Well as you can see we have a little one on week 7 here and today we heard it's heart beat for the first time. It was so epic!!!

The long road to this monumental day has been one I will never forget, but just in case I have put it down in this blog (hopefully they have blogs in the future when this kid's 16)

Linda and I have been going down a hopeless road for the past 14 years wondering if or when we might have a child in our own. Of course the road started way back when we got married and during all the crazy things we have been through we have stuck it out in the hardest of times. Ramen diners, endless phone jobs, wondering where rent will come from and what is going to happen if we can not make the car payment... type of fears. I recently came across a country song titled "We were legends" by Kelsea Ballerini and it is a song that hold certain meanings to us.
https://youtu.be/nGa2-kOW810  ...
Linda and I have been warriors through it all. It seems just like yesterday I was getting in water fights and getting stranded in Brigham. The road to this amazing heartbeat at the moment has my mind in so many directions. I am so excited but so scared (Normal right?) and yet I am just in pure awe. It gives me the chills to think this little hear beating was not my wife, but something we created together.

Speaking of creating this "little pickle" we have had a crazy ride of IVF. Linda does not ovulate and thus making it hard to get pregnant. Through IVF we had to get out and push so to speak and get it going a different way. Through Comcast (Linda's work) she get's to have 2 transfers of a embryo through her Insurance! - and so the journey began. The journey started with lots of ultra-sounds, and daily injections by yours truly at timed sensitive times. By the way, I hate needles. We had tons of Dr. Visits and Linda had to go under 2 times (one for basic checking, and the second one for egg retrieval) We were blessed with 4 eggs and then they watched them and the leader of the pack was then transferred into Linda.

Then we had to way some time to see if she was pregnant. That day was so stressful but so peaceful. I have been bless with my work to be with her all the way! I know that meeting Steve has been a miracle and a blessing from the Lord. We took a nap that morning back from the U of U center and then the phone call came in... Congratulations!!! I just remember kissing Linda a lot and over joyed of the good news!!

Then the trial of faith as we had to wait for our first check up on week 6, at that ultra-sound the Dr. could not hear a heartbeat and was concerned. But today as we nervously went into the Dr. a pure and innocent miracle occurred!!! A HEARTBEAT!!!!! We have another checkup with our OBGYN and the journey continues. I still have to give her daily injections in the hip with a very long needle, she has been a champion. We always joke... no smack talking us little one - "I got shots every day for 3 months just so you could be here".

The above picture is a snapshot to our morning and a window into our little person and I have to admit it is fun to imagine what it will look like, what it will be.. boy or a girl. We personally feel that it is a Boy but you never know. I would like to pass on the Pilkington name but we will be over joyed regardless. Linda wanted me to keep a journal, and I think I will keep a journal here and a personal one as well.

We still have a long 9 months to go, and I have decided to go forward with faith and trust the Lord on this one. I feel so very blessed right now and just in a whole new world of wonder. Linda is doing well, she has not had any morning sickness, just nausea and cramping (normal) and cravings. Today we had to go get German food, for her she want Bratwurst and mustard. We went to a really good place and she got ones about 2 miles from our house.

I will keep going with this blog and let you all know the updates on this journey. We can say if it is a boy we are naming it Andrew Lynn Pilkington and if it is a Girl, Alora Grace Pilkington (not sure on spelling yet?) Thanks for all the concerns and the prayers, we have had so many wonderful people praying for us and we thank you so so much!!!

Loving Memory, Lynn Pilkington - February 7th 1936 to July 11th 2015

Lynn Pilkington - 79, wonderful father, grandfather and friend passed away July 11th 2015 from natural causes. A life long resident of Cache Valley. He was a faithful LDS member and talented brick mason. He loved aviation, fishing and being with his family. He married Carol Chugg, parents of Laura (Pilkington) Medrano and Ed Pilkington. Later divorced, then married Rose Maree Griffin who preceded him in death (2001), they had one son Ryan Pilkington. Lynn is survived by his sister Rose Ann Nielsen - Layton, daughter Laura (Pilkington) Medrano, son Ed Pilkington, wife Shellie (Parker), son Ryan Pilkington wife Linda (Hanna), three grandchildren and five great grand children. Family would like to thank the staff of the Sunshine Terrace for their love and compassion. The family will have a short viewing from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at Allen Mortuaries Wednesday, July 15th followed by a graveside service at the Smithfield Cemetery.

Memories by Ryan Pilkington;

It is with a heavy heart that I post this, but at the same time I am glad that I have this chance to share some memories of my dad and the last few days I got to spend with him as he passed or graduated to the other side.

I would like to share just some thoughts and a few memories here that will paint a picture of the dad I knew. "Pops" came to be his name as he got older, after my mother died he lost his best friend and things changed dramatically for all of the kids. Prior to the loss of mom, dad was a pretty mellow guy and loved spending time on rides around the Hyrum damn. He also loved going to any airport and just hanging out with his passion of flying. He worked for almost 65 years as a bricklayer and worked very hard to put food on the table. He was amazing at it, and very gifted. I spent a lot of times as a child "on the job" watching him lay brick like a master. I was able to get his talent as an artist, and have been a very talented designer. He was a meek man, but yes he had his weaknesses and problems as we all have, his was strong drink and a hot head. However when I was born he was more involved in the church and his callings. He gave up smoking cold turkey and 99% of the time gave up the drinking. I am so grateful that he changed his life around, which made my growing up years amazing to share fond memories of traveling, fishing and flying. We spend many times at lakes, rivers and streams searching for the "Big" one and I always tagged along at all the air shows he took us on. I learned to love flying and even wanted to be a pilot, but that never came true. I remember all the times he wanted us to go to small air fields around Montana, Wyoming and his life long dream of going to Oshkosh, Wi. to a big fly in, in the mid west. We never made it to those places and the airplanes he built never got off the ground, but in our dreams we were always their in spirit. 

"Pops" taught me about hard work, he taught me about treating others with respect. He taught me about listening, as he listened to me and all my life's drama's. Sometimes as it goes there goes a unspoken relationship between a father and son, but I always knew he loved me and did his best with what he had to work with. I got to know my mom more as a best friend as he was out working and when my mother passed away in 2001, I started to do my best to build a relationship with him like my mother. He and I found ourselves talking on the phone for an hour each time about my life and what he was doing. He loved animals, mostly cats and was a gentle man. I am thankful for the time I had to talk over the phone, take him for rides and go swimming in Preston Idaho. 

The decline of dad was a slow and silent killer. For many years he had a Tumor in his brain behind his eye, it grew to the size of a softball later told to us by the doctor. The Family decided to remove it and the future would be a guessing game of how his mind would be after his brain surgery. It was very hard to see him change, and decline to a point that he had to be placed into a Alzheimers facility. He had been in the Sunshine Terrace for 1 year as he rapidly decline and did not eat, and in this past couple weeks he had lost 20 lb. 

It was a blessing to spend time with my Sister and Brother the last 2 days of his life, sharing memories and being with "pops" in his final hours. I am grateful that he was a kind and gentle and loving father and that I had the chance to let him know he was loved and that he can go home and hug mom for me. 

He passed away around 12:04 Saturday July 11th. It was peaceful and reassuring that he is in a better place, safe from pain, safe from the elements that had placed him in. Yes, I will miss him greatly, and I know that some day I will see him and my mom again surrounded in love and family members.

I might post more memories as they come in on this blog. 

I want to thank all those that has been such an amazing blessing to him, from all the family members, friends, and the staff that made sure he was comfortable in his last few hours. 

I can imagine that he will be in heaven flying and soaring above the clouds, and fishing the streams of peace and tranquility until we meet again. 

Love ya' pops!

Life's a real Roller Coaster

Life.... for the past year... yes, it has been on doozy of a roller coaster. I am not even sure where to begin. I will go back to one year ago as best as I can.

Last February, we had the chance to baby sit Robby or Jr. as we call him. This was my first time of officially changing a diaper. I have to admit I did alright. This was a great experience for me and Linda to test the waters so to speak. I was actually very nervous about being alone with an fairly newborn, but with the help of Linda I was able to baby sit Robby and have little anxiety.

Linda had been looking for a new job after working for Winco in the produce section. I kept working hard in building up business and new clients. Some time later Linda got her current job at E-replacement parts.

Since last February, it really has been a blur for me. I have been working very hard in building my company. In fact one time this guy came to Entrepreneur Launch Pad and told me about some networking places to go visit. So for the past year I have been going to many networking groups and meeting new people. At first it was very intimidating, but the more you go the more you become part of family and friends. I started getting some work and recognition at these groups, which has been very rewarding. Currently I am still going to networking groups and have made a goal to attend as many as possible. Linda gave it her all in experimenting with bagels, realizing the hard efforts she has been on hold with this, but it was good to see her working on something she likes to do; bake and/or cook.

With roller coasters, there is ups and then there are downs. As in life there has many ups and many downs as well. I will start by going through all the ups I can remember for 2014. From our Anniversary at Market Grill plus improve to August were we enjoyed going to Preston Idaho and spending time in a motel the size of a matchbox. In August for a get away we headed to Logan to get some R&R and see family. We tried to get a motel, but they were all booked up for raspberry days. So we decided to call Preston hot pots (Riverdale Resort) and they were under new management and said they had new little cabins available. It turned out that for $50 bucks we could have the pool and the cabin. With out delay we headed up. The weather was amazing, I was a little under the weather from stress and ulcers (Hence the get-a-way).

We swam and got into our little, Very little cabin - It had room for a bed, table, and small fridge. No running water, or bathroom; in fact we had to shower in the public showers along with bathroom. When we arrived we had to have them put up curtains so we could change in private. After we swam we went into Richmond for dinner. We decided to go to a small restaurant in Richmond were my parents ate a lot and I remembered the big shrimp. Luckily they still had the big shrimp and it was amazing. When we came back to our small cabin they were showing a outdoor movie by the pool; Linda and I got to sit in the hot pots and watch Short Circuit. The next morning we put responsibility to the wind and drove up to Bear Lake. We had a good time swimming and enjoying the awesome drive and weather in very familiar surroundings. On our way back to Logan we stopped for Lunch and had the best Philly Steak sandwich, and then went to my sisters to pick up Bella, for the road home. It was a great time for us to get out of Salt Lake and relax.

Now for the down in the roller coaster.. My dad (Lynn Pilkington) was found with a benign tumor in his brain the size of a baseball, which later was actually the size of Softball. His brain surgery was a very long and rough battle but he lived. It was then looking at him in this state, that I was scared to loose him. We were left with many uncertainty's about his mental health after the surgery. As the days went and weeks went by, dad's mind went from interesting to worse and worse. He now lives at the Sunshine Terrace in the Alzheimer's unit. He has lost lots of weight and now in a wheel chair. I has been very hard on me and the family to see him go down hill. We try and get up to Logan and see him as much as possible.

It was a very challenging year, and there has been many ups and many downs. Finances have been the hardest to deal with. I even went to work part time where Linda works. My heart was just not in it, I did the best I could, but it was not enough. The tale end of the year it started to pick up again and I started to get some work again. Once I left that part time job, it was scary to think of were the next paycheck was going to come from. I have been working hard a new business model that will allow me to have some steady paychecks, I am hoping to get this up by the end of March or sooner; we are awaiting some news that could speed things up any day now.

Although it has been a very difficult year, we are thankful for amazing friends, ward members, and family. With out them and or knowledge of the gospel, it would have been impossible to make it through. With the ups and downs it is about enjoying and being thankful for the ride.

Life Changing!

(Must first wish my wife a Happy B-Day!!!)

My last post talked about the journey that led me to working for myself as a designer, however there is more I want to share that goes beyond just events and moments. It seems that each of us has so much more than we will ever know we are truly capable until in a moment it is as if the curtain is lifted and a much deeper understanding that worth is revealed. I don't want to come across as if I know all the answers to life or that I know it all, however if by sharing my newly discovered inner self and peace then maybe you can start your journey to unlock a door shut by pain and sorrow to a better tomorrow.

I am about to share some personal things that maybe are unknown to most, but it is important to share this to those willing to read. I have suffered from anxiety for many years, after the death of my mother I took on depression and major weight gain and much heartache of a alcoholic father trying to cope with the loss of his wife. Luckily I had a great friend and support that later become my dear sweet wife, and she has had to bare much of the sorrow, anxiety and anger right along with me.

Moving forward to just the past few months, I met very key and critical people that I have been blessed to know and meet. If I would of never left my jobs and decided to pursue my dreams I would have never met them. Most of my life I was bullied, put down and ignored by peers. From my parents that worried and "what if" my whole life - it seemed to me that all my best efforts were in vain. Going back to the core of it all are these certain mentors that changed my life in the course of only a few months. I will name only there first names; Ron, Jay, and Bobby J. - these man that only knew me for a moment in my daring escape from the grind of the corporate world - has shown me things that is really hard to explain in words. Ron is a mentor for the SCORE.ORG that helps small business and it is all free, He told me something that I will never forget and when he said it, I knew that it relates to the gospel and relates to us all - "Every Set back is a Set UP! I knew that everything that I deemed a failure was actually a success, that every trial that I faced was not in vain and had a grand design. I could now walk forward learning from my mistakes in a much more powerful way. Jay taught me many things, but it is the way he as a mentor believes in me and my vision, and adds input and lets me know that I am of great value to my clients. Bobby J. has amazing challenges that is similar to my challenges and has become a great business success story and shares my visions to help me know what I need to do to get to were I want to go, plus he just gets you fired up all the time about dreams and what can be.

I met these man while attending a networking meeting, called ELP and we get together each week to work on our business and not in our business. Linda has been to these meetings and you just cant help feeling like you can do anything - plus they give you the tools and resources to build our own success.
I was honored to receive an award from that group and was recognized for my accomplishments of my small growth in revenue. I realize that I did the effort and put forth the vigor, however they along with my wife were the wind beneath my wings (cliche I know)

"EVER SETBACK IS A SET UP!" - Think about it and you will see what I mean. So what if you lost a job, what ever your dealing with realize that it happened whether forced or not, but now is the time to see what the set up is to your greatness. Linda was miserable at her job, she came home in tears, most every day from people yelling at her over there problems, and already suffers from much scar and pain already - this job was not good for her well being. We prayed about it, and decided to let her make the decision to leave. I knew it was going to be tough and much more pressure on me to provide until she found something better, however it has opened a door for her to explore working with elderly people and using her own talents and her passions. I would say that even know she left her job, she found something better to make her happy.

The pursuit of happiness is in us all, we must dare to dream, dare to take flight and then do it. If we think about the what if's and the maybes we only clip our wings and never get to see the what could of been and the unlimited possibility's that lay before us. I also want to thank Doc Nielsen for helping me in therapy get over my anxiety's and my fears. He as blessed my life with a listening ear and understanding.

10pm today> I actually just got off the phone with Ron and he and Jay are going to be starting a new business and wanted me to be a Board-member (voluntary) for my insight and knowledge that will help them grow and in turn help my ideas and meet new clients, along with design work needed. Again every time I feel that things are going bad, just be patient and along comes the set up and then on to victory. Take faith, be believing in all things...

Truly Blessed! - "long story but a goody"

I hope that you found your way to this post through Facebook and that you might have thought, I wonder what the heck is going on with the Pilkington's....?  If not that is o.k. too.

Not even sure when the last time I wrote on this blog but wanted to touch base with you and of course myself as this poses as a makeshift journal. It has been a wild ride over the past 6 months or longer. Back in the day our lives were so much different. Feeling a sort of freedom from not taking care of Al after his passing gave us some time to re-learn how to be a couple again. We do very much miss "Pa" and his laughter and stories. Linda was working for Wells Fargo and I was struggling to find a job in my field and playing with a dream of owning my own shirt business. Reality was I had to go back to the phones and get yelled at each and every day by customers not happy with whatever service I was working for. Xerox hired me in January and I was there taking calls for Verizon Wireless and Linda in the mix moved from Wells Fargo to a weird project for Teleperformance with Cricket Wireless.

One day at work and just out of training and on the floor taking live calls, waiting to hear back from a job interview 2 weeks out for a great Graphic Design job that I landed 2 interviews for, I suddenly froze and a great since of reality hit me. THIS IS MY LIFE? Doomed to this life and tied to this phone and to companies that spit us out like used tissues... I spoke with my supervisor and was in tears and felt so scared for my future. This is not where I am suppose to be and being yelled at is not going to help matters from the customers. I left and took the day off to re-group and to re-focus myself - but did not quit. I came the next day, the next week even - but yet again I sat at my cubicle with fear and an overwhelming feeling that I should not be here...? My mind or spirit wanted me to go home and apply for another call center? In Orem? I sat and sat and wrestled with that...and then never clocking or looking back left Xerox. I got Hired at Vivint with the hopes of a better call center experience that would help me later find a job in my field, I just did not want mean customers and mean staff support.

Well - Vivint was like going from the fire to a much hotter fire. It was a lot worse then Xerox and in the process Linda left her job got hired as well plus we commuted each day to Orem from Salt Lake. Why was I given this inspiration to leave a job and then to find myself in a worse situation?? It was truly inspired because it was the last straw I would ever take working for the call centers. In a strange twist of events, Linda and I left Vivint with no jobs in hand and not a clue of our next move...

This puts us on a timeline of around the end of May and 1st of June. I decided that I would prove to myself of my self worth and my ability's in graphic designs. I decided to start my own business!!! With that said, I froze again and the fear overwhelmed me yet again.. what have I done? We need to pay bills and rent and and so much more.. What are we going to do. I decided to go forward and work as hard as I could with little business experience at at all. Linda would find a job again at a call center but would not start until July 24th at Century link. So it was down to the wire in all accounts.

Through the help of the Bishop, Selling our Jeep, and some inheritance money and some gracious help from Linda's Family we were able to maintain our self in this transition period.

Truly blessed... has been on my mind just over that past few days. In sure ah and amazement I find myself on a vista of the journey and what has transpired in just 6 or so months. I have met the right people at the right time. I have impressed the right people at the right time. My fruits of my labor is being shown in so many amazing ways. Through one single thought to change my status from a worker to a boss and to make my own dreams come true I have been blessed to meet great and amazing leaders, mentors, and humble millionaires that have more heart then I ever thought they had. My perspective has changed, and realize that in some cases they have become successful because they do have a good heart and want to help out others along the way. I found a networking group that is free and its whole purpose is to help start-ups and small business. Since I am a graphic designer most small business need design work and I have landed some small jobs and some large jobs and has made it possible to provide some paychecks along the way. I expressed my willingness to do some free work to those that wanted it and out of that I was met with Ron Baron who I actually knew when I was doing my shirt idea. I was asked to meet with him to be a mentor to me and to help out with one of his projects for a lady who owns a daycare and is a refuge and provides daycare for refuge mothers. He was so amazed by my work that he is one of my biggest clients and supporters.

Through a simple act of helping out I have now landed larger clients, and long lasting accounts that can provide for my family. There is so much I would love to share and the amazing people I get to work with and the over whelming creative force and talent I meet with. I also forgot to share with you that my first month on my own I met with a gentlemen and he became a client for motorcycle underwear and we were able to pay rent as he paid in advance for the work I was commissioned to do.

This past week I landed a great account that is helping people enjoy their music and be safe and my designs will be on the actual package for retail this winter!!! Then I am starting another side project /company that will be involved with K-12 schools with graphic tees and it is called Advocate tees that will help promote self esteem and education on ANTI-BULLYING; through the mentors and connections I have it is moving forward rapidly!!! Look for more information on this in 2014.  Again truly blessed and I owe it to the Lord, my wife and for listening to the holy ghost and taking a risk. Linda now works for CenturyLink downtown and we are working with a specialist in fertility to work on a family as well.

Thanks to all those that have supported us and look forward to seeing how all this unfolds. I am actually going to be on a board of directors for this networking group in Sandy and will have more opportunities to network. Have a great day and I am thankful for anyone that read this and was inspired to think outside of your box and take risk sometimes.

A long over due vacation

It has been a long and stressful stretch these past few months, actually a year or more to be exact. As far back as I can recall, this past summer with my jobs and graphic design search has come up empty. Going back to the phones has been a hard pill to swallow as well. In fact I have been bouncing from job to job just to keep us a float so to speak. I have trained for Humana, spent some time taking the political surveys for the election, and working for a Health group and even have tried my hand being my own boss selling and designing graphic tshirts. This New year of 2013 and looking back in the rear view mirror so to speak hoping that the new year would bring better things to come. Linda lost her job at Wells Fargo and put us in a emergency state with me not working... I did what all of us have done one time or another, going back again doing something that you despise for the better good; going back on the phones yet again. The company was better known as phone hell, they hire anybody breathing and have some computer skills. In the midst of training I got ill and nearly lost this job several times and with bronchitis again missing much needed hours was lucky enough to keep the job and move out of training and unto the production floor. In the meantime Linda started working for my old nemesis, phone job and has been taking calls for direct dealers for Cricket Wireless in a round about way...it is a bit complicated and leave it at that. Going to these jobs are stressful as we are treated more like a number rather then a person. In all this I still kept my head up high and felt that as I peruse interview after interview for graphic design that the number game of odds would pan out...my luck has run out. After a very devastating blow of not getting a graphic design job I thought I for sure nailed in my second interview of a panel of 10 designers, it finally hit me that maybe phone jobs will be the career path I must take from now on. I signed up for health insurance for this employer and assumed that in a month or so I would be covered as we need insurance desperately. To my frustration and anger the website I enrolled in was so lame that I came to find out that I will not have insurance and would not be able to have insurance  until late fall; out of this anger I decided that I need to just except the fact that I need to be on the phones for now until I revamp my portfolio and hit it hard in a few months and find a job that would give me the insurance we need sooner then this fall.

So... with my anger still in hand, I decided to apply for this company in Orem and so I did and the next day I was hired and realized that it is a commute and that Linda does not like her current job and so I got her an interview and she was hired the next day. This is now the current situation as we face the fact that our jobs are 45 minutes away and in another city, we are in the midst of the next steps of this and start training for a security system call center and insurance will kick in early summer.

I am hopeful I made and we mad the right choice in this endeavor  as of this moment we are now on vacation as it is long over due, we are in Bryce Utah at Bryce national park. Here is a shot from my cell phone and car window.

Long over due! Snow Dump!!

Well, most you that even read this will be please to know that there is another post. For those that don't, will never know anyways.  It has been a long time since I posted anything. I guess I left out Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years if memory serves me right. So to get you up to speed this is the low down. Turkey day was awesome and frustrating at the same time. We love spending time with our Logan family and the food was delicious as always. The frustrating part was Linda was very sick and tired. She ran that morning in a 5k Walk for a charity at Thanksgiving point. It was so cold too! I stayed warm in the car as Linda and Bella our dog made the 5k run/walk. Linda bless her heart was really sick and walked most of the time. Bella was just happy to be outside! Then at the end of the Month I took my shirt to my first ever EXPO!! I sold a whopping 4 shirts!! I want to personally thank Steve for his service and generosity in helping me on this project!! I have learned tons since then about the business in general. At the current moment, I am selling about 4 a week...for the past 3 weeks. So slowly and surely the name will get out there and maybe just maybe we will see it blossom.

December was a harsh month, we lost Alan from his element of his kidney's shutting down. It was a blessing for him to be reunited with his loved ones on the other side! With the loss of Al, we sojourned on into the holidays the best we could. We loved all the parties we attended and the presents we received.

Onto January and the bitter cold and the major snow dump that we are still deep in. Luckily the inversion and storms have cleared and the sun is shinning once again, along with the temps!! Nala our cat and Bella our dog have managed to see eye to eye and get along for the most part, but it is a funny thing to watch as the dog wants to play fetch with the unwilling cat.

I have started a new job at a call center for Xerox on the Verizon wireless project for customer service - and as I do this I am sending out resumes to graphic design jobs to get me off those phones as soon as possible. Linda is awaiting some info from her Wells Fargo job on the over all status, and is currently working on other assignments at this time.

Well, we hope to have a better 2013 and see some long time goals come to play. We want to get a house late summer and work on getting the adoption thing going when we know were we are going to land. We wish al those that read this have a great day and a prosperous year!

Update - Spring to September

Hello - this is your good old buddy Ryan here giving another update to the Pilkington crazy life. This blog was intended to give info out to relatives far and wide... friends and even those strangers that pass on the web. I am not sure if any one other than me and my wife read this but I hope that as Facebook goes and getting the word out that this has an update should bring you in for a moment. Some folks always ask how are things? What's new? Well go to the blog or Facebook and you will most generally get your facts right fromt he horses mouth - Me. Yes things change day to day and such, but I like to write the highlights of life and even the downside to it as well.  This has been a roller coaster of a year that I am going to summarize is just a few lines here and there. I want to thank all the support and love we do get and you know who you are.. and I want to put a shout out to the ones we rarely talk to any more and hope that you know we love you and wish the best for you.

Let me go back as far as I remember...

Well, we got a Beagle right before spring and into the spring she got hit by a car as she ran into the road and it was one of the worst things of my life to say - put her down..

We enjoyed spending time for Easter with Bob and Marie and family, a bit cold but worth it.

Movies were exciting - The Avengers, Batman, Battleship, Snow White & Huntsman, Brave and a few I cant remember, some at the movie house, and some at the Drive in! I would love it to have one big family drive in next summer.

Getting Bella our new Mutt that I know call M's for (m&m's) Mischief and Mayhem... She is a lot of work and a bundle of energy, much like a child... she has her sweet and snuggle side too.

Spending time at the dog park(s) - We like to go for a small ride we go across from liberty park at the nearest dog park, it has the wood chips so it is not as fun, but bella gets her work out sniffing butts anyways. The other park is really nice! and is gorgeous!! in fact it is the picture at the top.. I took this past summer. We go with our friend Geniel, she is a lady with some mental disabilities but blesses us each time!! Those are nice drives to get out of the house and get a soda pop and relax on the grass.. Bella seems to be more playful and runs and runs...

We have spent time with each of our family, to the nice times/dinners with the Hanna's, the nice diners at my sisters, taking Alan out to get haircuts and dinner. Spending time with Lynn or my dad AKA POPS. And to Baptism - we do enjoy those times dearly.

I had the chance to walk for my Bachelors Degree in SLC with Pops and family, and it was amazing to feel a since of accomplishment. I worked a few months for a print shop and have been fumbling finding that right line of employment. Linda has done well at Wells Fargo - and we are grateful for it!

I am still working on my shirt business and my hopes now is to have it running by March of 2013 and be on the road selling at points of purchase spots along the Wasatch next summer, Expos, fairs, and roadside areas. I am excited to share my artwork, passion with others and then be able to earn a living with it would and will be a dream.

The church callings have been good, Linda is now a advisor to the YW - she had the chance to go to Girls Camp for 4 days and rough it... behind Park City some where. I am still in Primary and work with a soon to be missionary - any day - and he and I are a hoot. I swear we are long lost brothers from other mothers.. I also do the Ward Newsletter and the Facebook page for it.. I am on my second edition and things are going great.

We lost a grandfather Mac Noyes and I had the opportunity to grow in so many ways that several weeks. His passing was one of sweetness and peacefulness I have ever experienced. I am grateful for that experience and know that my mother is only inches away from me in times of pain.

We are looking to the future with optimism and expect the road to be paved with many boulders as well. We plan on getting out of our Apartment and moving into a home by Next March and then focus on families and friends! Line upon Line...

The future of winter looms over our head, the coldness begins, and the trial of long winters presses upon many people that depend on warm days not cold days. That is why we have the best holidays are that time of year, to get our spirits up and feeling good in the long dreary winters.

I leave you now and hope all is well, Linda and I always are up to something and spending time with her each day is a true blessing in my life. I hope that she always remembers that!!! Peace out!

Life, changes, growth...

I have put a lot of effort over the past few years, some would say blood, sweat and tears; I have to agree  and not only that but my wife has shed them along side of me in the hopes of me being a graphic designer guru and landing some fancy dancy job and live on the hill of providence. But reality brings you back into a place of perspective - My website portfolio will be going offline in August and along with that will be my hopes of this dream. Instead I am going to be responsible and work to provide for my family in a field I guess I know but grew tired of. I start for a Customer service job right next door to Linda's work. Working for Humana answering questions about health coverage and so on. I start in August in a couple of weeks and then I plan on doing the best I can there! It provides all the things I can not get at a graphic design job - Benefits. I have had tons of interviews and chances and they have all failed for one reason or another. Along with this I am going to be working on my T-shirt Company called BOMBDIGITY and that will be my hobby using my graphic knowledge and my real passion and know how. The next phase of life is excepting these changes and growing from them and then on to trying to loose wieght, get a house a yard and a baby! This is the direction I want to go in. If my shirt company grows then I can get out of the phones and we can add in a pool to the house... dreaming again.. That is the latest from my mind... now onto the family..

UPDATE >>

Linda still works at Wells Fargo, she has been applying for internal promotions... and is now in the church working with the young women as their Personal Progress Advisor. I'm still in primary and doing my best to teach them but they teach me way more! My teaching partner is going a mission this fall and has been a pleasure to know him. We could be brothers or best friends from long ago as we get in trouble chatting in primary. I wish him the best in all he does.

Linda has been at girls camp and I decided to go to Logan with Bella and go swimming at Riverdale Resort in Preston - Me and pops had a good time and then spent the night at my sister in Logan. Her dogs and Bella got along pretty good however Bella got a bit agressive around her crate and toys. What a baby. (thanks to my sis for letting me stay the night.)

Nala is still a lazy cat and has been in the house more often and is starting to get used to the pooch. Well take care and I will leave you with some pictures for now...peace out - you can view my new bombdigity blog at http://bombdigitytees.blogspot.com/ and a temporary website at http://www.bombdigityteesnews.com/

*Anyone that becomes a follower of my blog at bombdigity in August will be sure to get a t-shirt in reserve - when they get produce I will contact you to get your size and what graphic you want, when the company launches officially. P

** This is Linda with me at drive in Theater as our favorite pass time on date nights. Sporting her new dew and getting ready to see a great flick... I have missed her as she has been at girls camp and thankful for all her love, support and keeping me on track.

Healing, life is moving forward positively.

So with the loss of Lady we have was actually just given this dog from KSL.Com and through Linda - the new dog is quite the little bundle of excitement. Were Lady was laid back, she is not... Bella or Bell or Ladybell it is.. she goes by the name of Mouth by me as she is always searching for food and such. She weights only 14 lbs and is considered a toy dog. She is by my guess a Italian GreyHound with some little hints of Beagle. She can be a handful and love to play and run..of course. We are glad to have another addition to our family. All though Nala our cat has been missing for the past few days and it worries us that she ran away...

I really can not say much but some things have come into my life that have been point blank a blessing from Heavenly Father. Though they are great blessings it does require much faith and much hard work.

Linda is still running, I am working at Corporate House Printing and working with a lot of cool clients and I am learning tons & using my creativity. Linda is such a great and special wife for putting up with my antics and the hard work she does for the house and at work for Wells Fargo.

We are trying to get a house.. but it is up to many facets for this to come into light, we are shooting down the barrel of learning all we can about a lot of major things and anxious for children... nothing now, but we or at least I can sense that some things are going to be happening in the next few years..

I will be getting my Graduation Bachelors degree paper and walk on stage JUNE 22nd at Kingsbury Hall at 5:30pm and looking forward for that day. I worked really hard and I will be walking!!! and celebrating!!!

FOR Directions to Kingsbury Hall and to open the invite to any one wanting to celebrate with me is:
http://kingsburyhall.utah.edu/

Have a great day, until the next post - Goodbye.

Goodbye Lady...we will miss you..

It is with sadness that I write this post however it is part of the healing process of losing a good friend. Lady our Beagle was struck by a car last week after running out of our apartment when a neighbor came to the door. Of course there is regret and remorse that we could of done a better job or more we could of done to prevent this - however it is what it is - a tragedy. Making the decision to put her down was a lot harder then I ever would imagine. Lady was treated like our child and we tried to wrestle with saving her but the medical cost for one night was insane! She broke her hip and needed surgery or to have one of us stay at home and make sure she goes the bathroom and did not move... these were not options we could explore - the best thing we could of done was put her out of her misery quietly. We will miss her rub the belly sessions, her sad face, her begging, her loud howl, her welcoming committee and all the park, walks and times we spent together in just 2 months time... we know that your in a better place and we are the lucky ones to have gotten to know a sweet animal as yourself - to you Lady (foghorn) we are grateful for our journey together while it lasted.

Easter to Mothers Day - Recap

Linda and I have always wanted kids, it seems thus far this is a tricky matter; I am not going to get into it or the issues we are facing but more about family and how grateful we are to the meaning of family's and spanning from Easter weekend until today - Mothers day the great blessings we have enjoyed.

Making good on a promise the Medrano Family and my Sister and my Dad "Pops" made the voyage down South to Salt Lake on a brisk gorgeous day for our Easter Picnic next to the our church. I picked up Alan or "Pa" and Geniel our friend from Sun River Apts. It was a great day and along with our neighbors Andy and his family it was a great success. I  want to thank all those that did their part in making is a success. That day was great and the fact that the next day I was going to work full time again in the industry - I made my goals of getting that job. Thus far it has been a huge learning experience and the owners are from South Africa and speak with the English derivative South African tongue. I have learned a lot about their culture as well.

We got a dog earlier this year and Lady has been a challenge and a blessing and a pretty good dog for being a rescue dog. She has grown into us and we have grown into her. She loves rides in the car on Saturdays, she loves dog parks and Liberty Park. I feel that the dog park is something new to her to the one we go to on 7th east - there is tons of dogs and she did not know what to do the first time I took her there. Now she is going exploring at least and sniffing butts galore..lol. She is getting used to Nala our cat and Nala is getting used to Lady (Lady Fog Horn)

Our routine is pretty much set in place now.. get up and I head out at 8am, Linda takes Lady for a RUN as Linda has taken on the hobby of sorts of a runner - then goes to work at 10am. We leave Lady out of her crate now and Nala has the option of going as she pleases from the office. I get home at 5:30 and then take Lady for a walk for about 20 minutes and then sit down for a bit and then make dinner. Linda then arrives around 8:30ish and we eat and watch some tube and then do our family time and then go to bed and do it all over again. Wednesday's she helps with Mutual for the Girls and on Sundays I prepare a lesson for the 8-9 year olds primary. From Emily, Thomas, Michelle, Isiah, Kamia, and Lucas it has been a great blessing to learn from them. I get help some times from a Soon to Be a Missionary "Parker" and we have a blast - he could be my brother from another life I swear - I have learned tons from him as well. The ward is great and we are losing some this spring and summer and they will be missed as they have all found homes.

Speaking of homes, we are in pursuit of the very same thing... credit scores and money.. but it could be within this year if we work real hard. Also the baby thing is possible but will require timing and MONEY and a miracle. Well I was a miracle baby so it only feels right that I Linda and I would be in the same shoes...

In conclusion we had the most gorgeous day yesterday at Liberty Park and the wading pool. We ate KFC and walked around with Lady and Geniel and waded in the wading pool... the day was outstanding and the opportunity to get out of the office and enjoy the fresh air was a blessing and inspiring. Today is mothers day and I would only have to say that I know that mom is in a good place and some day I will have the chance to go visit her again and catch up on all the events of life. I miss ya' and love you Rose Maree and not a day goes by that your not felt or loved or missed.

(To our mom's: Barbara, Sally Hanna, Rose Maree - with great love and respect HAPPY MOTHERS DAY !! From Linda and Ryan)

Below are some images from Easter with Kyle Medrano and then of the Wading pool in Liberty park.

1st day of Spring...really?

As I looked out my window, walked the dog in a coat freezing to death I remember the words I heard from my dear wife - Hey it's the first day of Spring! Well I guess - but I am no rocket scientist but today did not feel like spring at all! Even when the sun came out to play... still cold. I am hoping that those warm rays and awesome flowers do there job soon.

Well, we went and got a dog... yep, a dog. Went last week paid 100 bucks and got a Beagle Hound with hints of who knows.. mostly beagle and her nam

e is Lady. She has been fun and getting used to a dog again is crazy. I am mostly a cat person and my last dog died when I was 18 or so. So it has been an adjustment. My last post talked about the wind of change and march Winds. Well this month I left my job, started full time looking for a better one (career) Linda has cut here hair short, goes running in the morning for a marathon, Alan is now in a rest home, and we get a dog. What a month it has been. Now I am moving our stuff back into the once office and so the house is changing, and we are back to being a couple and no senior... and the looming hopes of a ne

w job soon. Spring - new things and great things sometimes come from this new warmth of the season. It just proves that things always evolve and change and

we adapt, but I am not going to say we came from apes - I will never say that.

In conclusion - dont let stress get to you, take walks more, and try to laugh at your self as much as possible and never put yourself down either. Below is a picture of Lady the first day we got her home taken on my new iPAD... not iPad 3... but still cool;

the quality is not so good.

March Winds & the Winds of Change

It has been 8 years March 30th that Linda and I said our "I DO'S" - It has been an amazing journey and though at times we get lost along the way or we drift from the daily pressures - we also accomplish great things and gain a closer relationship. Yeah I am not going to lie that it has been a bed of roses but we promised through the good times and the bad not just the good.

I decided to leave a job to pursue my career in the field I just graduated in with a Bachelor's degree - Graphic Design. I made a promised to get this type of job by the end of March. My stomach has been upset and I had to make a hard decision that would impact so many people. In fact I have been very upset and very vocal person and just mean... I realized it is so many things that was pulling me that way and this... like the wind it tends to push us, I felt like I was not headed on the right compass or the right path and every day it has been a burden. Along with taking care of a person that is losing his memory - it gets tiresome and no rest... we are hoping to get him into a center soon.

The winds of change are brewing and going forward and pressing hard I will get my start on my career path. Going back to Linda and I, we are strong as the redwoods and as the winds blow and the rain tempest goes... we shall over come all the storms that press upon us. With the Lords help and with loved ones that care - there is not reason not to. (update to come) and Babe ~ Happy Anniversary!!

2 things....or more to address today.

I have been extremely sleepy... mostly because of winter months cause my morning sinuses to be extremely clogged and it makes wearing my sleep apnea cpap mask impossible.. Wearing the mask is a bother any ways. #1 I sleep on my stomach, #2 The hose is a pain, #3 and sinuses make it a pain. The ultimate reason is 4/5 cpap customer struggle wear their mask a whole night with out taking them off. I feel that it is do to my over bite. I have started a new job with new hours and I am still getting acclimated to the schedule and I get home late and get to sleep around 2pm after I settle down and after talking to my wife... Being a sleep apnea patient, it is hard to express the mood swings we can go on. It is like surviving on 1/2 night sleep. I am a horrible husband and only wish she would would understand it is my lack of sleep and new hours of work... my nerves are shot and pushing me will not work... or being un patient. My outburst are not to be forgiven and I am only hoping that that those that have spouses with sleep apnea to be patient and not to take some outburst as a threat...it is like when you have not slept for a while and then try to work through a day.... it just gets hazy... the next thing that has been bugging me lately is that fact that I left on a journey to improve my stars, my status quo and this past week I returned to the very place I set out to never be in again... on the phones... I am creative and a designer and I burnt our my brain cells on phone jobs... it seems like a mental block comes over me... I am struggling at my training and hoping that I can pass all the test. I have gone on long enough with out working and I just want to matter.

....Lastly to take off the edge we went to Rhode Island Diner, it is a nice drive through Park City and on the back roads to Heber to come along a old fashioned Diner Car Diner!!! The food is awesome too! Service a bit quirky but just for the trip and drive it is worth it. Prices are around 6-12 dollars and the Reuben is to die for... I am not a big RYE bread fan... Make your own burgers and the shakes... YUMS the word. Take the ride into Oakley then keep going and you can turn left into Heber or go back on the main road into the Junction to Park City or Cheyenne... On good days we go to Heber then through Provo Canyon, to Orem then back to SLC. It makes for a nice drive. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DINER GO TO THIS WEBSITE;http://www.roadislanddiner.com/index.html ENJOY!