of the Volturi’s fall from grace, there had been whispers of rebellions and uprisings, of finally being able to secure the vampires’ place in the world once and for all. But for all the secretive murmurings of the insubordinate, there were twice as many warnings. Warnings of a clan larger and stronger than the Volturi, a clan who had made the Volturi dissolve their claim as rulers over our world. We knew full and well that we were not larger in number; we were no more powerful than the Volturi by ourselves. But with the help of our friends and their pledges of allegiance in helping us and upholding the laws of our kind, there were reasons to be fearful. Reasons the rest of our kind could not fully comprehend.
I shook the thought from my head. This was no time to think about them. Today was a happy day. Today was my anniversary. Today I celebrated one hundred years of marriage to Edward. Today I would enjoy anything that he had done for me, even if it meant digging in the dirt, alone and miles from civilization, for no apparent reason other than my love for Edward and my fear of Alice’s wrath.

Cautiously I lifted the lid from the box, inexplicably nervous about what I would find. The box was filled to the brim with paper, yellowed with time and smelling of age. One by one I gently lifted the paper from the box. Love letters written from Edward to me, wedding announcements to Rosalie and Emmett’s numerous ceremonies, diplomas declaring numerous degrees from unnumbered colleges, papers from Renesmee’s first time through high school, the announcement of her marriage to Jacob. Faded and delicate, they felt as if they might crumble in my hands.

I sifted further into the pile and pulled out a thick folder that was wrapped with a red satin ribbon. On top of this stack was the invitation to my own wedding, the beginning of Edward’s and my life together. I untied the ribbon and let it drift to my feet. This pile was entirely different from the one before; instead of holding the repeated memories of my immortal family, things that could and would be done time and time again, this pile held the one-time memories of my human family, my human friends: engagement announcements, wedding invitations, birth announcements, obituaries. I hadn’t seen any of these. Angela, Mike, Ben, Jessica, the Quileutes…they were all here.

I smiled as I quickly flipped through the stack of wedding announcements. Mike and Jessica had been married about a year after Edward and me, with Angela and Ben following not far behind. Children had been next and I couldn’t help but giggle with surprise as I read of the birth of Angela’s own twin boys. Mike and Jessica’s divorce notice was of no surprise to me. Neither was their second engagement announcement. But a second divorce notice and third wedding announcement had me shaking my head in astonishment. I felt a stab of guilt as my fingers shuffled through the obituaries of my friends, my father, my mother, Phil, everyone who had said goodbye to me years ago but to whom I had never said my goodbyes.

At the bottom of the pile was my own obituary. I held it in my hands, felt the weight that it suddenly had. My eyes scanned the words, taking in Alice’s carefully fabricated story. Two young college students. Promising lives cut short. Car swerving off the icy road…a frozen river below. No bodies recovered. Nothing to mourn over. Nothing to say goodbye to. Our funeral was the last time I had ever seen my mother. My last memory of her was burned into my brain. I could only remember her face, tear-stained and half hidden in Phil’s shoulder, her body, shaking with sobs, and her heart, broken with the loss that she faced. I had watched her from a distance, Edward’s arm wrapped around me.

"It’ll be easier now," he had reassured me. I had wanted to badly to believe him, but watching the pain I had inflicted on everyone that I had loved, I couldn’t be so sure. As much as I hated it, it had to be done. I had to die to live. Die to love. Live to love. It was a vicious cycle.

Sifting through everything, I couldn’t help but remember what he had once told me: "It gets easier. After a few decades everyone you know is dead. Problem solved." He had been right. We had stayed in contact with the Quileutes through the years. They passed on information to us about how the tribe was doing, how my father was holding up, when new little additions came into the families we had grown to know and love. It continued this way for almost fifty years until our friends grew too old to communicate with Jacob anymore. We only knew that their numbers grew fewer and fewer until one day Jacob told us that he heard nothing but silence. Our old world had died and it was time for us to make our place in a new one.
I set the stack beside me and rifled through the remaining items in the box. How Alice had managed to collect all these was beyond me. Scattered through the remaining items were a few faded postcards, each marking a temporary home for us. Kellispell, Montana. Birmingham, New York. Elkins, West Virginia. Alaska. Never
once had we returned to the Pacific Northwest. Until now.

At the bottom of the box, hidden in a corner, was Renesmee’s locket, still glistening and gold. More than my own life. Everything in this box meant more to me than my own life. It was a link to my past, a thousand memories I had missed out on and would never let go. I picked the necklace up and laced my fingers through the chain and gently traced the inscription.

The sun had begun to set behind the trees and shadows stretched their long fingers across the meadow. Twilight. The saddest part of the day, Edward had once said. However, I couldn’t bring myself to feel any remorse as the day settled to a close and night began to creep in.

"A night for celebrations?" A soft voice behind me etched the question into the velvet air.

I rose to my feet and saw Edward making his way across the meadow to me. The sun’s last rays shimmered on his skin and I couldn’t remember a time, in my human or immortal life, when I had ever seen him look more beautiful as he did this very moment.

His arms were outstretched, openly waiting for me to fill them. I happily obliged, closing the distance between us in three long strides. I smiled with contentment as his embrace closed around me.

"A night for remembering," I whispered into his chest. He kissed the top of my head
and squeezed me close to him.

"Did you enjoy your surprise?" he asked. I raised my face to look him in the eye.

"Immensely," I replied as I stood on the tips of my toes to kiss him. He smiled through the kiss and when I opened my eyes there was a familiar crooked half-smile lighting up his face.

"What?" I asked, now more suspicious that ever. What more could there possibly be tonight? He had already given me enough. He was already everything I could ever want, everything I could ever need.

"Alice had one more surprise for you."

"More digging?" I asked, skeptically cocking an eyebrow. "Please tell me there’s no more digging involved."

Edward chuckled lightly and turned me around until I was facing the opposite end of the meadow.

"Wait here. I’ll be right back," he promised. He took my hand briefly, allowing himself enough time to kiss it before he ran off. "Five seconds."

A century had passed me by in an instant, but those five seconds crawled by with leaded feet. Time couldn’t pass fast enough until I had Edward by my side once again. Somewhere in the distance I heard hushed voices and a high-pitched giggle. Alice! The leaves began to rustle around the place where Edward had left, and one by one they began to file into the meadow. Alice and Jasper, Carlisle and Esme, Rosalie and Emmett. Trailing a few steps behind and walking at a slightly slower pace than the rest were Renesmee and Jacob, hand in hand. Edward was on their heels, a huge grin plastered on his face.

My feet could no longer stay in their place. It was as if wings were carrying me from where I stood and placing me in the arms of my family. Embraces were exchanged, greetings given, and I knew at that time that our family would never be separated. We were all together, together in the place where everything in my life had started. It was this place that I first fell in love with Edward. It was here that we chose to begin our lives together. And it was here that we celebrated the lifetime of love and devotion that we had been so blessed with.

Gently, Renesmee took her locket from my hand and fastened it around my neck.

"Happy anniversary, Mom," she whispered before giving me a kiss on the cheek.
Jacob smiled at her, and then pulled her close to his side. He draped his other arm over my shoulder in half an embrace.

"Happy anniversary, Mom," he teased.

Edward made his way into the center of the circle and swept me up into a deep, passionate kiss. "To an uncertain future," he whispered, turning both of us to face our family. As I watched them, I knew there would never be a happier moment for the rest of my existence.

"To an eternal love," I sighed before wrapping a tender kiss around Edward’s lips.

More Catch Up!

2009-06-19T06:39:00.001-07:00

I am REALLY slacking off on this! Here's our update from Dusty's med school graduation in Denver, our trip to both the Denver and Billings zoos, and our first trip to Yellowstone this year.

Dusty's Graduation

The Denver Zoo

The Billings Zoo

Yellowstone--May 2009

Video Catch Up!

2009-05-15T19:05:00.000-07:00

So, this is going to be a GIANT video post! I've been slacking off with posting, and my camera is full of video, so...here you go!

Here's a few videos of Kerrigan riding horses with Daddy:

Riding her trike and showing off her new helmet:

Getting ready for a bike ride down at the Dog Ponds (and sporting her new, less expensive helmet):

More peek-a-boo in the closet:

Some general nonsense (she actually talks quite clearly in this one):

Helping Mommy make chicken strips by smashing corn flakes:

Watching videos of herself on the computer:

She figured out how to blow bubbles in her milk today:

Karaoke with Elmo:

Silly Little Girl

2009-05-02T19:23:00.000-07:00

I haven't updated in a while, simply because there is absolutely nothing going on that is worth updating! So, I decided to post a video of Kerrigan playing in the closet. She loves to hide in the linen closet, pop out, say a few incoherant words, then close the door and repeat the process. Thankfully, she can entertain herself in this manner for at least twenty minutes, so I guess I can't complain!

Easter Sunday

2009-04-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

We spent Easter in Worland this year, as it'll be our last full-family holiday for about a year. Sha's husband, Brandon, is being deployed to Kuwait next week, so it was a last chance for everybody to be together. Grandma Strom, Rudy, Dorine, Dejah and Ethan joined us from Cowley, much to Kerrigan's amusement. She made fast friends with her great-uncle Rudy (I think it's mainly because he brought puppies with him). Here's a few pictures from our weekend:

Here are some videos, as well:

There will be more soon. It's taking forever for them to upload!

Hawaii Videos Are Fixed!

2009-03-20T16:47:00.000-07:00

My mom brought it to my attention that none of my videos from Hawaii were showing up on our blog. I finally had a few minutes in which to fix this problem, so they are now up for your viewing pleasure! See our blog entry: "Hawaii, Part Two" to see them!

Kerrigan's New Favorite Song

2009-03-10T16:54:00.000-07:00

Kerrigan's Beauty Tips

2009-03-10T15:15:00.000-07:00

I don't think she's doing it quite right...

Either I'm doing something wrong or she's watching the wrong instructional videos

8 Things

2009-03-07T17:03:00.001-08:00

8 Favorite TV shows
1. America's Next Top Model
2. House
3. Semi-Homemade
4. Everyday Italian
5. Barefoot Contessa
6. Little House on the Prarie
7. Boy Meets World (but it's not on anymore)
8. Secret Life of the American Teenager

8 Things I did yesterday:
1. Washed laundry
2. Folded laundry
3. Washed dishes
4. Took a nap
5. Rented a few movies
6. Made dinner
7. Played blocks and dolls all afternoon
8. Convinced Brandon that I had nominated him for "What Not To Wear"

8 Things I look forward to:
1. A good night's sleep
2. Homemade chicken noodle soup for dinner
3. Getting over this cold
4. Going to Worland in a couple of weeks
5. Krista coming home to visit
6. Kerrigan starting daycare
7. Going back to school
8. Working

8 Favorite Restaurants:
1. Applebee's
2. Olive Garden
3. Wendy's
4. Quizno's
5. Ranchito
6. Sunset House
7. There was a really good place on Kauai that made the best sandwiches and French toast...but I can't remember the name
8. Pizza On The Run

8 Things on My Wish List:
1. New books
2. Going back to school
3. Knee replacement surgery
4. To be busier at work
5. For potty training to be over
6. Cook more meals
7. Sleep
8. Chocolate

I tag:
1. Jill
2. Emily
3. Lauren/Dusty
4. Stephanie
5. I don't know any other blogs
6.
7.
8.

Kerrigan's New Nap Location, Happy & Sad

2009-03-03T06:51:00.001-08:00

I took these videos before we left for Hawaii and am now just getting around to posting them. I've been such a slacker when it comes to this blog...I'm horrible!

Kerrigan's New Favorite Nap Spot

Happy and Sad

Chiropractor In Training

2009-03-01T18:45:00.000-08:00

Kerrigan loves to help Opa give Daddy an adjustment!

Hawaii, Part Two

2009-02-23T14:11:00.000-08:00

Here is a more in-depth look at our vacation in Hawaii. First, some videos from some of our activities:

Back From Hawaii

2009-02-13T19:37:00.000-08:00

This post will be ongoing as it'll take a while for me to get everything organized.

Last week, we went to Kauai for the Associated Foods trip. Usually the trip only includes my family, my uncle's family, and my grandparents. However, this year, the WHOLE Foulger family was invited! All 36 of us. We had the entire family there (with the exception of Kerrigan), and it was so wonderful to get to see family members that I haven't seen in years.

Anyway, here's a brief slideshow of some of the pictures from the trip. I will have a more indepth posting hopefully tomorrow (I hope to get some videos up as well). Until then, please enjoy!

Angela is a Nerd!

2009-01-19T17:38:00.000-08:00

It's no surprise to anyone to hear me described as a "nerd" or "geek." I've been that way my entire life, and it's a personality trait I embrace. However, I have soared to new nerdy heights this week.

About five months ago, I heard about TwiCon, a Twilight convention being held in Dallas this coming July/August. I thought it sounded like fun, so I hemmed and hawed over buying a ticket. While reading through the formal programming itinerary, I came across a statement announcing that they were accepting academic papers on various topics to be presented in panels and roundtable discussions while at the convention. Well, delving into my lifelong love of vampires (insert nerd joke here), I decided to do a little research on vampire myths throughout the world. After three months of research and countless hours logged in the NWC library, I finished my paper: 25 pages (not counting a 6 page bibliography) and 6743 words. Now, having been out of college for several years, I consider this quite a feat. I won't go into all the teasing and harrassing I got from my husband...however, I will say that he was very supportive of me through my months of temporary insanity.

To my surprise, yesterday I received an e-mail from the director of formal programming. My paper was accepted, and I will be presenting it in a panel during the convention. Here's where my nerves kick in: they are expecting 2500 people to attend this convention. Now, if only 10% of that goes to the panel, we're still talking 250 people. Heaven knows, I am not one for public speaking (I write out my church talks word for word because I get up there and panic), so I am eternally grateful for the six months of preparation I have ahead of me.

But, that's my great excitement. I know it's nothing grand, but life has been slow at the Richardson household, so any news is big news!

Catching Up: Christmas And A New Addition To The Family

2009-01-08T20:48:00.000-08:00

I realized after looking at everybody else's blogs that I am terrible when it comes to tending to our blog. I made it to "D" on the "Grateful ABC's," I didn't report on Kerrigan's encounter with the mall Santa, I haven't updated on Christmas, and I've just been generally lazy when it comes to keeping people updated. Thankfully, we're not that exciting and not much has happened.

For starters, here's a recap of Christmas for the Richardsons.

Kerrigan and Santa: This year Kerrigan happily went to see Santa. It was nowhere near the fiasco it was last year. She was even a role model for a little girl two years older! It helped that she seemed to remember the stuffed dog from last year.

(Ella and Kerrigan at Marlin & Lisa's ward dinner)

Christmas Eve was spent at our house. We had a semi-traditional Swedish dinner (a huge undertaking in and of itself) with recipes from my great-grandma. We were also able to do a short photo session and take a family portrait since the arrival of our neice, Ella. It was so nice to have a somewhat relaxing (after dinner, that is) Christmas Eve at home. It was, however, short-lived, as Kerrigan got too overexcited and spent the entire night screaming. Needless to say, nobody got any sleep that night, and it wasn't because we were eagerly awaiting the arrival of Santa. Kerrigan finally fell asleep at 6:00 a.m. and we had to be on the road to Worland at 8:00 a.m. A bit rushed? Yes. Yes, we were.

Christmas Day was spent in Worland with the Foulgers. Though we were all exhausted from our horrendous night, it was a pleasant day. Kerrigan was surprisingly well-behaved when her lack of sleep was taken into account. Like last year, she made out like a bandit after all was said and done, having been completely spoiled by both sets of grandparents.

After a great holiday season, we got a new addition to the family. The company that I work for, Eleutian Technology, has been hosting 30 teachers from South Korea in Cody. They studied for three months at NWC and are now doing 6 weeks of curriculum work in local elementary schools. We were approached a few weeks ago and asked to host one of the teachers. Not wanting to turn our backs on a great opportunity like this, we were assigned to host a teacher by the name of Young Seung Yun, (a.k.a. Angie). She has been a student of mine since September. We picked her up last Sunday, and it has been a great week thus far. Kerrigan is slowly becoming accustomed to a new person living in the house, but you can tell she is enjoying a new face. She will spend hours in Young's room, watching videos of Korean nursery rhymes and singing songs. Tonight Young cooked a Korean meal for us (don't ask me to remember the name of the dish...all I know is that it was delicious). We were also introduced to the Korean staple of kimchi, a spicy cabbage relish-type dish. It is usually allowed to ferment for at least three months, but we had fresh kimchi. Let me say that spicy does not even begin to describe it. If you're ever looking for a new way to clear your sinuses, kimchi may be the stuff for you! We hope to have many more experiences to share over the coming weeks!

Kerrigan's Carols

2008-12-18T21:34:00.001-08:00

Kerrigan's Opa taught her how to sing "Jingle Bells" last week. However, we have only caught her singing it a couple of random times. Today, she came out in full force, singing and jumping around the living room. Sadly, there was no camera nearby to capture her show. Thankfully, Krista found her camera and Kerrigan came back for an encore. Here's what ensued:

Identity Crisis

2008-12-15T19:15:00.000-08:00

For the longest time, Kerrigan didn't refer to me by any name. Mostly I was the female version of Dada. When she got pneumonia and was pitiful as all get-out, she miraculously started referring to me as "Nonny." I was a little bummed that it was never "Mama" or "Mommy" or any form thereof. In fact, Sha made fun of the fact that Kerrigan would call me Nonny. Well, miracle of miracles occured a couple of days ago. Kerrigan would wander around the house, talking to herself, and would randomly go into a chorus of "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Nonny, Nonny, Mommy..." etc. I'm not a person to get all sentimental and choked up about things like that, but it really took me by suprise (a pleasant surprise) to hear her say "Mommy." Now I'm in the middle of an identity crisis as Kerrigan now only refers to me as "Mommy." I guess I'm a little bummed because it's generic and expected. "Nonnny" was my special name; no other kids we know have a Nonny. Oh, well. I guess it couldn't last forever. Mommy is still a wonderful thing to be called. Even if it does take some getting used to.

Husband Survey

2008-12-13T07:06:00.000-08:00

1. Where did you meet your husband?

I met him at an institute dance a couple of weeks after he got off his mission. We danced once, and I went back to my best friend and told her all about the really geeky, nerdy guy I had just danced with. Little did I know how it would come back to bite me in the butt a couple weeks later.

2. How long did you date?

We dated off and on for three months before we got engaged. The scary thing is that we dated "officially" as boyfriend and girlfriend for eleven days before getting engaged.

3. How long have you been married?

4 years

4. What does he do that surprises you?

He's very helpful around the house. He doesn't mind doing laundry or cleaning or any other menial chores. The only thing that he doesn't go around the house is cook (and for that I am grateful!)

5. What is your favorite feature of his?

His hands. They're big, warm, and perfect for holding.

6. What is his best quality?

His patience. I'm a nutcase 90% of the time, and I'm always amazed how well he tolerates my crazy mood swings.

7. Does he have a nick name for you?

Nope

8. What is his favorite food?

Steak...hands down.

9. What is his favorite sport?

He doesn't watch sports

10. When and where was your first kiss?

Outside his parents' house before I was getting ready to head back to Worland for a weekend

11. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple?

Date nights! We love to go to the movies. Either that, or making fun of each other. It's an odd relationship.

12. Do you have children?

One amazing little girl!

13. Does he have hidden talents?

He sings and can quote movies with uncanny precision.

14. How old is he?

15. Who said I love you first?

You know...I don't remember. How horrible is that?! I think it was him, though.

16. His favorite music?

A little bit of country, Nickelback, Linkin Park, Harry Connick, Jr. ...basically anything but what I listen to.

17. What do you admire most about him?

How important family is to him. Not just Kerrigan and me, but his family, and mine, as well. He's very family oriented

18. What is his favorite color?

Blue

19. Will he read this?

Nope. I don't think he knows how to get to the blog.

20. Who do you tag?

I don't tag anyone. I was just bored and needed something to occupy my time.

Grateful "D"

2008-12-10T13:36:00.000-08:00

I've been horrible with keeping this updated. Hopefully I'll get through the alphabet by 2009.

I am grateful for dads. I've got three great dads in my life...three of the greatest dads a person could ask for!

How many dads would dress up like THIS? My dad is great because of the things he is willing to do for his family. He works hard to provide a great living for his family, which is something that I took for granted sometimes while I was growing up. There are times where he's strange, odd, and just plain funny...times we wonder how my sisters and I turned out somewhat normal. But family dinners and game nights are never dull when Dad's around.

My father-in-law is another great dad. It amazes me how, though he is a hard worker and a busy outdoorsman, he is wonderful with children. Kerrigan loves her Opa and will often request him above anyone else in the family. Brandon always has great stories to tell about times spent hunting, working on the house, fishing, or horseback riding with his dad.

Never have I seen a little girl so smitten with her daddy as Kerrigan is with Brandon. And good thing, too. He loves her to pieces and is the greatest daddy. Though I know he often wishes he had a son to do "boy stuff" with, he never hesitates to expose Kerrigan to all the things little boys would get to do. He takes her horseback riding, fishing in Opa's horse trough, fossil hunting. Though it makes me jealous sometimes that she prefers Brandon over me, I'm glad that she has such a great daddy to go to.

The Richardson Twerds

2008-11-23T11:28:00.000-08:00

"Twilight" is here! Krista and I braved the crowd opening night (I swear we're crazy sometimes...she more than me, being as Krista was insane and went to a midnight showing in Billings). Brandon and I went Saturday for our monthly date-night. Needless to say, a good time was had by all. Brandon protested against wearing his shirt in public, though he had promised me he would when he got it on his birthday. I wasn't allowed to wear my hand-me-down shirt in public. (Apparently, Brandon doesn't like me walking around with another guy's face on my shirt...go figure.)

It's a terrible thing that the movie has been such a hit-and-miss with people. Either you love it or you don't. It's as simple as that. I've been bummed to hear people say that the movie ruined the book for them. The way I see it, you have to go into these situations with no expectations other than to be entertained. And entertained I was! Will I see it again? More than likely. Has it ruined the book for me? Heck, no! Just keep an open mind. That's all you can really do. But, I figure it was a success for our family: Krista liked/loved (one of the two) it, I loved it, Brandon liked it...but don't take our words for it.

Grateful "C"

2008-11-19T09:11:00.000-08:00

"A new British survey has revealed that 9 out of 10 people like Chocolate. The tenth lies." - Robert Paul

I am grateful for chocolate. I know it seems shallow and unimportant, but I am a chocoholic, so I am eternally grateful to whomever invented chocolate!

A quote my husband lives by: "After a bar of chocolate one can forgive anybody, even one's husband."

Chocolate is a vegetable. How, you ask? Chocolate is derived from cocoa beans. Beans are a vegetable. Sugar is derived from either sugar CANE or sugar BEETS. Both are plants, which places them in the vegetable category. Thus, chocolate is a vegetable.

To go one step further, chocolate candy bars also contain milk, which is dairy. So candy bars are a health food.

Chocolate covered raisins, cherries, orange slices and strawberries all count as fruit, so eat as many as you want.

Gratitude "B"

2008-11-18T08:14:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for books. I have loved to read ever since preschool. I remember my mom reading "Giant John" to me before bed every night. I can remember reading a book about llamas to my kindergarten class and being so proud of myself when I finished my first chapter book. I remember my mom giving me a copy of "Jurassic Park" when I was in second grade, and I remember crossing out every single curse word. Though I can be quite picky when it comes to books I enjoy, when I do find one that I love, I tend to love it for life. I'm not a particular fan of "series" books, though I have read and adored both the Work and the Glory series and the Twilight series (I have never read the Harry Potter series). My favorites are the classics, mostly introduced to me by my high school AP English teacher, and non-fiction, research-type books.

We have worked to try and instill in Kerrigan a love for books as well. Her bookshelf is almost as full as mine is, and she will love you forever if you would sit and read a book with her. I only hope that it lasts her entire life and doesn't fade when she gets into school and reading becomes mandatory. I hope that she learns to love to read for the pure sake of reading.

My husband tells me I have too many books. It's only a bookcase and a half...there's plenty of room for many more!!

Gratitude "A"

2008-11-15T12:32:00.000-08:00

I am totally stealing this idea from my cousin, Emily (hope you don't mind...). Each day you choose something that you are thankful for that starts with a letter of the alphabet. Since Emily started at the end of the alphabet, I'll start at the beginning.

I am thankful for academics. To put it simply, I adore school. If time and money weren't such issues, I would gladly go to school for the rest of my life. I love learning, and I know that this is why I have chosen teaching as my eventual career. I wish more people could realize how important education is in their lives, and I have been kicking myself for putting off finishing my degree, because it goes against all that I believe. However, I have made an exception because I know it is important to be home for my daughter and to help her learn all that she can!

Happy Birthday, Brandon!

2008-11-15T12:24:00.001-08:00

Happy big 2-6, Brandon!

Halloween

2008-11-03T11:09:00.000-08:00

Halloween was a busy day at the Richardson household! Between decorating sugar cookies and baking cupcakes for trunk-or-treating and going trick-or-treating in downtown Cody, we hardly had a moment to catch our breaths. Not Brandon, naturally, as he was at work all day and missed out all the festivities. (Granted, the carwash was down again so he spent all day slaving away on that) Thankfully, Krista was there to help decorate cookies with me. Have a look at our creativity:

And then there was trick-or-treating in Cody. Kerrigan was thrilled to go with Oma and Opa. The day only got better when Otto and Paula Wells came with their little dog. The dog had Kerrigan tickled pink!

Later that night, we had trunk-or-treating at the church. Kerrigan acquired quite a haul of candy. She had Nonny take her half way around the parking lot, then changed her mind and decided that Aunt Krista had to take her the rest of the way. While we waited for Daddy to show up, Kerrigan regailed quite a few people with a special dance to "Monster Mash" (video not included). Unfortunately, Daddy missed the whole thing. Oh, well.

New Curtains!

2008-10-30T16:20:00.000-07:00

It's the simple things in life that excite me. Take for instance, my new curtains in the living room. It took me almost a month to finally get them finished, but I'm so thrilled with the way they turned out! It's nice to be able to cross one thing off my list. Nowadays the list just grows and grows and it never seems to get any shorter. I guess that's the way the cookie crumbles.

You Didn't Tell Me You Were Going To Kill It!

2008-10-27T16:10:00.001-07:00

Ahhh...the famous line from "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

Kerrigan and I went to the store to pick out a pumpkin. Kerrigan found one just her size and it was love at first sight. She carried it around the store, carried it home, told me that she was going to put eyes and a nose on it. She even helped me plan out where the face was going. She bonded with that pumpkin! That all changed when I put the first couple of cuts into the top. "Nonny, no!" She had a fit when I pulled the top off and refused to have anything to do with the pumpkin after that.

There is video of the breakdowns, but they will have to come tomorrow when I have better internet connection. Stay tuned!

Cracking the Safe

2008-10-27T09:44:00.000-07:00

Kerrigan has always loved my piggy bank. She love to ride it, tuck it in for bed, and drag it around the bedroom. Last week she discovered that she can open it up and take money out of it. The wheels started turning, and she realized that she could take the money out of Mommy's piggybank and put it in her own. Today she got caught red-handed.

We made cupcakes last night and Kerrigan thoroughly enjoyed it! It makes me wonder what kind of trouble I should expect when we do sugar cookies on Friday. Stay tuned!

(Frosting in the hair...so much fun to get out!)

Dancing Queen

2008-10-22T08:21:00.000-07:00

Oh, the things that go on in the mornings at the Richardson house!

New Video

2008-10-21T12:01:00.000-07:00

Life right now is uneventful. We would love to be able to update with spectacular news, but it's not going to happen. Our days are monotonous, and Brandon and I see very little of each other between our work schedules. However, I was playing around with our Windows Movie Maker program today and came up with this:

It's nothing great, but it did manage to kill about fifteen minutes of an otherwise boring afternoon. Anyway, that's all for now. We are going to a Korean cultural show on Friday, put on by some of my Eleutian students. We'll have pictures and video from our outing up on Saturyday. Until then, this will have to appease.

First Post

2008-10-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

Random Facts About Us:

Brandon: I am the fix-it man at Coulter Car Care. Elk hunting is my passion and my greatest frustration. I memorize random thoughts, facts, and TV shows. I have yet to win an argument against my wife...or a game of Disney Trivia, for that matter. I like snake hunting because it gives me an adrenaline rush (you can Google it...) I am trying to get into photography. I speak two languages. I am an Eagle Scout. I know how to ballroom dance. I am a Twerd. I find dragons fascinating. I want a pet penguin named Norbert. I hoard candy. If my wife would allow me, I would wear only Wrangler jeans and cowboy boots (with shirt, too, of course). "Phantom of the Opera," "Lilo and Stitch," "Down Periscope," and "Gladiator" are my favorite movies. My idea of the perfect vacation is a canvas tent in the middle of the mountains. My daughter is the apple of my eye, and I try to teach her to be less like me and more like my wife (one day it will backfire on me). I knew I would marry my wife when she outfished me. I have petted wild elk, coyotes, deer, and a sea turtle. I like crystal figurines. My Hawaiian name is "Puulaahi." Patrick McManus, Peter Hathaway Capstick, and Stephenie Meyer are my favorite authors. I have a lead foot, but my wife is in denial about it. I would love to take my wife back to Chile. If I could be any animal, it would be a peregrin falcon. My greatest goal would be to hunt a mountain lion with a spear.

Angela: I teach English to Korean students via internet video conferencing. I am the biggest nerd that I know. I hate most green vegetables and orange fruits. I have played the piano for 20 years, but I'm nowhere as good as I should be. Everything I learned about cars I learned from the Twilight series. I can quote "Jurassic Park" word for word. I love to sing, but only when no one else is around. I can count to 10 in 6 languages, and I can say "onion" in Japanese. I mostly read non-fiction research books. I'm deathly allergic to peanuts. I can trip over air. I once broke my arm by falling out of a chair. I love to annoy people by randomly speaking in a British accent. I suffer from mild obsessive-compulsive disorder. I hate red meat, reality television, and being the center of attention. I'm 5'11," (but I'm short in real life), and I rarely leave the house in anything shorter than a 3" heel...but I'm terrified of heights. I love Hawaii and Mexico, but am dying to go to the British Isles and Italy. I love jazz improv, although I can't play it to save my life. I have never read the Harry Potter series. I love commas. Ken Jennings and Ian Malcolm are my heroes. I am terrified of people in costumes (like at Disney World). Paleontology and geology are my passions. I can name all 50 states and their capitals in alphabetical order. I desperately want to chase tornadoes someday. My favorite color is red.

Kerrigan: 95% of kids my age are bigger than me; I weigh just over twenty pounds. My favorite colors are yellow and purple. I hate meat. I recently discovered the wonderfulness that is Trix cereal. I count my steps when I walk. I would spend all day in the bath if Nonny would let me. I like to steal left shoes and hide them in random places, and I have a habit of throwing away remote controls. Elmo is my hero. My favorite song is the "Itsy Bitsy Spider," and I like to dance to the "Mamma Mia" soundtrack. I carry a stuffed puppy dog with me everywhere I go; it's name is Heidi. I love animals, going to the park, and pushing grocery carts. I have the run of my grandpa's grocery store, and everybody knows it. My Opa and Oma spoil me rotten. I love being pushed around in laundry baskets. Baby gates are my mortal enemies. Electronics fascinate me. I know twenty-five animal sounds. I love to play the piano with Nonny and go 4-wheeling with Daddy. I call my Uncle Brandon "Doo Doo," my Aunt Sha "DoDo," and my Aunt Krista "Sha." I love jumping on the bed, couch, chair, etc. I like to "tickle tickle" people. I love being the center of attention. I enjoy flushing rolls of toilet paper down the toilet. I hate closed doors. Puddles are God's greatest creation.