Men at Work

Dan had a few things he was trying to do around the house one evening and Blake wanted to HELP! He loves to help his daddy and be involved in whatever Dan is doing. Dan thinks it is fun too that Blake is now at the age where he can be of "some" help with some projects... this one might not have been just that project but Blake thought he was helping for sure.

This made me only slightly worried when he decided to climb the ladder and had no fear... makes me think of possible trips to the ER that may be in our future. Fingers crossed they aren't any time soon.



This is him helping daddy with the vacuum. He is doing a great job holding it down in case it gets away.

Outdoor Toys

The weather has been so nice and we have been spending so much time outside but we have also realized that there really isn't that much to do in our own backyard.... Well, daddy sure fixed that!

We took a trip to Toys R Us this afternoon and Blake now has a backyard full of things that will keep him busy. He already had the playset that he got for his birthday (but truth be told he is sort of outgrowing it already) but not he has a basketball hoop and a sand/water box. He will be able to play outside for hours and hours for the whole summer!

Zion or bust

After a long time of waiting... this trip was suppose to happen the weekend we were placed with Blake... Dan and his friend Brian finally headed out for a weekend camping trip. They were suppose to go to Death Valley but because they knew it was going to rain for sure, they decided to head to Zion. They didn't have much better weather there... it rained for about 5-6 hours straight on Saturday night... and it was really cold... but they got their trip in and had a great time hiking and taking pictures.

This was a well deserved trip for Dan... he was been working really hard, long hours and days so it was great for him to be able to get away, enjoy the outdoors and spend some time with his new hobby of photography!

Weekend Wrap-Up

What a weekend.... I think I learned that things don't always go as planned!

Friday I was still not feeling great... Thursday was NOT a good day. I had a terrible migraine. I mean a really bad one. I ended up at my doctor's office to get a shot and I hadn't done that in a LONG time. So needless to say Friday I still wasn't feeling fantastic. I had a lot of things I wanted to get done and needed to get done...but people had other plans. It wasn't a bad thing really. We ended up going to a local high school football game and then out to dinner after. It was fun.

Saturday morning there was an adoption 5K charity run waaaay on the other side of town and I really wanted to go, BUT I was suppose to be helping out at our ward's Super Saturday. The run started at 9 and our activity started at 10... So you do the math?! I can't run that fast! I had to make a tough decision because I really wanted to do the run, but I had committed to helping a few weeks ago so I went to Super Saturday. The classes were great and then it came to my class (card making). I had all my cards ready to go but people's bellies were talking to them and many choose to have lunch instead of make cards so I ended up with a lot of cards not done when I got home. A little disappointing especially since I really wanted to be at that 5K run!

Then as it turns out when I get home my sweet hubby is outside digging in the dirt and tells me we have no water... just a nice leak instead. WHAT? We were suppose to do this, and this, and this... not have to fix a water leak all day! Oh well... Life goes on...

Sunday turned out great though. We were helping out with the FSA adoption and foster care fireside for the valley. We were nervous because we didn't know how many people to expect, what to expect from the speakers, or anything really. But the night was a success. Everything went off really well. The speakers were great. There was a great turnout and the night was just perfect.

Take a hike

This is a post that really should be written by Dan but that is not going to happen... so, I will do my best and just give you a re-cap on the main event.

Dan and Brian have been talking about and planning this trip to hike the Grand Canyon for months and the day had finally arrived. They were both like little kids. They both had gotten new backpacks for the trip. Dan got a new Ipod (father's day). They were set.

They left Vegas at midnight on Wednesday night and drove all the way to the Grand Canyon and then started down the trail as the sun was rising. They spent the next few days exploring the village and doing a few smaller day hikes up to the falls and the nearby area. Overall they said they accomplished about 30+ miles in the four days they were gone....

They had a great time and besides Brian coming home with terrible blisters (Dan didn't fair too bad).. they loved the adventure and are planning their next trip!

New Calling

Well church on Sunday was exciting. Dan and I have been the Stake Technologists for the past two and half years. Basically what that means is that we have been in charge of showing all of the broadcasts that come across from Salt Lake. It also means that we were able to see General Conference without fail; that was a plus for sure. This being said, Sunday we were released from this calling. I was not too disappointed as it has been a long time and I am plenty busy with FSA and Girls Camp for sure and Dan is now involved with Scouts too.

This also being said we were released but Dan was called to something different... and a lot more time consuming if nothing else. You are looking at (well not really Looking at) the new second counselor in the Elder's Quorum presidency! Wish us luck. We really have our plates full now.

I am sure that he will do a great job and he was a wonderful president that he is working with and gets along with great, so I am sure he is going to love this calling and learn a lot while he is in in too.

Weekend Wrap-Up

This weekend really was calm for us and we were glad. We are back onto the schedule of every other weekend having something major to do. We are glad that our lives are busy and full but sometimes it can get a bit overwhelming. Last weekend we had our family in town, so this weekend we had nothing to do.

Dan had a scout training session that he attended all day on Saturday. It was pretty repetitive since he has been a scout his whole life but he was glad he was able to go and now has the card proving he went and doesn't have to do it again for a long time. He will go to an over-nighter in April and then be done for sure. He will miss the overnight camp-out with the boys at the end of the month because we will be out of town but at least he got the training done.

While he was at the training, I was able to spend that time doing some time scrapbooking. YEAH! I feel like I never really have the time to do that. I am always working on stuff that my mom and I have to do for classes and things but never have a chance to work on my own stuff so it was nice to be able to just do some of my own things.

Sunday was spent at church and then just relaxing at home. I wasn't able to watch the game but I am excited that football season has officially begun once again and the Steelers are off to a great start with a win against Texas!! Go BIG BEN!

We should have spent some of the weekend cleaning and getting ready for this weekend since we are going to have visitors coming but we didn't. We will just do it during the week and hope for the best!

The Heat is On!

Well the joys of being a home owner have once again graced us! Our water heater decided to start leaking on Thursday night. We went to the store and were told that of course they could deliver and install a new one for us over the weekend with inflated HOLIDAY prices and we in turn said "no thank-you". It was leaking but not that bad, plus we had guests coming and did not want to sit around waiting for the repair guy to show up (late probably). So Tuesday morning was the scheduled time of the service.

Tuesday morning came and the guy showed up with our new water heater and the information that he was not going to be able to install it for us. He proceeded to tell us that there was a pipe that he "felt" might have asbestos so he could not do it. WHAT! Our house is not that old there is no way we have asbestos. So basically we just paid him to bring out our water heater and that was all. So then Dan had to spend the rest of the evening on Tuesday changing out pipes and installing our new water heater. Fabulous. Good thing he is a handy guy.

A boy and his toys....

I leave for a week and I come home to Dan having bought a new truck!!! It is a new work truck and he REALLY needed it so I was not mad (actually I was really glad I did not have to be there when he did it. I hate going to car lots and dealing with all of that drama!)

He is very excited about his new purchase. He is now the PROUD owner of an F-250 4x4 and can hardly wait to start using it. He has to wait for the shell to come in. He has it ordered and it should be here next week. He can't use it for work until that comes in.

He tried to sell me on the truck by telling me about the 6-disc CD changer and the leather seats with seat warmers... nice try but since I don't EVER ride in his work truck it wasn't a big selling point for me! I know that he needs this truck and that his old one doesn't even run past 20 MPH (on a good day) so it is a necessity! I also know that this one has air conditioning which in the Vegas heat is a necessity too. This will be great for him and I am glad he finally found one he likes and can't wait for him to be able to start using it!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANNY DAVE!

(Not a current picture, but one of him enjoying himself and being in his element for sure!)

Today is Dan's birthday - 28 to be exact. He is now officially older than me and that makes me happy. There are also lots of other things that make me happy....like him. I hope that he has a wonderful day and an amazing year. I hope that this year brings him so much joy and happiness that he can't imagine what his life was like before. He is such an amazing husband, friend and person and I wish him only the best. He deserves that and so much more.

Soon-To-Be Father's Day Post

I think that more than I want to be a mom... I want Dan to have the chance to be a DAD! He is going to be the best DAD ever. He is such a great person, friend, husband and I know he will make a great DAD. He has such great traits that I hope he is able to pass on to our children. He is patient and kind. He is giving. He is funny and lighthearted and easy-going. He is understanding and easy to get along with. He makes friends with people quickly.

I can't wait to watch him interact with our children and be the DAD that he wants to be. I can't wait to see him playing catch, going on camp-outs, building forts, teaching them how to work on cars, showing them how to fix fire extinguishers... and he has already told me this will all happen weather it is a boy or girl! But right now we have all nieces and it is sweet to watch him with them too. He does play dolls with them and blocks and reads to them. So that side is there in Dan he just needs a "princess" to help bring it out. Either way I know Dan will be a great DAD and I hope that he will have that chance very soon. I hope this is the last Father's Day he will have to spend without a little one looking up at him in pure adoration!

By the way... Happy Father's Day to my Dad for being a great example to me and for always being there for me, and to Dan's Dad for helping him be the great guy that he is today.... We love you both!

A Little Off The Top

So after months, no maybe years, of Dan talking about wanting to shave his head he finally did it. I was a little unsure about the idea to say the least. I don't mind shaved heads, but you never know how it is going to turn out. Some people just don't have cute heads and you can't tell under all that hair until it is too late. I think we lucked out with Dan. Besides... his hair grows so stinking fast that he will have his crazy mop back before the end of the summer anyways!

Weekend Recap

Okay so we don't have any pictures but we did do some fun things this weekend.....

Friday night to Saturday morning - I went to my mom's house and was able to get a bunch of scrapbook pages done. I love to feel like I am catching up on this kind of stuff. Dan went on his first campout with the scouts. He only had three "real" scouts and then a few other kids and a couple adults from the ward joined in the fun also. He had a great time. They took a mine tour, did an obstacle course, orienteering course, and first aid station. They also had the kids passing off requirements for advancement which means they got breakfast cooked for them! All in all he had a great time, with the exception of a windy night out in a tent which he is not used to any more.

Saturday - After Dan got back from his scout trip Dan, my brother, my Dad, me, and my nieces; Morgan and McKenna all went out to Logandale for the Clark County Fair and Rodeo. Besides having tons of traffic to get there we had a great time. We were able to have the girls see lots of animals and walk around at the exhibits. We of course had dinner out there (fair food is the best!) And the highlight of the night was the RODEO! We watched the bull riding, the barrel racing, team roping, etc. This was the first rodeo the girls had ever seen and I think they had a good time.

Sunday - I had gotten all of my work done on Saturday morning before heading out to the fair so I had absolutely no work to finish up today. It was wonderful. After going to church this morning, Dan and I came home to wonderful, warm weather and were able to sit outside and just relax. He cooked us up some BBQ and we enjoyed the day together. We had a great weekend and hopefully this means we are in store for a great week to come!

Real Gambling in Vegas!!!

Let me give you some backround about this whole thing. Skydiving has always been something that I would say "yeah I want to try that" or "that might be kinda fun". So when Marvin and I were talking a few months back about crazy things to do we fell upon skydiving and I expressed my somewhat mild desire. He then told me he had always wanted to do it but never had anyone willing to go with him.

We decided to finally do it. So while the girls were getting their massages the boys were suiting up for real fun. We went out to Boulder City Airport which is about a 10 minute drive from the house. We were walking up to office and seeing some people in their jumpsuits and we both were getting pretty excited. After waiting for about an hour, it was our turn to get in the plane. We got up to about 15,000 feet and then opened the door. Marvin and I were the last 2 on the plane with our instructors. So we watched 5 other pairs fall out that door. Then my turn. There is nothing like the 4 seconds when you are sitting in the doorway looking out at this desert thinking "Here we go!"

After free falling(the background music provided by Aranne) for what seemed like forever, the parachute opens and it is just scenery the rest of the way down.

One Word: AWESOME!!!!!!!

It's Finally Over!

Well I did it! I survived the month of March. I am sure by now everyone knows that I sell and service fire extinguishers. This month it all comes to a head when several big "jobs" come together. The biggest of the clients is the City of Henderson. Now this includes every city building including City Hall, the Police Station, all the Firehouses(9), all of the city vehicles,etc.
When it is all said and done it ends up being about 1100 extinguishers. The few other big clients are Cottonwood Cove Marina and all of the LDS church buildings in Henderson and Boulder City.

I do need to say that it is somewhat bittersweet. I really do enjoy being busy and getting things done. On the other hand a little moderation would be nice.

Just think, I get to do it all over again 11 months from now!

Tag.......I'm It!!!

5 Years Ago I Was ..... Knee deep in the politics of high end retail at Tiffany & Co. I was just starting to call Nevada home and trying to change my house to my home.

5 Months Ago I Was ..... Knee deep in the fire protection industry. Working hard and trying to learn as much as I could. I was waiting for the first snow fall of the season to crack out the snowboards.

5 Things That Worry Me ..... If I am making the right choices daily. If I am good enough for my wife. If I will be able to be a good dad to my child(ren). If I will be able to support my family financially. If I can enjoy everyday.

5 Bad Habits That I have ..... Too optimistic. Too easy going. Too Sarcastic. Too loud. Incessantly shaking my feet and/or legs.

5 Places That I Have Lived ..... Arizona, all over the great CLAM(California Los Angeles Mission), and Nevada. (that's it)

5 Of My Greatest Blessings ..... First and foremost my wife and my eternal marriage to her. My good health. The physical blessings in my life.(house, food, clothes, etc.) The gospel.

5 Things In My Virtual Shopping Bag ..... ipod(phone would be amazing but I will take the regular.) That beautiful home theater system.(LCD Full HDTV with Blu-Ray) A new(er) work truck. (one I am not scared to drive to far with) A electric griddle. (I just want pancakes sometimes) If I got those 4 things that would be enough.

5 Things I Blog About ..... Well this is my second blog ever. The first was regarding the horrific ending to The Bachelor. So I blog about Reality TV.

5 People I Am Going To Tag ..... Well I am the last person on the Internet to do this so it would only be a repeat for everybody. Seriously, I don't know anybody.

CALLING all scouts

Dan got a new calling at church today. He is now the assistant scout master with the 11-year-old boys who are in the Blazers. He has actually had this calling before and really enjoyed it but now he is going to be working with another guy in the ward and has some kids that are active in the ward also. This time around it should be a lot of fun for him, and maybe even a little more work.

He is excited about it and looking forward to getting out and doing some fun stuff with the boys and teaching them what he knows about scouting. Especially at this age they are still young enough to listen to you and want to learn. They are great kids and will love Dan for sure.

My Handy Man

Finally I don't have to be embarrassed that the whole neighborhood can hear me when I open my garage door because Dan has installed a new opener for me. Honestly, the old one was older then both of us combined and was SO loud that it could wake the dead and was very temperamental too. Now thanks to my handsome handy man we have a snazzy new, much quieter model and I could not be more excited about this. I can now open my own garage without embarrassment. The simple things in life I guess! Thanks again Dan for making me SMILE!

My very own Knight

So yesterday Dan definitely proved his L-O-V-E for me (not that he really had to). So I had finished my book "Twilight" and was ready to start on the sequel "New Moon". We had been out running errands all day in the freezing wind and cold. Our last stop was the grocery store where we figured we would find the book. To our bad luck it was not there. "Eclipse" was there, the third book, but no "New Moon". We came home with the groceries and Dan SO WILLINGLY said that he would run to Wal-Mart and pick up the book. Well... about 30 minutes later I get a call and he proceeds to tell me that Henderson must not carry the book. He had been to Wal-Mart, Rite-Aid, and Albertsons with no luck at all. I told him to forget it and that we would either go out again later that night and try the church bookstore (because I know they have it) or I would look somewhere else on Monday. He said it was okay and that he would go to Barnes and Noble and get it for me. About 30 more minutes later my knight in shinning armor returned home with not only "New Moon" but also "Eclipse" stating that he did not want to see me without the third book when I finished the second one, so he picked them both up! Now we all know it is just because he didn't want to have to go out and look for a book for me EVER again, but it was the thought that counts and a very nice thought it was. What a sweet, sweet husband I have!

5 things about Dan

Since this is a site about Dan and Aranne both I figured Dan should have to answer some of the same questions too so here are his thoughts on 5 things....

1. 5 things I was doing 10 years ago..

(I was 17 at the time)

playing football

sitting in class

staying up late

finishing my Eagle Scout

dating

2. 5 things on my "to do" list...

raise a family

skydive

see more of the world (travel)

go back to school

do more projects aruond the house

3. 5 things I would do if I were a millionaire...

Travel more

learn to golf (because all millionaires golf)

purchase a Dream Home

Invest

spoil my wife (kissing up!!)

4. 5 bad habits...

don't eat right (no vegetables!)

don't exercise enough

sleep too much

don't have self control (want it = buy it)

I am not organized

5. 5 things I would never wear again...

NEON!

Rolled up shorts

socks with sandels

a part on the side of my hair

missionary tag

6. 5 of my favorite toys...

my video games (x-box)

my snowboard

my jetskis

my boogie board

my tools

Well there are a few areas were Dan and I are very much alike and some where we are not.. It is fun to see the differences and the things we have in common.