A great couple of days with my boys

How valuable is time with your family?

The past couple of days have been something very special and something I will never forget.  This weekend my boys and I spent the weekend in Niagara Falls.  No mom, just the boys and it was great, sure we miss our family member left back in good ole Calgary but it was some time for bonding as guys.  My babies are teenagers now and I truly understand over the next few years they will be starting their own lives and hopefully not to soon, families of their own.

Three generations of Crawford’s attended the Bill and Saints game on Sunday in Buffalo.  The Bills didn’t win the gridiron match against the boys from the Crescent City, but the game was awesome.  NFL football sure is fun and exciting.  Even my youngest who elected to where his Jeremy Shockey jersey had fun with the Western New York fans.

When I was sixteen, my Dad and I spent a weekend in New York City.  We went to the top of the Empire State Building and World Trade Center, also attended the Yankees and Detroit Tigers in the Bronx stadium.  I will never forget the wonderful weekend I had in New York City, staying at the Howard Johnson’s in Manhattan, coming through Port Authority, getting ripped off by some fake taxi dispatcher and all the other great things which occured that weekend.

Why are family times like this important?

Well in my story, approximately two years later, I was gone from the family home and starting my own life on my journey to Western Canada.  I elected to leaving Southern Ontario behind and travel to the west.  Now, I still have memories of my trip to New York with my father.  My dream is my boys will always remember the weekend we spent at a Bills game, hanging out around Southern Ontario and Western New York and the memories of just hanging out.

What did I enjoy the most?

It wasn’t the game, it was great, but not the most important part of the trip.  Was it the wings and pizza at Frenchy’s Pizzeria in Niagara Falls, NY (BTW, Frenchy’s is a great place for Wings)? You know something, the most important part of the weekend was investing $25.00 for a Bills football which me and the boys spent about 30 minutes throwing it around the parking lot at Ralph Wilson Stadium.  These are the memories which will last forever.

What have you done recently to create a lasting memory with your family?

You know something, I stunk it up as a Dad for the first several years of my kids upbringing.  I know I will nver get those years back and I am truly sorry for some of the crap I put my bride and my kids through.  However, you always have another opportunity to make things right.  What I have learned is we need to be truly authentic and count the blessings everyday for the family that God blessed us with.

I welcome you to check out our video of this special day with the Buffalo Bills and New Orleans Saints.