Iceland is so wide and beautiful, it just wouldn’t fit in a regular sized picture.
Photos
Bad Pictures from a Great Honeymoon
Sneak Peak of Our Wedding Photos
A Tribute to 20 Years of Friendship
Zach has been one of my best friends since we met in Mrs. Hopp’s class in the third grade. Here’s a picture history of our friendship…
Fifth Grade Graduation circa 2005
Always having goggles on hand
A birthday party at Celebration Station
An early camping trip with the Boy Scouts
Ziggy’s to see Zach’s brother play a show, probably around middle school
Figuring out how to use social media for the first time (and how to spell)
But don’t be fooled there were also some tense times along the way too…
Our junior year prom
Sophomore / junior year of high school
High school graduation
A camping trip we almost didn’t make it back from
That time he tried to hit on my sister and her friend…
Halloween 2016 ish (1950’s “Greaser” and Burt Reynolds?)
Halloween 2017 (Samuel Adams and Mr. Gamby from the TV show Vice Principals)
Playing in the snow
Zach, aka the “Godfather”
A canoeing/camping trip
Lots of sporting events (here Mount Tabor won the state championship)
\And hopefully many more good times to come…
She said Yes!
Brittany had no idea.
She had worked until 11pm the night before and was just tired enough that she hadn’t picked up on any of the subtle clues. Most notably, her best friends Carol, Kayla, and Brooke had taken her to get her nails done just a few days before. In Brittany’s eyes, the plan for the day was we were going to have lunch at a new restaurant in the American Tobacco Campus, go Christmas shopping at South Point mall, and then meet up with friends to watch the UNC basketball game.
However, as we approached the lunch spot I pulled her aside and told her that we didn’t actually have lunch reservations. She was confused, but quickly understood what was happening when I got down on one knee. I spoke from the heart and asked her if she would spend the rest of her life with me. It was all a blur– I can’t remember word for word what I said, and I’m not even sure if any words came out of Brittany’s mouth. But she enthusiastically and repeatedly nodded “YES” as she fought back tears and I slipped the ring onto her finger. Meanwhile, Roy, our photographer, emerged from the shadows and a small group of bystanders clapped.
That wasn’t the last surprise of the day, though. After wrapping up photos, we headed home to start calling family and close friends. Unbeknownst to Brittany, all of those people already knew the good news and were waiting for us at Ramblers, the neighborhood bar which was conveniently on the way home. For the second time that day, I could see Brittany’s face fill with shock and then joy as she peered into the glass windows and realized there was a party waiting for her. I owe a special thank you to to Erin, Kayla, and Carol for helping plan and execute this special part of the day.
By the end of the day we were exhausted but filled with love and excitement. We look forward to celebrating with all of you in the coming year!
Pictures of Pictures: A Journey Through Utah’s National Parks
Brittany, John, and I just returned from a long trip through Utah’s National Parks nicknamed the “Mighty Five.” Rather than taking boring traditional pictures, I decided to just take pictures of Brittany taking pictures (and she took a lot).
If you liked this post, check out my very fist post, “Pictures of my Finger in Unique Places in Europe.”
Senior Superlatives… Did we get it right?
It’s been nine years since Mount Tabor gave out these prestigious awards. Did we give the right awards to the right people? Cast your vote at the bottom.
1. Most Intelligent: George Oliver
Was this the right choice? Definitely.
George Oliver is no stranger to winning awards dating back to the middle school geography bee. He knows every world capital, several languages, and the answers to every quiz in “Seventeen” magazine.
2. Best Dressed: Matt Stockburger
Was this the right choice? Probably not.
Matt was never afraid to take a fashion risk. Unfortunately, some of those risks didn’t work out, like UGG boots for men, cowboy boots with short shorts, or, my favorite, a crop top with “USC GameCOCKS” on the front (big emphasis on the COCKS).
3. Most Athletic: Neal Callahan
Was this the right choice? At the time, yes. Right now, no.
Neal had six pack abs since elementary school and was a two-sport varsity athlete in high school. But he totally washed out as soon as he went to college and joined a fraternity. Now he’s Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite.
4. Most Musical: Liz Olson
Was this the right choice? Unquestionable yes.
Liz was in all of the high school plays, talent shows, and choral groups. Since then, she’s earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music Theory, a Master’s degree in Choral Conducting, and has even performed at Red Rocks amphitheater. This pick was right on key.
5. Most spirited: Kayla Blevins
Was this the right choice? TBD.
According to Kayla, her biggest accomplishment as Senior Class President was choosing the theme for high school football games. Her next responsibility is planning our 10 year high school reunion in 2021. I’m going to hold off on a formal rating until I find out if the party will have an open bar or not.
6. Most Spirited: Sean Gartley
Was this the right choice? Probably.
Sean went to every high school sporting event… mainly just to find out where the after party was… but he was there.
Was Ryan a Ladies’ Man in Middle School? Analyzing photo evidence from old year books
Hindsight is 20:20. Take a look at who signed my yearbook and then vote at the bottom.
Evidence For:
1. Sparkly eyes… check.
2. Back to back phone numbers. Score.
3. Nice.
Evidence Against:
1. Uh oh. This isn’t good.
2. Seriously?? Two in one year really hurts.
3. This is DEFINITELY not what I was going for. Here’s a note I got from another male track team member.
4. I’m 100% sure this never happened.
5… And by ninth grade the only signature I got was from my sister.
In Conclusion, No, probably not.
Cell phones have gotten lamer over time
Cell phones used to have cool features like built in walkie talkies and hidden keyboards. Now they all look the same and do the same thing. Was it all worth it? Check out these cool features and decide for yourself.
Motorola i850
Pros: It’s literally indestructible and it has a built in walkie talkie. Plus, every Motorola comes with a free belt clip.
Cons: You have to stand on one foot and face east to get service. It can only store like three photos. You can’t silence the walkie talkie feature.
LG Env2
Pros: Bam! Full flip out Qwerty keyboard.
Cons: The battery life is about 45 minutes. The “9” button on the front doesn’t work.
Blackberry Curve 8330
Pros: It has Blackberry Messenger, a chat service so exclusive that only three other people have it.
Cons: It sends about three butt dials per hour, and it takes about 30 minutes to download an email. Trying to type is a nightmare.
Samsung Juke
Pros: It doubles as an mp3 player, fits in your pocket, and the clock is reasonably accurate.
Cons: I’m not sure if this can actually make a phone call or not.
Samsung Alias:
Pros: It comes pre-loaded with Fall Out Boy’s tier 2 album “Infinity on High.”
Cons: Every key has both a number and a letter on it so you never know exactly what you’re going to get. The average lifespan of this phone is about two weeks.
Quarantine: A Story Through Pictures
Here’s what life was like from my eyes. Am I forgetting anything?
Enjoyed cheap gas but nowhere to go.
Watched Tiger King (and played dress up).
Grew a beard (and ranked it against my friends’ beards)
Worked from home and gave PPP loans to small businesses.
Relaxed the office dress code.
Found new ways to exercise (shout out to In Yo House Fitness).
Practiced martial arts with the TST Squad.
Spent “quality time” with friends and family.
Supported local breweries.
Argued about trivial things, like what’s the best kitchen appliance (Final results here).
Spent time outside.
Perfected the “to go” order.
Dealt with some sh!t.
The big "R" in Ryan 