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Showing posts with label fun. Show all posts

Red Neck Hot Tub

1.26.2022

Our backyard hot tub. Check back here for more redneck things to do to pass time in the winter.

In all honesty, I saw someone post pictures of a similar thing with her kids and I just knew Conrad and Ezra would love it... and they did! So not only a great memory made but funny pictures made too. My husband saw me filling five gallon buckets with hot water and thought I'd lost my mind. 🤪 Worth it.

2.07.2020

^^Breakfast at Snooze^^

Bron went above and beyond to celebrate my 35th birthday with one of the most elaborate surprises he's pulled off yet. The man keeps outdoing himself. He claims that one day he will fall flat on his face with a particular gift and that I will just have to forgive him. I'm not sure he's capable of that kind of failure. Bron is one of the most thoughtful and giving people I know -- on his own terms, of course. It's one of my favorite qualities about him.

Anyway, my 35th birthday landed on a Friday. Bron took me out to breakfast at Guppy's Hot Rod in town (with our silly little third wheel, Conrad) for some seriously delicious high calorie food. He kept hinting at some big surprise. As Bron headed off to work for the day, he told me to be all showered with makeup on and hair done by 5pm. Of course I assumed we were going on a date!

Bron walked into our bedroom at quarter til with two very excited giggly boys; Bron had told them the surprise.

"Want a big hint?" Levi asked. "We're getting a boys' weekend until Monday!" He fell onto the bed laughing.

I looked at Bron a bit confused. "What? Where are we going?"

Bron chimed in. "You're going to Arizona to visit your sister... tonight! Your plane leaves from Boise at 9:23PM."

I was so surprised I burst into happy tears. "What? For reals?!" My sister means the world to me. To spend the weekend with her in warm sunny weather would truly be a vacation dream come true.

Bron launched into all the details (like how we'd be staying in a hotel in Gilbert paid for with points) and before I knew it, I was kissing him goodbye and hopping into the car with a small suitcase.

It felt so surreal. It was all such a big surprise that I could hardly wrap my head around it all! Excited would be an understatement.

Lauren picked me up from the airport in Mesa, AZ. She had known about this surprise trip for a couple of weeks and had an entire weekend planned of places to eat around the valley.

And so began what will undoubtedly go down as one of my life's most memorable weekends!!!

12.15.2019

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!! Look at that beautiful winter wonderland.

We enjoyed our first big snowfall this weekend: inches where we live and a couple of feet up in the mountains! The best part is that it's cold enough to stick around for a while. I love going up into the South Hills after a fresh layer of snow has fallen. The snow hanging on the evergreen branches just feels magical. It makes me giddy with happiness... until about February. Haha. But for now, I'm soaking it in for all it's worth.

After a few chores around the house yesterday, Bron and I loaded the boys up into the truck to take them sledding for the first time this season. The hill was surprisingly uncrowded. Bron helped the boys cut some brand new tracks in the snow and they careened down the hill over and over again. I'm pretty sure they all got a face full of powder at one time or another!

Conrad would not keep his gloves on. He complained that his hands were cold, so he'd take his gloves off only to stick his hands in the snow. That routine was obviously not working for him, but a couple of cups of hot chocolate seemed to reverse the damage. Conrad is such a happy kid. He really had a good time overall and chatted my ear off about it.

After our snowy sledding adventure, we returned home for some dry clothes and then took the boys into town for dinner and some Christmas shopping. We really wore them out! Sunday morning I felt so stupid walking into their room after 8am to wake them for church. Who wakes three sleeping boys?!?

Good memories I hope we'll get to repeat a few more times this winter.

11.01.2019

"It's Halloween night. A night to beware. A night to scare." -- Olivier Dunrea I couldn't help myself. I've been reading Ollie's Halloween to Conrad on repeat; the words are just stuck in my head. Even Conrad quotes it! Haha.

One of my favorite holidays of the year came around again: HALLOWEEN! After summer is over and school begins, I live for all things Fall. (Except for pumpkin spice. You crazy folks can keep that nasty flavor.) There's something about the crispness in the air, the colorful leaves spread all over the ground, and the anticipation of all things spooky and fun that just gets me excited.

This year, Jed had his heart set on becoming a creepy vampire for a night. (Don't you love his makeup?? I'm pleasantly surprised with myself.) Levi found his kick butt ninja costume for $2 at Once Upon a Child. And Conrad, well, he wouldn't let me sway his decision to be a pumpkin on Halloween night one bit. His mind was set in stone. It was so funny and cute! Ever since we carved Jack-o-lanterns last season, Conrad's intrigue in pumpkins has only heightened.

We've been living in our neighborhood eight years now and we've developed a tradition with our neighbors on Halloween night that I think we've all come to love. It's super simple really. First, everyone gathers in our front yard for pictures. (Yup, you guessed it, I'm the official photographer.) And then we all head out together as one giant group of friends to trick-or-treat around the neighborhood. Some years the turnout is bigger than others, but the invite is always there and my boys love, love, love the tradition of going door to door with their friends. This year, we did just that again. Such sweet childhood memories! Halloween night would not be the same without our awesome neighbors.

10.28.2019

We carved our Jack-o-lanterns tonight! Jed and Levi carved their very own for the first time (I'm impressed Levi didn't cut off an eyebrow or something) and Mickey Mouse was done free hand by the best dad in the world -- who does not like Halloween by the way, but humors the rest of us anyway. The boys are so excited! However, none were more excited than Conrad who, during the entire carving process, would not quit talking.

Also not to be forgotten, is the night I took Jed and Levi to their very first spook house. They had been begging to go to one. We headed out on a Friday night around 7pm to Stricker After Dark. The old Stricker station is kind of creepy during the day! But the haunted house is a short tour of the old museum that I know the boys are familiar with, so I thought it might make for a good first experience. We sat around the bon fire eating caramel popcorn until our group was called. Levi wasn't sure whether or not to believe the short story that was told before going into the spook house. "Mom?" he asked uncertainly. There were actors, low light, and lots of loud noises. It even creeped me out! "That wasn't real, right Mom?" Levi asked as we left. "No Bud. None of it is real. It's just for fun," I explained.

No one had nightmares so we'll totally be back next year. I love that my boys share my enthusiasm for Halloween.

9.08.2019

I have always wanted to learn how to properly use my camera to make videos, but it always felt overwhelming... until an online friend directed me to the Filming Life Academy. They held a free 9 day filming life keepsake challenge this past week in which they shared a little bit of basic beginner information every day with the purpose of encouraging new film makers (like me!) to make their own one to two minute film.

You guys, I am hooked! I not only get to combine my musical background with my obsession of photography, but I get to capture the people I love most in full motion and sound. Their laughter! My boys' voices that will surely change. The funny things my children do. Video is exciting to me! I have found a whole other world to dive into and learn about.

I have this insatiable desire to document and create. Photography (and video) fill both those inner desires of mine and make me so very happy. Naturally, my favorite subjects to photograph and practice on are my children.

Yesterday, we made a pair of apple pies together with apples from our backyard tree. It's something we do every September, except this time, I filmed it. I know practically nothing about the technical side of videography. In fact, all my work is probably half wrong. But every time I watch this little video, I laugh when my boys laugh. It means a lot to me that I captured those giggles and this little tradition!

I hope you watch and enjoy!

9.06.2019

Remember when I wrote a blog post about performing my violin in Carnegie Hall? And remember all those silly pictures I shared of my siblings and me having a fun time and making awful faces? Well, this is the post where I share the rest of the story and pictures. Are you ready?!

This trip to New York City in July had been planned months ahead. It all began when my mom joined the Millennial Choirs and Orchestra in Boise and encouraged me to join as well because they were going on tour to play in Carnegie Hall -- pretty much every musician's dream venue. Of course, the plan snowballed to include my sister. And so a girls' trip to New York City was born! We spent a few days exploring the city, performed in Carnegie Hall, and then hopped on a plane to Indianapolis to visit my brother Joe and his wife Karmen for two days. It was sooo much fun! (Even more amazing, you'd never know my sister battled breast cancer just over a year ago would ya?)

Thanks Mom for putting this all together. It will for sure be a special memory that I will cherish for a lifetime.

8.11.2019

We just arrived home from an epic family vacation to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho -- and a last minute extension to Glacier National Park! Something about vacations makes me want to simplify my life so that my real life can feel more like this: time together. We saw so many incredibly beautiful places and went on some adventures that I know the boys (and me too!) will be talking about for a long time. These family vacations feel so special to me. And this one went so smoothly with the kids.

We arrived in Coeur d'Alene the evening of Saturday August 3rd. It just happened to be Levi's actual birthday! (We celebrated with chocolate cupcakes from the store.) We checked in to our cute three bedroom Airbnb located in an older neighborhood among some tall trees. That little home made our stay so much more comfortable! I mean, I was doing a load of laundry after our first day. The boys are always getting their clothes so filthy. I love that we had a separate bedroom from the kids and that there was a full kitchen. Plus, the boys' room had toys and the front room was loaded with family friendly movies. It was great!

But it gets better. The rental was just a short bike ride from Ross' Point, a little park on the river! That was our first stop Sunday morning as we ventured out to explore for the day.

7.31.2019

This cool kid turns 7 years old in a few days! I cannot believe it. He is getting so big and grown-up. Like, how are his hands 3/4 as big as mine already?! We celebrated his upcoming birthday with something Levi has been talking about doing for a long time with his friends: a Nerf Gun War + Night Games!

You guys, this was hands-down the easiest, most fun, and thrifty party I've ever hosted. Forget Pinterest. Simplicity is where it's at.

Levi said he wanted a vanilla cake with vanilla frosting. I came through with a Funfetti box cake poured into a 9x13 pan. Then I spread some green (Levi's favorite color) homemade frosting and sprinkles on top of it a couple of hours later. Voila. No stress and little mess!

As for décor, well, I lost my birthday box full of balloons and streamers and more! I asked Bron to pick up some balloons; he accidentally bought a bag of pink and purple ones thinking they were multi-colored. Bahaha. So no decorations for Levi. Honestly, he didn't even notice.

I did order a bag of glow sticks from Amazon and my friend Janie generously donated this box of 500 bullets. Genius. It was honestly all we needed for a good time. That, and ten of Levi's best friends, of course. Friends always make the party.

So after some cake, ice cream, and presents, the boys loaded up their Nerf guns and went to war!

They played a version of tag with two teams. Each team had a secret medic. When a guy got shot, the medic could rush to his aid and revive him.

Then as it got dark, I busted out the glow sticks and Bron taught the kids how to play Steal the Flag. I think it was every boy's first time playing the game. I am so proud we were the ones to introduce it to them; it really is the best summer time game. They played five rounds before someone squirted himself in the eye with glow stick juice. Ouch! It was about time to call it a night anyway.

The kids had a blast! They were all high on life and adrenaline as I dropped them off at their homes. We are totally going to have to do this again.

A big thanks to all the neighborhood boys and their moms for making this dream of Levi's a reality.

Happy Birthday, Bud! I love you so much. Levi, you make me so proud in so many ways. I can't wait to see what you do this year and for many years to come.

7.24.2019

We've lived in the Magic Valley for eight whole years this summer. (I suppose that makes us boring and stable, but I welcome those two adjectives to describe my life with open arms.) While living here, we've discovered some pretty amazing places to play that are worth visiting over and over again. And we do! However, as I put together a list of ideas of day adventures to do with the kids this summer, I suddenly had this desire to discover something new. It felt like we'd been there and done it all, but I knew that couldn't possibly be true. Turns out, all I had to do was broaden my radius a bit. Enter Thousand Springs State Park. There are multiple attractions to explore within the park, just about an hour's drive from our home. Sweet! So on Monday, the hottest day yet this summer, we checked off one of our summer day trip items: Ritter Island.

Ritter Island is literally an island that sits right smack in the middle of the Snake River. It was once a self sustaining farm with dairy cows, fruit trees, and all sorts of other agriculture. We wandered around the property and through the near one hundred year old barn. We heard some owls but never did see them.

There is also a natural underground spring that bursts from the canyon walls in that area. The crystal clear water is used to create electricity before running into the river. Our volunteer guide told us that the water runs at about 52 degrees all year long and is so clean we could drink it! (I wouldn't drink it downstream of Conrad though. He pooped in his swimming suit. I dumped the turd out in the bathroom but had no other choice but to put his trunks back on! No worries, they were clean by the time we left. wink-wink)

So after touring the island, we set up a picnic on the grass and ventured into the cold water. The river there is shallow and very slow moving and just plain gorgeous. The boys weren't too enthusiastic about the water at first, but soon realized they could float underneath the bridge and then they were all in! A set of grandparents offered to let us borrow their tubes for the afternoon. We took turns taking short lazy trips down the river and made some pretty amazing memories together! I can't wait to go back. (I already bought tubes!)

And just to keep it real, I have to mention the ginormous splinter Jed got stuck in the bottom of his foot! Poor kid. He went to cross the old bridge with a tube and must have dragged his foot a bit. I have never seen a splinter so big or seen one lodge itself so deep. (Lesson learned: always wear shoes on the bridge!) Fortunately, I asked around and someone had an entire nail care packet in her car that included tweezers. Jed screamed dramatically, but I successfully removed it! We were then able to spend a couple more hours playing in the water. Never a dull moment with three boys.

So a big fist pump for generous and friendly people who helped make our first trip to Ritter Island so much fun. I love Idaho and its many pretty gems, but the good people here are what make it so great.

6.17.2019

We are right smack dab in the middle of baseball season with two evenings a week preoccupied with games! Jed and Levi are on the same machine pitch team this year. Unlike many of their friends, neither of my boys have become fixated on any one particular sport. They're just out there to have fun! (And if we're really being honest, Levi is there for the treats afterwards. Haha.) It definitely feels like we're the odd ball family in our little town when it comes to baseball. What? They're not dressed to the nines baseball pants? But I'm okay with that. Jed and Levi will eventually hone in on their own interests and passions, and when they do, Bron and I will be all in to support them.

This season, both Jed and Levi love to play catcher. I've watched them excitedly volunteer as their teammates shrink away. Jed has also improved so much since last year; it's fun to watch him swing that bat.

Finally, Moms, please tell me your kids look like this in the dugout too?! These boys just can't seem to sit still.

^^Levi playing catcher.^^

^^Kimberly has that All American small town feeling in the summer.^^

5.07.2019

Yes, it's as crazy as you might suspect. I spent three days at home recovering from jet lag (Poor Jessie. She went to Hawaii. Haha.) and then turned around to drive to Utah for a special girls' weekend with some of the ladies in my life whom I hold most close and dear to my heart. It was completely worth it. In fact, I kept thanking Bron over the phone for putting up with the boys tired and solo to let me do this. I felt spiritually uplifted, deeply connected to these women, and ready to start fresh with some new goals in mind.

We all gathered at Grandma's house to attend BYU Women's Conference. It was two full days of food (Rachel's first priority! I love that she loves food so much.), fun, shopping, laughter, learning, and late nights. I gleaned a number of great insights from Women's Conference, but my favorite part of the weekend was when Grandma gathered us (+ my cousin Devin) around the kitchen table Saturday morning to discuss with us some things she'd recently learned. The gathering turned in to a testimony meeting of sorts. Personal stories and heartaches were shared alongside some really tender spiritual experiences.

I learned three important things on Saturday morning:

1. Learning never ends. If my 80 something year old grandma whom I look up to so much is still learning and growing, then I definitely will be doing the same if/when I am her age.

2. I need to periodically gather my family to openly talk about Christ and things I have learned. It not only invites the Spirit in to teach my children, but I also become an open book sharing my mistakes and knowledge. I don't want to be a mystery to my children. I want them to know of the things their family has been through and ultimately conquered. I want them to feel loved unconditionally.

3. Heavenly Father is acutely aware of each and every one of us. He loves us and has a plan for each of our lives. Through Christ's atonement, he makes our mistakes and weaknesses okay. He makes up for what we cannot do in very real ways. Sometimes we can count those blessings and other times we can only feel His love and the love of our guardian angels. Everything will work out one way or another; in this life or the next. We simply need to move forward with faith, trust, and Christlike love. Christlike love somehow solves all problems. Oh, if only I could learn to be as wise as Jesus Christ was while he was on earth!

4.30.2019

We heard that Honolua Bay was one of the best places in Maui to snorkel, so on our third morning we went to check it out! It didn't disappoint. Just the walk from the road to the rocky shore was incredible; it was a jungle in paradise. The water was warm and relatively clear. And the coral reef held a wide variety of sea life. We saw red sea anemones, a parrot fish munching on coral, eels, and a plethora of the iconic Hawaiian state trigger fish: the Humuhumunukunukuapua'a. My favorite. It was so cool!

4.29.2019

I'm not quite sure where to begin... except with maybe an honest but cliché phrase that we had one of the most memorable times of our lives in the land of palm trees, sun, and sea turtles: Hawaii.

Bron's work through Progessive Dairy Solutions holds an annual conference every spring. This year, it was held in Maui. So naturally, we flew out a few days early to get a head start on all the adventuring and fun!

4.11.2019

Can playing in the sunshine all day with my boys be my real life, please? I know! I'll just hire a maid and make sure I {mostly} keep up on the laundry and dishes. Also, forget things like piano lessons and baseball and the kids' education. Okay. So it really wouldn't work out as well as I'd like, but it's a good idea! Maybe that's why vacations feel so amazing.

We did so much during our time in St. George that it's all becoming a big blur. I carted my camera around to most of our adventures but wound up leaving it at the townhouse the last couple of days. I suppose camera burn out set in and living right smack in the middle of the moment won out!

Memories Not Pictured:

:: The morning we fed ducks half a loaf of bread at the park. Conrad thought it was the coolest thing! He was lucky though; there was one lone goose there who snipped a piece of bread right from his fingers, without scraping said little fingers!

:: The afternoon spent at the Washington City Rec Center pool! Jed floated his way around the lazy river until he turned into a raisin. Levi was determined to stop all three water geisers at once on the playground. (Lol!) And Conrad wouldn't stop raving about the dump bucket. "Bucket!" he exclaimed over and over in his excited little voice. He rode on my lap down the fast three story hydro tube at least a dozen times and begged for more. I think Conrad might have had a died and went to heaven afternoon there in that pool. Our water baby was so happy!

:: The afternoon the boys and I struggled and then finally succeeded in finding a battery powered scooter belonging to the city to ride! I paid to rent time on it through an app and they took turns riding around the city block while Conrad ran through the splash pad in his pull-up. He had goosebumps but didn't care a bit!

:: Nielson's Custard! It was overpriced and delicious. Worth it.

:: A couple of pit-stops at the gas station for a refreshing ICEE. I love seeing all three boys in the back seat with those big plastic cups and even bigger smiles... stained blue, of course. Haha.

:: Visiting Uncle Dustin and Aunt Cami for a couple hours at their home one evening. It was so good to see them! Those Nelsons are really good and fun people.

:: Other visits to parks and the neighborhood swimming pool. We were enjoying the hot tub one evening with our friends, the Raigers. It was about 9pm and Conrad had only caught a 20 minute nap that day in the car. He was tired! He actually begged to go to bed. "Naaap. Bed," he requested. It was the most pathetic thing I have ever heard. And so I wrapped him up and walked him home. He was sleeping peacefully in bed within ten minutes.

4.05.2019

We had so much fun with the kids in St. George over Spring break last year that we decided to do it again. (Pssst. I think we did it even better this year! No one threw up and I didn't have to change a gazillion bed sheets, so that's definitely a win.) The warm sunshine of southern Utah did not disappoint. In fact, please notice how often my sun-starved boys laid on the rocks like lizards to soak it up! We couldn't have asked for better weather for playing and exploring. There is so much to do in the St. George area. I feel like we could visit every year for a decade or more and never get to it all. We had so much fun. We did a variation of hiking, biking, swimming, and eating of ice cream every single day; AKA Nelson Heaven. It was hard to come home! It was wonderful to be able to leave all of the chores, responsibilities, and gray gusty skies behind for a carefree week of quality time with my loves. I am honestly one lucky and spoiled girl. I'm feeling so much gratitude for this special week.

Also, just to be clear, there were times during this trip when Bron and I would look and each other and ask, "Why did we bring them along, again?" Vacationing with kids still requires parenting. Kids can be such turds. They whined and fought and didn't listen at times. So in turn, Bron and I would get frustrated, stressed, and sometimes yell. Yup. You name the emotion and it probably happened somewhere along the line. So yeah, I'm pretty sure that makes us a normal family.

Now on to the pictures, details, and stories!

2.11.2019

There was so much snow on Sunday that church was canceled. So we played in it... Idaho style! We really do have the best neighbors and neighborhood. A big thank you to Ty for entertaining the kids all afternoon! The boys had a blast.

No further explanations needed. The pictures tell the story...

7.06.2018

We enjoyed yet another fantastic Independence Day, full of friends, food, and fireworks. It doesn't get any better than that! The 4th of July is hands-down one of my top three favorite holidays each year.

We began our day by loading up the truck and heading into the South Hills with the Horsleys and two sets of Stangers. We drove all the way up and over to Bostetter to beat the heat and the crowds. Then Bron turned into a master chef and made dutch oven fried chicken. Delicious! The kids did a craft and we all tried shooting some bows and arrows. It was a simple afternoon full of eating and chatting. Sweet memories already.

6.12.2018

We kicked off the first official week of summer break in the best way possible at the Nelson Family Reunion! It's a biennial get-together chuck full of fun and love and sugar. This year, it was held at the West Piney LDS Camp located in a stunningly beautiful and private valley in East Idaho.

Our three days and two nights camping would be more accurately described as glamping. The lodge was huge! There was an industrial sized kitchen adjacent to a large room perfect for gathering and eating. It allowed for an over-abundance of food and treats as everyone contributed to the meals. As tradition insists, a snack table was also set up alongside one wall. I think the aunts (without little children at home anymore) have the most fun with that as they stocked it with Costco sized boxes of sugary treats and just sat back to watch and laugh as the kids gathered around it like ravenous wolves. At one point, someone found a group of kids hiding in the hallway, each sitting on their own giant stash of candies and cookies! It was hilarious. If there is ever a time to get sick on candy, the Nelson reunion is it.

The lodge boasted multiple bunk rooms upstairs and several smaller private rooms, each with a double or queen sized bed. And ALL the beds had mattresses. We just plopped our sleeping bags and pillows on top. I mean, I actually slept! And Conrad did amazing. He took long naps and snoozed the night away in his pack 'n play tucked in a quiet corner of a private room. Not to mention the part I think I was most appreciative about in the lodge: the plethora of toilets and showers. Yay!

The majority of our time, however, was spent outside enjoying the beautiful outdoor space. By far, the crowning highlight of that yard was the slide. The slide at West Piney is as tall and fast as a Disneyland ride. All the kids (including myself!) lined up for endless rides down on narrow pieces of carpet. Each time someone went down, the slide became a little bit more polished and a became a little bit speedier. It was such a blast! Even Conrad enjoyed it, squealing on my lap as we careened towards the earth. Unfortunately, Conrad thought he could take the slide on by himself. I barely caught him at the top, twice! So that was a bit stressful on my part. You know, keeping my kid from breaking multiple bones or worse. But all is well that ends well.

Please enjoy the smathering of photos I took, having a lot of fun one evening trying to capture everyone's faces as they played on this legendary slide.

tallest and fastest slide at West Piney LDS Camp

^^Cousin Leah's toes at the precipice of the slide^^

^^Jed flying down the steep slide. No hands was a 'must'^^

3.14.2018

These pictures tell the story of what happened after Conrad and I dropped Levi off at the bus stop this morning. Wet, cold, and muddy, Conrad couldn't have cared less. He was on a mission to explore the world! In fact, Conrad couldn't splash through the puddles fast enough. He excitedly ran from puddle to puddle, his little feet making circular wakes as he stomped. I laughed. I might have had my mommy goggles on, but seriously, this short little one year old was sooo cute! Conrad was definitely in his element outside.

At one point, Conrad walked through the mud, caking his shoes in it. Then he discovered that the mud washed off when he ran through the water. Neat!

I had so much fun just watching my little boy play outside. The world through his eyes is nothing short of amazing! Please stay little Conrad so that we can play like this every day.

^^That pouty lip is killing me. Ain't nobody have time to go inside for a nap!^^

^^Heart eyes for the miniature muddy footprints.^^

In other news, it's almost Spring. My daffodils are poking their sweet yellow heads up out of the ground. The temperature is slowly on the rise (even though it snowed this morning) and we've had some blustery days. Best yet, I'm finally finding my way out of my winter funk. Woohoo! For weeks there, I just could not find the motivation to do much of anything. I felt sluggish and tired and overwhelmed. Exercise, strict internet usage, and the promise of Spring have me feeling like myself again. Thank goodness.

SLIDER