Over the summer we spent a lot of times looking at homes, I love looking at homes. The boys actually loved it too. Every time we would go they would always see bunk beds in one of the rooms and tell me how much they wanted a house, I don't think they realized bunk beds are not the standard and don't come with it. We started researching prices and bunk beds are sooo expensive, especially the ones that I wanted. Darrin and I priced it out and we figured we could save a lot of money by building them ourselves. I mean by Darrin building them:) (I did help a little, and painted most of it) LOVE how handy my man is! Colby and Ethan loved building forts and helping Dad out, well.... as much as they were aloud. This is the first piece of furniture that we ever built and even though I think they look amazing, we learned a lot and I think we can only go up from here. I am totally happy how they turned out and the boys love them! I already found great bedding!



The boys love their bunk bed, every other night they take turns sleeping on the top and bottom. Ethan now stays in his room and hardly comes into ours. Yeah, I love my sleep!

Posted in: 2012, colby, darrin, ethan, riss on Monday, November 5, 2012 at 2 comments  

My sister, Candice and her baby girl Charlotte came to visit me and say good-bye, they are off to Virginia for 3 years. Totally going to miss them like crazy. We always were able to see each other at least a couple times a year but this is the start of not being able to see each other for WAY TO LONG:( I always have the best time with here and will miss her like crazy!

Colby and Ethan love to take Andy on walks, they really missed him over the summer. When we got back in Utah we had to make up for the whole summer without him. The boys got to be super heroes while walking Andy, best of both worlds. Gotta love boys, they are the best!

Posted in: 2012, candice, colby, ethan, riss on at 0 comments  

 Omaha is H U M I D and H O T! We are used to a hot, dry climate, not this. I have to admit this is taking getting used to. When we first moved here there were kids playing everywhere and at all times playing outside. The last 6 weeks here... it is a ghost town, no one is outdoors and kids stay up late and all start playing outside after dinner.

 When we live in our bathing suits, this little guy likes to take it off and leave it. What an adorable fireman!

 Colby and Ethan love when Daddy gets home from work.

 Locked out of our building, the boys didn't mind at all.

 We took a limited amount of toys with us this summer and the boys got very creative. (They are putting legos on the train tracks)

 Grandma and Grandpa got to visit us a lot over the summer, which we all LOVED! Colby and Ethan loved hanging out with their Grandparents.

 Freddy's was this great burger joint that we found and fell in love with, they even had real ice cream, not the gross stuff!

 Colby and his turtle tat from the Zoo, best zoo ever!

 Ethan was the first one out of quiet time and was loving that Dad let him watch the ipad with headphones.

Posted in: 2012, colby, craners, darrin, ethan, us on at 0 comments  

 Kenefick Park is minutes from our "summer home". The path is a steep walkway that leads up to the top of the hill where two Union Pacific trains sit and can be easily seen off the freeway.



 Trains are massive, you never realize it until you are standing next to it.
 Doesn't every mom carry Thomas around in her purse:)




Union Pacific is a huge part of Omaha's rich history, it is fun learning about it.

Posted in: 2012, colby, ethan, us on at 0 comments  

Posing the same, cheesy, Yep! That's me!!





I had the boys do a tough pose, Colby and Ethan are showing me their muscles. Sooo handsome!


My Craner boys. I love them so much!

Posted in: 2012, colby, ethan, us on Friday, July 27, 2012 at 2 comments  

Once a year Omaha features "Family Day" where a family can experience lots of fun places for 15 bucks. Awesome deal! We went to the Lauritzen Gardens, Durham Museum, Dodge House and the Joslyn Art Museum. I am fascinated with all of the museums and how much I can learn. Okay, I might learn a little bit more without a 4 and a 2 year old.......... but they are still super fun and we had a great time.

The gardens had a train the kids could ride, the weather was ridiculously hot and humid and I was wishing it was acceptable to wear a bathing suit while waiting our turn. The kids really liked going on the train and made the wait worth the profuse sweating. : ) 

Posted in: 2012, colby, ethan, us on at 0 comments  

 Colby and Ethan just wanted to be held a lot and they slept a ton. So sad, I hate when my kids feel miserable.


About a month ago, I found out that hand, foot and mouth disease has been going around the area and at church. ????? Yeah, I didn't know what that was. Darrin and I have been super careful, washing hands, sanatizing, not being around kids we don't know, we have been doing all of the precautions.
This last week we went to a nice splash pad and on Saturday we went to a really fun pool, the deepest part was 2 feet and we had a blast!
Saturday night I went and gassed up the car and bought groceries for Darrin, for the week, I was planning on driving up to see my brothers family in Rochester, they just moved for his residency (at the Mayo clinic, my brother is awesome!!! He doesn't brag so I will do it for him, he will be totally embarrassed if he reads this :).
Saturday night the boys were doing just fine, than it hit. Colby was awake most of the night with a super high fever. I figured it was just a little bug and it would go away, I wish!! Ethan started getting a high fever Sunday morning. Sunday was a pj, zombie day! The kids laid on sofas all day wanting to cuddle and be held. We watched A LOT of tv. By Sunday afternoon I started wondering if it was a little bug or if they contacted hand, foot and mouth diesase. I looked in Colby's mouth and didn't see anything but when we looked in Ethan's we saw the start of it. He has a ton of red dots on the roof of his mouth and the very back.
Side note: I totally understand that kids get sick. Little stuff like a runny nose, little fever; it's not the best BUT it's manageable and expected. When it comes to more serious stuff like throwing up, or H.F.M.D. or strep or things that you might need antibiotics for- why would you let your kids be around other kids!!! RRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr (that's me trying to express that I am super frustrated about this)

I had no idea what H.F.M.D was: "Hand-foot-and-mouth disease — a mild, contagious viral infection common in young children — is characterized by sores in the mouth and a rash on the hands and feet. Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is most commonly caused by a coxsackievirus.
 -may cause some or all of the following signs and symptoms:

• Fever
• Sore throat
• Feeling of being unwell (malaise)
• Painful, red, blister-like lesions on the tongue, gums and inside of the cheeks
• A red rash, without itching but sometimes with blistering, on the palms, soles and sometimes the buttocks
• Irritability in infants and toddlers
• Loss of appetite

The usual period from initial infection to the onset of signs and symptoms (incubation period) is three to seven days. A fever is often the first sign of hand-foot-and-mouth disease, followed by a sore throat and sometimes a poor appetite and malaise. One or two days after the fever begins, painful sores may develop in the mouth or throat. A rash on the hands and feet and possibly on the buttocks can follow within one or two days.
 Although your child is most contagious with hand-foot-and-mouth disease during the first week of the illness, the virus can remain in his or her body for weeks after the signs and symptoms are gone. That means your child still can infect others."

Bleaching the toys and everything else in sight!
We will be home bound and in quarantine for a while. :(

Posted in: 2012, colby, ethan on Tuesday, July 10, 2012 at 4 comments  

Colby will not eat anything unless it is salted very well, he individually salt's each chip. He is no longer allowed the salt shaker. (I should do this for Darrin:) It's official, Ethan is on the band wagon. He just asked if he could put salt in his drink!!!

My boys definitely are Craners!!

Posted in: 2012, colby, ethan on Thursday, June 28, 2012 at 3 comments  

 We haven't been able to go on any dates since we moved to Nebraska and Darrin and I love our date nights! I think everyone who is married should always go on dates but since we don't really know anyone.... well enough, we are doing lots of family dates! The kids are loving this! A couple weeks ago we noticed the fireflies, they are SO much fun. I feel like a little kid, I love to run around and find them, and try to catch them.
For our family date night we had quite the party! We went out for dinner and then we went to the grocery store so the kids could pick out some yummy snacks for our movie night. We all got in our pj's and brought the beds downstairs and watched Cars and all slept in the living room together. Now this type of camping I can do! ( I know if I think that is camping- I am pathetic) We ate popcorn, had lots of snacks, soda and fun. Halfway through the movie it was dark enough outside to go chase the fireflies. Normally our kids go to bed early so they never get to see them but they thought that it was so fun and special to be up this late with mom and dad. They love fireflies, they love chasing them around! We came back in and finished the movie and then Darrin and I stayed up late watching shows. It was so nice having a fun evening with the fam and in the morning I made a killer breakfast (pinterest has the best ideas)  before heading off to the zoo!

Posted in: 2012, colby, darrin, ethan, riss, us on Wednesday, June 27, 2012 at 2 comments  

I found these to show you how cool this place is, the top is an aquarium that you can walk through with gorgeous fish, sting rays, sharks and lots of cool fish. The next, is of the Lied jungle, one of the worlds largest indoor rainforests!

"Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is nationally renowned for its leadership in animal conservation and research. It features the largest cat complex in North America, "Kingdoms of the Night" is the world's largest nocturnal exhibit and indoor swamp; the Lied Jungle is one of the world's largest indoor rainforest, and the "Desert Dome" is the world's largest indoor desert as well as the largest glazed geodesic dome in the world."

 The Henry Doorly Zoo. We live right down the street and we are so happy about this. The zoo is in the Top 10, it really is amazing and so much fun. The boys and I love going, we haven't missed a week yet. Great getting out of the house activity. It even has an IMAX theater, the boys love seeing shows in 3D. The best part is the price. 99 gets you a year pass and free movies, best bucks ever spent!



 Here kids can dig up bones in the rubber pit. Colby and Ethan love this!




In the Rainforest, it is massive!! There are paths the kids can go on under waterfalls, so fun.

Posted in: 2012, colby, darrin, ethan, riss, us on Saturday, June 23, 2012 at 1 comments