The Reichmans

It's a BOY!!!

2012-02-15T18:58:00.000-08:00

We found out today that baby Reichman #2 is another boy and we are so thrilled!!! Well, I guess I should clarify and say that Pete and I are thrilled-Ryan on the other hand was another story. The poor kid wanted a sister so badly he cried and yelled when the ultrasound tech announced it was a boy. I know he will come around and be so excited to have a little brother to hang out with and to share his love of superheros;)

Ry's News

2012-01-23T11:09:00.000-08:00

Ryan has something he wants to say:

"MY MOM IS PREGNICK!!!"

I hope you can hear him yelling thru your computer screen;)

Christmas came early last year-November 29th to be exact. One of the most stressful, nerve wracking, wonderful days of my life! It was the day we received a phone call telling us that the in vitro had worked and that I was pregnant!!! I had imagined that moment of receiving good news for 3 years and when it finally came I was in complete and utter shock! My mind didn't know how to process it after getting a 'NO' for so long. By the end of the phone call I was crying and then sobbing in the restaurant. Of course we ran into someone Pete knew from school who was really confused why I had tears streaming down my face.

The moment was so different than I imagined but so much more than I dreamed it would be-esp being able to share it with family. After the news set it, I was overcome by all the love and support from people who had prayed and hoped and waited for this moment almost as much as we had. That love felt tangible-It was all a little surreal...

And while that moment seemed to heal so much of the heartache and pain I had felt over the past 3 years, I know I will always be a different person because of struggling with infertility. I would like to hope a better person...

So after keeping the secret of my life, we are SO ecstatic to announce that baby Reichman #2 will be coming around the first part of August!!!

overwhelmed

2012-01-05T19:02:00.000-08:00

Hi! Yes I am still alive, my blog has been extremely neglected lately...
I hope all of you are doing well and had wonderful holiday breaks. We spent the majority of two weeks up at Snowbird pretending there was snow to ski on-it was actually perfect that the snow wasn't great because Pete was never tempted to push his knee (ACL surgery this past summer) more than he was supposed to and then Ry got lots of personal ski lessons from his Dad;) We got home Monday and somehow a tornado hit our house since then...

The house is such a mess I don't even know where to begin-the house was clean when we got home and then suddenly every single room needs to been cleaned and disinfected and there is a mountain of laundry to get thru. My mom said it looked like Ryan had just dumped toys all over the floor in every room which is probably really close to being true. I can't seem to stay home long enough to get a good start on it all-oh well at least we had fun right? I wish you all well adjusting back to real life!

A superhero at our feast

2011-11-21T15:25:00.000-08:00

I picked ryan up from preschool today and he announced he was "Indian Spiderman". I bet the pilgrims don't remember having an indian superhero at their feast, but I know I most certainly will;)

The Coolest Month...

2011-10-30T14:27:00.000-07:00

Just a few reasons why October may be my favorite month

1.We get to celebrate the birth of this little guy! Ry turned 5 this year and I love that he already says things like "mom that happened a long time ago when I was 4" or "I will listen now that I am 5" (too bad that hasn't come true) or "I won't be scared anymore since I am 5!"

2.The leaves were SO beautiful this year-it seemed like fall lasted forever! I couldn't get enough of my Utah mountains.

3.Halloween! Pete's mom had a costume party this year and even Pete dressed up! I honestly think it was the first time since we have been married that I have seen him in a costume. Ryan was so excited that pete dressed up as war machine from Iron man-too bad the costume was a little too short and Pete was extremely uncomfortable-it was pretty funny;)

The Beginning of a new Decade

2011-10-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

I said good-bye to my 20's and hello to the big 3-0 yesterday! This birthday made me think about everything that has happened over the past 10 years: college, marriage, graduation, becoming a nurse, working, becoming a mother, world traveling and lots of adventures, meeting new people and keeping wonderful old friends, school, school and more school for Pete...my twenties brought SO many life changing experiences...

And while the actual day wasn't the best (d/t things unrelated to my new age;)), and while I still can't believe i am 30 (!) I have to say I am kind of excited to see what adventures life has in store for me over the next 10 years!

summertime

2011-10-16T17:35:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have a pile of back-logged posts. Here are a few of our favorite moments from this past summer...as you can see I discovered the Instagram app on my iPhone;)

p.s Ryan didn't break his leg-he had to have his leg wrapped up just like Pete's was after his knee surgery;)

Vaccines for the Philippines 2011 Humanitarian trip

2011-09-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

Wow, I am only three months late in posting this-I am slightly behind and be prepared there are LOTS of pictures. This was my 5th time going to the Philippines and yet somehow each trip is different than the last-this year seemed to be our most adventurous and definitely one of the most memorable. It started out that way when my nephew and I got flagged at immigration in Manilla because he was a minor traveling without his parents. We were pulled into a back room and asked to pay a bunch of money and to provide documentation from his mother stating he was allowed to go on the trip (luckily for us we had the documents). After waiting for what seemed like forever they let us thru-it took so long I thought they were going to send us back home. This year all of our service had a educational theme: we donated school kits, playground equipment, and built a school on a VERY remote island called Pamilacan or "Pelican" as many called it since they couldn't remember the right name. The island was incredibly beautiful, but very hot and very humid. Nothing dried out and by the end my hair smelled like mildew;)

One reason this trip was more adventurous was because we camped right by the beach in individual mosquito-net tents. I was very grateful for my tent because they kept the large spiders out (they were HUGE), but unfortunately they didn't protect us from the rain. It was also too bad they weren't sound proof because the roosters on the island started crowing at 3:30 a.m. every morning and it was loud!

We didn't finish the school while we were there, but we did work really hard carrying supplies, mixing cement for the foundation and we started to build the frame of the school. I always looked like I had just taken a shower because I was so sweaty;)

We always have so much fun hanging out with the darling kids over there and it kind of made me homesick for my own 4-year old. One night we invited all the kids on the island and their families to come and watch a movie on the side of the town church. It was the first time a lot of them had ever seen a movie and we loved being able to walk them all home at the end of the night.

Every time we go over the filipinos love to arrange a basketball game against us-well the boys that come with us-and this year they decided to have our own jerseys made for the event.

After some really hard work, we headed over to the island that we normally stay on, Bohol, and had some serious fun. Nothing beats the beaches in the Philippines.

My little sis and nephew Scott.

On one of our last days we went to an outdoor Eco-Adventure center and did the longest zip-line in Asia and did something called the plunge-literally the most terrifying thing I have ever done in my life. It was all a little sketchy because the equipment was really old and they don't really have safety checks over there.

This is the Canyon that the events took place over.

This is me almost blacking out before I did the plunge because I was SO scared. My arms and hands kept going numb and my face went white-I was that stressed, but I knew I would regret it if I didn't do it. You were lowered off of a platform that was attached precariously to the side of a cliff. They counted to three and then pulled a rip-cord and you dropped about 250 feet and then swung out over the canyon. It was a giant bungee pendulum swing. I was really glad I did it in the end, but I still can't believe I actually went thru with it-I am really afraid of heights.

It was such a great trip and we had an amazing group of people that came over with us. It was great to see all of Pete's hard work pay off-I was so proud of him;)

wishin' and hopin' and thinkin' and prayin'

2011-08-28T21:28:00.000-07:00

I know this song is about finding a husband, but I feel like the opening line describes so well the way I feel about wanting another baby.

I fall into what they call "unexplained" infertility. And while I am pleased to be so healthy, I sometimes find myself wishing something was wrong so that there could be something to fix-some answer to explain what is going on-but they have nothing.

We have started down the path of more intense fertility treatments and because our mental and physical investment has increased the emotional cost has become so much higher. There are times where my heart feels like it is going to burst from the pain that I feel and I start to wonder if I am strong enough to handle this...

They say not to stress, not to worry, not to get frustrated because it only makes the problem worse, but how can you not do all of those things when something you want more than anything in this world is not working out.

...But, I am trying so hard to focus on the love that I feel from those around me and the prayers that I know are being said in our behalf. I think about the hugs I got from my dad on his way to work on a hard day, and the closeness I feel to God as I have had to rely so completely on him. I remind myself that I am SO lucky to already have a child, especially one as incredible as Ryan, when so many don't even have one. I really am trying to be positive, I just have days where my heart is heavy and today was one of those days...

Their first day

2011-08-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

Pete's and Ryan's first days of school happened to be on the same day and ry thought that was really cool;) Pete kind of wanted to kill me when I made him take this picture today. I felt so bad for him; he was using 2 bags and still had to carry some of his books in his hands because he had so many things to take to school. Ryan insisted that he got to wear his favorite shirt and jeans even though it was 90 something degrees outside. Pete said he survived and Ryan said he had a great day because his girlfriend Kate is in his class again this year! I have to admit, I felt a little left out to be the only one in the family not going back to school-I honestly still miss school (I am a nerd at heart). Maybe someday...

change

2011-08-21T17:37:00.000-07:00

Pete started his law school orientation last wednesday and ever since I have had a pit in my stomach and I couldn't figure out exactly why I was feeling this way...and then it hit me-change. So much changes with him starting this program. It is an ending and a beginning all at the same time. An ending of our school era and a beginning of new adventures just waiting to be discovered. But those times are hard and they require adjusting and growing and stretching and sometimes I just want to stay where things are comfortable. I have absolutely NO idea where we will be at the end of this because life has taken us down some VERY different paths than we ever had planned. But I do know there is a plan for us and while I don't know the end result I know it will be great. I just need to trust in the plan, but right now my heart is resisting a little as it adjusts to this new direction...

the fastest year of my life

2011-08-11T15:26:00.000-07:00

somehow I blinked and a year passed. Pete starts law school orientation next Wednesday. It seems like yesterday that we thought we were moving and then BYU called at literally the very last min and gave us 24 hours to decide if we wanted to wait to start law school until the following year. Everyone told us we needed to take advantage of the time we had before it started, and we definitely did! We traveled to California three times, Hawaii, Las Vegas, Arizona, and the Philippines (Pete actually went twice)! We had some great times, but now I am dreading the huge adjustments that will have to be made when law school starts-we got SO spoiled having Pete around all the time. I just keep telling myself that we felt very strongly this was what we were supposed to do and three years really isn't that long-right???

I don't even know where to begin....

2011-07-31T23:12:00.000-07:00

Things have been crazy lately...

Between the Philippines, work, Pete's surgery and ongoing recovery, Ry's soccer camp, going to Disneyland/Newport Beach/seeing old friends, almost drowning by giant waves/being bashed into large rocks (really I thought I was going to die in the ocean and was thankfully rescued by a lifeguard), having family in town, having family members move away, getting released from my calling, receiving a new calling, delving more into the world of infertility treatments and trying to maximize every last min before pete starts law school in 3 weeks summer is somehow almost over...

It makes me sad...

One of these days I will actually update my blog and post pictures but it has been kind of low on the priority list lately

Pete has the worst luck...

2011-06-20T21:45:00.000-07:00

For his eagle project, my nephew brought over playground equipment to donate to a school in the Philippines. After the equipment was given we showed them different games and activities they could do with it. Pete was showing them how to use the jump ropes and his knee hyperextended. He has had some trouble with that knee before, but it hadn't been a big deal so we weren't too worried-well we apparently should have been. Pete's MRI results came back today and he has a COMPLETE ACL tear-that will require major surgery with an extremely long recovery. A.W.E.S.O.M.E.

My pre-trip anxiety has officially set in...

2011-06-02T11:17:00.000-07:00

I leave for the philippines tomorrow morning and I am officially panicking! I have so many things running thru my head right now I am becoming extremely inefficient about getting anything done. I am really excited to go since it has been a couple of years and I miss that place, but I am not looking forward to the 30+ hours it will take to get there or having to leave Ry. The main group left Monday and so it is just me, my little sis, and my nephew leaving tomorrow-another reason I am slightly stressed-I am the one in charge of getting us there safely. Wish me luck...

All his stubborness paid off

2011-06-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Pete took the training wheels off of Ryan's bike and boy was he ticked. He refused to touch his bike and did not want us to teach him to ride it without training wheels. Then one night Ryan took it out of the garage and started teaching himself to balance on it, but once again he didn't want help. The next day I got a call at work saying he was officially riding his bike around the block! Ryan was determined to figure it out on his own and lucky for him he actually did;)

Pete's "accident"

2011-05-14T21:02:00.000-07:00

I told him he should wait and let his little sister, a trained hairstylist, cut his hair. But he got impatient....
this was what happened when he went to fix a few long hairs and forgot to check if the guard was on the clippers;)

I am going to get in trouble for this...

2011-05-02T12:44:00.000-07:00

Something monumental happened yesterday that Pete is in denial about ....I made sure he didn't forget though;)

Happy 30th Pedro!

Her new Happy Ending

2011-04-29T16:09:00.000-07:00

Just over 6 years ago tragedy struck our family in a way we never could have imagined. A horrific car accident claimed the life of my brother-in-law Kimball (Ryan carries his name) leaving my sister with 4 young children-she was 28 at the time of the accident. And while she has been amazing and stoic and graceful and thrived over the past 6 years it has been extremely and often excruciatingly hard. But last night things changed...She was married for the second time! And not just to anyone, but someone who she knew from High School and actually took her on her first date and was her first kiss! While I am sad that she will be moving away, I am SO happy that she won't bear the burden of life alone anymore and am excited to have new members of my family.

Congratulations Catherine and Luke!!!

Helping us remember

2011-04-24T21:09:00.000-07:00

Grateful for this handsome little boy who told us the story of the Savior multiple times today and helped us remember what Easter is all about.

Balancing Act

2011-04-18T16:06:00.000-07:00

Just like most people, I feel like i am in a constant balancing act with all the different roles I need to fulfill-mother, wife, daughter, sister, nurse, YW leader, neighbor, etc-but I can't seem to find the perfect balance in order to keep them from shifting the weight and causing my whole world to topple over. I can't seem to devote enough time to each area that I feel like I am giving it everything I have. I always seem to be thinking about something else I need to do when I should be focused on the present task.

I am especially struggling to find balance between work and being a mother. I find myself spending more time at work than I ever planned or wanted to, but I have to be there for financial reasons. Maybe I am struggling because I am constantly battling feelings of guilt-I feel guilty for leaving him to go to work, I feel guilty when I leave to exercise, I feel guilty if we don't do enough projects, i feel guilty if I let him watch too much TV, I feel guilty if he doesn't eat well or we don't read enough books. I need to learn to balance these two worlds so that I can feel some sort of peace in both of them. I love being a mom, and someday hope to be home all the time but have to figure out how to blend two worlds right now. I realized-after reading a blog post-that when I am home I need to take some time out of each day to spend quality time with Ryan and not push my agenda on him, but let him decide what happens. But how do I overcome that guilt that I feel on a daily basis? What are you doing to find true balance in your life?

Player #1

2011-04-04T13:28:00.000-07:00

Ry's first soccer season is officially underway and boy was he excited!!! The game was some of the best entertainment I have had in a long time.
Highlights included:
-Ryan acting as Spiderman and webbing as he ran down the field
-Ryan and his friend showing each other their superhero underwear as they sat on the sidelines
-Ryan almost scoring a goal for the other team (they didn't need his help they had a champion soccer player on their team that left everyone wondering how someone that big and coordinated was only 4)
-Ryan giving us double thumbs-up anytime the ball came near him, grazed him or he actually kicked it. He would get so excited he would forget he had to keep playing.

Parkinson St. Patrick's Day Party and a little White Trash fun

2011-03-20T18:16:00.001-07:00

My mom's favorite holiday is St. Patrick's Day. For as long as I can remember, she has loved Ireland and anything celtic;) We capitalize on the fact that she loves this random holiday and every year we throw a party to celebrate. This year may have been the best yet-we played minute-to-win-it leprechaun games, pin the shamrock on the leprechaun, the kids hunted for their own pots-of-gold, and we ate lots of yummy food (my brother-in-law brought his crepe maker and so I made sure nutella came to the party as well). I found these awesome St. Patrick's Day mustaches (so random) at Old Navy like a month ago and Ryan had been DYING to wear them. Too bad he only wore it for about 30 seconds;)

This weekend Pete discovered that there is a lot more white trash inside of me then he ever dreamed there could be. We went to the Nickelcade and he couldn't get me to leave-literally he had to beg me to leave so we could go get dinner. I had a blast and would have been perfectly content playing skee-ball and deal-or-no deal (my latest arcade discovery-so addicting!) all night long. I also fought with Ryan over whose turn it was to throw the ball in skee-ball-Yes, one of my finest parenting moments. I told Pete and Ry we are going there on a regular basis;)

I love how serious that guy's skee-ball stance is...

I also love how concentrated Pete is when he plays video games...

The nothing day

2011-03-10T12:11:00.000-08:00

With today being my first day off work in a while, I had high hopes of starting to tackle my ever growing to-do list. It is 1 o'clock and do you want to know what I have accomplished today....absolutely nothing...

I am sitting in bed and am starting to feel guilty, but at the same time really enjoying being lazy. I just can't seem to motivate myself today...

Ryan's Prayers

2011-03-08T14:05:00.000-08:00

A few months ago Ryan started asking me when we were going to have another baby to which I replied-I don't know, why don't you start praying for it to happen. He only recently took my advice and started praying that I would get "pregnick" (I LOVE how he says pregnant), but now things are getting a little out of control.

He used to just pray that I would get pregnick, but now he prays that he will get a brother and a sister at the same time! He also prays that the boy baby will be named Harry-Osborn-Green-Goblin and that the girl baby will be named Mary Jane and that he will be able to change his name to Peter-Parker-Spiderman. If the day ever comes that we do have another baby, I don't know what Ryan is going to do when we don't name it after a spiderman character:)

It already feels like a dream...

2011-02-27T19:04:00.000-08:00

We had a really, really great time ;) But somehow it already feels like we never went-I hate that part about going on vacation...
We took the red-eye back Thursday night, walked into the house at 12:15 on Friday and I had to get to work by one. I don't really think it was super safe I working on an hour and a half of sleep, but no one (myself included) felt too bad for me since I had literally just come from Hawaii. It was so great to spend so much time together as a family and I loved every minute of it (minus when ry cut his lip wide open and both of us were covered in blood).

Ryan really, really wanted a lei, so Pete had to hunt one down when we got to the airport

We went whale watching and literally got surrounded by humpback whales-it was amazing-even our guides couldn't believe what we saw. This whale decided to put on a little show for us

Ry was SO concentrated and serious while she was putting on his henna tatoo-I don't know if I have ever seen him sit so still:)

On the grounds of the place we stayed-it really was that green.

Some of the BEST shaved ice

The damage

Kayaking in the ocean

We went to lots of different beaches on the island, swam, snorkeled, boogie boarded, ate good food, and laughed a lot. It really was perfect.

The best decision

2011-02-19T09:59:00.000-08:00

I am not very spotaneous-I have had a few moments in my life, but for the most part I have to plan things well in advance. But last week we made the most spontaneous decision ever...

Pete's parents time share in Hawaii suddenly opened up and his Dad told us we should take advantage of our time before law school and go and use it. It seemed like such an outrageous thought to me, but I was able to switch shifts at work and Pete's job doesn't start till we get back so it really seemed like the perfect thing to do. And before we could think too much about what we were doing or how much money we were spending we bought tickets and last night we arrived in Maui. As I was listening to the waves and watching Ry and Pete play in the ocean together, I was so grateful that his Dad pushed us to do this because for the first time in a while I felt peaceful...

He finally got them....

2011-02-16T16:19:00.000-08:00

Every time Ryan and I go to Target (which is WAY more often than we should) he always begs me to buy him a giant box of cheese balls and we always seem to have the same conversation about them. He asks and I proceed to tell him NO way that is discusting! I don't know why he decided he wanted them, but he has been asking for months and today was his day. Pete and Ry stopped at Target on the way home from Ry's school to pick up a birthday present for Ry's friend Alexander-they were to get a present and nothing more. Well pete must be much more of a push over than I am because somehow ryan sweet talked his way into those cheese balls and this was what I found when I came home from running. I guess it could be worse-he has also been begging for a chameleon...

Happy Valentime's Day!

2011-02-13T19:12:00.000-08:00

We're off to make a Valentime for Ry's crush/girlfriend Kate;)

Surviving the Winter

2011-02-11T10:34:00.000-08:00

I am one of those people that is ready for warm, sunny days to come right after Christmas and so I am constantly trying to find positive things about snow and cold to get me thru these long months. This year my neighbor, Andrea, introduced me to Cross country skiing at Sundance and it has definitely become something that makes me like living in Utah in winter. We went on Wednesday and it could not have been more beautiful. The mountains were incredible and there is something so great about breathing non-inversion air.

Ry's night with D. Will

2011-02-11T10:15:00.000-08:00

Ry loves watching the Jazz and cheers for Darren Williams (or D. Willie as Ry calls him) and Kirilenko so Pete thought it would be fun to take him to an actual game. Ry had a blast but after the excitement of the food and getting a jazz jersey wore off he was ready to go home. We lasted until few mins before the game ended so we got to see most of the game and the Jazz actually won-this was pre-Jerry Solan retirement.

Sorry for the fuzzy iphone pics-they won't let you take cameras into the energy solutions arena

Ambien

2011-01-23T21:42:00.000-08:00

Pete arrived home safe and sound-thankfully;)-but now he is battling a serious case of jet lag. The philippines is completely opposite with their nights and days compared to us and for some reason it is really easy to switch over to their time zone, but usually takes him about 2 weeks to adjust back to mountain standard time. Pete stayed up all night last night and informed me on our way to church that he was going to take an Ambien tonight to help him get some sleep. Now most people wouldn't start to have a panic attack when their husband mentioned to them that he was going to take an Ambien, but I did. Here's why...

Last summer, Pete was battling his jet lag after his trip to the Philippines and decided to take some Ambien to help him sleep. We went to bed and thankfully he fell asleep quickly. The next thing I know I am being woken up by a large crashing noise and I see Pete laying on the floor by our bed. I asked him what he was doing and he told me he was trying to get downstairs because they were coming to get him. I helped him back into bed and informed him that it was the middle of the night and that no one was coming for him. Then he asked me why I let them take him. I asked him who did I let take him and he then got very upset that I let strangers come and take him away. He seemed so betrayed that I would let him go without knowing who he was going with. He told me that he was very worried if they came back because this time they weren't going to let him come back home. I once again reassured him that no one was here and that he was dreaming.

We both fell back asleep and then I woke up to him once again trying to go downstairs and collapsing on the floor. Now Pete is on blood thinners and sleep walking+ hallucinations+stairs+ blood thinners=a serious hazard to his well being. I decided it was best to not fall back asleep and kept having to pin him down to get him to stay in bed and tell him that no one was coming. He kept telling me that if they came again he wouldn't come back. He even sent me a goodbye text message telling me he loved me and that he was sorry he would be gone (don't worry we were laying next to each other when he sent it to me). I intercepted the one he was trying to send to his mom:) Then he asked me if I could move things without touching them-which of course I said no to-and he told me that the people that took him could. They could move rocks without even touching them. Finally he fell back asleep and when he woke up the next morning had absolutely NO recollection of what had happened. He didn't believe me and still thinks I made it up-even after I showed him the crazy message he texted me. So now you can see why I panicked when he said he was taking Ambien. Here's to a night of hallucinations....

The longest day

2011-01-18T14:40:00.000-08:00

Could today please be over? It feels like this day may drag on and on forever....

I am whining-I know, but Pete was supposed to be home today and then realized Sunday that he read his itinerary wrong and doesn't come home from the Philippines till Wednesday. I know-what is 1 more day after he has already being gone for 12, but I was only mentally prepared for him to be gone until today...

Luckily for me, I have this little man to keep me company and keep me laughing all day long:)

p.s. I really am super supportive of all his international endeavors and encourage him to take any opportunity he can, I am just complaining cause we really miss him.

Back to Reality

2011-01-02T17:42:00.000-08:00

I always have a hard time coming down from the high of Christmas break and celebrating the holidays. Real life always seems harder after after living on a constant high. We had an awesome time going back and forth between staying up at Snowbird with Pete's family and coming down to hang out with my family in Provo. We had great snow, great company, a great Christmas-what more could we ask for.

Ry became quite the little skier while we were up there-it does run in the Reichman blood-too bad I am just a Reichman by marriage. I can only dream of skiing how they do...

Pete and I were lucky to squeeze in a lot of skiing just the two of us;)

Ry checking to see if Santa had come or not:)

Snuggling with Aunt Katie and Uncle Stain after all the hard work of opening presents

It took awhile to get down to my parents on Christmas day

Ry is special...

Pete took my snowshoeing as part of my Christmas present-I always want to go, but he thinks it is kind of lame. We went up Rock Canyon and it was Beautiful even if it was freezing! We made sure to go on a date last night since pete just found out he has to leave this week to go meet with a Governor in the Philippines

I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas and a very Happy New Years!!!

Ryan Reichman a.k.a "the womanizer"

2010-12-20T18:12:00.001-08:00

Ry came home from school the other day and said to me:

"I kissed Kate at school today, now she is my girlfriend and I just love her, we hugged and I really just love her."

Kate is a darling little girl and we know Kate's mom so it has made for some funny facebook messaging. The problem is that this isn't just an isolated incident. The night before this conversation we were at our neighbors and I heard Ry telling his friend Lilly that they needed to kiss-I intercepted this one and saved Lilly from having to kiss Ryan, but it didn't stop him from holding her hand:) He told Lilly's older sister that he is going to marry all 3 of the girls in their family (we need to explain polygamy isn't okay). And this past summer we found out that Ryan asked out 12-year-old neighbor out on a date to get coffee-where he got that we will never know. So needless to say we are going to have to keep our eyes on that kid....

Vulnerable

2010-12-04T22:23:00.000-08:00

I feel so vulnerable writing this post, I have thought about it over and over and have been debating back and forth about whether or not to actually post it, but here it goes...

I want another baby-I have actually wanted one for years and haven't been able to.

I really, really don't want to seem like I am complaining-some days are just harder than others and lately things have gotten hard again.

I miscarried in February of 2009 and after that things were hard all the time. The desire for another child became all consuming-sometimes I felt like I was drowning in it. I put walls up around my heart to block out any emotion because I got SO tired of feeling the pain of it breaking each month. I welcomed the stress of applying to law school because it completely distracted me and helped my heart to heal a little bit. I have decided my coping mechanism of feeling numb all the time isn't very healthy so I am trying to let myself hope again. But learning how to hope again is so scary because it opens me back up to feeling things that make me raw inside...

Life is hard, definitely not perfect, not easy, but it can still be wonderful. I know there are things I am learning thru this experience and am so grateful for the gospel to know there is a plan that is so much greater than my understanding. Miracles do happen, I just have to be patient...And I realize the miracles may not be what I expect or want, but they have already happened and will continue to happen.

I am not writing this to get sympathy, or for you to feel bad for me, I want to write this in case there is someone who reads my blog that is going to thru the same thing. I think too often we only post the good things, but no life is perfect and I just want others to know they are not alone in difficult times.

I have fallen in love....

2010-11-30T16:43:00.000-08:00

... with running in the freezing cold. I always looked at the people who ran when it was 20 degrees and thought they were crazy and now I have become one of those crazies:) Usually when the cold weather comes I just run on the treadmill-which I kind of hate-but this year I invested in some real running clothes and I can't believe how much I LOVE running outside in the cold. I am sure the people I pass probably wonder why I have the biggest cheesy grin on my face, but I don't care, I am enjoying looking psycho. I just wish I could warm up after I come inside....

the other half

2010-11-21T19:34:00.000-08:00

When I asked pete if I could get a plane ticket for my birthday to go to San Francisco to see the other half of the art exhibit i saw in August, he was in shock (usually I just ask for clothes that I have usually already purchased:) ). My sister and 2 of her friends came along and we had SUCH a great time. We went on some really incredible runs-such a great way to see a city-biked over golden gate bridge and down to Fisherman's Wharf, went to the art exhibit and shopped. I loved spending time with my older sis and her friends, but was so sad it didn't work out for my friend Margaret to come at the last min. We had perfect weather-it was 75 and sunny in Nov, but I sure was happy to see my boys when I got home.

A little bit late...

2010-11-14T14:14:00.000-08:00

I know halloween was 2 weeks ago, but things got a little crazy around here and so I am just getting around to posting these pictures. This was the first halloween that Ryan actually "got" the glory of trick-or-treating! It was so much fun to see him run from house to house with his friends, and this year he actually wanted to go to more that 2 houses without crying. Lucky for us, Ry forgot about most of his candy after the next day-which is probably best considering the whole teeth fiasco. Pete did tell me though that I was the evil halloween mom since I sent Ry to the house that gave out full candy bars twice:)

all pics from my iphone

genetics

2010-10-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

When I was pregnant with Ryan I had to get some dental work done. While I was there the dentist said to me in a very loving tone, "I really hope that your baby doesn't get your genes when it come to teeth (I get cavities super easy), let's hope he gets your husband's genes (Pete has had 1 cavity his entire life)."

Well we found out today that the genetic lottery was not in Ryan's favor...
8 cavities-8!!!! I promise we brush his teeth :(
Possible crown (who knew they even did that on baby teeth)
An Anesthesiologist will have to brought in

So much worse than we ever imagined...

Ry's New Best Friends

2010-10-17T19:46:00.000-07:00

We, along with the rest of Utah, spent fall break in Disneyland. We partied with Pete's mom, his younger sister and our 3 nieces. It was magical:)

The best thing about being 4 years old

2010-10-12T17:02:00.000-07:00

For Ry, one word sums up the best part about being 4 years old-SPIDERMAN! I asked him what his favorite thing about being four was and all he could tell me was "Spiderman". He current obsession made it super easy to buy him presents and his excitement for every little thing makes it so fun to celebrate with him. We still have to set a date for his spiderman/chuck-e-cheese (help me) birthday party, but we've had a great few days celebrating this wonderful, stubborn, passionate, determined, strong-willed and incredible little boy! Happy Birthday Ryan!

I can't help but smile....

2010-10-09T21:24:00.000-07:00

...every time I look at this picture. Ry was "learning" to roller-skate:)

p.s. sorry for the large picture-it was my first time posting from my phone and I haven't quite figured it out yet:)

Randomness

2010-09-30T11:24:00.000-07:00

Some of the random things we have been up to lately

In August, I went to San Francisco with my parents and little sister-first on our list-a chocolate stop:)

I loved this art exhibit so much I am going back in November to see the other half.

My dad surprised us all and got tickets to see the play

Day trip to Arches

Ry's first day of preschool-I couldn't get him to look at me or make a normal face

The wedding of a really, really good life long friend-I don't know if I have EVER been so happy for someone!

Happy Thursday!!!

8 Years

2010-09-10T18:38:00.000-07:00

Three days ago Pete and I celebrated 8 years of marriage-EIGHT years!-that sounds like so many to me and I can only hope to spend 8 times that together. They have definitely not been perfect years by any means, but they have been years that have brought us closer together as a couple, taught us how to love on an entire new level, and made me realize how lucky I am to be married to this man.

Before the chaos of August began...

2010-08-31T12:22:00.000-07:00

...we had an extremely relaxing vacation in Cabo with Pete's family. I really have never been on such a chill vacation in my life and it was wonderful-I went to bed every night around ten, got up, worked out and then we just hung out at the beach or the pool. It was so nice to have so much time together before this crazy month began.

Drumroll please...

2010-08-20T23:57:00.000-07:00

So many of you have wondered why I have been so elusive when it came to where we were moving to, and the answer to that question is because up until Thursday night we didn’t know 100% where that place would be. Pete had been accepted into law school, but none of the schools felt like the right “fit” for our family. We felt like it would work out, but we didn’t’ know exactly how that would be or when it would happen. At the beginning of August we were moving to California, then a few days later it was to Washington, and a few days after that we found out we could actually stay here.

To say it has been an emotional rollercoaster is an understatement. I went from finishing my job of four years, to packing a house and preparing myself to say good-bye to family and friends to going back to work, unpacking boxes and scrambling to put my life back together. I don’t even know what I feel anymore. I am excited, shocked, homesick for a place I never got to move to, and relieved all at the same time.

Don’t get me wrong-I am happy that we get to stay here it's just that the end result was SO different than we ever imagined it will take some adjusting. We really are excited and more importantly Pete feels like a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders-enough so that he is FINALLY sleeping at nights. So what more could I ask for???

So without further adieu, I give you the end result of this craziness:
BYU called and offered Pete a spot in their 2011 class so he actually won’t be starting law school for another year. Maybe that will give him some time to finish his master’s of public health thesis :) and for us to enjoy life without one of us going to school. And i really am grateful to have more time with family...

I am an official Gleek

2010-08-08T23:38:00.000-07:00

Ry got sick this weekend and since I was sitting at home with nothing on TV I decided to download Glee from itunes because I had heard it was really good. Bad Idea. 14 episodes of Glee in the past 30 hours later, I am more than addicted. I have issues....esp since my to do list is ginormous and includes packing up an entire house. I am in denial...

In his element...

2010-07-18T22:04:00.000-07:00

With everything going on, I just realized that I never posted about Pete's latest Vaccines for the Philippines adventure. I wasn't able to go this year because I didn't dare leave Ry after what happened when Pete left for Cambodia (nightmares, sickness, abandonment issues, etc.) and I was sad to be missing out-This year sounded amazing. They did two free medical clinics, but spent the majority of the time building a birthing center in a rural area-they even managed to squeeze in the Cebu temple dedication. Pete had 25 other volunteers go over with him and he said they were an incredible group. To say Pete loves the Philippines is an understatement-he would move there in a second if I would let him. I am so proud of you babe and everything you and the group accomplished-you literally changed peoples lives!

Supermoms-Wasatch Back Relay 2010

2010-06-24T21:51:00.000-07:00

Somehow I find myself drawn to this race every year-it is fun in a crazy/insane sort of way (this is the relay race where you run 188 miles with 11 other runners). I joined my older sister Catherine's team again and had a blast during all the adventures (minus me getting sick after my second run and staying sick 24 hours and another run later). I switched it up this year and was in the second group of runners. I got to see a different part of the race course and finally got to see the infamous "Ragnar"-the lovely mountain that two teammates run up-and yes, it really is a mountain. The team was awesome and we just found out we took 12th place out of 127 women's teams!!! Thanks for all the memories ladies!

My sis and I before all the madness started

The team minus me-I was running one of my legs when they took this pic

Because of the horrible traffic getting to the finish line we missed when my sister crossed, but we made sure to get a picture when we finally found her.

17 again

2010-06-20T15:09:00.000-07:00

One of the things that kept me occupied while pete was in the Philippines for 2 weeks was going to YW girls camp for a day (I couldn't stay any longer b/c of Ry). I felt like I was in YW all over again and was surprised how much I didn't want to go home at the end of the night. The girls in my ward are awesome and thought it was so funny that everyone up there thought I was one of them and not a leader. I am going to be so sad to say goodbye when they release me to move.

Pete arrived home safe and sound this past week and once again I survived. Ry and I jam packed each day with friends, swimming, picnics, swimming and more swimming. We were both exhausted at the end of each day and he slept in almost every morning-one day he slept till after 10. We are happy to have pete home!

The million dollar question...

2010-06-09T18:34:00.000-07:00

Question: Have you guys decided where you are moving to yet?

Wish I knew... Still waiting to decide till we hear from a few more schools-could this process take any longer?

growing up

2010-05-09T19:18:00.000-07:00

(ry was really happy to be at graduation)

Lately I have felt like we are really growing up, pete graduated with his masters (pending he finishes his thesis by july:), he turned 29, and we have been trying to decide what state we are going to move to in three months. I have very mixed feelings about all of this, but I know it will all work out just how it should (or so I am told).

I heart N.Y.C.

2010-04-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

My wonderful friend Lauren was going to hang out with her parents and play in NYC on her way to run the Boston marathon and she invited me to come along. I was MORE than excited for the invitation considering I have always wanted to visit NYC. She was so great and let me check off my huge list of things I wanted to see and do: Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, Wicked, Time Square, the Statue of Liberty, SoHo, Little Italy, Chinatown, shopping, Rockefeller Center, Fifth Avenue, Dylan's Candy bar, Donut Planet, Fat Witch Brownie and the list goes on... As you can see it involved eating a lot of desserts-my favorite:) I even got to sneak in a visit with my cousin Lara whom I hadn't seen since I was pregnant with Ryan.

In honor of the show Felicity

Even better than I remembered

My luggage very inconveniently decided to break as I was rushing thru Manhattan trying to meet my cousin. I still have bruises on the back of my right calf from my luggage hitting it so many times

My cousin Lara and her darling kids in Bryant park

Central Park

my heaven

Just as a side note, do you ever get really frustrated posting-me and blogger are not friends today as you can see by the weird question marks that are showing up in my post and the fact that this post took WAY too long to create.

The Latest Adventures of Peter Reichman

2010-04-11T21:56:00.000-07:00

Ry and I were a little excited when last Tuesday finally rolled around. It may have been an ordinary day for the rest of you, but for us it meant that Pete would be coming home from his three-week stay in Cambodia. We were so excited in fact that I got to the airport forty minutes early:)

Pete went over to do research for his final project to finish his Master's in Public Health. He had a few hiccups along the way (ie. he got his luggage four days after he arrived), but overall he had a great trip. We both had some lonely moments without each other, but I kept telling myself at least it wasn't the two months he left for last summer. I was just glad he got to take advantage of such an AWESOME opportunity. Here are some pics from his latest adventure.

Buddist Temple

Some of the delicious food offered in Cambodia. Ry was obsessed that his Dad was going to eat bugs so Pete tried some crickets just to tell Ry he did.

Handing out disposal cameras to elementary school students. This was part of his research method he used called Photovoice. The kids took pictures of things that made it hard to stay clean and healthy.

A temple at Ankor Wat-part of the movie Tomb Raider was filmed here

A buddist monk at one of their temples

This land mine was right outside Pete's bedroom window, an unfortunate sign of the horrible civil war Cambodia experienced.

Ryan for Hire

2010-03-13T23:18:00.000-08:00

Looking for an Interior Decorator? Ryan will definitely add a boyish touch to any home:)

waiting

2010-02-24T20:59:00.001-08:00

I am not good at the waiting game, or the unknown future game, or the being patient game, and yet somehow I find myself in a high stakes competition with all three of these. All of Pete's law school applications are in and now we are just waiting... It could be months before we know where we will be in the fall. It is hard for a control freak, like myself, to let everything go and trust it will all work out how it should. I need to just take a deep breath and hopefully this nervous/excited anxiety I am constantly experiencing will go away for a bit.

It's been one month...

2010-02-16T20:01:00.001-08:00

...since this crazy cat became potty trained. I was/am so proud of him and as I told my little sister, i have never been so excited to see human waste in my entire life! (She came to visit us after that comment because she was slightly worried about my sanity:)) I feel like I fulfilled another motherhood rite-of-passage by surviving (for the most part) the potty training experience.

Inspiration

2010-01-25T09:23:00.000-08:00

Last Sept our friend Levi was diagnosed with Colon cancer about a month after their first baby was born. The news was shocking and devastating-Levi is so young and takes such good care of himself. Levi, Kelsie, and Brecken baby (as Ry calls her) live in Colorado and pete and I had been talking about going out to see them. I told Kelsie about how we wanted to come visit and she thought it would be fun for us to come and surprise Levi. So that is exactly what we did. Levi's mom picked us up from the airport and when we pulled up to their house Levi heard car doors shut and looked out the window to see who was at their house and saw us getting out of the car. He was shocked, confused, and surprised that Kelsie didn't seem phased at all by the fact we were standing outside their house. We had a great weekend and it was fun to spend so much time with them-It made me wish that they lived back in Utah again. But the thing Pete and I were so impressed by was Levi's attitude. He NEVER complained-even over his weird chemo side effects-he really only talked about it when we asked questions and always seemed so positive. Both he and Kelsie are amazing.

The first night they took us to a Mexican restaurant equipped with a pirate variety and diving show, arcade, caricature drawing, haunted maze and the list went on and on-it was ghetto fabulous and we were laughing the whole night at everything this one restaurant had to offer. Ry, of course, had a blast and I fell in love with skee-ball all over again.

We went to the stock show and Mexican Rodeo. We realized that night they seemed to be taking us to do things with a hispanic theme and joked that we needed to continue the theme throughout the rest of our trip.

Playing "Uno" and hanging out with some of their fun friends

Ry loving Brecken baby a little too much

Today was one of those days...

2010-01-14T18:52:00.000-08:00

...that I never should have gotten out of bed- I somehow was given a large dose of bad luck sometime during the night. I managed to spill contaminated blood all over myself and a machine at work, experienced my first complete code (the pt stopped breathing and had no pulse) and watched someone perform CPR while I got to deal with the paramedics-it was much more traumatic than it sounds esp because the pt didn't make it. Then I stuck myself with a dirty needle and got to spend the next two hours at WorkMed waiting to get my blood drawn. Afterwards, I had to go back to work to attend a meeting and finish up a lot of charting. To top it all off I never got a lunch break. I was very grateful when I finally got in my car to drive home an hour and a half after my shift actually ended:)

3rd Annual S4S/Ugly Sweater/White Elephant Christmas Party

2009-12-28T18:52:00.001-08:00

I know you are wondering where in the world Pete found the beautiful poncho/sweater i am wearing-why ebay is the answer and he was so excited about it. Everyone was secretly jealous of it:) We gave away a BYU snuggie blanket for our WE gift and it was the most fought over item of the night-needless to say I was very surprised. Thanks everyone for all your generosity in S4S and for another fun party.

I was grateful when the party was over because Pete no longer had an excuse to keep his mustache.

Meet Tiger...

2009-12-06T20:17:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know I am a month late, but I had to post this-to get rid of the last post and also to show what he ended up dressing up as. I think I have been so slow to post because Halloween was such a bust and Pete and I had been so excited to celebrate the holiday. Ry woke up from his nap extremely grumpy and after about 2 houses he had taken off all the parts of his costume that let you know he was supposed to be a Tiger Woods. I got tired of explaining that my child was not just dressed in a red polo shirt and black pants. Oh well, maybe next year...

Meet the other tiger in our lives, oh wait she is actually a "toyger" kitten-some special, exotic breed pete had been begging me to let him get for months. I did not grow up with animals and don't share the LOVE that Ry and Pete have for every animal on the planet. (Pete keeps a list of animals we will have some day including: sharks, dolphins, monkeys, dogs, etc.-yes we will be opening up our own Zoo.) And did I mention I am HIGHLY allergic to cats. Somehow that did not deter my husbands in his efforts, he claimed this was supposed to be a "hypoallergenic" breed. (Even though he claimed that to me with the last kitty we got and had to give up after three days because I was so allergic.) But, I knew how much it meant to both my boys so I told him I would try again-true love right there:) I am still allergic, but I am trying to make this one work. She really is darling and acts more like a dog than a cat so I really can't complain. Hopefully the allergies will just magically go away.

Boys...

2009-10-28T21:08:00.000-07:00

A few days ago Ryan said to me:
"Mommy for Halloween I want to be poopy and diarrhea"

Really?!!!
I didn't know how to respond because I was so surprised.
All I could think about was how interesting a costume like that would be...
Then he preceded to tell me he wanted to be "A french fry and a chicken nuggie"

Okay Ry, I think we will just stick with you being Tiger Woods instead;)

Just a couple of my favorite pics of my funny boy from summer-they were both taken on Pete's iPhone so that is why the quality isn't the best.

...Lucky Girl...

2009-10-16T15:01:00.000-07:00

My incredible sister Rebecca and her amazing friend Dena (Who had literally JUST moved here from London) were so wonderful to take time out of their extremely busy summer schedules to take pictures for us. I was so spoiled to have not just one, but two talented photographers and we couldn't have been happier with the results. Thank you so much for the pictures-I can't wait for my order to arrive so I can hang them in our house.

"Noctober Tweff" finally arrives

2009-10-12T21:52:00.000-07:00

"Noctober Tweff" (as Ry has been calling it) has been the most talked about/anticipated day of the month around our house-Ry turned 3 today! I couldn't imagine life without this crazy, full-of-life, active, energetic, enthusiastic kid. He has been practicing showing how old he is and gets so proud of himself when he can get all 3 fingers up.

This is what I got when I asked for another smile

Having lunch with his friend Joey at Noodles-Ry's favorite Restaurant

We went to Pirate's Island with Pete's family to finish off the day of celebration

Happy Birthday Ryan! We love you and are so HAPPY to have you in our family.

This poor guy...

2009-09-20T10:24:00.001-07:00

...has been to the hospital 3 times in the past three and a half weeks-one time being while we were down at Lake Powell. 2 of the times because the kidney stone he got in Switzerland decided to let him know it had never really passed and the 3rd time for multiple blood clots in both of his lungs. Unfortunately, he was admitted for the last of the visits and since they have no idea what caused the blood clots Pete won a life-long ticket on blood thinners. We really are VERY lucky to still have him with us since many people are killed when blood clots travel to the lungs. We wanted to thank everyone for all the love, support, and concern we were shown over the past week-we really appreciate it.

...One of the Big Boys...

2009-09-15T20:26:00.000-07:00

I had to work both Friday and Saturday so Pete and Ry decided to go camping with a bunch of friends since I wouldn't be around. Ryan was SO excited about going and talked about it for days. Some of the boys decided to make it "white-trash" camping and Pete had Ry join in on the fun and bought him this awesome outfit. Ry called me on his way up there and told me he was a "cowboy". They hung out, fished and it sounds like Ry had a great time being with the big boys.

...The 3rd time's the Charm...

2009-08-25T18:25:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we headed down to California with Pete's family-it was my third time this summer and I had only planned on going once back in April-I am not complaining though I LOVE California and I think it was our best trip yet. It wasn't super warm, but we still hung out at the beach, ate great food, and went to Disneyland. The lines were not too long and so we got to ride a lot of rides and and thanks to Ryan for being extremely tall at age two-we didn't have to buy him a ticket and he was tall enough to ride all the good rides:)

Read anything good lately...?

2009-08-09T18:46:00.000-07:00

I feel like I read so much more in the summertime and it seems like a lot of people are the same way. So I am wondering what have you read this summer that you have loved? I have read a random assortment including: The Agony and the Ectasy, Hunger games, Ella Enchanted, and am currently reading the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. But I am starting to run out of ideas so let me know if you have read anything worthwhile:)

You wouldn't believe...

2009-07-13T21:58:00.000-07:00

...Who decided to surprise me and come home two weeks early! (It happened 2 weeks ago, but we have been so busy I haven't posted about it till now) I was in complete shock and had NO idea-Ryan was so excited I think he hugged Pete for 30 min and could only say "Daddy you're here! Daddy you came back!"

You also wouldn't believe what I did this past weekend ... We attended the 3rd Harry Potter Extravaganza at my Grandma's house. (Yes it is okay to think we're slightly nuts!)

Pete was Lupin as a werewolf (Ry wouldn't let him wear the mask) and I was Tonks-we were some of the tame ones too.

Two of my other sisters were also Tonks

My step-Grandpa made a nice Dumbledore-Ryan kept calling him "Santa corn" for some reason

Some of the other costumes
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It turned out really cute and the kids had such a great time dressing up, attending classes, making crafts and buying stuff from little shops that had been set up.

Better than I imagined...

2009-06-26T12:48:00.000-07:00

One positive thing about Pete being gone for the summer was it gave me the excuse to go over and visit (My mom and sister also joined in the fun). We spent three scenic days in Switzerland and three crazy, jam-packed days in Italy. Both Countries were beautiful and surpassed all of my expectations and to make it even better I got to spend some long overdue time with my Hubby:)

Having lunch on the banks of Lake Geneva

Outside the church in Lausanne, Switzerland were our ancestors joined the church.

spending time together in Geneva

The beautiful Lauterbrunnen valley-my picture does not do it justice. I wish you could see how many waterfalls come over the cliffs into the valley-it was incredible.

Florence, Italy

One of the many outdoor restaurants in Italy-minutes later a bird pooped on my head!

St. Peter's Basilica inside the Vatican-it ended up being one or our favorite places in Italy.

The view of Rome from the top of St. Peter's Basilica

The Colosseum

The sistine chapel-we were not supposed to take this picture and right after we did a security officer started yelling at anyone who was taking pictures

We had such a great time eating gelato two to three times a day, walking for hours down city streets (my mom's feet were covered in blisters), getting ripped off because we were Americans ( One restaurant charged us $30 for some fries), and seeing as much of these beautiful countries that we possibly could see. These pictures don't even begin to show all the things we did while we were there-thanks to my sister Catherine for all her many hours researching what to do in Italy-we didn't have a dull moment. Thanks also to my mother-in-law who watched Ry so I could go on this adventure.

A million miles away...

2009-06-21T14:12:00.000-07:00

I received a phone call, in the middle of the night last night, from Pete calling to tell me he was in the hospital over in Switzerland. He had been in excruciating pain that had gotten increasingly worse by the minute to the point where he couldn't walk (he said all he could do when he got to the hospital was lay on the floor and wait for someone to help him). They discovered he had a kidney stone and later sent him home with a bunch of pain medications. I felt like we were millions of miles apart and I was helpless here in Utah. I am so glad he is okay now and grateful we only have 3 weeks left...

What would we do...

2009-06-02T22:49:00.001-07:00

...without Grandpas?

letter from home

2009-05-29T16:57:00.000-07:00

Dear Dad,

I just wanted to show you some things mom and I have been up to.

Sometimes we eat popsicles for breakfast

We like to go swimming in the pool or bathtub with your old chemistry goggles

Mom went to the Taylor Swift Concert

Friends have gotten married

I've been helping mom shred things

And we've done lots of hanging out

We sure miss you around here.

My Little Blue Box

2009-05-10T15:41:00.001-07:00

This arrived from Switzerland yesterday-just in time for mother's day. I apparently don't give my husband the credit he deserves because I honestly thought he would forget. I am starting to feel a little guilty about the dress I bought myself as my back-up present...

p.s. it was a pair of earrings

Our First Official Family Vacation

2009-05-10T15:07:00.001-07:00

With a big giant change looming over us (that happened May 2nd), we decided to take a little family vacation to spend some serious time together-just the 3 of us. Pete has an uncle that lives in California during the week, but goes home to his family in Utah on the weekends, and he let us stay in his rental home. I got off work on a Friday afternoon and we then headed down to California for the weekend. Ryan was better than we ever imagined that he could be in the car-in fact Pete told me I complained more about the car ride than Ryan did:)

We headed to disneyland Saturday, it was so crowded that we didn't get to ride a lot of rides, but we still had a great time. We rode bikes and went to the beach and then Monday we headed down to the San Diego Zoo and then drove home from there. It was a quick trip but so much fun.

Ryan was terrified of the characters

He LOVED the Buzz Lightyear ride

Nap time

Hermosa Beach

The San Diego Zoo

...Hope...

2009-04-13T19:48:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Easter all the traditional ways, but the real celebration came from the powerful messages of hope I was able to hear in church from 4 of my family members. My family has been thru some extremely difficult things and continue to endure trials, as I am sure many of you do, and it was wonderful to focus on the positive aspects of hard things. Knowing there are better things to come some day is the real reason to celebrate.

...I can FINALLY check this off my list...

2009-04-05T15:07:00.000-07:00

Running a half marathon has been a goal of mine for a REALLY long time . I have trained twice in the past but had to drop out each time because of sickness-so I have never actually crossed the finish line of a half marathon. Well, yesterday was finally my day. Unfortunately, it was not my training partner's (a.k.a my little sister) day-she got sick this past week and was unable to run it with me. It was a lonely, cold run (it snowed the majority of the race) but I did it and I ran the entire race! Walking today is quite another story though...

...My training partner...

I know these pictures of me are the most beautiful you have ever seen and yes those are hot pink ear muffs, but I had just run 13.1 miles so I don't really care.

...really?...

2009-03-30T17:16:00.001-07:00

Seriously? Again? You would think after spending my entire life here in Utah I would be used to this yo-yo weather pattern-nope I get my hopes up every year that spring will come and stay and then it decides to do this again.

What jammies will Ryan be wearing this week?

2009-03-16T16:45:00.001-07:00

That is the question Ryan's nursery leaders ask each week at church. He LOVES his pj's these days. So much so that he wears them 24-hours a day. It is such a fight to get him to wear normal clothes that we compromise and let him wear them under his clothes-plus it is one of those quintessential kid things that I HAVE to let him do it:)

This past Sunday was special because he didn't just wear jammies under his church clothes-he wore a disney rash guard.

...Joy...

2009-03-01T21:27:00.000-08:00

I have thought a lot this past week about the simple joys that motherhood brings into your life (I had to teach a YW lesson on it today). Motherhood is one of the most difficult, heart wrenching, emotional, tiring things I have ever done in my life, but also the most rewarding, happy, incredible, joyful times of my life have been because of motherhood. This mom business is a complex world of emotions, but I would never go back to my previous life.

Yesterday, I got to share in the joy and celebration for a friend whom is expecting twins. She is going to be an incredible mom and seeing how happy she was reminded me how lucky we are to be mothers.

So tell me-what is your favorite thing about being a mom?

...Valentine's Day Rescheduled...

2009-02-14T19:40:00.000-08:00

Instead of my hot date with my husband, we got to stay home and spend the evening with this sick little guy. After spending all last night listening to Ryan cough, his every breath rattle, and feeling his little body burning up, I decided this morning it was time to take some action. We took Ryan to the doctor and she almost admitted him to the hospital on the spot for low oxygen levels. He was tested for flu and pneumonia and everything came back clear, but the doctor was still very concerned about his low oxygen levels and told us to bring him back in tomorrow for testing. We are hoping he will be a good little boy and take lots of big breaths between now and then:)

...initiation...

2009-01-25T19:26:00.000-08:00

It's official-Ryan can now call himself a "true" Reichman.
His initiation into this elite group: skiing at Snowbird.

The best part about the trip was when his binkie fell off the lift and he tried to jump off to retrieve it. We really need to get rid of that thing...

Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue!

2009-01-08T08:18:00.001-08:00

I feel so protected having my own personal superhero sleeping in my house.

...May your days be Merry and Bright...

2008-12-23T19:10:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year to celebrate with family and friends. Here are a few of the activities that have kept us busy the last few weeks.

Zoo Lights

Pete's work Party (He REALLY did not want to take a picture so this was the face I got from him)

2nd Annual Sub-4-Santa/Ugly Sweater/White Elephant Christmas Party

Making a gingerbread house

Welcoming home my little sis from Jerusalem

Dinner at La Caille to celebrate Christmas and all of our birthdays

I hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas Holiday!

Lucky Boy

2008-12-16T14:03:00.001-08:00

Pete was just offered an internship with the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland for the summer.

He has some exciting summer plans

Think I will definitely have to visit:)

Obsessions

2008-12-08T21:17:00.001-08:00

Ryan’s current obsession: “heya caca” a.k.a. helicopters
Phrase I hear multiple times a day: “I wanna see heya caca” (Meaning, mom please drive by the hospital so that I can see the life flight helicopter.)
Ryan’s favorite Youtube video: a 4-minute segment of a helicopter doing backflips-once he watched it over and over for two hours or so the babysitter told us-luckily we were gone when it happened.

I get to drive by the hospital multiple times a week just to look at the helicopter. The one time Ryan actually saw it flying he hyperventilated he was so excited and then couldn’t stop talking about it-lucky for me it is making his Christmas shopping very easy. I just hope he doesn’t have a new obsession by then since they seem to change rather quickly:)

On one of our almost daily pilgrimages to the hospital

...MoNKeY BuSinEsS...

2008-11-11T20:08:00.001-08:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN (almost 2 weeks late)!

I completely forgot I had to dress up for work and so my SIL Jess put blue extensions in my hair-she had all her stuff out because she gave her husband an extension mullet for Halloween. Some people thought I was serious and others asked if I was Barbie or Hannah Montana -who knew blue extensions could actually be a costume.

Taking pictures of Ryan was a lot more difficult this year since he just kept running away. He was so funny because he would get his candy and then immediately open it up and eat it, but he only lasted about five houses. Hope you all had a great holiday.

...Another. Year. Older...

2008-10-23T15:58:00.000-07:00

27. Yesterday. Wow. Starting to feel a little old...

Aside from having issues about getting older, my birthday was a great day. Ryan and I went to a pumpkin patch with our ward, I got to have lunch with my mom and sisters and received calls from the sister in NC and the sister in Jerusalem, got a surprise sewing machine from my parents (which was actually supposed to be for my graduation three years ago), went to dinner and a haunted house with my hubby, ate paradise bakery coconut-chocolate-chip cookies and see's chocolates, and filled my car up with gas for 2.99/gallon-Life doesn't get much better!

Picking out a pumpkin

Lunch with sisters

You can't really tell, but we are at The Dreaded Grove-I gave few honest screams to them

HaPPy 2nD BiRThDAy RyAN!!!

2008-10-15T20:02:00.000-07:00

We decided after last year's extravaganza that we wanted to keep his second birthday a little more low key. We made breakfast, opened presents, went to church, and had cake with family and the birthday boy seemed pretty happy about it all.

Excited about his new buzz lightyear jammies

Eating his favorite breakfast-french toast made by his dad

Enjoying birthday cake and playing with his new Thomas trains from Grandma

Partying with cousin Grace

Relaxing after a long day of celebrating.

We LoVE you Ry and couldn't imagine life without you!

Sometimes being a mom is rough...

2008-10-08T14:40:00.000-07:00

Don't get me wrong I love my child, and being a mom and blah, blah, blah, but some days are just rough-and today was such a day. It is never a good omen when Ryan goes to bed super late the night before and then wakes up really early-and I mean hours earlier than normal. He started the day grumpy. He napped really early and not very long and then woke up with a fever (I am pretty sure his 2-year-old molars are breaking thru). I desperately needed to go to the grocery store so after the motrin and tylenol kicked in we got into the car.

He was already upset because blankie was in the washer and couldn't come on the outing with us. Ryan has been having issues riding in the cart lately but I made sure we got a "special" cart that has a little car to ride in in the front. The novelty wore off after about 5 min of being in the store and he climbed out and started screaming when I even suggested getting back in. I let him help me push the cart, but every time I would stop to put something in the cart he would start putting his own stuff in the cart and eventually just started running away from me. I decided I had had enough of that nonsense so decided it was time to force him back into the cart. Then the screaming came back and the stares started up again. I tried to laugh about the fact that everyone was looking at me and watching me struggle with my child, but in reality I was having to take deep breaths to keep myself from crying. He was hysterical and wouldn't even take an ice cream cone (which for him is HUGE). All these old ladies kept trying to offer advice over the screaming and I know they were trying to help, but in reality they were just making it worse.

I only had a few things left to get at this point so I just pushed him around while he was screaming and made sure I only looked forward to ignore the stares. He settled down right as we were checking out and we managed to survive the trip. Needless to say, I was relieved when I sat behind the steering wheel of my car but not before thoughts of selling Ryan on ebay started to cross my mind...

...Rainy Day...

2008-10-05T15:32:00.001-07:00

Just enjoying a rainy Saturday afternoon

Half-Way Across the World

2008-09-24T16:17:00.000-07:00

My little sister (and one of my best friends) is half-way across the world doing the BYU semester abroad in Jerusalem, well actually Egypt at the moment. I try not to be too jealous considering I got accepted to the program and then they cancelled it on me not only once but twice because conditions were unsafe. She is having amazing opportunities and trying to take in every moment that she has in that sacred land, but sometimes it is still hard to be so far away. So this post is for you little sis-to cheer you up and let you know that we are thinking, praying for, and missing you back here in Provo, Utah-esp my crazy little son who tells me "Sissy go ba-bye":) Love you sis!

I thought I would share the most "special" pictures I had of Ryan:)

Congrats Jess and the Spanish Fork Kite Festival

2008-09-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law Jess got married on September 4th in the Mt. Timpanogos temple. The weather was great and it was a beautiful reception. Congratulations Jess!

Me and Katie (my other SIL-everyone is convinced we are sisters) waiting for Jess to come out of the temple

The beautiful bride

At the reception

Ryan wouldn't get out of the picture when they asked for just flower girls-so here he is being a flower girl!

Getting out some of his endless energy

We went with my SIL Sam and her girls to the Spanish Fork Kite Festival-too bad for us it ended literally minutes before we got up to it.

There were only a few kites flying when we got there, but luckily for us the sunset made up for it all-it was INCREDIBLE!

Vaccines for the Philippines Humanitarian Trip 2008

2008-08-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

First of all, I have to say a HUGE thank you to my husband for the hundreds of hours he spent preparing for this trip-it was, in my opinion, the best trip so far-and I also want to thank the amazing volunteers we had this year. We had around 30 volunteers come over with the organization. We ran into some cultural glitches along the way, but those things that could have been a big problem made the trip more memorable and seemed to give us some incredible opportunities that we never could have planned. The work was more difficult and labor intensive than we have done in previous years, but everyone worked so hard and didn't complain about the difficult conditions. We started work on 5 houses and provided 3 free medical clinics in different towns on the island of Bohol. We also made sure that we did a lot of fun things-going to the beach, jumping off waterfalls, playing with monkeys and island hopping to name a few- to balance out the work. It was the first year that I wasn't ready to leave when it was time to go home.

The whole group right before we headed into the jungle to haul our wood out for the houses

In the middle of the jungle getting the wood for the houses-this was the COOLEST day! Later we found out their was a huge cobra nest right next to where we were getting our wood.

My friend Katie and I throwing candy out to the kids

Showing off the chocolate chip starfish

Hanging with the darling filipino kids
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Mixing the cement for the foundations

At the beautiful Bohol Beach Club

My cousin Nate and I with the famous transvestite at the giant python cage-yes that is a man-it did two lip syncing performances shortly after this picture

Pete helping the dentists at one of the medical clinics

The special forces army invited us to their camp and let us shoot their huge guns. I was horrible and they told me I needed a lot more practice.

In front of one of the houses we started

This was our beautiful backdrop for where we built the majority of the houses-the town was called "Behind the Clouds"

Aaahhhh....It's so nice (and a little sad) to be home!

2008-08-21T13:58:00.000-07:00

It is so great to finally be home! Ryan remembered who we were and seemed to learn TONS of new words while we were gone-but he won't let us leave him for a second-he even comes with us into the bathroom. We got back last Thursday from the Philippines and then a couple days later headed to Lake Powell for a Reichman family reunion. This summer has been so crazy and has flown by-literally going from trip to trip with just enough time in between to get caught up on laundry and pack for the next trip...

And while I am not complaining in anyway about being gone-it is still great to be back in my own house and in my own bed! I have so much to get caught up on and can't wait to read what everyone else has been up to.

Reality check-I go back to work tomorrow which is always a little sad but I am more sad to realize that summer is ending and Pete will be going back to school to start his Master's program in a week and a half-oh well life has to go on right?. I am going to post pictures from our trip to the Philippines so check back-it was amazing! With the last of our trips over for the summer, I keep trying to think up little weekend outings to have something to look forward to so if anyone is up for anything fun just let me know...

Since Pete's been gone...

2008-07-29T21:02:00.001-07:00

I had been a little worried about Pete leaving me alone with Ryan for two weeks before I join him in the Philippines, but somehow it has gone by quickly and now it is the night before I leave to travel the 30 hours over there. Pete has to go over early each year to set up all the humanitarian work that the rest of the group will get to participate in. I have been really busy between family being in town, work, a concert, a family reunion and getting ready to go on my big trip. I have definitely had a few breakdowns since he has left, but overall it has been okay. Here are some pictures of what we have done since he left.

The Colbie Caillat/John Mayer Concert-John Mayer sounds amazing live

Horseback riding with my sisters and nephews at the Ranch we stayed at for our family reunion.

Ryan was in HEAVEN with so many rocks to play in and throw at other people

This was what happened when we attempted to play tennis in the dark-I went to hit a wild ball not knowing the tennis court was surrounded by a swamp and ended up covered in mud. We laughed for about 10 minutes which was good since it had been a really hard day with Ryan.

Riding the zipline. The ranch had so many fun activities to do and when Ryan napped I took advantage of that time to have some fun.

Where we spent the majority of our time. Notice Ryan is covered in floaties-that is because he thinks he can swim and doesn't want anyone to help him in the pool.

Another one of the places we spent a lot of time at during the family reunion. I think I heard: "Wow, he is SO busy" from almost all of my aunts and uncles. Someone asked me if he even knew how to walk since they only saw him run.

Hiking in Zions-it was beautiful!

Well, I am pretty much packed and just waiting to go. Wish me good Luck-I am starting to feel my usual pre-trip anxiety (turbulence is not my favorite thing) and I am really sad to leave Ryan for two weeks. It should be a wonderful experience-we are building houses this year which I am really excited about-I keep telling myself it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity each time I get to go over. Thanks in advance to my wonderful mother-in-law and my Mom for watching Ry while I am gone-I hope they don't sell him on ebay. I will be back in a couple of weeks!

I love it when Rebecca comes to town

2008-07-19T14:55:00.000-07:00

Besides getting to spend some quality time with my amazing sister Rebecca (who always seems to live too far away), another one of the great benefits of her coming to visit is that she always takes a family picture for us. Ryan was kind of a pill and so our photos were very true to life. Here is one of the pictures that i stole off of her blog-she says she is refusing to edit anymore until she can get home to her perfectly color calibrated desk top back home in North Carolina-she is so technical, but I love her anyways

Sisters Road Trip 2008

2008-07-03T21:02:00.001-07:00

My sister Rebecca and her three kids decided instead of flying out for their 4 week vacation to Utah they were going to drive out so she could have a car. My other sister, Melissa, had been living with Rebecca in North Carolina for the last two months and they planned what I thought sounded like a really fun road trip. I figured that I may not have a chance to drive cross country in my life and after consulting with my husband I bought a one-way ticket to NC to join in the fun (he was very nice to let me leave Ryan behind). I flew to Denver had an unexpected 6 1/2 hour layover, got in to NC around 11:30 p.m. then got up and started on the road at 7:30a.m. I wish I had had more time to see where she lives in Chapel Hill because it was beautiful.

It was great because they planned one big thing to do each day to break up the drive and then we tried to stop at the most random/classic road trip places we could find-and boy did we find some winners. First stop was the Great Smokey National Forest where we had a run in with a mother black bear and her two cubs-luckily we were in the car when we saw them, but we all felt like we were in a National Geographic magazine. We spent our first night in Tennessee and woke up the next morning to head out to Graceland.

One of our first great finds was the "Old Country Store" we found along the road to Graceland-they sold everything you could dream of if you wanted to be a red neck-like these beautiful coon hats!

Graceland ended up being pretty cool-esp because I knew almost nothing about Elvis-their were some die-hard fans visiting his home that day.

For some reason I have always wanted to go to a Piggly Wiggly (mostly because I can't believe a store is REALLY named that) so my sister made special stop to fulfill my lifelong dream.

Our third day we were in St. Louis and rode to the top of the arch and walked around the museum-it was really neat. Everything we did seemed to exceed all of our expectations so it made things fun. That day we also went and ate at a World Famous bbq joint in Kansas City (my sister had done some serious research about what was the best)-it was AMAZING! We were all craving it the next day and were sad they don't have Arthur Bryant's in Utah.

Melissa wanted to run thru a cornfield, but most of them were fenced off so we took advantage of this open one...

As we drive thru Kansas, we saw signs advertising a six-legged cow at a place called Prarie Dog Town-we were sold. We knew we had to go after that-and it did not disappoint. In fact, it was one of the highlights of the trip. It is too bad in this picture you can't tell that the cow's friend had five legs.

The three kids were great, but after driving thru NC, Tennessee, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado and Utah we were very glad when we drove into my mom's driveway. We all had a great time and it was fun to be able to spend some much time with two of my sisters.

Wasatch Back Relay Take Two

2008-06-22T21:52:00.001-07:00

Last year after I ran the Wasatch Back relay, my team and i decided that we wanted to run it again the next year. But life happened and a majority of the team couldn't run in the race and so I assumed I wouldn't be running it this year. I was wrong. My sister called me right before I left for Hawaii and told me that they needed to fill a spot (you have 12 runners on your team) and asked if I would do it. I was a little hesitant because I hadn't been training for the race, but knew I would regret it if I didn't do it. So that was how I joined team Estrogen Overload (I think the name makes it sound like a bunch of 50-year-old women running). Each team runs a total of 181 miles (from Logan to Park City) and each person runs three times during the race-I ran almost 16 miles. My quads are sore-my legs felt like bricks on my last run-but i am really glad that I did it-especially being able to run it with my oldest sister made the experience really fun. She is an amazing runner and their team inspired me to want to run more and to run faster than I ever have before.

With my older sister, Catherine, before my first leg of the race

It was hot and I think I poured more water on myself than what I drank

Right after my night run-i know you are jealous of my outfit-this was my best run of the race

After our van of 6 had all finished our runs-we were exhausted

At the finish line-the 12 of us were reunited

I am still exhausted-we only slept an hour during the whole process-but I would totally do it again. It is an amazing feeling finishing something you didn't think you could do.