Ribbons and Racecars

Christmas Day

2012-01-31T20:36:00.004-07:00

Josh was not quite ready to get up in the morning...

I love this face of Megan's:
Lia was really excited about the sewing machine got that was a surprise, which meant I was excited too.
Laura's favorite thing was a pink guitar, which soon become a red guitar after dad broke the pink one. (It wasn't his fault...Santa bought a cheap one the first time.)
Megan got the "Dora hat" she'd been talking about for weeks after seeing one at the store, and a Minnie Mouse from Aunt Luann and Aunt Kathleen that she'd also been talking about for weeks.
And Josh got some new roller blades, which he's pretty good on.
On Christmas Eve when Josh opened his new pajamas he said, "This is the worst present ever! I hate Christmas! I quit Christmas!" Apparently he thought there a toy in the present instead. Any normal parent probably would have been upset, but not when you have a Josh. We tried to keep the laughing to ourselves so he wouldn't think it was okay to say things like that, but it was hard because at the time it was pretty funny. And he redeemed himself on Christmas morning when he said, "I'm going to write Santa a letter and say, 'Dear Santa, you bring the best presents ever. Love, Santa'" (I'm pretty sure he meant to say "Josh" there). So, maybe he still thinks mom and dad give boring presents and only Santa gives good ones, but one day it will all work itself out when he realizes we are one and the same.

The rest of the day was great. We had an incredible Sacrament Meeting and then spent the afternoon and evening with both of our families. I wish Christmas was on Sunday every year, I loved it this year. And I love trying to make Christmas special for my kids, just like my mom and dad did for me.

Christmas Eve Night

2012-01-25T08:21:00.002-07:00

The last several years we have spent Christmas Eve with the Nelsons at either Nate's mom's or one of his aunt's houses. It's been a fun tradition and one the kids look forward to because they get to play with cousins they don't get to see very often. We were missing several family members this year, but we had a good time. When we got home we tucked the kids in their new pajamas into Megan and Josh's bed where we sang Christmas Carols until they fell asleep.

Christmas Eve

2012-01-20T16:44:00.002-07:00

On Christmas Eve day my mom dad come to see us and bring our family's presents. It's always fun having them come. This year the kids got blankets/pillows with their names on them that my mom made. They love them and sleep with them every night! Thanks mom and dad!

Gingerbread Cookies

2012-01-18T09:01:00.002-07:00

I am not a huge fan of all things gingerbread, but the kids really wanted to make gingerbread cookies, so we did...although I didn't have all the ingredients so they were only sort of gingerbread cookies. The kids loved it though, so like them or not, we'll make it a tradition.

"Christmas Eve" With the Barsons

2012-01-15T09:18:00.005-07:00

My family does our Christmas Eve celebration the Monday night before Christmas. We do the nativity and my mom gives us a new Christmas book with something to go along with it. I love this night! For some reason I neglected to take a picture of Laura by herself, she was an angel like Megan. Lia was really excited she got to be Mary this year with my nephew Landon as baby Jesus. All the kids were really cute and had a great time!

Megan

2012-01-12T08:13:00.002-07:00

Megan was supposed to be modeling this apron for a friend of mine, but she wasn't really in the mood...

And this was the first time I put her hair in curlers. I don't know what it is about sponge curlers in little girls hair, but I love it! Maybe it's because my mom put them in my hair when I was little and I have a few pictures of me with them in.

Orange Smiles

2012-01-11T09:24:00.003-07:00

Laura and her cute friend Jenna. They are both missing their two front teeth, which meant they didn't get a lot out of their oranges.

Football Games

2011-12-21T14:27:00.003-07:00

We decided to get "Fully Invested" (don't hate me Korinne) this year and buy season tickets to the BYU games. The kids and I took turns going with Nate. They were all really excited to go and spend some quality time with dad. Josh got to hang out with his friend Austin at the game he went to. Lia chose to go to a U of U game with Nate instead and unfortunately I don't have a picture of that one.

Thomas Cake

2011-12-15T07:55:00.003-07:00

My sister Kristen asked me to make a Thomas cake for my nephew Easton for his birthday. It was totally worth the time to see how cute he was about it!

Snuggle Time

2011-12-07T00:33:00.003-07:00

My sister Katie and Nate's sister Ashley both had babies within a few months of each other and we got to have them over for lunch. Ashley and Katie are friends and my kids love them both, and their cute boys!

And I have to say I'm grateful my kids love each other! Lia and Laura are so cute with Megan.

Laura's Two Front Teeth

2011-11-29T08:03:00.003-07:00

Laura lost her second of her two front teeth a few weeks ago. She knocked the first one out when she fell running around outside. The other came out after a lot of wiggling and some help from Lia tying floss to her tooth and tying the other end to the door. Because they came out a little early, I think she'll have this smile for a while. I love it!!

Halloween

2011-11-20T22:11:00.018-07:00

We know how to do Halloween at our house: party, party, party. This was on our way to our first one of the season at my mom's house.

And then we had Nate's mom's party...

We started at her house and then went to This Is The Place State Park.

The week before Halloween we carved pumpkins...and had a couple more family parties (which I don't have pictures of).

And finally the day came, which started with a parade at the girls' school.

We let our neighbor Tanner borrow our duck costume, so we had to get a picture.

The kids, as always, had a lot of fun this Halloween! By the time the day rolls around, I'm usually pretty tired of getting everyone in their costumes. But Nate and I had a lot of fun too, and next year I know we'll be wishing we were here for all the festivities.

Amelia and Laura

2011-11-16T14:34:00.003-07:00

Lia and Laura were both chosen (along with several other kids) to have lunch with the principal for showing respect at school. They got to go on the same day and were so excited! I am so proud of my girls for being good students and good friends. Lia looks out for Laura at school and they play together at recess almost everyday. I don't know what I would do without them--they are such great helpers, and more than that, great daughters. Megan and Josh love them and I know I can count on them to help with Megan and Josh. Whenever we leave them with a babysitter, Megan is always curled up next to Lia or Laura when we get home. I am so grateful for them and hope I tell and show them enough.

Megan and Josh

2011-11-01T16:36:00.002-06:00

Megan is changing so much these days and I want to write a few things down before I forget. She loves to help in the kitchen and and runs to find a stool whenever she sees me starting something (this time the counter was just much more effective). She is really good at saying "sawee" after everything, even things she didn't do. She's also good at taking responsibility for things, like a mess she made or when she's stinky. When I ask who did something, she'll say "me!" and raise her hand. She ends anything she wants to do with a "kay?" as if saying that will make it okay. Most of the time that involves going outside to play with her friend Leah, they are two peas in a pod and are really cute together. She loves it when dad comes home and she loves her grandpa. Megan also LOVES babies right now. We have three new babies in our extended family and she can't get enough of them. My sisters and sister-in-law have been very patient to let her hold them. One of my favorite things she does is when she gets really excited about something she yells "yea!" like, "Ashee baby yea!" or "bath, yea!" Because she is my baby, I want her to stay little for just a little bit longer...I love how snuggly she is and I love the cute way she says things. I hope that doesn't change anytime soon.

This is a bug Josh made for preschool. He was really excited about it. He's not as excited about going to preschool, but he comes home happy every time and yesterday he sang me two Halloween songs he learned at preschool. He's learned how to whistle and whistles all the time. When he's playing outside I can hear him whistling as he opens the door to come in. We had our primary program a few days ago and he did great! He knew all the songs and memorized his part. Josh is always asking questions. The other day in the car he started talking about people who can't see and he asked me what their eyes look like. As I was trying to explain he said, "well can't they just get a magic potion and wash their eyes in the pool?" I asked him if he meant the pool where Jesus healed the man who couldn't see and he said yes. He's seen that painting and we explained to him what it was about, but I was surprised he remembered it! (I did tell him Jesus didn't use a magic potion.) That conversation was followed up by a conversation about beer...it's too long of a story to explain, but I love the questions he asks. I love his hugs, and I love the time we spend together.

Josh's Preschool Field Trip

2011-10-28T09:11:00.003-06:00

I got to go on Josh's field trip to a pumpkin patch, which meant Megan did too. We had a good time.
Picking out pumpkins.

Megan and her friend Tanner.
Both classes.
Josh and one of his teachers.

Soccer

2011-10-12T08:17:00.005-06:00

After watching the girls play soccer and basketball, Josh wanted to play too. So we signed him up with a couple of his friends. He's really cute to watch! I think he kind of likes it...it's hard to tell with Josh. Either way, he looks great in his uniform, he gets to be with his friends, and it's always good to get some running around time in.

Family Reunion with the Nelsons

2011-10-05T10:05:00.006-06:00

We spent Labor Day weekend up at Wolf Creek and Pineview Reservoir with Nate's family. Cameron and Sarah and Lucy were here from Washington D.C. so we rented a condo for the weekend. We had a great time! The kids loved going to lake and riding the wave runners and playing with their cousins. Thanks Janet and Kent and Cam and Sarah for putting it all together!

Josh's First Day of School

2011-10-03T11:56:00.003-06:00

Josh started preschool a few weeks ago. This is the first time I have sent any of my kids to a non co-op preschool. He was so excited to start! I can't believe how old he is getting, he is such a cutie (if I may say so myself).

Shower Cake

2011-09-29T21:44:00.004-06:00

My sister-in-law Ashley is having a baby and I was asked to make the cake. It was a bee theme, obviously. I wish I had pictures from the rest of the shower because my other sister-in-laws did such a fabulous job!! We are so excited for you Ashley!

Laura's Broken Arm

2011-09-26T21:31:00.002-06:00

Laura broke her arm (again--she broke the same one this time last year) several weeks ago when she was playing on a skateboard in our garage. Thankfully it only had to be in a cast for about a month. She was such a great sport!! She never complained and obeyed all of the doctor orders, which is more than I would have done. I'm glad she's healed and can play again!

Megan's First Hair Cut

2011-09-10T08:39:00.004-06:00

The best way to get Megan to hold still while her hair is getting done, or cut like in this picture, is to give her a toothbrush, she loves brushing her teeth. (Hopefully she'll stay that way!)

First Day of School

2011-09-10T08:36:00.002-06:00

Lia and Laura are excited to be back in school. They both like their teachers and other than their "early bird" schedule which has them out the door by 7:40, they are happy to go every day. It has made my days very quiet. I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. But, it gives me time to spend with just Josh and Megan and I look forward to 2:30 when the girls get home.

Some Final Thoughts on Portland...

2011-09-10T07:33:00.009-06:00

Now that we've been home for three weeks, I thought I better finish up my posts about Portland. It was a fantastic summer! The time we spent as a family I will be forever grateful for, it was greatly needed and has made me appreciate my kids and Nate so much more (not that I didn't before, it's just different now). We had a great ward that welcomed us and made us feel at home from our first Sunday there. We will never forget the friends we made there. And because we went to Portland, I have confidence that we can do it again... wherever Nate's job takes us this spring.
We read a lot of stories this summer.
And played a lot of UNO.
And blew up a lot of balloons... thank you grandma Nelson!
And built all kinds of things with Legos. (One of the "mom, take a picture and put it on the blog" photos.)
Megan did a fair amount of sleeping. (I did text a picture of this to Nate asking if it was safe for her to sleep in the life jacket. She didn't want to take it off!)

And I don't know what we would have done without the tramp!

When we first arrived at this house, I thought, "how am I going to make it through this summer?" When we left this house, I was excited to be going home, but sad to be leaving. It was a great, great experience.

The Mini Pioneer Trek

2011-08-31T00:34:00.019-06:00

Our last weekend in Portland we got to participate in the coolest primary activity ever! I was asked/volunteered to help with the activity. The girls got pioneer bonnets and Josh got a bandana. They pulled a handcart (my part of the activity), picked blackberries, washed laundry in the creek, played pioneer games and made pioneer toys, and square danced. It was really fun! The property where they had the activity was perfect and the kids had a great time! Even Megan had a great time, she got to eat all the blackberries she wanted (picked by Nate). When it was over we played by the creek. We are so glad we got to participate!

Megan's Birthday

2011-08-26T14:26:00.010-06:00

We celebrated Megan's 2nd birthday a couple weeks ago. We went to the children's museum and had a picnic that night before going home and opening presents. We missed her grandmas and grandpas, but she got to talk to all of them on the phone and tell all about her birthday. Basically that consisted of "birthday" and "doll," but she was so cute walking around the house and gathering up her presents so she could tell them about them. She had lots of help opening her presents and blowing out the candles.

Megan has changed so much the last few months. She's gone from hardly saying a word to saying just about everything. She likes to play with the big kids and she loves to follow me around the house trying to help with whatever I'm doing. One of my favorite things she says is, "There's mommy!" after she's been looking for me. I love to feel her little hand in mine, I know it will not be so little forever. She loves slides and babies and being outside. She also loves to lay on my shoulder, which I hope she'll do for a while still. We love our little Megan!

Astoria

2011-08-24T18:18:00.008-06:00

Yes, we went back to Astoria, but not just to see Goonie sites. We also went to see where Super Del Schanze jumped off the tower and got arrested. Actually, it's a cool city and I wanted to see some of the Lewis and Clark sites along the way. Before we left we did climb to the top of the tower, which had an incredible view, and we did find the Goonies house. But wait... it gets better--we met the people who live there. They let us drive up to their house since the kids were in their pajamas, they gave all the kids perfect sand dollars, and by the end of the visit we were facebook friends. Awesome.

My Birthday

2011-08-23T22:36:00.016-06:00

I had a fantastic birthday this year! Nate and I went to a Moroccan restaurant for dinner the night before which was a lot of fun! The food was great and the atmosphere was too. We will definitely go back if we're ever in Portland again. We spent the next day at Cannon Beach. The weather was perfect, the kids had fun, and Nate and I enjoyed our last weekend at the beach. I think I make a little bigger deal out of my birthday than most normal adults and my family never lets me down. Lia made me earings, Laura made me a bracelet and Nate bought some fancy cupcakes. It was a great day!

I realize the swim diaper goes under the swimming suit, and she was wearing one under, but when she found an extra one in my bag she insisted on wearing one on top too.

I love this picture, if only I wasn't closing my eyes!

Seattle

2011-08-20T12:04:00.007-06:00

The "gum wall." Don't worry, we didn't touch it.

Pike's Market.

Lia, Laura and their new friend.
Josh and Austin gathering wood for the fire pit.

Our good friends Vince and Susan were in Washington a few weeks ago visiting family and asked us if we wanted to meet them in Seattle for the day. Nate had never been to Seattle, it had been years since I was there and we are always up for seeing friends, so we went. It was a little bit of a drive, but well worth the trip. We had fish and chips, went to Pike's Market, saw the locks and had a barbecue at Vince's brother's house. We all had a great time, especially Josh. He was so excited to see his friend Austin. They are so cute together. Lia and Laura were excited to have a friend too when we went back to the house, Vince has a niece a little younger than Lia. Their house was beautiful and they were so nice to have us. Thanks Vince and Susan!

Crabbing

2011-08-16T09:20:00.004-06:00

A few Saturdays ago we drove to the coast, rented a boat and some crab pots and went crabbing. We actually caught quite a few crabs, but unfortunately they were all too small or females, so we had to throw them back. We still had a lot of fun though! Lia and Laura were great helpers pulling the pots in and throwing them back out again. They were more brave than I was... the huge dead fish head in the bottom of the pot that was used as bait grossed me out just a little. So I didn't do a lot of throwing or bringing back in. I had to keep my arms wrapped pretty tightly around Josh and Megan anyway--they were a little nervous about the boat. If we ever go again, I'll get a better picture of the crabs themselves.... sorry Nate.

Ramona Quimby and Rock Climbing

2011-08-15T08:41:00.006-06:00

We are big Ramona Quimby fans at our house, so when we found Klickitat Street and statues of Ramona Quimby and Henry Huggins we had to take pictures!

The parks in Portland have amazing summer programs, all for free. The kids have painted, done crafts and had a few free lunches, all provided by their parks and recreation. Last week they had a rock wall. We picked a good day and time, only a few other people were there so the kids got to climb over and over again. They loved it!

Portland Zoo... again

2011-08-14T12:05:00.006-06:00

This time when we went to the zoo we had some company. As much fun as I am, the kids have a lot more fun with other kids. We went with some friends from the ward. The kids were all so cute and had a great time! Nate met us there after work and the kids showed him everything he'd missed. It was a great day!

Berry Picking

2011-08-13T18:41:00.001-06:00

There are several "you pick" farms around here; so we went with a family in our ward. The girls were so excited the night before, you would have thought we were going to Disneyland or something. It was a beautiful day and we got plenty of Marionberries. Plenty were eaten along the way too!

The kids voted to make a pie with the berries and we froze the rest. If I had a good way to get them home we'd go again and bring some back with us.

Josh

2011-08-10T01:09:00.003-06:00

As we were driving home from church on Sunday Josh yelled out from the backseat, "BE QUIET, I'M READING MY SCRIPTURES!!" I turned around to see him with his scriptures open thinking he really was reading them. This gave me so much hope given his feelings about Sundays and church. He then told me I didn't make him "handsome" and said when I don't make him handsome he just does this: and he pushed his hair up in front. He asked me if I would "put some handsome on him" when we got home before we went to dinner at a family in our ward's house. ("Handsome" means putting Nate's hair stuff in his hair.) Oh how I love Josh!

Ward Picnic

2011-08-08T09:51:00.007-06:00

Why the garbage sacks you ask? Well, I didn't want the girls riding home in the car COVERED in mud! This was how the picnic ended... what started as digging in the dirt in the baseball diamond ended in mud. (I'm not sure why I don't have a picture of Josh, he was just as muddy.) But, everyone had a good time and overall the picnic Nate and I were asked to plan for our ward was a success!

Someone in our ward emailed me these pictures. If I was more computer literate I could figure out how to make them bigger. Oh well, they're great pictures!

Mount St. Helens

2011-08-05T09:24:00.007-06:00

A couple weeks ago we went to Mount St. Helens. It was incredible! The drive up there was really pretty, along with all the surrounding areas that were affected and changed by the volcano. And the volcano itself was pretty cool. The kids had a great time, so did Nate and I. We ended the night at a great little restaurant we were lucky enough to make it to before it closed. This was one of my favorite weekends we've had here.

Josh's Birthday

2011-08-01T09:16:00.005-06:00

We celebrated Josh's birthday while we were at the beach. We are so glad to have Josh! He gives the best hugs and is a great big brother to Megan. I love the way he talks and his cute smile. He loves trains and tractors and Buzz Lightyear. He likes to be silly, but in quiet moments when it's just the two of us, I've been surprised by the things he wonders and asks about. My favorite is "how did Jesus get to heaven without a ladder?" He knows he has a friend and cousin in heaven who he asks about a lot. Josh is a sweetheart and a lot of fun and we are so grateful for him! We love you Josh!

Munson Creek Falls

2011-07-31T09:25:00.004-06:00

We found a short little hike to a waterfall while we were staying at the beach house. It was a perfect hike for the kids and very pretty.

Rockaway Beach

2011-07-28T08:23:00.006-06:00

The days we spent at the beach were windy, as I guess they always are up here, but the kids still loved it! The first night we went we built a fire and roasted hot dogs. I am so impressed Nate and Kent got a fire going in that wind!

Lia and Laura and Josh were pretty brave about getting in the water. I wish I could say the same for myself... it was a little too cold for me. Janet and I did put our feet in but that was about it. Is there anything better though than kids on the beach? Wherever we end up, I hope it's within a couple hours of the beach.

Cape Meares

2011-07-26T08:43:00.005-06:00

As I mentioned, Nate's mom and dad came for a visit. Janet was nice enough to drive back with me after Nate flew home to get back to work and Kent met us up here. We spent a few days at the beach and a few days back at our place. It was so fun to have them here! More pictures to come tomorrow...

The Butterflies

2011-07-24T23:25:00.004-06:00

Our first day back from Utah we released our butterflies which had hatched while we were gone. A few months ago the kids got a butterfly garden from Grandma Nelson and we decided to wait until we got up here to send in for the caterpillars. Everyday the kids would check the mailbox to see if they had come. Finally they arrived and they waited patiently and sometimes impatiently for the caterpillars to turn into butterflies. They finally did while we were gone. So before heading off to the beach with grandma and grandpa we let them go. Lia even got to hold one of them. Thanks Janet for the fun present! I'm glad you were here to see them go.

The 4th of July and Josh's Party

2011-07-21T00:40:00.016-06:00

We spent the 4th with the Nelsons and then the kids and I stayed an extra day before making the trip back to Portland. It was great to see Nate's family! And while we were there I had a last-minute party for Josh's birthday. He's been asking about his birthday party for months so I thought we should do something with his friends while we were in town. Aren't they cute?

Barson Family Reunion

2011-07-19T01:53:00.034-06:00

We had a great time at my family reunion! It was so great to see everyone and be together. I don't know how we got through the days after staying up half the night every night, but it was totally worth it. The kids LOVED seeing their cousins and were so cute with them. What a blessing it is to have family! Thanks Katie and Scott and mom and dad for making it happen!

Multnomah Falls

2011-07-18T08:39:00.029-06:00

We went to see Multnomah Falls in the Colombia River Gorge a few weeks ago. It was beautiful! We weren't planning on doing any hiking because we didn't have a backpack for Megan and we weren't sure how Josh would do. He's been going through a phase for way too long now where he says his legs don't work and it's hard too walk. We've tried about everything to help him get over this but so far we haven't had any luck. So it's always questionable if it will be a good legs day or a bad legs day. This happened to be a good legs day and the kids wanted to hike to the top, so we thought we'd see how far we got. They did great!! It's only a mile, but for those with short little legs it can be a long way. We were so glad we went. The whole walk was beautiful with the Colombia River on one side and the waterfall on the other. It did everyone a lot of good to go!

Swimming Lessons

2011-07-14T10:15:00.006-06:00

Megan (again)

2011-07-14T10:13:00.003-06:00

This was the picture I meant to post (it was still on the camera).

Megan

2011-07-11T21:21:00.004-06:00

It may have been before Nate left for Portland that Megan got so attached, I don't remember. All I know is while he was gone, she missed him like crazy! She loved talking to him on the phone or the computer and she would ask me repeatedly, "where's dad?" Since we've been here she gets so excited for him to come home. I can't believe how much she's grown up the last few months. She's saying more words every day (thank goodness!) and loves to jump, go down slides, and swing from whatever she can find to swing from. She also loves playing with baby dolls and is very sweet with them. I am so glad though that with all the growing up she still likes to be held and suck her thumb. I'll hang on to that for a little while longer.

The Sandcastle Festival and Tillamook-Part 2

2011-06-30T11:13:00.002-06:00

The Sandcastle Festival and Tillamook-Part 1

2011-06-27T14:11:00.014-06:00

The Oregon Zoo

2011-06-23T08:55:00.008-06:00

Cannon Beach

2011-06-22T08:49:00.006-06:00

We spent our first Saturday here at the beach. We were expecting it to be cool weather, but it was beautiful! Megan and Josh loved the sand, and Nate, Lia, and Laura loved exploring the tide pools. My favorite part was watching Megan chase the Seagulls, or ducks as she calls them. From the beach we drove to Seaside where they have a little (and I mean little) aquarium and then to Astoria. Astoria I learned is the oldest city west of the Mississippi, and is also where "Goonies" was filmed. We found a place to have dinner there and crossed the river into Washington (Josh wanted to go across the bridge) and headed home. Because we have kids who don't mind driving in the car, I think we'll head out that way most weekends. The drive is pretty and who doesn't like the beach?

The National Forestry Center, The OMSI, and Sleeping on the Tramp

2011-06-21T09:42:00.007-06:00

The National Forestry Center was interesting, and the kids had a good time, but the OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) was really cool and we will definitely be back.

We didn't stay on the tramp ALL night, just until about 10:30--thankfully. But it was fun while it lasted!

The Children's Museum

2011-06-20T10:01:00.009-06:00

Portland has a great children's museum. We were there most of the day and when it was time to go, no one wanted to leave. The girls' favorite part was the pet hospital and Josh loved the construction site. Megan is pretty much happy to be anywhere she can run around.

Our First Week

2011-06-19T11:10:00.005-06:00

Our first matter of business was getting the tramp the rest of the way set up. The kids love it! They are constantly sweeping it off from all the stuff that falls on it from the trees (hence the broom), but it has been really fun. Thanks Nate for going to all the trouble!

There are a lot of really great parks here. They're old, so they still have some of the equipment you don't see much anymore. This is the "merry-go-round park." They loved the merry-go-round and all the see saws. We did get an umbrella stolen here though by one of the several homeless people hanging around so I'm not really anxious to go back. But I've heard there's another park by us that has a merry-go-round so we'll have to check that one out.

Portland

2011-06-17T09:00:00.004-06:00

After much anticipation, and three weeks without Nate, we made it to Portland. The first night and morning were a little rocky for me as it started to sink in what we had just begun. The kids though were so excited. They called each other troops and would say "lets go troops, lets go explore!" Lia and Laura unpacked themselves in their new room. They have a bunk bed again which they are really excited about. I had a little bit of a breakdown, but everyday has gotten better. It helped to go to church. It was a little strange at first, but we are in a really great ward. They have been so welcoming. Even with a primary much smaller than the one at home (and no girls Lia's age), Lia and Laura came home saying how much they liked it. Josh went to primary the second Sunday we were here and Megan even went to Nursery!! They all have great leaders and teachers. We've had a visit from the elders quorum and I went to a relief society activity. It is such a blessing to have the church!!

We drove to the temple after church, it is beautiful! The kids were more than willing to pose for the camera for some reason, even Josh and Megan. She's started doing these silly smiles for the camera now. They are such great sports. I know they want to go home and they've all had some little breakdowns of their own, but overall they've been great. We've been able to go do some fun things the last two weeks. Hopefully we can keep up the pace of a few activities a week to get us out of the house. I'll post about those activities soon...

Kindergarten Graduation/Last Day of School

2011-06-14T23:26:00.006-06:00

Laura had her kindergarten graduation the day before school got out. She had a little part in the program and was so cute! I can't believe her first year of school is already over. I will miss her next year when she's gone all day. I love kindergarten--they are so cute and so excited about everything. Laura loved her teacher and made some good friends this year. I'm glad we stayed so the girls could finish their last few weeks of school. I wish Nate could have been here though for this.

Lia and her some of her friends from her class on the last day of school. She also loved her teacher and made some new friends this year. She's already missing her friend Lindsey a lot!

Dance Festival

2011-06-13T11:24:00.002-06:00

Lia and Laura had a dance festival at school the last week. Lia's grade did "We're All In This Together" from "High School Musical" and Laura did "Splish Splash." They both were really cute!

End of May

2011-06-10T11:30:00.004-06:00

Lia and I got to go to a mother-daughter activity for Activity Days. We decorated cookies with fondant. It was really fun to be with Lia and she did a great job on her cookies!

Laura had a lot of fun activities at the end of the school year, like cowboy day (above) and her animal project (below).

Lia got bit by a dog in our neighborhood. It was a pretty good bite, but she was very brave about it.My neighbor Tiffany's little boy Tanner and Megan. Tiffany took Tanner in to put him in the bath and Megan followed. When Megan started trying to climb in, Tiffany asked if she could give Megan a bath too. She loved it!

Kennecott Copper Mine

2011-06-09T08:26:00.002-06:00

While I was at Katie's shower with Lia and Laura, Nate took Josh and Megan to the Kennecott Copper Mine to show Josh the big trucks. Although he doesn't look like it in the second picture here, he loved it! And thanks to Josh's enthusiasm over trucks and tractors, Megan has taken an interest too.

More from May

2011-06-07T20:26:00.002-06:00

Right after Laura's birthday we celebrated my dad's 60th birthday. My mom asked me to make the cake (my mom and sister Korinne did the pictures). We went to dinner with just the adults and had a great time. We love you dad!!

And then after my dad's birthday we had a baby shower for my youngest sister Katie. She is the last one to have a baby in our family and we are so excited! My mom also asked me to make the cake for the shower. I was pretty sure when I finished I didn't want to make a cake again for a while, but it was worth it to do it for them. The shower was really fun, I wish I had some pictures because my mom did a fabulous job with everything. We can't wait for baby Hanks to arrive!

Laura's Birthday

2011-06-02T17:52:00.009-06:00

I am over a month late in posting this, but Laura did have a birthday a month ago and we did celebrate. One of the many things I love about Laura is how excited she gets. It is so fun to celebrate her birthday because she is so cute about it and counts down the days for weeks before hand. She got a bike this year and loves riding it! She had a party with some of her friends at the Legacy Center and went rock climbing. She's always wanted to and it was a lot of fun. Laura is so fun to have around. I love her smile and her cute laugh and the way she talks. She is a social butterfly, there's always someone at our door asking if Laura can play. And she is a great helper around the house. She is loved by her brother and sisters and her mom and dad and we feel so blessed to have her!

Thanksgiving Point Gardens

2011-05-29T00:10:00.003-06:00

2011-05-21T23:07:00.004-06:00

Three weeks ago Nate was released as the bishop of our ward. He served for four years as the bishop and two years as a counselor before that. I don't know how to describe my feelings about the last four years in particular. They were hard, they were wonderful, they were exhausting, they strengthened our family, they strengthened our marriage, they made us better. We were blessed to be part of an incredible ward and have made friends we hope to keep forever. Even in Utah with family all around us, I feel like we got a little glimpse of how your ward can become your family. Having said that, we couldn't have made it without the support of our families. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity Nate had to serve. As a good friend said of the experience, "I value the lessons I've learned. I cherish the experience. I hope to never repeat it."

I told Nate I wouldn't post this picture on the blog, but I like it so I'm posting it. These were taken the week before he got released. We were so sad the weeks before thinking about everything that would change, but I have to say I am so excited to have this guy back.

Easter Pictures

2011-05-17T23:51:00.005-06:00

April

2011-05-10T22:16:00.009-06:00

Nate had some work to do in Ogden so he took Josh and his dad with him and they went to the train museum. Josh loved it!

Easter Sunday at the Nelsons.

The Easter Bunny comes to our house on Saturday and this year he came in the afternoon. He must have forgotten to come in the morning.
We got a surprise visit from Lucy and Sarah that same week. It was great to see them!

Megan loves... whatever she was eating in this picture and her pillow pet.

Lia's hat for the Easter parade at school.
We stayed home over spring break but filled the week up with plenty of activities.

Lia and Laura's restaurant.
Laura lost her first tooth, yea!
Laura lost

Conference Weekend

2011-05-03T19:14:00.003-06:00

The first weekend in April Lia got to go to a session of conference with Nate. She turned eight just in time! She was really excited, especially to go with dad. Nate also celebrated his 32nd birthday that weekend. We sure love him!

Jr. Jazz

2011-05-02T23:10:00.005-06:00

Lia's Baptism Slideshow

2011-04-28T15:06:00.002-06:00

There's about a 17 second lag on the front end, so be patient.

Daddy Daughter Date

2011-03-27T22:41:00.007-06:00

The girls had a daddy daughter date at the school a while back. They were so cute about it and had a great time! (It was a sock hop theme, in case you were wondering.)

A few miscellaneous pictures:

Lia's favorite new pose.

I finally gave in to the pillow pets craze and it was totally worth it. They love them!!

Making cupcakes.
Making snowmen.

And feeding Elmo. Megan had tubes put it last month and got this Elmo from my mom after the surgery. She loves it! So far the tubes haven't helped the infections, but I'm hoping the further away from winter we get, the less infections we'll get. And it could be worse. If that's my only complaint right now, things are looking pretty good.

Amelia's Baptism

2011-03-22T01:08:00.009-06:00

Lia's baptism was a couple weeks ago and everything went really well. She was so excited and so sweet. I wish we could do it all again because it was one of the greatest days I've had as a mother, next to the days our kids were born. I worried about pretty much anything I could worry about in the weeks before, but the day of everything went perfect! We are so grateful for Lia. I am grateful for her enthusiasm about the gospel and her testimony, which before her baptism I knew she had but hadn't ever heard her share. She bore her testimony after she was confirmed and it was simple and sweet and heartfelt. I am grateful for Nate for being the dad and person he is. I'm grateful he was able to conduct the baptism, Lia's will probably be the only one he'll have the opportunity to do that at. And finally I'm grateful for our family and friends who were there to share the special day with us, and for the ones who wanted to be but couldn't. We feel so blessed to have all of you in our lives.

Lia wanted to get her picture taken in her baptism dress at the temple. They turned out to be my favorite pictures. (The baptism coordinator in our ward, Tiffany Moody, took the ones at the church, by the way. She was great!)

Amelia's Birthday

2011-03-16T23:48:00.003-06:00

Our not-so-little-anymore Lia turned eight a couple weeks ago. We've been looking forward to this birthday for a long time. She had a birthday party with her friends the night before and then celebrated the day of by getting her ears pierced and having family over for dinner and a party. She was so cute about getting her ears pierced, and was so brave. I'm pretty sure she wanted to cry, but she held it in. We are so grateful for Lia. She is such a blessing in our family. Laura and Josh and Megan love her and she is a great example to them. I sorted through hundreds of pictures of Lia for a DVD we made for her baptism and I couldn't believe how much she's changed in what seems like such a short amount of time. We love you Lia. Next I'll post the pictures from her baptism.

San Francisco

2011-02-10T22:50:00.006-07:00

Nate and I were lucky enough to take a little vacation to San Francisco over the weekend. Nate wanted to check out a company or two down there and invited me along. And thanks to our wonderful parents who took great care of our kids while we were gone, we went and had an incredible time!The first night we went to a Shawn Colvin concert at Yoshi's Jazz Club. We'd never been to a jazz club and it was great! If you're ever in the area, check out who's playing there.

We then visited the "Tonga Room" in our hotel. I guess it was a pretty happening place a while back. It was hopping the night we were there too.

This was at the Japanese Tea Gardens in Golden Gate Park. The park was really pretty and even with my stuffy nose I loved the smell of the trees there.

I swear I'm burning this sweater! No more vacations in this sweater. But the bridge is pretty.
We rented a tandem bike and rode through the city, through the park, across the bridge, and ended in Sausalito where we caught a ferry back to the city. We stopped for lunch first though at a restaurant out on the water.

The ride was great, and it was so fun to go with Nate, once we got the hang of the tandem. But I have to admit I was glad to turn that bike back in! I don't get out on 3 hour bike rides very often and let's just say I was more than happy to sit on a comfy seat on the ferry.

You can't go to San Francisco without going to Chinatown. We did a little shopping and had lunch before heading out of town. We wouldn't have taken the trip if Nate didn't need to go down there and I'm so glad he did. I feel like we can breath again and get through the next few months of craziness! Why didn't anyone tell us it would be so hard to go back to school? I know it will be worth it though when it's all said and done. Thanks for the great trip Nate!

January

2011-02-07T22:42:00.004-07:00

Josh has been fascinated with violins and cellos since my family reunion last summer when he begged to play my sister's cello. So when Nate's parents sent us home with an old violin for him to practice on and he didn't want to put it down (even when he was sleeping), we decided to get him one his own size and find him a teacher. He had his first lesson today and was so excited! His teacher is fantastic and was so cute with him.

This was the day he got his new one. It is the cutest thing I have ever seen! This is Nate's dad, who plays the violin, showing him how to play.

These pictures are for Lia. She's always asking me to take pictures of different things and put them on the blog. Lucy is my niece who just moved across the country--they miss her a lot.

Getting ready for our New Year's Eve get together. Don't I have great helpers? For some reason they love cleaning the fridge, which is great because it's something I never get to.

Lia was invited to a fairy birthday party and Laura wanted to join in on the fun too.
This is Megan's outfit of choice. Lately she's been trying to take her clothes off the minute she hears the word "bath" and she'll even put her clothes in her hamper for me. It's really cute.
I love Josh and Megan in this picture, which is why I'm including it. This is where I spend most nights from about 9:30 to who knows when. It gets Megan to sleep and gives Nate a chance to study, but at some point I'd like to lay her down and walk away and spend those evening hours awake keeping Nate company and getting some projects done.
Josh loves fire engines and for a while was always asking me to draw them for him. Well now he can draw his own, complete with a fireman. I was so impressed I had to take a picture.

Snowmen

2011-01-15T23:10:00.002-07:00

Lia, Laura, and Josh and some of our cute neighbors on a perfect snowman making day.

Christmas

2011-01-09T23:03:00.006-07:00

I know this is a lot of pictures... but I decided to post them all at once. I also decided for some reason to put them in reverse order. So, this is after the kids saw what santa brought.

And this is waiting to see what santa brought.
This is my favorite picture of them all--everyone in Megan and Josh's room Christmas Eve.
These are from the party at Nate's mom and dad's house.

New pajamas.
Presents from my mom and dad on Christmas Eve day at our house.

And finally my family's "Christmas Eve" which we do a few days before.

Megan wasn't so crazy about her outfit as you can see.

I forgot my camera the day of Lia and Laura's "Jingle Jam" at school. So here they are in costume in the living room. They were so cute.
Josh wanted his picture taken too.
We had a great, great Christmas this year! Not that the other ones haven't been great too. But for some reason I just really enjoyed it this year. Probably because we weren't in a hurry. The kids were cuter than cute and I hope they enjoyed it as much as we did. We are so grateful for them for making it so exciting and fun and for our families for helping make Christmas what it is. Also to our "secret elves" out there who did the twelve days of Christmas for us, you made this a Christmas our kids will always remember and that Nate and I will never forget either. Hopefully we can return the favor to someone else next year.

December happenings...

2010-12-17T10:18:00.005-07:00

Last year Nate's mom gave us all of Nate's ornaments from when he was a kid and we hung them on our tree. This year we decided to get the kids their own tree for his and their ornaments. They were very excited!

Laura was the "Hero of the Day" at school this week. I got to go and tell her class about her and why she's my hero. She has such a great teacher and I was more than happy to go and talk about Laura. Laura is a great helper at home and is so cute with Josh and Megan. She's also doing really well in school, which I am really grateful for!
Lia made this gingerbread house at school. She was looking forward to making it for weeks. She's also doing well and has a great teacher, who probably thinks we are stalking her because every time we go up to Traverse Mountain she wants to drive by her house (she's in our stake). Lia is getting more and more grown up everyday. I love it, but I also love that she still wants us to read her stories and likes to curl up in our laps.
My sister Katie plays the cello in the Murray Symphony and had a Christmas concert last Sunday. The music was beautiful and the kids were thrilled to see Katie. Can you tell they love her?

My friend Lisa asked me to make the top of her sister's wedding cake last week. I'd never done a cake for a wedding and was really nervous about it, but I think it turned out all right. I don't think any of the cakes I make will ever be perfect, but I still like making them... at least every now and then. Lisa's husband built the cupcake stand and Lisa and I decorated the cupcakes.

Josh and Megan

2010-12-04T22:29:00.002-07:00

Megan gave me a kiss on my forehead the other night and I was so excited! Nate and I have been asking her to give us kisses for a while now and she finally figured it out (or just gave in to our pleas). She is such a sweetie.

Josh has decided he is grown up enough to wear deodorant. He's asked about it several times (what it is, what it's for, etc.) and decided he wanted to put some on about a week ago. I told him he couldn't put mine on but he could use daddy's (I don't want him smelling like a girl, after all). So everyday since he's told me it came off and he needs to put some more on. I'm so glad we have Josh, he definitely keeps us entertained.

Mater, Thanksgiving, and Snow Days

2010-12-03T09:34:00.005-07:00

After a lot, lot, lot of begging I agreed to let Lia bring home her class pet Mater (a guinea pig) for a weekend. Thankfully the weather was good so he was able to spend all day outside and slept in the laundry room at night. I told the kids they could hold him as much as they wanted outside, and they did. I'm surprised Mater made it through the weekend with as much bouncing around as he got. I even cleaned out the cage while he was here (that was part of the deal). As much as I was a nervous wreck all weekend about washing hands and not touching Mater in the house, I have to say it was totally worth it. I now see why parents give their kids pets. Everyone loved Mater, especially Josh. He cried and cried when we took him back. That doesn't mean I'm ready for one though... my kids will just have to enjoy other people's pets, like Mater.

I'm afraid I don't have any pictures of our Thanksgiving or the Christmas wagon ride we went on with my family the day after, you'll have to look on my sisters' blogs for those. But we had a great weekend. It was so nice to have Nate home for so many days in a row and to spend lots of time with the kids and our families. We are so grateful for them and everything they do for us. The kids had a great time playing in the snow over the weekend too, even Megan... for a few minutes. Do you remember that snow outfit Kathie? We've put it to good use for years now. It's kind of an ordeal to get the kids ready to play everyday and get cleaned up when they come in, but I love watching them outside. And I'm always up for a cup of hot chocolate after.

Halloween

2010-11-29T22:37:00.004-07:00

I decorated my Christmas tree today so I thought it was probably time to post my Halloween pictures. Nate was able to come to the parade at school this year and then he stayed home with Josh and Megan so I could go to Lia and Laura's class parties.

We had a good time, in spite of the rain. Nate is such a great sport to take the kids every year. I wouldn't mind going with him, but someone needs to hand out the candy and when the weather is bad, I'm happy to volunteer. I might regret this down the road but my philosophy on Halloween candy is get it gone as soon as possible. So, I let the kids go crazy when they get home and the next day, and then we toss all the leftovers (which normally means the candy no one cared to eat the first two days). I love Halloween...I love the cooler weather and the leaves changing and the smell of candles burning in jack-o-lanterns (which is weird, I know), and I love how excited my kids get. But I really love what follows Halloween. We had a great Thanksgiving, which I'll post about next time. Maybe sometime around New Years.

Pumpkin Carving

2010-11-08T17:20:00.000-07:00

2010-10-30T08:19:00.003-06:00

We took Megan on her first bike ride.

It was also Josh's first time around our neighborhood on his two-wheeler. He did great! He kept up with everyone and didn't complain once. Josh needs a nap just about everyday, but I don't always let him take one so he'll go to bed at a decent time. But, he just couldn't hold out any longer on this day. I'm not sure why he crawled under the picnic table, but it made for a cute picture.

This is one of Josh and Laura's favorite places in the house.

Megan loves this hat, not any other hats... just this one.

New Pictures

2010-10-21T10:29:00.013-06:00

First Days of School

2010-09-17T22:49:00.005-06:00

Everyone but Megan and me started school this fall. Josh started preschool, Laura started kindergarten, Lia started second grade, and Nate started the MBA program at BYU.

I love this picture of Josh. He's smiling kind of silly, but he looks so cute and grown up!

I was a little hesitant to do preschool for Josh, but when the girls got their letters in the mail saying who their teachers are and he asked who his teacher was going to be, I was really glad I decided to do it. It doesn't cost me a dime and I love the other moms and kids he's doing it with. I miss Josh though while he's gone. He may be a big kid but he seems too little to be going to school already!

And then we have cute Laura...

Her teacher is Mrs. Burk and she is great! Laura likes school and things are going well. I love to hear her say she made a new friend and to hear the new songs she's learning.

Laura and a few of her friends from our ward.

I'm not sure where Nate stood to take this picture, but it's totally Lia. She loves school and couldn't wait to start this year. She also loves her new shoes. Luann, do you recognize the hands like last year's first day of school picture?

And finally we have Nate. (Just pretend I'm not in the picture--I don't think I'll ever wear that shirt again!) After an eight year break, Nate is back in school. He quit his job and is a full time student. We couldn't be more excited! He loves his program and I love the fact he's at BYU. He's taken a lot of razzing for that since we are after all "U" fans, but we know it's where he's supposed to be. The last few weeks have been really kind of crazy, but it will get better...or maybe we'll just get more used to it. Either way, I'm really proud of Nate, I'm grateful for the opportunity, and I'm excited to see where this new adventure will take us.

Fishing Trip

2010-09-12T10:01:00.005-06:00

Nate, his dad and his brothers borrowed a raft and went fishing on the Green River right before school started for Nate. The fishing wasn't as good as they had hoped, but they had a great time. I wish they could do things like this more often.

Megan's Bed

2010-09-12T09:42:00.003-06:00

So I mentioned we took the crib down and Megan has been sleeping--if you can call a few hours a night sleeping--in a bed. Well, the other night I put her to bed and she actually slept in there by herself for a couple hours. She woke up once and cried for a few minutes, but I decided to wait and see if she'd go back to sleep, which she did. When I went to check on her and Josh before Nate and I went to bed, I found her snuggled up in Josh's bed. I was pretty sure I hadn't moved her and Nate hadn't either. She must have crawled up there in her half asleep state when I heard her cry. It was so cute I had to take a picture, which woke her up so I moved her back to her own bed.

A Broken Wrist

2010-09-12T09:28:00.002-06:00

Laura fell off our slide (she was standing at the top and Josh moved it) a few weeks ago and broke her wrist. It's really all my fault. I was telling a friend of mine earlier in the day how I was surprised we had never had any broken bones (if you don't count Laura's broken toe and the time I'm pretty sure Lia broke her nose), even after some pretty good crashes on bikes and scooters. Well... later that day we got our first broken bone requiring a cast. Nate took her to the doctor and to the store after to pick out a treat. Because she was with dad, she got to pick out a toy too which she promptly put a cast on using old sock when she got home. She wanted to take the splint off the first day because she was SWEATING SO BAD! But thankfully she's been great about it since.

Megan's First Birthday

2010-08-28T14:12:00.006-06:00

Our cute little Megan turned one a few weeks ago. She has gone from a tiny little thing in our arms to: holding up her foot so I can put her shoe on, trying to comb her own hair when she gets a hold of a comb, trying to walk, bolting for the bath as soon as she hears the water running and starting to wave. I love the ways she says "MAM" and the way she loves to snuggle. I also love her smile and her funny little crawl. I love how she loves her dad and her brother and sisters (even when she doesn't want them to hold her). I just moved her from her crib to a toddler bed in hopes that she will sleep better. We are at the end of an era in our family... but I don't want to rush things along too quickly. I'm enjoying my little baby.