The Ranstrom Family

Cooper Laughing

2011-12-22T14:35:00.000-08:00

I had to post this. Cooper thinks it's funny when I talk in this creepy deep voice. Enjoy!

Dad

2011-12-16T10:37:00.000-08:00

I wanted to take a few moments today and write about my dad. Today is his birthday and would have been 52. I miss him more than I ever thought I could.

He was amazing man. He made sure everyone was happy before he was. He made others laugh and you always felt accepted by him no matter who you were. He was funny and always had a joke ready when you needed it. He was giving... he would give every last penny he had so that you didn't go without.

I was lucky enough to have such a wonderful dad and I wish so badly that my little boys could have had the chance to know him better. I will tell them everyday all about Grandpa and they will know him cause they'll know me and all the good things about me are because of my Dad.

Remember to tell those you love how you feel and never let a day go by not saying I love you. I don't remember if I told my Dad that I loved him the last time I talked to him. I am sure he knows but I still regret it.

Well... Happy Birthday Dad. Today in your honor, I will enjoy some Chicago Connection, drive aggressive and tail gate, watch Christmas Vacation, tell an inappropriate joke, and live life to the fullest. Love you Dad. I miss you.

I love you all. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

(This is my Dad's High School graduation picture... my dad was dreamy... or so my mom says.)

Merry Christmas from Coop & Mase

2011-12-14T16:34:00.000-08:00

My Boys

2011-09-22T09:03:00.000-07:00

My cute little boys...

Hello!

2011-09-21T13:37:00.000-07:00

okay so I know that this is pretty much the most amazing thing to see that I have posted something new on this here blog but don't get too excited... it's only one picture.... of my boys... it's kind of blurry... so sorry. I will try to post on here more pictures but I have to take them off of my camera that I can't locate. whoops!

A little update on me and my boys:

Lane: working hard as always and being a great dad in the process. He helps out with the night time feedings of the boys and loves them to pieces. I couldn't do this without him. Hunting season is upon us and I fear many Saturdays will be spent alone as he goes out to find us food for the long winter months. I am finally letting him out of the house on Mondays and Wednesday nights for basketball which he loves. Plus he needs a little "man time".

Cooper: he is a mama's boy that is for sure. He will instantly smile at me when I get even remotely in his view. He is so laid back and chill it's amazing! But when he's hungry, watch out!

Mason: He is my cuddle bug. He loves to be held and loves to look out the window. He is smiling more and more but coos anytime I drag my hair across his face. He loves it.

They are both sleeping well through the night and I couldn't be happier to get a little bit of sleep. They both weigh over 10 pounds which is amazing considering they weight about 3 1/2 pounds each when they were born! They are both growing up so fast it's amazing.

I love being their mom. They are really wonderful little creatures that I can't get enough of.

I decided I was a nobody before but now I am a somebody to them. It makes me feel pretty special to know that our Heavenly Father sent them to me and trusts me enough with them. They are my miracles.

Family Reunion

2010-08-23T10:01:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I last posted and I do apologize to those that truly care whether or not I do. Life has been crazy for the last couple of months... lots of fun things and lots of hard things but what else can you do besides enjoy the ride? Spending time with family and friends certainly helps and this summer has been one to remember.

We were able to spend a long weekend with my family up at the Ranstrom ranch. It was nice to ride the ATV's and spend afternoon's swinging in a hammock and playing Mafia until late. I had a blast and can't wait till next year when we get to do this again!

Lane and I celebrated our wedding anniversary last week. Can you believe we have been married for 4 years? Crazy how time flies when you are having fun!

Our Backyard

2010-03-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

If you ever wanted to know what two dogs will do to a backyard then please take a look at this picture below. Viewer Discretion is advised. This image may be terrifying for small children and those with weak hearts and/or stomachs.

Let me just tell you that dogs are a wonderful thing and I love them but they can really destroy a yard. They have dug holes, they have pooped EVERYWHERE, they have completely destroyed our grass, and they have chewed up all but two bushes in our backyard. It's re-frickin-diculous!

Lane and I decided we had about enough and we are starting over. First things first, we decided to be a one dog family which stunk but Lilly is in a much better place where the fields go on forever... No, not heaven but close. Kuna. We found a wonderful family to take her and they have a little girl that just adores her and watches morning cartoons with her. I feel better knowing that. Secondly, our other digger Maggie will be monitored more closely and will not be able to be in the backyard unattended. She has done well thus far and hasn't dug or or chewed up anything so that's a good sign. Thirdly we have completely ripped out everything in our backyard and have decided to do an extreme backyard makeover thanks to my wonderful sister in law Megan who is an amazing plant genius and has designed it all for us. We are in middle of it and can't wait till it's done. I shall post pictures of the end result but this picture is the before....

Fall

2009-10-07T21:08:00.000-07:00

I love fall. I love everything that has to do with the fall and all the majesties that go along with it. I enjoy the colors, the smells, and mostly the tastes.

Bring on the carmel apples, candy corn, pumpkin pie, and tootsie rolls.

This is my new addition to my decor. I decided to actually bite the bullet and purchase some fall foliage and this is what, get this, Lane picked out with me. It was his idea for most of it.

This is my new fall wreath. I have never owned a wreath so it's a huge step for me.

(Is it spelled wreath or wreathe? Do tell)

Up close and personal with the fake berries. These are the colors that I love.

My Life in Pictures

2009-09-17T17:01:00.000-07:00

Okay so this is my life in pictures since I last blogged before the last blog.. what? Anyways. One of these pictures is just for Kristen Dr.Zayich and I hope she knows which one.

We had good burgers all summer, lots of fun with my dogs, FUn with family, a trip to yellowstone, mylees birth, and Jeff's wedding. What an awesome summer and I am so sad to see it go...

Hello again

2009-08-23T13:59:00.000-07:00

There are 2 reasons why I haven't blogged in a really long time, and they are as follows;

1. It take SOOOO long to upload photos from my computer and I really can't find the patience to wait for it.

2. Whenever I try to write about something, I usually erase it right after because it wasn't great. Trust me. I never really have anything good or interesting to say so there you go.

I do however enjoy everyone else's blogs so keep up the good work!

Love forever and always,

holly

Biggest Loser Finale

2009-05-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

So we have been watching The Biggest Loser this season and boy has it been an emotional roller coaster. Last night was the finale and I am definately going to miss watching it every tuesday night with some of my favorite people. Here are some of my favorite memories from this season.... (please have Barbara Streisands song "memories" playing in your head.)
1. Lane having a total crush on Helen.
2. Laughing at Tara's beginning picture. I feel so bad but it's hilarious.
3. Ron being the God father.
4. Jeni saying that Helen "is dressed like a whore" at the Finale.
5. The marathon
6. Getting to drink Dr. Peppers every tuesday.
7. How cute Mike looks.
8. Dustin talking about his french foreign exchange student....
9. The night cole got scared and came running over.
10. Bob and his creepy tatoos.
I would like to say that those people are awesome for losing all that weight. I can't even lose 5 pounds and one guy lost half of himself.
Good job to all of them.

Good Song

2009-04-28T19:08:00.000-07:00

If you like good music and a good two finger dance then please go and purchase the song from Artist Ben Lee called "What's so Bad" (About feeling Good). I think that the first words sums up my existence.

Weekend

2009-04-26T15:51:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been nuts! So my brother returned home from his mission and I couldn't be more excited! I have been in prep mode trying to get everything ready and now the dust has finally settled and I can totally blog my feelings out. Just blog it out.

Well this picture is of my family right after we got off the escalator to meet michal. His plane came in 30 minutes early so Lane and I were late getting the airport! It was kind of crappy but hey what can you do? And what plane ever comes in 30 minutes early I ask you??
This is a precious picture of Michals friends that greeted him at the airport. Aren't they a tender little bunch? The rest of his buddies came in later that evening.

This is of michal enjoying his first Ultimate Bacon Cheeseburger from Jack in the box since being home. They don't have those in Iowa and he had been craving it for days!

And then on Saturday we made my family take family pictures because the last one we had taken was over 2 years ago. So this is what we have for that.... (Thanks Heather!!)

This is for Kristen Drizzy

2009-04-08T20:16:00.000-07:00

whoa. it's been a long time pardner... (you have to say it with a cowboy drawl in order for that intro to work) perfect... we can move on now.

So my life is swell. Yes the economy is slowly crumbling as we speak but do I care? No! I simply just sit back, spend some cold hard cash on a bag of peanut butter m&m's and a time share in the bahamas and let everyone else worry. I really didn't buy a timeshare and I never would. Those are simply foooolish. Especially with the economy the way that it is....

Alright... back to me. I have been up to pretty much nothing lately. (big change from last blog entry) but I couldn't be better. I am fully enjoying my house and trying my hardest to decorate it which I have come to the conclusion is HARD. I can't do it. I need serious help but I will just keep on going to the stores and saying "that's cute" and then strolling by wondering where the H I would put that and with the way that the economy is....

I have another dog! Whoo. I know I am crazy but what the heck right? I think that all dogs deserve a good place to rest their weary paws and where else but my couch? Her name is Lilly and she is a 3 year old german short hair. She's thinks she's a lap dog and always has to be around you or near you or basically sitting on top of you in order to feel content. It's pretty cute. (if you like that sort of thing) Her and Maggie entertain each other. They fight most of the time and sniff each other the rest of it. They do however dig a whole bunch of holes in our back yard and it looks like a few bombs dropped. I'll have to take a few pictures of it to show you how deep they are. I have to laugh at it because if I don't, I'll cry. plus with the economy the way that it is...

In other news, my little brother is coming home! I can't believe it! I am really excited and can't wait to see him. If-in ya'll want to attend his homecoming, it's Sunday April 26th at the church on Locust Grove between Chinden and McMillan at 9:00. I would love to see some of you there. Only some of you though.... the rest.... don't bother. JUST KIDDING!!

Alright I better go... I am running out of insanely interesting things to say. Plus I have to go and watch my evening shows (I sound like an old person) like Matlock and Murder she Wrote. Goodness. if only.

I hope everyone is well and I hope that you will forgive me for not writing a post sooner but you know with the economy the way that it is....

PEACE!

What's a pirates favorite holiday?

2009-01-13T20:58:00.000-08:00

New Yar's!

Wow... so Christmas sure did come and go quickly didn't it? And before I knew the new year just came right on in... I really can't believe that 2008 is over. Yikes.

I guess I should give an update for those of you who care. I know that I don't have any pictures and I know I don't usually read a blog post unless there are pictures but I'm sure you'll skim through this because you're a much better person than I. I'll make it quick.

1. Christmas was great. Good food. Good Friends. Good weather. Gained 2 pounds

2. New Years was fun. Good Food. Good family. Decent weather. Gained 2 pounds

That about sums it all up. Have a good year!

Just kidding.

But for real. I am so unexciting it's not even funny. My life is great don't get me wrong. I just don't do much. I do however find time to read the Ikea magazine at least twice a day. I am in love with those sweden people. genius.

I have decided to make a few new goals for the year but I won't share them with you that way in case I break them you'll have no idea!

I really feel like 2009 will be a good year. I hope it is for everyone.

That's it folks. Good day and have a pleasant tomorrow.

bye.

Christmas is the best time of the year

2008-12-07T19:25:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures from our Christmas tree that I finally put up. I decided that I love snowflakes. So that's my theme.

Merry Christmas!

I've been tagged.

2008-11-23T09:29:00.000-08:00

My Man

1. Where did you meet your husband? I am pretty sure that we met in High School but I like to think we met in the pre-existence... oh boy.

2. How long did you date before you got married? 10 months or so

3. How long have you been married? 2 years and 4 months but it seems like only yesterday. (man... these lines are just coming from out of no where!)

4. What does he do that surprises you? When he takes long baths.

5. What is your favorite feature of his? His eyes. He has a little gold in them. oh and his shoulders.

6. What is his best quality? His kindness.

7. Does he have a nickname for you? He usually calls me "hippie", "woman", or "bug"

8. What is his favorite food? anything that I make is his favorite because he rarely gets it.

9. What is his favorite sport? sportscenter

10. When and where did you first kiss? I don't really remember (On my couch... november 4th.... 2005... 12:15am)

11. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? We like to take walks and look at things on craigslist but not at the same time.

12. Do you have any children? nope. But we do have a dog.

13. Does he have any hidden talents? He can do the backwards worm.

14. How old is he? 24

15. Who said I love you first? technically me.

16. What is his favorite music? asian rap.

17. What do you admire most about him? I admire the fact that he has so many goals and he usually accomplishes anything that he sets his mind to.

18. What is his favorite color? Green.

19. Will he read this? Maybe.

20. Who do you tag? Any other person that hasn't done this yet.

My Dog

2008-11-05T21:13:00.000-08:00

I am pretty sure I've become a creepy dog owner that treats their dog like a kid. Okay so I call myself mommy to my dog... that's not weird.... (maybe just a little) But here are some pictures of maggie that I just had to post. This first one is of her and how she lays down. All spread out and what not. Pretty funny. And the next one is the sweet little girl she can be until she rips my hand to shreds. awesome. We still like her a lot and we will keep her.

Happy Halloween?

2008-11-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

Well... let's see... Our halloween was pretty uneventful. I bought a bag of candy and figured we get maybe a couple of trick or treaters but not one came by our house. It couldn't be because we live on a street with only 6 occupied houses and only one kid lives in the neighborhood but come on?! Lane decided to dress up for one of his appointments. Looks good huh? Yep. He's mine ladies. all mine.... I love combing my fingers through that fine blond head of hair. Hope everyone had a good halloween. Next year I am having a party so put that on your calendars.

Introducing...

2008-10-26T21:33:00.000-07:00

Maggie!

She is our new little ankle biter but we sure do love her. She is an English Springer Spaniel in case you were wondering and she is now a little over 10 weeks old and she is pretty smart already. She can sit on command as well fetch a ball and drop when you say. She has been enrolled into puppy school which starts on Tuesday so wish us luck with this! Okay, that's about it. Have a good day!

Finally!

2008-10-11T20:41:00.000-07:00

Look Everyone... Our house! So I know that I have technically been in the house for about a month and a half but it still feels new to me. We absolutely love being in it and we are enjoying making our house feel like a home. Stop by anytime and I am sure we will treat you to some tasty hot chocolate or a glass of water.

(this is what the inside looks like right now)

Thailand

2008-08-23T05:02:00.000-07:00

When you come back from a trip they say that you can have "jet lag" which I thought was a mythical tiger but no.... it's a real thing because right now it's 6:00 in the morning on a SATURDAY no doubt and I cant' sleep which stinks because I am REALLY TIRED. I think after this I'll have some cereal. Anyways.... here are some pictures from our amazing trip to Thailand, Cambodia and Hong Kong. ( In no particular order.... because it wouldn't let me.)

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Children Playing for Money at a Buddhist Temple

Stairs to a Buddhist Temple

Lane Getting off the plane in Cambodia

The airplane

Good Old Jeff

On a River Raft adventure in Chaing Mai Thailand

Elephants forging the river

Pam & Allan on the elephant

A fly on my sprite bottle. I thought it would be a good picture and it is.

Drew in a fancy skirt.

The Dirty River in Bangkok

This is from our River Boat Dinner ride on the dirty river.

The Famous Floating Market

That's the elephant that we rode.

This is when we picked up Jeff from the mission home

The Market in Bangkok

The Reclining Buddha

The Kings Palace

This was the sign pointing out where the ladies room is. I laughed for a really long time about that one.

They have 7 elevens EVERYWHERE!!

Indiana Jones playing soccer.

All of their taxis are pink.

Also from the market.

I will have to post some more when I have some more time but enjoy these.

Hey folks!

2008-07-15T18:56:00.000-07:00

Alright Ladies and Gents, here is my update in pictures. Do enjoy! Love you all.

This was right after we purchased our land for our new house. As you can see it will back up to the Stake Center and it has a great view of bogus. (for now)

Our land right after they cleared the area for the foundation.

Our house getting a foundation.

Our house getting framed.

Here is the 4th of July Fun.....

Lucas

Me & Hailey (she is so freakin cute)

Fireworks!!

Lane eating the homemade ice cream off the mixer.

The inside of our house!!!

And this is what our house looks like today. It is coming along quite nicely and we are soooo excited to move into it soon. Can't wait.

Update

2008-05-18T16:31:00.001-07:00

First off here are some pictures from Paul's wedding...

Wow... it has surely been a long time since I have posted something new. Here is my monthly update!

1. I found a new job as a receptionist for a real low key family health nurse practitioner. They are really nice and the job is one of those no stress really easy kind of jobs that I prefer to do. I am all about getting rid of all stress in my life which brings me to number 2.

2. Lane and I have a new goal to get rid of all unnecessary stress in our lives. It really is not worth having that in your life. I am so happy to not be working at that other place that I seriously feel like a weight has been lifted on my shoulders. I would rather work for a cheaper paying job without stress than to have a higher paying job.

3. Lane and I are building a house!! I know... crazy. We bought the land which is right behind the locust grove stake center and our backyard will be their huge field. It's awesome!! We are still in the preliminary stages of it all so I will keep you updated on everything!!

4. Lane and I are moving in with Lane's parents in 1 week. We have had pretty much enough of this place and yes it was free rent but I am getting tired of random people looking through our windows and rattling the door knobs during all hours of the day. We were supposed to be moving out July 1st then they bumped it up to June 1st so that's always good news.

5. Lane's brother Paul got married last weekend to a lady named Megan. We haven't really gotten to know her that well but if Paul is happy then that is all that matters!

I think that this pretty much sums everything up. My life is fun I decided and I am glad I get to live it the way I want to.

Peace and love.

What am I doing?

2008-04-30T09:23:00.000-07:00

I quit my job. I really up and quit my well paying, free cell phone, free house, and stress filled job about 2 weeks ago. I came to the realization that this job was slowly sucking the life from me. I come home every day in a zombie-like state after staring at a computer all day long with no windows to the outside world and no one to talk to. I can't deal with all the pressure that comes with this job. I know that I may sound like a complete wuss and that I should just suck it up but why can't I do what I want to do?

The job was great. It has everything you could ever want as a career and I guess that's the key word. They want someone that wants to make this their career and I don't want that. I want to be a mother soon and I want to stay at home with my kids and be there when they need me most. I know that being a mother is a job in itself and I admire all the mothers out there that I know for doing what they do everyday. I know it will be hard but I would rather have them take up all my energy than this job.

I don't know what I am going to do at this point. I have an offer to go work at a pharmacy with Full Benefits so I may just do that. It's always fun to try out something new right? (as long as I can see outside)

I am scared out of my mind but the only way that I could have ever done this was because of my wonderful husband believing in me and wanting me to be happy. I love him for trusting me enough and letting me quit my job to see what else is out there.

I'm crazy.....

I think I will try being a hippie for awhile. Just to see what it's like.

Wish me luck!

Happy Birthday Michal!!

2008-04-16T15:18:00.000-07:00

Today is my brothers birthday!! I can't believe that he is 21 years old! It seems like only yesterday he was in 5th grade and acting too cool for me. I wanted to take a moment and tell you a few fun facts about my brother. He is the best.

1. My brother can do some pretty good self portraits. I think he gets it from me.

2. We have this inside joke with these little ninja dudes. We got 3 of them on the night before he went into the MTC and we promised to always have them because it will keep us safe.... strange? yes. awesome? yes. But as you can see they may have multiplied over night. I am not sure how he got all these and he has yet to reveal but I think it has to do with some sort of special ninja power.... i don't know. (I have mine on my desk at work)
3. My little brother (who is not so little anymore) is one of my best friends and I miss him a whole bunch. We have always looked out for each other. I love him to death!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROTHER!!

New Blog Backgrounds!

2008-04-11T15:18:00.000-07:00

Update

2008-04-10T13:25:00.000-07:00

I guess that it has been awhile since I have posted something on here and apologize to those that are waiting on my every word so here is an update.

1. Lane and I almost bought a house a couple of weeks ago but our offer wasn't accepted and we didn't want to go any higher. It would have been a great place. Close to all the family members and we would have been in Drew & Jeni's ward so that would have been fantastic. But lo, it was not meant to be I guess. We'll probably get another itch in a few months but I'll keep you updated.

2. My parents are putting there house on the market this week and we have been trying to get it "show ready" and it's been fun but if anyone needs a house (besides me) and wants one for a steal then just let me know.

3. One of my best pals in the world was put to sleep a couple of weeks ago. Her name was Rosie and she was my 12 year old mutt. I know that I didn't spend as much time with her lately as I should seeing as how she lived at my parents but I miss her much. She was my friend throughout high school and she would always sleep on my bed with me. She's in a much better place but I'll never forget her.

4. My job is great. We are getting pretty excited about everything that's happening around here. Our developments are progressing at a great pace and I do believe we are ahead of schedule but that could change at any time. I love my job. If you want to go to this website, you can see what the project looks like day by day. It's pretty cool. http://oxblue.com/pro/open/?webPath=esiconstruction/portico

5. The side business with Chelsea is going great as well. Luke & Chelsea are working hard on getting the website up and running and if you want to check it out it's www.cobaltbloom.com.

They aren't finished with it yet but it looks great none the less!

6. Hello my name is Holly and I am a candyholic. I have been sober for 3 days and counting. Okay so thanks to Jeni and her friends I have decided that it would be beneficial to my health to quit sugary treats and other such foods. I can't have cookies, candy, ice cream, and cake. I know you must think that 3 days does not seem like that much but with the way I eat candy you would be very proud of me. I will keep you updated on how this goes.... oh and i get one free day. Saturday. I can't wait. just kidding.

That's pretty much it for now! I'll post in another month or two.

See ya!

First comes love... then comes marriage

2008-03-17T15:55:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Heather Florence is getting married so this weekend Chelsea and I took their wedding announcement photographs and I just wanted to post one of the pictures and show you what a beautiful couple these two are. Congrats to the future Mr. & Mrs. Morgan.

(PS they are getting married April 26th 2008)

Blog Backgrounds

2008-03-13T10:23:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, sorry for any problems with the HTML code that you have been having. It was completely my fault. Try the new code to your right and that should work. If you are still having problems, let me know and I will see what I can do.

Thank you for your patience with this and if you want any specific colors for your background I can certainly make you something else!

Thanks,

Holly

Blog Backgrounds

2008-03-12T12:51:00.000-07:00

If you want to use any of these blog backgrounds just copy & paste the link address that is right below the picture. Use the directions to the right!!

These are brought to you by Cobalt Bloom Designs! More to come.

Best Birthday Ever

2008-03-07T10:55:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to take a moment and tell everyone thank you for making my birthday wonderful this week. I have felt nothing but love from all of my friends and family and I wanted to tell you how much it all means to me. I am so lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful people and I know that sometimes I don't say it enough to everyone but I love you all so very much.

I don't know what I would do without my amazing husband who tells me I'm beautiful when I am looking like something the cat dragged in. He has shown me what true love really is and I am excited to have eternity with my Lane.

My friends.... I have been through the best & worst of times with you guys. We have seen each other through middle school, high school, college for some, marriage, kids, & all that is in between. You are my guys. My best guys. I am lucky to have found such awesome people to call my friends.

My family.... always there for me no matter what. I could call on them for anything and they are right there ready and willing. They have raised me to be the women I am and I think I turned out pretty good....

Thanks again for everything and for my birthday. My life is great because of all of you!

Love,

Hopps, Hoppy, Holly, Aunt Holly, Holls, HA Puffinstuff

I COULD SCREAM

2008-03-05T14:34:00.000-08:00

So I have been having nothing but trouble with my blog so I erased everything and started over. This stinks....