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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!

3.09.2015

1. Spring flowers! I found these little beauties blooming in my front yard the first week of March! Yellow makes me happy, but yellow flowers just make me giddy. {Happy Dance!}

2. Daylight savings time began! I know some folks are moaning over their lost hour of sleep, but I'm truly excited about the sun staying out with us longer in the evenings. (Plus, for now, my boys are getting up at 8AM instead of 7AM. Win!) More daylight means more time to play. Plus, the temperatures this week are supposed to reach mid-sixties. We enjoyed our first picnic lunch of the year outside. Bring on Spring and Summer! {Happy Dance!}

3. That sentimental moment when it suddenly hit me that I already have it all and my heart brimmed over with joy. This weekend there were late night nightmare cuddles, early morning wake up calls, conversations about Mickey Mouse followed by a loud imitation of the hot dog song, hiding under blankets in the living room, whining and laughter, big messes of toys and liquids, and licking just the Nutella off toast at breakfast. Bron asked, "Is it always this insane?" "Yes," I replied with a laugh. But I honestly wouldn't have it any other way (Okay, some days I might!) because this, these three sweet silly boys I live with, are my world and my happiness. {Happy Dance!}

4. A one hour couples massage! Bron bought us a couples massage at a local spa for Valentine's Day. It's actually something neither of us have done before. Being so ticklish, I was a bit nervous, but our first full-body massage experience turned out to be so extremely relaxing and rejuvenating I can see us going again! Every muscle in my body turned to jello. Yesss. {Happy Dance!}

5. Pizza night with friends! After our massages, Bron and I bought some pizzas, picked up the kids, and headed over to our friends' new home to let the kids play while we chatted the evening away. We stayed out too late, but it always feels so good just to connect with some of Idaho's best people. {Happy Dance!}

6. Practicing my violin for the annual Easter Cantata. I didn't know my picture was in the local newspaper until somebody said something about it! (I was aware of the photographer last week though. I geeked out and asked him what kind of lens he was using. Haha.) I love making music; it speaks to my soul and makes me feel alive in a way that nothing else can. I especially love playing in the cantata each year because it gives me an opportunity to reflect upon my Savior, his Atonement, and his infinite love. It just puts me in the right spirit for Easter. {Happy Dance!}

^^I know, not the most flattering picture of me, but hey, it's proof that I still play my violin!^^

12.22.2014

Last week our little family of four took a quick trip down to Utah to visit my Grandma (the boys' Great Grandma!) and to ride the North Pole Express. Bron and I have been giddy with excitement since booking this special Christmas train trip over a month ago. We knew Jed and Levi would love it, we just didn't expect how much the delighted looks on their faces would mean to us!

The train slowly crept along the tracks as an elf and the car's chef passed out chocolate chip cookies and cups of hot chocolate to everyone. Then we all belted out Christmas carols as the sun set and we approached the "North Pole". I will never forget the priceless look on Levi's face when he saw lights outside and Santa Clause waving at him. He's a true believer! However, the most magical moment occurred when Santa actually stepped onto our train car. He shook the boys' hands, called them by name (thank goodness for name tags!) and gave each of us a silver bell. What a magical night for us all! I sure enjoy making special memories like these with the folks I love most.

^^Jed and Levi anxious with excitement!^^

^^Grandma spoiled the boys with popcorn to eat and toy trains to play with.^^

^^Our surprisingly warm and posh (seriously, those seats were squishy and comfy) train car we rode, built in 1910.^^

^^Keepers. Both of them. Grandma has an extraordinary talent for making people feel special, us included! We can't help but love her. She really is a neat woman for so many reasons.^^

^^Staring out the window and singing the Twelve Days of Christmas on the train ride.^^

^^Arriving at the "North Pole"!^^

^^I want to print and frame this picture. These are the happy expressions on my boys' faces as Santa was coming to talk to them!^^

Wishing you a very

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

12.18.2014

:: "Where do eggs come from?" I asked Levi one morning, curious about his answer.
"The store!" he responded enthusiastically.
I laughed and Jed joyfully corrected him. "Eggs come from chickens!"
I tried again. "Levi, where does milk come from?"
"The fridge!"
Uhhh, oh. We're going to have to work on this.

:: The boys were buckled up in the back seat of the truck when Levi suddenly called out, "I have a idea, Jed! I have a idea."

:: "You're getting so tall, Jed," I marveled at his long legs in the back seat.
"That means I can drive the truck!" he responded enthusiastically.
Hahaha. Haha. No. Nice try!

:: Levi and I ran errands one afternoon while Jed was at preschool. On our list of places to visit was good 'ol Costco.
"Mmmm. My tummy is feeling hungry," Levi said rubbing his belly as I placed him in his seat.
"You just ate lunch," I chuckled.
Just then Levi spied a sample cart. "Over there, Mom! Over there!"
Costco, you've created a miniature monster.

:: I was getting ready one afternoon and pulled out the blow-dryer to do my hair. Levi saw what I was doing and chimed in. "You can put da dryer in over there or over there," he explained pointing to two separate outlets. "Those are your choices." Hmmm, the mini boss knows what's going on and sounds just like me!

:: I took Jed into a gas station for a quick road trip pit stop in Utah this week. He sat on the toilet and warned, "Hold your nose on tight, Mom!"

:: I was getting ready to draw a bath for the boys one morning when I heard water in the shower. I walked over to see Jed peeing a steady golden stream onto the tile and down the drain--just six feet from the toilet! Then Levi suddenly (and very quickly I might add) stuck his toy car into Jed's pee stream. GROSS! Gross, gross, gross. They just giggled and thought I was being funny. So this is life with boys, eh?!

:: Sometimes Levi comes wandering into our room in the middle of the night. "Cuddle Mommy," he whispers. So I groggily scoop him up and we silently snuggle together in my bed or on the couch until he drifts off to sleep again. It's such a peaceful feeling, holding my sleeping two year old and listening to his soft breaths as his chests rises and falls. Those are precious, personal, and beautiful moments that I truly cherish. Oh, how I love that little boy with all my heart!

^^"Hunting" bears and deer outside on their faithful steeds, using my vacuum attachment as a gun and a plastic shovel for a sword. Levi insisted on wearing cowboy boots too. They've got all their stories mixed up and meshed into one great fantasy. And I love it.^^

Thank you, Jed and Levi, for keeping my life so full of fun and mischief and laughter. I love you!

P.S. How is Christmas exactly one week away already?! Hooray!

12.08.2014

^^This picture makes me happy! So what if my tree is a little big and over the top? It's my dream come true tree. I'm determined to soak in this truly special time with two innocent (and excited!) little boys under our roof this season. They make it so easy to feel that special Christmas spirit. ^^

In the spirit of counting my blessings and accentuating the positive this season, seven things that made me happy this weekend were:

1. The way Levi gallops sideways across the house. He says he's skateboarding.

2. Taking advantage of this unseasonably warm weather to play at the park on Friday afternoon with both my little boys! Is it December or is it April? I'm loving this sunshine.

3. I may be a little late getting on the chore train, but I'm learning that if my boys aren't doing something constructive, they're probably being destructive. I think it's partly the age and partly the change to colder weather. On Saturday afternoon, Jed and Levi helped me rake up the yard. (Bron fit in a bike ride! Yes, it was that nice.) The yard certainly doesn't look amazing, but it's sure better than when we started. Plus, Jed feels a sense of pride and accomplishment and I absolutely love that! Here's to instilling a little work ethic into my sons.

4. Going out to dinner with all three of my handsome boys on Saturday evening. We hit up the Mongolian Grill--a little restaurant where we filled our bowls with all the vegetables, meat, and noodles we could muster, added some sauce, and watched a couple of men cook it up right in front of our eyes. Jed and Levi thought it was pretty neat. But the ice cream afterwards was even neater.

5. The excitement in Jed's voice as he proudly declared, "I did it, Mom! I did it, Dad!" Jed can pronounce the 's' sound but has a hard time using the sound within a word when he speaks. We were practicing words like Santa, Steam, and Smoke on our drive home from town... and he did it! Both Bron and I are so happy for him. I didn't realize until that moment that Jed is acutely aware that he cannot say those kinds of things with ease. We try not to make a big deal of it, but I think the help from the speech therapist in preschool is making him think about it. I'm so proud of our big little guy.

6. Sharing a delicious roast, vegetables, and chocolate fudge on Sunday evening with friends.

7. There's nothing quite like hearing a four year old exclaim, "That was awesome!" It was so cute. Jed was referring to the brightly lit festive neighborhood we visited out in Filer Saturday evening.

Cheers to the best season of the year!

and just for fun...

^^what my tree looks like on a 2.5 second exposure while I do a little dance. Ha!^^

9.21.2014

^^Lunch at one of my all-time favorite places with some of my all-time favorite people.^^

I began last week with a sore throat, fever, and all around miserable achiness that is still mildly hanging on. I always manage to contract one or two minor illnesses every year that knock me off my feet and this ~~was~~ is one of them. Bron insists that I make my ailments worse by refusing to eat anything. He's probably right, but if it hurts to swallow then I say that food ain't worth the effort! So after canceling everything on the calendar and getting absolutely nothing done all week, I couldn't quite bring myself to scratch our trip to Ririe to hang out with Grandma and Grandpa Nelson too. Anyhow, the boys were sooo excited! So after a rough start Thursday morning, we finally hit the road. Ririe or bust, baby!

Sometimes I wish I could see and feel things from Jed and Levi's perspective. They are absolutely wild about Grandma's house and they adore everybody there--cousins, uncles, and of course, Grandma and Grandpa. There's always frozen raspberries, marshmallows in the kitchen drawer, vintage toys galore, and the same red sleeping bag for Jed to sleep in on the floor. Plus don't forget, there's an entire dairy farm to explore too! With so much to do and so many people to love and be loved by, it's no wonder my boys look forward to a trip to Grandma's like it's Christmas morning. And hey, I love it too.

I mixed a little business into our trip and managed to do three photo shoots with my brand new camera. (I'm head over heels in LOOOVE, by the way!) Then Bron and I visited two of our favorite friends Thursday evening. We stuffed our faces with delicious cheesecake and got talking/laughing way too late into the night--but you know we wouldn't have it any other way.

On Friday we began making our way south again. First stop: Rupe's in Blackfoot. That place is equal parts awesome food and nostalgia. (I've been making memories there since that one crazy night sophomore year in college.) A person just can't go wrong with Rupe's! With our bellies full, we briefly visited my four day old niece, Quincy, and then headed to Uncle Call's high school football game against Aberdeen. Call texted me later that night and said he could actually hear Jed and Levi cheering. Haha. Annnd Ririe won.

A good two days and good memories made.

^^Chugging milk and hamming it up for the camera while waiting on Grandma and Grandpa Nelson^^

^^Fish and ~~chips~~ fries for me! Yumm!^^

^^Cheering with Grandma from the bleachers. Go Call!^^

^^Jed wanted in on the action too. He kept sneaking onto the grass.^^

Jed also found a giant moth somewhere near the stands and brought it to me cupped oh so carefully in his hands. When I told him I thought it was dead and to put it back, Jed promptly threw the moth on the ground and stomped on it. Then stomped on it some more in front of everyone. Ugh. What a boy!

^^Can you spy #6? That's our guy, Call!^^

6.26.2014

We've been playing hard all month! Long warm sunny days just beg to be spent outside. So we do! These last few weeks have been loads of fun, especially with my two energetic little boys. Their enthusiastic smiles melt my heart. Our precious summers together will pass much too fast (they'll be grown and gone before I can blink), therefore we're taking full advantage--even on the days we stay home. So between nap times and laundry, take a peek at what we've been up to:

^^Cookie making at Grandma's house!^^

^^We spent one rainy afternoon playing at an indoor playground with cousins. The boys are still talking about it.^^

^^Leaping into the ball pit!^^

^^Levi thought he was sneaky stuff, "hiding" face down in the balls from us. Haha!^^

^^And of course, don't forget about Grandma's awesome play set in the backyard. Wheee!^^

^^Our summer happy place: the backyard sprinklers with friends!^^

^^And of course, more trips to Dierkes Lake.

A few weeks ago I made a winding trench in the sand and told Jed it was the Snake River. So now every time we visit the lake, Jed grabs buckets full of water to make "snake water". Cute!^^

^^This TOTALLY happened: grass surfing behind the neighbor's golf cart. Oh, yeah! The kids had a blast. Does this make us a bunch of Hicks? I don't care.^^

Lots of love to you, Summer! Keep the fun coming.

Nelson Notes

SLIDER

Kaleb is Home! Highlights from the Weekend.

5.31.2015

6 Reasons I Did a Happy Dance This Weekend

3.09.2015

The North Pole Express

12.22.2014

Life Lately in a Few Funny Short Stories and Pictures

12.18.2014

Seven Things That Made Me Happy This Weekend

12.08.2014

Ririe or Bust

9.21.2014

Snapshots of Summer Fun

6.26.2014

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