Ryan & AriAnna Johnson Family

Sharing a home w/ a boy ROCKS

2012-01-11T10:48:00.001-08:00

All I can say is I LOVE how creative my little man is. He has so much fun in a day it is amazing. I love seeing all of the creative things he does and imagines. So fun!

Jared heads to Cuba

2012-01-10T10:38:00.000-08:00

Well it is official, my brother graduated from boot camp and A school and as of yesterday he was on a flight to Cuba where he will be stationed for a year and a half. I will miss him but am so proud of his choice to serve his country. Good luck Jared.

It was a lazy day

2012-01-09T10:40:00.000-08:00

I was down for the count on this day and poor Mr. Hunter was so board he actually fell asleep for a nap which never happens these days. I was so sick and he kinda just had to fend for himself. Needless to say he made forts and played rather well that day. I was thankful I was able to get a nap and sleep off some of the Flu.

Fashion Statment

2012-01-05T10:36:00.000-08:00

Last week I was working in the garage on some projects and Hunter wanted to come out and join me. As usual his choice in clothes would have been just his undies so I told him to get some clothes on and join me. I died of laughter when he came out. He was so proud of his outfit even though it was only 15 degrees outside LOL.

My Christmas Gift from Ryan

2011-12-28T10:46:00.000-08:00

We have recently become addicted to this website called Pinterest and this is one of the many ideas we got from there. I told Ryan all I wanted was this for Christmas and he made it happen. For those of you who have a space between your fridge and your wall you MUST have one of these it is AMAZING!!!! I now have a tall skinny pantry that is hidden at all times. LOVE MY HUSBAND

Homemade Christmas gifts

2011-12-27T10:43:00.000-08:00

Ryan spent so much time doing Christmas gifts this year and they all turned out so beautiful. I am so thankful for a handy husband.

Elf doughnuts with Grandma

2011-12-24T11:00:00.000-08:00

We decided not to leave out Santa's elves this year so Christmas Eve we decided to make them Elf Doughnuts. Hunter and Grandma had a BLAST!

Little man needs a sibling

2011-11-27T16:57:00.000-08:00

My challenge lately has been keeping this little man happy about being an only child! At times it makes me sad how bad he want another sibling so until that happens pappy will just have to do! Hunter drags poor pappy all over our house all day ever day! He dresses him up, he shoots at him, he plays hiding games with him and he cuddles with him. I am so thankful that Pappy lets hunter mall him and never seems put out by him! We have a wonderful life and our animals sure help out with that!!!!

My cute boys!

2011-11-25T16:45:00.000-08:00

During the month of November I took it upon myself to write a Facebook status ever day about the things I was most Thankful for! Out of all of my comments it was evident that one of the things I am MOST thankful for in my life are these 2 boys!!!!! How blessed am I to have them both in my life!!!

Photo's for food drive!

2011-11-05T16:41:00.000-07:00

My wonderful fiend and photographer was doing a food drive for 2nd Harvest and we were excited to participate! She plans on making this an annual event and we plan on it as well! She does such a great job!

Poor sick dude

2011-11-04T16:23:00.001-07:00

We came home from Preston Idaho only to have poor little hunter be sick as a dog! He is actually asleep in this photo! Poor guy was in a bad way!

Our fame moment

2011-11-03T16:21:00.000-07:00

If you don't know what I am standing in front of then you must not be a Napoleon Dynamite fan :) Yeah for Preston Idaho lockers now being famous!

Notice the SAME lockers!!!!

Where's Pappy

2011-11-01T16:25:00.000-07:00

This pup is not phased by much!!!! Check out how calm he is even with all the chaos going on around him! I love this dog!

All of them

2011-11-01T16:18:00.000-07:00

Every time we get these kiddo's together they just have such a blast! So thankful for wonderful cousins that Hunter knows love him and are always excited to play with him! Although our cousins pictures become outdated rather fast as new little arrivals come we do try and get a knew shot of these darling kids every time we are together with them!

Halloween

2011-10-31T16:20:00.000-07:00

Darth Hunter did awesome tonight running from house to house on his quest for more candy and fun with cousins. He loves the tradition we have started of Halloween in Preston Idaho!

Colby is home!

2011-10-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

So thankful for this wonderful young man and his 2 years of service! Welcome home Colby!!!!! We sure missed you!

A cherished memory

2011-10-21T05:52:00.000-07:00

Today 6 years ago this very ambulance transported my sweet little Hudson to a hospital that was better equipped to take care of his every need. I was unaware at this moment in time that I would be without this sweet little boy in the very near future! As each year passes I fear that I am forgetting the memory of my beautiful angel baby! I only had him for 19 days but in the time I was able to see him look at me every time I came into the room! This memory is one that I hold onto very tight. One of his many Dr.'s said, "he only seems to wake when you and your husband are around." I know he knew I was there! I longed for the chance to hold him in my arms but I ached when that time came far sooner than I had hoped and for not as long as I would have liked it to be. I pray I never forget the love that many showed to us and him. This picture is a picture that reminds me of that love, these ambulance drivers worked so fast to get our little boy the care that he was so desperate for. And today I am grateful to reflect on this memory that I will forever cherish.

Special guest day

2011-10-13T16:47:00.000-07:00

Today was special guest day at Hunter preschool and he was so excited to take his dad with him to this! Ryan is such a wonderful dad and I am so thankful for their relationship together!

Darth Hunter

2011-10-11T17:15:00.000-07:00

So not to long ago I set a goal to find Hunter a costume that he would LOVE! I asked him what he wanted to be and he said, "mom, I would like to be something from Star Wars or and Angry Bird." Ok then easy enough right? Well luckily I am one patient mother because I decided to go to the Goodwill for some good old inspiration and cheap finds! Needless to say after 1 hour of finding nothing to do with Star Wars or Angry Birds I decided to get a little more creative. I STARTED OVER!!!! I got lucky though because I found the bottom potion of this costume and from there I knew it was an uphill climb. We looked for yet another hour only to find the cape that went with it. It was at this moment in time I realized that I might just have to give in and say I had lost the battle. I looked at Hunter and said, "ok buddy we will look for the Darth Vador helmet for 5 more minutes and then if we can't find it we are headed home." He was totally fine with that as he tends to be a rather easy child in that department. As I was just about to give up I realized I had not yet gone through the electronics isle.. As we did WHALLAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!! There it was Darth Vador's helmet in it's finest. Better yet the entire outfit only cost me 2.00!!!!!! Here it is people my little Darth Hunter!!!

Greeenbluff

2011-10-08T17:48:00.000-07:00

We were able to spend a whole afternoon with a couple of our friends and their families and go to Greenbluff! I was amazed at how beautiful it is and I found out rather fast that I wanted to one day own a barn that looked just like this one! Just had to share

Cabella's Bday party

2011-10-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

And the BEST birthday party EVER goes to Hunter's friend Wyatt who chose to have his Bday party at Cabellas. This was so fun and Hunters favorite was the endless tokens at the shooting range. Great party guys

Disneyland second hand

2011-10-01T17:21:00.000-07:00

My parents recently went on a 3 week long vacation and of course Hunter was most excited to hear all about Disneyland. My parents brought him back these super cute glasses and he loves to wear them all the time. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for bringing Hunter some Disneyland love!!!

1st Field trip

2011-09-20T17:50:00.000-07:00

Although Hunter has been to a Fire station many times it was still excited to go and be apart of his FIRST ever field trip in the school system! He was not overly excited but he still had a great time!

Always remember

2011-09-08T14:15:00.000-07:00

Hunter asked me about this statue that I have up today and so I told him all about September 11th. And this is what he said back to me, "mom if there were bad people in America that hurt a lot of people did Grandma get them with her pepper spray?" Oh if it were only that simple! This is one comment I want to remember always!

Tired boy

2011-09-07T17:43:00.000-07:00

In the past week since starting pre-school Hunter has done this every time I have taken him to the grocery store! What do you think? Is he a little whipped out LOL

Pre-School time

2011-09-07T08:32:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was Hunter's First day of Pre-School and he said, "mom, I can do it!!!! I can just ask around until I find who my new teacher is."

Hunter had a great time and is already for another day today! Yesterday was only 1 hour so he thought it was way to SHORT!!!! I told him not to worry, he had the rest of his life to go to school and I just know he will love it!!!!

Spokane downtown fun

2011-09-01T17:36:00.000-07:00

We were able to spend and entire day enjoying all the rides and fun that Spokane had to offer. Thanks mom and dad for joining us for the day and relaxing while Hunter and I got to go on all the rides!

Lifetime Friends

2011-08-30T17:31:00.000-07:00

One of the funnest things to do while at my parents house this past week has been to spend extra time with my dearest friend Christina and her kids! I have known her since I was in 2nd grade and I am so grateful to still have her as a dear friend. The kids had a super fun time down at the water and so did we!!!! Love all these kids so much

Zoo fun

2011-08-27T17:34:00.000-07:00

Today was such a blast! We were able to go to the zoo with my cousin Kendra and her husband Brian, my cousin Andrea and her husband and kids, my parents and my dear friend Christina and her husband, sister and kids! It was a HUGE crowd but oh so much fun!

City slicker

2011-08-25T17:38:00.000-07:00

Hunter thought it was so cool that he got to spend and entire day with my mom riding around on the bus system and enjoying what she gets to enjoy everyday while living in Spokane!

Generational Picture time!

2011-08-01T15:32:00.000-07:00

It was so sweet to be able to capture this moment of Ryan, Hunter and Grandpa just chilling on the swing together! We sure loved the opportunity we had this past week to go to Preston for a visit! We have such wonderful family and I love that Hunter knows how much he is loved! Family is such a blessing and this picture captures just a moment of that!

Looks good

2011-07-29T15:20:00.000-07:00

While in Logan we were able to stop by Ryan's old office and we were so excited to see his new signage! Yep you can see for yourself that is our old company that we started up and designed our logo! It was so cool to see that cool logo again!

Brothers

2011-07-28T15:23:00.000-07:00

As soon as we got to the cemetery Hunter walked right over to Hudson's grave and sat right down! As people arrived he was so quick to tell them whose grave he was sitting on! As cousins showed up he quickly ran over to them and said, "come over and see where Hudson is." As a mother of a child who lived for such a short time I had a flood of emotions I was pleased to see how Hunter was so loving at the grave and I loved how aware he was of his brother whom he had never met. I was then filled with so much gratitude for Hunter and for the little boy that he is! I feel so blessed every day to have him and I know I am one lucky mom! This is a picture of Hunter and his sweet little cousin Mackenzie sitting on the headstone!

You are loved

2011-07-28T15:01:00.000-07:00

We received one of those 12:30 at night phone calls that no one likes to ever get and we found out that Ryan's Aunt Rhonda passed away suddenly earlier that night (7-21-2011)! I am so sad to think that we will no longer get to see her! Selfish I know especially when we as Latter Day Saint members know that death is just another part of life. I know she is in a better place but man she will be missed. My heart aches just thinking of her children that still have a lifetime to live without her around! I am so grateful for our dear Colby (Elder Pomeroy) who decided to stay in the mission field to fulfill a promise he made to his mother before he ever left on his mission! I am so grateful that Ryan and I were able to go to Rhonda's Funeral and see all of our family! What a wonderful and kind woman she was and I pray only wonderful things for her children's future! I know that Ryan feels very blessed to have been able to be the one to bless her grave and I am grateful that we know she is in a better place!

We miss you Rhonda

2011-07-21T14:57:00.000-07:00

You will forever be missed Rhonda! My heart aches for the children and the loved ones that you left behind! Thank you so much for always being so kind to our family! You were a huge part of my husbands life growing up and I feel so blessed that you included me in the family from day one when you met me! We miss you!

Rhonda Kay Auger Pomeroy
May 26, 1964 ~ July 21, 2011
Hometown: South Ogden, UT

Rhonda Kay Auger Pomeroy
(May 26, 1964 - July 21, 2011)

Rhonda passed away peacefully on Thursday, July 21, 2011 at her home.

She was born on May 26, 1964 in Preston, Idaho to David and Marge Auger. She graduated from Preston High School and went on to graduate from LDS Business College.

She married Alfred Pomeroy on June 14, 1986 then later divorced.

Rhonda was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Her testimony was as strong as she was throughout her life. She was a member of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers.

Surviving are her two sons Cody (Brittany) Pomeroy, Elder Colby Pomeroy, daughter, Ashley Pomeroy, one granddaughter Ellie Jo Pomeroy. Her children and her granddaughter were the love of her life. Her parents, two sisters Darlene (Daryl) Johnson and Karen A. Fairbanks. Numerous nieces and nephews. She was totally dedicated to her immediate and extended family whenever any occasion would present itself.

Funeral services will be held 11:00 am, Thursday, July 28, 2011 at the South Ogden 6th Ward Chapel, 4380 Orchard, Ogden, Utah.

A viewing will be held at the church prior to services from 9:00 to 10:45 am.

Interment will be at the Glendale Cemetery in Franklin County Idaho.

Guess who's 4

2011-07-20T06:52:00.000-07:00

I myself have had a hard time with the fact that my sweet little hunter turned 4! Funny fact is I came home from girl camp talking about the girls that Hunter will one day date! Will he choose the brats? Will he choose the loners? Will he choose the sweet and helpful girls??? So many thoughts after this years camp I could not help it and this is what Ryan said, "Well honey I am glad you are thinking about this now because the dating years are right around the corner?" LOL he had to tease me for being so silly! Glad you had such a great bday little dude!

He had more fun decorating that I expected :)

Go Shock

2011-07-16T07:02:00.000-07:00

So the Shock had their last home game this past weekend and it was AMAZING!!!! Can you believe they caught the ball in the last 2 seconds in the in zone to take the win! Incredible ending of an already awesome game! Go Shock! I have really loved the fact that Ryan has been able to work so close with the team, he has enjoyed it and so have we and so many of our friends! Great times!

Ready for Girls Camp

2011-07-10T22:10:00.000-07:00

Well this year marks my 13th year attending Girls Camp! I started out as one of the young girls and have been a leader every since!!!! I love the opportunity this give me to serve and I always love my experience! May it be a good week and may things go smooth!

Shed is up

2011-07-09T17:40:00.000-07:00

Our neighbor and friend sold us this shed for a GREAT price! All we had to do was take it apart, walk it across our street and build it in our back yard. Easy enough right? Well maybe but at least the process was a fun one!

LDS Sentinel

2011-07-07T22:35:00.000-07:00

It was kinda fun this past week to be called and interviewed for this local online Sentinel. Here is the portion that chatted about me! Kinda fun!

Ari Anna Johnson, also in the Spokane Stake but no relation to Kristin, laughs at the idea of paying money for something.

"The only thing in my house I have spent money on is my furniture set," AriAnna said. "Everything is either handmade or a free find that I've redone."

Most of those "free finds" are abandoned items that she's picked up off the side of the road. Once she finds a piece, she'll bring it home to her small workshop and start giving it a new life. Old windows and crates are turned into coffee tables; rusted out benches are scraped clean and given a fresh coat of paint and discarded cupboards are sanded and painted until they become a child's play kitchen. The items that she doesn't keep are bartered or sold though her small business, Character Corner Creations, a process that has saved AriAnna thousands of dollars over the years.

"[Upcycling has] really helped me, because I'm self-reliant," AriAnna says. Then, with a laugh she adds, "And at the same time, if my house burned down, most of it was free anyway."

Ready to get in on the upcycling trend?

Start by looking around your house. A can of paint can do wonders in changing the look and feel of even the dowdiest of objects. Check thrift stores, estate sales, craigslist, and the ubiquitous "side of the road" for other great finds. And don't worry if you don't know how to fix something up. There are tutorials online that can take you step by step through whatever you want to learn. And keep in mind a final thought from AriAnna Johnson: "If you see potential in it, don't pass it up...If you can spray paint it or redo it to match with your décor, you'll basically be in love with it."

To read the whole article you can put this in your URL

http://spokane.latterdaysentinel.com/archiveStory.asp?theArticle=444

Foxy

2011-07-03T23:07:00.000-07:00

I realized I always share pictures of my wonderful Pappy dog but I don't very often share about my wonderful little Foxy! She is so sweet and I just love this shot of her!!!

One lucky mom

2011-07-02T22:50:00.000-07:00

There are just so many things I love about Hunter but one of my most favorites is his smile to go along with his funny personality. This shows you a peak into that personality :)

Cruise time

2011-06-29T10:55:00.000-07:00

I love it when Ryan's family comes to town. They are so wonderful and we have so much fun together. This trip we decided to do an eagle watching cruise in Sandpoint, Idaho. It was a blast and I can't wait to do it again.

Just had to share

2011-06-28T22:51:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of my aunts TINY vehicle parked behind my dads vehicle! The text with this picture from my dad stated, "look my car just gave birth" I laughed so hard!!!

I love Shabby

2011-06-28T22:45:00.000-07:00

Here is one of my latest projects, I loved how fun it turned out!

My parents ROCK

2011-06-27T22:55:00.000-07:00

I love how fun they are! This was a fun picture that was recently taken of my parents and I love it so much I may just frame this one LOL!

Family time

2011-06-27T15:41:00.000-07:00

We loved having my in-laws in town for the entire week! This was also and extra special visit because we were able to have Van with us the entire time as well! Shannon usually gets to come but Van was able to join her and the girls this trip as well so it was fun to have all of them here for a week! Lucky us! Here is just one shot of the kids and YES they did have a fantastic time together!

Trash to treasure

2011-06-25T22:47:00.000-07:00

I totally scored recently and was able to find these benches in a pile (literally) of junk! We took them all apart, thew away all the old nasty wood, replaced the wood and painted them all white. I heart them!!!!

It's been 12 years

2011-06-25T22:38:00.000-07:00

It was fun to have my family all in town a few weeks ago! If you can believe it, it has been 12 years since we have had a family picture taken with my parents and my brother and I! I have been pretty excited about this opportunity and these are my favorite shots!

Farm to Fresh

2011-06-20T22:53:00.000-07:00

Check out this redo project! This one was a fun one!

Kitchen set so fun

2011-06-16T15:34:00.000-07:00

this was such a fun little project!

Sunsets

2011-06-15T23:06:00.000-07:00

This is a photo I took a while back that I have never shared! I LOVE IT! Sunsets have always given me such peace!

Trades

2011-06-10T22:56:00.000-07:00

So I think trades pretty much rock because you can share your talent and in return you get to benefit from a talent you don't have! I was able to redo some furniture for a good friend and in return we were able to get fantastic family pictures taken!

Farm Chicks

2011-06-07T23:02:00.000-07:00

So there is a big show that many of you I am sure have heard about "Farm Chick" yep that's right it is located right here in good old Spokane! One of my dearest friends and I decided to take a day and go! It was a blast to go with you Mary!!!!

Ok and just so you know these were cute little fuzzy things for Mary's hat! We just stuck them on my head for fun not like I walked around like that all day I PROMISE!!!

Shameless Tin Man Project

2011-05-10T16:25:00.000-07:00

A good friend and I are going to Girls camp this year as volunteers and are so excited that our group of 12 girls was given the mascot of TIN MAN! Now if you knew this particular friend of mine you would say that we are going to have a BLAST as leaders together! Here is our shameless project we did together! This is what we started with and then you will see what our end result was! He is a stinking cute TINMAN!!!!

My mom is great

2011-05-06T08:17:00.000-07:00

1. I love her smile
2. I love her caring personality
3. She is so ambitious
4. She is so creative
5. She is so smart
6. She is so pretty
7. She taught me so much
8. She is selfless
9. She is SOMETIME funny but at least she tries
10. She loves us very much
11. She puts others first
12. She has always given 100% to everyone even if they did not deserve it.
13. She is a fighter (and I mean this in a great way)
14. She loves to learn more and more every day
15. She is sassy
16. She has style
17. She is a great listener
18. She gives great advise
19. She has a wonderful testimony of the Savior
20. She is pretty much the greatest.

So as you can see I can go on and on and on about all the wonderful qualities my mother has. She is so wonderful and I hope with all of my heart that she knows that! There have been so many people in my lifetime that I have seen take advantage of this wonderful woman and it makes me so sad. She is giving and kinder than any other person and I know! My wish for this Mothers Day is that she is reminded just how much I love her and need her in my life!!!! Thanks for all you do mom!

8th Wedding Anniversary

2011-05-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to take a moment to tell my wonderful husband just how much I love him. This 8 years has really gone by so fast and I can't wait for a lifetime more on anniversaries! Happy Anniversary Ryan I LOVE YOU!!!!

Twilight party

2011-05-02T14:56:00.000-07:00

So a good friend of mine here in Spokane does the best parties ever!!!! This one was the BEST though because it was a Twilight party! Now I know there are some of you that this would not be fun to attend but let me just tell you how wonderful of a time this one was. The decorations were amazing, the food was to DIE for and the company was great! I loved staying out late to be with these friends having a great time choosing Edward or Jacob!!!!! I still have a hard time deciding which is the best fit for bella and No I have not finished the books yet so I know I still have a ton to learn about the story plot but this was one fun night! Thanks ladies for a ball of a time!!!!

President's Address

2011-05-01T19:43:00.000-07:00

Proudly declaring the killing of Osama bin Laden “a good day for America,” President Barack Obama said Monday the world was a safer place without the world’s most hunted terrorist.

Here is the official statement that President Obama did tonight! Although I am not a personal fan of our President I do want to have this speech as it marks a momentous thing for our USA history!

President Obama: Good evening. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world, the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who's responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.
It was nearly 10 years ago that a bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history. The images of 9/11 are seared into our national memory -- hijacked planes cutting through a cloudless September sky; the Twin Towers collapsing to the ground; black smoke billowing up from the Pentagon; the wreckage of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the actions of heroic citizens saved even more heartbreak and destruction.
And yet we know that the worst images are those that were unseen to the world. The empty seat at the dinner table. Children who were forced to grow up without their mother or their father. Parents who would never know the feeling of their child's embrace. Nearly 3,000 citizens taken from us, leaving a gaping hole in our hearts.
Key words in Obama's speech
On September 11, 2001, in our time of grief, the American people came together. We offered our neighbors a hand, and we offered the wounded our blood. We reaffirmed our ties to each other, and our love of community and country. On that day, no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family.
We were also united in our resolve to protect our nation and to bring those who committed this vicious attack to justice. We quickly learned that the 9/11 attacks were carried out by al Qaeda -- an organization headed by Osama bin Laden, which had openly declared war on the United States and was committed to killing innocents in our country and around the globe. And so we went to war against al Qaeda to protect our citizens, our friends, and our allies.
Over the last 10 years, thanks to the tireless and heroic work of our military and our counterterrorism professionals, we've made great strides in that effort. We've disrupted terrorist attacks and strengthened our homeland defense. In Afghanistan, we removed the Taliban government, which had given bin Laden and al Qaeda safe haven and support. And around the globe, we worked with our friends and allies to capture or kill scores of al Qaeda terrorists, including several who were a part of the 9/11 plot.
Yet Osama bin Laden avoided capture and escaped across the Afghan border into Pakistan. Meanwhile, al Qaeda continued to operate from along that border and operate through its affiliates across the world.
And so shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against al Qaeda, even as we continued our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network.
Then, last August, after years of painstaking work by our intelligence community, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden. It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground. I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan. And finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice.
Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.
For over two decades, bin Laden has been al Qaeda's leader and symbol, and has continued to plot attacks against our country and our friends and allies. The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation's effort to defeat al Qaeda.
Yet his death does not mark the end of our effort. There's no doubt that al Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us. We must --- and we will -- remain vigilant at home and abroad.
As we do, we must also reaffirm that the United States is not --- and never will be --- at war with Islam. I've made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims. Indeed, al Qaeda has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own. So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity.
Over the years, I've repeatedly made clear that we would take action within Pakistan if we knew where bin Laden was. That is what we've done. But it's important to note that our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding. Indeed, bin Laden had declared war against Pakistan as well, and ordered attacks against the Pakistani people.
Tonight, I called President Zardari, and my team has also spoken with their Pakistani counterparts. They agree that this is a good and historic day for both of our nations. And going forward, it is essential that Pakistan continue to join us in the fight against al Qaeda and its affiliates.
The American people did not choose this fight. It came to our shores, and started with the senseless slaughter of our citizens. After nearly 10 years of service, struggle, and sacrifice, we know well the costs of war. These efforts weigh on me every time I, as commander in chief, have to sign a letter to a family that has lost a loved one, or look into the eyes of a service member who's been gravely wounded.
So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when our people have been killed. We will be relentless in defense of our citizens and our friends and allies. We will be true to the values that make us who we are. And on nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to al Qaeda's terror: Justice has been done.
Tonight, we give thanks to the countless intelligence and counterterrorism professionals who've worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome. The American people do not see their work, nor know their names. But tonight, they feel the satisfaction of their work and the result of their pursuit of justice.
We give thanks for the men who carried out this operation, for they exemplify the professionalism, patriotism, and unparalleled courage of those who serve our country. And they are part of a generation that has borne the heaviest share of the burden since that September day.
Finally, let me say to the families who lost loved ones on 9/11 that we have never forgotten your loss, nor wavered in our commitment to see that we do whatever it takes to prevent another attack on our shores.
And tonight, let us think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11. I know that it has, at times, frayed. Yet today's achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country and the determination of the American people.
The cause of securing our country is not complete. But tonight, we are once again reminded that America can do whatever we set our mind to. That is the story of our history, whether it's the pursuit of prosperity for our people, or the struggle for equality for all our citizens; our commitment to stand up for our values abroad, and our sacrifices to make the world a safer place.
Let us remember that we can do these things not just because of wealth or power, but because of who we are: one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Thank you. May God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.

A Royal Wedding

2011-04-30T17:32:00.000-07:00

It was so fun to hear so many of my gf's tell me all about their experience watching the Royal wedding in the middle of the night! I however, would have loved to have done that but man I love my sleep way too much! I did enjoy watching a little recap of this beautiful kiss however and I do have to admit I watched a Lifetime movie all about their love story! Sappy I know but I love the romance what can I say! I wish them the best of luck in their married life!!!!

Our conversation today!!!!!

2011-04-28T22:32:00.001-07:00

Our conversation went a little like this
Hunter "mommy I would like another baby!" Mom, "oh really" Hunter, "can we just go to a ladies house and buy one today?" Mom, "well.............................."

Hunter is always saying the funniest things and this one was so worth sharing!

Wienermobile

2011-04-26T12:57:00.000-07:00

Hunter and I needed to get out of the house today and get some fresh air and so we headed to our local Fred Meyers and this is what we saw. Hunter said, "mom look it's a big hotdog!" It was so random but so fun to see it in person! Guess there is only 6 of these in the US and they travel around to meet people like ME and Hunter!

Easter day in Moses Lake

2011-04-24T13:21:00.000-07:00

This was one of the best Easters I have ever had! Although Hunter was not feeling 100% we still decided to load up the car and head to Moses Lake to spend the day with our good friends the Willard's! We went to church and then headed home for yummy food and the BEST easter egg hunt I have ever seen! Julie went all out in her prep work for this hunt! Lets just say we came home with 12 hard boiled eggs, easily 5lbs of candy and tons of plastic eggs!!! WOWZERS!!! It was awesome! Thanks Willard's for such a great day!

Ward Easter Party

2011-04-23T13:05:00.000-07:00

This was a very well done activity! We had so much fun with friends and ward members! Hunter did a really great job singing in front of a large crowd and we enjoyed eating yummy food!
He is all ready for the ward Easter egg Hunt!

These boys are such great pals!

His first singing performance! He did so great!

From trash to treasure!

2011-04-23T12:59:00.000-07:00

This was a great find the other day! I picked this scratched up coffee table for $20.00! I loved the hardware on it and I saw potential! Here is the before and then the after shot of what trash can become! I love it and it is BIG!!!!

Snow

2011-04-21T14:11:00.000-07:00

This weather has been insane this past few weeks! Can you believe we have snow right now!

Rustic feel

2011-04-21T13:14:00.000-07:00

This was Ryan's latest design and build from scratch! It took many hours and tons of love but we got it done! I love that we did barn red stain so that you can see the grain of the wood under the red! I also love that we used burlap in the back it added so much to this piece!

Jared and Elisabeth

2011-04-18T14:41:00.000-07:00

It was so fun to have Jared and his GF Elisabeth here the other night! She leaves to go to NY on her mission at the beginning of may and so she wanted to come see us before she left! I really enjoy here and I hope she has a wonderful mission! Thanks Jared for spoiling Hunter he sure loved it!!!! Come again soon!

Old windows are awesome

2011-04-13T13:18:00.000-07:00

Our coffee table we built a while back has gotten so much traffic we thought it would be a great idea to build another one! I broke the glass so we decided to put wood under the window and I LOVE IT!!! It's so shabby and so fun!

Pre-School tour

2011-04-12T14:23:00.000-07:00

Hunter loved going and getting a tour of his Pre-school! He can't wait to start school in September!

Otter

2011-04-07T13:17:00.000-07:00

We loved having this 100lbs guest for the week! He is welcome back anytime!

Chrissy's visit

2011-04-02T13:59:00.000-07:00

I loved having them here for a whole week and I was so sad to see them leave! Come back soon guys we miss you already!

Best Friends

2011-04-02T13:45:00.000-07:00

Christina and I have been best friends over 20 years now and I have to say I feel like the luckiest person on earth! Not only do I have a wonderful family, a wonderful husband but I am also blessed with wonderful Friends and Christina is the BEST!!!! Thanks my dear for sticking by me for 20+ years! Thanks for loving me and always being there for me! I wish with all my heart we lived closer to each other but when we do get together I enjoy every second of it!

Fundraiser

2011-04-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

A few months ago we had the opportunity to build these benches for these 2 classes for a fundraiser! Thanks guys for letting us be apart of it! You did a great job finishing them up!

Shock Game

2011-04-01T13:54:00.000-07:00

One of the funnest things we got to do while Chrissy was here was go to a Shock game! With Ryan having the opportunity to work as a team Chiropractor we have been able to go to a bunch of games this year and this one was so fun to be able to take Chrissy too!

Custom mirror

2011-03-30T13:53:00.000-07:00

Being in this shop has been a real growing experience! We have been doing pretty well and I have even been able to do a couple custom pieces for people! Here is a fun one I did for a lady and I loved it! My mirrors with the fabric in them have been rather popular! Here is the one I did for her!

Firefighter of the YEAR

2011-03-30T13:36:00.000-07:00

Yep that title is correct my wonderful dad got an award for Firefighter of the YEAR!!!! He was really excited about this award as he should be! Great job dad!!!!

Pizza Night!

2011-03-30T13:26:00.000-07:00

I have really loved working with the Young Women here in Spokane! Tonight was so fun and I really enjoy how wonderful these ladies all are! Thank girls for all being so welcoming!

Sky High

2011-03-28T14:01:00.000-07:00

One of my good friends invited me to try out a new place here in Spokane called Sky High!!!! IT WAS AWESOME!!! I had so much fun jumping with Hunter for 2.5 hours! man was I tired after though!

Congrats Cody

2011-03-26T13:32:00.000-07:00

Cody has been a part of our family for many years now! He is one great young man and I am so happy to consider him apart of our family! He looked so handsome on his wedding day! Congrats Cody I sure wish I could have been there to see you and your beautiful bride!!!

Wiped out!

2011-03-25T13:44:00.000-07:00

This was the cutest thing to find today!!!! Guess he needed to go to bed already!

Parents here

2011-03-24T13:35:00.000-07:00

There are so many things I love about having my parents only 5 hours away! This is one of those things I love! My dad and Hunter have so much fun together!!!! Hunter sure is a lucky little boy to have so much family that loves him and wants to spend time with him! Thanks mom and dad for a fun visit! We sure loved having you!

Shock

2011-03-19T14:05:00.000-07:00

While my parents were here we took them to a SHOCK game and it was so much fun! Our seats were amazing thanks to the fact Ryan has the opportunity to work as a Team Chiropractor!!! Go Shock!

Our homeless visitor

2011-03-15T13:38:00.000-07:00

Today Hunter and I found this cute little guy wondering the streets of Spokane! We decided to keep him until we were able to locate his owners! This was one fun day for Hunter as I put him on puppy duty all day! He loved that this dog cuddled with him all day long! Sadly we took him to the vet to see if he had a chip because he had no collar, and sadly he had none! After not being able to locate an owner I decided to put an add on CL. 3 or 4 calls later we had a person that was able to tell me all the special things about this dog that made me know they were the owners. Thankfully we were able to find his home and Hunter had a great day!

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Our trooper

2011-03-10T14:08:00.000-08:00

Pappy is like the best dog ever! As you can see he is so patient with Hunter and plays so well with him!

Grand Opening!

2011-02-24T10:44:00.000-08:00

So this morning we woke to over a ft of snow and we thought oh no here goes a bad turnout for grand opening! We knew we still had to go through with it but we wondered if anyone would show up! Needless to say We were packed shoulder to shoulder for most of the night! For the roads being as bad as they were, we were so grateful for everyone that came to support us! We have so many wonderful gals in this shop and the whole thing just turned out AMAZING!!! I have to say at times out doubted if we could pull it off but in the end I have to say I LOVE IT!!!! Seeing Ryan and I's stuff surrounded by other fantastic stuff that people have done is really wonderful! I am so grateful for the chance we have to be in this shop and I hope you will look for both the Mad Cow and Character Corner Creations on FB and connect with us. Here are some better pictures I took with my camera last night before we opened our doors! Thanks for everyone that has helped us out in the last few weeks! We appreciate it.

1 Ft of snow

2011-02-24T08:50:00.000-08:00

All I can say is last night we got a foot of snow and it was so much fun to play in this am! Hunter had a blast if you can't tell! Lets just hope it doesn't ruin our shops grand opening tonight!

Sneak Peak

2011-02-24T08:20:00.000-08:00

Here are just some sneak peak shots of the shop last night! We still have a bunch to do to get ready for tonight and this blizzard we are having does not help us out any! But hey, we can always have a Re-grand Opening in a few weeks but I am sure people will still come! The shop is DARLING!!!!!

Here it is

2011-02-23T10:59:00.000-08:00

Shabby coffee table

2011-02-23T07:21:00.001-08:00

Before and after shots are so fun! Check this one out!

Darling coffee table

2011-02-23T07:12:00.000-08:00

This is my most favorite piece ryan has made yet. Pic's are not very cute but you can get the idea we made this table BIG, and very shabby! I love that it opens so that you can put all things cute inside and still see them!

Joys of having a boy

2011-02-22T07:10:00.000-08:00

"Mom look! I made an obstacle course!"

Staging

2011-02-22T07:06:00.000-08:00

Today I was able to drop Hunter off for 8 hours and a good friends house while Heidi and I hit it hard with final preparations. Curtains got hung stuff is looking cuter bathroom is farther along and all is starting to shape up! Heidi has been amazing and working so hard. I so wish I could have been a better help in the shop but man did I get a ton of projects ready for this grand opening!

All of my stuff in the house ready to decorate. No we just need everyone else's stuff!

We are getting there!

I love this little spot in the shop! On the wall hanging of mine on the left there will be tons of hair bows and on the shelves of mine we will have fabulous sugar body scrubs! WAHOO

Moving day

2011-02-21T07:03:00.000-08:00

Well today with help I loaded up my truck and headed over the the new shop where our stuff will be on consignment! It is an exciting day and lets hope this store makes some money! Ryan and I have put in countless hours and we pray it pays off!

Our latest projects

2011-02-17T13:39:00.000-08:00

So many fun colors

Pricing

2011-02-16T15:09:00.000-08:00

So I have started the big project of pricing! These are the tags I am starting out with but as I type this I have a girlfriend of mine making me a ton of new tags for all of my goodies for the shop! Can't wait to get my business cards because those are going on the larger pieces of furniture! So much fun and exciting things going on right now!

More Valentines

2011-02-14T15:02:00.000-08:00

And of course our very yummy heart shaped pizza!!! YUM

Just a little goodie Hunter and I made for a few friends!

Thank you Ryan for my beautiful Rose

Happy Valentines Day DAD

2011-02-14T15:00:00.000-08:00

Hunter painted a 5x7 picture of himself on a piece of canvas and painted it very well! I was very impressed with the job he did! And he even put the snake on there as well! We love you Ryan

Happy Valentines Day

2011-02-14T14:49:00.000-08:00

Hunter was invited over to a friends home for a Valentines Day party! Yay for fun games, fun grafts, fun company and a GREAT VALENTINES DAY!

Sunsets are my favorite

2011-02-06T22:00:00.000-08:00

One of the many things I love about our house it the great views out of our windows! There have been so many times that I have looked out and seen just the most amazing sunset ever! This was one of those times I had to capture! And just think, this is taken with my cell phone! Amazing how much prettier it was in person! Sunsets are literally one of my most favorite things to see! So grateful I live in such a beautiful world!