Paperback Riter

Cecilia's First Trip

2012-01-23T18:09:00.000-08:00

Cecilia and I flew to Utah for a week to spend some time with my sisters and adorable nieces and nephews. It was such a fun trip but went by way too fast. Cecilia did great on the plane and loved the flight. She is already proving to be a great traveler- granted it was only a little over an hour flight. We had a great time staying at Julie's house and loved having Sara and Henry join us. Thanks to both Julie and Sara for being such great hostesses and running us all around. We had fun just hanging out with the kids, having lunch with Tricia, Alyson & Aunt Lynette, dinner with a great friend I hadn't seen in a long time, Age, Cecilia meeting her great-grandparents Cook, and running around a bit. I really wish I lived closer to my sisters. I'm so grateful for the close relationship I have with them. I really hope Cecilia gets a sister one day. We sure missed Davey while we were gone but he received photo messages about every other hour. :) Here are a few photos that Sara took. I only had the camera on my iphone but being with Julie and Sara, I was bound to get some wonderful shots to document our trip. I will post again with photos from Julie's camera.
Cecilia was in heaven being with her cousins. It was fun to see her come alive when she was around them. She started "talking" and squealing so much more while we were up in UT. She is growing up way too quickly- though she is still my itty bitty girl. Julie and Sara were surprised at how small she still is. She is so dainty but apparently the photos make her look a lot more grown up (according to Julie and Sara.) I love this little girl so much. It was so much fun to see how sweet Eleanor, Amelia, Henry and Jude were with her. Eleanor and Amelia loved holding her. Henry loved giving Cecilia loves by resting his head on her chest and pushing her around in the kid's play stroller. Jude loved to grab onto her hand when we would lay them next to each other. It was a lot of fun seeing them all interact. Cecilia is one lucky girl to have so many cousins- most of which are here locally.

Cecilia Meets Santa

2011-12-17T14:23:00.001-08:00

Santa visited our home this morning to meet little Cecilia!

Happy Birthday, Mimi

2011-12-14T16:51:00.000-08:00

Cecilia is one lucky girl to have her Mimi live so close by. Mimi calls me sometimes and asks Cecilia to come over so she can just love on her. Cecilia loves her Mimi! My mom is the only one that can get the baby to sleep in a second. Davey is the second best at getting her to sleep. This baby girl loves to fight her sleep but once she is asleep, she is totally out. Ever since Cecilia was born, she has been extremely alert and loves to look around and really study people's faces. She is such a serious little girl-it cracks us up. She loves to laugh in her sleep. She woke me up this morning laughing. I can honestly say that she has not cried in the night since we brought her home from the hospital. If she is hungry in the night, she will make loud sucking noises but won't cry. The last two nights she only woke up once to eat at 4:00 am. Let's pray this continues.
Anyway, back to Mimi- she is what you would call a Baby Whisperer. She really does have the magic touch with babies. Today is her 65th birthday and we love her so much!

The Christmas Spider

2011-12-14T15:36:00.000-08:00

This holiday season has been so much fun with our little Cecilia. It has been exciting starting a few traditions with her. I took this particular tradition from Julie and her family. A few years ago my mom and Elyse made these adorable Christmas Spider ornaments and Julie and John have had the fun tradition of having the Christmas Spider bring their kids Christmas pajamas. They read the "Cobweb Christmas" and once they find the spider on the tree they can open their present from the spider and it is always pajamas. Of course Cecilia had no idea what was going on but we had a great time.

My Cutie Pie is One Month

2011-12-12T09:27:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my little sweetie is over a month old. Here are some adorable photos that her dad took of her. We are head over hills in love with this little girl.

Family Photos

2011-11-30T16:00:00.001-08:00

Elyse was so kind to take some family photos for us. These were taken when Cecilia was 2 weeks old. I can't believe she is now 3 weeks old. Time is passing by so quickly. We are still completely smitten with our little lady. She is such a good baby and sleeps well in the night- just waking us up to eat. She is already starting to smile at us. I can't imagine life without her.

Our Sweet Little Devil

2011-11-30T16:00:00.000-08:00

Of course Cecilia's dad insisted on dressing her up for the ASU vs. U of A football game. Too bad ASU lost. Cece and I stayed home and watched the game on tv with our friends- Kristin, Audrey, Allie & Aaron while Davey went with his family and best friend Matt.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-29T15:59:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving this year was wonderful. So much to be thankful for! We are so blessed to have Cecilia as part of our family. It is so much fun having a baby during the holidays. We spent the day with the Riters and had a great time!

Aunt Millie gave Cecilia this adorable First Thanksgiving outfit. Millie sure loves to spoil her and Cecilia loves Millie!

Cecilia Rose Riter

2011-11-23T19:16:00.001-08:00

Our beautiful daughter, Cecilia Rose, was born on 11/8/11. She was 4 days late and totally worth the wait. We are so in love with her and can't seem to put her down.

I was scheduled to go in on the night of 11/3/11 to be induced but I was bumped to 11/6/11 because the hospital was overbooked on inductions. So on Sunday night, 11/6/11, at 9:00 pm, Davey and I checked in at the Banner Gateway Hospital. Around 11:00 pm they started me on the Cervidil. I slept well that night and the next morning the Cervidil hadn't done its job entirely so they gave me some more gel to continue to soften my cervix. Later that afternoon they finally started me on Pitocin. To make a very long story short, 38 hours after I had started the induction process- I was only dilated to a very generous 2. Dr. Bullaro then informed us that I would need to go ahead and have a C-Section. At 1:08 pm, Cecilia was born and we finally got to meet our adorable baby. The first thing I heard the doctor and nurses comment on was all of her hair and how they thought it was red. We do see a lot of red in it still. Hearing her first cry was the greatest sound I've ever heard. After a few minutes, Davey got to bring her over to meet me. I will never forget that moment.

We got to bring Cecilia home on 11/11/11. When Julie pulled the car up for us at the hospital, she had Simon & Garfunkel's "Cecilia" playing in the car for her.

We are all doing well and Cecilia is such a sweet baby! I feel very lucky. She loves to eat and is a little priss, always holding out her pinky when I feed her.

A special thanks to all of our family and friends for their love and support. Cecilia is one loved baby girl and enjoys all of her visitors. We are so fortunate to have both of our families so close. Everyone has been so wonderful.

We especially miss Julie and Sara! My sisters were so amazing during all of this. They both came down from UT with their kids and were a huge help. I was so sad to see them leave but was so thankful that they got to be here for all of the excitement and Cecilia's first week.

Devils vs. Utes

2011-10-16T19:22:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Davey went up to Utah to see the ASU vs. U of U football game with Jeff, my dad & John. Of course Jeff and Davey were rooting for ASU and John and my dad were for U of U. Glad that Davey came home a happy man with the Devil's win. He had such a great time being up in UT with the family. I'm glad he was able to go up and enjoy the beautiful Fall weather. I stayed back in AZ and nested for the weekend trying to get the house ready for the baby. Here a few photos that I took from Julie and Sara. Thanks for taking care of my husband. Davey had such a great time.

Showered With Lots of Love

2011-10-16T18:51:00.000-07:00

I am so blessed with such great family and friends. I had three adorable baby showers. Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of my ward or work showers yet but my talented sister-in-law, Elyse took some amazing photos of the shower that she and my good friends threw. This baby girl is already so spoiled. I'm truly grateful for everyone's generosity and love. It has been so much fun to celebrate the upcoming arrival of my baby girl with people I adore. Thank you all so much!

Here are some great shots of the cute shower at Elyse's house. Everything was so delicious and decorated so nicely.

The wonderful ladies that put on the shower. They all did such a beautiful job. Love you, ladies!

A lot of the guests. It meant a lot to have everyone there and I know a few drove a long ways to make it.

A few shots from the Photo Booth.

And a very pregnant and large Amy. Only 2.5 weeks until the due date! Can't wait to meet this little girl!

Getting Ready for the Munch

2011-10-02T11:56:00.001-07:00

Here are some photos of the baby's room.

Story Time

2011-09-12T09:41:00.001-07:00

Davey is already such a cute dad. I had to capture this last night- Davey reading books to the baby. It was so cute- she was kicking up a storm while he was reading.
This photo was taken from my phone so the quality is rather poor

Black Out- Fear the Fork

2011-09-11T18:32:00.000-07:00

On Friday we attended the ASU Black Out game against Missouri. It was quite the game and surprisingly cool! I thought I was going to die being there 8 months pregnant in the heat but we were lucky enough to get some rain during the game which felt great. This year we got season tickets for ASU football and I'm certainly glad we did. Davey absolutely LOVES his football- especially the Sun Devils.
We love these guys!

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Jude Houston (house-ton) Martin

2011-08-30T17:47:00.000-07:00

I had the most amazing experience of watching my new nephew be born on August 27th. Julie invited me in to watch the birth and I am so glad I was able to be there. This little boy is absolutely precious. Being in the delivery room made me really excited to have my baby. Child birth has always been my biggest fear and I have to say that witnessing a birth in person really did help calm my nerves. Julie is amazing and made it look so easy and effortless. She has always been so calm and collected. I know that I most likely will not have the same experience as she did but it I think it was great preparation.

John and Julie sure make the most beautiful babies. I've had a great time being up here spending time with Eleanor and Amelia too. Amelia has stolen my heart and I want to take her home with me. She has been my little shadow. Eleanor is still the cutest thing ever and I get such a kick out of her.

It has also been a treat to hang out with Sara. She is so great with Julie's girls and of course the best mom to Henry. I LOVE that little guy. He and Amelia are so cute together.

I am so lucky to have Julie and Sara as my sisters. Wish I lived closer to them but at least I get to see them a lot and we talk pretty much daily or even a few times a day. I hope I'm as good of a mother as they are.

I love Sara's face in this photo. This was when she first walked in the room to meet Jude.

Eleanor wasn't sure what to think about Jude. Now she adores him!

Built In Shelves

2011-08-16T12:30:00.000-07:00

Ever since John and Julie finished their basement, I have been envious (in a good way) of their white built ins. They are so nice! Then Jeff and Elyse had our family friend, Allen, build them some and he did such a great job. So after seeing theirs- I finally took the plunge and had some built. I LOVE them. This is the last house project until the baby comes. At least that is what I am telling my husband. :)

Sneak Peak of Baby's Room

2011-08-04T16:53:00.000-07:00

Our baby girl's room is coming along nicely. Still a few things to get done. My talented sister, Julie, made this adorable poster for the baby. I had to share! I can't wait for her to get here. I don't want her to come early by any means, but it will be so fun to have her here. She is moving around a lot and there is nothing better than to feel those movements.

The Big 30!

2011-07-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

It feels great to be 30! I was actually really excited to enter my 30's. Loved my 20's and had some amazing times. Now- I'm ready for the next adventures of my life- especially having this baby girl. I can't wait to meet her.

My good friend Aly made me this delicious birthday cake. I can honestly say that it was the BEST chocolate cake I've ever eaten and I ate well over half of it myself.

"You should just let her out"

2011-07-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

The other day I was talking to my niece, Katie, about the baby girl in my tummy. After a minute, Katie said, "You should just let her out." It was hilarious.

As cliche as this may sound, I already love my little girl so much. It is so much fun to feel her move around. Just this last week she has started to move more and more. Hard to believe I am already 23 weeks- only 17 more to go. It has really gone by pretty fast. Can't wait to meet her. Here is a picture I just took of my growing belly. It is getting pretty big!

God Bless America

2011-07-05T14:45:00.000-07:00

I love the 4th of July- one of my favorite holidays. This year we were supposed to go up to Jackson Hole with my family but in the end we were unable to do so due to Davey's job. I was so bummed we couldn't make it. The 4th turned out to be a good day anyway. We spent the day with the Riters and had a great time.

Davey and I trying to make a letter C for our baby girl's name. Didn't quite work out for me. Davey's looks more like a C.

Millie making a letter M. She got the hang of it.

Mimi & Grandpa

2011-06-22T19:18:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to see my parents with our baby. They are such fun grandparents. A couple of weekends ago, we tagged along with them to the Diamondbacks game. They were taking my adorable newphews, Ty & Jonathan. Those boys were having the time of their lives. I'm surprised they weren't sick when they go home. They got to eat Icees, cotton candy, candy bars, etc. Our baby is so lucky to have both sets of grandparents so close by.

New York, New York

2011-06-22T19:07:00.001-07:00

The day after Davey's graduation, we left for New York. We had an AMAZING week in the city. I could live there. I truly love that place. Of course, I had to go to my favorite restaurants and make a daily visit to Magnolia Bakery.

We made a trip to FAO Schwarz to buy our baby it's first toys. It was so much fun going in there and shopping for our own kid.

Stopped by Mood Fabrics. I got to show Davey where I bought the material for my wedding dress.

The Graduate

2011-06-22T18:48:00.000-07:00

Davey graduated from ASU in May and I am extremely proud of him. He is a proud Sun Devil. Both Jeff and Davey graduated so we had a fun family graduation party and the cake was a hit!

Our cute niece and nephew congratulating Davey from Louisville!

Spring Break in Florida

2011-06-22T18:30:00.000-07:00

I'm a little behind (okay, very behind) with my blogging. For Spring Break this year, Davey and I went to Florida and had a wonderful time. We spent a couple of days in Orlando and went to Universal Studios so Davey could see Harry Potter World and then to Disneyworld. It was so much fun. Unfortunatley, I couldn't go on too many rides since I was 7 weeks pregnant at the time but it is all worth it. We can't wait to go back.

After Orlando, we made a pit stop at Gatorland on our way to Naples to stay with our good friends- Rob & Sheree Laney. They were such wonderful hosts. They live in such a beautiful area and we spent lots of time on the beach and got to watch dolphins swim so close to us. Rob and Sheree just had their first little baby today and she is just precious.

I love traveling with Davey!

Baby Boy Riter

2011-06-22T18:25:00.000-07:00

I love these photos of Davey as a baby. All that hair is adorable!

It's a Girl

2011-06-13T09:53:00.000-07:00

We just found out this morning that we are having a baby girl. We are so excited!
Can't wait to see what she looks like.

Me on my blessing day.

Love this photo of my mom when she was pregnant with me.

I need to scan some photos of Davey in from when he was a baby. He was adorable!

Easter Weekend

2011-05-02T16:01:00.000-07:00

Easter weekend this year was so exciting for Davey and I. Obviously, it was great reflecting on our Savior's resurrection. I had to give Sharing Time in church on Easter Sunday and I was grateful for the opportunity to spend some time preparing and thinking of the Savior.

This was also the weekend that we announced the arrival of our first baby to our families. We had an Easter egg hunt and dinner with my family on Saturday night and I wore a shirt that had a #16 on the front (this will be the 16th grandchild for my parents) and the due date on the back. Jeff was the first to ask me what 11/4/11 meant and then he figured it out quickly. Once Andy and Elizabeth showed up, Elizabeth saw the back of my shirt and figured it out right away.

On Sunday we celebrated my father-in-law's birthday and included a photo of the ultra-sound in his birthday card. They were really excited.

I'm almost 14 weeks and already popping out!

Drew and I. If I have a son, I hope he is a lot like Drew- I love this kid!

Walking in Memphis

2011-05-02T15:51:00.000-07:00

I just got back from Memphis last night. I was out visiting my best friend, Maris and her husband. She and I have been best friends since high school in Santiago, Chile. We try to see each other at least once a year and every time we get together it is like we never skipped a beat. Though I just got home last night, I am already missing her. This trip was really special since I went out there not only to see Maris and Cager but to also meet her new baby, Mac. He is such a sweet little boy and extremely cute! Being around him makes me want a boy. Of course, I will be thrilled with a girl too. Our babies will only be 9 months apart and we have already started planning our family vacations together. I had a great time and I love how green it is in TN. It was fun being there the night the Grizzlies beat out the Spurs.

I love how green and lush it is out there.

Back for good

2011-04-25T10:25:00.000-07:00

I've decided to go ahead and keep this blog and not use the new one I had mentioned a while back. Hopefully I will get back into the swing of things and blog more regularly. We are really excited about the news of our first baby!

Party of 3

2011-04-25T10:22:00.000-07:00

Time to get with it

2010-04-27T20:03:00.000-07:00

So, I've decided that I am going to start blogging regularly. Tonight I am headed to Puerto Rico for work--photo shoots, video shoots, grand openings, etc. I love my job and I love to travel--but I hate to leave my husband. This time it is for a week. My next post will be from Puerto Rico. Hopefully I can find a few moments to enjoy the beach and get a little tan.

Hasta luego!

The Northwest

2010-04-01T17:58:00.001-07:00

Davey and I spent his spring break in Oregon and Washington--my first time to visit the Pacific Northwest and I loved it. We actually went up there to check out a couple of grad schools for Davey and I fell in love with both states.

I want to live on Bainbridge Island one day.

A few highlights from our trip below:

Dubai

2009-12-04T09:46:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, I didn't really take many photos in Dubai which is a shame. What a place! This was my first visit to the Middle East and Dubai is quite spectacular. I got to see the man-made islands, go to the Burj Al Arab and hang out at the top, visit the Burj Dubai—the world’s tallest building. I wish Davey could have joined me to go snowboarding in the indoor ski resort inside the mall while it was over 100 degrees outside—that was just crazy! The food was amazing. It was a very cultural experience and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Paris

2009-12-04T08:50:00.000-08:00

We had a free day between our meetings in London and Dubai so we took the Chunnel to Paris for a day. We were only there about 12 hours so we hired a driver that took us all around. We saw most of the famous sites in the city, spent a couple of hours in the Louvre and we even made it out to Versailles. Here are some photos in no particular order. It was quite a day. I want to go back with Davey.

London

2009-12-04T08:26:00.000-08:00

After Madrid, we headed to London. This was my first visit to London. I can't believe it took me that long to see such an amazing city. I could truly live there. I was there a week and had a pretty heavy schedule but I made it a point to see a lot. I did have a free day in the city and tried to see as much as I could between meetings and conferences the other days. We stayed on Piccadilly right across from Buckingham Palace--what a location.
Here are a few photos--in no particular order.

Madrid, Spain

2009-09-25T02:43:00.000-07:00

Though I am in Europe on business, I have been able to find some time to enjoy the beautiful cities I've visited. Here are just a few highlights of Madrid. I love this city! I can see why this is one of Sara's favorites.

Enjoying the fun cafes.

Appreciating the amazing architecture

Saw lots of Goya and some Rembrant at the Prado

Palacio de Comunicaciones

Ruzica and I found a beautiful old theatre near Plaza Mayor and decided to see a show. We had no idea what Shadow Land was but it turned out to be quite delightful.

Plaza Mayor

Can't go to Spain and not eat a good Paella

This was a first for mee--black toilet paper in my hotel room.

Life is Great

2009-08-27T18:22:00.000-07:00

I just received word that a major project I have been working on for 1.5 years has been approved by our legal team and is going live on Monday! A 1.5 year-long headache is now gone! What a day!

And to top it all off--Davey and I are on our way to California tomorrow to see Band of Horses in concert and enjoy the beach.

Annual Hall Girls NYC Trip!

2009-08-10T11:41:00.000-07:00

My sisters and I have made it a tradition to go to NYC ever year. Last year we went with our sister-in-law Elyse and this year our other sister-in-law Amanda came with us. Next year, we need ALL the Hall girls to go!

It is fun to see new things every time you visit NYC but there are a few things you should do every year.

MUST DO LIST FOR OUR HALL GIRLS ANNUAL TRIP:
1) Magnolia Bakery-- we went EVERYDAY this trip.

2) Cafe Habana-- the best Cuban food ever. This time we saw Jim from The Office outside our window.

3) Grimaldi’s in Brooklyn-- We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge to get to Grimaldi's, the weather was perfect!

4) Katz's Deli- love their Reuben sandwhich.

5)Godiva chocolate in Central Park- chocolate covered strawberries to be specific!

6)Museums- you can’t go to NYC and not go to a museum. This year we hit MOMA, MET & The Guggenheim. I always love to see an original Matisse.

I am sure I'm missing several things- but you get the general idea.

A couple of the many new adventures from this last trip:
1) Nine to Five on Broadway with Allison Janney. We grew up watching this movie.

2) Top of the Rock- a great view of the city.

I love my nieces and nephews

2009-08-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

I LOVE my nieces and nephews. They all are so fun and have the best personalities. Here are a couple of fun photos of just a few.

My newest niece, Olive! She is so tiny and the sweetest baby. It is fun to watch Jeff and Elyse with her--they are already wonderful parents. Photos courtesy of Sara Baldwin.

Davey and I babysat for Theron and Amanda's adorable boys and this is what Ty did to Davey. Ty was having fun burying Davey then he proceeded to watch his movie.

Eleanor spent a couple of weeks at my parent's house while John and Julie went to Europe. This was the outfit she picked out and insisted wearing it to breakfast with my mom and I one morning. She is so funny!

Stacey is hilarious! She is my oldest niece and is taller than me. She just started Middle School. Sara took these awesome photos of her. I LOVE her school uniform.

UTAH

2009-08-10T11:14:00.000-07:00

2 trips to Utah this summer. I love the summer weather in UT- it was hard to come back to the AZ heat both times.
1) Julie's graduation from the U of U. We are so proud of her!

2) Davey's grandparent's 50th Wedding Anniversary. It was fun to meet more of Davey's extended relatives. I married into such a great family!

Eleanor came and hung out with the Riter family one day. She was so sweet and she loves her Uncle Davey and his sisters, Millie and Rachel.

Where oh where have the Riter's been?

2009-08-10T10:39:00.000-07:00

I feel like I haven't updated this blog in ages! Life has been very busy but GREAT! Davey and I have had a great summer and have been here there and everywhere.
Davey went back East with his brother and dad for a week to enjoy the Lacrosee play offs and spend some good quality guy time checking out trains. Davey has also been playing Lacrosse here in AZ--pretty brave in the heat.

Private Benjamin

2009-06-01T14:59:00.000-07:00

I am going to be making my blog private. Please send me a comment with your email (I will delete email right away) and let me know if you want an invite to the blog.
Thanks!

6 Months!

2009-05-21T11:52:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that we have been married for 6 months. Time passes quickly when you are having a blast. These past 6 months have been wonderful and I am so happy I married such a wonderful man who has the best heart. I love you, Davey!

Several down- a few more to go!

2009-04-04T17:24:00.000-07:00

I've done the items in bold
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a Praying Mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Been to the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on a train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied - before I got married and had a mortgage. :)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check - oops!
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Tied a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book- not a book, I wish. I do have a college paper that has been published.
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Visited Italy

M to the power of 3

2009-03-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

For my March attempt to make something out of Martha's magazine, my choice was her Apricot White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies! Boy, were they yummy!

Smile- it's snowboarding

2009-03-02T19:03:00.000-08:00

Check out my sexy husband snowboarding this last weekend. He left me for a few days to go snowboarding at Big Bear.

Flores Bonitas

2009-02-24T08:49:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday Davey and I worked on our front yard. For those of you who have been to our house, you know that we don't have the most beautiful yard— desert landscaping that I am not a fan of. Anyway, we are in the process of making some major changes and planting grass. While Davey was pulling out the ugly bushes by our driveway, I planted some beauitful flowers. The weather was perfect, like a wonderful spring day. The flowers add a nice touch!

Also, thanks for Victoria & Hunter for coming over to help pull weeds!

Hail to the Chief

2009-02-18T10:20:00.000-08:00

Today was rather exciting at work. I got to see President Obama's motorcade from our office window. My office is right next to the airport and we have a great view of the Air Force One that is currently here. It was neat to see the President's motorcade drive by our building. The freeway was blocked off for a little while so a bunch of us from the office watched while the motorcade passed by. We had the perfect view. One of our graphic designers, Peter, had his camera with him and was able to get a great photo you can see below. If you open the photo and zoom in you can see Obama. There were two black limos and he was in the first. It was a fun things to see. I have now seen 3 presidents—Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and now Obama....Okay- so I can't really count Obama because I didn't actually see him close up and talk to him!

Peter also got a photo of the plane taking off—unfortunately, I missed that part.

I'm no Martha

2009-02-16T07:46:00.000-08:00

My mom got me a subscription to the Martha Stewart magazine. I have never been too domestic or for that matter even a fan of Martha Stewart. I have to admit that I LOVE her magazine. So, for Valentines Day I decided to make some adorable cookies that I saw in the Feb issue of the MS magazine. Well, these cookies took a lot of work- basically a 2 day process. On the last step I screwed them up! I was so livid. I decided that I was not meant to be domestic and why bother trying anymore. So, on Valentines Day I was looking through that dang magazine again and decided I would try something else- a bit simpler. I made some of the cupcakes I saw. I didn't use Martha's recipe, just her decorating idea. I can't bring myself to make any cupcakes unless they are from the cookbook I purchased at Magnolia Bakery in New York. For those of you who have never been to Magnolia- it is a must. The cupcakes tasted delicious. I have decided to give it another shot. I am going to make something out of each issue of the Martha Stewart magazine for the rest of the year- whether it be baking, a flower arrangement, soup- we will just see.

I LOVE Valentines Day and always have. I think it is because my parent's always made such a big deal out of it and we always got the best valentines. This year we got an adorable Crate and Barrel platter full of yummy treats. And of course from my husband I got a lovely bouquet of tulips. On Valentines Day, Davey and I went to Barnes and Noble and treated our selves to some books and DVDs.

Here are the cookies that I messed up!

And the cupcakes that actually worked out!

Happy Birthday, Davey!

2009-01-28T06:12:00.000-08:00

I LOVE YOU!

Yesterday was a wonderful day!

2009-01-21T17:12:00.000-08:00

I LOVED yesterday's events and had a hard time turning off CNN. I hope my sister Julie doesn't get mad that I am taking this photo of my adorable niece off of her blog. This is Eleanor with her "Obama baby"- as she calls it. She loves Obama and at 2 years old was almost as into the innaguration as her mom. She is a smart little girl!

Heck yeah!

2009-01-18T15:47:00.000-08:00

We are going to the Super Bowl!

Valentines Day came early this year

2009-01-15T06:37:00.000-08:00

So, Davey and I are not the most patient people in the world. He ordered my Valentine’s Day gift early and it arrived the other day. Davey was so anxious to give it to me and of course I was fine with that. Didn't he do such a great job? Backgammon is one of my favorite games next to Monopoly. We already have a Monopoly collection, so why not have a Backgammon collection too!

Also, I LOVE monogrammed items and of course anything green- hence our wedding color!

Thanks, love!

Photos taken by Davey with his new Nikon 50 MM lens he got yesterday.

More wedding

2009-01-08T18:57:00.000-08:00

Here are some more wedding photos that were featured on http://www.stylemepretty.com/

Wedding Photos by Jonathan Canlas Photography

2009-01-03T08:38:00.000-08:00

I must say that we had an amazing wedding photographer, Jonathan Canlas. He photographed my sister Sara's wedding and I had to have him do mine also! Our wedding photos are now available to view online. Jonathan also featured our wedding on his blog-You can view his blog HERE.

You can view the all the wedding photos HERE.

Here are a a few sneak peaks!

1 month!

2008-12-24T09:19:00.000-08:00

Davey and I celebrated our one month anniversary on the 21st! Boy, has time flown by quickly. This has been such a wonderful month and I have the greatest husband ever. Since Davey and I didn't get a chance to really enjoy our wedding cake at the reception since we were having the time of our lives chatting with everyone, I had Nancy Ray (the lovely lady who made our wedding cake) make a little red velvet cake for us.

David & Amy Riter

Our original wedding cake!

Aud and I did it!

2008-12-24T09:13:00.000-08:00

Audrey and I set a goal to go to the temple once a month during 2008 and last night we went for the 12th time!!! It has been great to go every month. Thanks, Aud! You are the best!

Sisters, Sisters

2008-12-02T06:53:00.003-08:00

I sure love my sisters! Here are some fun photo booths of us. We look kind of crazy in some!

David & Amy Riter- November 21, 2008

2008-12-02T06:39:00.000-08:00

This is my first official post as a married lady! I don't have too many photos from my wedding day yet! Lots of my family and friends have already posted some on their blogs. We had an amazing photographer, Jonathan Canlas, shoot our wedding. His work is amazing and I can't wait to see the photos. Once I get them I will be sure to post. The day was perfect and the wedding was so much fun. I couldn't have been happier with it all.

In the meantime, below are some of the photos that Davey and I took in the photo booth at our reception. I'm so glad we had the photo booth! It was so much fun to go through the book that was made for us with everyone's photos from the booth! Thanks to everyone who shared our special day with us!

Exciting Times

2008-11-16T08:42:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year- especially this year! I have so much to be grateful for right now. First of all, I am getting married in 5 days to the love of my life! How did I ever get so lucky?! I can't wait to be Mrs. Amy Dawn Hall Riter. I'm looking forward to a week alone with Davey in Lake Tahoe. I just pray there will be snow!

Our 7 month engagement has flown by. Seems like just yesterday when Sara, Julie, Elyse and I were in Moods in New York City buying the fabric for my stunning wedding dress. Now my dream dress I pretty much designed and had sketched by an amazing couturier Rebecca- is made and hanging in my parent's closet next to my dad's suits.

I have the sweetest new little nephew Lincoln.

Can life get any better?

What a relief!

2008-11-04T20:04:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful day! Needless to say, I'm thrilled with the results of today's election.

A very productive day!

2008-11-04T17:18:00.000-08:00

Today I voted and got my marriage license. Both very exciting things! I'm crossing my fingers for positive results on the voting. I can't wait for my wedding!

3 Continents, 6 Countries, & 9 Cities in 12 days!

2008-10-24T12:01:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful time on my trip with my parents and Celeste. We went on a 12 day Mediterranean cruise and it was heavenly. The only complaint I had was Davey not being there. Other than that, it was truly amazing!

My dad and I took so many photos. I took over 1,200 on my camera along and he took even more on his. We got so many great shots so it is hard for me to select which ones to display on my blog. I am just posting a few random shots but to see more you can visit this link and browse through them.

Spain: http://davidamyriter.smugmug.com/gallery/6264388_uj5mY#395423207_TNkJp
Italy: http://davidamyriter.smugmug.com/gallery/6264939_6k3mW#395437918_ZECK2
Greece: http://davidamyriter.smugmug.com/gallery/6267582_T4U67#395560533_ty5wq
Turkey: http://davidamyriter.smugmug.com/gallery/6268070_PxwZa#395595601_qmSMx
Malta: http://davidamyriter.smugmug.com/gallery/6277990_GbCzH#396059629_2AgL6

The countries we visited were Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey (European and Asian side) & Malta.
They were all remarkable. If I have to choose my top two they would be Turkey & Greece. Malta was also up there!

Now, I just need to go to Australia! :)

Bon Voyage

2008-09-26T08:58:00.000-07:00

I'm off to Europe this weekend for a couple of weeks. I am going to miss this man!

For Audrey Rose

2008-09-17T09:40:00.000-07:00

NOVEMBER 21---cheers!

First Costco Run

2008-09-16T06:31:00.000-07:00

Last night Davey and I took our first Costco run to buy some essentials for our new house. We don't move in until the end of this month but we wanted to take advantage of some Costco coupons. I have never been a coupon user, but hey- we saved about $30!

I can't wait until Davey and I can just move into our new house!!!

My famous cousin Russ!

2008-09-10T08:28:00.001-07:00

As many of you know, I work in International marketing and I LOVE it! My boss and I have been in charge of developing the new brand for a newly established university in Canada. Well, come to find out my handsome cousin Russ is pretty much the face of the University! I love it! He was so kind a few years ago to help me out with a photo shoot when I was doing Corporate Marketing for another subsidiary of my current company- we never ended up using those photos but they have since become very handy for our new brand. Thanks, Russ!

Here is a sneak peak of some of the artwork that just came in today!

Mi hermanita, Sarita!

2008-09-08T08:14:00.000-07:00

Davey and I had our engagement photos taken on Saturday. Sara did an amazing job as always. Sara and I took a break and had a little photo session of our own. I LOVE her new hair! I won't be posting any engagement photos quite yet! :)

Precious flirtting

2008-09-04T08:16:00.001-07:00

David & Amy are pleased to welcome Augustine

2008-09-04T08:03:00.000-07:00

So, this is my first time naming a car and we shall call her Augustine.
Yesterday was a bitter/sweet day for me. I found out that my poor 4Runner needed a lot of work done and I figured that with 181,000 miles it just wasn't worth it to pay all that money so Davey and I bought a new car. I was so sad to say bye to my 4Runner as you can see in the photo below. However, it will be so nice to have a brand new, reliable car! We got the 2009 Honda Accord and we LOVE it so far.

Poor Davey smashed his finger in the door after test driving Augustine.

Labor Day Weekend Continued

2008-09-03T13:47:00.000-07:00

Sara & Elyse having fun before their minor accident—luckily it wasn’t that bad and they walked away with no broken bones!

Sarita & I on top of Greens Peak

My sweet nephew Jonathan- perfect baby!

This smile makes me melt!

Love the boots and most of all love the pose.

Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-02T07:19:00.001-07:00

We went up North with most of my family for Labor Day weekend and it was beautiful. Everything was so green and lush and we got plenty of rain. Here are a few photos of our prefect weekend! Thanks to Elizabeth & Amanda for planning it!

Picture Perfect

2008-09-02T07:16:00.000-07:00

I love this photo of Davey & Jonathan. Davey is going to be the best dad. Don't worry, I'm not expecting! :) Give us several years but we will have great practice in the meantime.

88 more days!

2008-08-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

Only 88 more days! I can't wait to marry this man!

Beijing 2008

2008-08-14T06:47:00.000-07:00

I have really enjoyed the Olympics this year! It is fun to see it all taking place in Beijing. When we were there in December we went to see the Olympic venues that were still under construction at that point. Below are the photos of the venues when we were there.

We rode in this little bike/car to go see the venues. It was hilarious- Tricia, Daniel and I were all smashed into the back of that thing.

A few other random photos from our trip

Outside the Forbidden City

Riding bikes along the city wall of Xi'an

Daniel and I on the Great Wall- one of the absolute highlights of the trip

Doing some great shopping

Inside the Forbidden City

These are just a couple of t 1,200 photos I took!

Pure Excitement

2008-08-12T13:14:00.000-07:00

Can't you tell that I am just a little excited to get my new house all set up. I'm bombarding my current bedroom with all my fun house stuff!

Unfortunately, I have to wait until Sept to start setting it all up as we have agreed to let the seller stay until then.

Our Original Monopoly Artwork

2008-08-01T11:35:00.000-07:00

So those of you that know Davey and I well, know that we LOVE to play Monopoly. We wanted to get some cool Monopoly artwork for our new house but couldn't really find any. We decided to make our own. Thanks to Jeff and Elyse for their help!!!
Now we just need to decide where to hang it once we are all moved in.

A wonderful 12 hours!!!

2008-08-01T10:04:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago Maris surprised me and told me that she would be coming into town for a night on a business trip. She flew in on Tuesday and left early Wednesday morning. After her meetings on Tuesday we went to my favorite restaurant Capital Grille and then she got to meet Davey. We went over to say hello to Andy and Elizabeth. Lydia did a great job taking our photos! It was so great to see Maris. Last time I saw here was last summer when we went to Florida. We are very good about seeing each other every year. This year it will be twice as she will be out in November for my wedding!!! I love you Maris!

Having dinner at Capital Grille

Photo by Lydia

Jeff & Frank's Reunion

2008-08-01T09:58:00.000-07:00

Growing up Jeff had a monkey named Frank- we all remember him so well. Last weekend when we were in St. Johns my mom found Frank randomly at my grandpa's house. Since my parents went straight to Utah from St. Johns, I brought Frank home to Jeff. I called Jeff on my way home to tell him that mom had found Frank. Below is our conversation.
Amy: "Jeff, guess who I have in the car with me."
Jeff: "Who?"
Amy: "Your monkey that you had for years in St. Johns."
Jeff: "FRANK?!?!"
Amy:"Yep, Frank."
Jeff: "Every time I go to St. Johns I look for Frank. Oh good! As soon as he gets home I'm going to take him to the dry cleaner and give him a good bath. Make sure he is buckled in and gets home safely to me."

Below are photos of Frank buckled in and Jeff & Frank's reunion.

I did follow Jeff's instructions

I went down to Jeff's office and there Frank was sitting next to Jeff while he was working!

St. Johns

2008-07-29T07:54:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to St. Johns for the 24th of July celebration. It was great to be back home and see people I hadn't seen in ages.
Below are photos that I took from Aly & Sara!

Home Sweet Home

2008-07-28T12:04:00.000-07:00

It’s official, I’m a home owner!

This would be me signing my life away along with the seller!

Our beautiful home!

We are so fortunate because the house is in such great shape! There are just a few projects that Davey and I want to do before we move in. First, we will be painting the living and dining room Silver Sage from Restoration Hardware (the top bucket).

Then we will be laying wood floors- below is the wood that we already purchased...

It will be nice to have everything set up before the wedding so after our honeymoon we can come straight home!

Our first project as a married couple will be the yard!

I'm getting old!

2008-07-23T17:21:00.000-07:00

I just turned 27 on Sunday! Wow- I am getting up there. Check out the adorable apron that Sara gave me! I love it. She also gave me some map magnets to add to my magnet collection.
I got some wonderful gifts most of which for my house. I will post more photos of my lovely gifts soon! My future mother-in-law was so generous and my mom once again took me on a Crate and Barrel run...Davey gave me sweet Homer & Aristotle bookends to add to my bookend collection! Amanda gave me wonderful pampering items...Mindy an adorable frame...I can go on and on. I am so spoiled. Thanks everyone!!!

I do

2008-07-21T17:17:00.001-07:00

Allie and Aaron got married this past Friday and it was absolutley beautiful. Allie was the most beauitful bride ever! I am so happy for both of them!

It made Davey and I excited for our big day!

Memory Lane

2008-07-14T21:28:00.000-07:00

I am taking this from Miss Audrey Rose! -By the way, Davey and I are going to name one of our daughters after Miss Rose and combine it with my other best friend's name. I better not give it away- don't worry, it will be another 4 years or so before any little ones come along!

Here are the directions:
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together.
It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

Chile, Chile

2008-07-10T15:06:00.000-07:00

So, I love my job for many reasons—one of which is I get to work closely with Chileans! Those who know me well know that I am Chilean at heart. A couple of weeks ago we had our Chilean group in town for meetings and we all went to the Grand Canyon. Here is fun group shot that Pamela (from Chile) sent me today of all of us ladies!

I love this man....

2008-07-06T19:40:00.000-07:00

My 2 Favorite Stores

2008-07-05T22:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, I guess you can say I am a little obsessed. Thanks to my mom who has incredible taste in decorating. She has me hooked! I got to go on a fun pre-Birthday shopping spree the other day to C&B and RH and came home with lots of goodies. Now we just need to close on a house!

Oh- and I wish I could afford it all too! :)

First dress fitting!

2008-06-30T16:49:00.000-07:00

I had my first dress fitting today! Holy smokes, I'm getting married! It is just too wild. I have been excited this whole time but it hasn't seemed real that I am getting married. We are in the process of buying a house right now so I have been focusing most of my time, energy and excitement on our new house. Well, after my fitting today I am so so so excited and it seems so real. We aren't getting married until November. I also ordered our invitations today.

The photos below of Audrey Hepburn and Jackie O are just a hint of what my dress and accessories are going to look like. Defiantly a mix of Audrey H and Jackie O style- not your typical white wedding dress. I do have a sketch of my actual dress that is being custom made but I don't want to post it to give anything away. Davey hasn't even seen it.

Grand Canyon

2008-06-27T08:04:00.000-07:00

Quick post! I have been so busy this week with work. We have had folks in from Chile all week and I have been in meetings after meetings and have eaten like a total pig. Yesterday we took our visitors to the Grand Canyon. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera but the Marketing folks from Chile had theirs. I took this photo from my phone to send to Davey. I love my job!

Everyone is getting screwed!

2008-06-08T11:46:00.000-07:00

At the gas pump that is.

Hell, I never thought I would see the day that I would wish for $2.91 a gallon.

Little America

2008-05-28T19:27:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Audrey, Allie and I drove up to Flagstaff and spent the night in the Little America hotel. It was so relaxing and just what we needed. Audrey had a wedding to attend so she dropped Allie and I off at the hotel. Allie and laid in bed, watched a pay-per view movie and took the best nap ever. That hotel is so cozy and makes you feel right at home or like you are in your grandparent's house. Then we all ate lots of junk food. I LOVE Hostess Fruit Pies. Don't worry, after I ate that I discovered the next day that Hostess Fruit Pies are in the top 20 WORST foods you can eat.

*Please excuse the no makeup and acne.

Red Velvet Cake

2008-05-19T10:52:00.000-07:00

Since I can remember (probably the first time I watched Steele Magnolias) I have wanted to have a Red Velvet wedding cake. On Saturday Elyse, Mindy and I went cake tasting and we picked out my perfect wedding cake that WILL be Red Velvet. I won't post photos of the cake yet because I don't want to give any of the details away but I must say that it is going to be beautiful and not your typical wedding cake.

Getting lucky in Kentucky

2008-05-16T07:17:00.000-07:00

I went to Kentucky last weekend with Davey's whole family. We went out for Davey's brother-in-law's graduation and his niece's baby blessing. It was a great trip and I am so lucky because I am marrying into such a great family.

Davey wasn't too thrilled that we were wearing the same shirt. I had mine on first!

I couldn't resist taking this photo. Katie was flipping Davey and I off while taking a nap in the back seat of the car.

My future in-laws. Great family!

Told you I got lucky in Kentucky!

Jonathan Brent Hall

2008-05-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

I have a new nephew, Jonathan Brent Hall. He is such a beautiful baby. He was born a week ago today. This morning I had to go drop off a car seat to Theron and Amanda and I got to go in and hold Jonathan for about 20 minutes before I had to head into my office for a meeting. I was so sad to have to leave him this morning. He was sleeping and he let me cuddle him. He is too precious!

The photos below were taken the day he was born.

New York, New York---I want to be a part of it badly!

2008-05-08T12:10:00.000-07:00

I LOVE New York City. I just got back from a 5 day girl's trip with Julie, Sara and Elyse. We had an amazing time and did so many fun things. I am going to highlight just a few of the amazing times we had...Just warning you that this may be an extremely long post. Here I go...

Riding in the elevator at the Waldorf Astoria like in Serendipity.

Pigging out on Godiva chocolate covered bananas and strawberries.

Seeing a whole room of original Henri Matisse paintings at the MOMA. Matisse is my all time favorite artist.

Going to dinner with Mary & Matt.

Eating breakfast at Veselka- the greatest place that Sara introduced us to. I wish I would have ordered the potato pancakes that Sara got.

Going to Moods to get the stunning fabric for my wedding dress. I am only posting a photo of us outside Moods because I don't want to show off the fabric quite yet. Any of you seen Project Runway?

Eating Cracker Jacks at the Yankees game.

Eating Cuban food at Cafe Habana.

Eating Banana rice pudding at Rices to Riches. We need to open one of these in Arizona.

Eating Pizza at Grimaldi's in Brooklyn. Yummy!

Seeing all of the beautiful tulips throughout the city- especially in front of the Plaza.

Walking down 5th Ave. near Central Park.

Going to the other Magnolia Bakery on 69th St near Central Park. I LOVE that place and am still craving the cupcakes!

Eating my Magnolia cupcakes in Central Park and hanging out there for a few hours with Julie while Sara and Elyse photographed a wedding in Brooklyn.

Going to the Today Show and being so close to Matt Lauer. I got to shake Al's hand but would have preferred Matt.

Classic trip up the Empire State Building.

Eating lunch at Katz Deli. They have the BEST Rueben Sandwiches ever.

Meeting Wallace Shawn on the street in SoHo. She's Out of Control was one of our favorite childhood movies. He was Doctor Fishbinder.

Notice how most of my highlights were eating? Again, those were just a few!

My very own personal wedding planners

2008-04-27T08:10:00.000-07:00

What would I do without these ladies! Seriously, I can't thank Elyse, Mindy and Sara enough. Yesterday we went to the Wright House to scope out the venue for our wedding. It is going to be beautiful especially with my PWP's (as Mindy would say)help!

I love tea parties

2008-04-27T08:02:00.000-07:00

I met up with some good friends of mine yesterday for a tea party. We all felt like little girls playing tea.

The 2 Bridezillas

2008-04-19T11:59:00.000-07:00

Save the date!

2008-04-18T09:56:00.000-07:00

November 21st! Mesa, AZ

Isn't he handsome?

YES!

2008-04-16T09:52:00.000-07:00

Of course I said YES! I am the luckiest girl in the world. I couldn't have picked a better man! I love my life! As Allie would say, "I have the best life!" I love you, Davey!

Let me explain the last photo- shall I. On our way over to Davey's house to tell his parents we made a stop by the Askin's house to tell my other "sisters" about it! So, Katie let us in the door and Davey and I just walked upstairs like we normally do. I heard Allie talking to Audrey and walked into their bathroom. There was Audrey sitting in the bathtub with the door open and Allie was just standing there in her bra and underwear talking to Audrey. It was hilarious. I think I freaked them out because they didn't hear us. Luckily, Davey only saw Allie and not the completely naked Audrey. I had to document this as best I could. Notice that Allie has my ring on!