Emily & Brian Ridgway

I always forget about my blog....

2010-04-30T00:17:00.002-04:00

Hello! I just remembered that I haven't updated my blog in about two months. That's pretty lame. Although my blog, itself, is pretty lame.

We are doing well and staying busy. Spring in Ohio has been so beautiful and so warm! We are loving it. Brian is really enjoying his job at Walden Ponds and doing a fantastic job (in my opinion). He has been working longer days and getting up earlier every morning. I, on the other hand, have a varying schedule and tend to stay up late like right now.

I have been busy with work and school and planning my sister's baby shower. It will be this Saturday, and I am so excited about it! I have been planning it for a long time. We will have 28 in attendance and it will be held at the beautiful Simon Kenton Inn in Springfield. Gorgeous!! I think Katie will be very pleased with her shower.

The dogs are doing well, and living the good life. Stinky had some illness this past week, but is doing much better now. Pepper is always the same. :)

We have had a lot of problems with our apartment. :( Boo! Here is a list of what has happened. We have only been here for 3 months.
- Excessively loud neighbor upstairs. She has a domestic dispute every Friday night/Saturday morning with her boyfriend. It's like clockwork.
- Same neighbor had a puppy that used to stay on the balcony all day long. It would urinate and defecate on the balcony. Ignorant neighbor would throw a 10-gallon bucket of water on the balcony to "wash" it off, thus draining down to our patio.
- Found one single cockroach. Never have seen any others. Never had seen one in person.
- Sewage pipe cracked in the living room. Carpet was soaked in a small area.
- Stayed in the "corporate suite" apartment next door for 1 week while the office repaired the pipe.
- Office wanted us to move back in without replacing carpet.
- We refused to move back in and they finally relented, and replaced the carpet.
- While the floor and wall were open and nothing was being repaired, a mouse came into our apartment and made a HUGE mess in our pantry.
- Brian caught the mouse.
- After having the new carpet for less than 2 weeks, Stinky had to get sick in the night and we have had a heck of a time cleaning up his mess. :(

Time for some normal, boring everyday blah for us, right???

Happy & Releasing Toxins.....

2010-02-19T12:06:00.003-05:00

Hello, to anyone that reads my nerdy blog! Just a quick update in our life....

Brian loves his new job! He has a great mechanic and just hired an awesome assistant superintendent.

The snow in Ohio has been tremendous! Brian has stayed home many days for snow, and can't stand that. :)

Emily loves her new job, but unfortunately, wants to buy everything in the store. Hmmm.....

Emily is on day 5 of a 21-day purification program through Standard Process and feeling great! Here is a link for anyone interested: http://www.standardprocess.com/display/psppurification.spi

Pepper is going to be training (again) to be a golf course doggie with Brian. Her job is to chase the Canadian geese off the Walden Ponds course. Today was her first day (a half day), and she did wonderful! She smells bad though....

Stinky has a new love in his life (besides his mama).... Our new electric blanket! He is enjoying sleeping in bed all day (as usual), with a warm, snug blanket. He is a little angel...

Also, the dogs are behaving much better than they used to. We have been working on their excessive barking issue with "bark collars," a.k.a. "shock collars" and positive reinforcement. They are doing a great job and seem very happy and adjusted here.

We are looking forward to having dinner with Aunt Sharon & Uncle Dave tonight. They just got back from Florida! It will be wonderful to have them so close by.

Brian & Emily both feel happier than ever here in Ohio!

25

2010-02-09T16:48:00.002-05:00

So happy to be "25" as of yesterday.... I am looking forward to another beautiful year of life! Here are some photos of the beautiful cream tulips my husband gave me for my birthday yesterday. (He also gave me a super generous and thoughtful gift of massage therapy on my birthday and a lovely card.)

Also the sweet little blue bud vase on my glass door is from my dear friend, Karen. Isn't that cool?! Had a great birthday and appreciate all of the birthday wishes and hugs from the people I love.

Love to all....

Hired!

2010-02-04T09:16:00.004-05:00

I am so happy to say that I have accepted a wonderful job at the lovely Crate & Barrel at the Kenwood Towne Centre! I interviewed with a very sweet and interesting lady yesterday and she offered the job to me. I am very excited about this opportunity! I will be working in Housewares, which is my specialty. :)

I start next Wednesday!

P.S. The photo of the store is the actual store I will be working in.

Love to all......

Our sweet doggies.....

2010-02-03T20:45:00.003-05:00

Here are a couple of my favorite pics of the dogs at our home in Colorado. Aren't they sweet little babies? They are really starting to feel at home here in Ohio. They are doing very well and adjusting to apartment living quicker than we expected. The last photo is of Stinky snuggling with a stuffed moose that my friend Kim gave me two years ago. He loves it, but doesn't get it very often. (He wants to eat it, and I want to have it forever....)

Love to all......

We Made It!!!

2010-01-26T08:50:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that we made it to Ohio on Saturday evening. We stayed at my parents' home in Urbana that night, then drove down Sunday at noon to our new place in Hamilton. We are currently getting settled.... it's amazing how time-consuming unpacking can be.... especially when you are an organizational freak like I am! :)

Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes!

Love to all.....

Moving Update!

2010-01-19T13:10:00.002-05:00

Due to weather issues, we will be leaving on Friday January 22nd instead of Sunday. This means we will move into our new place on Sunday January 24th! Can't hardly wait.......

Love to all.......

Other Addictions......

2010-01-15T14:59:00.002-05:00

........ Besides Starbucks................

- Golden Girl re-runs on the Hallmark Channel (God, I love those women. It was like the Sex and the City of the 1980s.)

- Packing for our move and making endless lists and diagrams

- Green Giant brand steamed green beans (Add a little chopped onion and it's heaven!)

- Singing to Stinky when he is in bed

- Reading our new dog cookbook

- Browsing handmade pretties on Etsy.com!!!

Addictions.....

2010-01-15T14:55:00.003-05:00

I am suddenly addicted to a specific drink at Starbucks..... and it's not even coffee. Usually, I will order a latte or cappucino. The past week I can't get enough of their chai tea latte. Yum! It is just so delicious and I swear it tastes like Christmas. If Christmas had a taste this would be it!!

How stupid is it that having a cup of coffee or a chai from Starbucks actually makes me feel like a better person?! I swear I actually feel like conquering tasks that I normally put off, doing my cardio, and working on our books. Haha!! It makes me feel like anything is possible. Is that just the caffiene? If so, maybe I can come up with a cheaper way to get my fix. :)

This is such a good chai.... I think I could cry over it. WOW. I am so pathetic.

Love to all......

Inspiration for bebe

2010-01-15T01:37:00.004-05:00

I am hosting a baby shower for my sister Katie. She is expecting her first baby July 28th! Since we are moving back to Ohio in a week it will be easy to have a party for her. Since I have been thinking about Katie's baby shower since she got married, I have a lot of things planned. I don't want to reveal too much because she checks my blog almost daily, but I can't keep in the surprise!

The theme is "Feather her Nest." I am going to use a bird's nest with eggs theme. Here are a few things that inspired me to make this decision....

Hope you like it, Mama Bird!

Love to all.....

Toothless Dog

2010-01-13T21:33:00.002-05:00

Stinky has lost 16 teeth since May 2008. Poor little baby.... He just lost three last week. He seems to be doing okay, but I have noticed it is becoming increasingly difficult for him to chew.

I always feed the dogs soft food (rice & hamburger) for the first 48-72 hours after dental surgery. Brian and I have decided to continue this trend.... Is that crazy to make homemade dog food? It sounds kind of Amish. I think it is the best thing to do though. Poor little boy has so much trouble with food. He is very finnicky with commercial dog food, so i think this is a smart choice.

Today I bought a dog cookbook for him. I was surprised to see how many cookbooks are available to freaks like me that pamper their poochies. This should actually be a savings for us. We spend $80/month on prescripton dog food now. Can you believe it????

MOVING ON!!!

2010-01-11T15:12:00.002-05:00

I haven't updated this blog in what seems like an eternity.... probably because we haven't had a lot going on for awhile. :) I am pleased to announce that we are moving to Ohio for Brian's new job!! He interviewed and accepted an amazing job on December 10th, and will start on February 1st. He will be working for his old company, EAGLE Golf at the lovely Walden Ponds Golf Club in Hamilton, Ohio. This is just a dream come true for us! We can't wait to start this new chapter of our life, and I am so happy to be close to family again. :)

We are in the process of packing, and we are nearing the end of the mess. I have been working on it diligently since we got back from Christmas. We will be leaving in less than two weeks - Sunday, January 24th to be exact.

We will be driving across the country in a giant moving truck hauling the Jeep and I will be driving the Expedition with the dogs. :) We should arrive in Ohio the evening of the 26th if all goes well, and we will move into our new place on the 27th. (By the way, we will be living in an apartment for a year or so.)

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we make this big trip! We hope we have great weather for traveling.

Love to all.....

Paper Vs. Plastic

2009-06-15T21:00:00.002-04:00

Need I say more???

Love to all....

Busy Weekend!

2009-06-06T11:00:00.002-04:00

We are so excited to have such a fun, busy weekend ahead of us. Today we are going to see our wonderful friends, Colin & Carmen Murphy and their adorable daughter, Corin. Corin is two, and super cute & lots of fun! We are having a BBQ at their home in Broomfield. I am so looking forward to seeing them. Carmen and I just seem to get along great - we see eye to eye on so many things. I'm going to make a relish tray and a cold dip & chips to take along. Yum!
Tomorrow morning my dear friend, Jess is coming over for a few hours for breakfast. I am going to make her belgian waffles with berries! She is so excited about it! We talked yesterday and she was ready to eat them then. Haha! Jess is going through some big changes right now. She has moved to Boulder (from Ohio) to attend school at Naropa, a really amazing college out here. She has converted to Islam, and is studying Arabic, so that she can teach English as a second language to people in the United Arab Emirates. It is just fascinating to watch her - she is so committed to this new way of life. Very interesting! When we talked yesterday she is planning on making a trip to Italy this summer to meet a love interest from online. (He is from Iran, but has been living in Italy for a few years.) They met on a Muslim dating site. I can't knock it, because that is how Brian and I met! :D
Sunday evening we are going to Colorado Springs to visit Brian's brother's family - Brett & Annette and their children: Laura, Julia, & Brian. We haven't seen their new house yet, since they moved in April. It will be so great to catch up with them and see what their new life is like in the Springs. I am going to make my labor-intensive New York Style Cheesecake to take to their house for the BBQ.
As you can see, I will be doing a lot of cooking this weekend! How fun! I am really loving our kitchen, and all the wonderful wedding gifts that fill it. It is so great to have a well-stocked kitchen complete with lots of recipes from family & friends. I have really enjoyed experimenting with the culinary arts. Super fun!!
Well, I better get started... Have a great weekend!
Love to all....

An Eye For An Eye???

2009-06-01T17:09:00.002-04:00

I was so shocked and appalled to hear about the shooting of Doctor George Tiller of Wichita, Kansas. He was shot to death in his own church on Sunday morning. How horrifying...
Dr. Tiller was well-known for being one of the few doctors in the US to perform late-term abortions for women. Apparently he was killed by an anti-abortion terrorist from Kansas. Dr. Tiller was shot in both arms in 1993 by another anti-abortion terrorist in his own clinic.
I am just outraged... It amazes me that a person who is so hell-bent pro-life can commit murder. How is this just? How can anyone believe that this is the solution? Isn't this just a complete hypocrisy? It shocks me that on top of all of this, there are anti-abortion activists out there that are pleased and happy about Dr. Tiller's tragic death. They are saying that he "deserved" this fate because of his life's work. It saddens me that people are being so heartless right now - especially considering that his wife, children & grandchildren are grieving right now. It just makes me sick that people are so silly and hypocritical. They cry for the unborn babies, but smile about the violent murder of a man who has helped women for years. People often forget that the majority of his late-term abortions were for women with medical conditions that were hurting them, and threatening the lives of the unborn babies. Not everyone has an abortion for a selfish reason. We all need to be more open-minded and loving. We all need to be more forgiving and understanding.
Does anyone feel the same way as I do???

Matters Of The Heart

2009-05-28T10:22:00.003-04:00

My cardiologist called yesterday to give me the results of my cardiac stress-echo test from last Friday. Overall, my heart is in great shape. She said that the waves on my EKG were normal from rest to peak performance during exercise. The blood is pumping through my heart effectively. They found one little problem, but it sounds very minor. I have Mitral Valve Regurgitation, not to be confused with Mitral Valve Prolapse. Basically, my valve has a little leak, so a small amount of the blood that pumps through this valve tens of thousands of times per day is flowing backward. She said I was probably born with this defect, but it has never been detected until now. (Thanks to Grandma Byrdie's side of the family, I am sure.) I am supposed to have an echocardiogram every 2-3 years for the rest of my life, just to moniter the situation. I have a very acute case of MVR, but some people have it so severely that it can cause congestive heart failure (Again, just like Grandma Byrdie...). She also told me that this condition could NOT be the source of my chest pain for the past ten years. I need to go back to my primary care physician for further investigation.

Well, I have to admit as a very anxious person, this did kind of freak me out. Even though I am THRILLED to know that my heart is functioning properly (for the most part), I couldn't help but focus on the negative - the mitral regurgitation. I will never understand why I am one of those people that is wired to be nervous and worrysome all the time. I guess I get it honest though... my Grandma Mary Kathryn was just like this. It is very frustrating, though to be constantly worrying about everyone and everything. I would love to be one of those carefree women that just lets everything roll off her shoulders. *Sigh* Not in this lifetime.... :)

I am looking forward to another wonderful sunny day with Evan & Ryan. We had such a blast yesterday... We jumped on the trampoline for hours.... I broke one of the springs off. Whoops.... I guess it is time to lose a little weight, huh?? Haha... We also made an armpit fart band. I can't do it though, so I just listened and laughed along. Little boys are just so much fun... These two really bring out the kid in me.

Love to all...

My Precious Little Boys

2009-05-26T22:34:00.003-04:00

No, I have not suddenly given birth to sons, but I have decided to start claiming Evan & Ryan as my own! :) (For anyone who doesn't know, these are the little boys that I nanny for...) I hadn't seen the boys since last Wednesday, as I only watch them Wednesdays-Fridays, and I was so surprised to see what they had made for me!

Lisa, their mother had told them about my cardiac stress test, which I just had on Friday. They decided to make me get-well cards! Isn't that so sweet?!?! It just melted my heart.... I have attached a few photos of the handmade cards here...

Evan's Card Translation: "Hi Emily! I hope you feel better and Lisa had her test on Thursday and I am sorry for your neck when you crashed. Your Friend, Evan" He placed a tiny seashell from the beach and a sweet tart candy in the little pocket he made on this card.

Ryan's Card Translation: "I hope you didn't feel bad when you had your heart test. Love, Ryan" Ryan made his with paper doilies and he glued sweet tarts and spree candies on the side. He said they were supposed to be in the shape of a flower. Awwwww.....

It is so clear why I love these boys so much. They are like family to me. I think of them as if they were my own nephews or cousins. It seems that I often have low days and don't feel too well, but as soon as I see Evan & Ryan I feel no pain. They lift me up, and make me feel so special... It's as if I forget about all of my aches and pains when I see there sweet little faces. I am truly so lucky.

Love to all....

Tummy-Aches & Little Boys

2009-05-25T20:42:00.004-04:00

WOW.... I have had a stomach virus now for 6 days. Yes, 6 entire days. I am afraid to say that I am feeling better right now, because I have thought that before and it comes raging back. Yuck... Even Brian was sick for 3 of these 6 days, but he is 100% now. He is as healthy as a horse. Wish I could be that way...

I'm very excited, as this is my first week of summer with the boys, Evan & Ryan. Their last day of school was Thursday, and they have been able to spend Thursday through today at home with their mom & dad. I am watching them Tuesday-Friday this week. I am hoping to have a lot of fun days with them this summer. It is so fun to be with these little boys. They are just precious - so sweet and so loving. They are super creative and very active and curious. We have so many plans for this summer. I have attached some photos of them from the past couple weeks.

Hopefully I will feel better tomorrow so I can jump on the trampoline with them! :)

Love to all...

Pike's Peak

2009-05-22T11:25:00.004-04:00

More photos of Pike's Peak to enjoy....

Love to all!

Family Visit

2009-05-22T11:08:00.002-04:00

Well, we had a wonderful time with my mom & sister. We couldn't believe how fast the four days went! Here's a recap of what we did while they were here.

Friday - We had breakfast at the Crowne Plaza, and hung out at home. After taking a much needed nap, the three of us girls went to Target to get groceries. We had dinner at home and watched Little House on the Prairie together. :)

Saturday - Mom, Katie & I had massages at 11am. We went to Golden and walked around the town. We had lunch at a fun little cafe called The Alley. Then we went up Lookout Mountain, which was pretty frightening.

Sunday - The four of us had breakfast at the golf course, then we headed down to Colorado Springs. We went up Pike's Peak, and I had a major panic attack. I even took a Xanax, and it didn't help. I'm pretty terrified of heights. We saw a cute little fox when we were about halfway up the 14,000 ft. mountain. Brian took some beautiful photos which I have attached to this post.

Monday - We went for a lovely walk in the morning, and the gals quickly realized how easy it is to get sunburn out here, as the sun is so much closer to us. We hung out at home and relaxed. It was great! I made them a wonderful home-cooked dinner, and we took naps. :) It was such a relaxing visit... well, other than Pike's Peak. Haha!

Expecting Visitors...

2009-05-14T11:34:00.002-04:00

I am soooo excited!!! My mom & sister are going to be flying into Denver tomorrow morning at 7:30am!! I am so happy to see them - I miss my family terribly everyday. They will be here for four whole days! It is going to be wonderful to spend time together.
We don't really have much planned, except for massages on Saturday morning! Whoo hoo!! Other than that, we are just going to hang out and see how things go. It looks like we will have relatively nice weather while they are here. Maybe we will go up to Estes Park for a fun day.... I love Estes Park - especially since Brian and I were married there.
Poor Brian will be in a house with three Crabtree women! Yikes!! There will be a lot of gabbing and cooking and cackling.
I cannot express how happy I am to have my family visit.... I never knew how lucky I was to live in Urbana with all of my family within two hours of travel. I wish we could move back home... Only time will tell....
Love to all!

Pasty White

2009-05-13T22:59:00.002-04:00

It is mid-May and we have already reached 86' in Denver. It is HOT. I would like to be able to wear clothing that would prevent me from heatstroke (i.e. shorts, cropped pants, skirts, short-sleeved & sleeveless tops), but I cannot bare to expose my pasty white skin to the public. It's ridiculous.
I asked Brian tonight about going to the tanning salon for a couple weeks to get a base. His reply: "Just go outside - it's free!"
He does not get it. I have been outside in the sun for the past week everyday, and all I do is get red. Awesome...
He does not seem to understand the necessity of a base tan. Hmmm... I wonder... Do all straight men think this way??

Clean carpet & laundry.... ahhh!!

2009-05-13T16:58:00.002-04:00

Today I received a phone call from the gal that I nanny for. She said that Evan went home sick today. Ryan was sick over the weekend too. So the boys are staying home, and I get the day off. This has allowed me to get a lot more done with the house, as my mom & sister are visiting Friday-Monday.

I spent last evening and this morning steaming my carpets, thanks to the Rug Doctor rental from King Sooper's. The carpets look much better, but they are still pathetic. Haha... I finally hung up a bunch of photos and artwork that I have been ignoring in the closet for months. I can't tell you how many loads of laundry I have done today. It's been a very productive day!

The Fed-Ex man came this afternoon with a wonderful early package - our new Dell laptop and printer!! Whoo hoo!! I am so happy to have this. I am going to need my own computer since I will be starting Medical Transcription training. I am hoping to complete the training in roughly 6-9 months, and start working from home. It will be a great set-up, so that no matter where we are I will have a job from home. This will be especially nice in a few years when I am staying home with little Abbey or Lucy or Charlie or Beau.... :)

Well, I am going to get back to work... I must take advantage of this day off to get more housework accomplished.

Love to all...

Paint & Vinegar

2009-05-12T21:15:00.002-04:00

I have spent the day in a stinky house. I finished painting the office (3rd bedroom that no one ever uses), and it looks beautiful. This was the last room to finish in our home. We have been painting since January 2008!! We are such slackers...

I love the paint that we chose. We used Ralph Lauren paints from Home Depot. I have attached a few photos of our house to show off these beautiful, bold colors.

The second part of my "smelly" day was cleaning up pet stains. I originally used Spot Shot on these stains, but it didn't get out the smell and the yellowish pee color. (Lovely, isn't it?) So, I started reading about "old pet stains," and found that simple, easy to find, inexpensive white vinegar can be used to treat these stains. So.... I used an entire bottle of vinegar on multiple spots throughout the house.

It was a great day. I got so much accomplished before picking up the boys today. It felt great!

Now my house reeks of paint and vinegar!!

Love to all...

An Apple A Day....

2009-05-11T23:32:00.003-04:00

Well, we are finally starting to feel better here in the Ridgway household. Brian's cold is much better as of yesterday. I am less sore from my osteopathic manipulation treatment. (We were in a car accident 12.26.2008, and I have been in therapy since the middle of January.) I just started seeing the OMT last Friday. It was awesome!! Basically, a medical doctor (D.O. - not M.D.) is treating me through manipulations, electrical stimulation, cranial tractions, and possibly acupuncture next week. Today was my second treatment, and it went very well. Dr. Vavrek (like Maverick) said that I was responding very well to treatment, and he noticed an improvement in my muscles! Yippee!! I've been working on the exercises they gave me, and using my new Theracane (Everyone should get one: www.theracane.com ), taking 3 ibuprofen 3x a day, flexeril at night, and using heat and ice alternately. It is a lot of work, but I feel like I am FINALLY starting to get some relief!! For anyone interested in the services at Osteopathic Manipulation and Alternative Medicine of Colorado, please visit www.omamcolorado.com It is an amazing resource.
Today has been a big day of doctor visits for me. After my OMT appointment this morning, I had my first apppointment with a cardiologist. I was sooooo nervous, but it went very well. Here's the story on my ticker:
When I was 14 (eighth grade), I started having chest pains. They were occasional and very annoying - like a dull, achey pain. I went to the doctor in April 1999 to see what was going on. I completely forgot that in December 1998, just a few months prior, I took a pretty hard blow to the chest that knocked the wind out of me. My doctor ordered an EKG and an ECHO (an ultrasound of the heart). They both came back stellar.... no problems whatsoever. So.... they attributed the chest pain to my anxiety, which has always been a huge part of my life.
I have continued to have the chest pain for ten years now, and it finally has driven me crazy worrying to the point that I talked to my primary physician, Dr. Lichfield about it. In late January 2009, she gave me an EKG while having my well-woman exam. She checked it out, said the waves were all normal and wonderful, but my heart rate was a little fast, which we can conclude is based on my anxiety ("white coat syndrome"). So, Dr. Lichfield decided to refer me to this cardiologist just to be sure all is well.
Today Dr. Paeschke hooked me up to the EKG and listened to my heart forever. She said everything looked and sounded great. She asked me about 30 different questions about my chest pain, and she said that it is probably a musculo-skeletal pain, hence the accident in eighth grade. However, she felt it would be best to just have a Cardiac Stress-Echo Test just to make sure. I am now waiting for my insurance to approve this, and Dr. Paeschke's office to set it up. I'm a little nervous (of course), but I feel like this will finally solve the mystery of my chest pain. If they do determine that it is just a musculo-skeletal problem, then I can see my OMT for treatment. Sweet!
I am so happy that things went so well today. It was so great that Brian went along to both of my appointments today. He is so loving and sweet. He knows how nervous I get when I have to see a doctor, and he totally takes my fear away. He is strong for me, and I love that. Brian is truly my rock.
Well, I am going to get to bed now.... Brian is already tucked in and snuggled up watching Will & Grace on Lifetime. (We watch this almost every night before we go to bed!) Stinky & Pepper are ready for bed too. Apparently I am Alpha in this household. They will not go to bed until I do, and in the morning they won't get out of the bed until I do. How precious, is that?!
I feel so blessed tonight. I love our little family, and our little house. I am so lucky.

Love to all!

Poor Brian

2009-05-09T22:05:00.003-04:00

My poor husband came home yesterday after work with a terrible sore throat and headache. He has been laying low all day, and taking Nyquil. I just feel so sorry for him when he is sick. I just want to make everything better for him. I snapped a few shots of him this morning snuggling with Stinky under the quilt. Brian never wraps up in a blanket like this. We keep our thermostat between 64-67 year-round because he is so hot-blooded. Hope it's not the H1N1 flu (swine flu)! Yikes!!

A Stinky In The Weeds

2009-05-09T00:46:00.005-04:00

Stinky and I had a lovely photoshoot today in the backyard full of weeds. (They actually look almost pretty with the purple blooms!) He is so photogenic and silly. I just love this dog. Until we are blessed with a baby of our own, Stinky is the baby of our family.

Look at him leaping like a mountain lion in photo #2! Wow... he is impressive. I think he was just jumping over turds.

Love to all...

The Wreath

2009-05-03T23:01:00.005-04:00

We had a little silly photo-shoot the other day with our dogs. I found this little spring wreath, and decided to torture the pups. Brian and I even decided to get in on it.

I'm Back!

2009-05-03T13:18:00.002-04:00

Well... I have ignored our blog for over 8 months! I have decided to start blogging again, especially since my sister Katie is back to blogging. It's a great way for us to keep updated on each other's lives.

Brian and I are doing very well these days. We have been married now for just over 4 months! It seems like it was just yesterday that we said our vows, surrounded by all of our loved ones on a perfect snowy afternoon in the mountains. To view our beautiful wedding photos, please visit: http://www.pictage.com/client/event.do?event=610200&emailFlag=true The photos will be posted until approximately mid-July. Garrett, our photographer, did a wonderful job of capturing the emotion of the day.

Stinky and Pepper are happy and well. Stinky just had his 12th tooth pulled last Monday. For those who do not know, Stinky is allergic to his own teeth, or rather the plaque on his teeth. He has had multiple dental cleanings and surgeries since last May, and he is only four-years-old. Poor baby... He is getting along great though - still eats dry food, chews on nylabones, and tugs on rope toys. Speaking of nylabones, Pepper just swallowed a chunk of hers today. Yikes!!

Brian is still at the golf course, although Brett & Annette (his brother & sister-in-law) have left. They have moved to Colorado Springs, and are getting along great. We have been lucky enough to get quite a bit of rain and snow in the past month, so Brian is working on a new challenge on the course - disease! This is not typical for us out here, because of the extreme dry climate.

I have started a new and amazing job as a nanny for two wonderful little boys in Watkins. Evan is eight, and in second grade. Ryan is six, and in kindergarten. This family is just absolutely incredible to work with!! Everyday with the boys is so much fun. It truly does not feel like a job. We are looking forward to a fun-filled summer together, with lots of trips and adventures.

My mother and sister are going to be visiting us from May 15-18. I can not wait!! I miss my family so terribly, and I just love having a chance to see them. Mom & Dad are planning on visiting in July for a couple weeks, and then flying out for a long weekend in August to attend our friends wedding (Bryce Webster & Susan Ames) in Colorado Springs. They will also be celebrating their 30th anniversary with us on August 16th.

Brian's parents are hoping to visit this summer, as well. It will be great to have them, and Stinky is especially looking forward to seeing his beautiful blonde girlfriend, Daisy (Phil & MaryJane's beautiful labradoodle).

Love to all...

Wedding Website!

2008-08-20T21:39:00.001-04:00

Brian and I created a wedding website last weekend. It provides helpful information about the wedding & traveling for our guests. Please visit: www.emilyandbrianridgway.com Be sure to sign our guestbook!

Love to all!

Busy, Busy, Busy!!

2008-08-09T08:19:00.003-04:00

I am terrible at posting on this blog... my last post was over a month ago! I guess I don't have a very interesting life to talk about! Haha!

Brian and I have been SO BUSY!! I have been working at a daycare in Strasburg since 06.30 and I am loving it! Brian has been offered a position as the coach for the new golf team at Bennett High School.

Life has been so hectic, but it seems we always find time every evening to just sit down together and talk. Brian is so wonderful! I just love being around him. He makes me feel great!

Our wedding planning is going very well. We can't believe the wedding is only 4 months away! We have been so amazed by the friends and family members that have called or emailed us and said they are coming to the wedding. We truly didn't expect it! It is so awesome that so many wonderful people care about us and are going that extra distance to make it to our special day. It's just an overwhelming feeling! :)

The dogs are doing great too! We have been shaving Pepper for the past three months. She looks adorable!! Stinky is behaving and becoming a really great little dog.... finally at almost age 4 he is being good! Haha!

Surprise!!

2008-06-18T22:04:00.003-04:00

I was so surprised today to get a call from Jordan at my bridal shop, Anna Be' in Denver. My wedding gown has arrived!! We weren't expecting to see it until September... Somehow the dress arrived after being ordered less than two months ago! This is unheard of in the wedding gown business... haha! I am very excited to see it... I have an appointment next Tuesday to "inspect" the gown, and of course... TRY IT ON! :) This is a generic picture from the Watters website. (My dress is also ivory, but my sash is "eggshell" rather than ivory.) I will get some pictures of me in the dress next Tuesday. And no worries... I am not superstitious about Brian seeing me in my gown before the wedding. I am not concerned with "bad luck." We do not need "luck" to have a successful marriage... We have everything we need now. I adore him...
By the way, Brian came home for a couple hours this morning... He was nauseated and complaining of a headache. He felt better after spending some time with our little noodles, Stinky and Pepper. :) I think he also enjoyed watching me paint the kitchen.
Which reminds me... While I was painting the kitchen I lost my balance on the counter, fell into the sink, and pierced my back with the corner of a cabinet. Ouch! I will be glad when this project is over...

Children

2008-06-13T09:10:00.011-04:00

I was just thinking this morning about Brian's nieces and nephew. They are such great kids... I watched little Brian on Monday, and he was so sweet. I asked him what he and his Uncle Brian (BJ) talked about on the drive to our house. He replied, "We talked about fishing and stuff. And we said we loved you." :) Very sweet...
I have posted some pics of the kids: Laura, age 12; Julia, age 9; and Brian, age 5.

Also, I have posted a couple pics of my little cousins, Zoe & Julian. They live in Chicago. They are super cute!! Zoe will be five next month, and Julian turned one last March. I don't get to see them as often as I would like... They have their own blog... It is under "My Favorite Links." Check it out! :)

Herbie the Turtle

2008-06-09T00:05:00.006-04:00

I just wanted to give an update on Herbie, the turtle. Last week, he "magically" appeared in our backyard after a violent thunderstorm. Brian and I took him in and gave him a comfortable place to live. On Friday I called our local newspaper to place a "Found" classified ad for him. Thirty minutes after placing the ad, I talked to my neighbor. She said that the neighbors that used to live on the other side of our house were missing two pet turtles. They have recently moved, but they stay in touch with each other. Her son recognized Herbie by the red marking on his shell! They took Herbie, and promised to return him to his rightful owner. I kind of miss the little cutie... :(

Trip to Rocky Mountain National Park

2008-06-08T12:00:00.016-04:00

In October 2007, Brian and I went to Grand Lake, Colorado for almost an entire week. We stayed in a little cabin near Grand Lake, and had a wonderful time! We visited the Rocky Mountain National Park several times while we were up there. We spotted a herd of elk in Coyote Valley. It was absolutely breathtaking!! Enjoy the photos. (People wonder why we have chosen to have our wedding in the winter at Estes Park... I think these pics say it all!)

Welcome!

2008-06-08T11:34:00.005-04:00

We decided to set up this blog to share pictures and thoughts with our families and friends. Being in Colorado, with our families spread across the country, can make it difficult to stay in touch. We hope that you enjoy reading our posts and checking out our photos!

Love -

Emily & Brian (and Pepper & Stinky)