"It's not going in the yard Russ, It's going in the living room."

We have not had a real tree since we built our house, 7 years ago. But this year I really wanted one, so when we had a permit given to us by a friend of mine we decided it would be cool to go up the canyon and cut a BIG tree, no little 7 foot fake tree this year. We went up Main canyon Wednesday afternoon and after much debate found a tree we thought was great and hacked that sucker down, I forgot my tape measure and what I thought was a 13 foot tree turned out to be over 16, but we loaded it up in the truck and headed for home. we got home after dark. The next day, Thanksgiving, we had a great meal at Grandma Clara's with everyone, it was fun. We slept in on Friday then started the tree... Then that's when I remembered why I hate setting up trees. Our ceilings are 12 feet so I fired up thee old chain saw and whacked 4 feet off the thing, and drilled a hole in the trunk, that turn out too be crooked, but nothing a few shims wouldn't fix. then bought it in and started putting the lights on. Thank the depot that I had to go to work, and Tami had to finish the lights, then she finish decorating it today. I think it's great, BIG but great, It's sort of like living in a Bank... it pretty much takes up the front room........like the Grizwolds, without the squirrel.

Well that game Sucked!

The Cougs lost the war this last saturday.... I'm a little blue but what can you do they can't win them all. But 10-2 for 3 strait years is pretty darn good and at least the MWC has 3 top 25 teams this year so it looks like byu will be going back to vegas or maybe san diego this year for their bowl game...cant wait....GO COUGARS!!! ~I'm still loyal, strong and true!

IT'S BACK . . . RIVALRY WEEK BABY!!!

MAGIC HAPPENS!!! It's the most wonderful most wonderful time of the year... rivalry week, this year my COUGARS are 10-1 and the utes , are undefeated at least for now, It should be a good game although the media wants to hand it to the pukes on the hill already... I love all the hype Its so much fun.........GOOO COOOUUUGGGAAARRRS!

Our little CHUBBER Monkey is ONE year old!

Today is Kayl's first birthday! can you believe it a whole year, it has gone so fast. He really got INTO his cake, then he opened his presents, and we had some of what was left of his cake, just kidding he had two cakes.

Kayl is such a good boy, he always laughing and smiling he makes us so happy. He is so loving he gives us big hugs and slobber kisses all the time. We love him so much he is such a blessing to our family. HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY CHUBBERS!

Ready... WRESTLE!

Ky and Kash decided that they wanted to wrestle this year, so we signed them up and they started this week. they had one practice and then had matches the next day. They both did really well, Kash was the dominator in his two matches. He really enjoys the sport and we decided that it is a good sport for him since the floor is padded and its part of the game to land on his face. Kash was able to win both his matches. Ky was so exicted for his match and got so nervous, he was matched with a kid that had wrestled before and he got taken down really hard and had the wind knocked out of him but he never gave up he tried so hard and hung in there the whole time and did not get pinned. Tami said she HATES wrestling and wants to stay home cause she does not like the emotional side of the sport, but she will go to support the boys. They will only get better as they learn some more moves and stuff. I started wrestling when I was 5 and went until I was 15. It's funny how fast it all comes back when I see my boys doing some of the same stuff that I did when I was little. its crazy.

Happy All Hallow's Eve!

Happy Halloween, The kids made a haul this year we went down to main street in Springville, and trick or treated this year all the businesses give out candy and stuff it is pretty cool, there were tons of people this year and the lines were long but the kids had fun and got alot of treats.

Then we came home and ate dinner and hit the neighborhood and got even more candy. I carved our name in the pumpkin I thought it turned out pretty neat.

The BOYS will play... when moms away

Tami went on a last minute road trip to Lubbock, Texas for her cousin Geoff's funeral. He died in Iraq last week, and she wanted to go support his family. he received a bronze star.

She said it was a very neat funeral and was worth the drive to be there, she took Brynn and Kayl, and left me with the boys we have had a good time, I think I got the better end of the deal the boys are pretty easy. (a crowded van ride to lubbock with a 2 year old and a baby, has to be real fun). The boys and I have pretty much just hung out, today we slept in and then we went to the BYU game it was a good game that the cougars were lucky to win 42-35 ... to close for comfort. then we went up to the victory bell and the boy meet cosmo and rang the bell with Tom Holmoe, Andrew George and Scott Johnson, they thought it was cool.

Then we came home and I made hamburgers only to find out we had no propane or buns! so we cooked them in a fry pan, and made a quick trip to Allen's for buns... yum yum fry pan burgers! Tami comes home tomarrow, YEAH!

My Goblins in Goblin Valley

Here are some pictures that we took on our san rafael trip that we went on this spring ...just wanted to share.

TWO-TONE / My elk hunt

WELL IT FINALLY HAPPENED !!! I harvested a big bull elk. YEAH ! well the story goes like this, I had a chance to shoot this bull on the opening morning of the hunt 9/13/2008 but, I passed on him cause he was about 700 yards away and I thought that was a bit far, and I thought I could maybe find one a bit better. The weather was horrible for elk hunting, hot and dry, the elk were all held up tight in the timber and it was very tough to see them. I, my dad and brother hiked and HIKED and HiKeD our butts off, literaly I think I lost 20 lbs. we saw a fair share of small bulls, (4's & 5's) but none that I thought were shooters, we did see one other big bull but it was right at dark and we couldn't get a good look at him before it was pitch black. so after days and days of hiking and glassing and hiking and glassing some more, I decided I would focus on the bull that I had passed on opening morning. This bull had a very destinct bugle that sort of broke in the middle and changed pitch so I named him TWO-TONE. I will hear his bugle in my mind forever. We listened to him for days, but he would not come out in the open, he had himself a little nest down in a heavily timbered ridge with a bunch of cows that he was just not going to leave, so after days and nights of hiking and waiting and listening, we decided to go in the timber after him. so on sunday 9/21 my dad and I hiked the ridge and waited to hear that 2 tone bugle, we heard him until about 9am and then he was quiet so I thought now or never. It had rained during the night so all the undergrowth was damp and quiet as we made our way down the ridge though the dence timber. I headed towards the area that I had last heard him and when we got there, NOTHING. but then we heard a bugle down the ridge a bit, so on we went slowly moving down the ridge. we got to where I tought he was again and quess what, NOTHING. so we sat on a log and waited for a minute, I blew my cow call 3 times and nothing, I said to my dad " maybe they winded us and " and then we heard the best sound in the world a BUGLE, less than 100 yards away then I heard him coming at us on the run looking for that fake cow, I put the bi-pod down on the rifle and got ready for the shot. the bull ran in to a shooting lane though the timber about 60 yard away,I droped to my seat for the shot, looked through the scope and saw nothing but leaves, so I stood took three side steps to the right looked through the scope, the bull came in to the open, I put the crosshairs on his shoulder and squeezed the trigger, BOOM! one shot, Twotone hunched up and turned went 20-30 yards and was done! we walked up to him, it was so awsome all the waiting 18 years of waiting for my chance to take a big utah bull was over, I was so happy, what a thrill to hunt one of earths most magestic animals. It was just AWSOME!!!

Then the work really began it was around 11 am when I shot, by the time we got him taken care of it was 3pm. Dad hiked out back to the 4 wheelers and back to camp to go get the horse to pack him out, the horse is Heaths (my brother) and had never packed out and animal so we were nervous but she did great, we made two trips to get him all out,, and it was dark when we got back to camp 8:30 pm. we were SPENT, I had two granola bars at 7 am and dad had an apple, all day that was it so we were on fumes. Tami came up and met us at camp to see my bull, and brought us a big arby's roast beef sandwiches, it was so good we were so hungry. We built a big fire and the kids looked at the elk, then Tami and the kids left and dad and I CRASHED...

We woke up, packed up camp and came home, we took him to the taxidermist and I took the meat to the butcher, came home took two showers and a bath... it was great to have running water again and to see my family. it was a fun trip and I am truely greatful for all the help that I got from Tami, Dad, Heath, and Brad Jensen. It was a lot of work but I loved every minute of it.

I KNOW...sorry

Well It has been forever since I have posted on this blog , sorry (like anyone cares) Ok well I guess ill recap our summer thus far.
We went on our annual friends camp out over memorial day weekend to start off the summer it was a really fun trip we went down to gobblin valley and the san rafell ... we blew a tire on the explorer, but that was ok 'cause when you have five of your buddies there it makes changing a tire short work, we got back to camp and went hunting rabbits. when Ky and I got back Kash was crying.... he triped and fell in the fire and burnt his hand really bad. we came home... and took him to the doctor he had to have the skin cut off and wrapped up for 3 weeks, but it was a fun trip we got some great pictures but I cant get them on to this blog for some dang reason it wont let me down load pictures.
I have gone scouting for elk a few times and I plan on going again this weekend, ive seen afew good bulls so there is hope for a good one this fall. I got my cougar back from the taxidermist the other day, it looks so good I put it up on the ledge above the pantry on some rock slabs and some branches it's cool.
Our transmission went out on the explorer for the 2nd time on the 1st of july, (that sucked) but at least it was still on warranty the warranty expired on the 3rd (that was close). DONT BUY A FORD!!! never again will I buy a Ford, its an '05 and had 2 transmission jobs.
The Baby (Kayl) is crawling now....well scooting around, and has 4 teeth and 2 more on the way, he is getting so big
Brynn is on the way to big girlness (pottie training ): She loves to maul Kayl
Kash is just being Kash or should we say Krash, he burnt his hand ... burnt his chin on the stove and cut his finger, and a dozen or so knicks, bumps and scrapes. he can ride his bike with no training wheels and he loves to ride fast.
Ky has been going to summer reading at the school and loves to go scouting for elk with dad, he is a hiking little man he just goes a goes, and he misses hockey, he'll start again it the fall.
Well thats it for now, if I could post pics I would see you later.

YES....I DREW OUT

After year after year of the dreaded "UNSUCCESSFUL" in the mail its my turn, too go after a big bull elk I am so excited I cant wait... Tami decorated the house and the yard with elk posters and signs to celebrate it was cool... I dont have to tell most of you how much this means to me I have waited and waited for my turn since I was 14 years old for my turn... thats 18 years, wow thats crazy. BUT now the work starts...I WILL NOT FAIL... I WILL NOT SETTLE, I have a goal and that goal is 360" +,b&c. It will take a lot of work and alittle luck but by gollie IT WILL HAPPEN....I STILL CANT BELEIVE IT....someone pinch me.

HELLO again...HELLO

HI Everybody, I'm so bad at this blog thing. It's been forever since I have updated this page. Anyway We blessed Kayl on superbowl sunday, it was very nice to be able to do that it is always a special moment.he is growing so fast he is such a little chunky monkey, and he is really starting to smile and laugh and according to Tami he only screams bloody murder when dad tends him, and beleive me he has a strong set of lungs, lets just say he is hungry alot and is very pickey about how he is fed and by whom he is fed, mom and only mom........... well speak of the devil...guess who is cryin' and MOM is gone so I have to go now..... iT's A CrAzY LiFe!