Snapshots of Life Lately

Snapshots of Life Lately

4.11.2013

I am really enjoying these "snapshot" posts.  I hope you are too.  I've liked challenging myself in efforts to capture better lifestyle photos.  You know, freezing forever the sweet ordinary moments.  (It's an entire photography genre in itself, in case you're not a photo geek and didn't know.)  I've been experimenting with different angles, different focal lengths on my lens, and other camera settings.  As a side effect, I hope it's improving my photography skills because I love it.  Plus, it's just fun to have pictures of our everyday lives.  I'm sure these snapshots will eventually carry some of my most cherished memories.  And that's what is most important.

 I have a fetish with tiny feet.  These ones are sooo cute!

(Also, isn't he stylin' in those green pants?  They are truly 80's vintage.  My 27 year old brother would be proud.)

 Levi got his first ride in the cozy coupe.  The look on Levi's face was priceless as his big brother pushed him around the driveway.  There's nothing like the feel of wind blowing through your wispy baby hair.

Then Levi thought Jed was the bees knees when he squeezed the trigger on the squirt gun.  Brotherly love at its finest.  Levi wanted more!

After that, Jed chased me with the squirt gun!  I couldn't help laughing either... and then stealing the toy gun and retaliating.  We had one of those perfect afternoons where everything was right in the world.

 We planted tiny fruit trees in the backyard!

 Jed is Dad's "big helper"

 Superman visited our house one morning.  (I'm not sure Jed even knows who Superman is!)

 Then Superman hurt his finger.  Ouch!

 Movie night!  Popcorn + Ice Cream in our jammies

 Levi can't eat popcorn yet, so I set out some cheerios for him.

Cute kid is so short he can barely see above the coffee table!

 Riding in the race car cart at Home Depot.  Jed actually told me to "go fast" down the aisles in the store.
It just felt like an ice cream day.  I asked for a kids' cone at Arctic Circle and this is what they gave me.  Jed was in heaven!  That's a lot of ice cream!  But he ate every last bite.

 Jamming out on the piano with friends

 Jed and Levi have a sweet and special relationship already.  Jed is protective of his baby brother.  And Levi eggs on the wrestling from Jed.  Sometimes they just laugh and laugh together.  It makes my mommy heart swell with happiness.

Playing cars is serious business.

When Levi gets excited, his feet get into it too.  These toes are one of my favorite details of that excitement.
(Bron says I have foot issues.)

Read more »

How I Got Carried Away and Bought a Piano

How I Got Carried Away and Bought a Piano

4.09.2013

I got a little carried away over the past month decorating/redecorating my house.  One thing led to another... and well, it just snowballed.  The money I've been saving from my photography and violin lessons is GONE.  Bron even lent me some of his pay check to cover all the new changes around here.  But there are no regrets.  We like living in a home we can improve upon.  That's half the fun!

It all started with these:

I've been eyeing these vintage style window frames for a year now.  I finally broke down and bought them.  I'm happy I did because now we have pictures of my two favorite little boys on the wall!  The plant is new too.  Apparently it only needs to be watered about once a month, so I shouldn't be able to kill it.  We'll see!  I'm not very good at keeping plants alive.  That's Bron's department.  I keep children alive instead.  (Jed is a miracle compared with Ollie the cactus who lived a whopping month under my care.)

Well, after I got one wall looking snazzy, I felt compelled to move onto other parts of the house.  I hopped onto Craigslist and found a new office nook to replace our big ugly one... because every house needs a gathering place for mail and junk.  Except this little nook is small and dainty.  Theoretically, it can't hold as much stuff which means less clutter, right?  Right.  (Isn't it cute?  A part of me wants to paint it some bright color.)  

Then the boys and I took a quick trip to Home Depot one afternoon to buy cloth boxes for toy storage.  It's just a reality I've accepted: toys love my living room.  But I don't mind.  The living room is a central place where I can keep a watchful eye on my children.  And since we spend so much time there, we use the bottom shelves behind the couch as toy storage.  However, now the shelves are finally organized!  Woot!  Woot!

And the creme de la creme that I've been busting at the seams about: A PIANO!!!  It's not just any old piano, it's a player piano.  There's no need for any of us to play, it plays itself!   

Since we were first married, I dreamed of the day I would own a piano.  I found this baby on Craigslist too.  (It's a dangerous place, I tell you!)  I went to preview it and was instantly hooked.  The piano is in great condition, the keys are remarkably unchipped, and she has a beautiful tone (once it's tuned up a bit, of course).  I came home excited and giddy.  Bron asked if I'd regret not purchasing it.  The answer was a solid yes.  But I knew he'd eat it up too!

The woman I bought it from threw in something like 70 rolls of player music as well.  Bron and I spent our entire first evening with the piano exchanging rolls and listening to her play with big grins on our faces.  It's so stinkin' cool to watch the keys go up and down by themselves.  Plus, the fact that it's not digital just makes it that much more incredible.  Really, one just has to see it in action to catch my excitement.  It's old school at its finest.

Many of the rolls even have words to sing along!

And now I will leave you with a video of Jed "playing" the piano.  He's pretty good for two and a half, don't ya think?  We're having so much fun with our new toy!  Each morning I get up and just have to play a tune or two.

Read more »

Saturday Night Sweetness

Saturday Night Sweetness

4.06.2013

Dear Jed,

Your dad has been gone for the last four days on a trip to Indiana.  Work has made him very busy these days.  And while I'm grateful he's able to provide for all of our needs and more, we both miss him immensely when he's gone.  You and I both prefer him around.  Why is it that you quit sleeping through the night when your dad's away, huh?  You get to sleep in but I don't.  I'm jealous.  And a little cranky.

Overall, I think we've made the most of our time without Dad.  We've played outside and hung out with friends.  (Thank goodness for friends!)  We even made some delicious chocolate peanut butter cookies.  But my favorite part happened tonight.

I let you stay up late to watch the movie Brave with me.  We ate popcorn together.  And then we topped it off with ice cream.  "Cream, cream!" you exclaimed.  You hardly ever get to eat ice cream; it's a special treat because your dad and I are selfish and save it for ourselves.  Then when our tummies were full, I pulled a blanket over our legs and we snuggled together on the couch.  I felt your whole body tense up when the ugly black bear made its debut on screen.  I heard you laugh at the silly parts.  And afterwards, we almost had a real conversation about the movie.

Jed, I looked at you tonight and couldn't believe how big you are getting!  You are growing so tall and your features are looking so grown up.  It makes me a little sad, but also very proud.  My heart swells to capacity just looking at you sometimes.  The words I would choose to describe these last {nearly} three years with you would be: wonderful growing pains.  I am a mother because of you, Jed.  I've had to learn and stretch and grow as a person; you've changed me from the inside out!  But I wouldn't change a thing.  There will always be a tender spot in my heart for you.  Just smile that sweet smile and I will melt to a puddle on the floor.  You know it!

Thanks for being my little buddy.  You've been a lot of fun since the very beginning.  Let's do this again sometime.

Love,
Mom    


P.S.  Who else is loving this new blog layout?!  I'm thrilled!  

Read more »

Playing with Cars in the Dirt

Playing with Cars in the Dirt

4.05.2013

Upon waking up in the morning,

Jed: "I want to go pay carrs in da dirt"

(Translation: I want to go play cars in the dirt.)

After nap time,

Me: "Jed, what do you want to do this afternoon?"

Jed: "Pay carrs in da dirt!"

Getting ready for bed,

Me: "What was your favorite thing you did today?"

Jed: "I pay carrs in da dirt."

Jed's new all time favorite activity this spring: playing with cars in the dirt.

We have a mound of dirt in our driveway leftover from last spring when Bron ordered several yards of it.  We just might have to order more!  (Just kidding.  Sort of.)

Yesterday afternoon, I sat in the dirt with a car truck in hand.  Getting down there, I could suddenly see why playing with cars in the dirt can be so much fun.  Little rocks magically became giant boulders and loose dirt unexpectedly became a landslide!  Jed and I played together.  When my truck got "stuck" Jed's truck towed mine out.  We crashed.  We climbed steep hills and slid down rocky crevasses.

Playing with cars in the dirt was the best part of my day too!

Thank heaven for little boys.  I love you, Jed! 

Read more »

Levi: Eight Months on Planet Earth

Levi: Eight Months on Planet Earth

4.03.2013

I could talk about this baby all day long, so I'll try to keep this brief:

:: I brought Levi back to bed with me early this morning. He fell asleep. He snores and giggles in his sleep. It makes me smile. Those moments when he falls asleep in my arms are becoming fewer; I can’t help soaking in his sweet sleeping poses when he does. 

:: Levi is getting noisier! Blowing bubbles, telling us he’s happy with loud long vowel sounds, and endless crying when he doesn’t get what he wants (like waiting for Mom to bring him food!)

:: He’s eating three solid meals a day, but still wants to chow down on something every 2-3 hours. This baby eats more than his big brother! (I think that might be typical considering their ages.)

::  When nursing, Levi's free hand plays with my hair, my mouth, my nose...

::  Sounds like a Gerber baby as he jabbers "gaa, gaa, guuh" all day long

:: Chomping at the bit to crawl! Levi is getting up on all fours and rocking. Until he learns to coordinate those arms and legs, he rolls and scoots backwards across a room. Though I know I’ll be a lot busier hovering over a curious new mover, I’m excited for this big change.

:: Cries for hours on end for anyone else but his mommy. He’s a momma’s boy. And he’s very attached.

:: Sleeping better at night. (I think it’s really because I close the door and ignore him until 4:00 or 5:00AM. I’m of the opinion that a good night’s sleep makes Levi a happier baby and me a better mama.)

:: Crazy about his big brother, bathtime, bananas, and swings.

:: Levi has thee best smile and cutest cheeks to go with it. His smile lights up his whole face! His name should read: Levi Just Happy to be Here Nelson

:: Levi is the sunshine to my day, every day. He can put a smile on my face in less than a second. I don't think he has a serious bone in him. I love this kid with all my heart. I am so glad he was born into our family!

 The excited look.  He gets his feet and wrists into it.  I can't get enough!

Read more »

Our Easter Weekend

Our Easter Weekend

4.02.2013

Waaay too much personality (see above and below!)

Hippety Skippety Hop Hop Hop. Happy Easter! (Two days late)

Our Easter was filled to the brim with warm sunshine, good food, friends, and family.

We kicked off the weekend at a birthday party to celebrate Levi’s future best buddy’s first trip around the sun. The chocolate cake was delicious! The secret ingredient? Espresso powder.  It was the best chocolate cake I’ve tasted. Ever.

Then we were up with the sun on Saturday morning. We hurried to the golf course for a neighborhood Easter egg hunt at 8AM sharp. Candy before breakfast? Why not! It was so much fun! Jed totally got into it this year! (Maybe it was because I let him “help” me fill our eggs?) Jed ran through the grass lickety split and snatched up his dozen eggs. The thirteenth egg was a plastic bunny egg with a last name on it. We showed it to that family to receive a dollar store prize from them.  Before we knew it, the driving range was filled with bubbles and balls and candy galore.

Saturday afternoon we met some friends from out of town for lunch. Stef suggested I try the tomato bisque. I'm a fan!  It was so much fun to see and catch up with Tyson and Stef and their family.

Sunday morning we clamored into the car at the break of dawn (literally) to make it to our nephew’s baby blessing at church. It was so fun to see the Nelson grandkids (all twelve) dressed to the hilt in their Sunday best.  We spent the afternoon outside eating and chatting and enjoying family. Jed even got to go on another egg hunt, lucky duck.

I played my violin in our stake’s Easter Cantata both Saturday and Sunday night. Playing my violin is a thrill for me. I love it deep down to my very core. The cantata gave me ample opportunity to reflect on Jesus Christ and His atonement and resurrection. I am so grateful for our Savior and the sacrifice he made for each one of us because that's really what Easter is all about.

Happy Easter!!

Read more »