Grandma's FAVORITE grandkids!

You don't come to our house and think you're not going to be put to work....

Icicle sword fights!

Looks like Grandma Lost!

Thanks for spending some time with us Grandma!

Merry Christmas!!!

Grandma Praying, Flying, Wishing she was in Pima!

Today, December 22, 2009. Grandma has been here since Saturday afternoon and now I think she's dreaming of flying out of here? The snow started about 1:30 this afternoon.
Is she praying for snow? Is she praying for the snow to stop? Or is she asking what in the world she's doing in Pinetop in December???

I will apologize right off for not letting Grandma stay on top for very long, but I know many of you have been extremely concerned about us up here in the pines. Monday night around 11:30 our power went out. We woke up Tuesday to a 50 degree house, snow to blow and neighbors to help. Needless to say, it was a very long day. We had to drive around the neighborhood just to get warm. Long story short, we are very thankful for a warm house, electricity, warm water, and very good friends who took us in, fed us, let us warm up and gave us a place to lay our tired heads. Last night around 7:30 we got our power restored. It did take about 3-4 hours for the house to warm up to our sleeping temperature, but we were able to sleep and wake up to warmth and a nice shower.

The following pictures are just a few to show you what it looked like Tuesday.

Won't be using the Jacuzzi for a while.

Our neighbors tree. One of many bent and not snapped. Many, many more around town that did snap. Trees on power lines, trees snapped in half and a few trees on homes. Not a pretty sight. Well, it is pretty but not a fun thing. Well, it is fun, but not good. Well, good for skiing and moisture, but..... Well, you get the idea.

But, through all the "anguish", Cortlee and Levi still manage to have a little fun!

If any of you are planning to have a party in Pinetop again in the winter time, let's not! However, the summers are beautiful!!!

Grandma Jacy's Sugar Cookies

Grandma called yesterday and invited the kids over to decorate sugar cookies.  They were delighted!  Grandma said that she remembers Grandma Jacy inviting her over to do the same.  It's a wonderful tradition to pass on!

Notice Brittlee's green mouth and fingers from eating green sprinkles!

Briggs really enjoyed the cookies too! 

He wanted more and more and more  . . .

Some more fun memories!

Grandma wants all of her grandkids to know that if they come and visit she'll make more just for them!  (She specifically mentioned little miss Halle & Luke, seeing as how Briggs liked them so much!)

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

Pictures by Cortlee after school at 2:30.

Pictures by Cortlee at 9:00 tonight. Cami stuck the yardstick in the snow on the deck and it measured 13 1/2"/ Still snowing. More tonight. Updates in the morning.

Just because Marcus has been on top for too long!

It's starting to get a little cold in Pinetop. Cortlee and I decided to run over to Woodland Lake park yesterday and try and catch a sunset photo through the "broken" clouds, but the clouds never broke so just a few for fun.

14 deer in the neighborhood last Sunday. Kind of cool to watch the deer eating in the neighbors back yard, but for me it would have been a lot more exciting to have seen some bucks with all the does.

He's Back!!!!!

Yes Marcus made it back home safe & sound. And EVERYONE is so happy to have him back! He got in at 11:00 - right on time. After a few tears and hugs, he got his luggage and we were outta there! We had a nice welcome home party at Carrie's with lots of yummy food - Fenn Tacos, bean burritos, jellos, chips & salsa, then homemade ice cream and cake and brownies. Sorry you missed it!:) He looks good, seems normal:), and for the most part is glad to be home. (I think he wants to be home and in Argentina!) Morgan was pretty much attached to him the whole day - it was funny at the airport, Carrie hugged Marcus first, then Mark, then Morgan ran up before anyone else had a chance!:) She is super excited and so happy to have Marcus home! Thanks for the great example - Well Done Thou Good & Faithful Servant!
Here's a FEW pictures!
The sistas! (And Jaron - I couldn't keep him out of the pictures!:)

There he comes! Wow he aged!:)

I couldn't get Carrie to stop hugging and look!:)

The Dad & Marcus

Morgan & Marcus

Wow! Kolten's tall!

Right before Halle starts to reach towards her mom!

Luke: "Who are you?"

The gang!

So happy to have him home...


Sorry Beals'...:( But these past two years flew by, so Jordan & Sarah will be home before we know it!:)

Halloween!

Clarice told me that I needed to put our pictures up from the 5k we ran on Saturday. We weren't very fast, but we ran the whole time and finished, which was our goal. It was actually pretty fun, or at least I thought so. :) We want to run another one and try to improve our time of 32 minutes. Anyone care to join us?

And I thought I'd just add a couple pictures of the cutest little punk rocker ever! We tried to put his hair in a mohawk, but it wouldn't stand up - it kind of just curled over to the side. Oh well. I think he still looks awesome!

The family that hunts together...

eats venison together? At least we made some memories! Brad and Kolten (oh, I guess I did, too):) got drawn for a white-tail deer hunt. They took off Thursday and hunted opening day on Friday. Then they came back to get me & Morgan to join them in the fun! Saturday morning we woke up super early so we could get to a place Brad wanted to be by sun-up. As we were driving along just after daylight, Morgan spotted a deer down in a canyon. The deer started up and ended up crossing the road. Brad & I could tell it had horns, so he was on the move!:) All I remember was telling him to drive faster, because I really didn't think we had a chance of getting to it before it was long gone. Brad stopped and jumped out of the truck and took off. I wasn't in any hurry getting Kolten & Morgan out, but then I heard a shot! I still am thinking - no way, he must've been shooting at air.:) So we caught up to him and he said the deer was just about to run out of sight, range, etc. when it just stopped. Brad already had his gun on it and took a perfect shot! At this point Kolten & Morgan are soooo excited - not to mention Brad is, too!:) Morgan was so excited that she was the one who spotted it! "I spotted it and dad shot it!" - she kept saying. We started down the mountain/hill and found the blood trail. Sorry for you squeamish ones. We followed it a ways and then sat to wait -to give the deer some time to you know - expire. Well we sat for what seemed like forever to Kolten & Morgan when we got up and walked just a little ways and there it was. Yes, dead. Brad made a nice shot through the lungs. (Didn't blow his brains out!):) So Kolten & Morgan got to be in on all of it - the hunt, the blood trail, the gutting, the carrying it back up the mountain to the truck, the skinning and cutting up the meat, and eating some the other night for dinner! Yes, they were happy!:) (This will make Grandma proud, Kolten even took a heart sandwich to school for lunch the other day):) Unfortunately Kolten or I never even saw another buck, but we were happy for Brad, who is very happy to have shot his first AZ whitetail!

First Snow of the Season!!!

Our first snow of the season.

What does everyone think about coming to Pinetop for our family get-together????

Time for a Change!

If you didn't notice, I (Jackie) changed the layout for Grandma's blog. I think it was time. Hope everyone's ok with that!

Carrie's Memories of Dad

1-- I remember getting a spanking because I was jumping on my bed! He drove in and saw me through the upstairs window, don't know how he knew to look up!

2--I also remember the trips to Phoenix hauling pigs but I remember leaving at night and coming back in the morning in time to go to school and being very tired.

3--I remember watching cartoons on Sat. mornings until we saw Dad drive in and we would jump up and turn off the tv and pretend we were working.

4--When we lived in CA I drove over with the kids to visit and Dad drove back with me so I wouldn't have to go alone, he stayed a few days and then he flew home.

5--He would try to come to the our kids games and he was always so friendly with others, introduce himself and find out their names and many times find that we were related or that he knew someone they knew.

6--After Marcus was born he and Aunt Millicent came to Temecula to help me, they were there when he got a serious eye infection and had to have a shot every day for awhile.

7--He also came when Brady was born or when I had surgery, not sure which one it was.

8--He loved his Grandkids--Audrey would cry when she would see him in his cowboy hat but as soon as he took it off she was fine. Always sang the dee-dooty-dah-doot-de doot-de doot song they all loved. I sing it now. He taught them to go AHHH after they would swallow a drink--I taught Halle the same! Fun traditions.

-Carrie

8 more things

1. I too, feel nostalgic at this time of year when the cotton starts to turn white and the pickers start going up and down the fields. Since mom was working, Dad would call and have me bring him a sandwich or a green chile burro or whatever I had. He always wanted me to bring Jordan or someone up to ride with him for a little bit and then he would call and say they were ready to go.

2. For my sixteenth birthday, Dad said I could invite a friend and we could go to El Paso with him and Mom for a Swig meeting. It was the first time I had ever been so close to the Mexico border. We stayed in a fancy hotel and ate all kinds of good food. I remember we had some ice cream dessert that had some alcohol in it. I was a little afraid to eat it but Mom and Dad said the alcohol had all been cooked out. Hopefully, that was right.

3. Dad drove up to Colorado all by himself after Sarah was born. He said he hadn't even stopped to get anything to eat. This was right after he had found out he had diabetes. A few days after he had been there he was laying on my couch, moaning and groaning. I asked what was wrong and he said he felt like he was having a baby. He was having kidney stones again. So Mitchell took him to the emergency room and we took care of Dad for a few days until Mom got there.

4. When I was in Tucson waiting to have Katelyn, about once a week I would end up in Labor and Delivery. Except for the time Carrie showed up, Dad was the one who just happened to show up. He would come and find me and say, I just felt like coming and visiting you today. Most of the time, Mitchell didn't even know I was there. I was very grateful to have Dad there.

5. While we were living in Tucson whenever Dad and Mom would come to visit, they would always stop at the Quik Mart by our house and get a bag of M&M's for Nicole and Michele to bring to them. Dad always had M&M's on the mountains, too. I can't hardly go there without a bag of them.

6. Remember the Christmas morning when Dad and Mom made "the rounds"? They started out at our house, then headed to Willcox, Benson and on over to the Mesa area. Talk about dedication!! I'm not sure where you were at the time, Richie. They were sure worn out when they returned home.

7. Back in the olden days, when we would eat dinner after the Proms, Dad would invite whoever was in my group to come over for steaks, baked potatoes, salad and homemake ice cream. It was midnight and even I was tired, but he acted like it was twelve noon instead of midnight. He loved being a part of his children's lives as well as his grandchildrens.

8. Another fond memory are the weekly cook-outs at our house during the summer. Hamburgers, homemade ice cream, homemade rootbeer sometimes, guitar playing and our family and friends. Songs like "I see the moon, the moon sees me....., You are my sunshine... , Gladys, Cool Water, and others always remind me of Dad. I rarely remember Dad not being cheerful , patient and serving someone. I think of his example often, in hopes that I can grow up and be just like him.

Now it's someone else's turn! Cheri

8 Great Memories!

I, too have been thinking about dad today and am grateful for him and for our family.
Thanks Michele for the tag! Normally I ignore or avoid those silly tag games:), but this one was definitely worth the time!

1. I can't think of dad and not think of dinners at Casa, Mattas, & the Tiki. Ice cream at Tastee Freeze, Nielsens, & Swensons. I mean if Swensons was good for a scorpion bite then it (ice cream) must be good for all ailments!

2. When I was the last one at home dad would make me fresh squeezed orange juice for breakfast - sometimes like a smoothie with banana, too - and bring it to me in the bathroom, while I was getting ready for classes at EA. When I didn't think I had time for breakfast he always made sure I had something.

3. I love the memories I have of dad driving to pick me and Kolten up to go visit Cheri in Tucson while she was in the hospital before having Katelyn. We would talk the whole way there & back (oh the things I learned!:)), then visit with Cheri, then he would lay down on the floor of Cheri's hospital room and take a nap while Cheri & I visited some more & Kolten played with the bed and tv switches. We would stop for a little "bite to eat" on our way home. I cherish those memories.

4. Dutch oven cookouts, homemade ice cream and rattlesnakes under every board, table or whatever he'd lift up. Skinning the rattlesnakes for the missionaries and then cooking it up so they could say they had eaten rattlesnake. Yes, it did taste like chicken! (Maybe because it was fried in the same Dutch oven as the chicken...hmmm...)

5. When I received my YW Medallion, they asked the fathers to talk. Dad gave a really nice talk and shared his love for me. Ric Mattice had said something about Mitzi and having a special place in his heart for her - the oldest child, then dad got up and said the same is true for the youngest child. Sorry everyone else!:)

6. Of course the pig trips to Phoenix is a fun memory. It was so neat to have that one on one time with dad. Who knew it could be so fun getting up SO early, taking smelly pigs to be butchered, sleeping on some relative's floor, and driving back home again!?!

7. One of my best memories is when dad held Kolten at the altar, when he was being sealed to Brad and me. I didn't know ahead of time that I needed to ask someone to hold Kolten, so when the temple worker who was helping me came to the dressing room to ask me who it was going to be, all I could think of was "dad, of course". I'm so thankful for that memory and the reminder that families really are forever.

8. One time at a Daddy-Daughter Date in Merrie Miss, (For those of you youngins, Merrie Miss was like the Valiant 12 girls primary class.) the fathers got on their hands and knees on the stage behind the curtain. Then the girls were blindfolded and had to walk along and feel the different hands and try to guess which were their dads. I knew dad's immediately. Even as I write this I can picture his hands - the way they looked and felt. Sometimes when I think of that it reminds me of something I heard once about how familiar our Heavenly Father will be to us when we see Him. And then of course what it would be like to feel our Savior's hands and have Him touch me. Thanks to dad and mom for their teachings and examples and helping me to have my own testimony.

My thoughts of Dad/Grandpa (in no particular order)

1. Of course one of the first things that comes to mind since Levi and I just went hunting are the hunting trips we went on. One in particular, just grandpa and I were hunting up Tripp Canyon. We came around a bend in the road and there was a deer up off the road about 30 or 40 yards. Grandpa told me "go ahead, you take it." That deer rolled down into the road and we had to move it so we could drive by and then load it in the back of the truck.

2. Deep pit BBQ. This time of year always reminds me of putting meat down and enjoying great BBQ from the freezer for quite some time.

3. I, like Michelle, always remember this time of year with the harvest going on. Long hours. Early morning til late at night. (Not necessarily fond memories!!!)

4. Trips to Mount Graham and cutting wood, spending time at the cabin, fishing (or putting our poles in the water hoping to catch something) at Riggs Lake, and picking raspberries.

5. Homemade: Rootbeer, ice Cream, chickens, turkeys, & pigs. Those darn pigs! Anyone remember the SMELL?

6. Dutch oven cooking. I have to say.......... Yes, I got Grandpa's talent!

7. Church service. My Patriarchal Blessing tells me I may be given an opportunity to serve as my Dad did. Just today, as I sat on the stand for Sacrament meeting I couldn't help but think that the blessing I received has/is coming to pass. How grateful I am for his wonderful example of church service.

8. Heritage. I thank Dad and Mom, Grandpa & Grandma for the wonderful heritage they created!

~Richie

p.s. Thanks Michelle for the reminders.

8 years & some memories

I'm home with sick kids today, and with it being Sunday I've had time to sit and think. And I just wanted to list 8 things I remember about Grandpa. And then I want to tag the rest of you! These aren't in any particular order.
1. Tractors! He used to take us kids for rides on the tractors. Of course Ethan was his favorite partner, but that's okay!
2. Cotton & Cotton Pickers, this time of year always reminds me of him, I love it!
3. Lunchtime - Grandpa used to come by for lunch & a break. He'd lay on our floor after eating & pat the back of his neck and say "Chelly Whelly." Then I'd rub that leathery neck of his!
4. Games- I remember he and grandma coming to the majority of my vb games, home & away.
5. Scriptures - before Grandpa & Grandma left on their mission, Grandpa had Joni & I take his old mission scriptures and some colored pencils and remark his new scriptures exactly the way his old ones were done. They were color-coded and even had specific designs!
6. Mission - I remember writing them letters and my mom sending them green chilies while they were in Argentina. What a great example for us!
7. Casa - anytime any Crocketts came into town, we met at Casa for dinner. And Grandpa always let us have his olive!
8. Tastee Freeze - Grandpa frequently took us to get an icecream cone after helping him.

It was obvious that he loved us! I am so grateful for the heritage that he and Grandma have left for us.
K- now I want to hear your memories!
I don't have any pictures of Grandpa on my computer, so would someone else post some?

Well, as many have said, "He blew her brains out!" This was Levi's first Elk hunt. He was drawn for a juniors cow tag. We went out south of Heber early Friday morning and he had her down by 11:00. The elk was laying down and the only shot he had was her head and her head is what he hit!

Warning: For the faint of heart you may not want to view the following pictures. For those who like to hunt, enjoy the following pictures.