Cranor Family

1st Time Skiing!!

2012-01-08T18:53:00.001-08:00

The great thing about living in the mountains and having a ski resort in your backyard? Carson started ski lessons yesterday! Woo-hoo! He was so nervous, but as soon as we got there, the instructors were very good to him and made him feel so comfortable. He got to start off on a toboggan ride down the mountain and Mama had to stay in the lodge. When I picked him up for lunch 2 hours later, this is what I saw:

I was one proud Mama! He kept telling me he wanted to go again and again! Guess that's a good sign, since I already payed through the month!!

Christmas Morning

2011-12-25T19:49:00.000-08:00

This post is for Daddy because he's in North Dakota right now. (Frowny face) I tried to make the room as light as possible, but it still turned out dark. I had a very hard time seeing what I was filming in the camera, so that's why it's kind of all over the place!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T19:17:00.000-07:00

It is so wonderful to be a mother! I love this little guy so much I could not even put it into words...

He has been so mindful of today being my day. He is so sweet, he even made me stay in the car after church so he could open the door for me and give me a kiss! What a lucky mother!

I loved this next picture because he is always whispering stuff in my ear. And when I say always, I mean, ALWAYS! Thanks for capturing that precious moment, Grandma!

P.S. I dressed us alike on purpose. How corny is that?

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Super Carson!

2011-04-22T12:51:00.001-07:00

Carson was bored one day and asked if I'd take some pictures of him jumping. Yes, I let him jump on our couch! I caught some really good ones of him in the air!

This first one, he really looks like he's superman!

In this second one he was trying to make a silly face and fly through the air at the same time.

When daddy got home later that night, he wanted to try it with him. He looks like he's trying out some Kung Fu!

Sledding

2011-01-11T22:00:00.000-08:00

Todd had the morning/afternoon off from work and decided to take Carson sledding! Carson was all over it. Since we finally got a new camera for Christmas, I asked Todd to take some pics while they were there. Okay, I should've gone, but I really really wanted to stay home by the fire and have some peace and quiet! Next time I'll go for sure! I shouldn't take these mountains and snow for granted.

2010-11-20T15:36:00.001-08:00

Official School Picture

Okay, so Carson's only in Preschool, but he was able to get an official school picture this year. I can't believe how fast he is growing up! He starts Kindergarten next year! Love this little guy so much. He brings so much joy to our family.

BOO!!

2010-10-30T22:20:00.000-07:00

Carson decided (with a little suggestion from Mama) to be something a little scarier this year. So, grandma found this lovely green skeleton costume and we loved it! We had such a busy fun day. We started out at Aunt Jackie and Uncle Glen's house for a fun Halloween party. Cousin Ashley got to join us for part of the festivities. Her costume is from Alice in Wonderland (the Winter Queen?). I can't remember what it's called. Obviously I haven't seen the movie.

These are the pumpkins they carved/decorated for the contest at the party. Come to think of it, I still don't know who won. Hmmm... Then we left the party to go to our Trunk or Treat activity at the Booth Ball Field by our house. There were so many cars there and Carson scored a lot of candy! Nope, we're still not done. That's right, we went back to grandma's house to enjoy some more trick or treating. Carson did also enjoy handing out the candy at the door. I'm all candied out! Holy cow, we'll have candy for the rest of the year and then some! (I think I'll be throwing some away when you-know-who isn't looking).

1st Day of Preschool

2010-09-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

August 30th 2010 Carson started his 1st day of preschool at Grace Lutheran. His teacher is Mrs. Flicker and he really likes her. He is so excited for all the fun stuff they have in store for him this year: field trips, library visits, crafts, computers, P.E. classes, etc. He's also excited that Mama gets to volunteer in his classroom every Monday for the first 45 min of class. So fun!

Carson was so excited to go inside to start his 1st day! I couldn't get him to look at the camera because he wanted to watch the other children at recess.

Okay, he's already over getting his picture taken.

Waiting outside his classroom for his teacher to open the door.

Playtime while he waits for all the other children to come in!

Pool Fun!

2010-07-31T10:07:00.001-07:00

Having a pool in Meemaw and Pop Pop's backyard equals a fun time. Having cousins to give Carson the courage to jump off the diving board? Equals an even more fun time! Little Justin (who's not so little anymore) will do any trick you ask off the diving board.

Madi is just learning to swim and stays in the shallow water without water wings (which is so uncool by the way). Sometimes she'll slip the wings on if she wants to jump off into the deep end.

Carson keeps the water wings on unless I'm right next to him in the shallow end. I'm so glad he can touch the bottom now. In this video, he'll either yell "timber!" or "cannon ball!" (it's a toss up). Since the video has been taken, he's tried other cool tricks. Hopefully I'll catch some of them before we leave to go back home (don't hold your breath).

Buds

2010-05-13T13:59:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we took a day trip to Bountiful, Utah. Carson's cousin, Tyler was there and they had such a fun time together. I just love this picture! Aren't they so cute?

Spring Sledding

2010-04-07T16:51:00.000-07:00

Only in Idaho can you have enough snow to sled on in the Spring. I'm actually glad we did have enough snow, because Justin and Madison don't have sledding hills in Virginia. It worked out perfectly!

Trip to Temple Square

2010-03-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

Justin (my brother) and his 2 kids (Justin & Madison) came out for a visit on Friday, March 12th. It was so great to have them out here and they were really excited! This was the first time the kids have ever left the east coast, so it was really different for them. They actually saw real mountains! It was great to see their excitement over seeing where the Prophet works, where General Conference is held, where the Prophet sits, and of course, the Salt Lake Temple. We also got to meet the man who wrote the article in the Mormon Times. Here are just a few pictures of our few hours at Temple Square.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-16T20:40:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this is a little late, and a little boring without pictures. Yep, still don't have a camera. We had a fun Valentine's day except Daddy had to work late morning until the evening. I attempted to make heart pancakes before he had to leave, but it was a disaster. In fact when I gave up on trying to make them heart shaped, I had problems making regular pancakes! Weird. Anyway, the thought was there. After church we went to Grandma's house and Carson got hooked up with more Valentine's stuff. We had a lovely dinner (thanks Grandma), and made and decorated heart shaped cookies. Yum! Sorry you missed the rest of the day with us, Daddy. We'll try again next year!

Merry Christmas (a little late)

2010-01-03T19:03:00.000-08:00

Santa thought Carson was such a good boy!

Proof that Santa and his reindeer came.

Carson actually stopped to let me take a picture!

Please excuse this amateur video. The lighting is horrible and it's sideways for the first 5 seconds. Other than that it's really cute watching Carson playing with one of his presents from Santa.

Happy 4th, Carson!

2009-12-09T18:05:00.001-08:00

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Carson,
Happy Birthday to you!!!

Make a wish and blow out the candles...

Here is the cake face (which remained stained for quite some time)!

Here's just one of many presents Carson got. All of them were his favorites!

Happy 4th birthday, bud! You are so loved and we are all so happy and blessed to have you in our lives!!

You Just Gotta Believe

2009-11-30T11:04:00.001-08:00

My child, getting ready to turn 4 in less than a week, has so much wisdom. Sometimes life is so hard and you just can't find the answers anywhere. Then your 3 year-old speaks...and there it is!

Explanation: the other night Carson and I were getting into bed and he had an armful of stuffed toys. (Not the small kind, the rather large kind). I said, "Carson please don't put those in the bed, we won't have enough room to sleep!" He didn't listen and continued to stuff them under the blankets as I was getting more frustrated by the second. So, I said again, "Carson, they are not going to fit in there, please put them on the floor." He looked at me very seriously and said, "Mama, you just gotta believe!" I probably don't have to add that he went straight back to work stuffing those enormous animals in our bed. The crazy part? They actually fit! I had no choice but to acknowledge this wise boy and tell him he was right.

I learned a lesson from Carson that night. The past few years I've been struggling to find answers to my prayers and dealing with what seems too many trials in my life to count. But all I really need to do is just believe! Believe that my prayers are heard and will be answered and believe that my trials are for my own good and are a blessing. So, whenever doubt sets in, remember a wise boy once said, "...you just gotta believe!"

Sad News

2009-11-02T09:18:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know and aren't on Facebook, I received a call from my parents Friday night telling me my sister in-law, Katie, was tragically killed in a car accident. She was not driving and also was not wearing a seat belt. She was at a Halloween party with her kids and left with a friend to run to the store which was only a block or so away. They were broadsided and she was thrown from the car.

Katie was only 29 years-old but had been a special part of my family since we were teenagers. She used to spend the night almost every night at our house (even on school nights). She was one of my best friends in the whole world! After my brother came home from his mission I sort of lost her to him for a while. I'm so grateful they were sealed in the temple and is a part of my eternal family. She leaves 2 beautiful children, Justin (8) and Madison (5). They, along with Justin (my brother) will be in need of any positive thoughts and prayers you can offer.

Todd, Carson, & I will be leaving late Wednesday night for Virginia and the funeral will be on Friday. Todd will return back to Idaho on Saturday morning while me and Carson remain in Virginia for a couple weeks. Carson and I will go back to Virginia again after the holidays to help more with transitioning those children to a new life without their mother.

This is going to be a long road to recovery for many of us. I know she is with our Father in Heaven and has a more important work to do. It's just hard knowing it'll be years and years before I see her beautiful face again and hear her beautiful laughter. Katie, we love you and can't wait to see you again!

The Monster Mash!

2009-10-11T18:37:00.001-07:00

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Island Park Camping

2009-10-08T20:57:00.000-07:00

Each year in August we go camping in Island Park. Due to unforeseen circumstances this year, we had to go in September. The weather was perfect (only a little too cold for me in the morning). We had a great time exploring, fishing, and visiting Big Springs and W. Yellowstone.

Grandpa taught Carson the art of roasting the perfect marshmallow...

...and eating it! (Hope you're not mad at me for posting this grandpa, but I love this picture!)

This was too funny! We were going to W. Yellowstone and had to clean Carson's face. He was so filthy and uncooperative it took two of us to clean him.

Carson feeding the fish and ducks some bread at Big Springs. They're probably the most well-fed animals in the world.

And then came the muskrat!

Carson loved playing in grandma and grandpa's tent.

Chillin' eating a fig newton before the long ride home. Oh, to be a kid again and not have to help pack up!

Idaho State Fair

2009-09-30T16:54:00.000-07:00

I love the fair! I don't know what it is...the smell of the nasty but yummy greasy food, the rides, the animals, or just watching all the crazy people (and believe me, there's plenty). Who knows? What I do know is that Carson loves it too. Daddy was working this time, but we went with Grandma and Grandpa and had a great time.

Here are some of the rides Carson got to ride. The 4 wheelers...

The train...(I didn't choose to ride this one, they wouldn't let him on by himself. Totally lame!)

Really cool cars from the 50's with a beach theme...

And the airplanes (this one I also had to ride!)

And of course he got to ride the cool train at the McKee's petting zoo!

I was really impressed with Carson's bravery with the animals. He used to be scared. Not anymore! This was the cutest little horse I'd ever seen.

I couldn't believe he went right up to this guy! I didn't even want to go up to it...

Cute, huh?

Day of Fishin'

2009-09-14T18:20:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know I haven't posted in a long time, but as you know, our camera got stolen. I finally borrowed my in-law's camera and went to town... So, there's going to be a lot of pics on this post.

I had to put this one up because it's just so darn cute! He was so excited to be riding on Uncle PoPo's (Uncle Phil's) boat.

Beautiful waterfall! I wish I knew the name of it and where the heck we were! I guess I was just along for the ride... Okay, we were in Idaho somewhere...the South Fork?

One of Carson's absolute favorite things to do: throw rocks! Imagine his joy when we pulled up to this.

Uncle PoPo teaching Carson how to fish. So cute! Didn't catch anything, but it was fun to watch!

Todd chillin' enjoying the ride...

This was actually really funny, Todd snagged his line on something and thought he could save it. Uncle PoPo told him not to bother and just cut it, but of course, he had to find out for himself... I was just a little worried because the current was pretty strong out there.

This was during our stop for lunch and it was really chilly and windy. He thought it would be fun to see if I could get a picture of him before he put the hat over his face! I barely got it!

For a kid that does not like to get dirty, he sure had fun playing in it. This was right before daddy called him over to help him reel in the fish.

The catch! For some reason Carson wouldn't touch the fish while it was out of the water...

...but had a blast catching it in the water!

Good News/Bad News

2009-06-07T16:56:00.000-07:00

I know we should only post uplifting news, but news is news. The good news is Carson is finally potty trained. It went so much better than I thought. It was something I dreaded for a long time because of his resistance. But I pushed him and he caught on real fast! I didn't take any pictures, sorry!

Now the bad news... Last night Todd, Carson and I returned home from being gone all day. He was at work and I went to a Time Out for Women conference. Our garage door didn't open and we realized it was unhooked and a window was broken. You guessed it! Our house was robbed! I'm still in shock. Sometimes it's hard to talk about but it's all I think about. All of my jewelry, our flat screen TV, computer (I'm borrowing the in-laws'), CDs, camera (with precious pictures), tools, Carson's piggy bank (the big jerks!), etc. There was one funny item that he stole...my tennis shoes that are 3 years-old and that I bought for $29. I have to laugh at that one. I am grateful that Carson and I weren't home alone, that they didn't destroy our house and furniture although they made quite the mess, and that we have friends and family that have shown their support. There's always a bright side, right? Also, sorry no pictures...NO CAMERA!

Now for the Cheesy Easter Pics!

2009-04-13T17:14:00.000-07:00

Madison, Justin, & Carson

The sun was really getting in his eyes.

He had a hard time concentrating on looking at the camera.

He was really wanting to eat that candy!

The Hunt

2009-04-13T17:04:00.001-07:00

Carson did really well this year! He hardly needed any help.

I think he found more eggs than his older cousins.

I shouldn't be surprised, when candy is involved, he doesn't mess around...

Showing off the goods!

Egg Decorating

2009-04-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

Carson was pretty proud of himself for decorating these lovely eggs.

He worked very hard with his cousins, Justin and Madison.

He wanted to make sure the Easter Bunny would see them.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-15T16:41:00.001-08:00

1st Dentist Visit

2009-01-08T11:15:00.001-08:00

Well, Carson went to the dentist for the first time yesterday. We tried to talk real excitedly about the visit beforehand so he wouldn't be scared. It worked, because he acted excited while we were there. He was so good and opened up for the hygienist and dentist without a fight. He got to help while the hygienist cleaned his teeth (he got to hold the suction and use it when he needed it). It was really cute. Unfortunately we did find out that he has 2 cavities. He gets those filled in 2 weeks, but at least he's not scared of the dentist now.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-03T17:40:00.001-08:00

Cranor Family tradition is to go bowling on New Years Eve. It's great to get together with family that you usually don't see. This year was a little interesting. This was Carson's first time bowling. That's not the interesting part...right before we got started, Carson threw up all over the floor of the bowling alley. Lucky for us it wasn't on the carpeted part. Lucky for you, I didn't take a picture. After that was all said and done, we got to bowling and he was fine. Below are just a few pictures of Carson bowling for the first time.

After bowling we headed over to Mike and Claudette Jones' house to hang out and play games. Carson had plenty of kids and toys to play with to keep him occupied. Right after our last game, Carson threw up all over me! It was a great ending to a great evening. Happy New Year!

Daddy helping Carson roll the ball.

Watching the ball...

Carson gets a strike!

Christmas Morning

2008-12-29T10:16:00.000-08:00

This was Carson's big present from Santa. I don't think he was too sure it was for him. It took him a while to approach it. He really liked it.

Here's Carson playing with another gift from Santa: a construction set with an electronic crane.

Daddy fixing Carson's crane.

It's so fun on Christmas morning to see the excitement in the children's faces.

This was Tyler and Carson in their matching jammies. This was the best picture of them I could find. They were too busy to look at the camera. Can you blame them?

Carson Trims the Tree

2008-12-22T14:41:00.000-08:00

Carson was so excited when Grandma brought out the decorations, and doubly excited when she let him help.

A lot of the ornaments ended up in the same spot, but it was too cute to change right away.

This was so sweet when he was all done he just laid there and looked at the tree. Oh, to be that age again!

Carson's Santa Visit

2008-12-14T16:47:00.000-08:00

Santa came for a visit at our Ward Christmas Party. This is the first time he wasn't scared of Santa at all. He told Santa he wanted "lots and lots of toys!" Santa then gave him a goody bag of candy, which of course, he ate on the way home. This time of year is so fun with the little ones!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Carson!!

2008-12-07T15:30:00.000-08:00

We can't believe our little guy is 3! He is so smart and getting so big. We love him so much! On the morning of his birthday, he helped Grandma make and taste his cake.

This is Carson and his new best friend, Spongebob.

Awesome birthday cake, Grandma! Thank you!

Carson takes his wish-making seriously.

Carson and some of his Idaho cousins. (From left: Trevor, Ashley, Carson, Tylee, Jersey, Thomas, & Todd)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-30T20:21:00.000-08:00

Carson and his cousins enjoying their feast! (From left clockwise: Jordan, Catherine, Justin, Madison & Carson)

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-02T16:28:00.001-08:00

Carson trunk or treating with his cousins, Madison (Hannah Montana) and Justin (Batman).

This costume makes up for the costume jewelry he was wearing a couple weeks ago, right?

He's gearing up for the big fight...

I'm ready!

Mamma and Carson at Trunk or Treat. Notice the black eye?

Look What Happens When Daddy's Away

2008-10-21T18:28:00.000-07:00

Carson was playing in his cousin, Maddie's, room for quite a while. When he came out, we all got quite a shock... Hopefully it's just a phase!

Last Warm Day

2008-10-21T08:51:00.000-07:00

This was the last warm day in Virginia Beach. It was a beautiful 82 degrees and it's been in the 60's and high 50's ever since. Fall has arrived here.

Carson wanted me to dig him a big hole in the sand so he could sit in it. (That was lots of fun.) Then he would run and jump into the hole and fill it back up, so I would have to dig over and over. We played a lot in the water also. There were dolphins swimming and jumping out in the water. It was great!

A crazy side note: two men were swimming out in the water not too far out and they started screaming for help and going under the water. Carson and I couldn't do anything but watch while two good samaritans on the beach went swimming out to save them. It was crazy! It's off-season so there weren't any lifeguards, but the Fire and Police Depts. came to help out (after it was all said and done). The guys were stuck in a riptide and were too exhausted to swim any longer. Luckily, they were saved and everything was fine. Throughout the rest of the day, Carson kept pointing to people swimming in the water and telling me that they needed help. It was cute.

Doesn't he look all grown up?

2008-10-21T08:38:00.000-07:00

I finally bought him a suit because he starts Primary in a couple months. I can't believe it! He's getting so big and handsome (if I do say so myself).

Atlantic Beach, NC

2008-10-04T11:22:00.000-07:00

One of our excursions was to the Aquarium. Carson had a great time looking at all the animals and he even got to pet a sea turtle (no pics allowed). If you can't tell, Carson is in front of a huge fish/shark tank. The flash got in the way.

Atlantic Beach, NC

2008-10-04T10:49:00.000-07:00

After spending a couple hours at the beach, we would head to the pool. They had a big kiddie size area in the pool that Carson would spend a couple more hours in. There was even a slide, but someone was too chicken to try it...

Atlantic Beach, NC

2008-10-04T10:39:00.000-07:00

Kendra, Carson, Meemaw & Pop pop went to Atlantic Beach, NC this past week. It was so much fun! We had the best weather the entire week! He loved playing in the sand and then running to the water to wash off his hands. He really enjoyed letting the waves chase him.