Getting Festive!!!

We carved these pumpkins last night at my brother-in-law's house, and it was so much fun!! Enjoy this holiday season, and make some memories!

To Keep You All Abreast To Current Events!

Wow, the month of October has really been an amazing an intense month…more intense than several other Octobers that I have met in my life. They say that things get better with time; yet it’s interesting to think that this is as young as I’ll ever be again. Don’t you lose the capacity and/or ability to cope and adapt as you get older?
Anyway, this was a heck of a month. I celebrated by 28th birthday in Pleasant Grove, UT surrounded by family eating my favorite cake and ice cream. My in-laws brought my dog with them, my English Bulldog Max, who was staying with them temporarily. My brother-in-law, Andrew, got me the new Transformer’s movie and we all sat around my living room and watched it. It was so great to have everyone there!
The next day, the 18th, I finished with all my final exams for my semester at Nursing school, and came home. My little family had gone over to visit the in-laws while I was in school, and that was where/when Max passed away. It was really tragic, dramatic, and tense. We went through a couple of very rough days. Mark, my father-in-law, and I spent most of Friday making a box for Max to be buried in. Mark cared a great deal for Max, and we built the box using CDX treated lumber, which is supposed to be weather/water resistant. We went to the vet, where we had to pick up Max. The animal hospital knew we were coming, and took great care to position Max in a way similar to that of sleep. The next morning, the 20th, we had a small funeral service where Max was buried in the backyard of my in-laws property. We had the song, “Amazing Grace” being played in the background on the stereo, and placed him in the ground. Max had been dead for about three days, but it we all still had tears to shed.
I started a new job, same thing just at a different place for more money, and we all just tried to move on. In fact, it was Sunday the 21st that we were blessed with incredible news! Angela and I found out that we were expecting!!! We took two tests to be sure, and both were positive! We were going to wait to tell everyone, but we couldn’t even make it through the day! We are so happy!!!
School starts up again for me on Monday the 29th, where I will be starting my first nursing clinical. I’m nervous, but not afraid. It’s going to be a rough semester; family, school, work, a life…whew! It’s a good thing that I have an amazing wife who loves me, encourages me, and supports me! Angela makes me feel that anything is possible! I thank my lucky stars, and pray in gratitude every moment of every day for the blessing and miracle that Angela is in my life. I love her!
Thank you, one and all, for the comments and expressions of love on my birthday! It means so much to me that I can hear from you all through this blog. It’s a close substitute for interactions and communications, but it does very well! We love you all, and look forward to hearing from all of you! Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and I want you all to know that I am grateful for each of you! Even the ones that don’t read my blog…you’re in my thoughts as well! Enjoy this time together, and Happy Halloween!!! Be safe and make some memories!! Love Kitch, Angela, Jaxon, and the New One!!

A Devastating Loss

It was tonight at 6:15 PM that our Dog, Maximus Jaxon's Sour Buddy, "Max", passed away suddenly and peacefully in my arms, and in the arms of my Father-in-law Mark. He had been sick for several days, and due to complications within his abdominal cavity, his heart suddenly stopped.

Max was the greatest dog that we have ever had. Jaxon, who at the time was only one year old, used to roll all over him, and pull on his face and ears, and Max wouldn't move a muscle. He loved that little boy, and was as much a part of our family as anyone could become.

While Angela was at home and I at work, Max was her protector; he was where I could not be. He followed Angela into every room, and was never very far behind. He loved his "Mom," and loved it when Angela would take him for rides around the neighborhood. He used to love to come in the car with Angela when she would come get me from work. She felt safer with Max close by; and I felt safer knowing that Max was home with my family.

He was my friend. We used to roughhouse and wrestle, and he would get so excited he would run in circles around the livingroom and house in crazy bursts of energy. He would stick his tongue out to the side and breathe his loud, throaty breath, and antagonize me for more. Then we would lay down on the carpet and he would come up and lay down at my armpit were I would rub his stomach...until I jumped up and said, "Let's go outside," this I had to do everytime I got him excited our he would feel obligated to "relieve himself" on my couches.

In August of this year, we moved a little further up north in Utah County where we unfortunately could not take Max along. My Father-in-law, Mark, excitedly accepted to watch over Max and keep him until we could get a new place that allowed pets. Mark loved Max, every bit as much as we (Kitch, Angela, and Jaxon) did. In fact, in Max's final moments, he waited until Mark walked into the house to pass into the next existence. Surrounded by his favorite people, all of whom loved him a great deal, his creator called him home from his suffering.

We love Maximus, and we miss him a great deal. He has left a void in our hearts and lives that will take a long time to mend. I know to others, Maximus was just a dog. To us, Max was a part of our family. We know he is in a better place, and take comfort in knowing that Max doesn't hurt anymore. And now, more than ever, we know that he will be home waiting for us with his tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth, shaking with excitement as his family approach him. We love you Max. We miss you.

I Welcome the Autumn

Wow, you can feel it in the early morning air...cold, clean, brisk, refreshing, invigorating. I love this time of year, to see the leaves change color and spread that warmth and brightness over the earth. We haven't had a lot of change yet, but I can feel it coming. I have always enjoyed the fall, and love to be outside to witness nature in its progression. Funny, in some way it's almost reassuring, a comfort if you will.
So much to be remembered and reflected on this summer. Jaxon turned one, and had a great birthday, he now has some molars that have come up in his mouth, Angela is recovering incredibly fast from her marathon and is wanting to get back out on the road, and I have all but finished my first semester of Nursing school. There must be some kind of great organizer or scheduler...because after Halloween we get Thanksgiving, and we all have so much to be thankful for...and we aren't even done yet!! I would love to write more, but I have to run this morning. We love you all, and so enjoy your blogs! Hope to hear from you soon! -Love Kitch!

Together At Last!!!

It was so amazing to be in St. George and witness Angela pushing her body to its limits to complete the marathon. It was truly inspiring to behold! As a result, I have heard that her brother Andrew wants to run it next year, with Mark (Angela's Dad), Sarah (Angela's sister), and Angela. They all are going to run it again next October, and to ensure that they will be guarenteed a spot, they are all running some half-marathon's and 5k races in November and March so that they will be given a spot in October. I was even inspired, and even though I can't run a marathon now...minus 50 lbs +/-, and some training...I could even walk it if I had too. However with all of that being said, I am inspired and motivated by her amazing accomplishment, and will take steps to train and discipline myself.

I was also so happy to see for the first time in several years, too many to count, all of the Head clan was in the same place at the same time!!! Mike and Jason were both there, Corby and Hayden and Jaxon were all there, and we were all there to support and encourage Angela! I love my family so much, and I am so happy for the manner in which they have accepted, loved, supported, and encouraged Angela. Now Angela's Mother was there to support her and her Husband and daughter as well, but Andrew, Aaron, and Ian were super missed as well...yet we know that they were there in spirit, and supported Angela and their family as well!!

Thank you everyone for your love and support, and encouragement for Angela and my little family!!! We feel it everyday, and we are so grateful to a loving Heavenly Father who provides us with so much! We are so blessed, and we are so grateful! We love you, and look forward to future oppertunities to get together!!! Love Kitch, Angela, and Jaxon!!!

Carb loading the night before the Marathon!!!

There was a dinner the night before the big run...an all you can eat Pasta and salad bar!! I didn't run the race, and I certainly didn't need to carb. load, but when in rome I guess. :) These are pictures of my father-in-law, my sister-in-law (on the left) and her friend, my wife, myself, and little Jaxon relaxing and living the high life; what a goofy bunch!! We had such a blast in St. George, and will be doing it next year as well! Let the training begin...as soon as they can all walk without pain again.

St. George Marathon 2007 -- WAY TO GO ANGELA!!!!

Angela ran the St. George Marathon this last weekend with her sister, Father, and a friend!! I'm not really sure about her teammates time, but Angela ran 26.2 miles in 5 hours and 33 minutes!! My cousin, Benjamin Head ran it in 3 hours and 11 minutes *qualify for Boston Marathon is 3 hours 10 minutes* WAY TO GO BEN!!! I am so proud of my amazing wife and incredible in-laws!!! Way to go Sarah and Mark!! *thank you so much Baby Doll, Granddad, Grandpa, and Grandma...for being there in Spirit where I could not be!! We love you!!!!*

UPDATE ON MY BROTHER MIKE!!!

*THIS JUST IN!!*
My family is picking Mike up today!! Due to some restrictions (not having a ramp in Rock Springs or something) the plane from Mississippi is landing here in Utah, and then they are all taking a bus to Rock Springs, WY to officially be released! I am honored to be Mike's brother, and I support what he has done in Iraq...BUT I COULDN'T BE MORE HAPPY AND RELIEVED TO HAVE HIM HOME, SAFE, ALIVE AND STATESIDE!!!!! THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALL THE PRAYERS IN HIS BEHALF!!! I thank you all on behalf of his entire unit who were all kept safe! Did you know that his unit was called the "God Unit?" It was called that because it was the only unit that while sustaining damage, there wasn't ONE SINGLE DEATH to his unit, or whatever other unit he was traveling with. It will be great to finally have him home! Love you guys!!! I'll be sure to give him a big hug from all of you!

Lights, Camera...ACTION!!!!! (4th & final attempt)

This was at 1am at night and I went into the bathroom, and there in the tub was this king-sized, man-killer, mutated arachnid from Hades!! Now I'm not afraid of spiders, but one of these (same size and everything) bit me over my eyebrow back during my '98 Senior year in High School in Afton, WY, and one fell in my hair at work last Saturday morning (29-September-2007, I thought I felt something moving around in my hair and brush my ear) and when it jumped off my head and onto the dining room floor, it totally freaked myself and my two coworkers out!! These creatures are truly what nightmares are made of!!! Now, before you laugh...just picture one of these crawling in YOUR ear!!!

Lights, Camera...ACTION!!!!! (3rd attempt)

Wow, this is truly crazy hair!!! A note concerning video quality, these four videos were all taken with my LG cell phone...and the quality isn't too great, but the convenience is fantastic! I am very rarely near my camcorder when something truly worthy of documentation is unfolding...but I am never without my cell phone! I've had a cell phone since 15-December-2001, and now it's a part of me. If I leave it at home by accident, I'm feeling inadequate and ill-prepared...EVEN IF I DON'T GET ANY CALLS ALL DAY! I know, its a conundrum; I can't even really explain it. I JUST KNOW THAT IF I LEAVE THE HOUSE I HAVE TO HAVE MY PHONE WITH ME!!! I might miss something, and won't be able to be reached! :-)

Lights, Camera...ACTION!!!!! (2nd attempt)

This is the cutest little video of Jaxon in his highchair! He's fallen asleep in the chair before, but this was the first time that I was able to watch it unfold and catch it on camera! Enjoy the jelly-neck-head-bob!!!

Lights, Camera...ACTION!!!!! (first attempt)

Let's see if I can figure out this video thing...Jaxon began trying to walk, and taking small steps back on the 29th of June. I was walking in from work, and Angela and the rest of her family were cheering and clapping! I flipped out my cell phone and began to record. This is what I saw!

Interesting Point from Sally Fields...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImoMGyJjWIk
I was watching YouTube.com, where sometimes you can watch really funny and entertaining material/videos. I came across this video of Sally Fields accepting an award at the Emmy's, where she made a comment which was anti-war, and fox censored it and cut it out. The above link is to a video on YouTube.com where it isn't cut out, and you hear it. She does take the Lord's name in vain saying, "...G**Dam* wars." But it is my opinion that it isn't totally offensive, and I would dare say somewhat accurate! So, you may view it if you wish. I have only added this short sentiment to protect myself from those who have...unaccustomed ears. Enjoy!