Trista sutter family

Trista sutter family, I am honored to introduce to you Trista Sutter for my next Family Interview. From what I know, she is a wonderful person inside and out: a truly dedicated wife and fantastic mother. She married the love of her life, Ryan, more than 7 years ago and they have a beautiful family.
Briefly tell us about yourself, your family, where you live, and what you do?
Trista: My name is Trista Sutter.  I live near Vail, Colorado with Ryan Sutter, the man I met and married on ABC’s The Bachelorette. We have 2 beautiful kids named Max (3) and Blakesley (1). I call myself a stay-at-home-and-work mom, as I work from home on any projects I have at the time, so that I can personally raise my children.

ON FAMILY:
What do you love the most about your family?
Trista: I love that our family is grateful & loyal, fun-loving and happy.
Do you have any fun family traditions (birthdays, holidays, vacations, etc)?
Trista: My favorite tradition is during Christmas. Ryan’s mother’s favorite book when she was a kindergarten teacher was “Alfie, the Christmas Tree”. Every Christmas, we create our own Alfie by hiking up to a tree in our area and decorating it with homemade peanut butter and birdseed pinecones.

What are your dreams/goals for your family?
Trista: I dream of long lives filled with love, health, and happiness.
One piece of advice to other families/parents/soon-to-be-parents?
Trista: Know that there will be days that are all about laughter and days that tax your patience and happiness.  You are not alone.  Reach out for help when you need it and don’t be ashamed.  Then, when you find yourself in a day of abundant laughter, cherish it (and take good pictures!).

What was your childhood/upbringing like and what effect has it had on your adult life?
Trista: I grew up in the suburbs of St. Louis…Chesterfield, Missouri to be exact.  My parents were extremely supportive of my interests and did everything and anything they could to ensure I had a happy childhood, even though they were not meant to stay married.  Even though I was devastated as a child, I now know that their divorce was for the best and that staying together for my sake would not have been beneficial for everyone.  Going through that, I took my time and did not settle in trying to find Ryan. I wanted to be sure I would not be faced with the decision my parents had to make…even though I know they made the right one.

As a modern mom, what are three things that you couldn’t live without?
Trista: I couldn’t live without my Toyota Sienna minivan, Jack’s Big Music Show on Nick Jr, and my husband.
ON BUSINESS:
When it comes to work and business, what are you involved with and what is your role?
Trista: I am involved with a few different projects right now, but my main focus is on my clothing collection with My Vintage Baby.  They invited me to join their company as a designer this year. I work with the owners of the company to design fun, unique, stylish clothes for both boys and girls, and they take care of the rest.  :)  Please visit www.myvintagebaby.com to find a rep in your area and either order online or book a home party.

Do you support any charities that we could mention?
Trista: We proudly support many charities, including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation that receives a portion of the profits from my collection with My Vintage Baby.  This year, though, we have focused much of our attention on trying to raise awareness and money for an organization called First Descents.  They provide free outdoor adventure therapy to young adults, aged 18-39 with cancer.  Ryan has raised nearly $100,000 for them this year through a string of challenges he competed in.  Please go to:  http://101010.firstdescents.org to learn more.
Thank you so much, Trista, for taking the time to share your family insights with us. You and Ryan are excellent examples of true love, commitment in marriage, and devoted parents. I found the very sweet proposal scene and just had to share it!