Nelson Family

He's here!

2011-09-01T15:15:00.008-06:00

My due date came...and went. I guess he just wasn't ready. So I was induced 6 days late and Griffin Trey was born at 4:35 pm on last Thursday, Aug 25th. He was 7lb 15oz and 21 in long. We are a little sleepy but sooo happy he's here.

Kagen's Post

2011-07-27T11:00:00.001-06:00

Before the baby comes, I wanted to give a little attention to my Kagen. He's had some big accomplishments this summer, including graduating Kindergarten and turning 6! I can hardly believe it's been that long since he joined our family, but at the same time, it's hard to remember life without him. At the end of the school year, they had a little program for all the kindergarteners. Here are some pictures from that day. I was trying so hard to get he and Addi to focus on the camera & loved the ones when they weren't. They are best friends!

Then we had a family birthday party for Kagen and his cute cousin Nyree who just turned 1.

And he had cousins Tala and Caydence there too. He loved it!

Happy Birthday cute boy!!!

The Biggest Loser

2011-05-24T19:57:00.001-06:00

I'm sitting here watching The Biggest Loser season finale and remembered that I haven't posted about this little sighting we had. Brian and I and the kids were out running errands on a Saturday a few weeks ago and happened to see a big inflatable for a local radio station in a shopping center. We drove by to let the kids see it and spotted Justin Pope standing on the sidewalk. (He looked so good tonight!) We're fans of the show and decided to stop by. So we chatted for a bit, got a picture, and won some Country Jam tickets while we were there. What a lucky day! We were pretty excited. Brian is from the area where its held and used to work backstage. So we're off to Country Jam this summer!

Snow, Army Guys, and Other News

2011-04-15T15:39:00.013-06:00

Last month we moved closer to Brian's work (yes...again). I don't even unpack all of our boxes anymore. But I'm hoping to be able to this time :) He now has about a 15 min commute compared to about an hour. We love it!!! And we get to be a bit closer to some of his family. We love the new place, but holy snow! The first morning we woke up here it looked like this:

Which was pretty and fine, but then a week later it looked like this:

(These pictures were taken at around 10pm. Look how light out it is!)

We have had at least 4-5 snowfalls like that since we moved in just over a month ago. It melts fast, but good grief. The tree in our front yard has broken 3 different branches during different snowfalls just from the heaviness of the snow.

Now the kids run to the patio doors to look at the steps on our deck every time it snows. This might be why:

They are loving playing at a new place. On the way to church the other day, I saw that Kagen is making good use out of our railing.

And in other news, we had our ultrasound the other day. Our suspicions were correct, we are having another boy so we'll have army guys lurking around our house a little bit longer :)

It's That Time Again...

2011-01-26T09:26:00.003-07:00

We are grateful to be able to announce that baby number 3 will be arriving around mid-August. Brian and I will officially be outnumbered. My early feeling is that it will be a boy. I have been quite sick just like I was with Kagen. But I guess we'll see in a couple of months. We're excited either way!

Halloween!!

2010-11-03T21:15:00.008-06:00

This year Kagen decided to be a cop and we found a butterfly costume for Addi. They both loved their costumes. We had most of our trick-or-treating fun on Saturday. We hit a nearby mall and then our community trunk-or-treating.

Kagen didn't have a great night at first, but then it got a little better. First it was raining so we didn't know if we were going to stay for the trunk-or-treat party. We finally decided to go in and Addi won a costume contest as soon as we walked in. I think it was a little blow to his ego since he thought he was so cool in his police uniform. Then 5 minutes after that, Addi spilled a big cup of cold apple cider and it went all over his pants. He's just getting to the age that when he's really bothered by something or embarrassed, he tries to hide it and gets really quiet. It breaks my heart! So we cheered him up with some games, found one of his friends, and it thankfully stopped raining so we could trunk-or-treat.

Addi was so excited about her prize though:

By the end of the night Kagen was happy again and turned into a vampire cop:

And Addi crashed as soon as we walked in the door:

Hope you all had a great Halloween too!

Finally an Update

2010-10-17T21:22:00.007-06:00

Brian told me that I need to update more often. I tried to defend myself, but since the first page on our blog spans a whole year with just a few posts, there's not much I can say :)

After my last post Kagen turned 5 in July and started kindergarten this year. When did my baby boy get this big? He even rides the bus. And he absolutely loves it. He's making new friends and learning so much. He's such a thinker these days. He takes everything so literally. Brian and I were discussing two different options of something in the car the other day and I said "We could do this...but on the other hand we could do this..." The conversation went on and after a few minutes Kagen said "Are we on the other hand yet?"

Also, he had a fun day a couple of weeks ago with his Aunt Stacey (Brian's sister). She had the day off and picked Kagen up from school in their convertible to take him out to lunch. He had sooo much fun. He's been missing her ever since.

Here are some pictures of his first day of school and his ride with his Aunt Stacey:

Notice Superman at his side:

Meanwhile, Addi and I are adjusting to having the mornings without him. She's so used to having him there to play with, she didn't know what to do with her time at first. But she figured it out quite quickly. She realized that she can actually play what she wants to play without any influence from big brother...and play with his toys.

Addi is growing up so much. And she thinks she's very grown up. When we tell her to do something we get responses like "Ok, fine" (which sounds like bine), "Just a minute," or "Ok, I coming."

Brian and I are doing good. He's staying busy with school still, but he'll be done after this semester. Yay!!!!! It's been a long time coming and he is so ready. We also just celebrated our 6 year anniversary. I love you babe! We've been doing lots of fun stuff for fall, but because our camera only works sometimes, it's undocumented. I have a hard time being motivated to post when I don't have pictures. However, we're finally getting a new camera next week. So you'll be hearing more from us...if Brian has anything to say about it.

Prince Kagen

2010-07-07T11:47:00.004-06:00

The other night we were flipping through the newspaper and were surprised to see a picture of Kagen. The church we go to where we live has this big annual "Homecoming" including a parade with citizen and couple of the year, a craft boutique, bake sale, outdoor movie, games for the kids, BBQ, skeet shoot...you get the idea. It's a big deal. It goes for several days. So some friends were nice enough to let Kagen on their float and they all made the paper. Naturally, Kagen thinks he's famous.

I had to post this one too. This baby in a hat box float was my favorite. She just kept bouncing, so I assume they constructed it around a bouncer. Some people are so creative.

Have you seen this kid?

2010-05-21T21:47:00.002-06:00

When I first heard of a 12-year-old boy singing a Lady Gaga song, I thought it would be humorous, but it was anything but. He is amazing! But if you are looking for a laugh, watch the girls in the back row. You'll see what I mean.

This girl is pretty amazing too:

And if you're still craving music here's another one for fun that Brian and I like. He is from some previous American Idol I think. I'm not sure. It's not really my show.

Details Per Your Request

2010-05-02T22:50:00.003-06:00

As far as Kary goes, here are a few details. I hope I remember all of this right. It has been a whirlwind of emotions and information. He has come a long way since early January, a loooong way. After his stroke, his brain began to swell so much that they had to do an emergency craniotomy to remove a portion of his skull to relieve the pressure. We almost lost him that night. After that, as the doctors said, he “dodged a bullet, but was not out of the woods.” They saved his life just in the nick of time. They told us it could go either way for several days after, as his brain continued to swell each day. Finally, we reached a point where the swelling stopped and gradually started to decrease. But we did not know how extensive the damage would be. At one point we received a less than favorable report from one doctor about what his life would be like. But it didn’t take him long to start surpassing expectations. He soon got his feeding tube and respirator out. He went from not speaking, but following simple commands like doing a thumbs-up to speaking a word or two at a time, to getting his speech completely back and being fully comprehensive…and opening his eyes. He also got the portion of his skull put back on. When he first started to form small sentences again, therapists were amazed that he was doing it so soon. One said that he had never seen anyone like Kary in his years of work. Much of the left side of his body was paralyzed but he is getting more and more movement in his left leg. Since he has been in Idaho, he is now starting to take some steps with a cane. Yay!!! They are also trying to stimulate his muscles in his arm. And he had some damage to his vision, but we have high hopes for that as well.
Brian’s new job is with a software company that provides timekeeping services. The people are great and he really likes the work. Dana, he is working with Taylor, one floor away from his old job. Crazy, huh? P.S. we would love it if you would come visit the farmhouse. And I think we promised you guys an old school Nintendo night. And JaiCi, I am closer now, probably around 20 min. A playdate would be great, but I’m automobile-deprived at the moment during the weekdays. We’ll have to work out some details. Do you have the same email?
We are renting a cute home out in the country from a very nice family. Our landlord is our neighbor and they have lots of animals right behind us, including horses, cows, and pigs. We fell in love when we first came to see the house and one of the horses in the stable behind our backyard poked his head out the door to see what was going on. We also have 3 pheasants that hang out in our yard about daily. We’re currently having camera issues, so pictures will come soon. So there are your details. Thanks for taking an interest :)

Changes

2010-04-29T16:35:00.003-06:00

First of all, my brother Kary is doing great with his therapy. He was released the beginning of this month and is doing rehab in Idaho. He and his family have a new adorable baby girl named Chelsea. Also, we have moved and Brian has a new job, which he really enjoys. The kids are growing so much and they love what Kagen calls "the farmhouse." We love working and playing in the yard and listening to neighboring animals. This year has brought on surprises both bad and good, but we are starting to settle in.

Pray for Kary

2010-01-08T19:43:00.003-07:00

Our family would like to thank everyone for the many prayers offered for my brother Kary and request that you please, please, please continue to pray. He still has a long way to go. At only 38, he has suffered a serious stroke. For updates on his condition, you can go to this website that my sister Kelli set up for him:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/KarySmith.
If you are a friend of the family, we would love for you to leave comments on the CaringBridge website for him. We hope that as he recovers, he will be able to enjoy reading them. Please also pray for his sweet wife Sharee. She is scheduled for a C-section this month on the 25th in her hospital back home. They also have a 4-year old son, Colton. Sharee's strength has been an inspiration to us all!
Again, thank you so much for your prayers and we will try to keep everyone updated on the website as things progress.

Halloween Deco

2009-10-24T10:58:00.005-06:00

You can find instructions for this cute mummy here.

You can order blocks and vinyl for these countdown blocks here, which can also be a Christmas countdown.
Enjoy!

September Milestones

2009-10-18T23:14:00.003-06:00

Last month Kagen had his first day of school. I had such mixed feelings. I felt like this would mark the end of his time home with me (even though it is only a few hours a week), but at the same time, I couldn't help but be excited for a couple hours of quiet time. (Addi and my nephew that I babysit usually sleep through it) Preschool has ended up being good for both of us. On his first day, his teacher had to carry him in screaming. It was a little harder for me than I thought it would be. But after that first day, he was sold. He LOVES school and affectionately refers to his teacher as "my Miss Amy". Here he is looking so cute with his backpack.
On another note, Brian and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary last month. Five years down and an eternity to go :)

The world according to Kagen...

2009-08-31T13:32:00.007-06:00

2009-07-31T10:03:00.009-06:00

I love summertime. We usually do some traveling and see family. A couple weeks ago we went to northern California. Brian's Grandad passed away so it wasn't for fun reasons, but it was good to see his extended family. We went to San Francisco for one of the days, but of course I forgot the camera. A few days ago we got back from camping with my family in Colorado. The time always goes by too fast.
Addi thought it was an exhausting trip.

Kagen showing off his fat lip while driving with Papa around the camp. Kagen was running across the little road and collided with a girl on a bike. It was pretty gruesome at first.
I didn't get picture of all of the cousins, but baby Caylee is the newest on my side. She's such a doll!

Family Updates

2009-04-27T20:47:00.007-06:00

Here are some random updates on our family. It's a little lengthy, a result of my sparse posts I suppose. We have been able to see a lot of our family lately. For Easter, we went to Brian's parent's house and to Colton Ron's blessing (this is David and Jami's baby, which is Brian's brother and his wife). The next weekend we went to my parent's house for my Dad's birthday and Caylee Joyce's blessing (my sister and her husband's baby, Kelli and Oggie). To get there we drove thru a blizzard, sunshine, hail (twice), rain, and in the area of 2 tornadoes, all within hours time. Colorado...home sweet home :)
On March 28th Brian and I hit our 5 year mark of the day we met. Half a decade! We've actually had a few date nights without the kids lately too. A couple of weeks ago, we went to a Jazz game, thanks to Brian's work, and this weekend we went to a Making April concert with Stacey and Graham, Brian's sister & her husband. They were oh-so-good live. Loved it!

As for Kagen, he seems older all the time. I love to hear the new phrases & sentences he likes to use. Right now he's on an "of course" kick.
"Kagen, do you want a grilled cheese?" "Of course I do"
"Kagen, do you want to sit with me?" "Of course I do"
"Kagen, do you need to go potty?" "Of course I do"
Then a while back, my sister Krystal asked him if a cup was his, and, remembering some of Daddy's "driving talk," replied "No, you stinkin'lady." So of course we reminded him that that's not how we talk to Aunt Krystal.

Addi's growing too and learning new things everyday. She is getting about 7 teeth right now, all at the same time. Poor thing! She's been pretty happy, considering. Although she is becoming quite sassy recently. She's not even 1 1/2 yet, but she acts like a 13-yr-old. If I tell her not to do something, she rolls her eyes, lets out a sigh of disgust and turns away from me. Or she walks away and then turns away from me. She just walks away and stands there with her back to me. Then she will glance over her shoulder just to give me a dirty look. I wish you could see it, she's so funny! On a side note, her hair is now long enough for a pony tail. Yay!!! (I'll post a pic of it later)

A few months ago, Kagen gave his first talk in primary. For those who don't know, at our church primary is the Sunday school class the kids go to when they turn 3. I can't believe we have a kid old enough to talk in primary! He was so cute. Here he is prepared with his little card.

P.S. Today happens to be my Mom's B-day so Happy Birthday Mom!

For Your Viewing Pleasure

2009-04-16T15:25:00.001-06:00

This is hilarious! Well worth the 3 minutes, I promise.

Grumpy Face Evolution

2009-03-06T11:12:00.002-07:00

Then...

Now...

Pay It Forward

2009-02-17T14:28:00.000-07:00

This sounded like fun. So this is how it works: The first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive a handmade gift from me during this year. When and what will be a surprise.There's a small catch...You knew there would be, didn't you? Post this on your blog then come back and leave a comment, telling me you're in. Fun, huh? Remember, only the first 3 comments receive a gift.

2009-01-25T20:03:00.005-07:00

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is going to my Grandpa Vernon's and Grandma Carol's house for Christmas eve. We sing carols, eat food, play games, open presents, etc. This year my grandparents gave the younger kids light-up jackets. Kagen and my nephew Colton decided to do some posing, sporting their new jackets. They are so funny! (Thanks for the pics Sharee)

Happy Birthday Addi!

2009-01-08T08:12:00.007-07:00

Addi turned 1 on December 13th. A little late on the posting, I know. I can't believe she's 1! I feel like she should still be my little newborn baby. We had a small party with Brian's sisters and their families. Sorry about the glare on the first picture, I couldn't resist posting that face.

This was the extent of her messiness. What a girl! She just kind of poked at it.

And of course, Kagen was more than willing to lend his assistance with the present-opening.

Happy Birthday my sweet Addi!!!

Frozen in Grand Central Station

2008-11-19T21:36:00.002-07:00

Movie Night

2008-11-14T22:48:00.005-07:00

For a fun night in this week, we suggest peanut butter popcorn and Elf (A little early, I know). Below is a yummy recipe I got from my sister Krystal.

Peanut Butter Popcorn

~ 1/2 cup brown sugar
~ 1/2 cup corn syrup
~ 1/2 cup peanut butter
~ 1/2 cup unpopped popcorn

Pop popcorn (I substituted bagged Kettle corn). In separate pan, melt syrup and brown sugar together over medium heat until bubbly and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter. I'm not sure if you're supposed to make popcorn balls; I just layered and drizzled. Enjoy!

2008-11-11T00:05:00.006-07:00

A few months ago, I was at home with the kids. I walked out of the room for just a minute, and this is what I came back to.

I guess Kagen thought he and Addi needed their faces painted. What is the mystery paint? Desitin. I can't think of a cream that is harder to get off than that. I guess I should be glad it wasn't permanent marker :)

National Blog Posting Month

2008-11-09T19:31:00.002-07:00

I learned from my friend Rachel that it's National Blog Posting Month. The idea is to blog everyday. I know it's a little late in the month, but I'm going to give it a shot starting now. I'm sure, considering my blogging history though, that none of you will be shocked if I just do a few more posts for the month. Maybe I will surprise myself. So feel free to join in!

Fall Fun!

2008-11-02T21:11:00.021-07:00

So much to catch up on! Our computer recently crashed, so blogging has been on hiatus. First of all, Addi started walking! She took her first steps over a week ago. Last night she walked all the way across the living room. That's my girl!

Also, two of my sisters came to visit a few weeks ago. We missed you Kel! And Sharee too! We had such a fun girls' weekend filled with lots of shopping and General Conference. Then we took pictures at the beautiful temple square.

Next up - the pumpkin patch. We went with Mane, Christy, and Faitala to Farnsworth Farms & Cider Mill. We all went on a hayride (cute picture of the Luatua's),

Kagen picked a pumpkin,

Watched "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" on the side of a trailer,

And got a caramel apple and the best apple cider I've ever had, so if you live in the area check it out!

Moving on -- Trunk or Treating. We went to our ward party at church and the kids got to go "trunk or treating" and play some games. Kagen was a pro at the darts! He was dressed as a pirate, Addi was a cat, Brian was a fly fisherman, and I decided not to dress up.

Just Kidding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You would not believe how many heads I turned and how many people came up to me and said things like "You were never showing before!" or to Brian and said "Wow! She got pregnant fast! I didn't know you guys were expecting"
Introducing Baby #3 (partly deflated of course):

Then, Brian had his work party. It was during the day on Halloween so I had Faitala too. He and Addi were the cutest little cats! For those of you who don't know I babysit him during the week. He is 2 months younger than Addi and they are so cute together! We love having him. Here are some pics of the 3 kiddos:

Finally, trick-or-treating on Halloween night. We just went to some houses in our neighborhood. Kagen caught on pretty fast. Needless to say, he was very happy with his stash.

Tuesday Tip

2008-09-23T21:30:00.000-06:00

After moving your furniture, you can remove the indents on the carpet with ice cubes. Just let it melt for a while on the indent. Brush up the carpet, and you will never know anything was there. This has come in handy throughout our many moves.

Happy Anniversary

2008-09-18T15:05:00.009-06:00

Yesterday Brian and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary. It has been an amazing 4 years. I still feel like we are newlyweds...plus 2 kids :) I have been thinking about the many reasons that I love him and one story came to mind. I didn't find out about this until we had been married for a couple of years.

When Brian and I were dating I was working at a Red Robin in Colorado. At the time, I was extremely strapped for cash, so I was picking up occasional bussing shifts (even though I wasn't a busser) to help pay my bills. Those nights were exhausting. I was usually the only busser working and had TONS of closing duties. Each night after I got off work, Brian met me at my apartment. I would unload my wad of cash (my tips) out of my pocket and take a quick shower while he watched TV. When I was done, I would count my money and we would watch a movie or grab some food. Little did I know, while I was showering, Brian used to slip some extra cash into my pile, not enough that I would notice, but just enough to make my night. He knew that I would never take money from him, so he found a way to take care of me.

This is just one of many examples of the kind of man that I married. He has always respected me and I have never had to wonder how much he loves me. I still can't believe how lucky I am. Happy Anniversary Brian! I love you!!!

Halloween

2008-09-02T07:47:00.004-06:00

Yesterday felt like such a Fall day. So I started thinking about Halloween & costumes. I'm always such a last minute planner, so I thought I would start early this year. I think I have a pirate costume for Kagen, if it fits, but I haven't decided for Addi. Any ideas? This is Kagen from 2 Halloweens ago. He was such a cute puppy! (although some thought cow)

2008-09-02T07:39:00.004-06:00

A couple weeks ago, just after Addi turned 8 months old, Kagen was taking a bath and Addi crawled in there to jabber to him like usual. I kept checking back on them and this is what I found. I guess it's about that time, but it just kind of surprised me. She doesn't even do a full-on crawl, just an army crawl.

Random Summer Fun

2008-08-24T19:22:00.000-06:00

Here are some of the things I've missed posting this summer:

Brian ran in the Ragnar Relay. It was his first major run ever. He ran it with some other people from his office. He ran a total of 16.5 miles within 24 hours. It was broken up into 3 legs. After his 1st, he got to cat-nap with his sleeping bag in the park and then he was off again running at about 1 AM. His 3rd leg was at about noon. Crazy!!! But he did awesome!

The NEXT day we left for Brian's family reunion at Lake Tahoe. They have it every other summer with his grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and his family. It was great to see them all again. We all camped in tents just a little ways across the road from the beach. (Along with the bears). There was a big Mama bear and 2 cubs in our camp. I made Brian and the kids sleep in the pickup with me the last night. Of course everyone was fine, but I guess I'm a little paranoid :) Anyways, it was such a beautiful beach and fun to see family.

When we got back, we moved the next week up to North Salt Lake. It's a shorter commute for Brian and we have more space for Kagen to play. We love it!

We also got to spend a little time at Orem Summerfest amidst all the craziness. We went to the parade and car show. Kagen was so excited to see a real firetruck!

Then, a couple weeks ago I drove to Colorado with the kids to vacation with my family in the mountains. Brian had to work so I rode halfway with my sister Krystal and her kids. One of the days we went tubing down the river. I took Kagen on my lap. He was fine with it, until I couldn't stop us and we went down a mini waterfall. Poor kid was scared to death. But I was quite proud that I didn't flip us. I also lost both of my shoes and my sisters rescued them. I guess I'm not a master of tubing, but it was a lot of fun. These are pics of Kagen's cousins from my side of the family:

Jonah:
Mariah:Isabelle:
Christopher:Connor:Cade:
Colton:

Kagen and Addi watching the 2nd Round of Tubers:

Happy Birthday Kagen!!!

2008-07-21T21:54:00.015-06:00

Kagen turned 3 on the 13th. I can't believe my little man is already 3! Time flies! He had a great birthday and got lots of fun gifts. On Saturday we took him on his first trip to Chuck E Cheese. He had a blast. He still talks about it everyday. He played a game where you step on the spiders, so he always tells me about smooshing yucky spiders. We had Brian's sisters and their families over for cake and ice cream on Sunday and opened gifts. Here are some of the pics:

This was his big gift from us, his new bed. I know it doesn't sound fun, but he was surprisingly thrilled. My camera battery died before I could get a pic underneath, but it has a ladder and his table & chairs under there. It can become a bunk bed by putting a mattress below.

So, thanks to everyone for all the cool gifts!

2008-06-04T09:27:00.007-06:00

I took these pictures a while back for my Dad's birthday. It's some of my favorite pics of the kids.

Back to Blogging...

2008-06-02T20:46:00.006-06:00

After a long break, I decided to try to catch up a little. First, my parents both had birthdays a couple months ago. For my Mom it was her 60th. Then last week, they had their 40th wedding anniversary, big milestones! So Happy Birthday and Congrats! We also had Diana (Brian's little sister) and Carson's wedding, the last of the Nelson kids. While we were in Denver for that we got to see my parents too. The pic below is from my Mom's surprise B-day party. How fun, wish we could have been there!

Also, this last weekend was Tala's blessing, so Brian's family was here for that. He looked so cute, I can't believe I didn't get a picture. You can check out Mane and Christy's blog for some pics of him. Then, Sunday my brother Kary and his wife Sharee were passing through town and we got to see them too. Kagen had so much fun playing with his cousin Colton. We've had so much family time, it's been great!

Best Fwiends!

2008-04-25T15:39:00.004-06:00

So I have like no time to blog lately, but here's a quick one. Kagen has been saying the sweetest things. The other day, out of nowhere, he said "Mama, youw my best fwiend!" I of course thought is was adorable. Then, the next day I heard him say to Brian, "Daddy, youw my best fwiend!" I felt a little played. Haha.

He was so little in the first pic, only 4 little teeth. The next one of course is more recent.

2008-04-09T13:12:00.002-06:00

I LOVE Spring flowers. Besides the weather getting nicer, it's my favorite part about this time of year. In Provo-Orem area there's usually lots of daffodils. Since they don't last very long, here's some pics to enjoy.

Remembering the Holly Tornado

2008-03-31T21:50:00.004-06:00

I grew up in a town with a population of about a thousand people called Holly, CO. I lived there until I went away to college. Just over a year ago (some of you might have seen it on the news) an F3 tornado hit. It destroyed and damaged several homes and took two lives. My family was very blessed not to be injured and to still have their homes. Directly across the little street from my parents house, the neighbors house was completely demolished. It uprooted big trees in my parents yard, threw around their vehicles and RV trailers, and took off their garage door; but not a single window on their house was broken. Luckily my parents were inside the house at the time. My grandparent's and sister's house also received no damage. We had many family friends lose everything. I saw this video today because of the one year anniversary and remembered how blessed we are.
I couldn't get it to upload, so here is the link: http://www.javiermanzano.com/holly.html.

Cleaning Slippers

2008-03-12T22:59:00.002-06:00

I was looking through the latest Bed Bath and Beyond flyer and saw these. I thought of my friend Erica who recently posted about how much more fun it would be to clean the floors Pippi Longstocking style. I completely agree. : )

Congratulations All Around!

2008-03-06T16:13:00.008-07:00

We have had so much happening on the Nelson side of the family. In January Jimmy (Brian's brother) and Angela got married. And last weekend, David (Brian's other brother) and Jami got married. Also, Mane and Christy (Brian's sister) had their baby Faitala in February. And Stacey (Brian's other sister) and Graham got an adorable new puppy. And, Brian's youngest sister Diana got engaged to Carson. They are getting married in May. So much going on! Here's some pics of all the new little ones. There's baby Faitala; the little puppy Coal; and cute little Caydence, Jami's daughter (and now David's too). Congrats to everyone!

Can we help you with something?

2008-02-21T16:46:00.004-07:00

My little ones don't look very happy that I interrupted their playing for a picture.

Addi Loves Her Big Brother!

2008-02-21T16:40:00.002-07:00

Feel Fit and Fabulous!

2008-02-12T13:25:00.000-07:00

My sister Konnie told me about this talk. It's very inspirational, especially while trying to shed these post-baby pounds. I love it!
It's the 18th talk down by Connie Sokol. The title starts "Body and Soul." Check it out.
http://www.byub.org/findatalk/Search.asp

Great Gifts!

2008-01-28T21:27:00.000-07:00

So, I know the holidays are over, but I never got these pics posted. Brian, Kagen, and I were pretty happy with these gifts. Kagen got a Cars tent with a flashlight and sleeping bag from Santa. He loves to drag his toys in there and hide out. And Mama and Daddy can fit inside! He always used to ask us to play under our small endtable and he just couldn't understand why we were too big. Then, of course, there's Addi, the best gift ever. When I was in the hospital, they gave me a cloth stocking to put her in, like a gift from Santa. This one is Kagen's, because that one was so big. So these are our treasures from the holidays. :)

Help Please

2008-01-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

I have been trying forever to change my background to something other than what is on blogger. I must not be very blog savvy because I am having no luck. I've spent so much more time playing around with the features of the blog than actually blogging. Any tips, whether they are about the background or not, would be greatly appreciated!

Adeline Is Here!

2007-12-31T15:22:00.000-07:00

Adeline (sounds like Adelyn) May was born on her due date December 13th. I went into labor the night of the twelveth, and we made a QUICK trip to our hospital in Salt Lake. She was born at 7:46 AM, without a C-Section this time. She weighed 7lbs 9 oz and was 19 in long. So far, Kagen loves being a big brother. Today when she was crying, he sat by her and started to read her books. She stopped crying and just watched him. It was so cute! You can view her hospital pictures at this address http://www.our365.com/WebNursery/WebNursery/BabyFinder/BabyFinder.aspx.

Going Home!

2007-11-04T15:29:00.000-07:00

Virginia was fun while it lasted, but we were ready for this day to come. We were very packed. Kagen had a very small cubby in the back. We took these pictures in front of our apartment right before we left.

More Summer Sites

2007-11-03T21:49:00.000-06:00

WWII Memorial

Washington

Monument

Korean War Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Our Summer In Virginia

2007-11-03T15:23:00.001-06:00

This summer we lived in Fairfax, VA. We were only about 20 minutes from Washington DC, so we got to see a lot of cool sites. At the White House, we could see the security that just stand on the roof all day.

When we got to the capitol building, the sun was just setting. It was beautiful, but the very top of it was under construction. When you walk up to it, there is a really pretty fountain with flower pots all around.
The Washington DC temple was amazing. Before we went, there was a fireside about the construction of the temple at our ward. We learned some really interesting facts about it.
It sets on a 7 or 8 acre plot of land (I don't remember exactly). And it is surrounded by tall trees, bushes, vines, etc., definitely different than Colorado or Utah. There is even a nature walk right off the sidewalk. Very beautiful inside too!