Kaleb is Home! Highlights from the Weekend.

Kaleb is Home! Highlights from the Weekend.

• 5.31.2015

We interrupt these regularly scheduled vacation posts to talk about the weekend... but most importantly, the fact that Kaleb is home!!! Bron's brother, Kaleb, arrived home from his TWO year LDS mission in Ohio Friday afternoon! It goes without saying that the whole family was pretty excited. Especially Momma Nelson; she's been looking forward to his homecoming since the day he left, I think. ;) Though coming home is quite an adjustment for Kaleb, it sure is good to see all six Nelson boys together again.  (Family photos coming soon.)

A few highlights from our low-key family weekend on the Nelson Dairy:

::  A Saturday afternoon mountain bike ride!  It was a 2.5 mile ride straight up, but the downhill return rush made it totally worth it.  Woohoo!  I was a little nervous for my ten year old nephew, Micah, when he invited himself along, but he is nothing short of a rockstar.  Though he was huffing and puffing and obviously struggling on that old heavy bike, he never once complained.  Good news is he says he'd do it again.  Yes!

::  I feel like I've been living in a piece of paradise all week!  The weather is warm, everything is green, the kids are in good spirits, and life is just plain good. 

 ::  The guys started a BIG project: installing an automatic sprinkler system in the yard.  Merri Sue has been walking hoses around the lawn for years.  I think she's earned herself a little luxury!  It was fun for me to watch Tyrel take the lead on this project; I've never seen him in that role before.  Here they all are digging out the rocks after the ditch digger went through and covering up the lines.

While the boys worked, I took four kids swimming in the pool room.  Fair trade?  Absolutely.  :) 

::  Food!!!  Momma and Dad Nelson put on yet another delicious dutch oven cookout dinner for everyone.  We're getting to be quite a group too.  There are 26 of us all together now!  Two parents, six boys, four daughter-in-laws, and 14 grandkids.  Whoa.  And it's just going to get crazier, but I love it.  Family is everything and this one is so fortunate that everyone likes getting together.  They're a good bunch.  We all gathered to eat in the garage (pineapple ham and gourmet chocolate cupcakes...mmmm) as some late afternoon storm clouds brewed above.  The rain was short-lived.  After dinner, the kids all had fun playing together while the men chatted in the lawn chairs and we women moved our conversation inside.  

::  After three hour naps on Sunday afternoon, Jed and I colored with crayons in his coloring books outside on the front patio while Bron grilled up some sweet potatoes and pork chops.  Then suddenly it started to pour hail!  Levi--half naked from playing in the hose again--snuck into the garden area to taste some ice!  Okay, he ate a mouth full!  Haha  These summer afternoon storms are incredible.  I love 'em.  The sun came out while we ate dinner, so we all hopped on our bikes for a happy family bike ride.

Yup, late Spring is a taste of paradise.  Welcome home, Kaleb!