Tyson's 6th Birthday!

This year I told Tyson, "No Parties"! I try to do the every other year thing with my kids and their birthdays. We always celebrate- just not every year with friends. So some of Tyson's friends (and their moms- my friends) met us at McDonalds for lunch before kindergarten. Most of them brought him a present (which was so not necessary). Then he went to school and I brought in chocolate chip cookies for his class. When the kids got home from school we headed over to "Bounce" for a couple of hours and we let him open his presents from us there. Then we let him pick his birthday dinner - Red Robin. After that we headed home to eat cake and play with his presents. The next day was Saturday and we made him his favorite breakfast of ebelskivers and bacon. We were cleaning up when the doorbell rang- grandma and grandpa Crane had driven up from Burley to surprise us!!! So then he opened more presents and then went to yet another birthday lunch! Good thing we said "no parties"- we might have been exhausted from a weekend of partying!
We love Tyson and he is such a sweet addition to our family. He loves to share, play with babies, play Donkey Kong on wii, make up words, combine name calling with anything chicken, (your a chicken who wears makeup) etc... I can't believe he is already 6! Everytime you ask him what he wants to be when he grows up he says "I don't want to grow up- I want to stay home with mom". I couldn't agree more!!!!

Night Skiing!!!!

Last Friday we talked Colt and Michelle into hanging out with Gavin for the night and the rest of us headed up to Bogus Basin. Amber and Tanner rode up with us and Roberts were already there taking charge of the mountain!! Halle and Tyson had never skiied before and I had not gone for 19 YEARS!!!! We had a ton of fun- Halle was a natural (of course). Tyson not so much- he was trying but was very frustrated! He wouldn't just try and stand up and ski- he was leaning on me or Bart at all times! So, I decided to give Bart a break from Tyson and I volunteered to take him down with me- BIG MISTAKE!!! Right off the lift he was sliding in the wrong direction over a steep part & I was with him trying to get in front of him to stop him. It was so steep and icy and our skiis were overlapped so I couldn't get a good grip. My inside knee was holding him and I and my knee got twisted so much I thought I would break it. I was able to keep skiing even though it was hurting. But the next morning it was swollen and I couldn't walk on it. I headed to the Dr just to make sure. He did some xrays and I didn't have any tears or anything major wrong. It had alot of fluid hitting cartlidge and they gave me a prescription and crutches and told me no weight on it for 4 days. Easier said than done! Grandma Adonna and Ron to the rescue! I am feeling better now and have ditched the crutches. We want to go skking again because we had alot of fun- we just need the kids in some lessons! Our last run down the mountain turned out to be a little too steep for the kids so they had a blast when ski patrol showed up and sled them down the mountain! Bart & I skied down together- the easiest part of the night!!!

Christmas Time!

We had a great Christmas Season. We decorated gingerbread houses, drove around and saw Christmas lights. We went to Burley the weekend before for our Crane Christmas party and did our gift exchange. We had our annual Christmas Eve dinner with the Anderson family with yummy salmon. For Christmas Eve and thru that Sunday Grandpa Ron stayed with us for the first time. We had alot of fun with him sharing in on all the excitement!

Grandpa Calvin Cottrell Crane

I'd been putting off this post because I can't seem to put into words what I want to say about grandpa. My friends and I go to lunch once a week to take a break and catch up. Today they surprised me with this picture of grandpa ( everyone else was cropped out) in a beautiful frame. Of course it started up my tears again. When I came home I felt like I could finally write some things down.I was so touched by their thoughtfulness. It really meant so much to me. That's what life is about- spending time with people you care about and trying to let go of all the rest.

Grandpa died Christmas Day and we had his funeral in Burley January 31st. Even though he had been sick for awhile and he wasn't really "grandpa" anymore it was a hard week. I don't think I have ever cried so much. I have been flooded with memories of him through the years and trying to write things down in my journal about him so that I won't forget. His funeral was so nice and I loved hearing things about him and grandma. I worry what will happen to her now that he's gone. She has a broken heart and has been with him since they met in 6th grade! I've never seen two people so in love. I loved his sayings and jokes when I would see him first thing in the morning while we were feeding cows. I of course would roll out of bed at 6 and blindly get dressed and go get in the pick up to head over to the farm- grandpa would tell me when I got out of bed I should brush my hair, brush my teeth, and wash my face! He would say "it's a great day for the race" and you were supposed to say "what race" and he would answer "the human race"! He always had a poem to quote everyone and I remember "The Ambulance Down in the Valley" was his favorite. It was printed on the back of his funeral program. He looked like John Wayne when he was younger and it was brought up at his funeral how there was a picture of John Wayne in his office and most of us grandkids growing up thought it was grandpa- not John Wayne. He was such a hard worker and taught me how to work hard. I will miss his smiling, 'twinkly" eyes that he had and miss his laugh that was loudest after he told one of his jokes! It was so nice to see all of my family- cousins, aunts, uncles at his viewing and funeral and honor him. To be crying one minute and laughing the next! Grandpa Calvin will be missed but not forgotten!