In Memory

In memory of Stephan J Bown

18 years ago today I lost my dad. He was killed in an auto vs cyclist accident. Here's a few things that I remember about him.

He had a wonderful sense of Humor
He loved me and my family very much
He worked hard so that we wouldn't go without
He was always willing to help anyone
He was just a big kid, he always told us he was president of the Peter Pan fan club
He loved the outdoors, camping, hunting, he was just getting into mountain biking
He loved cycling, I remember watching the Tour de France with him
He loved animals I think that we always had a dog or a cat or both

I'm sad that my dad didn't get to see me graduate from school, or see me off on my first date, or get to be there when I got married. But mostly I'm sad that he wasn't here for any of the little things, dinner at home when he would get us all rilled up and drive mom crazy, watching funny movies as a family, going camping up at Ferin, falling asleep in his banana chair, the way he laughed and talked, hearing stories about him growing up.

I love you dad. It seems very hard to believe that you have been gone for 18 years. Back then I didn't think that life would go on this long. I know that you are watching over all of us. I know
that you love us and that you are waiting for us to be together again as a family.

This is a picture of my dad and I taken the summer before he died. I was almost 12.

Jack-O-Lantern

Guy just finished helping (okay he really did it all) the boys carve a pumpkin. They were pretty excited. They got to go yesterday and help dad pick the pumpkin out. Then tonight Caden told dad what kind of face he wanted and dad drew it on, and carved it. It looks pretty good I think anyway, I mean it's not professional or anything. Here's a few pictures and can I just tell you that it is harder to take a picture of something in the dark without the flash. I was having a very hard time holding still.

The first face Caden wanted

The second face Caden wanted


Outside with the flash


Outside with out the flash.

The boys seemed to have a really good time and are so excited to dress up tomorrow they can hardly stand it. This is the first time we have carved a pumpkin in years, at least since we had the boys. I know what bad parents. But I'm thinking now that Caden is old enough and wants to that it will become an annual thing.

Crazy Kids

This video isn't the best because it was taken with my phone. But this was too cute to pass up. We went to a birthday/Halloween party at my sister-in-laws house. Towards the end of the night when most everyone had gone home the little kids started playing with Guy. The birthday boy had received a set of "Hulk" hands and they make noise when you hit them. The kids would run into Guy and he would bonk them on the head with the Hulk hand, they would fall down and then get right back up and go back for more. It was hilarious. I didn't get the best parts because I was in the other room. Before I got in there after they hit the ground they would make someone in the room count to 10 before they would get back up. It sounded pretty funny. Pay attention to about 25 seconds, Caden gets whacked pretty good. It's hilarious.

Fremont Homecoming '08

James putting Ashley's corsage on.

Ashely putting on James' boutonniere.

Ashley & James

Austin, Maddy, Ashley, and James

This is a tad bit late. But oh well. Ashley went to homecoming this year. Her date's name was James. Guy said that he seemed like a very nice kid. I didn't get to meet him because I was down in Cedar City with my family after the marathon. But here are a few of the pics that Guy took when James got to the house to pick Ashley up. She said that she had a good time. This was her very first date. Doesn't she look beautiful? :)

Museum

Saturday afternoon my sister-in-law and I took our kids to the Hill Aerospace Museum. I don't think I had ever been there before. Pretty sad to say seeing as I've lived in Utah my whole life and I've lived 7 miles from the museum for the last 3 years. Between the two adults we had 7 kids with us. My two boys, my two nieces, and my sister-in-laws three nephews. The oldest two were 7, then two 5, two 3 and a 18 months. It was kind of fun. We saw some really cool planes there. Both of the boys had such a good time. And the best part was it's free! If you haven't seen the museum I suggest taking a trip up to Roy to see it. I'd like to go again with my Grandpa who served in the Airforce so that he can tell me what all the planes are.

Four of the 7 kids. Caden, Alexia, John, and Zach.


Caden in an ejector seat. I didn't get one of Zach because there was a dad with his kids standing by us and as soon as Caden got out of the seat one of his kids got in and wouldn't get out until he had his picture taken and the mom was in another building with the camera. The dad wouldn't even make his kid get out. I was annoyed.

Caden & Zach in front of "Blackout". Caden thought the helicopter behind them looked like the one from transformers. LOL

St George Marathon '08

The fearless runners Lance, Jenica, Debbie (mom), Vic (dad)

First off BIG CONGRATULATIONS to my mom, dad, sister and brother for running in the St George Marathon this weekend. It was a rainy cold weekend, and only the 2nd time in the 32 years of the marathon that is has rained. My mom blames that on my dad as he tends to have the worst luck in the world. But I digress. They awoke very early Saturday morning to catch one of the first buses at 4 am! It was warm when they got off the bus, and by the time they got up to where the race starts it was raining, cold and windy. They all started running into a head wind, that was driving rain right at them.

My dear sweet dad made it to mile 13 running with pnemonia. When he stopped at the aid station they told him he was getting hypothermia and going into shock. He was shivering so bad he couldn't talk to the nurse there.

My crazy brother Lance ran the entire way, he said that he didn't walk once because he was afraid if he did he wouldn't start again. He finished in 4:09.

My mom bless her dear heart hates the cold more than anyone else I know (except for my Grandpa), she wasn't going to run, but her friend and running partner told her she had trained to hard to not finish. So she ran the marathon for her 2nd (and she says last) time and finished in 6:11.

My sister Jenica didn't train as much as she should have (although she should've learned from me that is not the way to do it). A little back story when I "ran" the marathon in 2006 I didn't train at all, and ended up walking most of the way. Because of that I finished at almost the very end. My family started getting worried about me so my brother Jeremy and Jenica started walking back along the raceway to find me. They found me and walked with me for about the last 1.5 to 2 miles. It was great that they pushed me like that. So anyway, we hadn't seen Jenica so Jeremy and I decided that we would walk back and find Jen. We found her at almost the same place that they had found me two years earlier. We walked with her to the finish line. She finished in 6:45. Six minutes faster than my time of 6:51. Here's a picture of me and Jen after we found her.
We had a good time staying in Cedar City for the weekend at the wonderful Holiday Inn Express.

Picture Tag

So my friend Theresa tagged me. What I am supposed to do is go to my computer and find the 4th file and the 4th picture in that file. Well I have a few different places that I keep my pictures so here goes. This first one is from my Aunt Cyndi's house. My sister Jenica and I went there in June of 2004 to see my cousin graduate from high school. My mom hadn't been back to see my Aunt's house so I was taking pictures so that I could bring them home and show her. This one happens to be of the addition that my aunt was adding on at the time.
This second one is of Easter 2006, this was just after we had gotten home from church and I wanted a picture of all the kids, so I had them stand in front of the only flowering tree we have in our yard. Caden did not want to be in the picture, he usually doesn't. Zach got his glasses in his Easter basket. And poor Megan her heels kept sinking into the grass. It was quite funny. :)

So I tag Ashley, Angie, and Becca. Come on girls I know that you have some great pictures to share.

Twilight Soundtrack

So as I'm surfing the net at home tonight I went to Stephenie Meyer's website. She has posted a single from the upcoming Twilight movie soundtrack. It's a new song by the group Paramore called Decode. It is so good. You should all go and check it out! That's all for now. I was just so excited I had to share. :) Happy Listening.