Everything You're Craven

Take a HIKE!

2011-09-09T23:28:00.000-06:00

On Labor Day Mel and I were feeling a bit like "empty nester's" which happens from time to time on holidays and things when we're kidless for several days. We decided to take a hike. After doing some online searching for something that wouldn't completely wipe us out we decided on a trail in the mouth of Ogden Canyon called Indian Trail. It ended up being plenty challenging and the views were great. We are looking forward to taking the kids with us and doing the complete hike.

The Begining

What a view!

Back to School

2011-08-23T22:51:00.002-06:00

Aidan & Carter

Someone made it home on the bus! :)

Well it's that time of year again. The kids woke up bright and early in preparation for the first day of school. Aidan has been very excited to go back for quite some time. Abby, on the other hand, has had some apprehension and nervousness about her first day of Jr. High.

After school I met Mel, Aidan & Abby at McDonald's for our traditional we survived the first day ice cream. Aidan had a great day with many high points with being able to help serve school lunch this year being one of the list toppers. Abby also seemed to have shed her anxiety and had a great day despite the fact that she missed the bus for home because she wanted to get a Mtn. Dew from the vending machine after school. Apparently she assumed a bus full of kids would be more than happy to wait a few extra minutes so she could have her refreshing beverage for the long ride home. But shockingly they left her. How Rude! Needless to say a new rule of not taking money to school for a while has been imposed. :)
I also chatted with Payten for a few minutes and he also had a great day and is VERY pleased with his teacher. He also informed me that he earned the right to attend a party this Friday for finishing a packet of school work over the summer.
Parenting is a lot easier when you have such AWESOME kids! Just sayin'...

Looks like trouble. Cute trouble, but trouble none the less.

The 3 Bears

2011-08-23T21:57:00.001-06:00

Aidan has been working very hard and recieved his advancement to bear in cub scouts this week. He is getting quite the collection of Cub Bling! His face is red due to the mad dash from soccer practice in 90 degree weather imediatly to Pack meeting.

I'm Baaaaaaack....!

2011-08-23T17:33:00.001-06:00

Well, after playing around with different options and due to the fact that Apple will be discontinuing it's Mobile Me service which I use to host my website I've decided to come back to where it all began. (Blogger) It doesn't easily allow the freedom I had with my other blogs to customize and personalize my page as I would like. Despite that, Blogger is much more popular amongst my fellow bloggers and friends allowing me to follow you and possibly you, me. I will continue to update and manage Joe-Craven.com until Mobile Me is completely phased out.
Thanks for reading,
Joe

Location:Home

First Day at Seven Peaks

2011-06-04T22:32:00.001-06:00

The family took advantage of the first warm day that we've had in quite some time and headed down to Seven Peaks Water Park today. I'm sure it will be the first of many trips as we bought season passes this year. The kids were bouncing off the walls with excitement wanting to get down there. It was fun watching them try all the different things and get better and braver with every attempt. I even played briefly but the water was still on the cold side which kept Mel from getting in this time. She says she'll wait for the mid 80's to get here. All in all a great day with the kids! Looking forward to a wet and wild summer.

Winter Getaway to the Oregon Coast

2011-02-27T15:03:00.000-07:00

Back at the end of last year I entered a contest on Facebook called Winter Getaway to the Oregon Coast. It was put on by The Oregon Coast Visitors Association. I had to write a story of 300 words or more about an experience I'd had on the Oregon Coast. The winner was to receive 2 night accommodations and round trip airfare with SeaPort Airlines. Well needless to say (or this would be a very short story) after a couple of weeks of people voting for their favorite story I was notified that my story had won! Melanie & I were very excited and couldn't wait to get more details.

We chose to go to Astoria as we'd never been there and wanted to see more of Oregon. The rules stated that we needed to take the trip before the end of February. We decided to schedule it for the 19th of Feb. so we could save up some money for gas for the 8 hour drive to Pendleton & back, a car while in Astoria, a room in Pendleton for before and after our Astoria trip and, of course, food and maybe souvenirs. Well, the 18th came and we could hardly stand it. Our kids were with their other parents as it was Presidents Day weekend. We woke up bright and early and started our roadtrip to Pendleton to catch our flight the next morning. We had emailed Rebecah at OCVA prior to our trip to see if she could give us some recommendations of a place to stay while in Pendleton. Her and Valencia provided us with a list of hotel options as well as some with discounted rates. We arrived at our hotel, The Rugged Country Lodge, that afternoon and checked in. It was a very cute and more importantly clean place and the people at the front desk were very kind and helpful on suggesting some places to eat that evening.

The next morning we woke up and prepared to check out and head to the Pendleton airport to catch our flight. This is when we received the first of, what we would later find to be, many surprises. While at the front desk checking out, the young man informed us that our charges for that night and in 2 days when we return from Astoria had been taken care of by Rebecah with OCVA. Melanie & my jaws nearly hit the floor with this news. We quickly thanked them and scurried to the car so no one would see Mel & I breaking down in tears. We were already overwhelmed at the fact that we'd won this trip but to be surprised like that with people going above and beyond what had already been promised was more than we could handle at that time. We had been hit with some pretty poor luck and unfortunate circumstances over the past couple years and were direly looking forward to escaping and getting away with each other to refocus and re-energize.

We then made our way to the airport. We were not disappointed with SeaPort Airlines. No rubber gloved body search, x-ray machines to walk through, in fact I even boarded the plane with a bottle of liquid! Not to mention the friendly staff from the front counter personnel to the pilots. It was a wonderful and unique experience. Durring our brief layover in Portland Melanie was contacted by Donna with Cannery Pier Hotel in Astoria. She was calling to make sure we were still coming and that she'd made arrangements for a person named Skip to meet us at the Astoria airport and he would give us a ride back to the hotel. This was another pleasant surprise as we'd just planned on renting a car or grabbing a cab. After a quick flight from Portland to Astoria we were greeted on the tarmac by an older man named Skip who also happened to be the Director of the Chamber of Commerce in Astoria. He grabbed one of our bags and escorted us into the terminal and to a rental car office. After some quick introductions and exchanging of information Skip threw down his credit card and paid for our rental car for the weekend! Once again Melanie and I were thrown back and a bit bewildered by the kindness and generosity that had kept being thrown our way at every turn. Skip then led us in his truck, to The Cannery Pier Hotel. When we got there he helped us in with our bags, introduced us and got us checked in with the front desk, then helped us up to the top floor to our room. He then opened up a map of the city and began to map out many different attractions for us to see. After Skip left we took a minute to soak in our surroundings. The room was amazing! The views from our private deck, even more amazing! We then focused our attention to the table in our room filled with; Champagne, chocolate, smoked salmon, free passes to many local attractions and museums, and topped off with a note from Donna from the hotel informing us that our names had been left with many other local establishments granting us free access and that she'd made dinner reservations at Bridgewater Bistro and Clemente's, two fine dining establishments, for our 2 nights in Astoria. Again, Soooo overwhelming. It's hard for me to put into words, the way Mel and I were feeling, although complete humility and gratitude have to top my list.

We decided to go check out the Astoria Column first. It is a beautiful piece of architecture. It was 164 steps to get to the platform 125' above the ground. Our legs felt like rubber once at the top but Holy Cow were the views worth it! They sell little balsa wood airplanes in the gift shop that you can launch from the top of the column. Pretty fun to watch. We then decided we should head back to our room to get cleaned up for our dinner at Bridgewater Bistro. It was just on the other side of the pier from our hotel so we just walked over. Our dinner wa amazing. The food was terrific and, again, the views overlooking the Columbia River and the Astoria-Megler Bridge were breathtaking as the sun set. The next morning, after Mel's soak in the big claw-foot tub, we decided we couldn't stand it anymore. We had to see the ocean and walk on the beach. We jumped in the car and made our way to Seaside and Cannon Beach. It turned out to be a beautiful morning at the beach. We walked around for a bit looked at he starfish at Haystack Rock, found 3 sand dollars, uprighted some alien looking crab thing then made our way back and had a delicious breakfast at the Wayfarer Restaurant overlooking Haystack Rock on Cannon Beach. After breakfast we decided to head south down the coast to Tillamook stopping a many beautiful overlooks along the way. We finally made it to Tillamook and had used up far more of our day than anticipated. Since we'd already been through the tour of the factory (which I highly recommend) and due to long lines we decided to save time, grab my Squeaky Cheese and get on the road back to Astoria.

On the way back Melanie and I, due to the generosity of all who had contributed to this amazing trip, decided to reinvest into the local economy of Astoria and go get us some new clothing. We had felt fairly under dressed at our dinner the night before. We weren't planning on being able to afford to eat at such fine dinning establishments. We then went back to our room to get ready for our dinner at Clemente's. For our diner tonight the hotel had reserved us their 1952 Cadillac to be chauffeured to the restaurant in. It was a lot of fun and turned a lot of heads. After arriving the host escorted us to our private reserved booth. Tonight we decided to step out of our comfort zone and try something that we wouldn't normally order. It was all so delicious, from the appetizers to the duck to the desert.

The next morning we decided to go check out the house from the Goonie's movie. While we were up on the hill We heard Sea Lions barking down by the docks. We drove down one of the piers but were unable to hear them anymore. While down the we saw there was a BumbleBee Tuna Historical Museum so we walked through it then went and enjoyed a warm drink at Coffee Girl. While we were enjoying our drinks on the dock overlooking the river, a local fisherman came over and started talking to us. We must have been obvious tourists as he started asking us if we wanted to take some sea lions home with us and that when they start seeing them it means the salmon are not far behind. He then gave us directions to where they would be hanging out so we cold go see them. After watching the sea lions for a while we decided we'd drive across the bridge to go check out Cape disappointment and that area. We started to hike to the lighthouse but decided that the hike up Astoria column may have taken more out of Melanie than we'd thought. So for fear of not being able to make it back we decided we better turn around and head back to the car. On our drive we kept getting sidetracked by all the wild life. I have to stop and take pictures whenever I see wild life, especially Bald Eagle! When we returned to Astoria a lot of the museums we'd planned on seeing were getting ready to close. We were however able to do the speed tour of a couple of them. Including the Columbia River Maritime Museum.

Before we knew it it was time to head to the Astoria Airport to return the car and catch our return flight. Surprisingly enough this was fovorite memories of our trip. When we noticed the plane coming into the terminal it was a different plane than the others we'd flown on. The wings were above the plane and the landing gear was stationary. Melanie and I were the only ones on the flight until we connected in Portland. It was BEAUTIFUL. We flew, what seemed to be, only a couple hundred feet high along the columbia river all the way into Portland. Mel had taken some Dramamine so she was even able to enjoy the views as we flew.

Before we knew it we were back in Pendleton and the next morning making our 8 hour journey home. Back to work and shoveling the driveway........ Already day dreaming....

[slideshow]

Tracting in South Africa can be a real BEAST!

2010-12-24T07:52:00.000-07:00

Here's a little video of Dallin and some Elders from his flat with a few interested prospects as they traveled through a wild animal park.

Video Update from Dallin

2010-11-02T10:48:00.000-06:00

We got a bunch of pictures and videos sent to us from Dallin last week. I compiled a few of them for this video. I'll try to post more of them as I get more time. Stay tuned!

As you can see he is still our same goofball Dallin. I assure you he has managed to perform quite a few baptisms in between his horsing around. It was great to see and hear him. 10/28/10 was his 1 year mark. Can't wait to get him home.

Click on the link below to view the video:

All things Dallin!

2010-10-31T19:15:00.000-06:00

As the old saying goes a picture is worth a 1,000 words, well why don't I shut up. here are a whole lotta words! Straight from Dallin in South Africa.

[slideshow]

UYSA State Cup 2010

2010-10-17T23:10:00.000-06:00

Payten's Rampage soccer team is playing in the State Cup this year in Orem. It has been a blast to watch them advance. They will be playing their quarter final game this Thursday.

[slideshow]

More UEA Weekend

2010-10-17T22:54:00.000-06:00

Mel and I decided to end our weekend with the kids with a continued theme. Visiting Awesome places in our own backyard that we'd not been to yet, or at least in a very long time. We went and spent the afternoon on Antelope Island having a picnic and playing in the Great Salt Lake.

[slideshow]

UEA Weekend!

2010-10-17T22:40:00.000-06:00

We decided to take the kids to Timpanogos Cave while we were staying in Orem for the State Cup which Payten is participating in. Mel and the kids had never been there and it had been over 20 years since I'd been there. The hike nearly killed Mel and I but we both agree it was SOOO worth it. I don't think we could've picked a better weekend to go. The leaves were turning and temps were perfect for a strenuous hike.

[slideshow]

Abby the Fundraiser!

2010-06-11T15:47:00.000-06:00

[caption id="attachment_433" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Most of the crew that worked ALL DAY!"][/caption]

Several months ago Abby told us she wanted to do a yard-sale to raise money to find a cure for her mom and MS in general. Knowing full well of the laborious task ahead Melanie immediately thanked her and began to discuss, with Abby, all of the tasks and work it would take to pull it off. Abby never backed away or got discouraged when we'd tell her how much work it'd be. After several month's and many trips to Morgan and other cities to collect donations from friends, family & co-workers, the weekend had arrived. With most of the items stacked in my garage; Melly, Abby, Grandma & Grandpa Mikesell & several girls from our neighborhood spent Thursday and Friday sorting, pricing and hauling all of the items to the yard-sale location. Bright and early Saturday morning we were off and running. We headed over to the sale location and started pulling out the tables and setting things up. If you've ever seen or been involved in a yard-sale you know what happened next. Before we could even get half the stuff out of the garages cars were swooping in pulling off the side of the road and things were off and runnin'. That was my cue, so Tyson and I bolted! (not my cup of tea) While I spent the rest o the day at home catching up on some yard work, while the rain had stopped. I couldn't help but think to myself; Abby will probably get her wish one way or another. She'll either make enough money to find a cure or Melanie will cure her own disease by working herself to death!

Saturday evening was spent with Melly & Abby at the kitchen table counting the fruits of their labor. After it was all said and done Abby had sold enough 'stuff' to donate $250 to The National MS Society! I can't even explain how proud of Abby I am. It was amazing to see how much love and support is surrounding my two beautiful girls. Thank you to all that contributed.

[caption id="attachment_434" align="alignright" width="225" caption="Abby's MS Fundraiser Yard-sale"][/caption]

A few days after the yard-sale I noticed a post by my cousin Darin that had that, all too familiar MS logo with it. Darin was going to be riding in the 'Bike MS 2010: Harmons Dam Bike Ride'. immediately my wheels started turning as Melanie and I had been trying to decide what method we'd use to donated Abby's money. I thought what a great thing. We could help Darin reach his donation goal and seamlessly donate Abby's money at the same time. I discussed this idea with Abby and she thought it was a great idea as well. Darin was very grateful for Abby's donation and asked for my phone number so he could call and personally thank Abby. He also posted the following on his Facebook wall:

"Thank you for helping me surpass my fundraising goal. I'd like to personally thank my cousin Joe
Craven and his daughter Abby Nielsen, our honorary teammate!

Abby put together a yard-sale fundraiser, and she raised $250! The most touching aspect of her effort is that Abby's mom, Melanie Craven, was diagnosed with MS 4 years ago.
They're ...a family dedicated to finding a cure; we're an extension of that dedication!"

This whole experience has given me renewed energy and a desire to get more involved again. Thanks again to all that donated helped and supported this effort.

Thank you ABBY for being such a sweet, caring, sincere & beautiful young lady. I can't imagine a more perfect daughter!

I love you!!

[caption id="attachment_435" align="aligncenter" width="470" caption="The Crew trying on some of the merchandise"][/caption]

Way to go Payten!

2010-05-26T08:18:00.000-06:00

Payten had his last game of the season the other night. More importantly it was his last game with teammates he's played with for several years.

Roy Rampage Soccer Club had their annual tryouts. Payten was asked to join the club's premier team. He has mixed emotions about this decision because none of his buddies on his current team were invited to move up. He has decided to change teams. I believe this will be a good move for him. He is a talented little soccer player and this should help him to continue to improve and reach his goals. I could go on but I'll let these pictures speak for themselves. Needless to say I'm a very proud Papa!

[gallery]

News from S. Africa

2010-05-24T08:17:00.000-06:00

[caption id="attachment_407" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Roodepoort & Soweto Zones, Jan. 2010"][/caption]

Dallin is doing great! It is the highlight of my week to get his emails and pictures. Here is an excerpt from his current email:

"...we do get a lot of work done and it shows. we had 25 investigators at church yesterday. i can't believe how much god is blessing us. but if you aren't enjoying the companionship it seems like these things don't matter. i love p-days because we get to be with other missionaries, we play soccer every morning and i must admit for a big guy i'm pretty good. i am a better defender than anything but i did score like 2 or 3 goals today that were well lets be honest.... amazing! haha. plus we had a braai or as you know it a bbq after wards and i made some delicious chicken. and the best part of the day is hearing from my family. we went to the temple this week and it was very spiritual. and we had zone conference and it also was uplifting i just hope that me and elder ncube can start enjoying each other becase for now its rough."[slideshow]

New Blog Address! (Click here to go to new blog)

2010-05-23T21:15:00.004-06:00

For anyone that frequents this blog or would like to follow my family blog. I have made my own website/blog.

http://www.joe-craven.com

There are links on the new blog that you can click to receive an RSS feed of the blog or to get an email notification if a new post is published.

Thanks for following,
Joe

Abby's Cheer Recital

2010-05-23T21:02:00.000-06:00

Abby had her cheer recital this weekend. She did such a great job. I think we've found her calling. Yelling, Jumping, Hopping, Endless Energy & just and overall happy girl. ♥(custom made cheerleader)♥

The whole process of that day is ridiculously CRAZY! I can't believe how many people come to watch. Studio 48 does a great job coordinating such a hectic big event.[gallery columns="2"]

Thanks for always making us smile Abby! ♥♥♥∞

Last game of the season

2010-05-23T20:44:00.000-06:00

This Saturday was Aidan's last soccer game of the season. He has improved tremendously over the past couple of years. He loves the position of goalie and loves to harass the coach between quarters to let him play goalie.[gallery]

It was unseasonably cold for the end of may. The boys played hard and finished the season off with a bang.... Okay, a tie. (;

Goooooooooal!!!

2010-05-19T09:42:00.000-06:00

Payten & I got the oportunity to attend our first ReAL Soccer game last week. It was a lot of fun! What a great stadium. Not to mention, it was Free which doesn't hurt either. Payten's Rampage soccer team acquired the tickets so there was several of his team mates there also.

By the way... ReAL won 3-1

6 Months Baby !!!

2010-04-29T09:46:00.000-06:00

I got a surprise email from Dallin this morning. He reached the 6 mo. mark and looks like he celebrated a bit. It's soo good to get pictures. He looks very handsome and happy! Here are the pictures and parts of his email:

Here are some pics of the things I did on my six month mark.

"Burned a tie :)"

"Ate some delicious mexican casserole."

"a picture of me and a kid I love named Nqobile. and I stole his hat and thats the story of the picture."

-- Posted From My iPhone

Location:Johannesburg, South Africa

6 months baby!

2010-04-29T09:27:00.001-06:00

Location:Johannesburg, South Africa

News from S. Africa

2010-04-18T16:24:00.001-06:00

This is Dallin and his new companion in front of the Johannesburg Temple. He seems to be doing great and working hard.

Here he is performing a new dance. Shocking... I know.

Here is another of Dallin and his new favorite cuisine "cota" he says it's his saving grace.

-- Post From My iPhone

Location:5825 S,Roy,United States

News from S. Africa

2010-04-18T16:24:00.000-06:00

Location:5825 S,Roy,United States

Something new...

2010-01-23T09:11:00.007-07:00

I've decided to start pursuing something I've wanted to try for a long time. Photography has been something I've loved for as long as I can remember. My Dad was always on the pursuit of the "crowd pleaser" photograph. In my mind he had many. A picture is something that 10 people can look at and each one will draw something different from it. 10 different memories or ten different points of view. They have a way of making you laugh, cry, ponder, reminisce or give you inspiration.
Over the past several months I've been given the opportunity to take family portraits for some friends of ours and bridal pictures for our friends' sister. So far it has been challenging and a lot of fun. I hope to save some money and take some courses to help improve my abilities.

Below I will post some of the pictures I've taken.

I'd love to get some HONEST feedback to help me improve. (promise I won't be offended, these are my first times taking pictures that aren't family or just recreational)

Don't forget to post your comment below :)

Something new...

2010-01-23T09:11:00.006-07:00

Pictures from S. Africa

2010-01-18T08:29:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures Dallin sent this morning. His email came late. I was a bit worried/bummed we wouldn't hear from him this week. But to my surprise a bit later we received an awesome letter and these great pics. He looks so happy. I couldn't be more proud of and happy for him. I'm betting he didn't get as up close and personal with the ostrich. Birds are one of his greatest phobias. I wish I could afford to go pick him up from S.Africa after his mission. What a great experience he is living!

Johannesburg Temple

Elephant Crossing

CHEESE!

Couple of GOOD LOOKING animals

How could they turn him away

Dallin's worst nightmare

Playing with lion cub

Kenneth's Baptism

The Arrival…

2009-12-07T14:57:00.000-07:00

I received this letter from Dallin this morning and thought I'd share. He sounds like he's doing great. The pictures were from the day he arrived in S. Africa sent from the Mission Pres. in a seperate email today.

So this past week ish we have been working with these two young men named Vuse and Moroti they have been being taught for sometime now and they were extending their property so we helped them tear down there wall and rebuild it back up it was a lot of hard work. Their mom died about 2 months ago and they are in love with the plan of salvation. there uncle in times past has told us that his faith in god has been lost. anyways as we were going and helping day in and day out there uncle was there and he told us that because we were there helping them out his faith in god had been restored because no other church has ever helped like we have. We set up an appointment to see Vuse Moroti and there uncle on saturday. when we showed up Moroti was the only one there and he is about 16 and a complete stud. we taught the gospel of Jesus Christ (faith repentance baptism, gift of the holy ghost and enduring to the end) When we got to the part about baptism he stopped us and said i wanna be baptized as soon as possible because when you guys come and when i'm reading i feel overwhelming happy and when i pray for strength everything in life seems easier and like i can handle things :) so me and Elder Sederholm were in shock so we told him to aim for the 10th of january. then we told him he needs to come to church and asked him to get vuse and his uncle to come to church as well. Well yesterday was sunday and Church had started and i was a little sad that none of them showed up and then lo and behold about 10 minutes into the meeting in walk Vuse and Moroti and guess who was right behind them.... their uncle haha i was propably smiling from ear to ear i can't even explain the happiness and love you have for people as they draw closer to christ and make those steps to become better.
Then we were sitting there and Sacrament was drawing to a close and Kenneth another one of our investigators gets up and walks to the front. Me and Sederholm turned to each other and grinned. We actually found Kenneth together and at first we thought he was what we call a golden investigator. he told us in a lesson about a week ago that he didn't want to be baptized quite yet until he received an answer so we were a little discouraged but continued to work with him at the fullest. anyways he goes up to the stand and says this " Brothers and Sisters yesterday i was watching the soccer game when and Elder Craven and Elder Sederholm paid me a visit, i told them i was busy and that i couldn't have a lesson tonight but that i would see them at church tomorrow. when they left i continued watching the game and i felt really really good and happy and got excited to come to church. i took this as my answer that the Book of Mormon is True and that Joseph Smith is a true prophet." Holy cow i have never been happier in my life i cant even describe how much joy i have.
I'm serving in an Area called Kagiso, i'm not really sure how many areas are in my mission there are at least 90 areas ha ha so its pretty big. the weather here is Summer time, its way too hott but i'm coping ha ha. We walk/ride bikes everyday besides for tuesdays we get a car so that we can take members to and from appointments. i'm living in a 4 man flat and we share the car with the other 2 elders and they get the car the other 6 days cause there area is bigger but because we work harder we get more baptisms even though our area is much much smaller. the area is all black people and there pretty poor but they have an attitude like they are rich because they are so grateful for what they do have.

Aidan goes for a dip…

2009-12-07T14:51:00.002-07:00

What a Great weekend! It started off a bit early with Payten's 6:15 am indoor soccer game. Then after taking everyone home I was off to help cook breakfast for over 200 neighbors and ward members for our annual Christmas Party. About 5 minutes after lighting our Camp Chefs it started snowing. Of course none of the local weather men had warned us of this. I believe it all ended up okay seeing as I didn't see any ambulances arrive to cart anyone off due to food poisoning.
After Aidan's pre-Baptism party... I mean Ward Christmas party we had a little bonfire thanks to Tyson chopping up Abby's old bed frame and box spring. The kids loved how big the fire got. Well, Abby definitely kept her distance.

Then, onto the main event. Aidan also got baptized on this day. It turned out to be a wonderful day. Tyson gave a great talk on Baptism to Aidan. Michael (Aidan's Dad) then had the honor of dunking Aidan. Then we got to hear a wonderful talk on the Holy Ghost by Marge Simpson er, uh, I mean Melanie. She was getting over a cold and sounded oddly like Marge. I was then privileged to preform the confirmation. We are very proud of Aidan and his choice to be Baptized.

After the Baptism we had everyone over to the house for refreshments and to give Aidan his gifts.

We then continued our new tradition with the Mikesell family. Instead of buying gifts for all the nieces and nephews for Christmas, we pick a Family from an Angel Tree and we all head to Wal-Mart together and get what they are needing and some of what they're wanting. I truly enjoy it when we do this and I think it will be invaluable to our kids in learning the true meaning of Christmas.
After our Walmart shopping spree we cut Tyson loose and the rest of us headed of to a friends house for dinner and games. It was a great day!

Aidan goes for a dip...

2009-12-07T14:51:00.001-07:00

It’s Official !!!

2009-10-28T07:58:00.000-06:00

Elder Craven was set apart last night at 7 pm. It was great to be a part of. I am sooo proud of Dallin and know he will be a great missionary. He goes into the Provo MTC this morning at 11 am to prepare and await the rest of his travel documents to arrive. He will then be on his way to South Africa. We will miss you Elder but couldn't be more proud.
Remember who you are, and what you stand for!

Tick tock…

2009-10-16T23:30:00.000-06:00

Well time is flying by and reality is setting in. Dallin will be on his mission in less than two weeks. It has been a crazy couple of weeks for Dallin and his mom getting everything in order to go. Despite their efforts it doesn't look like Dallin will report to the Johannesburg MTC as planned. His visa isn't going to make it in time so he will start off in Provo. He isn't too dissapointed as Chase, Levi and Jordan will be there and he is looking forward to seeing them again.Dallin's farewell is this Sunday, the 18th. I am looking forward to him speaking. He has always had a knack for it and does a great job. His sacrament time is at 11am at the church on 5500 south, next to freedom elem.
As of my last conversation with Dallin, he will be going to the Provo MTC on October 27th.

That is all I have for now.
Stay tuned....

Back by popular demand...

2009-10-01T10:20:00.000-06:00

A few days ago Dallin called me to let me know he had received his mission "re"call. He will report to Johannesburg, S. Africa, Oct. 29 to the MTC there. I couldn't be more proud of Dallin for doing things the right way even though it definitely wasn't the easiest. He is going to be a great missionary!

Tyson's Homecoming

2009-09-23T10:21:00.004-06:00

Tyson Had his first school dance date last weekend. His date was Lauren, a very cute, tall & talented volleyball/basketball player from Roy High. They looked very cute/handsome.

The kids just don't do dinner and the dance anymore. Tyson's group consisted of 7 couples. They went paint-balling early in the day and then took their dates home to get ready for the evening portion of the date where they joined up with another 8 couples totaling 30 people in their group for dinner at Ruby River and the Dance.
They all went to Roy High's football field so us parents could grab some pictures. Tyson says he had a great time and my truck returned to me without any damage. :)

Tyson's Homecoming

2009-09-23T10:21:00.003-06:00

A Bad Week

2009-09-23T09:53:00.003-06:00

After month's of toiling about this decision, we came to the conclusion that it would be best is we found new homes for our boys, Barklee & Taylor. For reason's which I won't bother you with we put a couple of ads on KSL Classifieds. I was amazed by the response. It went very fast. Within 1 day of putting up the ads we had over 800 hits and dozens of messages. We sifted through the interested applicants and invited several to our home to meet the dogs and to interrogate them. :) Barklee ended up going to a cute young family from Clinton who had been wanting a Yorkie for some time but couldn't afford the upfront cost of one. Taylor ended up going to a couple from Taylorsville whose last child had just left the nest for college. The husband was very knowledgeable about Danes and had owned several of them throughout his life. When they first showed up to meet Taylor they pulled up in front of our house and Melly came to the top of our stairs looking down into our living room where I was watching the tube. She told me "they're here". Immediately following, as if he understood all that was going on, Taylor let out a moaning noise, that neither Mel nor I had ever heard before, and ran down to my Lazy-Boy and flopped his big head and jowls on my chest right below my chin. I looked at Mel saying "what the crap" half way laughing and half choking back tears as I knew I'd have to answer the door. We love our dogs. I have never developed such a bond with any other dog than I did with Taylor. Especially in only 1 1/2 years. We will miss them terribly but know that they will be well taken care of by their new families.

A Bad Week

2009-09-23T09:53:00.002-06:00

Park City Extreme Cup

2009-08-03T11:06:00.003-06:00

Melanie, Tyson, Payten & myself spent the weekend in Park City. The
Boys both participated in a soccer tournament up there. It was a lot
of fun, they both played very well.

Park City Extreme Cup

2009-08-03T11:06:00.002-06:00

Melanie, Tyson, Payten & myself spent the weekend in Park City. The
Boys both participated in a soccer tournament up there. It was a lot
of fun, they both played very well.

The Alpine Slide!

2009-08-03T11:00:00.001-06:00

We were also able to have some fun between all of the soccer. The first day we grabbed some lunch at Park City Pizza & Noodle. The owner's son seated us and proceeded to tell us that we were sitting where Rachael Ray sat while filming her show "Rachael's Vacation". Payten had Spaghetti and meatballs while the rest of us split a yummy BBQ chicken pizza. Friday we just chilled in the morning and went for a swim in the pool. After Tyson's first game we were going to hit the Alpine slide. Tyson received 5 missed phone calls from one of his buddies. He and a friend were on their way up to the outlets to do some shopping but their car broke down heading up Parley's canyon. So we dropped our plans and headed down toward SLC to see what we could do to help. When we got to them it was good to see they were alright. They were laying down across the seats listening to music, waiting for us. After looking at the car I determined it overheated as there was no sign of coolant in the reservoir. Luckily we had a cooler full of bottled water in the truck. We filled it as much as possible then I had them follow me down the canyon to a gas station in SLC. I filled the tank with the proper coolant. That seemed to do the trick. We sent them on there way and headed back to Park City, grabbing some fast food on way, trying to salvage the last three hours before Tyson's next game. We made it in time to go on the slide. Things were a bit more hectic than I'd have liked but ,hey, what ya gonna do? The ride up the mountain on the ski lift was beautiful and relaxing. Melanie and I went first so I could get down to the bottom in enough time to take some pics of the boys coming down. It was a lot of fun! Melly left me in the dust but it's hard taking pics and controlling a sled darting down the mountain. It was funny, there were dozens of gophers/ground hogs??? on all sides of the slide as we were going down, popping there heads up as you sped by. After the boys last games we left Payten to spend a night with his mom so he could see the new condo at the Canyons Resort that she'd bought into. Tyson was in a hurry to get home to enjoy the last day of Roy Days with his buddies and to see his "friend" that has been out of town for almost a month.

The Alpine Slide!

2009-08-03T11:00:00.000-06:00

Payten’s first fish!

2009-07-28T10:10:00.002-06:00

Payten's first fish!, originally uploaded by imacraven.

Payten caught his first fish while camping this weekend!

Payten's first fish!

2009-07-28T10:10:00.001-06:00

Payten's first fish!, originally uploaded by imacraven.

Payten caught his first fish while camping this weekend!

24th of July in the Uintas

2009-07-28T06:30:00.001-06:00

We spent the 24th of July up in the Uinta Mtns. The first day and night the weather was perfect. It was nice having some alone time with Payten. Abby and Aidan were on vacation with their Dad and Step-mom and Dallin and Tyson had to work. Melly's family came up the next day and brought the rain with them. The thunderstorms were impressive. I love watching and listening to storms roll in. It does hamper some of the activities we like to do while camping, but on the other hand it forces us to to pack in a little closer. It was fun playing card games and visiting during the storms. All the while Grandpa was hiking around in the forest collecting branches trying to keep the fire going. Our wimpy house dogs were exhausted from all their freedom. Mel and I would have to occasionally go check on them after we got home to make sure they were alive. Payten caught his first fish while at the dam. He was the only one to catch a fish as we were quickly chased out of there by a torrential downpour and the impressive claps of thunder overhead. It was a fun trip despite the rain and a few problems we had with our NEW trailer.

24th of July in the Uintas

2009-07-28T06:30:00.000-06:00

Catching Up!!!

2009-07-22T12:45:00.019-06:00

Wow!..... Okay so I'm a Slacker! I guess all I can do at this point is play catch up From the end of May till now.
It has been a busy summer thus far. Payten played a season of machine pitch baseball. It was fun to watch him and is amazing how much he's improved. He had several Home Runs, a few RBIs and many Outs including a double play. He was AWESOME! Payten had a lot of fun and the Cubs did very well.

I was able to finish sheet rocking the basement bathroom and get a good start on the spare bedroom with Cameron's help. I also called upon his skills in HVAC to install the heat vents. Thanks Cameron.
It will be nice when it is all finished. I just need my back to cooperate long enough to "Get'r Done".

In mid-June Melly and I planted our first garden. We decided to keep it very small and manageable. It has been fun watching it grow. We have already enjoyed some of the fruits of our labor. Mel made some rockin' zucchini bread. We also used some bell peppers, jalapenos and zucchini in some other recipes.... yummy.

What a difference a month makes! (First pic taken 6-13-09. Second taken 7-21-09)

It has been an abnormally cool and wet end to spring and beginning of summer. You will not hear me complaining about this. It has also helped our garden as well as our lilies and other flowers in the yard. Needless to say we live in Utah and the HEAT was destined to return.

Payten played in his first competition soccer tournament in June. Their soccer club was the host of the tournament so we didn't have to travel. The Roy Rampage will be playing in a Park City Tournament at the end of July.

We had an eventful 4th of July holiday weekend. It started off with a trip to the Hogle Zoo. It had been a long time since I'd been to the zoo. It ended up being one of my favorite trips. On our drive down to SLC it was raining cats and dogs. We were fearfull of or zoo trip being cancelled due to rain but we decided to drive down regardless and if it was too wet we'd figure out something else to do. When we pulled into the parking lot the rain had slowed to a very light drizzle. The rain had scared most everyone that was already in the park earlier away. There were hardly any crowds and the temps. were incredible which I believe is what made the animals more active than I ever remember seeing. It was a lot of fun and I believe the kids had a good time.

The kids are really excited that "this is the place"!

On the 4th Melanie, Abby, Aidan & myself started the day at the Hooper City Parade. Payten was participating in the parade. He did get in a little trouble by the girl that was walking by him for throwing too much candy. She didn't know it was going to his brother and sister.

Later that day we headed to Kaysville to let the kids enjoy the carnival before viewing the fireworks that evening. I will just let the pictures speak for themselves. It was a fun day!

We wrapped up the weekend the next day with a trip up into the mountains of Park City. We drove around for a while enjoying each others company and the beautiful scenery around us. We then enjoyed a nice picnic atop the mountains. The weather was perfect and helped make for a great day. On our way home we stopped off at Grandma and Grandpa Mikesell's for a quick dip in their pool.

Aidan with some nice form on his cannonball!

Catching Up!!!

2009-07-22T12:45:00.018-06:00

My Abby Girl

2009-05-31T21:40:00.001-06:00

Abby modeled for me today so I could practice some photo composition with my camera. Hard to go wrong with a cute model like her.

My Abby Girl

2009-05-31T21:40:00.000-06:00

Abby modeled for me today so I could practice some photo composition with my camera. Hard to go wrong with a cute model like her.

Fathers & Sons Campout 2009

2009-05-19T21:37:00.001-06:00

Tyson, Payten, Aidan & myself were able to go to Crystal Hotsprings
for our stake's fathers & sons campout.
We had a fun time. The hot pool felt awesome. Payt & Aiden couldn't
get enough of the waterslide.
The only thing missing was Dallin who's working in Atlanta. Oh yeah,
and if I'd remembered to fill the trailer's water tank. :)

Fathers & Sons Campout 2009

2009-05-19T21:37:00.000-06:00

Aidan plummits from the waterslide!

2009-05-19T21:28:00.001-06:00

Aidan plummits from the waterslide!

2009-05-19T21:28:00.000-06:00

It takes serious skills to go down the water slide without getting your hair wet

2009-05-19T21:27:00.001-06:00

It takes serious skills to go down the water slide without getting your hair wet

2009-05-19T21:27:00.000-06:00

Abby & Kelly & her b-day dessert.

2009-05-19T21:10:00.001-06:00

Abby & Kelly & her b-day dessert.

2009-05-19T21:10:00.000-06:00

Abby's 10 !!!

2009-05-19T21:09:00.001-06:00

We got to go enjoy lunch with Abby for her birthday. Can't think of a
better way to spend lunch than with my 2 favorite girls.
Abby even got a suprise visit from her uncle Kelly while we were there.

Abby's 10 !!!

2009-05-19T21:09:00.000-06:00

We got to go enjoy lunch with Abby for her birthday. Can't think of a
better way to spend lunch than with my 2 favorite girls.
Abby even got a suprise visit from her uncle Kelly while we were there.

Welcome, Finnley Tucker !

2009-03-14T16:00:00.005-06:00

Abby & Aidan are now Aunt & Uncle to Finnley Tucker! Finnley was born on 3/12/2009. We are all very excited that he is here and is seemingly in great health. Now the FUN starts for Cameron & Jerusha. Thanks for letting us share in such a wonderful moment. Melly's really enjoying getting her baby fix. I must also admit, he's pretty damn cute and I have also enjoyed holding him.

Welcome, Finnley Tucker !

2009-03-14T16:00:00.004-06:00

Sonora Grill take 2

2009-03-11T12:05:00.002-06:00

I was able to enjoy lunch with my beautiful wife today. We've tried 4
different menu items so far. They've all been very good.

Sonora Grill take 2

2009-03-11T12:05:00.001-06:00

I was able to enjoy lunch with my beautiful wife today. We've tried 4
different menu items so far. They've all been very good.

Sanora Grill

2009-03-07T13:31:00.004-07:00

Melanie & I went to Sanora Grill last month and really enjoyed the food. Anyway they are having a Blog contest which I am trying to win and if I do maybe, just maybe I'll invite you! :)

Check out the contest @ http://thesonoragrill.com/blog/wordpress/ And if you win maybe you'll invite me. :)

Sanora Grill

2009-03-07T13:31:00.003-07:00

Viva Las Vegas !!!

2009-02-23T11:36:00.015-07:00

We got to take a trip to Las Vegas in Feb. Tyson's soccer team got accepted to a national soccer tournament, The Mayors Cup. We were all looking forward to getting away from the snow for a few days. We were able to escape the snow, however, the temperatures weren't too desirable.
Tyson's team played well and didn't lose a game. They tied a couple though, witch kept them out of the play-offs in the points standings.

The Price is Right Live was showing at our Casino, Bally's! Melly and I couldn't pass up the opportunity go check it out. It was a lot of fun. We didn't get called to "Come on Down" however right before the show started the usher came up to us and asked if we'd like to move up to a table right in front of the stage, so that was pretty cool. It wasn't Bob Barker but some guy that stars in the soap opera, "The Days of Our Lives".

We were able to get the boys for a few hours to celebrate Tyson's 16th B-Day! I'd planned on taking them to a breaffast buffet and the to the wax museum. We quickly realized with travel time and long lines, this wasn't going to happen. The boys chose to grab a quick bite at McDonalds so we'd have enough time to enjoy the wax museum. As you can see from these pics we had a lot of fun and I have some goofy boys. Not sure where they get that from. :).Teaching Brittany some new pole dancing moves

Tyson opening his emergency date kit

Viva Las Vegas !!!

2009-02-23T11:36:00.014-07:00

2009-01-21T20:16:00.000-07:00

Today was the day that reality set in. Dallin received his mission call!
Am I really old enough to have a son leaving on a mission? I had been communicating with Dallin, asking if he had heard anything yet this morning. He replied saying he hadn't and that he wasn't really expecting to hear anything today due to the holiday on Monday. So a little deflated, that ended our conversation.
About a half hour later I received a voicemail from him. In a much chipper voice he informed me that the letter had arrived at his Mom's house. So just like that the anticipation was incredible. I think I was more nervous than Dallin and if I wasn't he sure hid it well. After several phone calls it was just a matter of waiting until 6:00 PM to go to his Mom's house to watch him open his letter. Dallin had a whole room full of Family and Friends anxiously awaiting the news contained inside that envelope.
Dallin read; "You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the South Africa Johannesburg Mission." Everyone, unable to contain ourselves any longer, cheered at the news. Dallin calmly continued to read the letter aloud for us, but at this point he had a huge grin on his face for the remainder of the letter. "You should report to the South Africa MTC on Thursday, 14 May 2009. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the English language. Your mission president may modify your specific assignment according to the needs of the mission."
Needless to say I am very proud of Dallin and this amazing commitment he has taken on. I have no doubt he will grow immensely from this experience and will be a great example for the people of South Africa. Dallin will be missed here at home but we all know that he is doing what he should be doing.
I Love You Dallin! And I am very proud of you

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T08:47:00.005-07:00

We had a fun new years eve. The day started with a trip to my hometown theater in Kaysville, where I used to woo the ladies with a movie and a short walk to dinner at Arctic Circle. It's not quite as I remember it 20 years + ago. the 1 big theater has been converted into, I believe, 3 smaller ones. :( Anyway, we all enjoyed the movie, "Forever Strong". Then it was over to Training Table for lunch. Yummy... Cheese Fries!

After a quick nap for the old fart, me, we took the younger kids up to Ladawn & Jed's house for; food, fun, friends & football. Melly even took a few minutes to practice on Cooper's drums in hopes that one day she can be a member of the Taylor's band. We had to leave the party in Morgan a bit early in order to make it back home in time for the annual rock jam performed by my nieghbor/Bishop and his sons. Something we've grown to look forward to at the stroke of midnight on New Years!Dallin & Tyson are far too cool to hang with Dad on New Years Eve, so they were off celebrating with thier friends. :)

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T08:47:00.004-07:00

"Dad... Can we go Sledding?!?!?"

2008-12-30T16:37:00.010-07:00

We took the kids sledding today at Rohmer Park. Turned out to be a great day for it. We all kept shedding layers as the time passed.I couldn't even resist one run down the hill in spite of a cold I'd been trying to kick for the past week.

Dallin declined to go with us as he wanted to sleep after his early morning workout and swim at the gym.
We took Taylor with us. For a dog that is sooo petrified of water, it's amazing how much he loves to play in the snow. Plus I believe it helped him forget about his itchy eye from surgery.

All in all it was a great day of sledding despite the complaints of sore backs from all the kids afterwards. You will understand why after viewing the following pictures. If you're wondering who the 5th kid is, it's Riley one of Payten's buddies. In hind sight I should have had his parents sign a disclaimer as Riley kept asking and was the first to take on the jump. I will just let the pictures speak for themselves.

TYSON

ABBY

PAYTEN

RILEY

"Dad... Can we go Sledding?!?!?"

2008-12-30T16:37:00.009-07:00

Round 2.... Hopefully Final round!

2008-12-30T16:18:00.004-07:00

Taylor had to go back in to the vet for surgery on his eyelid again. The first time didn't work and his eyelid started poking up again. The doctor only made us pay for the anesthesia and they did the surgery for free. Still a little upsetting when we paid almost $500 the first go around. Anyway.... needless to say Taylor was not too happy with the whole thing, especially the lamp shade. He just sat and sulked most of the night until the anesthesia wore off. Slowly but surely he's getting back to his old self.

Round 2.... Hopefully Final round!

2008-12-30T16:18:00.003-07:00

CHRISTMAS 2008

2008-12-29T21:29:00.019-07:00

This holiday season was another hectic mixed family Christmas. We had kids coming and going with different schedules but hopefully everyone enjoyed themselves. Besides me getting sick, I loved having the extra time with my kids.
Abby and Payten both joined thier school choirs requiring them to go early to school twice a week. They both had several performances over the holiday season. They did a GREAT JOB! Watch out Troy and Gabriella.

The house was pretty quiet christmas morning. The only entertainment was Barklee and Taylor staking claim on thier new christmas toys.
We were able to get Dallin, Tyson & Payten for a few hours christmas morning so they could go to Grandma's for christmas breakfast and to go through our stockings. It was a yummy breakfast and fun for everyone to exchange gifts and play with new toys. It all proved to be too much excitment for Kelly to handle as he crashed amidst all the chaos. Before we knew it, it was time to go so we could be home in time for Abby and Aidan's return from thier dad's house. After we returned home the boys were able to see Abby & Aidan for a couple minutes then they were off to celebrate with thier mom's family until later that evening.

Believe it or not we were all able to be together at 7:00 pm. I'm sure it was challenging for all of the kids to wait to open thier presents. They still had enough energy to open all of thier presents though.

We also had the Craven/Van Ry Christmas party on the 27th. If you notice some family missing from these pictures, it's because Scott took his family to bask in the sun for the holidays in Hawaii. It was fun to see everyone and, once again, eat all the yummy food!

CHRISTMAS 2008

2008-12-29T21:29:00.018-07:00

Jazz vs. Mavs

2008-12-27T13:03:00.005-07:00

We went to the Jazz game the day after christmas.

We met at the SKYBOX Resteraunt at the Gateway before the game. My old friend Travis & I had been planning this, via Facebook, for a couple months. He was comming down from Washington for the hollidays so we thought it'd be a great time to get together. It was great seeing Travis' family and his little sis, Amber and her hubby. Jeff & Lisa Crossley also joined us. It was great to hang with everyone.

Dallin & Tyson bailed from dinner a bit early so they could go do some damage with thier christmas money at the Gateway. Dallin ended up getting a whole new "outfit" for the game to show his support for the Jazz.

We got the tickets in our Christmas stockings the day before. I believe everyone was excited to go.

We had an awesome time at the game. Although Dallin got "stuck" sitting by some homely girl the whole time, I think he survived alright.
We will also probably think twice before buying a 20 oz. powerade for Aidan, next time. The numerous trips down the stairs to the restroom got a little old. :)
The Jazz ended up beating the Mavs. Go Jazz!! The it was off on our freezing slippery walk back to the truck.

Jazz vs. Mavs

2008-12-27T13:03:00.004-07:00

PERFECT! if I don't say so myself.

2008-12-24T18:24:00.002-07:00

PERFECT! if I don't say so myself.

2008-12-24T18:24:00.001-07:00

Christmas Eve Feast

2008-12-24T17:59:00.003-07:00

Melly & I Don't have the kids with us this Christmas Eve. :0( I decided to attempt my first Prime Rib roast! It turned out great! Barklee and Taylor were very happy I made it as well.
Melly & I hope that all our friends and family have a wonderful and memorable Christmas.

Christmas Eve Feast

2008-12-24T17:59:00.002-07:00

2008-12-14T19:02:00.002-07:00

Barklee, on the other hand, was perfectly content sitting on his warm
perch in front of the big screen watching football.

2008-12-14T19:02:00.001-07:00

Barklee, on the other hand, was perfectly content sitting on his warm
perch in front of the big screen watching football.

2008-12-14T19:00:00.002-07:00

It was hard to get a picture as he raced around eating the fresh snow.

2008-12-14T19:00:00.001-07:00

It was hard to get a picture as he raced around eating the fresh snow.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2008-12-14T18:58:00.002-07:00

Taylor is loving this white stuff all over the back lawn!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2008-12-14T18:58:00.001-07:00

Taylor is loving this white stuff all over the back lawn!

Forever a Family

2008-12-07T10:00:00.004-07:00

On 12-5-2008 Melanie, Abby, Aidan & Myself were sealed together as a Family for Eternity! It was a great day.
We are so greatful that Abby & Aidan were able to experience this with us. We feel truly blessed that thier Dad allowed us to share such a special experience with them. I was sealed to Dallin, Tyson & Payten several years ago. Now my Family feels complete! I couldn't be happier!

Forever a Family

2008-12-07T10:00:00.003-07:00

Jazz vs. Bulls

2008-11-26T12:02:00.001-07:00

Dallin & I were fortunate enough to recieve my buddy Jeff's season
tickets for Monday night's game Jazz vs. Bulls. We had a great time,
except for the last couple seconds of the game. Thanks Jeff! It was
great spending some time with Dallin.

Jazz vs. Bulls

2008-11-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

Wondering if Pet Health Insurance would be worth it!

2008-11-24T23:55:00.005-07:00

Taylor woke up Friday morning looking like he'd been in a brawl. We called the vet and described how nasty his eye looked and they told us to bring him right in, in case it was an infection and contageous. After the doctor checked him out she determined that his 3rd/inner eyelid had become detatched and needed to be corrected with surgery. Obviously not a hard choice to do the surgery but couldn't come at a worse time. They say a picture is worth a 1,000 words so i'll be quiet and let the pictures do the talkin'.

Taylor's eye Friday morning.

Morning potty break before we go to the vet.

Taylor begging me not to take him :(

Waiting for the doc to go over a few final details before the surgery. GULP! You're gonna do WHAT! "I thought the thermometer in the rear end was the worst of it!

Back home at last! Did so good in recovery they said he didn't need to wear a lamp shade around his head becaused he seemed to be leaving it alone.
I was very greatful for this decision. It's hard enough having a mini horse running around the house..... One with blinders on, Yikes, I can only imagine the destruction! :)

Wondering if Pet Health Insurance would be worth it!

2008-11-24T23:55:00.004-07:00

Aidan's B-Day Wish

2008-11-24T06:54:00.007-07:00

Aidan wanted to ride Front Runner and pick out a Buddy at Build a Bear for his B-Day!!

Excited to get going

We spared no expense.... Rented out the entire train-car ;)

Grabbin' some lunch at the Sky Box @ the Gateway

Shooting some bad guys!

Aidan Showin' off his Game Bling

What could be better "Lunch with a side o' Space Battle!"

Aidan playing with his new doggy, Michael, on our way back home.

Aidan's B-Day Wish

2008-11-24T06:54:00.006-07:00

Dolphins vs. Broncos

2008-11-05T14:17:00.008-07:00

Melanie, Dallin, Tyson & myself took a road trip to Denver to watch my Dolphins beat the Broncos. Despite the long drive, we had a great time and didn't get harrassed too bad by the Bronco Fans :)

Checking out the Tailgaiting & festivities before the game

Looking down at Dallin & Tyson in the 7th row from my seat

Dallin & Tyson Getting ready to dance on the bar @ Coyote Ugly

Chillin' in the United Club Level @ INVESCO FIELD

Checking out the 16th Street Mall

Chad Pennington (Dolphin's QB)Warming up

Thanks to George & Rhonda for letting us crash at thier house. You are VERY KIND!

What a good lookin' crew

Going to lunch @ Dave & Buster's

A Bronco Fan took our picture and didn't even throw the camera at me

Dallin & Tyson trying to find themselves

Motley Crew

Dolphins vs. Broncos

2008-11-05T14:17:00.007-07:00

Cousin Halloween Party 2008

2008-10-31T13:17:00.009-06:00

Abby the ZOMBIE

Abby "Zombie", Emily "Mummy", Clarissa "Ragedy Ann"

Joe "Professional Donut Eater", Aaron "Runner Up" :)

Scott, Renee & David

Mathew, David & Adam

Aidan "Harry Potter", Sam "Samantha", Megan "Princess Zombie"

Renee, Tyler "Doctor",Clarissa & Lori

Tyler, Tyson & Shelby "Witch"

Emily

Yummy, Cilli & Cheetos!

Payten "Dead Soccer Player", Savana "Jailbird"

Mmmmmm Donuts!!

The kids all had a blast at Grandmas Halloween Party !!

Cousin Halloween Party 2008

2008-10-31T13:17:00.008-06:00

The kids all had a blast at Grandmas Halloween Party !!

Who put the Miracle Grow in the water?

2008-10-02T23:13:00.004-06:00

It's official! Taylor is taking over. At only 6 months Taylor has claimed over 2/3 of the couch. He's growin' like a weed, but still a very sweet adition to the family.