Ryan Ridley's Blog

ABCA CONVENTION

2012-01-10T07:17:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I was able to attend the annual American Baseball Coaches Association Convention in Anaheim. It was AWESOME! Coaches, players and companies across the nation associated with baseball at every level participated and attended. I was able to attend 2 out of the 3 days, Friday and Saturday. From 8 am to 6 pm there were clinic sessions that you could attend. Clinics and presentations from top Division 1 coaches, professional hitting instructors, sports psychologists, athletic trainers, former coaches that are now motivational speakers. Anything you can think of dealing with baseball and athletics, it was covered. It was a great experience for me and I hope to be able to attend more in the future. I was able to take away a lot of information to be implemented into my coaching style; different drills, players relationships, leadership roles, offensive and defensive philosophies and the list can go on. I thought I was excited to start this baseball season a few weeks ago, but after attending this convention I am even more pumped to start my first year of coaching. It increased my desire to be a head coach at the college level to be honest. There are so many opportunities in the world of sports and athletics and that is what I love to do. I am happy I am taking the first step and have been given the opportunity to coach this year. I hope I can be an positive influence and be able to help young baseball players to become better people and leaders along with improving their skills as a basbeball player.

HILARIOUS: TEBOW vs BRADY

2011-12-15T16:58:00.000-08:00

My cousin Holly posted this on Facebook and I thought it was pretty funny but not as funny as her family Christmas card that had a picture of her three kids "Tebowing" haha Gotta love it! ....... I love to watch Tom Brady play football. He will be an all time great. I love to watch Tebow and admire this guy for everything he stands for.

Just a little Tebow humor... Tom Brady, after living a full life, died. When he got to heaven, God was showing him around. They came to a modest little house with a faded Patriots flag in the window. "This house is yours for eternity Tom, said God. "This is very special; not everyone gets a house up here." Tom felt special, indeed, and walked up to his house. On his way up the porch, he noticed another house just around the corner. It was a huge 3-story mansion with Orange and Blue sidewalks and drive ways, a 50 foot tall flagpole with an enormous Broncos logo flag waving, a swimming pool in shape of a horse, a Broncos logo in every window, and a Tim Tebow jersey on the front door. Tom looked at God and said "God, I'm not trying to be ungrateful, but I have a question.. I was an all-pro QB, I won 3 Super Bowls, and I even went to the Hall of Fame." God said "So what's your point Tom?" "Well, why does Tim Tebow get a better house than me?" God chuckled, and said "Tom, that's not Tim's house, it's mine."

Hope you got a little laugh out of that. I did.

LAKERS BASKETBALL

2011-12-11T09:15:00.000-08:00

Growing up I never played in a basketball league. I played Little League and AYSO soccer. I like playing basketball, but when I was young it wasn't my thing. I think I have linked not wanting to play basketball to me not liking my hands being dirty. I know kinda weird. Playing street basketball with a old rubber ball made my hands filthy dirty and I did not like that. Anyways.... Though I don't play basketball a whole lot and I am not a huge basketball fan, I do follow NBA basketball a little bit and I love to watch the Lakers.
There has been so much talk lately about the Lakers and possible trades for CP3 and D12 it has been a little exhausting. One minute there is a trade and then the next minute it isn't happening. I don't know all the details but I am pretty sure Commissioner Stern is an idiot and a lot of not only Laker fans but fans of the NBA are upset with recent events due to "Basketball reasons." A lot to keep up with the last couple of days if you are a Laker fan. You aren't sure who is still on the team, who has been traded and who has been signed.
I do have a few of my own thoughts. The Lakers were embarrassed last year in the playoffs. Phil Jackson is no longer the head coach and they have brought in Mike Brown. The Lakers are not a young team and Kobe will not be around forever. I think the efforts of trying to bring in Dwight Howard and Chris Paul is the best thing for the Lakers and they should do all they can to get these guys. You can not go in to this season with the same guys from last year and expect a better result. There needs to be change. Bringing in D12 and CP3 will bring in young, very talented players and arguably the best at their positions. You set the tone for defense with the new head coach and Dwight Howard, which has been lacking with the Lakers recently. Dwight Howard isn't just a defender and shot blocker but an offensive power in the paint that can put up 30+ points a night. Bringing in Chris Paul is looking towards the future when Kobe is no longer playing but in the mean time with these players you would no doubt be a dominant team in the west and expect to win a few championships in the next few years.
It is hard to give up guys like Odom, Gasol and Bynum who have been apart of championship teams for the Lakers but there is no way the Lakers can get top caliber players like CP3 and D12 without giving up these guys to make it happen.
I hope we can still get Howard this year with the negotiations for CP3 no longer happening. I also hope that New Orleans doesn't trade Paul and then next year as a free-agent CP3 signs with the Lakers. Who knows what will happen. I am sure a lot of people are just excited to get the season started after the stupid lockout. I hope that the NBA season isn't plagued with injuries like the NFL due to the late start in pre-season camps.
Just a few of my thoughts on Laker basketball. I hope they can pull it together in the shortened season and make it to the finals and win another championship.

USSSA TOURNAMENT

2011-12-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

The last couple of years I have played in a Toys 4 Tots softball tournament out in Palm Springs. I played in this tournament yesterday with a new team called ReCal. It's a team combined with players from Reno NV and Murrieta CA. It was still fun to play with these guys even though we stunk and didn't play well at all. Every tournament is sponsored or organized by different organizations and every tournament has different rules. Such as, leading off the bag after the pitch or not, how high or low the pitch has to be and what is considered a strike. All lot of the guys playing yesterday were not familiar with the pitching style and it effected our offense big time. The pitches were coming in a lot faster with no arch with the minimum height of 4 ft. It also threw off our pitcher who wasn't used to this type of pitching style and ended up walking a lot of guys. We only ended up playing two games and were finished losing both games in an embarrassing way based on the final score. One of the worst outings for a tournament that I have played in. I decided that I would no longer play in these types of tournaments.

PUJOLS an ANGEL!

2011-12-09T08:56:00.000-08:00

As my wife would say..." O.M.G.!!!!!!" Over the past several days I have been getting ESPN notifications, updating me on the recent signings and trades in the MLB. Lots of talk and rumors of where big name free agents would end up signing filled radio stations, news reports etc.... but it was all speculation. The biggest free agent and the best player in the game right now is hands down Albert Pujols and like me, I am sure a lot of people were following along with the media to find out where he would end up playing next season. There had been a few teams that were reported to offer Pujols a deal, but the Angels were not in the conversation. I heard a lot of talk about, "What if????" or that would be cool if Albert actually came and played for the Angels but no one really thought that it would happen. Well, it did. I woke up Thursday morning and got on my phone, looked at Twitter and it was blowing up twitter. The Angels had swoopped in and offered Pujols a deal he couldn't refuse. 10 year contact at 254 million dollars. Ya, CRAZY!!! No doubt that the signing of the Pujols to the Angels makes them a front runner next season and a favorite in the American League. The Angels lacked the run support for their incredible starting pitching and now with Pujols in the line up it just makes everyone better. Angels fans from all over are so excited and can't wait for the new season to start. A lot to look forward to if you're an Angel fan for the next decade.

PRACTICE BEGINS

2011-12-05T08:15:00.000-08:00

I finally received the final word from the district office last week. I am officially hired as a baseball coach at Murrieta Mesa High School. I will be coaching at the freshman level and really excited. I met most of the boys last week as well as the other coaches. Between now and Christmas break I will be out on the field with the boys, throwing the ball around and hitting in the cages. I haven't thrown a baseball in probably over a year but it felt good throwing the other day. It's a little different than throwing a softball, mainly just size and weight. I immediately started a throwing routine for the team and explained what I wanted them to do and focus on when warming and throwing. We probably won't do any live hitting or drills on the field until we get back from Christmas break. I am really excited about this opportunity to coach. I have wanted to do it for awhile now, and I hope that it leads to more coaching opportunities in the future with baseball as well as football.

LOVE..... and BASEBALL

2011-11-17T15:05:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of things that people "Love." There are a lot of things that I love. I simply love life and everything that it has to offer. I love my beautiful wife Brooke, with all my heart and will for eternity. I love my family unconditionally. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ and so grateful for the love, joy, peace and knowledge is brings into my life. I could make a long list of the things I love, but those are the few really important things I love in this life.

One of my great passions, and has been from the time I was young, is baseball. I love baseball. I enjoy playing a lot of different sports and being active but the game of baseball is special. I haven't played an actual baseball game for a few years but I get my baseball fix by playing a lot softball. It isn't quite the same but very similar.

I came across this simple quote and that is what inspired this blog post.

"Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too."

I am really excited to get the chance to coach baseball this next season at the high school level. I have never coached a team before and it will be a new experience for me. I am a little nervous, but I feel the skills needed to coach will come naturally and I have confidence in myself that I will be able to do the job.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHAYNA

2011-11-16T15:53:00.000-08:00

HAPPY 17th BIRTHDAY SHAYNA!

My little sister is growing up all too fast. It is crazy to think that the baby of the family will be graduating high school this coming summer then off to college. It is hard for me to remember when I turned 17 since it was some time ago, but Shayna has so much to look forward to. Shayna is a senior and will be graduating this coming summer. Her plans after high school are still uncertain, but I know that where ever she goes to college she will love it and she will make a ton of new friends and share her beautiful spirit and smile with everyone she comes in contact with.

Shayna is strong individual with a great desire to do her best at whatever she does, whether it be in school, relationships or dance. She is a hard worker and very good student. Shayna is very passionate about the things she loves and it shows. She has grown up to be beautiful on the inside and out. One of the best things I love about Shayna is her testimony of Jesus Christ and His Gospel and her commitment to be Christ-like always.

I hope you have a wonderful birthday Shay and know that Brooke and I love you very much and are so proud of you and what you have accomplished in your life so far. We look forward to watching you achieve so much more in the future.

NIXON

2011-11-12T13:57:00.000-08:00

Introducing the new addition to the family. His name is Nixon. No, he isn't named after a former

President. However, we did get the name from my favorite watch company. We have had Nixon now for a week and absolutely LOVE him. He has been a handful at times but has been a ton of fun. He wants to play constantly and loves to run around our small little place. He likes to explore any small little space he can fit into, jump or hop on anything on the ground and chew on anything in his reach. Nixon is already pretty good at chasing a small ball and bringing it back to you as well. He also loves to chase Brooke's feet around and bite at her toes and ankles. Nixon is a cuddler. He like to sleep and cuddle up right next to Brooke or I. He has done better than expected in the house training area and learning quick. We are trying to crate train him. Some nights are better than others, but we are constantly looking online or asking friends with dogs about little suggestions or training tips. He is awesome with our little nieces and they love the little "puppy." We have wanted and thought about getting a little dog for some time now and so happy that we found Nixon. We has brought on new responsibilities, friendship, challenges and a lot of laughs and love into our home.

SECOND TIME AROUND

2011-11-09T15:19:00.000-08:00

I sent in my CSUSM application this morning for the B.S. Kinesiology program. I applied at the begining of this year for the current fall semester but I still needed a few more classes to fulfill the requirements. So... hopefully this time around I will get accepted into the program. San Marcos now has a few extended learning programs that that are offered at the new Temecula campus. Instead of driving almost an hour to the main campus I will be able to take all the classes I need in Temecula.

Some of you might be asking, what is Kinesiology? Kinesiology refers to "the study of human movement." I have copied a brief description of the program below that gives so more information.

"The B.S. in Kinesiology with an option in Health Science at Cal State San Marcos is designed for students interested in professional service in public health, health/fitness education and promotion, wellness coaching, health research, and community health advocacy and programming. Graduates will be skilled in promoting positive, personal behavior changes that have an impact on the health of individuals and their communities. Graduates will be well-prepared to pursue graduate programs in public health, kinesiology, and health science. "

I have been going to school for too long. I just need to finish. I will be finishing my Associates Degree in Physical Science at the end of this semester at San Jacinto. Pretty stoked about that. The end is in sight. I can't wait to be finished.

A COACH'S PRAYER

2011-11-08T08:08:00.000-08:00

Dear Lord, guide me as

I try to coach this team;

to build each player’s character

and boost their self-esteem.

May I keep an even temper

and remember it’s just a game.

Let me not have favorite players,

but treat them all the same.

Grant me patience with them

as I praise them or correct,

remembering that I must work

to earn each one’s respect.

Lord, whether we may win or lose

may all who are watching see

the kind of coach at every game

that you would have me be.

Amen

By: Tony Alfonso

Last week while I was waiting to meet with the Athletic Director at Murrieta Mesa to turn in some paper work, I had a few moments to look around the school's gymnasium. In the entrance lobby there were several cases that displayed team pictures, signed baseballs and footballs along with many awards achieved by players and teams. In one of the cases I found the above Coach's Prayer. I had never heard of it before but the words left an impression on me. Simple words to remember but not always easily done. I hope that within the opportunities I have to coach, that I will constantly have this prayer in my heart and be able to focus on individuals as well as all the "small and simple things" and let "winning" be a byproduct of the hard work, dedication and determination. It is very similar to how the Lord and the Gospel works in our lives. Alma 37:6-7 His purpose is "...to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." Christ has fulfilled is promise and we must continually strive to fulfill our responsibilty. Through the small and simple things such as; repentance, saying our daily prayers, reading our scriptures, serving others and obeying His commandments, we will be on the "strait and narrow path" leading to eternal life. If it is our goal is to return to live with our Father in Heaven and our Savior I know that these small and simple, not always easy, things will be apart of our lives and through them we will find peace and joy in this life and in the life to come.

BASEBALL SEASON

2011-11-02T14:47:00.000-07:00

"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." ~Rogers Hornsby

I caught myself thinking and saying to myself the other night, "I wonder if there is a baseball game on TV that I could watch? Oh wait. Baseball is over." (Here I would insert a :( but you can imagine the immediate frown on my face) October is the best time to watch baseball. Nothing like the Fall Classic. Play-off games almost every night, with the best teams battling to make it to the next round and become World Champs. It's sad to say that the baseball season is over and we will have to wait till spring for it to start back up again. I think the World Series was sooooo good that it gave baseball fans such a rush and excitement that it left many wanting for more. Almost like an addiction. Can baseball be an addiction? Depends on who you are asking I guess. The off-season does leave many story lines of new GM's, firing and hiring of managers, blockbuster trades and signing of free agents. There will be much speculation to who signs with what team and which players will be traded.... blah blah blah. Nothing will compare to the anticipation of opening day next year, and all baseball fans can hear, "Play ball!"

As for my Halos, the 2011 season left much disappointment and room for improvement along with high hopes and expectations for 2012. The hire of DiPoto as the new GM for the Angles creates excitement and a breath of fresh air. Changes in the front office will be good for the Angels as they move forward putting last season behind them. It was a bummer that the Angels did not make the post season and from my point of view unacceptable with the talent on the mound for starting pitchers and the type of players we had defensively. The main focus this off-season should be the production at the plate giving our outstanding starting pitchers some run support. They have to start swinging the bat better especially with RISP. The Angels had a lot of young prospects that filled in and had a really good season. At the top of that list would be Trumbo, the AL ROY. He will be a player to watch grow and mature and become one of MLB's big bats. One of the biggest blunders for the Angles last year was Vernon Wells. The way I look at it is that he can't get much worse than last years production. The only way is up. I believe he will have a much better season in his second year with the ball club. There are still many questions about Morales and where he will fall into the line-up if he is healthy. There are also a lot of questions about the veteran players, Hunter, Abreu and their role moving forward. Another pressing matter is the issue behind the plate. I don't even wanna get into it about Mathis. I can't stand to watch him in the batters box.

I found myself paying more attention to baseball and the Angels more than ever this last year than in years past. I think I credit that to the wonderful world of Twitter, being apart of the Angles Family and following a lot of significant people connected to the Angels as well as listening to sports talk radio every time I am in the car. I am sure my wife Brooke loved it when we would have to get in the car to go somewhere during an Angels game and the first thing I did was change the station to AM830. If i wasn't listening or watching the games I would be getting updates on my phone. I would let her know if the Angels won that day or lost. She loves to go to the BIG A sporting her Angels shirt. She constantly teases me about my signed Tim Salmon baseball I got this year and we get a good laugh about it. I will have to post pictures about that soon and recap what happened, but it is a very cool story that I will never forget and will tell my whole life.

Anyways... This blog post ended up being much longer than I expected and I added a few subjects that weren't really on my mind until I started typing. I am looking forward to next season already with enthusiasm and passion. GO HALOS!

BEST GAME EVERRRRRRR!!!!

2011-10-28T16:11:00.000-07:00

Game 6 of the World Series in 2011 could and most likely be argued as one of the greatest games played in MLB history. Amazing, unbelievable, incredible are only a few words to describe the unforgettable victory by the St. Louis Cardinals. If you weren't glued to the television somewhere, listening intently to the radio like I was last night, I am sure you have heard about the what happened. Cardinals were down by 3 at one point in the game and came back to tie, then were down by 2, two different times with the Rangers one strike away from being the World Series Champs and the Cards were able to score, making the game even. I n the top of 11th inning St. Louis was able to hold Texas, not allowing a run and taking advantage in the bottom of the 11th with a walk-off home run. Game 6 wasn't pretty defensively for either team, but the game was sure exciting with costly errors, wacky managerial moves, clutch base hits and crushing home runs. The Rangers thought they had put the game away twice and the Cardinals refused to lose and give up. This game will forever be remember by all baseball fans, being talked about as one of the greatest baseball games ever.

COACHING OPPORTUNITY

2011-10-25T16:42:00.000-07:00

Anyone that really knows me, knows that I love baseball. It truly has been a long time passion of mine ever since I can remember. I love the game of baseball. I love the everyday practice of fundamentals and drills. I love the mental part of the game at the plate and especially on the mound. I love the feeling when you make solid contact with bat and ball. I love making a diving play and getting dirty. I love the sound of metal cleats on red brick dust infield. I love the camaraderie of a baseball team. There are so many things I love about the game of baseball and I could go on and on.
One of the regrets I have in my life to this point is not pursuing baseball and playing at the next level. I gave it a shot a few times in college, but didn't stick with it. No one to blame but myself. I do however still want to be involved with baseball and have a great desire to coach. I don't have much experience of being an official coach but I have an opportunity to help coach at a local High School in Murrieta. Murrieta Mesa has need of assistant baseball coaches. Luckily for me, one of my old baseball coaches at Murrieta Valley is involved with the baseball program at Murrieta Mesa and has helped me get my foot in the door. I have met with the Athletic Director and currently in the process of applying through the school district and making it official. There is still some paperwork, certifications that need to be processed and interviews that still need to happen. I am pretty stoked about the opportunity and hope that I can help these young players become better at the sport we both enjoy.

LOVE THE GAME

2011-10-20T16:03:00.000-07:00

I stummbled upon this quote and absolutely love it. I love sports and how they can relate to life in general. You can learn a lot of life lessons when participating in sports and being apart of a team.

"LOVE THE GAME. Love the game for the pure joy of accomplishment. Love the game for everything it can teach you about yourself. Love the game for the feeling of belonging to a group endeavoring to do its best. Love the game for being involved in a team whose members can't wait to see you do your best. Love the game for the challenge of working harder than you ever have at something and then harder than that. Love the game because it takes all team members to give it life. Love the game because at its best, the game tradition will include your contributions. Love the game because you belong to a long line of fine athletes who have loved it. It is now your legacy. Love the game so much that you will pass on your love of the game to another athlete who has seen your dedication, your work, your challenges, your triumphs... and then that athlete will, because of you, love the game."

---Unknown

Fantasy Football

2011-08-22T15:11:00.000-07:00

Let the new Fantasy Football Season begin. Only a few weeks left until week 1 and I am so stoked and excited. I am playing in two drafts this year. Already had one draft, and the second one is this weekend. Wasn't too excited about the results of my first draft and hoping that the draft this weekend will be better. I usually have done pretty well the past few years in the leagues that I have played in and yet to win the Championship, but have come pretty close. Hopefully this will be the year. Playing fantasy football might be a little addicting but I have so much fun with it. I love talking smack to my friends that I play against. Probably the only time I talk smack because when I am on a field playing I keep my mouth shut and let my abilities and play talk to the smack. Fantasy Football definitely makes me watch games that I wouldn't normally watch, and makes me pay attention to a lot of players and teams. I don't really have a specific team that I watch every week, even though I grew up a 49er fan, but I just simply like to watch any good game. I have favorite players that I like to watch and usually watch their games. Looking forward to this NFL season, and much anticipated, Wish me luck.

Showing Some Love

2011-08-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

So.... My parent's house in La Cresta has been the venue for a lot of weddings the past 5-6 years. It is a perfect spot to have a beautiful outdoor wedding or reception, with a beautiful yard and an exceptional view. Over the years there have been many close friends that have used the property and have planned gorgeous events at a very low cost and sometimes even free. My parents have been very generous in letting people use the backyard for these special events. A lot of people don't really understand or know how much effort, time, money and preparation our family has put in for these special occasions, but it has been a blessing for our family and for those who celebrate their special day. During the summer, my parents receive multiple phone calls and referrals asking about the availability of having a wedding or a reception on the property. It has been hard to turn people away for what ever reason or even charge people a reasonable price that would just cover the cost of holding, and planning an event at the house. After much planning and deliberating Brooke and my Sister Ashley have started a new business, A Perfect Pear Wedding and Event Planning that will use my my parents property for weddings, receptions and any kind of event or party. Brooke and Ashley are really excited about their new adventure and have put in a lot of time, planning and organizing to get the business up and running. The two of them are "perfect" to work together in this business. They both are very dedicated, creative and are anxious to plan some weddings. To show some love, check out the link above that will take you to their Blog/Website that will give you a run down to their new business. It has pricing, packages, pictures, and profiles of the two of them. Help spread the word. There is a link that you can copy and paste to add a button to the side of your blog. I wish Ashley and Brooke the best. I love both of them and hope to see them succeed in this business. CHECK IT OUT!!!!!

Lets Go Angels!

2011-08-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

It wasn't that pretty of an offensive game for the Angels last night, but it was exciting to see a walk-off base hit in the bottom of the 10th inning to win the game. After 9 scoreless innings and almost a dozen guys left on base the Angles were able to score a run. It was another great outing for Jared Weaver, pitching a complete game shut out not allowing a runner past second base with a little help from the defense turning some double plays. The Angles ended up pulling out the victory and that's all that matters. It is good to see the Angles grind out these close games and get the W. It would be nice to see some more offensive production from guys and a lot more run support for the Halo pitchers. Several times last night we had guys in scoring position and failed to score runs. Mathis had a horrible game at the plate, striking out for the third out, once with bases loaded and once with runners on 2nd and 3rd. Tori Hunter had a great game with the bat. He had 3 hits, 2 doubles off the wall and a home run robbed from Seattle's left fielder. Though it was only my second game this season to be at the ball park, I am hoping to get out to the Big-A several more times. Especially when there is such a close race with Texas for the AL West. Angel's pitching has been solid all year and everyone is waiting for the bats to get hot. Right now would be a really good time for more consistency with run support. GO HALOS!

Through My Eyes

2011-08-04T08:34:00.000-07:00

Growing up in Southern California, and being a USC Trojan fan, I definitely have never been a supporter of the Florida Gators. That being said, I do like to watch a good football game no matter who is playing and admire players that simply win and are successful in everything that they do, on and off the field. If you are a college football fan, you have to admire Tim Tebow for his accomplishments in his college football career, even if you don't necessarily agree with Tebow on other views/issues he is involved with outside of football. A two time BCS National Champion; the only sophomore to ever win the Heisman Trophy, makes it hard to not be inspired by him as a football player.
I never really followed Tebow, read anything about him but when I saw this book, " Through My Eyes" I wanted to read it. Before his rookie season, ESPN showed a special on Tebow and his road to the NFL which caught my eye and intrigued me. It showed his schedule with working out with trainers, his workouts with the NFL teams, his preparation for the NFL draft and the emotional moment being drafted by the Denver Broncos. Tebow continues to be doubted my many and scrutinized for his ability to play in the NFL. I wish him luck. Not knowing much about him, never meeting him but because of his leadership, determination and success on the football field, I have know doubt he will prove more people wrong when he gets his chance to play for the Broncos. I bought his book yesterday and have already started to read it. I am excited to finally read and understand his story, through his eyes.

You win some. You lose some.

2011-08-03T08:43:00.000-07:00

I guess you can't win every game. Every once in a while, you play a horrible game and you want to just forget that it ever happened. When you play sports and are as competitive as I am, you expect to play very well in every game you play. You expect to make all the plays, drive in several runs on several base hits, make the big catch, etc. Last night was the worst. After a great softball season of going 9-1and pretty much dominating every team, every week, we lost in the Championship game. It was pretty humiliating. In three seasons playing on this team and winning the Championship the previous two seasons, last night was the worst game we have ever played and it had to come on the night it mattered most. I certainly didn't do my part. I went 0-4 at the plate. 4 flyouts. That is unacceptable. I am not sure if it started with me or what, but the lack of production was contagious. No one was consistent and we only scored 10 runs the whole game. Pathetic! We usually score that many runs in one inning a couple times a game. To add to my frustration I made several fielding errors that were very uncharacteristic of me. We simply didn't show up to play and definitely didn't deserve to win the Championship last night. That is the great thing about softball; any team can beat any team on any night. Gotta bring your A-game all the time. Can't wait for the next season.

Lets try this again

2011-07-31T18:05:00.000-07:00

So.... It has been over six months since I posted a blog on MY blog. That's a long time. I had pretty much given up on my own blog since Brooke and I got married because,

1.we made one together, which has been neglected for some time now, and

2. we didn't have internet at our new place for a few months.

But.... I have decided that I want to keep my own blog; talk about sports, church, random thoughts and inspiration that relate to me and do small post about what Brooke and I are doing these days and more about OUR family on the other blog. ( http://www.ryanbrookeridley.blogspot.com/ ) The blog of Brooke and I together will have more pictures and details. Well, thats my plan. Wish me luck.

I know I have tried to keep this blog updated before but I am making a more concentrated effort to really spend some time in sharing my thoughts and opinions about life in general, my experiences and sports. So..lets try this again..........

NO MORE FOOTBALL.

2010-12-04T11:56:00.000-08:00

Thursday night was a scary one..... I was asked to play in a flag football game with some friends so of course I jumped on the opportunity to play. It was a pretty competitive game and I made some important plays to get the game into over time. I remember the whole game up until over time, then its a blur. The next thing I remember is hearing people talking over me and saying the ambulance is on the way, they called my house and that Brooke and my parents were on their way. I had know idea what had happened. Before I knew it the paramedics were loading me on the back board, putting me in the ambulance ans starting an IV. I was pretty out of it; repeating questions, asking what was going on and clearly I had a concussion.

Supposedly I dove to make a game winning touchdown in the end zone, and when I came down my face/head hit the ground and the defender landed on me. I was laying face down on the ground, unconscious and not breathing for 20-30 seconds. There was a nurse and a MD on the sidelines which gave me immediate attention when this happened. I am very grateful for all those that helped in the incident and reacted quickly to get emergency personnel to the field.

I really don't remember everything. I was pretty confused. Even though it was a serious accident and I was being treated as a trauma patient I was still cracking jokes. i.e... I hope my feet don't stink too bad as they were taking off my football cleats. ha

Once at the hospital the doctor quickly examined me and I was rushed off to get a CT scan on my head, neck and back. The CT scan showed that I had a small hematoma near the crown of my head. This is a small bleed and it was about the size of a quarter. The result from slamming my head on the ground and maybe someone landing on my head jarred my brain against my skull creating a tare allowing blood to come through the brain tissue. The doctors wanted to keep me over night to monitor my condition and make sure it did not worsen. After a lot of sleep and pain meds and another CT scan I was able to come home yesterday afternoon. The second CT scan showed that the bleed did not get any bigger and that was a positive. So now I am home resting and taking it easy. I still have a gnarly headache and my face is pretty swollen. I took these pictures on the way home from the hospital. I tried to get Brooke to take pictures of me when I was on the backboard and had the C-collar on but she didn't want to.

I am so grateful that I had Brooke at my side the whole time. She would have slept at the hospital with me but they wouldn't let her. I love how much she loves me. So...no more football for me and probably no snowboarding for me this season. This is my third major concussion and the doctor says it would be in my best interest to not have another one. So I will be sticking to softball and golf for now.

Thanks to everyone who showed their love and concern. I appreciate all the thoughts, prayers and love.

RETURNING WITH HONOR

2010-08-28T15:07:00.000-07:00

Skyler returned home a week ago from the Manchester England Mission. My parents, Cody and Shayna were in England for about a week before picking Skyler up. Brooke and I along with Paul, Ashley and their girls, Grandma Poulton, Grammy, Uncle Marc and Kyle Grieder were all anxiously waiting at John Wayne Airport for his return home. We were all so excited to see Skyler that we totally forgot to take a family picture at the airport with him, but Brooke and I got this one as we waited for him to come down the escalator. It was an awesome reunion with our brother. We are so proud of him and grateful for his service. He has grown so much in the gospel. He seems to have a permanent smile on his face and you can feel the love he has for others and our Savior Jesus Christ.

Skyler's homecoming talk was inspiring and incredible. All those that were able to attend were truly blessed. If you weren't there you missed out.

Skyler was only home for about 5 days before he had to leave for Utah to prepare for the fall semester at BYU. We know that he will continue to be focused and dedicated to everything he does. We wish him the best as he returns to school and also the football field.

We love you Skyler!

AT THE LAKE

2010-07-24T17:56:00.000-07:00

Fridays are the best. Brooke and her friends, Andrea and Mandi have fridays off. I usually get all my work for the week done by Thursday and take Friday off. Its super nice and we get to hang out with our friends a lot. We decided to take the boat for the afternoon to Lake Elsinore . The water wasn't that great but we had a good time. As we always do.

Just a couple of pictures.

Andrea Shayna Mandi Brooke

ANDREA's BIRTHDAY

2010-07-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREA!

GO LAKERS!

TINI AND I LOVE YOU!

ONE PICTURE FROM 4th OF JULY

2010-07-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

I am pretty good about bringing the camera where ever we go, just not that good at taking photos when we get there. However, we did get one photo on the 4th of July. We ended up going to Temecula sports park to watch the fire works and met up with our friends. John and Amy Clark were there with Johnny's family. Jason and Beth were also there with there 3 beautiful daughters. We had a great time.

FAVORITES FROM CODY'S GRADUATION

2010-07-11T09:49:00.000-07:00

Still trying to catch up on the exciting events this summer. Cody's Graduation was the 11th of June. The whole family was there. Grammy and Grandma, Paul and Ashley, Brooke and I and of course Shay-Pay. We are very proud of Cody and looking forward to what life brings him in the future!

Our proud Dad and Cody

All the siblings, Ryan, Shayna, Cody and Ashley..... Just missing Skyler :(

Grammy Ridley and Grandma Poulton

Brooke getting a piggy back ride

Cody and his life long friend Brianne

The whole Family.

SOOOOO BUSY!!!

2010-07-09T16:02:00.000-07:00

The past month or so has been super busy and my blog has suffered. When I get a chance to jump on and read blogs of friends and family it inspires me to get mine updated. Its so fun to hear about whats going on with everyone and their lives.

Its been over a month now since Brooke and I had our wedding and it really hasn't slowed down the last couple of weeks. The wedding was awesome. The ceremony at the Temple was beautiful and the Sealer was amazing. The whole day was perfect. So many friends and family came from far and near to celebrate with us and it was definitely memorable. Brooke and I took off to Catalina for 3 days for our honeymoon and had a great time. We relaxed on the beach, explored the island and had tons of fun. We for sure want to go back.

Moms 50th surprise birthday was the day after we got back. My mom was totally surprised and had no idea. She has so many wonderful friends that came to show their love and friendship. Paul made a sweet video of mom growing up and everyone got some good laughs watching it.

My brother Cody graduated high school last month as well. We are so proud of him and all that he has accomplished. He is looking forward to have Skyler home from his mission as he prepares for his own mission. He plans to leave around the end of the year. In the mean time he is going to live in Utah for a little bit to spend some time with Skyler and experience being away from home for a few months.

Brooke took her State Board Exam about ten days after our wedding and passed. She was so nervous but did a great job. I'm so proud of her. She is now a licence cosmetologist. So... If you need a hair cut, color or whatever give her a call. She loves doing hair.

We spent the 4th of July weekend up at the Dog House with our friends. The Dowden's Lake house is awesome. I would go there every weekend if I could. Its a lot of fun just to hang out on the boat, wake board, tube and relax with friends. A lot of memories have been made there and I hope there will be many more to come.

So those are a few of the things that have kept us busy the last month. There will more post to come with more pictures. This is just a preview :) Brooke and I have our blog too that we need to update. I think I will post more of the wedding and honeymoon pictures on there so take a look on there for more updates and pictures.

MAN SHOWER

2010-05-21T10:09:00.000-07:00

Its kind of become a tradition with our freinds to throw a "man shower" when they are getting married. Gregory Dowden has been the one that heads up the party. We started out with throwing one for Austin Kennedy and it was a complete success and tons of fun. So Gregory and Josh Mezin wanted to throw one for me. Every " man shower" has a theme and Gregory know how much I love baseball and Angels baseball. Everything was decorated in red and it was almost like we were at the ball park. There was popcorn, peanuts, crackerjacks,nachos and pretzels. Josh was at the BBQ most of the time grilling some hamburgers and hot dogs. The weather was awesome so most of the time we spent it outside. It was a lot of fun to hang out with friends and family. I have some awesome friends that will continue to influence me for the better and support me in my next journey. Much thanks to the Dowdens for letting us use their house. Thanks to Greg and Josh who took a lot of time planning and setting up. I had a memorable and fantastic time!

BROOKLYNN AND MAYLEE

2010-05-21T09:53:00.000-07:00

My two little nieces are in town for a few weeks for the wedding, my moms birthday and Cody's graduation. They are so stinking cute and I can't get enough of them....

A NEW HOBBY

2010-05-18T09:11:00.000-07:00

About 2-3 months ago I started playing racquetball at the gym. There are a bunch of guys from church that play every morning at 7 am. While at the gym i would watch them play as I ran on the treadmill. I had never played before but it looked like a lot of fun. Finally one day one of them asked me to play with them cause they were short a player. I said sure but told him that i had never played before and probably wasn't very good. I was totally right... i stunk! it was difficult to get use to the way the game was played and very hard to determine where the ball was going to be after bouncing off three walls. All the guys were patient with me and allowed me to come play with them again. They all let me use their extra equipment, racquet, glasses and glove.
Brooke works for one of the guys that i play with and they lease a room for their company in an office and they guy who owns that office plays with us as well and the other week they told Brooke, " we don't know if Ryan can play with us anymore. He is getting too good." hahaha
I love playing every morning. Its a great work out. I have definitely improved the last couple of months and got it down. I am much faster than the other guys so it plays to my advantage being about 15-20 years younger. If you haven't played racquetball i for sure recommend trying it....

FOR SALE

2010-05-16T10:51:00.000-07:00

I finally put my car up for sale yestrday. I have been wanting to do it for a long time, but just never decided to do it. I got this car right after I got home from my mission and it has been a great car. Its taken several trip to Utah and back. I spent three winters in utah driving it and it still looks brand new. I am hoping to get 4,000 for it but we will see.

What I really want to get after I seel my car is a Toyota Tacoma TRD double cab. Might not be reasonable now that I am getting married in a few weeks. So down the road in a few years for sure I will get my truck. But this is a picture of one I found on the internet that would look similar to what I would want mine to look like.

Brooke and I are going to look at a new civic though to get in replace of my car. We just need and reliable car, with a minimal car payment. We went and look at at a few awhile ago.

HELP MY SISTER ASHLEY!

2010-04-12T15:53:00.000-07:00

Please Help!

My sister Ashley entered a local radio contest for a DREAM NURSERY and a YEAR SUPPLY of baby food and diapers. She could SERIOUSLY use this! Just go HERE, then type in your email address, scroll down and vote for #238, then scroll a little further down to enter your name, etc and click "VOTE".

Only one vote per valid email address BUT if you have more than one email address please vote with every email address you use! Pass the word on to ALL your friends please too and get them to vote!!! Or even better...copy and paste this post to YOUR BLOG to get the word out!

She really appreciates this.

Voting starts today and goes til April 22nd! If she make the top ten she might need your help again!

Thanks in advance. Love to you all!

QUOTE

2010-04-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

"No matter what your past has been, you have a spotless future."

Hugh B. Brown

BROOKE'S 23rd BIRTHDAY

2010-04-02T14:16:00.000-07:00

We had some friends over to the house for some brownies and ice cream last sunday for Brooke's birthday. I made the brownies and they were awesome.... Brooke helped a little bit. ha

Just a few more pictures to add to the birthday celebration.

DAY AT THE BEACH

2010-03-30T12:58:00.000-07:00

The first trip to the beach this year. It was gorgeous weather, but right on the beach was a little chilly and windy. Brooke got a little cold after being there for a bit. We didnt dare go in the water. It was still way too cold. There was still a ton of people there. Brooke is very proud of the pictures she took of me sitting on the beach. I loved them and had to post them. Taking photos and playing with the different settings on the camera is a lot of fun and I plan on taking tons of photos the next couple of months leading up to our wedding. Just a little more than two months away. This week we are trying to get a lot of the planning and finalization of some things done. Hopefully we can make it to the beach a couple of times before it gets too crazy.

QUOTE

2010-03-29T14:44:00.000-07:00

"Let us remember, too, that greatness is not always a matter of the scale of one’s life, but of the quality of one’s life. True greatness is not always tied to the scope of our tasks, but to the quality of how we carry out our tasks whatever they are. In that attitude, let us give our time, ourselves, and our talents to the things that really matter now, things which will still matter a thousand years from now."

Spencer W. Kimball

BLING BLING

2010-03-28T17:26:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen Brooke's ring.....BAM! There it is! I was playing around yesterday with my camera at the beach and took a few shots of Brooke's ring. This shot gives you a good look at the ring. This one is Brooke's favorite picture that I took.

I really like this one.

PLAYING WITH THE CAMERA

2010-03-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

More awesome pictures to come from our day in Newport.

QUOTE

2010-03-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

"Living the gospel does not mean the storms of life will pass us by, but we will be better prepared to face them with serenity and peace. 'Search diligently, pray always, and be believing,' the Lord admonished, 'and all things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly.'"

Joseph B. Wirthlin

BEGINING OF THE SEASON

2010-03-22T10:27:00.000-07:00

It's so exciting to see so many of my friends getting married. There are about 4-5 weddings on the calender through the end of summer. Todd Walker and Brittany McGregor started the season of weddings this year. They were married in the Los Angeles temple on Saturday March 20th. Brooke and I were able to attend their reception that night. The decorations at the church were awesome with all the lights. The food was great and if you weren't there you missed out. We had brief chance to take a picture with the bride and groom before the night was over. It was a lot of fun visiting with friends and celebrating with Todd and Brittany. We wish them the best of luck with their new journey together.

Brooke and I get more excited and more anxious for June to be here when we attend events like this. Only a few more months and we will be celebrating our own marriage. Its a lot fun planning and we continue to learn a lot about each other. Still working out a lot of the details but its coming along smoothly, but we still have a lot to do.

LATEST ONLINE PURCHASE

2010-03-19T15:09:00.000-07:00

Every now and then I buy a Men's Health Magazine. There is a lot of cool stuff in these magazines; new work outs, tips on eating healthier, random facts and an article on a actor or athlete that is pretty much totally ripped.... Just like Ryan Reynolds who is one of my favorite actors. Hence the Ryan Reynolds cover for an example.
I have started to work out everyday and have the urge to just feel and look healthier. I find that its really easy to go to the gym and work out my upper body and occasionally my legs, but I struggle working out my core and abs. I try to jump on the treadmill everyday and run a mile or two depending how I feel. I find that I can build some muscle definition pretty quickly and almost see a difference within a week of working out but to trim down and lose some weight is a little more difficult. I get all these random emails from Mens Health with the subject headings like "Add Up To 18 Pounds Of Muscle In Just 2 Weeks" or "Get Six-Pack Abs in Only 6 Weeks!" Pretty enticing right???? I always take a look at them and read through the email and think about buying what they are trying to sell me. I finally gave in and decided to buy some books. Strictly to help me eat better and work on building a stronger core, lose weight, trim down around my stomach and help me understand nutrition better. I am pretty stoked on the books that I purchased and I am anxious to start reading and implementing the strategies.

It even came with a little DVD with some additional excersise programs.
Going to the gym is one of the most popular trends these days and I love going. It makes me feel great, but I want to maximize my body's potential and I think that this resourse will definitely benefit me. I am just under 200 lbs. I have lost about 5 pounds the last couple of weeks. I have a little over 2 months before my wedding and honeymoon....so I have a little bit more motivation to reach my goals.... hahaha

PANDORA

2010-03-19T11:57:00.000-07:00

If you dont know what Pandora is I am not sure where you have been.
One of the greatest websites on the Internet, and I absolutely love it. If you work in an office or on a computer most of the day you have to check it out. I don't go a day without connecting to Pandora on the computer or on my I-touch. Its awesome.
"With Pandora you can explore this vast trove of music to your heart's content. Just drop the name of one of your favorite songs or artists into Pandora and let the Genome Project go. It will quickly scan its entire world of analyzed music, almost a century of popular recordings - new and old, well known and completely obscure - to find songs with interesting musical similarities to your choice. Then sit back and enjoy as it creates a listening experience full of current and soon-to-be favorite songs for you." ( from pandora.com)
The name Pandora means "all gifted" in Greek. In ancient Greek mythology, Pandora received many gifts from the gods, including the gift of music, from Apollo. She was also, as we all know, very curious. Unlike those gods of old, however, we celebrate that virtue and have made it our mission to reward the musically curious among us with a never-ending experience of music discovery.

While listening to Pandora over the past couple of years I have discovered so many incredible bands that I probably would have never even heard of listening to the normal radio. Music a big part of my life and I enjoy the stories and messages that are relayed through the lyrics. Recently Pandora has brought to light two artists that I absolutely crazy about. If you haven't heard of these guys you for sure need to check them out and purchase their CDs.

TWO OF MY FAVORITE PEOPLE

2010-03-17T12:08:00.000-07:00

I have so many things to be grateful for in my life. Everyday I am reminded of all the blessing in my life. I hope that I never take them for granted. I have a wonderful family that supports me in everything that I do and will be by my side forever. There are so many people in my life that influence me to be a better person and make such a positive impact on who I am today. There are friends and members of my family that I look up to, admire and I am constantly amazed at their lives and the wonderful people they are. Two of those people are my sister Ashley and her husband Paul. I just wanted to take a few minutes and express my love and gratitude for them.

My sister and I have been pretty close since we were little. We are only two years apart and have experienced so much together. My mom always claims that we never fought with eachother when we were growing up. None of that sibling rivalry or arguing. I am sure we had some moments of frustration but nothing too crazy. That has continued through the years. We have become good friends and talk as much as we can. I wish we lived closer together, especially now that she has the two most adorable, beautiful and cute little girls ever! Ashley has become a excellent, loving mother and wife. It is so obvious that she loves her life and wouldn't change a thing. She has grown and learned from her own experiences, to be the person she is now. To me, Ashley is dedicated, intelligent, creative, loving, caring, friendly, trustworthy, positive, succesful, righteous and supportive. The list could go on and on.

Ash was always known as " Ryan Ridley's little sister," but I would be honored to be known as, " Ashley Giddings older brother." ILY ASH!

Paul has been apart of our family for almost 5 years now. Instantly he fit right in and we all loved him. He brings so much joy and laughter to all of our lives. Paul and I get along so well and have a lot of things in common. Anything from music to going to the lake and wakeboarding. One of my favorite memories with Paul is going to a New Found Glory/ Cartel concert with him in Salt Lake. Good times. Paul is always willing to help you out. Multiple times he has helped me move. You can always count on Paul to be there. Paul is loyal, funny, strong (physically and spiritually), dedicated, hard working and friendly. He just recently started his own business and I wish him the best of luck and success. I know that it will do great cause thats what he expects and will do what it takes for it to grow and be successful. I am so grateful to have him as a brother in law.

I love both of you. You two are an incredible blessing in my life! Thanks for all the love and support! I miss you guys!

CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!

2010-03-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

The weather recently has been almost like summer. 80 degrees... sunny and hot. PERFECT! Thinking about the summer makes me really excited. Here are some of the things I enjoy the most about the summer.

(in no specific order lol)

1. Spend time with friends and family.

2. Yearly Laughlin trips

3. Trips to the beach.

4. Throwing some burgers down on the grill.

5. Taking off to the Dog House for the weekend with the Dowdens.

6. Early morning wake sessions

7. Sitting out by the pool catching some rays

8. Dinners outside with the family

9. 4th of July...Fireworks

10. Summer softball leagues

I am sure there are a few more that I can come up with but ten is good for now.

For your viewing pleasure.... Some wakeboard pics!

(Can you tell I am excited to get the Wakesetter on the lake????)

QUOTE

2010-03-15T14:46:00.000-07:00

"Please don't nag yourself with thoughts of failure. Do not set goals far beyond your capacity to achieve. Simply do what you can do, in the best way you know, and the Lord will accept of your effort."

Gordon B. Hinckley

QUOTE

2010-03-08T14:57:00.000-08:00

"Commandments and covenants of God are like navigational instructions from celestial heights and will lead us safely to our eternal destination. It is one of beauty and glory beyond understanding. It is worth the effort. It is worth making decisive corrections now and then staying on course."

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

PRECIOUS

2010-03-08T14:21:00.000-08:00

Ashley and Paul are in town, just for a quick visit. The whole family has been looking forward to seeing them. Its been just over two months since Maylee was born and she has changed soooo much. She is so precious! I snapped a few cute pics last night.

Classic Ridley gene...Bitting the tongue! haha

TWINKLE, TWINKLE

2010-03-08T14:08:00.000-08:00

As I got ready for work this morning, Brooklynn decided to come and hang out with me in my room. Loved it. She is one special girl. She is growing up so fast. Her vocabulary increases probably everyday, and Ashley is always teaching her new things. Well, as she sat on the floor of my room she decided that she wanted to sing to me. She started singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Of course I started singing with her. It was so cute. I love her to pieces!

QUOTE

2010-03-01T13:57:00.000-08:00

"You can share your testimony in many ways, by the words you speak, by the example you set, by the manner in which you live your life."

President Thomas S. Monson

BEAUTIFUL!

2010-03-01T13:41:00.000-08:00

Another one of my favorite pictures from our engagement shots. Every time Brooke walks through a door, comes around the corner, gets out of the car.... or pretty much every time I see her, the thought of how beautiful she is crosses my mind. She is such an inspiration to me and makes me a better person .

I LOVE YOU BROOKE!

100 DAYS & COUNTING

2010-02-24T16:03:00.000-08:00

100 days and counting till I get to marry my best friend for "For Time and All Eternity" Seems so far away, but I know that it will be here before the two of us know it. We're busy with all the planning, and details of the big day. ( June 5th) We have decided to get sealed in the San Diego Temple, and we can't wait. We are excited to share this special day with our families and all of our wonderful friends.

QUOTE

2010-02-22T15:43:00.000-08:00

"If you ponder the scriptures and begin to do what you covenanted with God to do, I can promise you that you will feel more love for God and more of His love for you."

Henry B. Eyring

HEADACHES

2010-02-22T14:40:00.000-08:00

I recently have been a lot more consistent with going to the gym everyday. I am waking up around 6:30 everyday and at the gym by 7. Only after a week, 45 minutes a day doing cardio and light lifting I am already starting to see a difference. Along with working out everyday, I have tried to cut back on the amount of food I eat. I don't think that I eat horrible, its just that I eat way too much and its puts on the pounds. I am up to 200 lbs, and wouldn't mind getting down to 175-180. So, simply trying not to eat and be stuffed and only eat to be satisfied. It helps a lot. I have a lot more energy and feel a lot healthier. A few years ago I was up to about 215 and I started to exercise regularly, cut back on the amount of food I eat and dropped like 30 pounds in 3 months. I do eat out for lunch, but I try to get salads, or sandwiches and stay away from the mainstream fast food. I have stopped drinking soda as well, and I think its been giving me headaches the past couple of days. Not very fun. Been drinking tons of water so hopefully I wont get anymore headaches. I'll keep you updated and my progress.

BABY JAYDEN ROSE

2010-02-16T14:14:00.000-08:00

Here is baby Jayden. Brooke's older sister Lauren, and brother in law Chris had their first baby on February 5th. She is so precious. Of course Brooke is her favorite aunt! So I have a another new niece and I love it.

This one is right after she was born. Beautiful.

QUOTE

2010-02-11T15:05:00.000-08:00

"To reach a goal

you have never before attained,

you must do things

you have never before done."

Richard G. Scott

AMERICAN IDOL TIME!!

2010-02-11T11:21:00.000-08:00

okay... i admit it. I'm an American Idol fan. I really got into it during season 5. My sister Ashley had the hook-ups with tickets to go to the live recordings, so we got to go to some of the shows in season 6. It was pretty fun. One of the shows we went to, my brother in law Paul, his twin brother Josh and I actually worked it to get seats right behind the judges and we were on TV all night long. After wards I had so many people calling/texting me telling me that they saw me when watching it later that night. I should actually try and find some clips on YouTube with us in the background. When I find them I will post them.

Season 9 is under way and after Hollywood week I have some favorites! There are really two that i like and will probably be voting for all season. Both from representing California. Andrew Garcia and Didi Benami. Andrew is actually from Moreno Valley, only 30 minutes north of Murrieta and Didi is actually from Tennessee if I remember correctly but is living in San Diego. After their solo performances in Hollywood they are my top 2! I hope they stay true to their auditions and their style cause it can go a long way. Good luck to both of them.

SUPER BOWL THOUGHTS

2010-02-08T15:34:00.000-08:00

Most things have to come to an end.... football season is over and it ended in an upset! I am sad that football is over but it was a great season. I was really happy with who ended up in the Super Bowl. I have no idea when the last time the two number 1 seeds made it to the Show. Last year I became a little bit of a Saints fan because I drafted Drew Brees as my fantasy QB. This year I had Peyton Manning and he was amazing every week and in my eyes the best QB in the league this year. Both of which I admire and respect, not only because of their passion and leadership on the field but they seem to be really nice guys and have a love for life outside of football. The two of them have been inspirations to so many people and on and off the field.

I have players that I like on both teams so I wasn't really cheering for one or the other. I just wanted to see a really good game. Besides Peyton, I have been following the Colts rookie receiver Austin Collie representing BYU. He had an amazing rookie campaign and contributed throughout the season to help Indy to the Super Bowl. I am also a USC fan and love to watch Reggie Bush. He obviously hasn't been as dominate in the NFL as he was in college but he is still a very explosive and talented player. He showed glimpses of being an outstanding player in the NFL during the playoffs. He just needs to learn how to run between the tackles.

I was pretty satisfied with the performances of the Super Bowl. There were tons of side stories with the Colts and the Saints. Rookie head coach for the Colts, Saints first time to the Super Bowl, Colts were there 3 years ago and knew the routine, with 20+ players that were still on the team since their last Super Bowl win.... everything pointing to Indianapolis taking the Lombardi Trophy. A lot of people counted New Orleans out making them the "under dogs." Balanced on both sides of the ball, being able to ground and pound with Thomas, made their powerful passing attack even more dangerous. The Saints didn't have a lot of big plays but they just dominated the Colts after the first quarter, out scoring them 31 to 7. WOW!!! That's crazy. CONGRATS SAINTS..SUPER BOWL CHAMPS 2010. " WHO DAT"

PHOTOS FROM MY PHONE

2010-02-04T13:23:00.001-08:00

Found a few more photos of Maylee on my phone. She is so stinkin cute I had to post these for you all to see.

UTAH TRIP-SNOWBOARDING

2010-02-02T09:41:00.000-08:00

Dad took us snowboarding while in Utah over New years... We spent two days at the Canyons up in Park City and the conditions were great Shayna tried snowboarding for her first time, and I was impressed with how quickly she caught on. By the end of day two she was pretty much keeping up with Cody and I, making it down the mountain without falling. Of course Dad was skiing. It had been a few years for him since carving up the mountain. We had an awesome time.

UTAH TRIP

2010-02-02T09:07:00.001-08:00

Brooke and I headed to Utah after Christmas to see Maylee and be with the family for New Years. While we were there we went to temple square in Salt Lake City, hoping that the Christmas lights would still be on but when we got there New Years Day night they weren't on. We were all bummed but we still had fun. On our drive back home to California, Brooke and I stopped in St. George. Brooke had never seen the temple there so we had to stop and take pictures.

St. George Temple

Loves.

It was frezing in SLC.

Salt Lake Temple

THE FOREST LAB

2010-02-01T11:55:00.000-08:00

Wanted to post a link to my friends website. If you want some original t-shirts from a company out of Southern California--- Check it out! They have some unique designs and awesome shirts. http://www.theforestlab.com/blog/

MISS MAYLEE KATE

2010-02-01T11:07:00.000-08:00

Maylee Kate was born December 23, 2009. Now I have two adorable nieces!!! These pictures are from Christmas and Maylee's baby blessing.

CHRISTMAS "09"

2010-01-31T11:12:00.000-08:00

Christmas this year wasn't like all the other Christmases of my life. With the arrival of my niece, Maylee Kate, my mom was up in Utah with my beautiful sister and her family for Christmas. 27 years of waking up to my family Christmas morning, this year our mom wasn't with us. Quite a different feeling and very noticeable that we all missed her. With a little help from skype and a web cam she was able to watch and interact with all of us through the computer, along with with Ashley, Paul, Brooklynn and miss Maylee. We still had a great Christmas and were able to share our love with our family. With mom being gone that left Shayna and Dad with carrying on the tradition of our big Christmas Eve dinner. The dinner was fabulous. Dad cooked the turkey, made the Ridley Salad and Shayna took care of all the trimmings, oh and Brooke brought the jello. All around Christmas was great. I have so many things to be grateful for and my family is at the top of the list.

NIGHT AT DISNEYLAND!

2009-12-05T11:22:00.000-08:00

Christmas at Disneyland..... I have never been to Disneyland around Christmas, and I definetly reccomend it. All of the lights, decorations and music was amazing. Brooke and I took a few pictures... there are a few really good ones.

THANKSGIVING IN UTAH

2009-12-04T10:43:00.001-08:00

We headed to Utah to spend Thanksgiving with Ashley, Paul, B and my mom's side of the family. So fun to see all my cousins and their little kids. It was special to have Grandma Poulton with us all. She is such a special woman and I love her so much.

HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH!

2009-12-04T10:33:00.001-08:00

DISNEYLAND!!!! Brooke and I went a few months ago.... sorry for the delay on the pictures. I am such a slacker..... But we got annual passports so we will be going a lot the next year! Expect more pictures for sure. It was a lot of fun.

MY ADORABLE NIECE

2009-12-04T10:24:00.001-08:00

Can you believe how big she is getting!? She will be turning 2 at the end of January. Time goes by so fast! She is so fun to watch grow up and see her personality develop. She is full of laughter and always smiling. I cant wait to see her again for Christmas and New years. Thank you Paul and Ashley for a beautiful niece that I love so much. I am excited to have two by the end of the year!

WEEK OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

2009-10-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

The Murrieta Stake has a week set aside, encouraging all those with temple recommends to attend the temple as much as possible. Some may only go for one session; others for a entire day and many that go multiple days in the week. Last week was this week of righteousness and I was was able to participate and go to the temple. I was able to attend 3 session in a day, which i had never done before. What an exciting experience to remember!? I know that the many that sacrificed last week to be in the temple with receive many blessings and answers to their prayers. I know that the our Stake presidency is inspired and guided by the spirit and are helping build the Kingdom of God here in Murrieta. The picture is from when we arrived at the temple around 5:45 in the morning and surrounded by fog. It was inspiring to see the temple that early . Cant wait for the next Week of Righteousness.

WEEK 4 FANTASY FOOTBALL

2009-10-01T15:33:00.000-07:00

Well, its been a rough start in my fantasy football league. I would have been nice to start out strong but I am sitting at 2-1 going into week 4. I have a lot of injuries and inconsistency with my players. I have had to drop some players and pick a few up. I have definitely have had some let downs with players that I thought would do really well for me but I still have faith in them. Pittsburgh's defense hasn't been the same since loosing Troy Poplamalu and only scored me one point last week. Hoping the Colts defense can pick it up this week for and play like they did last week. Payton Manning has been on fire and the only player that i can rely on giving me 15+ points every week. I think he is averaging around 20. My kicker from New England has done well with a struggling Pats offense. I really have no stars at running back or wide out. Hopefully the guys I having playing this week can pull off a win to put me at 500.

FANTASY FOOTBALL

2009-08-30T10:59:00.000-07:00

Last week I had my draft for the league I am playing in for Fantasy Football. Here are a few of the key players I drafted. I had the 8th pick out of ten, so some of my top picks were taken early. Some of these guys have been injured in the pre-season but I am hoping they will be 100% by the season opener in about a week. Wish me luck.

Peyton Manning

Wes Welker

Santonio Holmes

Brian Westbrook

Chris Cooley

Steelers Defense

GOING, GOING, BACK, BACK TO CALI, CALI!!!!

2009-08-30T10:33:00.001-07:00

Not a huge deal...but i have California plates back on my car now.... I was just a little excited about it. hahaha

ELDERS QUORUM LEADERSHIP RETREAT

2009-08-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

Last weekend our Elders Quorum had a leadership retreat. We went to the the Dog House ( the Dowden's private lake house just north of Barstow) I was just recently called to be the first counselor in the Elders Quorum. It has been a major task, but a huge blessing in my life. As a Presidency we have completely re-organized the quorum and the home teaching. A lot of hard work in the past month or so has been put into the quorum to make it work like it is suppose to. But, we had a great time this weekend. We had 4 training sessions, taught by the Presidency, Branch Presidency, Stake High Councilmen and our Stake Institute Teacher.Then of course we had a blast out on the water, wake boarding and tubing. We also had some mean volleyball games going in the back yard too. Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

Greg Dowden, Austin Kennedy and Me. (Elders Quorum Presidency)

Preparing Friday night dinner....Tin Foil Dinners. SOOOO GOOD!

Me, Joshua adn Garrett

Austin, Chase and I

ME, Garrett and Josh

Me getting the last sunset pull

Tired after wakeboarding sesh

All pilled onto the bunk beds

CORONADO ISLAND WITH TINI

2009-08-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Brooke and I went to Coronado Island, down in San Diego. It took about a week of planning; which Brooke did most of. It was soooo much fun. It was a beautiful saturday after noon and the weather was perfect. We drove down to the harbor, caught a ferry acroos to the island, rented some bikes and rode around the island to the beach and The Hotel Del Coronado, walked on the beach and then went to dinner that night. I had a blast and a great time. We will definitely have to go back.

This one is one of my favorites!

LOVES! :)

Hotel Del Coronado

Dinner time.

NEW BLOG...OOPS!

2009-08-20T08:53:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday I was home sick from work and decided to mess around on my blog. It had been months since I had done anything on it and wanted to change some things around and add some stuff when the next thing I knew I had deleted my blog. ooops! I know I can go back and restore the blog, but i decided to make a new one.
I think the past 6 months, being at home, has allowed me to progress in a lot of areas in my life and to become a better person. Life is definitely not easier, but a lot happier. Being close to family has been a blessing and a strength. I have some amazing friends that I know I can trust and that will always be there for me. My renewed dedication to the Gospel and striving to live by its teachings is building that sure foundation, that I have seen in so many others lives. I have truly seen the Lord's hand in guiding me to where I am now, but know there is so much more to learn and experience. For this, I am truly grateful.
So.... I feel like starting a new blog. Hopefully, I will be able to be consistant with updating it and letting you all know how life is.