Ryan and Larissa

Davis Larry Chase

2011-08-06T14:36:00.000-07:00

Don't think there is a happier family on earth!

Generations

2011-08-06T14:26:00.001-07:00

We are so happy to have generations of righteous family members who have brought us up in the gospel. Family is so important and because of the examples and love of our family, we grow up and learn in righteous and safe homes.

We were so happy to have Larissa's mom here for the couple of weeks that she got to visit. She had many reasons to be home during this time, and we were so lucky that it just so happened to be when Davis was born! What a blessing.

Four generations

Four generations

Davis' First Few Days at Home

2011-08-06T14:19:00.000-07:00

Needed to catch up on some shut eye from missing that first night of sleep! I love holding him. He's the best.

He fits so perfect in his mom's arms!

Cousin Naomi's first time holding him. I love this picture. She was SO happy to hold him. When we'd tell her to smile, she'd give a big forced one, but when she was just holding him, this is the face she'd do.

This is one of my favorites! Just hanging out.

Landon Leaves for Argentina/Uruguay

2011-08-06T14:14:00.001-07:00

Landon (Larissa's little brother and our best bud!) was called to serve in the Uruguay Montevideo West mission. Because he has already been able to learn some Spanish while living in Chile with is parents for the past two years, they shipped him straight down to the Argentina MTC where he will only stay for three weeks instead of two months. When they sent his name tag in the mail the first time, it came in Portuguese! I was so proud! I told him that they must be changing his call to Brazil. But, I was wrong. :( they just messed up. Too bad. Can you tell which name tag has been used more? :) His Spanish one came in the mail shortly after.

At the airport.

Just before going through security. We are going to miss you Elder Laycock!

Davis Larry Chase - July 14th

2011-08-06T13:56:00.000-07:00

My one request...to go to the hospital during the daytime and deliver before we go to bed. Well, we left the house at 1:00 am on Thursday morning (July 14th) and sped up from Alpine to LDS Hospital in Salt Lake. Hey, at least there wasn't traffic! She's pretty cute, isn't she? :)

Here he is! Davis Larry Chase. Born at 1:59 pm at 7 lbs & 0.5 ounce and 21 inches long. What a handsome little newborn!

My first time holding him after he got all bundled and warm. There aren't many other moments in this life that compare to this.

Right after his first bath. All clean!
He's our precious little guy!
A little blurb on his name. Davis is my middle name and my mom's maiden name. I was really close with my grandpa Davis before he passed away, and still feel close to him now. We have had many experiences that have solidified Davis as his first name which will always remind him of the great family that he comes from. Larry is Larissa's dad's first name. He is currently serving as a mission president in the Chile Santiago East mission. He and brother Cory are the only two out of all of our immediate family that were not able to be around when Davis was born. We gave him the middle name of Larry so that Davis will always remember why his grandpa Laycock was not there, how important the Lord's work is, and also to ALWAYS put the Lord first.

President Laycock also took a picture of Davis to teach a family about the Gospel and the plan of Salvation and the opportunity to be "born again" on the same day that Davis was born. The father of the family decided to accept the Gospel and be baptized and they now keep a picture of Davis in their home to remind them of their commitment.

Larissa's Pregnancy with Davis

2011-08-06T13:22:00.000-07:00

February 19

March 5th

April 2nd

May 2nd

June 29th

July 12th

July 14th - Davis' Birthday!

YAY!

Stadium of Fire! - July

2011-08-06T13:07:00.000-07:00

Larissa and I had been wanting to go to the Stadium of Fire, and it wasn't looking like we were going to be able to. On the day of, my dad called and offered us tickets! We were so happy, we loved it, even though Larissa was 9 months pregnant!

During the opening of the night, some parachuters came flying into the stadium. The last guy (decked out in flag attire) came down a little too quickly and took out some fences and a camera man! It was pretty crazy. I got a couple of pictures of that.

It was a great night. Thanks dad!

Lynsie and Tevita's Wedding - June

2011-08-06T13:03:00.000-07:00

Little sister Lynsie got married to our wonderful new brother, Tevita in the Salt Lake Temple. For those of you who don't know the story, well, it's too long. But, one of the highlights is that Adam (older brother) found and baptized Tevita while he was serving in a remote island called Rotuma which is roughly 400 miles north of the main island of Fiji. We love Tevita and are so happy to have him as part of our family! BULA!

Spring Flowers - Early May

2011-08-06T12:55:00.001-07:00

As a Mother's Day present to Mom Laycock, we went around the yard and took pictures of their blooming flowers & trees and made a slide show video of it. We love the spring!

Shoulder Surgery - April

2011-08-06T12:19:00.000-07:00

I had shoulder surgery which was the result of a minor injury of throwing a football on the beach with my brother Cory a few years back. This was a couple of days later. Because I complained about being nauseous after previous surgeries, they decided to do a nerve block in my neck. WORST DECISION EVER! I do not recommend them. Awefulness.

The last year...

2011-04-15T15:40:00.003-07:00

IT SURE HAS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE WE POSTED ANYTHING. HERE IS A LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE BEEN UP TO FOR THE LAST YEAR...

September 2010 - Ryan took me to one of my favorite places...Park City. We walked Main Street and looked in all of the fun shops. I have always loved Park City. My favorite shop to go to is the Christmas shop.

October 2010 - Ryan planned a great trip to San Francisco. We stayed near Fisherman's Wharf and could walk all over the city. It was perfect!

Fisherman's Wharf our first night in town

The beautiful Temple

Lombard Street

We even got to see Lacey play two volleyball games. She is amazing. We are so glad we got to see her play and we even snuck over to her hotel to hang out with her in her down time!

It was so fun.

October 2010 - Adam and Jess threw a Murder Mystery party and gave us all characters. It was set in the south and was a Mardi Gras themed party. Ryan's character was the deceased person's lawyer while I was the Gothic vampire author. It was a hoot. One of the girls had a perfect French accent, and one of the guys there had a perfect swamp idiot accent. We laughed and laughed for days about that party.

After the party, I had to try on Jess' wig. Naomi thought it was extra hilarious

when Ryan tried it on though.

October 2010 - We had a bunch of friends come over for a Halloween party. It was fun to have friends come and dress up so great. We ended up being the only couple who didn't dress as a couple. Oops.

October 31, 2010 - Trick-or-Treaters...These were some of the boys we taught in Primary last year. They also helped us do a spook ally in the back yard. It was fun, and Ryan actually passed a kidney stone that morning. Phfew. Good thing it came out before the fun started!

OCTOBER WAS ALSO A SPECIAL MONTH BECAUSE WE FOUND OUT THAT WE WERE EXPECTING OUR FIRST LITTLE BABY. WE COULDN'T BE HAPPIER!

November 2010 - Cory came to Utah with the Seasiders to play against BYU. Cory started and played awesome. After the game all the kids at the game were down asking for his autograph. It was so cool to see him play at the Marriott Center. Way to be man!

December 2010 - Ryan was asked to "be in the Ward Christmas Play". I for sure thought he would say no, but he was actually really excited to join. When we got to the first rehearsal they informed Ryan that he was the lead, he had a solo song, and that he would be the King! He was fabulous! It was a beautiful play and we couldn't stop singing, "Bring me something new for Christmas" for about 2 months after it was over. Merry Christmas!

December 2010 - Our great friends Marion and Justin Bramwell got married in the San Diego Temple. We were so lucky...once again, Ryan planned a fabulous trip and we got to go be there for their wedding. They look so happy! They are our great friends. Justin served his mission in Brazil with Ryan and they were companions. Justin has been so good to Ryan.

We love these guys!

December 2010 - One of my very favorite things to do at Christmas time is to go to Temple Square in Salt Lake and walk through the grounds to see all of the beautiful lights. It makes me miss my parents and Landon OH SO MUCH! While I grew up, we had a tradition to go to Temple Square every December 21st to see the lights and take a carriage ride while we sang Christmas Carols. Oh how I miss them. I am glad we still got to go to see the lights,

we had a blast with the whole Chase Clan.

December 2010 - On Christmas Eve, we did a Christmas Nativity play with the Chase Fam. It was fun because Naomi wanted to be all of the animals in the stable. She did a great job too.

January 2011 - We got to babysit Naomi and McKay while Jess and Adam went to Fiji to visit his mission. We had a blast at Grum and Gump's house feeding Gump's horses. McKay LOVED it.

Ryan also thought it would be fun to go to Chuck-E-Cheese...We are trying to bribe our way to favorite aunt and uncle! Shhh. Don't tell anyone.

February 2011 (4 months along) - We took our first family of 3 shots today. My aunt Kim did the pictures. She is amazing. These are our last family shots before Baby comes in July. They are also our first family shots of all 3 of us. We can't wait to meet the little guy.

March 2011 - We get to see Naomi and Mckay, our niece and nephew often. Naomi likes Uncle Ry Ry because she can get him to do just about anything. Here they are doing "Bibbity-Bobbity Botique" He is going to be such a great Dad.

Still March 2011 - We drove up the canyon to see the gorgeous snow and beauty all around. Ok we really went up so we could roast marshmallows and make s'mores, but somehow we forgot that it is still March...Still WINTER!

Ryan and I got called to be in the YW and YM at church. Ryan was invited on the YW retreat to be one of the priesthood holders on-site at the Jardine cabin. It was such a beautiful place and beautiful cabin. We had a blast! I think this is all of the girls who were there. They are great girls.

March 2011 - We took a last minute trip out to Massachusetts to watch Cory play basketball for the NCAA Division II Championship! We had so much fun watching him play! He is our hero. The Seasiders ended in 2nd place in the whole NCAA Division II. Way to go CORY!!

April 2011(almost 7 months along) - Our latest adventure was a trip to Hawaii, our old and first home together. We could not believe the smells and sounds and feel of going back to our first home. We miss it so much!

Our Temple...the newly renovated Laie, HI temple. WOW!

We got to spend time with Lacey, Cory and Logan while we were there. It was heavenly.

We even got to see Lacey graduate from Brigham Young University Hawaii!

We are so proud of her! Way to go SIS!!

Baby had a great first Hawaiian Vacation as well.

Camping at Fish Lake with the Cowboys

2010-08-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

The people: Ryan, Larissa, Kaden, Kenyon, Grum, Gump and Lance.

The view...

The Cowboys...

The Joy... and the COLD!

The Residence.

The best camping trip all summer!

Gump, Lance and Grum took us camping this last week at Fish Lake. We had such a blast. It was so fun to learn from the BEST and to have a good time, fishing, roasting, talking story, cooking, eating, laughing and camping together. We have some of the greatest family there ever was!

What a precious blessing.

Time to Blog Again...

2010-08-16T12:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I have definitely SLACKED on my blogging responsibilities.

I think it is high time I get in gear again....

And here is a perfect reason to start back to it.

Ryan took me to the Johnson Mill, a beautiful Bed and Breakfast in Heber last week.

Ryan is the most romantic husband ever! This is the exact same room we stayed in on our Honeymoon.

He surprised me with the whole thing. We stayed over night, ate a wonderful dinner at a steakhouse, and then woke up in the morning for crepes and a beautiful drive through the canyon!

What a sweetie!

Thanks Love!

Earthquakes and Miracles

2010-03-08T20:45:00.000-08:00

Many of you have seen or heard of the letter that my mom wrote to our family about the earthquake in Chile. It was published in Meridian Magazine and was in the Church News. Here is a copy in case you didn't get to read it. I love my family, and I am so glad that they follow the promptings of the Spirit.

She wrote this email to us the day after the earthquake hit Concepcion.

Dear Everyone,

I am writing to let you all know how very grateful we are for your prayers, concern, and love. Please keep praying! We need the Lord's help and guidance in order to do all He would have us do to learn what He would have us learn from this earth quake tragedy, and to minister in the way He would have us minister. During the past few days, we have witnessed many events which serve to remind us that the Lord is in charge and that as missionaries and members of His church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are performing His work, and as President Monson teaches, "When we are on the Lord's errand, we are entitled to His help." I want to share with you a few miracles that will help you to understand our profound feelings of gratitude.

When we were set apart for this calling, Elder Scott of the counsel of the twelve apostles taught us many important lessons. He spoke from personal experience when he was a Mission President in Argentina. One message that he shared with us is this: "At times, during your mission, you will be awakened in the middle of the night or the early morning hours with thoughts of specific things you should do for certain missionaries. Do not ignore these thoughts. They are promptings from the Holy Ghost who will communicate with you in the stillness of the night or the peace of the early morning hours. He will speak to you then because that is when you are still enough to hear." Elder Scott further instructed us to keep a notebook beside our bed so that we could record these precious promptings. He said that by the next morning, we would be likely to forget the promptings if we didn't write them down.

We have been astonished at the fulfillment of Elder Scott's prophetic words. We have received many promptings in the exact manner that Elder Scott described. We are so thankful that Elder Scott taught us how to recognize and act upon these precious promptings. Had he not taught us, we may not have given these promptings the attention they require.

Nearly two and one half weeks ago, I was awakened at around 4:00 AM by just such a prompting. I did not hear a voice, but the thought was as clear as if it had been in the form of spoken words: "There is going to be an earthquake. Prepare your missionaries." I sat up in bed and immediately remembered Elder Scott's counsel. That morning I told Larry what had happened. He immediately set to work organizing our missionaries to prepare for an earthquake.

In talking with our office missionaries to arrange for them to put together a list of everything we would need to prepare...in both Spanish and English...we discovered that the Lord had also let two of our office missionaries know of the possibility of an earthquake (in the form of dreams) and the need to prepare our mission. We set a goal and arranged our schedule so that we could visit every apartment in the mission to check for safety and to review with our missionaries what to do in case of an earth quake. What a wonderful experience we have had as we have met with them and shared scriptures with them about being spiritually and physically prepared. "...if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear" (D&C 38:30). We instructed every missionary to have a "go-bag" (36 hour kit). We reviewed our emergency action plan with them of where to go and what to do if they had phone service and in case they did not. We gave everyone a paper with all instructions in English and Spanish, and we reminded them that "this life is the time to prepare to meet God" (Alma 34:32-34). We shared with them our thoughts and feelings about the need for spiritual and physical safety. Some of them became frightened and asked us if we knew something they didn't know. We smiled and repeated "...if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear." We didn't want to unduly alarm them, but we did want to impress upon them the need to be prepared. We tearfully reminded them of our recent transfer conference where we had shared our feelings about our dear Elder McKay Burrows who was unexpectedly called home in January while serving his mission in Romania...how he was prepared in every way to meet God. We reissued our challenge to "be prepared" in every way. Then we knelt with them in their apartment and dedicated each apartment, asking for a blessing of safety and security to be upon every apartment.

When the earthquake came, we were prepared. We did not experience the panic that many felt. We knew we were prepared. Because of the words of the Lord's chosen Apostle, Elder Scott, we had listened and heeded the quiet, but clear promptings of the Holy Ghost. We were blessed with peace in the midst of chaos. We learned an important lesson: our preparation helped us to avoid panic and fear, but the Lord, in His wisdom, allowed us to experience enough discomfort to know that He has all power. He is in charge. We are nothing without Him. We are dependent upon Him for every breath we take. Only He can save us from death and destruction. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is our perfect example. If we follow Him, we will be saved through obedience to the laws and ordinances of His Gospel.

As the earthquake became more violent, the mission home groaned and wailed. The power died, so the whole city was black. The windows made a hideous screeching sound, and flying objects banged against swaying walls. The printer/fax machine, books, book ends, and fifty-pound television burst from the entertainment center and crashed to the floor, cabinets emptied, drawers flew open, the refrigerator moved, water sloshed out of the toilets, the floor jolted up and down as we ran across it trying to hold onto the walls to keep from falling down, and the piano toppled over like a small toy. As we made our way to the back yard, I remember thinking, "God is all-powerful. He is our only refuge from this horrible mess." I prayed and prayed for Him to still the earth. When we reached the back yard, we watched in terror. By the light of the moon we could see the swimming pool water form giant waves and crash out onto the rocks. House and car alarms screamed into the night...some from being crushed by falling debris and others I guess from the bizarre movement of the earth. I am not sure if the intense rumbling sounds came from the earth itself or from everything else that was shaking so violently. Finally, it stopped. When the calm came, we had to sit down because our legs were weak and unstable. My legs stayed wobbly all day and night yesterday. Today the muscles in my legs hurt like I ran a marathon. The aftershocks have been extremely unsettling. Each one begins like the one last night started. We just close our eyes and wait to see if it escalates or dies down. I have never experienced anything like this!

We were awakened this morning by a very strong after shock. Larry jumped out of bed and yelled, "Welcome to another glorious day in Chile!" We just had to laugh. We moved a mattress into the floor in our bedroom and made Landon sleep in our room. He was in his room with the door locked the night before and we couldn't wake him up. He never locks his door, but he was playing a joke on Larry because every morning Larry wakes him at 5:30 AM for seminary by tickling him unmercifully. So Landon had decided to stop him. When we couldn't open his door, in the middle of the quake, we thought he was trapped, so we screamed and banged. Landon thought that everything was falling off the walls because we were banging so hard on the door. I think we scared him more than the earthquake did!

Today, we attended a strong ward where Larry was invited to speak. The entire chapel and beyond was filled. People were so humble and so teachable. Larry taught the importance of doing the small things. He taught about Jesus Christ and the opportunty we have to love one another and to share what we have with others. It was a great blessing for us to be with these beautiful Chilean people. Some have lost their homes...or at least parts of their homes. But they are strong and they want to serve the Lord. (By the way, Wilcox's the Hermana that used to work in the mission home called us and asked us to let you know that she is safe. We thought it was so sweet that she wanted you to know that she is safe. She loves you.) He taught of the scripture in Luke 21:11,13 which says, "and great earthquakes shall be in divers places...and it shall turn to you for a testimony." He also welcomed the sweet young woman who was in the congregation with the missionaries...her first time attending church...and then he invited her to be baptized from the pulpit. He asked her to please invite us to her baptism, and she said, "I will." The Lord always knows what His people need. Landon was reading in Alma 15:17 today. He said, Mom listen to this. This is what is happening here in Chile just like in happened in Ammonihah. The people were humbled and "checked as to the pride of their hearts and began to humble themselves before God, watching and praying continually that they might be delivered from Satan, and from death, and from destruction."

Our hearts are filled to the brim with gratitude for all of the blessings we have received in the Chile Santiago East Mission. We see miracles every day. In the midst of great pain and suffering, we can always find our Savior. He stands with His arms open, pleading for all of us to humble ourselves and come unto Him. He loves us. He invites us to accept His gift...the atonement. He invites us to repent. He wants us to love one another and to serve one another. He wants us to bring our families and those we love to Him. We can do it. We can do all that He asks, no matter how difficult it may seem. "With God all things are possible"

OK, sorry this is so long. I will end now. We are having a devotional tomorrow for all of our missionaries to talk about the last week of Christ's life in preparation for Easter. We want to remind our missionaries to teach and preach with increased vigor and animo of Christ. Last Monday in our office meeting, Larry suddenly stopped in the middle, and said, "During the prayer, I had a very strong impression that March 2010 is going to be our best baptizing month we have ever had in this mission." Now we know why he received that feeling. We are going to prepare to bring many souls to the waters of baptism in March. Please continue to pray for us and for the people of Chile. Please pray for the missionaries to have strength and courage to do all that is being required of them, even in difficult times.

We are so thankful that the tsunami did not turn out badly in Hawaii. Who would ever think that an earthquake in Chile could threaten the shores of Hawaii? Thankfully, the Lord is in charge. He is the one to whom we must turn for refuge from every storm. He has the power to save us.

Con mucho amor,
Lisa, Larry, and Landon

Earthquake in Chile...Tsunami in Hawaii

2010-02-27T18:53:00.000-08:00

Today has been quite the day.

I woke up at 2:00am to a phone call from my parents in Santiago, Chile, where they are presiding over the Santiago East Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. They explained that there had been an earthquake and that they may not be able to talk to us throughout the day or anything, but that they were ok and that they were trying to get a hold of all of the missionaries in their mission. They told me that they would try to call me later, but that they did not know if they would have internet. I sure was glad to hear that they were safe and sound. Later in the day we found out that all of their missionaries were safe and accounted for. My parents had just barely initiated an Earthquake Preparedness Plan for their entire mission, by prompting of the Holy Ghost.

Later in the morning, we learned that Hawaii, where my brother, sister and brother in law are attending BYU Hawaii, was under a tsunami alert! We spent the day calling them and trying to get through to their phones, explaining what would happen, what we were seeing on the news, and asking if they had enough food and water. It was kind of scary, but everything turned out well. When the tsunami alert was lifted, we were so relieved!

Many of our friends and family called us today to check on us and see how everyone was doing. We appreciate all of the concern, help, love and prayers offered for our family throughout today! You are all so wonderful.

It was a crazy thought that I could have lost my whole family in one day! I am so grateful for the Gospel and for the protection we have and the angels that watched over my family today!

Please pray for the people in Chile, there was much destruction and many people need help still. While I am grateful that my family is safe, I am deeply saddened for those who lost friends and family in this disaster. My prayers are with all the people affected by this incident.

We love you all and we know that with God, all things are possible.

Times and Seasons

2010-01-07T11:09:00.001-08:00

Much has changed and life is so different. Ryan and I both graduated from Brigham Young University Hawaii on December 18th, 2009. We moved back to Utah and Ryan accepted a job offer from Goldman Sachs located in Salt Lake City. It was exciting to come home to a white Christmas and have fun with family and friends. We have missed it in Utah.
Landon came to Utah to visit for his "Summer Break" in Chile, and gets to stay until February. We are so happy to have him here with us and hang out with him.
Life is Good!

Laie

2009-11-07T13:45:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of pictures I took the other night. We are starting to realize how close graduation in December is getting. We are sure going to miss it here. It is so beautiful here everyday, no matter what the weather is. We are so sad that we won't be able to see the temple reopened again before we leave, we have a lot of good memories with this precious temple.

This is out in front of BYU-Hawaii.

Fall Ball

2009-11-07T13:32:00.000-08:00

I decided to take Larissa to the Fall Ball here at BYU-Hawaii. It was our last dance as college students. The food was great, and it was so fun spending the night with my love!

We rounded up everyone in our ward that we could find at the Fall Ball for a picture. We were so happy to see so many married couples out on a fun date. One single guy saw me there and said, "Hey, I didn't expect to see you here." I said, "Why, cause I'm married?" He said, "Yeah." So I told him, "Let this be a lesson for you, you still need to take your wife on nice dates after you're married too!" I hope he remembers that advice, I can't imagine not taking my wife out every chance I get!

1930's Murder Mystery

2009-11-07T13:02:00.000-08:00

Cory and Lacey threw a murder mystery party set in the 1030's. We were all assigned characters to dress up as, and we were to be those characters throughout the night.

Larissa was Lolita, a "lady of the night" and I was Amos, a hobo.

Cory was Johnny Fabulous (no explanation needed) and Lacey was the South American Chambermaid, Maria LaWenta.

Logan was Seymore Bucks, the accountant. His date, Kristen, played Amber Bookly, the Personal Secretary to the man who was murdered.

Lots and lots of fun.

Here's the whole cast. The flamboyant son of the deceased, our friend Christian, (in the pink shirt in the front) ended up being the real murderer!

I just had to put this picture in, she's so darn cute!

The Haunted Lagoon

2009-11-07T12:44:00.001-08:00

The Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) put on a haunted house. It is very different than other haunted houses as you are placed in a confined canoe and pushed through the lagoon. It was surprisingly good! We really enjoyed it.

We were smart to go and get in line before it even opened this night, we ONLY waited in line for just over an hour, which is almost nothing compared to most others who end up waiting for 3 to 4 hours! It was a fun night.

Fun at the Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-26T15:54:00.001-07:00

Saturday we all went to pick out some pumpkins for Halloween and a famous Laycock pumpkin dinner.

Oh, precious. I want one.

Here's the three winners that came home with us that day.

And here's the beautiful winner that I took home that day! I sure love my wonderful wife, Larissa. She is so perfect for me and so fun to be with.

Lacey's Volleyball Game VS. UH

2009-10-26T15:48:00.000-07:00

Friday night Lacey was able to play in front of thousands of people at the University of Hawaii arena. It was awesome to see her do so well in front of so many people and against a very good UH team. I guess UH is currently ranked in the top 5 in the nation right now.

When UH was 24 and about to win, Coach Navalta had one more sub left. So he put Lcey in to serve and made a comment about it to the other coaches saying, "If we're going to lose, I want to do it with a bang!" In other words, Lacey's serves are awesome and it made us look good even though UH ended up with the final point! Nice job, Lacey!

Sunday Afternoon Drive

2009-10-26T15:29:00.000-07:00

Larissa and I decided to take a scenery drive around the island. (I guess everywhere you drive around here is a scenery drive.) We found a few awesome spots that we hadn't visited yet. These first two pictures are from up above Honolulu. You can see as far as Diamond Head Crater to Ko' Olina. It was a fantastic view. That is Diamond Head right in the middle back of this picture.

Here's the view a little more to the right side. You can see Pearl Harbor to the right.

Here is the famous "From Here to Eternity" beach where the famous kiss scene from the 1953 movie was filmed.

This is on the north east part of the island, a place we rarely pass by.

Cory's Birthday - October 1st

2009-10-26T15:17:00.000-07:00

We had Cory, Lacey and Logan over for a little celebration of Cory's 22nd birthday. It was fun to hang out and watch him open presents.

What else was fun was that my mom and Katelyn both joined us for the whole thing! It was great hanging out with them all night through video chat. We love technology.

To avoid wasting candles, we put two sets of two candles next to each other for 22. A lot easier, and not as much wax on the cake!

Kona Temple Trip

2009-10-26T13:18:00.001-07:00

Larissa and I took a trip to the Big Island to visit the Kona Temple as the Laie Temple right next door to us is closed for renovation. We woke up in Laie at about 3:00 AM in order to be on time to the 8:00 session in Kona.

Our favorite spot at the Temple was here in the back.

Interesting wheelchair. This must be for those who want to go off-road.

We stopped somewhere to take some pictures and right there in the water were about 5 sea turtles within just a few feet of us in the water!

Isn't she beautiful!?

We have been to the Big Island once before with my parents. They took us on a little excursion where we swam and snorkeled with dolphins and visited this bay in this picture as well. Without a doubt this is our favorite snorkel site we've seen so far. We rented a kayak this trip and paddled out about a mile away where that Captain Cook monument is to the right of Larissa. It is truly amazing out there. Once we got back we looked out where we had just come in from kayaking and we saw spinner dolphins all over the place jumping out of the water. Awesome experience.

We caught a nice sunset on our way back to the airport to come home to Laie. This temple trip was one of the more fun days we have ever spent together. Focusing on the Temple and the beautiful creations of our Heavenly Father all day truly was the best way to have a perfect day in Hawaii.

The Pali Lookout

2009-10-26T13:06:00.000-07:00

It's views like this that we are really going to miss when we are back in Utah.

It is VERY windy up at the Pali Lookout. In fact, that is why I am holding on to Larissa, so she doesn't blow away.

Fun fun.

Man o' War

2009-10-26T12:40:00.000-07:00

We've finally learned now after just 3 1/2 years of living here that when you see these things scattered along the beach that you probably

shouldn't get in the water!

If you look closely at my ring finger just below my upper knuckle two parallel strands of stings. Although small, it was surprisingly painful.

Clegg Family Fun...

2009-09-06T11:44:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, our dear friends, the Clegg Family came to Hawaii. They stayed in Ko'Olina and we got to hang out with them Friday night and Saturday day. It was so great to see them.

Friday night they came to the PCC and we got to see the new amazing show. It was so great. It made me cry even. It really reminded me how much I will miss it here when we leave. It was all about Family and the importance of Family. I LOVED it.

Chris, Cathryn and Baby Clegg. I guess there was a "green" dress code that night.

The next day we all went to the Water Park and it was a BLAST! Papa Clegg was so awesome and made us honorary members of the family that day. He was so sweet and paid for us to get into the water park. We couldn't believe it. How kind was that?

Chris and Cathryn going down the Big Yellow slide.

So much fun with my love.

The Clegg Boys and Ryan. What fun.

Two man tube...

Ready, set, GO! They raced on this slide, and Chris won by far.
Not too bad huh?

Overall, I would say we had an EXCELLENT day!

Thanks Clegg family. We had so much fun with you guys. Hope your trip was fabulous.

"What's with all the babies?"

2009-09-04T23:04:00.001-07:00

Kim, Hillary, Shanae, Nate, Lily, Crew, Kali, Mason, Jocelyn and I all went for a hike the other day! We hiked to the Light House out by Waimanalo. It was amazingly beautiful and full of the best company a girl could ask for.

Before we got started, the girls got out the umbrellas to "make sure they were in working condition" while we packed the strollers and got all set to go.
For some reason, the umbrellas brought for possible rain, were much more fun to play with in the wind.
Unfortunately, the wind was a little stronger than the girls...

...and one of the umbrellas escaped...
Shanae was awesome though and chased down the runaway umbrella! She is FAST!

Nate, Krew, and Jocelyn were all extremely interested in all of this umbrella action...in fact we had to do everything in our power to convince the boys that they did NOT need to play with the umbrellas like the girls!

After getting ready to make our way, re-capturing the umbrellas, putting AWAY the umbrellas, packing the strollers and making sure we all had enough water, we began our expedition! It was SO much fun, every minute.

I couldn't believe how much energy these two had the whole way. They were amazing. We adults kept wishing we were getting an equivalent workout!

The view was incredible. I kept thinking about how much Ryan would have loved to take a MILLION pictures of the scenery.

After a while of walking, we stopped to smell the roses...or look at the waves off of this enormous cliff. (I was so scared that one of the kids would blow right away--but luckily we left with 100% of the people we started with!)

I was so happy that Krew was SMILING while I was holding him! He is such a great kid. So CUTE!

Kim is so gorgeous. She is holding Mason here, her youngest of three cuties!

Arrival at the Lighthouse...

Shanae, Kali and Krew

Me with Kali and Lily, we told them to do their BIGGEST smiles.

Krew is so adorable, and Shanae has to be one of THE FUNNEST moms in the world. She and Krew were laughing so hard here. I loved it.

Live Aloha, right ladies?

On our way back down from the lighthouse, a guy was walking up and passed us all. He loudly implored, "What's with all the babies?" We just laughed and laughed. It was fun to have everyone there together. We should have given him the simplest explanation..."We are Mormons" and then he would have understood completely! I love kids and I love THESE kids. It was such a blast the whole day. Hillary, Kim and Shanae kept saying things like "life is just so different with kids" or "sorry we are going slower" or "we could have been done by now if we didn't have the kids with us". I think they were worried about me (what nice friends) because I don't have any little ones of my own yet, but I hope they know that I meant it every time I said that I was enjoying every second. Life is so much fun when you have loved ones to share it with! I love you guys!

Aloha and Mahalo!

GIRLS, I HAVE TO TELL YOU ALL THAT I HAD SUCH A GREAT DAY WITH YOU ON THIS HIKE. I LOVED EVERY MINUTE. THANKS FOR THE FUN, EXERCISE, COMPANY, AND GREAT MEMORIES!

I LOVE MY HUSBAND!

2009-09-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today I came home from teaching exhausted. Ryan is so amazing. I walked in the door to a SPOTLESS floor, SPARKLING bathroom, CLEAN dishes, DINNER in the oven, and HIM waiting for me at the door! He is always finding ways to make me happy and surprise me like this. One day I came home to a scavenger hunt (with various clues all over the house) leading me to him, waiting to take me on a date. He is so amazing.

I LOVE HIM!

Thanks Ryan!

Believing Christ

2009-08-30T12:51:00.001-07:00

I also just finished this book. It is an incredible witness of Jesus Christ. I enjoyed it so much. This is the source of the bicycle parable, where the little girl saves her pennies to buy a bike and it is not enough so her father makes up the rest of the price, and helps her purchase the bike. He compares this to how our Savior makes up for our shortcomings and allows us to still make it back to our Heavenly Father, through the Atonement. Wow. If you need a spiritual boost, read this book.

The Traveler's Gift

2009-08-30T03:41:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading this book. It was so interesting and full of great habits to live by that will make people successful. I loved these ideas and I have already started to implement as many as I can. Check it out.

One of these days...

2009-08-30T03:30:00.000-07:00

One of these days I will learn how to be a better blogger...I am in awe at all of the great writing and great pictures everyone ELSE has to share with the world. Hopefully I can get more creative and become a better blogger. Wish me luck.

Gathering Gleaves

2009-08-30T02:59:00.000-07:00

Before we left Utah for our home in Hawaii, we had a family party with my Mom's side of the family, the Gleave Clan. We had so much fun. We had pizza, compliments of Grum, fresh fruit from Tannie, and great chocolate chip cookies from Kim and Kent, (Kent always takes the credit when they are amazing cookies...so we are never sure who really bakes the cookies, but they always rock!) and we swam and looked at all of our Chile pictures.

It was so much fun to get together with the family. I can tell that we will all miss my parents and Landon SOOOO much, but we know they are where they are supposed to be and that they are doing a great and marvelous work. We are all so proud of them and pray for them every day. Missionary work is so amazing.

I am so sad that this is all of the documentation I got of the night. We had so much fun, and we were only missing a few members of the family. I even got my camera out so I could take tons of shots, but I just had too much fun with everyone, and didn't get to take any pictures until after some of the group had left. :(

There is something about being with family that just makes me so happy. I love being around my family, they are amazing people and I learn so much from each of them. It is no wonder to me why Heavenly Father designed the plan the way He did, and put us in families on this earth. Eternal Families. We are so blessed!

President and Sister Laycock, and LandonCito...These kisses are for you. We blew them to you all the way to South America...we want you to know we were thinking of you this night, and that we all love you more than you even know.

117 Degrees!

2009-08-29T22:19:00.001-07:00

The Chase Family went to St. George, Mesquite and Las Vegas.

While we were there we got to go see Donny and Marie perform. We even got to go back stage and meet with them before the show. It was so much fun. They are the nicest people! It is amazing that with all they do and how famous they are, they still make time for family and treat everyone so well. They are awesome.

This is backstage in Marie's Dressing Room. It was so sheik! Lots of Paris, black and white with paisley patterns. Beautiful.

Here we are with them after the show. They were so sweet. Like a million people waiting in line to see them, and they took time to get a shot with us! Wow.

Adam and Jess got a picture with them too! How fun!

This was dinner before the show. We ate at this restaraunt the night that Ryan proposed to me a little over 3 years ago right before we went to the Donny Osmond Concert too! Fond memories at this place. Jess is such a fun sister in law. She is great. We really get along and have a fun time together. She is one of the NICEST people I know.

While we were in Mesquite, the boys went golfing. I can't believe that none of them died in the heat. This was literally the hottest day of the summer in Nevada and they went golfing. They were so sweaty and hot when they got back. What troopers. (We were dying back at the hotel, and we didn't have to exert as much energy as they did, how did they survive?)

This is Adam (Ryan's brother) and Naomi (our neice) just relaxing out by the pool in St. George. Naomi is a Daddy's Girl for sure!

The Adam Chase Family! Mckay loved the hot tub! Naomi especially enjoyed the jets.

I couldn't believe everyone was getting IN the hot tub. I was ready for an ice bath! 117 degrees in the shade! (It felt even hotter than that too!)

We had a blast. We also went to the Tuacan theater but we were too hot to think about taking pictures. The show was great, Footloose. It was a good production, the cast did a great job and we even knew one of the actresses from high school. Wish we had some shots of that, but just picture us all dressed up and still this wet from sweating the whole show. Literally. I think we all lost about 10lbs that weekend from sweating so bad.

Oh yeah, and the whole drive back, we watched episodes of Saved By The Bell. I sure miss seeing Zack, Slater, Kelly, Lisa, Screech and Jessie. That was one of my favorite shows when I was a little girl. I would just wait for it to come on every day. I loved it. In fact it actually was on the TV today and I had to sit and watch the whole episode. Ryan made fun of me because I knew what was going to happen. (I think I have seen every episode at least 3 times, and it never gets old.)
Sometimes I miss the days when life was so simple, and the biggest concerns I had were about what I would eat for lunch and if Zack and Kelly would ever get back together.

Fun!

BBQ Sauce...

2009-08-29T22:11:00.001-07:00

Adam and Jess invited us to a great BBQ at their house when we got back from Chile. It was so nice to be back in America after our huge ordeal in Brazil! Never happier to set foot in an American airport. Wow!

Sweet shades McKay!

"HI BABY K!" "HI BABY K!" ... we are going to have to start saying "Hi Nanna T!" more.

Ryan always gets roped into playing outside with Naomi! I love it.
This is Naomi trying to jump into the passing airplanes.

Anyway, we had a blast at Adam and Jess's house with the Fam. Thanks you guys. Adam, you are great with that barbecue. Way to go. Jess, great enchiladas! MMMM!

Campers and Camping With the Chase Clan

2009-08-29T22:05:00.001-07:00

We went camping with the Chase Family. It was so fun. There was a great pool and we had a blast hanging out, four wheeling, swimming, and playing with Naomi! Great times!!!

Naomi was hilarious, she would beg and beg until she found ANYONE to take her to the playground. She loves being outside. (Who can blame her!?) Ryan was a sucker for her cute little pleas...I think he spent more time at the playground than everyone put together (besides Naomi of course!)

Thanks Chase Family!

Wow...Long time no post...

2009-08-29T21:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the other things that happened in Chile...

We shined the shoes of the missionaries that came to the first training with Presidente Laycock. (shhh, it was a surprise for them) We even left them a treat in their shoes. American Chocolate! Yum.

We also got to visit the Missionary Training Center in Chile. (No, they do not decapitate the missionaries here, even though that is clearly what the sign says!)
We also got a personal tour from the MTC Presidente, who was the sweetest man. He showed us a couple of spot checks in the missionary apartments. Good missionaries, nice and clean.

It was not all serious talk and meetings...we did get to tour the city a little, and we had a lot of fun with LandonCito!

We watched Landon practice at Swim Team while we were there. He will be swimming on the best swim team in South America, is what we heard! Yahoo!

One day while we were driving, this is what Landon and Lacey decided to do to my mom and me. I know we are attached to one another, but come on guys.

A nightly trip to the Hiper Lider was our treat every single night. Hiper Lider is like a Walmart/Smiths store. It is awesome and has anything you could want, you just have to know SPANISH! It was super hard to grocery shop in Spanish...you would think it would be easy...but no!

We got to see Ryan's old basketball coach, and the current Mission President of the Santiago North Mission, President and Sister May. They invited us to dinner, and they had a lot of great advice for my parents. They are so wonderful. My mom says that Presidents Laycock and May were friends before they came to earth! I believe it. They are so amazing.

The house my parents are staying in is very cozy. They like it, and it is just right for how busy they are, they will get to have a lot of missionaries over to eat and have meetings I am sure. They have already had about a million people over to eat with them already. It is so great. Landon especially loves his pink curtains in his room! Ha. There is a pool in the back and every house in Chile has a Porton (The gate all the way around that locks when you leave.)

Our last night in Chile, we went to a session at the Santiago, Chile Temple. It was beautiful, and so calming to leave with that in mind. The Lord will watch over us and protect us no matter where we live in the world. I love this Gospel, and I love the Lord.

After that, Ryan and I left for Brazil the next morning. It's a long story, but we didn't make it. We failed to obtain our visas to enter Brazil and when we got to the airport...we were sadly deported. They flew us to Argentina and we got to vacay there for 2 days instead of our planned trip to Sao Paulo for 4 days. Oops. Lesson Learned. Here we are at the hotel in Buenos Aires, and the Temple was right on our way to the airport. It was beautiful, and once again, such a comforting sight during what was one of the saddest and scariest ordeals of our lives. :)

Hola Mis Amigos

2009-07-08T16:11:00.000-07:00

We left for the airport early in the morning. The Lord definitely took care of us and made sure we were there in time for our departure (didn't He Ryan? ;) ) We got there nice and early and we patiently awaited our flight.

When we got to Chile we had a great time meeting the old Mission President and his wife the Moran's and the AP Missionaries. THEY ARE GREAT MISSIONARIES. THEY WORK SO HARD. We love them already.

When we got there President Moran took us to this look out place to see all of the Santiago Chile East Mission. It was beautiful. Chile is a great place. Ryan keeps saying that it is a mix between Brazil (all the good parts) and the United States. He was also happy to confirm that the milk is sold in boxes in Chile as well as in Brazil just as he predicted it would. It has been a magnificent experience so far, full of miracles and TONS of blessings.

In the first three days of their mission my parents (and all of us) met every single missionary, and so many people here in Chile who are helping the work to go forward. We love missionary work.
_____

After we saw the mission, the Morans departed and we got to explore the house.
It is a beautiful house, older, but very nice for their 3 year stay. Here it is:

Here is Landon, Presidente and Hermana Laycock inside the front door:
Our Luggage:

Here is our first meal in Chile, my parents have an Hermana that works in their house and helps with certain things around the house, her name is Juanita. She had this prepared for us our first day. (WE WERE RUNNING FROM ONE THING TO THE NEXT, AND MY PARENTS DID NOT HAVE ONE MINUTE TO REST).

Old Friends

2009-07-08T13:46:00.000-07:00

While we were in Utah this summer we got to finally meet the two little cutie pie twins of our good friends Missy and Taylor Turnbull. They are so cute, and it was good to see them after so long.
Ryan has seen Taylor a few times since Ryan and I got married and each time it was without me, so naturally Taylor thought that Ryan was fibbing about having a wife. So that day it was really good to confirm to him that we are in fact married. :)

We love the Turnbulls and it was great to see them. They are good friends and wonderful people.

Quit Harping On Me...

2009-07-01T14:25:00.000-07:00

We had to ship the harp from Laie to Alpine. I was sooo nervous, but good old Arthur from the Pearl City UPS store helped us out and built this box for the harp. He said he had never packaged anything like it before. But, alas, it made it safely...very safely. I am happy that it now resides in Alpine, Utah where it will sweetly await my homecoming in December when Ryan and I graduate and come back to Utah.

Yester Years

2009-06-02T23:32:00.000-07:00

This is my parents when they were in high school. They were high school sweethearts. My Dad was the captain and quarterback of the football team and my Mom was the head cheerleader. What a great story. They were best friends, and when my Dad left on his mission, he took my Mom to a special place and gave her a ring box.

Inside that ring box was a ROCK, she took it out and looked at it, he told her that if she started to like anyone more than him while he was gone, she was to THROW that rock at him and turn around and run. It was realistically a rock, not a ring at all. So she threw it at my Dad right then. (I don't even know how many times I have heard that story, but I love it every time and I never get sick of it.)

This was the picture they took when they wrote their books Gathering Christmas and Evergreen Miracles. I remember making packages of their books and Stephens White Chocolate Cocoa. I have so many fun memories of book stores and book signings. As a kid I probably spent like a million hours in bookstores going with them to different book events. To this day, there is something so nostalgic for me when I walk into any book store. I just love the smell and sounds, and I love to browse the shelves, not even looking for anything, just looking.
I have more memories of being rolled up like this than any kid in the world. My Dad used to do this with us for HOURS. He would roll us up so tight that there was no possible way to move an inch. We would struggle for about 10 minutes to get loose only to run and beg him to roll us up again. We did this over and over. My Dad only recently told me that it was the best way to wear us out and that we would always sleep perfectly on the nights he played this game with us. What a great Dad.
I am sure that I will be doing the same thing with my own kids. Ryan and I have already done this to Naomi, our little Niece. It is so fun for some reason.

Thanks Mom and Dad for your great examples and the love you have shown us. We love you.

June 1, 2006

2009-06-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

Happy LATE Birthday

2009-05-26T17:34:00.000-07:00

Dad Chase,
Happy late birthday. Sorry I haven't posted this sooner. I have not had a chance to update the blog in a few days, but we just want you to know how much we love you and we hope that your birthday was a blast! We had so much fun planning our (and by planning...I mean...I did not know how to do anything...so I sat back and let the boys take care of that) video chat with you. It was so neat to at least "Kind of" be at your big birthday bash. We heard the party was amazing and that everything went well. We are so glad to hear that. You deserve THE BEST!

Happy Birthday! You are such a good Dad, we are lucky to have you, Papa Chase!! We love you very much. We hope your Birthday was perfect.

Love,
Larissa and Ryan

PS Sorry this post is so late!

Maegan and Chris

2009-05-20T18:17:00.000-07:00

This was the best surprise ever. Maegan and Chris were on Oahu for their honeymoon. They got married last week on May 14, 2009. Congratulations again you two by the way! I got a text from Maegan saying she was on the island and that they were headed to the PCC for the day and wondered if they could stop by and say hi. My answer: OF COURSE! I was so excited, I hadn't seen Maegan in over a year and I had not met Chris yet. I was so excited all day that I could hardly stand it. School became way too hard to focus and I was just dying waiting for them to get here. Anyway, I got done with work and they finished at the PCC and then they came over to hang out for a bit. It was super fun. We talked about memories from Volleyball, I wish I had some of THOSE pictures to post, those were some fun days. Maegan and I played volleyball at UVU together and lived in Village on the Parkway together when we were both Wolverines! Good times.
Anyway, Ryan and I were planning the whole 9 yards for the interview with Chris to make sure he is good enough for Maegan...You deserve the best Maegs. When they got here, right away, we found that we didn't need to interview Chris. He met the standards straight away. Way to go Maegs. We are TOOOO happy for you both. We love you.

Steve and Karen

2009-05-20T01:54:00.000-07:00

Steve and Karen came to the island again and we got a text from them saying that they wanted to take us to dinner. We had so much fun with them. It was great to see them, they were in town for a wedding of a close friend. We also found out that they are related to a great couple in our ward, Steve and Jenny Kolb. It was so cool to learn that about them, now we feel like we are basically family with the Kolbs.
Steve and Karen took us to a great Italian place in Kaneohe called Zias. It was great food and quite a fun place. It reminded me a little bit of a Hawaiian Olive Garden. Then they treated us to a movie. We took these pictures after we were through with the night. It was so fun to hang out with them. They are awesome. (They even encouraged us to get out more last time they were here...and since then we have gone to the beach at least 100 times more than we did before!)
We tried to set this one up and it accidentally cut Ryan's head off. Oops.

#5 Ted's Bakery

2009-05-19T02:02:00.001-07:00

When Karen and Steve McArthur came to visit the island last year, they introduced us to Chocolate Haupia Cream Pies from Ted's Bakery. These pies are divine. They are so delicious. I could seriously eat a whole pie in one sitting. Yikes. They really are that good.
We will miss Ted's Chocolate Haupia Pies and the wonderful Mix Plates we can get here. Yum.

Taylor Lee

2009-05-19T01:52:00.000-07:00

This is another post I should have posted a long time ago, but have not gotten to yet. The other night Lacey and I went to Ryan's intramural's game and Brett Lee is one of our great friends out here, he is on Ryan's team. Brett brought cute little Taylor, his adorable daughter, to the game and she got to sit by us during the game. It was a hoot!
She thought of the funniest faces to make for the camera. She made friends with Lacey real quick too. She even told Lacey that she wasn't a very good reader. Hmmm.
She is so funny. We had a great time "watching" Ryan and Brett play basketball that night. Shhh, don't tell them that we may or may not have actually been watching the big game. Good Job boys!

Jessica and Markham

2009-05-19T01:32:00.000-07:00

I thought I had posted this and just realized that I did not, but a while ago my friends Jessica Endres and Markham Hyde came to visit Hawaii.

This is Jessica Endres. She and I played volleyball together at Utah Valley University (as it is now called). She was an amazing Middle and I loved playing with her. She has such a fun personality and always something fun up her sleeve! Markham was in Know Greater Heroes with me. He was so awesome to work with and was a stellar example for the kids there. He was a Yell Leader for UVU and did a fabulous job.
Jessica and Markham came to Hawaii for a visit and we were so lucky because they stopped by to see us. We were so happy to see them and catch up. Whenever someone from the Mainland comes to visit us we feel like we are so lucky because we get a little taste of home. It is the best to see old friends and spend time with them while they are here. We love it.

They were troopers and camped for their vacation. They seemed like they totally had a blast though, and it sure was a treat to visit with them! Thanks for stopping by you guys! OH and thanks for the Pie you brought. It was delicious. Ted's is the best huh?

Kathy and David King!

2009-05-07T20:17:00.000-07:00

Marianne's parents were on vacation in Hawaii this week, and we were so lucky because we got to see them! They drove "all the way to the North Shore" to hang out with us. We went to Papa Ole's for some great BBQ and we had a great time chatting and catching up. We miss the Kings so much. It was so fun to see them.

This is a picture of us all together just outside our apartment. Thanks Melissa, for taking the picture for us.

AND they both look fabulous! They have been working super hard.

Technology in the Classroom

2009-05-04T01:40:00.001-07:00

I am taking a class called Technology in the Classroom and we were assigned to make a video about ourselves for an assignment. I put a lot of work into it, and Ryan helped me so much that I thought it would be fun to post on our blog as well. (I have had to make another blog for my class and upload assignments to it) This class has been very educational and really a lot of fun.

Feliz Cumpleanos!

2009-05-01T19:26:00.000-07:00

Mom!!
Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to You. Happy Birthday Dear Mom! Happy Birthday To You!!!

We are so excited that it is your birthday today. We wish we could be there with you to hug you and tell you how much we love you, but we will be there soon enough. We love you so very much. We hope that your birthday is perfect in every way. We miss you like crazy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

YOU ARE THE BEST!

WE LOVE YOU!

Laie Temple

2009-04-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

We miss the Temple. In December 2008 the Laie Hawaii Temple closed for reconstruction. It has been SO different without the Temple operating. We miss going more than ever! This is what it looks like right now

I can't wait until it is finished. We won't even live here anymore, but we will have to come back and visit the Temple once it is refurbished.

Happy Birthday Dad!

2009-04-29T17:29:00.002-07:00

DAD,
WE WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW MUCH WE LOVE YOU. WE ARE SO HAPPY THAT WE GET TO BE IN YOUR FAMILY. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO AND FOR YOUR GREAT EXAMPLE AS A FATHER. WE LOVE YOU VERY MUCH!!!

To listen to one of the two songs I have for you on your birthday click HERE.
"We're so glad when Daddy comes home, glad as we can be! Clap our hands and shout for joy and "BITE" him on the knee! Put our arms around his neck, Hug him tight like this, Pat his cheeks, then give him what? A great big kiss!!"
(Obviously this is only the version of the song that we sang as children, some of the lyrics seemed to change when I was younger!)

To listen to the other song, click HERE.
"Happy Birthday Daddy Dear. Happy days wil come to you all year. If we had one wish, then it would be A happy happy birthday to YOU from US!"

We love you Dad!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

LOVE,
RISSA AND RYAN

Kids say the darndest things...

2009-04-06T22:55:00.000-07:00

We were at Ryan's Intramurals BBall Game.
Lacey came with me.
One of my friends told us we looked a LOT alike and that she thought people would probably get us confused a lot. (They do . . . in fact, two of Lacey's teachers this semester have said, "Hi, Lacey" to ME!)

A while after Lacey got there we sat down and all the kids literally flocked to us. (We must look like we like to play a lot or something.)

One of the little boys, who arrived a little late sat down and looked at us.

He stared for a long time.

He looked from me to Lacey, and back to me, and back to Lacey -- several times.

He looked so confused and finally asked:

"ARE YOU TWO THE SAMES?"

We laughed right out loud.

We both, not on purpose, said "no, do we look the same?"
He said yes.
Then with a skeptical look on his face, he pointed at me and said:

"What's YOUR name?"
"Larissa"
"Well, then what is YOUR name?" pointing to Lacey.
"Lacey"
"Hmmm....OK"

Then he left and played with his friends.
I DON'T think he believed us!

Two Great Friends

2009-04-06T22:36:00.000-07:00

Last week, a week ago today in fact, two of my great FRIENDS visited my apartment in the dark of the night and left the sweetest surprise for me. They heart-attacked my door and left a very sweet note. It was so thoughtful. There are times when we NEED uplifting from others and these girls knew exactly when to strike with a secret friendship-caper. I am so grateful to them for being in tune with the spirit.
Thank you both girls!! (You know who you are!)
We feel our Savior's love by those who love us so much and are stalwart examples of Christ in all that they do. Thank you, you two. It is so nice to have friends! ;)

#3 Lawn Mowers and White Birds

2009-04-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

Every time the guy comes to mow all of the lawns in TVA (HUGE INDUSTRIAL MOWER...USUALY AT 7:00am...EXTREMELY LOUD!!!) these white birds follow him. Ryan said it is because the mower makes it easier for them to get the worms.
I don't know why, but it is hilarious, and it does NOT get old. I am amazed at how every time he mows, they get sooo close to the mower, but they never get run over. How do they do it?

Ryan's Mission President and General Conference

2009-04-05T21:20:00.000-07:00

Listening to General Conference today was so much fun. We were able to listen to ALL of the sessions. We are so lucky because at Temple View Apartments the cable has the BYU channel and Conference was broadcast on TV during the live viewing. We got up at 5:50 a.m. and started our wonderful weekend yesterday by watching conference. Lacey and Cory joined us. It was amazing to hear the messages of our leaders in the Church.

Ryan with his Mission President, President Teixiera and his wife, Sister Teixiera, in 2005-2006. It was so exciting to hear him speak today in conference.

Today Ryan kept saying that he wanted them to announce that his Mission President, President Teixiera would be speaking. We didn't know if he would get to hear his dear President, but he kept hoping. Finally when we were watching the last session today, Ryan said, "I just want them to say that Jose A. Teixiera is speaking next!!" Then he turned to Lacey to tell her something funny and President Eyring announced that the next speaker would be Jose A. Teixiera. Ryan didn't hear it, but when we all froze and stared at him, he figured it out. He didn't believe it at first, but then we convinced him and he was so excited. We were all happy for him. Ryan has so much respect for President Teixiera and was delighted to hear his message. He shared a message about keeping our spiritual GPS in service and always being in a place, and in a standard of righteousness, that our spiritual GPS system can receive the Holy Ghost as our guide. It was fabulous.
Ryan, we are so happy for you!

Brazilian "Saudades"

2009-04-05T20:49:00.000-07:00

Ry was having some serious "saudades" for his mission in Sao Paulo Brazil (that means "missings" of his time and especially FOOD there).

He has been trying to teach me Portuguese and he was instant messaging with one of his investigators, Ane Rose, and had me chat with her too. She gave us one of the recipes that Ryan enjoyed on his mission. We tried it, she makes it better of course, but it was pretty good. I am trying to learn to cook in Portuguese too. haha!

Here are a couple of pictures of Ryan with Ane Rose and her husband Jose back when he was on the mission. Hopefully Rose can teach me some more recipes so Ryan and I can have more comfort for Ryan's Brazilian "Saudades".

#2 THE CAC

2009-03-30T12:51:00.000-07:00

We have spent so much time in this building...
Ryan's basketball games, Lacey's volleyball games, Cory's basketball games, running laps upstairs, School Activities, Devotionals, Firesides, Culture Night, BYUH Idol, and so much more.

#1 THE BEACH

2009-03-27T02:30:00.001-07:00

Things We Will Miss in Hawaii Challenge

2009-03-27T02:23:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I talk so much about when we will go home from Hawaii back to Utah and how we will miss so much about being here in Laie. This has been a fabulous place to live and begin our marriage. We will miss so many things. In light of this fact, we have decided to challenge ourselves to take pictures of everything we think we will miss (even those things that might seem annoying or not important, we know we will miss EVERYTHING!!)

Our mission should we choose to accept it:
Photograph any and all things that are unique to Hawaii and our experience here, so that when we live somewhere else in the world we can look back on these pictures and laugh and cry and reminisce in all of the great experiences we have had here in the first four years of our marriage.
Our deadline: December 2009

This message will not self-destruct in 10 seconds...

Thanks Brylie

2009-03-27T02:06:00.001-07:00

This is Brylie Wynes. She lives in our ward and is in the Primary with me. (I am currently the Stake Music Coordinator and the Ward Primary Pianist) Her mom and dad are Angie and Mike Wynes and they are so awesome. Last Saturday we were at a birthday party for another of our friends' little boy Krew and Brylie saw me there. She came right up to me, took me by the hand and asked me if I wanted to watch her jump in the "bounce house". I said that I would love to and I walked over to it with her. On the way over she looked up at me and she said, "You know, I really like it when you are in Primary." It made my day. Sometimes you think that a calling may be a small one and that the kids don't even notice (especially sitting in the back, behind the piano) but to hear from the mouth of a beautiful child of God that she likes it when I am there made me feel so special. It was a tender mercy that I will never forget, and instantly brought little tears to my eyes! Sometimes the messengers that Heavenly Father sends to tell us how much He loves us are very small, but still so powerful. Thank you so much Brylie. We never know when we will be an instrument in the hands of the Lord. (Thanks for letting me "borrow" this picture from your blog Angie!)

Ouch Couch

2009-03-09T21:50:00.000-07:00

Our couch broke because unnamed persons sat on it too . . . easily. It fell through the bottom and we had to ask for it to get fixed. BYUH wonderful maintenance came and took it to their shop, fixed it and brought it back. Ryan vacuumed the floor while it was out. I will say that if only four people sat on it, including Lacey, me, Ryan and Cory and it didn't break because of Lacey and it didn't break because of me...but I will not say who it did break when they both sat on it. :)

Meep . . . Meep . . . Meep . . . Meep

2009-03-09T21:19:00.000-07:00

It is funny that we live in Hawaii and this is what we are doing in our spare time. Yikes. No wonder none of us has a tan. Just to defend our case a little though, it has been extremely cold here lately...like in the 60s even. Brrrrr.

For Marianne...

2009-03-09T03:13:00.000-07:00

Marianne keeps telling me I need to post something new...I took a serious snooze on my blogging, so here is a new but old post. These pictures were from way back when...2005 I think? We were roommates living in Orem together. It was a blast. We had so many good times, and so many neat experiences. That time with her is a treasure in my memories. Thanks for being so awesome Mar-Bear!

2009-03-09T03:02:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago Ryan asked me if he could take me on a Friday Night Date! It was super fun. He took me to Cholos (our favorite place...if you couldn't tell) and then to Matsomoto's for the Island Famous snow cones! It was sure fun. We laughed and laughed and even invented a new game where you think of an actor, and a film they are in, tell the other person the actor's name and they have to guess which film you are thinking of. (it sounds cheesy, but it is SUPER fun...good thing we know a good patent attorney!) Anyway, we spent the whole night just laughing and having fun. It was nice to spend some quality time together like that without worrying about school or work or anything else. It was like we just took a night off from everything and enjoyed our time together. Ryan is the best husband in the world.

Mission Call to Santiago, Chile

2009-03-09T02:33:00.000-07:00

My parents recently received the location for their call...They will be serving in the Santiago, Chile East Mission. They are very excited to serve there and to spend three years there. It will be a fabulous opportunity.

Landon is excited as well. He already knows a lot of Spanish and will do amazing, I am sure. I am so proud of him! What a stud.

Even though we will miss them terribly, we are so proud of them and their decision to dedicate so much time and service to the Gospel. Wow!

Heritage Tours 2008

2009-03-09T01:56:00.001-07:00

This past summer in June, Ryan and I went, as chaperons, on a three week tour of Church History sites from our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We started in American Fork, Utah and drove on a bus with recently graduated high school seniors and made our way to Vermont and drove back. It was an amazing experience. We met some wonderful young friends who will do many great things in their lives I am sure. Here is a slideshow that Ryan made of the trip! He is so good with editing things like this. It really makes our journals special because we get to have so many video entries. I love him!
Brother Eliason has been running this tour for years. My mom went when she graduated high school too. He is an amazing man and he offers this service to so many high school students. He takes two and sometimes three trips each summer. I don't know how he does it. It is a trip of a lifetime and many testimonies have been found or been strengthened along the way. Thanks Brother E!

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

2009-03-09T01:51:00.000-07:00

I figured that with how important this proclamation is to me, I ought to post it. I love this so much. We have several of them posted around our tiny apartment. I read through it almost every single day. What a blessing families are!

This proclamation was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World
The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God's commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God's eternal plan.

Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. "Children are an heritage of the Lord" (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.

Missing Our Families

2009-03-09T01:23:00.000-07:00

We are missing our families! I know...Christmas pictures in March? What am I thinking? Well, I have been behind in my blogging and Ryan and I keep thinking about how much we miss our families back in Utah...and since we don't get to take any pictures with them while we are away I had to post some from Christmas. Our families are so wonderful and they are extremely supportive of us. We are so grateful to be members of such wonderful families.
Today was our Stake Conference and the messages were all about families and the importance and value of families. It was so humbling to sit and listen to the many messages shared and be able to recall so many memories of our own families and the gospel presence in our homes growing up. We are both grateful to our mothers and fathers for sharing their testimonies and for building our faith in Jesus Christ and His gospel on the earth today. A choir from one of the wards sang Teach Me to Walk in the Light today at conference and the words keep echoing in my mind...

Teach me to walk in the light of his love; Teach me to pray to my Father above; teach me to know of the things that are right; teach me, teach me to walk in the light.
Come little child, and together we'll learn of his commandments, that we may return home to his presence, to live in his sight--always, always to walk in the light.
Father in Heaven, we thank thee this day for loving guidance to show us the way. Grateful, we praise thee with songs of delight! Gladly, gladly we'll walk in the light.

We feel so blessed to be able to live in a place that allows us to have this faith and to worship and serve God. The spirit is so strong and the hand of the Lord is present in our lives every single day. I love that I married a man who honors the priesthood he holds and recognizes it as the Power of God on the Earth. I am grateful for a dad who was worthy and willing to use that same priesthood power in our home while I grew up.

"The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan."

(The Family: A Proclamation to the World, http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,161-1-11-1,00.html) I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for blessing me with such wonderful family to be surrounded by! I am so blessed!

Dixie Vs. BYU-Hawaii

2009-02-09T21:45:00.001-08:00

On February 2, 2009 the Dixie Basketball team came to Laie to challenge our boys basketball team. It was a great night. The game was intense and the Seasiders prevailed! We were really excited to see our great friend Kimball Payne. He is playing basketball for Dixie right now and awaiting his mission call. We were so proud of him and how well he is doing.
Last summer when Ryan and I (and Lacey and our Moms) went on Heritage Tours, Ry and I were chaperones and I was over the family that Kimball was the "family father" for, so he and I got to work together a lot. I really got to know him better. He is a great guy and he will make a fabulous missionary! Good Luck Kimball!!!

Studious Students

2009-02-09T21:38:00.000-08:00

Ryan and Cory are such great students. I am proud of them for working so hard. I come home to this vision in my living room so much, they are constantly studying, books all around, and knowledge seeping into their brains so fast. It is fun to see them work so hard at their grades and school. What great men they are!
They weren't even posing for this picture either. They barely looked up when I came home, that is how in the flow they were!

Shhh...Quiet Hours...

2009-02-09T21:24:00.000-08:00

One night we were watching a movie and all of a sudden we looked out the window and what did we see...? It was fireworks working in the night time sky! We were pleasantly surprised with a fabulous display of pyrotechnics. Apparently the Polynesian Cultural Center was having a celebration and someone had sponsored a magnificent show for us. It was so fun to just walk out our front door and see such a neat thing right in our front yard.
Thanks PCC!

Concerts

2009-02-09T21:18:00.000-08:00

Ryan sings in the Brigham Young University Hawaii Concert Choir. He is so amazing. I am so proud of him every time I get to see him sing with all of his heart up on stage with the incredible choir.
Recently the choir held a concert for all of the best high school choir members around! They came to Laie and learned from the best of the best. Brother Belnap is Ryan's Choir Director and I don't know if there is a better man for the job. Brother Belnap is one of the best men alive. He is really good to Ryan and to everyone he knows. Ryan does such a great job singing in the choir. I am so proud of him.

STUDY, STUDY, STUDY!!!

2009-01-28T14:36:00.000-08:00

Lately it seems like all Ryan and I have been doing is study our brains out. We are so busy with school this semester. Hopefully we will survive. Good luck to everyone else who is in school right now. Keep it up!

Mamma Mia!

2009-01-28T14:20:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to also tell my Mom that she is the best ever! She is my guiding light and she is the best Mom in the world. I don't know what I would do without her. I can't recall a single time that I have needed her and she wasn't there, she is always there for me. When I think about what kind of mom I want to be some day, I thank Heavenly Father for giving me such a good example. It seems like there just are no words that are adequate for me to use in describing how much I love her and how awesome of a mom she is. She is such a spiritual giant and she is the most dedicated person I know. If she says she will do something, you know it will get done. She has taught me so many things throughout my life; she has taught me to be dedicated to the things I say I will do, and to follow through 100% of the time. I remember when I was little, if I was looking for something and I couldn't find it (of course I was just not looking hard enough and I wanted her to find it for me), my Mom would say, "If I come and look for it, and I find it...big trouble!" She has always taught me to be the best I can be. She teaches by example, always leading the way with her own example of goodness and kindness. I am glad that I have seen her on her knees in prayer countless times, and I am glad that I have been able to hear her testify of Christ and her faith in His gospel. I am so proud of her. I am grateful to be her daughter.
I love her!

Happy Birthday!

2009-01-25T23:53:00.000-08:00

Normally I would not post something about myself like this, but Ryan worked so hard to make my day PERFECT that I couldn't resist!
My birthday started at 5:00 am as I got up and got ready for my bus ride to Kaneohe for my Practicum. January 22nd was my first official teaching day, my first real lesson. Well, Ryan emailed the teacher I work with and asked her to have the class sing or do something special for me. My CT, Alyson Fink, sure had the class sing loud and clear. It was really neat. Ryan is such a good husband.

Lacey and Cory, Ryan's parents and my parents all worked so hard as well. My Mom and Dad sent me a package with a Portuguese Verb book, a Portuguese hymn book and some Dansko's. (my favorite kind of shoe ever!) It was so nice of them. Ryan's parents sent me a book on the Temple and an amazing study that Terri did. I am excited to get started on it.
Lacey got me some cute jewelry that I can't wait to use, Cory gave me the softest and most comfortable body pillow I have ever heard of.

Ryan gave himself some cute board shorts, he got me some AWESOME slippers "Dear Form", a heart monitor watch, some maraschino cherries (my favorite desert) and the movie Prince Caspian...which actually may have been another gift for himself (I really like it too though...so its hard to say).

Then Lacey and Cory also planned a really fun date night for us all for my birthday as well. They surprised us with a "walk-in movie", kind of like a drive in, but they set up our lawn chairs out in an open field with treats and a hilarious movie. They even got me a slice of pineapple coconut cake, (The wind was really blowing when we took that picture) It was so much fun. I have never been so spoiled for my birthday before.

Tribute to my Father

2009-01-21T21:14:00.001-08:00

I have to tell everyone that on a scale of 1-10 my Dad is a perfect 10! I remember when I was a little girl and I was in big trouble. Well, after I was reprimanded, my Dad asked me what I would score him on a scale from 1 to 10. I quickly told him "You are a 5!!" with my defensive little spirit. I sure was wrong, and I am so grateful for my Dad and all that he does for me. He is such a great example. I love him SOOO much. So, he is absolutely a 10 in my book, he always has been and he always will be. I am so proud of him and I look up to him very much. He is awesome!

Cholos and Movies

2009-01-17T22:41:00.000-08:00

We love eating at a fun little Mexican place called Cholos in Haleiwa. Ryan always gets the exact same thing...the chicken chimichunga with the rice and beans plate. He LOVES it.

And we love hanging out at our apartment watching movies and just having fun together. I always want to play cards...but the movie idea always seems to win out somehow.

Ryan and I love having Lacey and Cory out here in Hawaii with us. It is a neat place to go to school and study for our lives and futures. It really is such a beautiful place.

Hot Dogs and Rain...

2009-01-17T22:34:00.001-08:00

Ryan, Cory, Lacey and I all decided to go to Haleiwa last Saturday and have a BBQ. It was great fun, we packed up the chicken, hot dogs, chips and drinks, and drove out to the beach. It was just Lacey's kind of day, lots of clouds and no chance of going anywhere near the sand.

We had fun the whole time, the boys put the grill together and we all laughed and had a great time. But by the time our food was almost ready, the rain came. It started pouring on us and we had to make our way back to the car. We finished our AMAZING lunch in the car!

Always Better When We're Together

2009-01-12T00:25:00.000-08:00

Ryan and I have so much fun together. Whether it is spending time at the beach, at home, watching movies, playing games or even at the library doing homework, we just love being together.
There is never a dull moment.

Called to Serve

2009-01-10T10:46:00.000-08:00

My parents have been called to serve as a Mission President and his wife. I am so excited for them. I will definitely miss them while they are gone, but I am so proud of them and I know that they are serving the Lord. I love them so much, and they are such a wonderful example to me.

This was posted in the Church News today January 10, 2009. They will be in a Spanish speaking mission, they won't find out exactly where they serve for a little while longer, but they are ready and able to "go and do the things the Lord commands"...

http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/56432/New-mission-presidents.html

Larry Roberts Laycock, 48, Alpine 3rd Ward, Alpine Utah West Stake; former bishop and counselor, high councilor, stake and ward Young Men president, counselor in a ward Young Men presidency, and missionary in the Argentina Bahia Blanca Mission. Shareholder and Intellectual Property Litigator, Workman Nydegger. Born in American Fork, Utah; parents Andrew G. and Nadine Roberts Laycock Attaway. Married Lisa Dawn Gleave, four children.

Sister Laycock is a former stake Young Women president and secretary, ward Young Women president, ward Primary president, counselor, and chorister, and gospel doctrine teacher. Born in Cedar City, Utah, to Winston Taylor and Karen Mae Morrey Gleave.

Sisters

2008-12-28T23:37:00.001-08:00

My little sister just came to BYU-Hawaii this last semester to play volleyball for the team here on full-ride scholarship. She is so incredible, and I am so glad to have my best girl friend out here with me.

Life Is Always Changing...

2008-12-28T23:13:00.000-08:00

We love living in Hawaii, and we only have one year left. It has been such a blessing to us to be in such a beautiful place for the first 2 and 1/2 years of our marriage. We don't always get to go out and enjoy the beauty because we are stuck in the library studying...but when we do, it is amazing!