Cayden loves the snow!!

Over the weekend......

We played at the park as much as we could, watched the Utes win and ate lots of unhealthy food at our favorite place...... St. George (before we had to come home to a foot of snow)!!!

I am Thankful for.....

I am THANKFUL for my Mom

I am THANKFUL for my Dad

I am THANKFUL for my Sister

I am THANKFUL for my Trains

Getting ready for Christmas!!

Once again Lance risked his life so the kids could enjoy Christmas lights on the house!! Every year he says he isn't going to put them up and every year I end up praying he doesn't fall off!!:)

We put our tree up!! Cayden could not wait because of the special new thing that is underneath this year!! He had to sleep with the train set next to his bed the night before so he could look at it all night!!:) If you know Cayden you know where you can find him for the next month:)

In Memory.........

Dec. 12, 1951 - Nov. 2, 2010

Richard Eugene “Rick” Darland Jr., 58, Senoia, Ga., formerly of Peru, went home to be with his Lord Tuesday evening, Nov. 2, 2010, at the Cancer Treatment Center of America in Tulsa, Okla., surrounded by his loving family.

Born Dec. 12, 1951, in Kokomo, he was the son of Richard Eugene Sr. and Betty Zane (Griffey) Darland. He is survived by his wife, Amy L. Hammond. They were united in marriage on April 13, 1973, in Galveston.

Rick was a United States Army Veteran stationed in Germany during the Vietnam War. His service extended to his community beyond his military duty. He was a compassionate man and always willing to lend a helping hand — especially to those in need.

Rick owned and operated Darland Construction for many years — building and remodeling many homes in Miami County. He was also an avid fisherman and belonged to the Isaak Walton League, Bass Club and Brown Reservoir in Georgia. Rick attended Grace Community Church in Sharpsburg, Ga.

Rick leaves behind his wife Amy; three children, Danielle Winters and husband Phil, Senoia, Ga., Richard Darland III and wife Amy, Heath Williamson and wife Heather; two grandchildren, Mason and Sydney Winters; two brothers, Mike (Carrie) Darland, Vince (Gayle) Darland; one sister, Vickie (Vern) Wilde; two brothers-in-law, Jerry (Brenda) Hammond; and Richard (Susan) Hammond, both of Peru; three sisters-in law, Nancy Siders, Peru, Patricia Hunkler, Cincinnati, and Teresa (Gary) Oliver, Peru; 26 nieces and nephews; and close family friends, Rich and Pam Tucker and family, Phil and Stephanie VanBaalen and family, Mike and Carolyn Murphy and family, and Rob and Amy Cheek and family.

Funeral services is 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Skinner Worship Chapel near Twelve Mile with Pastor Tom Robbins officiating. The Miami County Military Rites team will present honors following the service. Visitation is 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at McClain Funeral Home, DenverMemorial contributions may be made to Cancer Treatment Center of America Family Assistance Fund. Condolences may be left online for the family at www.mcclainfh.com.

Halloween 2010

It is tradition at our house that Lance helps carve the pumpkins!! It has been that way ever since Carlie's 1st Halloween. Someone has to take pictures:)

My kids do not like to have messy hands (that is my fault, I always kept them too clean as babies)!!:)

Finished just in time to go "Trick or Treating" in the pouring rain!!

The kids had fun "Trunk or Treating" with there cousins on Friday night

Snow is falling.....

Cayden is so excited for the snow this year!! This is the second morning we have woken up to snow on the ground. Cayden asks me all day if there is enough snow yet to go sledding!!:)

A Temple and a Farm........

Carlie's 2nd grade class has been learning about Hinduism so today they went to the Hindu Temple in Spanish Fork, Utah.

They got to feed the Llama's

and walk the Llama's which they all thought was so exciting!!

They even did a little bit of yoga (a Hindu ritual)

Then we went to Hee Haw Farms for lunch and some playtime

They got to play and hold the animals, it took Carlie quite a while to gain enough courage to hold this baby chicken:)

Each kid got to pick out a pumpkin at the end.

Pumpkins

Cayden has been asking every day when we were going to go pick out a pumpkin and sit on the tractors!! He was very particular about what pumpkin he wanted this year and was trying to decide between 10 different ones:)

Carlie was going for the BIGGEST pumpkin this year and had to settle for one that she could actually pick up:)

Uncle Matt

Uncle Matt came and watched Cayden's soccer game today before he headed back to Arizona. He got a job and moved down there. We hope he moves back soon:)

In Memory.........

My Grandma passed away this morning. Growing up it wasn't very often we got to see our grandparents on my mom's side since they lived in Indiana and we lived in Utah. Carlie was fortunate enough to see my Grandma twice in her life, once when she was about 6 months old (in 2003) and then Carlie and Cayden both got to see her during the summer of 2007. The visits were few and usually far inbetween but I will always treasure the ones we had:)

This was the last time I was able to visit my Grandma.

Betty Zane Darland Tucker, 79, of Peru, Indiana, departed this life at 8:23 a.m. on Saturday, October 16, 2010, at her home. Zane had suffered a serious stroke the week prior, and had been cared for by her daughter Vickie and sister Jan since that time.

Born June 8, 1931, in Kokomo, Indiana, she was the daughter of Darrell and Elsie Louise (Cunningham) Griffey. On February 16, 1949, she was married to Richard E. Darland in Kokomo, and he preceded her in passing on August 2, 1987. Zane then married Marvin Tucker in Peru, Indiana, on September 23, 1993, and he survives. Zane was a Homemaker, and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Peru. She was very involved with the recording of family geneology for the Griffey and Cunningham sides of the family, and enjoyed visiting with family members and discussing family history. Surving with her husband, Marvin Tucker, of Peru, are her mother, Elsie Griffey, of Bloomington, Indiana and Florida; one daughter, Vickie Wilde (husband Vern) of Salt Lake City, Utah; three sons: Richard "Rick" Darland Jr. (wife Amy) of Senoia, Georgia, Mike Darland (wife Carrie) of Lafayette, and Vince Darland (wife Gayle) of Peru; three brothers: Ronald Griffey (wife Patti) of Joplin, Missouri, David Griffey (wife Carolyn) of Rochester, Indiana and Florida, and Michael George Griffey (wife Estrella) of Delphi, Indiana and Palin, Guatemala; two sisters: Janice Kidder (husband Ralph) of Brownsburg, Indiana, and Cecilia Wilhelm (husband Dennis) of Bloomington, Indiana and Florida; 18 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. Zane was preceded in passing by her father, Darrell Griffey; her twin sister Mary Jane Marschand; her brother Darrell Francis Griffey; her nephew Steven Marschand; and a daughter-in-law Chris Radel. Friends may call from 5 till 8 p.m. on Monday, October 18, at the Murray-Weaver Funeral Home in Galveston, Indiana. Services there on Tuesday, Bishop Scott Haupert officiating. Burial will follow at Galveston Cemetery.

Fall Break

We started our vacation in Long Beach, CA

We ate at our favorite restaurant, Tequilla Joe's (on the pier)!! It is a really good Mexican restaurant.

We went on a boat tour at the pier in Long Beach. We told the kids it was a mini version of a cruise:)

Then we went to Disneyland!!

Haunted Mansion

Cayden was finally tall enough to ride on Splash Mountain so we had to go even though neither one of them wanted to:) As you can see by Carlie's face she was not too happy afterwards! She had the worst seat of all, the first one!! We all got wet but she really got wet:)

The parade is always a favorite!

Carlie's favorite thing this trip (besides the tea cups) was getting autographs from the disney characters!! Cayden's favorite ride is still Dumbo and riding every train that we could find:)

We got to go into Disneyland before it was open to the public for the character breakfast!! A rare thing to get a picture at Disneyland with no one in the background:)

The highlight of the trip was going to the Character Breakfast!! The kids loved getting to have there pictures taken with all of the characters:) We hadn't ever done this before. It is kind of pricey considering the kids don't end up eating more than two bites because they are too distracted with the characters, but the food was good!!:) Now that you have to go to special spots and wait in 2 hour lines we would have never gotten as many pictures with characters if we wouldn't have done this.