Bushwhacking with a View and a September Family Update

Bushwhacking with a View and a September Family Update

9.16.2019

Popping into the blog today to share some pictures from our little bushwhacking adventure in the South Hills Sunday night.  Bron is really excited about his personal project to restore some old trails for mountain biking and has his buddy Bryce on board as well.  They're just big kids: exploring the hillsides, rolling rocks, and cutting through brush.   Those two have been having so much fun.

There's really not much to report so far here in September.  We've settled in to the new school schedule quickly and life has just been rolling along.

Jed and Levi are pros at getting themselves up and showered in the morning.  They enjoy school and seem to be doing well, so far.  Swim team starts next week!  It will add one more dimension of places to go and things to do, but I think we'll all enjoy the water.  Bron has also been reading to the boys at night.  They're right smack dab in the middle of the Storm Testament; it's keeping them on the edge of their beds for sure!  While the big boys read, Conrad and I snuggle up on the couch to read in the other room.  It's a great evening routine when it happens!

Bron is carefully balancing work, Young Men's, family life, exercise, and mountain biking.  It's quite the tightrope act, but I couldn't be more proud of that man.  He has his priorities straight and our relationship feels really solid right now.

As for me, with Conrad in daycare two days a week, I have been getting all. the. things. done!  It's really impressive what I can get done in a few hours without any interruption.  So far this month I've cleaned out and organized the boys' room, the toy room, the office, and just today, the master bedroom.  I have time to sweep, mop, and vacuum the floors more regularly.  I've been taking Conrad's little friend on one day a week while his mama packs up their house to move.  I've been exercising.  I've been editing.  The privilege of "me" time has made a huge difference!  I notice I am more attentive to the boys after school.  And  I feel like I can truly relax -- get just one or two things done when Conrad is home -- and then ENJOY him!  Last week, we played at the park and then went on a little lunch date to the taco truck.

So at the moment, life is really good for the Nelsons.  We're all often tired by the day's end, but we've been blessed with a lot.

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Our Saturday Morning Snowshoe Adventure to Ross Falls

Our Saturday Morning Snowshoe Adventure to Ross Falls

2.25.2019

We loaded up into the truck Saturday morning and as we headed down the road towards the South Hills, I couldn't help but grab Bron's hand as I looked around at what we'd brought with us: 3 boys in the backseat (one ornery child complaining about his mittens), 2 dogs hanging their heads out of the bed of the truck, and what feels like a ton of gear.

"Look at this chaos we've created!" I exclaimed.

"Why did we do it to ourselves?" Bron replied grumpily.  But underneath he had a smile.

"Well, we can't take it back.  I kind of love it."

It's true.  This chaos we call family has steadily grown over the last 12 years.  There is more of everything these days.  More clothes to wash.  More whining.  More messes.  More noise.  More food for the table.  More moments when I feel overwhelmed by it all.  There's also more teasing.  More laughter.  More hugs.  More "I'm sorry."  More "I love you."  More teaching.  More learning.  More purpose.  More prayer.  But most of all, more joy.

Everything has its opposite.  I'll take the lows any day for the highs that erase their memory.

I turned 34 years old a little less than a month ago.  I don't make a big deal of my birthday here on the blog because I feel like being somewhere in my 30's just isn't noteworthy.  It's just another year on the planet.  Looking around, however, I am really proud of what Bron and I have accomplished thus far together.  A loving husband, three healthy kids, two crazy dogs, and a house out in the country may seem very boring and ordinary, but it's actually a very beautiful life.  Sometimes it hits me hard just how lucky I am!  I have so much to be grateful for.

So Saturday morning, feeling a little extra nostalgic about being the lucky wife and mom to these boys I get to call mine, we forged our own trail up to Ross Falls.  I have never seen the snow so deep!  As we reached the top, I just kind of slid into a hole created by the creek bed.  Two minutes later, the kids were in there with me.  It was really incredible to be down there surrounded by walls of snow!  We had a blast but had to head back down the trail quickly once Conrad soaked himself in the creek.  No worries.  Conrad was all right.  Bron stripped him down and got him warmed up in the truck.  I hope my little boys know how much spending time with them and making memories with them means to me!

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