Ryan and I went back EAST!

Ryan and I got a chance to get away last week! We went to stay with Ryan's sister Darice and her husband Darryl and their sweet family in Baltimore, Maryland!!! Thanks to my Mom and sister Lindsay we're able to take a vacation without our kids which was nice for a change.

Thanks Mom and Linz!!!


Here we are at Darryl and Darice place! They are both amazing cooks and I think I gained over tens pounds in one week. =) (totally worth it though!!!)
I never knew Maryland was so so beautiful! Trees everywhere! I loved it!


We spent a day in D.C. for the Cherry Blossom Festival. Even though it was a cold day, raining off and on it was by far my fav day. There was so much to see in D.C. It was a little overwhelming. I could have spent all week just in D.C and still not have seen everything. There was a cool Robert Frank Photography gallery in one of the Smithsonian museums.

I could have stayed there all day! I love looking at his photos.





Here's Ryan standing in front of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It's so crazy to see all those names.. that they belong to real people who gave up their lives for our freedom. It was amazing and sad.

The high light of the day was seeing the Constitution and Declaration of Independence in the National Archives. Pretty amazing! I got to see John Hancock's signature a distant relative of mine. It's crazy to think these were the actual documents.
Lincoln Memorial Bldg. Here is the White House. This is about how close we could get. I wanted to see Obama and tell him that my Grandma is madly in love with him. I guess I'll just have to send him a letter.

Sorry Grandma =)

We spent another day in the
National Constitution Center in Philly. WOW. I loved this day too.. Everything was so well done in this museum. Here I am signing the Constitution. Then we saw the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. We also had an origional Philly steak and cheese sandwhich at Gino's!!!

Just cuddling up to my forefathers.. This room in the Constitution Center had all the men who signed the Constitution in bronze life size statues.. really cool!

One of our last days we went to Gettysburg in PA. We saw the battle grounds and all the amazing monuments. I wanted to see some ghost, you know it's the most haunted place in the US. but, we didn't get to experience that. Gettysburg was super beautiful! It was neat seeing the actual painting of the "Battle of Gettysburg" Cyclorama, a 360 degree circular oil-on-canvas painting. it's over 125 years old.

I couldn't get enough of my little nieces and nephew. They are so unbelievably smart and sweet. Here is little Harper. I was planning on sneaking her home with me, but it didn't quit work out. Maybe next time. She is so beautiful!

The last day we took a few pictures at a cool farm house in Baltimore. Here is Darice and Darryl and their cute family. Thanks again for having us, we had the BEST time!!!

Hello!!! Well, Ryan and I have decided we're going to make our blog private.  Hopefully by doing this I will be able to sleep better at night. =) Lately it has been bugging me that anyone and everyone can see my kids.  So please leave me a comment on here with your name and email address so I can send you an invite... or if you don't feel comfortable leaving your email, just email me at heatherkonold@gmail.com.  THANKS!!! -Heather

spending the week in Denver

This past week Ryan had training in Denver so the whole family decided to tag along and make a little vacation out of it. We had such a great time.. the week flew by too fast!

Here are some pics Here we are eating at the Denver Aquarium. They have these huge aquariums all over full of sharks and all kinds of crazy fish. The kids LOVED it!

Our first day in Denver we checked out the Butterfly Pavilion. The girls all showed me up by holding a giant tarantula.. I wouldn't go near it. I can hardly look at the pictures of them holding it. ahhh. Sophie would have taken it home if she could.

Izzy being brave too!!!

The Pavilion had this amazing indoor rain forest full of butterflies it was my favourite part of the whole trip. Butterflies everywhere!



The girls loved checking out all the fun creatures they could touch and hold.

We also went to the Childrens Museum and did some downtown shopping.

AT the end of the week we headed to Glenwood Springs to spend the weekend.

Here is a picture of Ryan and Sophie riding a gondola up Iron Mtn.

Up on the top of the mountain we hiked around and went through some cool caves.

our little family

As fun as it is to get away.. it's always nice to come HOME!!!

Yahoo for girls weekends!!!

Some of my high school friends decided to plan a weekend get-away. It was much needed and couldn't have come at a better time.

Heidi and Monica on the Dixie red rocks

We did a lot of shopping!
me and Heidi



me, Monnie & Heidi at our hotel

I don't get to see Heidi enough since she lives thousands of miles away. =(

did you hear earmuffs are the new thing?Some of my friends couldn't go at the last minutes, Jen, HOlli & Tiff we missed you guys. We need to plan another trip sometime soon! We missed you!

I know your all probably sick of my on going purse saga... but one last post..

I got my purse back!!! yahoo! A sweet little granny called me this morning and said she found all my stuff in a church dumpster(She works for the church as a janitor)! I wanted to kiss and hug her. What a sweetheart. She found a letter in my purse (I wrote a letter to Ryan's brother Tanner on his mission in Mexico) and she looked me up from the return address on the letter. So, through all of this I learned there are mean, creepy people- but, there are also honest, GOOD, caring people who will go out of their way to make things right!

THANKS for making my day Nedra!!!

Last night our family went through the new Draper Temple. There is an open house going on until the Temple is dedicated on the 22nd of March. I'm sure most of you have already been inside, but if there is anyone who would still like to go, here is link to get tickets. It is amazing inside, granite from China, wood from Africa & limestone from France. Everything is so thought out and beautiful. One of my favorite things were the huge hand painted murals of American Fork Canyon and another one of the Alpine Loop.

More importantly then all the custom furnishings & expensive materials, is what the Temple represents to our family. That we can be a sealed as a family forever.

peace of mind

I've found something to get me out of the slumps of these winter months...

Pilates and YOGA. I signed up at a gym a couple weeks ago and it's been so nice, just what I needed. I've been doing work out videos at home for months. But. it's so nice to go to a class and be in a group. Makes me actually follow through and work out for more than 30 minutes.

Now if I could just get some sunshine....=)