Mr. & Mrs and a Munchkin

As Promised

2011-04-04T17:46:00.001-07:00

Remember I said that the Munchkin was very good and taking random things and making something really cool? Well here you go...

This very cool Rocket Ship is made of a paper towel roll. Paper. Tape and Glue. He flies it around over the towns he builds with his blocks and hot wheels cars.

I couldn't get him to smile normal for any of these pictures. He was more interested in Tom and Jerry. But hey! A picture is a picture.
We love how creative he is and what a vibrant imagination he has.

Current Events

2011-03-31T21:18:00.000-07:00

Just a little note to let everyone know that we aren't dead! We are still alive! Yeah!

Munchkin has started up spring soccer again and he's more aggressive with the ball. He's now really good at getting to the ball and getting it to change directions. Although he didn't score any goals this first spring game he had plenty of assists, or so I hear. Unfortunatly we've had a lot of sickness going around. I had to stay home and didn't get to see the game myself. But like I said, I heard it was really good.

Our Munchkin has also enjoyed doing his own crafts. He's excellent and making something out of paper, glue and tape. This kid can make just about anything if he has a pair of scissors. Pictures to come later. He made a rocket ship that's super cool. I'm constantly vacuuming paper scraps off the floor and putting away the scissors and glue. He always has it out and is always working on something new.

Mr. Man is in school and keeping busy as always. I wish I had something new to say about that but school is school and while your in it there isn't anything else.

I'm keeping busy enough. The same ol' same ol' for me too. Munchkin keeps us pretty on our toes and we like to think we do a good job at keeping up with him.

Mr. Man is in the process of finding a job and we are making plans to move this summer. We are keeping our eyes and ears open for an apartment to move to. It's been a trying time for our family to accept making this adjustment, but we know the Lord will provide a way for us and everything will work out just fine.

I hope this quick update will be enough to let you know what's up with us. In spite of the curve balls in life we are doing just fine and we love and miss you all.
Thanks for reading!
~Mrs. N.

P.S. Happy Birthday to me!

Hail the Conquering Hero!

2010-10-30T17:48:00.000-07:00

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!
Returning from slaying the Evil Dragon. The man who has saved us all and insured our kingdom stay intact. The Royal Family proudly presents Knight Sir Grey! (AKA Bubbus)
Isn't he dashingly handsom!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE! We hope you have a wonderful holiday!

Love,

The Nelson Fam

Nelson October Fest

2010-10-25T15:13:00.000-07:00

Happy October!

As you all know our Bubbus started school this fall and is in Kindergarten. He has taken to it like a fish takes to water. This kid LOVES school. Just a few weeks in we found out he would be going on his very first school field trip. He didn't know what a field trip was and after I explained it to him he said, "You mean I will be spending the whole school time at a farm?" Sure thing kiddo! HeeHaw Farm in Pleasant Grove, Ut. He enjoys school so much that this concept seemed a little silly...why spend time at a farm when he can be at school?
When I told him that we would ride there on a yellow school bus he was so thrilled he jumped up and down. He has loved school buses since forever! And now he was going to ride in one! He considered himself the luckiest kid ever...then he paused and said, "Wait Mommy! You said 'we.' Are you going with me?" Let's just say the level of excitement blew the roof off this place. What can I say, my kid loves me! :)
Let the Adventure begin!

Bubbus' smiling face on the ride to the farm...I had to tear him away from the window view. He was so eager to soak it all in.

Bubbus isn't the only one who makes friends while he's in school. I made a friend too and she took this pic of my boy and me. (Thanks Amanda!)

Here are Bubbus and I sitting in a big trailer filled with hay. It rained the day before and so the hay was damp and a "joy" to sit in. Unfortunatly when I stood up my whole bum was nice and wet...I'm sure it looked AWESOME! We rode this tracter pulled trailer to the pumpkin patch and the kids were able to pick out their very own pumpkins. Because it was muddy Bubbus wasn't thrilled about picking up a muddy pumpkin. One of his adorable classmates took pity and picked out a pumpkin for him. He said, "Here, I picked this out for you." Bubbus said thank you and then looked at me and said, "Mommy can you carry my pumpkin." Of course I'm the one to carry his pumpkin! Figures! LOL.

Most children get the opportunity to play in a sand box once in their lives...This on the other hand is a "Corn box." That's right! It's filled with dried corn! The kids loved playing in it. They burried eachother. They swam in it. They had a great giggly time in it!

Bubbus was the last one out of the corn box...It was tough to tear him away. Doesn't he look happy! Total blast!

HeeHaw Farms made tire swings that were shaped like horses...each kid took a turn and loved it! Bubbus' swing kept spinning around. (Thanks again Amanda for holding him still long enough to get these pics.

"Mommy hurry...the sun is too bright!"

"What is that!" somone asked.

"That's called a Teepee(sp?) and it's made of corn husks."

"Can we go inside?"

"Sure thing! Have at it!" The kids had lots of fun standing inside...it wore off quickly.

Ladies and Gentlement! We present our Bubbus! The Apple of our Eye!

It isn't a traditional October without the pumpkin carving. Hubby's parents grew this pumpkin in their garden! Thanks for sharing it with us!

Bubbusdrew special pictures of what he wanted his pumpkin to look like.

We are proud to present "Jackie the Jack-O-Lantern"
(Proudly named by Bubbus)

We're Back!

2010-09-14T08:21:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

Wow, it's been a very long time since I have sat down and updated this family blog of ours. To be completely honest I started to find it quiet a chore. Uploading the pictures, especially if it's mulitple pictures isn't the most convenient task. I will try and be more vigilant in keeping the blog up to date. I remember when I first started the blog, I couldn't get enough and I think I sent out emails for updates a couple times a month if not multiple times a week. Well I probably won't be that busy with blogging, but I will try my best in updating it at least once a month...hopefully.

Our summer went by so fast. We spent lots of time swimming and gardening and traveling. And although we will miss the summer freedom we are happy that it's fall and that school is in session.

Speaking of school! Our wonderful munchkin started kindergarten just 2 weeks ago. His first day started better than I had expected. We woke up early and took our time getting out the door. I insisted to the lil' man that we take pics of his first day of school outfit and he finally (under much duress) agreed. He even smiled for some of the pictures.

We walked the 5 minutes to school hand in hand and he was so adorable with his backpack on. We waited outside for his teacher to come collect all the kids in his class and then walked into the classroom. Finally after the kids got settled the principal finally kicked all the parents out. I told Munchkin that it was time for me to leave and that I would see him later. He said, "Mommy, I want you to stay here with me." I told him that this was his school time and that I had to go home and have Mommy time. He was distracted with little lego thingies. I walked out of his school thinking happily, "That went really well."

When I went to pick him up I watched his class walk out the front doors and when he spotted me on the lawn he instantly broke into a run toward me with his arms reached out, while his face started to turn red with tears streaming down his cheeks...Poor kid. He missed me, which of course made me feel loved and special but on the other hand worried me over what the next day would be like. The rest of the week went by smoothly and he fell into the routine quite well. Unfortunatly he came home that first friday feeling sick and has been sick ever since. He has been home with a cold and can't go back to school until he is symptom free. So we spend our days trying to get him to rest as much as possible, which is kind of impossible for a 5 year old.

Anyway I'm sure if you have even read this far you now know that we are looking forward to Munchkin getting better and back to school. Since you were so faithful in reading this long story I will reward you with pics of our lil' man on his first day of school.

Thanks again for being patient and never giving up on us...And yes, we are still alive and well. I case you were wondering.

Picture Palooza!

2010-01-08T18:26:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends and Family,

It's been a really long times since we have updated our family blog. The last six months of pictures have been put on this post. We hope you enjoy them, we enjoyed the moments they show.

The year of 2009 was a challenge and a blessing. We learned a lot and look forward to 2010. We love and miss you all!

-The Nelson Fam

--------------------------------------------

Lazy Summer Days, July 2009

Fall Family Camping Trip to Nunns Park, September 2009

Primary Sunbeam Halloween Party, October 2009

Halloween, October 2009

Avery was Robin Hood.

Thanksgiving Day, November 2009

Stacy's first time making Thanksgiving Dinner.

Pizza Night, November 2009

First Good Snow of the Season, December 2009

Avery on the snow covered trampoline.

Bubbling over Dishwasher, December 2009

Ryan thought it might be okay to use a tablespoon worth of liquid dish soap instead of dishwasher soap....this was the result. I warned him it wouldn't go over well. It was a moment that I took pride in saying "I told you so!."

Avery's Famous Pillow Pit, Everyday 2009

Boys reading the paper, December 2009

Christmas Day, December
Avery's 1st Bike, Christmas Day 2009

Sorry, No pictures

2009-10-13T19:28:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

It has been way too long since I have updated the blog. This time around I'm only able to update you on what is going on with us lately. Unfortunatly I don't have any new pictures to post. Although I do have news.

We are excited to announce (No, we aren't expecting a baby) that I (Stacy) will be attending Utah Valley University starting in January. At least that's the plan. I will be majoring in Creative writing.

It's a little scary to be going back to school after so many years. The last college coarse I took was in 2000 at Mesa Community College. I am really excited to be going back to school. I'm thankful that life finallly seems to be coming together.

In other news, Avery has grown big and strong. I can't tell you how tall he is for sure, but I'm about 4'5 and he is as tall as my rib cage, and he is only 4 years old. He likes to play with friends at the park. He loves going to the library to get different books all the time and he loves to be read too. He has become quite the bargainer. I ask him to do something, or offer him his meals and he always comes back with this..."Mommy, how's about I take one bite of chicken nugget and then eat all my apple sauce." Then I say, "Avery please take a few bites of each food." Then he comes back with, "How's about, how's about I do this. How's about I eat all my apple sauce and no chicken nuggets." Anyway, you get the picture. He should be a car salesman. "Excuse me sir, we would like to buy this car." then Avery would say, "How's about you buy two cars." He is very sly.

Ryan is as busy as always with school and work. He does a good job in balancing it all. School, work and family.

Ryan and I are so boring compared to our lil' munchkin. Anyway, hope you are all doing well. We love and miss you all.

-The Nelson Fam

California Getaway!

2009-08-29T14:07:00.000-07:00

Well, I am finally getting around to telling the awesome and wonderfully relaxing and fun trip to California! I was there for 10 glorious days! Did I mention I was all by myself! I left my boys at home and went off to pay attention to "me" for a little bit.

Unfortunatly I didn't get any pictures of my grandmother while I was there. We spent lots of nice quiet moments reading, scrapbooking, visiting with friends and watching Wheel of Fortune! It was AWESOME!

My friend Amber and I went out to dinner and visited with her parents which was great. It was like old times hanging out at the Fitzgerald house. It was great spending time with her.
The first Saturday I was there I decided to go to the beach. It was about a 15 minute walk from my grandma's house. So I packed a lunch, towel, camera and was on my way in no time. I accidentally took a picture of my foot. The sun was so bright I couldn't see what was on my digital camera screen.

A really beautful view of the ocean from where I was sitting on the beach. I had a really relaxing time. It was great to just enjoy walking up and down on the beach.

The last day I was there my sister Robyn and I and an old family friend, Andy went to Disneyland! We were actually able to get to go on a lot of rides. This is while we were on Pirates of the Carribean.

Andy and I.

Robyn and I.

Captian Jack Sparrow Toasting us to a wonderful time! It was really cool to see how they redid the ride and incorperated him into the ride. He was here and there. Popping up and hiding from the other characters on the ride.

This next picture is me trying to remove the sword from the stone...let me tell ya! I am no Arthur, that is for sure!

Toon Town was next. We went to Minnie Mouse's house and just lounged around for a while. She was so hospitable!

My sister Robyn, making herself at home.

Myself claiming a comfy spot on the loveseat.

Andy got hungry so Minnie let him raide the Icebox.

Robyn and I even stayed for tea! That Minnie! She is quite nice!

Next it was off the Micky's house. I attempted to play his piano...but the keys were covered. Guess he wanted some peace and quiet. He must have seen me coming...I can't even play Mary had a little lamb!

Micky's work bench. He had lots of projects going on! So talented!

Finally we got to meet the man himself! I was so excited I jumped up and down and squeeled as if I was a Beatles fan! Accept this was Micky we are talking about! So much better than the Beatles!

Robyn, Micky, Me and Andy.

I would like to tell you that we behaved ourselves while in Toon Town, but I must confess, we got thrown in jail...which was quite fun...it must have been. We smiled for the picture. That little kid doesn't look to happy though.

Kiss a fish anyone! Robyn, he probably already has a girlfriend!

Andy and I on Goofy's back porch.
Wait...I'm confused, Which way?!

Robyn and I in line for the StorybookLand Ride. I had never been on it. It was fun. Our tour guide was a hoot. Really funny girl.

Space Mountain. The only ride we went on more than once. It was a blast!

And of course, we had to take a picture in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle. You can't got to Disneyland and not take a picture in front of it.

Well, I was fortunate to have a wonderful time while on my trip. I took naps, read books, watched movies and made sure that I took it easy. But I also was able to go to the park, the beach, Disneyland, and saw some really important and dear friends. Thank you to Robyn, Misty, Amber and Andy for spending time with me. Thank you to those family members who helped make it possible for me to be able to go. I will never forget your generosity and help. I will be forever greatful to you. You know who are! I love you all! Thanks again.

2009-08-04T10:39:00.001-07:00

Avery's 4th Birthday Party! Avery wanted to have his cousin's and friend's over for his birthday party. He wanted Hayden, Hallie, Kiya, Audrey and Savannah to all be here to eat cake and icecream with him...

Avery, Hayden and Hallie jumping on the trampoline! They were all giggles and screams having so much fun.

Savannah Free, Holly Nelson and Audrey Free.

Stacy and Avery placing the candles on the cake Stacy baked for the occaision.

Avery blowing out his 4 candles! He did such a good job!

Hayden, Avery and Audrey. The kids were so helpful in opening presents! Avery had such a blast.

Avery and his brand new " Star Warring Light Saber," He loves swinging it around and fighting his invisible foes!

Hope you all enjoyed the show! We enjoyed Celebrating Avery and the 4 years of life he has under his belt! We love your Bubbus!

Ode to the Breadman Plus

2009-05-09T11:52:00.000-07:00

A few months back I was making a sandwhich for Avery. While spreading the peanut butter on the store bought bread, it started to crumble. How annoying!

I thought to myself, "I wish we could afford better bread!" The really good loaves of bread are over $4, the bread we usually buy are about .99 cents. So of course it's going to crumble when we toast it, or spread jam, peanut butter, honey...you name it, the cheap bread would crumble. We can't afford to spend $3-4 on one loaf of bread.

When our tax return came I had sworn to buy a bread maker! I made an oath to, "NEVER BUY A LOAF OF BREAD AGAIN!" If I could help it anyway!

So I went on line to research breadmakers, read customer reviews, looked at options on different machines and brands and finally made my decision! So off to Bed Bath and Beyond we went. They didn't carry in store the brand and model I wanted. So off to Target we went to find and buy a bread maker! They only had one in stock and it was twice as much as I wanted to pay. But, I couldn't bring myself to leave the store without it. With my resolve in place I forfeited something else I planned on buying in addition to the breadmaker, and just got the breadmaker! And I have NEVER regretted it! I love this thing! I make a loaf of bread every other day. The bread is really dense and heavy and delicious! My family loves the way it tastes! We love our yummy whole wheat bread! The Breadman Plus is so easy to use. You follow the instructions and recipies and put all the ingredients in and put the pale in the machine, select the type of bread your making on the machine menue and then push start! 3 hours and 35 minutes later my house smells like home made bread! Did I mention I love this thing? 'Cause I totally do!

If you are sick of buying expensive bread that isn't really all that good, but better than the cheap stuff. Get a bread maker! Any bread maker that suits your needs. What's great is that the bread maker does all the work for you. Sometimes I make banana bread in it! That is so yummy too!

Okay so I have praised long enough. Here are some pics! Before and After! If you ever want to try some of my home made bread, come over, my breadmaker will bake you some! :)

This is my bread maker in the flesh...well not "flesh," but you get what i'm saying!

That little circle of tan powder is the yeast...it kinda looks like an egg. But you don't put egg in this certain bread recipie.

Baked, sliced and beautiful! And OH SO TASTY!

New Element!

2009-04-22T20:11:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I have been mulling an idea around in my head for quite a while now. And I think I have finally found that I have time to do it.

I have added a new element to our family blog. A "Recipies" section.

I find it hard to keep things interesting for dinner meals, and when I find a recipie that Ryan and I like I usually want to share it with the world. I don't think their isn't one person out there who doesn't get bored fixing the same things over and over again.

So, I am going to share with all of you these recipies. I have added the section to the Right Hand column of the blog. I will try to add a new recipie weekly. If there are any recipies that you want to share with me, or others just email them to me at thenelsons03@gmail.com and I will be more than happy to put them up for everyone to try.

I'm not sure if I will be emailing when I have updated the recipies. But I will try to find a way to keep them posted so that if you find yourself looking for something to make for dinner, you can just bring up our blog and get some ideas.

The first one is already posted. It's from the Campbell's website. It's such a wonderful site. I go to it all the time.

Okay. Well wish me luck! And if you could, send me some feed back as to how this whole thing works out, because I'm not sure it will work...but I am willing and determined to give it a try.

Love you all!

Ryan's Rules

2009-04-15T17:28:00.000-07:00

Something really exciting has happened!

Ryan works at a school called Discover Ranch. He is a tutor and a T.A. He was asked by one of the students graduating to speak at her graduation. His awesome speach resulted in the adminatration wanting him to give a similar speach for the schools website. The school titled it "Ryan's Rules." He wanted to everyone to know that he didn't call it that. They chose the title.

Anyway. Here is the link to the school's video page. You will see Ryan's face. His is the first video on there. When you click on the video it may take a while to load, so be patient.

He is so sincere and eloquent. I love this man with all my heart. I'm so greatful for his presence in our lives, and his willingness to help others on their path to success.

You're amazing Ryan! Keep up the awesome work!

http://www.discoveryranch.net/videos/

Birthday Wishes...

2009-04-02T08:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Stacy! ( Oh, who are we kidding, you all know it's me who writes the blog!)

Well, It was my 27th Birthday on Monday, and I had a ton of fun. A lot of fun staying in bed resting and reading a book because I have been sick for the last week and a half.

A few days before my birthday, on Saturday the 28th we had our family from upstairs join us for Pizza and strawberry shortcake. It was a lot of fun having them over to visit and play games with Avery.

Here is a picture of the yummy Strawberry Shortcake that I made. It is my favorite and I try to have it every year for my birthday.

Thank you all for the Birthday wishes on Facebook, the birthday cards and gifts. Turning 27 years old wasn't all that bad! Until I realized I was 3 years away from 30! I just won't think of it that way!

Thanks Again Everyone! I had a great Birthday!

Who would've Guessed?

2009-04-02T08:04:00.000-07:00

Who would have guessed that turning 27 would be the birthday that I will remember for the rest of my life! Would you like to know why? Because, today I found my very first Gray Hair! AAHHH! Here is an article I thought was interesting. Hope it answers questions that we have always had to why our hair turns gray.

KidsHealth>Kids>Health Problems of Grown-Ups>Q & A About Getting Older>Why Does Hair Turn Gray?
Print

Have you ever watched someone try to cover up gray hair by dyeing it? Or maybe you wonder why your granddad has a full head of silver hair when in old pictures it used to be dark brown? Getting gray, silver, or white hair is a natural part of growing older, and here's why.
Each hair on our heads is made up of two parts:
a shaft - the colored part we see growing out of our heads
a root - the bottom part, which keeps the hair anchored under the scalp
The root of every strand of hair is surrounded by a tube of tissue under the skin that is called the hair follicle (say: fah-lih-kul). Each hair follicle contains a certain number of pigment cells. These pigment cells continuously produce a chemical called melanin (say: meh-luh-nin) that gives the growing shaft of hair its color of brown, blonde, red, and anything in between.
Melanin is the same stuff that makes our skin's color fair or darker. It also helps determine whether a person will burn or tan in the sun. The dark or light color of someone's hair depends on how much melanin each hair contains.
As we get older, the pigment cells in our hair follicles gradually die. When there are fewer pigment cells in a hair follicle, that strand of hair will no longer contain as much melanin and will become a more transparent color - like gray, silver, or white - as it grows. As people continue to get older, fewer pigment cells will be around to produce melanin. Eventually, the hair will look completely gray.
People can get gray hair at any age. Some people go gray at a young age - as early as when they are in high school or college - whereas others may be in their 30s or 40s before they see that first gray hair. How early we get gray hair is determined by our genes. This means that most of us will start having gray hairs around the same age that our parents or grandparents first did.
Gray hair is more noticeable in people with darker hair because it stands out, but people with naturally lighter hair are just as likely to go gray. From the time a person notices a few gray hairs, it may take more than 10 years for all of that person's hair to turn gray.
Some people think that a big shock or trauma can turn a person's hair white or gray overnight, but scientists don't really believe that this happens. Just in case, try not to freak out your parents too much. You don't want to be blamed for any of their gray hairs!
Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MDDate reviewed: August 2007

It's a Miracle!!

2009-03-04T17:27:00.000-08:00

It's that time again...Time to go grocery shopping. So until I can make it to the store tomorrow I had to come up with something for dinner. And what did I come up with? Well if your familiar with the term "brinner" then you know what I'm talking about. Breakfast for dinner! So I fried up some eggs, some turkey bacon and toasted some yummy homemade bread (thank you for breadmakers).

Many of you know that my little man is a picky eater, so I told him he had a choice, have grilled cheese, or...eat brinner just like me. He chose the sandwich. Five minutes into my cooking time he annouced that he was done eating his sandwich. I look over and what do you know!? He didn't even put a dent in it. Figures, right? He came and sat down next to me saying that he wanted, "some toast and jam, yike mommy." I told him, "you want eggs and turkey bacon with it?" Unfortunatly I don't ever expect him to say yes when I offer him something he doesn't usually eat. But little to my surprise, before I know it the clouds part in the sky and the sun shines through and I hear angels singing! What?? Angels singing!? Yes, angles singing. He is reaching over for my bacon saying, "Is the bacon hot mommy? Should I bow on it?"

I have spent a lot of time and effort practicing NOT freaking out and getting excited when he eats something that is not on his usual list like crackers or craisons. He shoves the bacon in his mouth, scrunches his eyebrows and tells me, "Hmm, that's yummy mommy. I'm glad it's not hot."

WHAT! DID MY KID JUST EAT TURKEY BACON!!! It's okay Stacy, keep your breathing normal. Stay cool! Act like it's not a big deal, or he will toss it on the plate and never eat it again. Just stay cool! "Avery is the turkey bacon that good?" He chews some more, takes another bite and says, "yah, can I eat some more?" I told him he could have the rest of the piece it he wants. He continues to eat happily. I think to myself, 'well played, he's gonna eat the rest.' Then he asked me, "Mommy, are you done with your toast and jam so that I can have the rest?" He ate the rest of my toast and jam. I don't mind sharing my food with him. ESPECIALLY when it's something he has always turned his nose up at, like turkey bacon for instance.

I won't get my hopes up and think he might eat turkey bacon again in the next 2 years, or ever for that matter. But he showed me that he will be interested in other foods at his own pace. I'm thankful for the lessons he teaches me, patience...Lots and lots of patience. It's tough trying to feed a picky eater. You try it sometime and let me know how it goes.

To Do List...

2009-02-20T13:40:00.000-08:00

Sorry that there hasn't been any new blog posts. Our family has been dealing with the sniffles, the flu and ear infections. Being sick for weeks at a time one after the other tends to put the family out of commission and Blogging at the bottom of the list.

My to do list has been put off and finally today I have been able to catch up on it. Laundry, check. Dishes, check. Baking, check. Make the beds, check. Put the munchkin down for a nap, check. And now I get to sit down and blog! HURRAY!

Ready to catch up? I know I am.

First some really cute picks of my boys taking naps on the couch, the floor, the reclyner. Like I said. When sick, you can sleep anywhere, at least MY boys can.

Daddy/Son snooze fest on the recliner. They started out watch Spider-man and soon after the movie started I found them like this.

A similar thing happened to Avery. He told me he wanted to camp out on the floor with his pillow and blankets and watch a show. Ten minutes later I walked over to check on him and couldn't help but take a picture of my adorable little boy sleeping on the floor. It doesn't happen very often but when he does fall asleep anywhere but his bed, he sleeps longer than normal. It's weird, but it's a blessing.

Next.

Valentine's Day was really great! We had a great dinner with Mom, Dad, Chad, Holly and Jordan.

Then they were wonderful in watching Avery so that Ryan and I could go out on a date! Hurray Date!

Ryan and I went to Barnes and Noble and bought ourselves a new book each with gift cards (Thanks Chad). Then we went to the Provo Dollar Theater to see Twilight! Finally! We saw Twilight. It was good, we enjoyed most of it. But as fans of the books, the movies are never as good.

OH! I forgot to mention the adorable teddy bear Ryan got me for Valentine's Day. Which was a huge surprise condsidering that Ryan has always claimed that stuffed animals aren't his style.

See!

Isn't she cute! I named her Honey, and she brought me flowers! Anyway, needless to say we had a wonderful Valentine's Day.

Hope you all are doing well and are enjoying life! We love you all, and thank you for checking out the blog.

Home Sweet Home

2009-01-13T16:31:00.000-08:00

Finally! The unveiling of our home sweet home!

This is our TV/Living Room. This is what you see when you first walk in. To the left is our computer.

This is the fire place and what we call our "reading den." Of course its part of the TV/Living Room, but we like the shelves and the fire place. We can sit down in our comfortable recliner and read.

This is the view of the couch from the other side the room. You will notice that behind the couch is the computer desk mentioned earlier. And on the far side of this picture you will notice blue checkered curtains. The sliding door entrance is just behind those curtains.

Here is the couch again from standing right behind the recliner. Just so you get the feel of the whole room.

And this is the kitchen! Stacy's favorite room. This point of view is from the TV/ Living Room. Stacy feels like she is living the high life because we finally have a dishwasher that isn't Stacy herself. She has been doing dishes by hand for the last 3 1/5 years. It's nice to have a break from the dish pan hands!

Here is looking from the hallway to the kitchen. Isn't the kitchen so cute! The island is really nice for storage of our dish towels, napkins and table cloths. As well as extra counter space.

This is the hallway of which all the bedrooms, bathroom and laundry room branch off of.

Our bathroom.

Ryan and Stacy's bedroom.

Another shot of the Ryan and Stacy's bedroom from a different view.

Laundry room. It's so nice to have a laundry room that isn't also your bathroom like in our last place. The washer is around that corner and to the right. It's a tight fit, but it suits our needs just fine.

And last but not least. Avery's room. He loves it. There is lots of floor space to play with his toys.

Well that's it folks! The end of our "Home Sweet Home" tour. Hope you enjoyed seeing where we are living now. We are happy here and have been blessed ten fold to have this home to live in.

P.S. Emily, now when we chat on the phone you can picture me more clearly of where I am. When I say that I'm sitting on the couch, you know what that looks like.

Winter Wonderland

2009-01-09T14:58:00.000-08:00

Hello! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! We sure did. Here are some pictures of a day spent in the snow, as well as our Christmas holiday pictures. Enjoy!

Avery all bundled up to play in the snow. We had just moved and had a yard full of wonderful snow to build a snow man.

Jordan, Holly and Avery building Frosty. I'm sure our favorite famous snow man was happy to make an appearance at the Nelson home!

Avery? Are you having fun yet? He did help pat Frosty's snow to make sure he wouldn't fall apart.

All done! Look at the proud, smiling faces of the Frosty team.

Thank you Holly and Jordan and Avery for making our holidays that much more fun...and a day later....

To Idaho we go...to celebrate Christmas with the Smiths, Horrocks', Erskines and Mom Deschenes.

Merry Christmas!! Stacy's sister Mary Ellen had her baby the morning of Christmas Eve. So on Christmas Day all the adults had to keep all the kids occupied and away from the presents so that we could all wait for Mary Ellen and Chris to bring baby boy Eirnin Christian home. Once they got home, we dove right into the festivities. Why don't you take a look and see how much fun we had.

All the kids had fun playing with this...well...I don't know what it's called. But it's a pretty cool doo-dad. Drew said, "Hayden, put it on your head." So, he did. I got a picture and I love it!

Mom! She took a picture of Stacy while Stacy took a picture of her!

Hallie, Hayden and Valancy waiting to open presents...who is going to pass them and who gets to open the first one?

Avery and his very own digital camera. He has had a lot of fun taking his own pictures. Thank goodness when he drops it, it doesn't break and it is water proof. Fisher-Price is a genious.

What could this present be? Avery got lots of cool Dinosaur books from Santa! He likes to read them often and tries to pronounce the names of all the dinosaurs.

This is Avery just chillin' on the couch eating treats and enjoying watching everyone open their presents.

And last but not least! One of the best pictures over taken. Christy and Hallie showing off their amazing talent for sticking out their tongues and touching their chins! Silly Girls!

We had such a wonderful time in Rigby, Idaho and thank you to Mary Ellen and Chris for having us in their home. Especially with the craziness of having a baby at the same time. We love our family and we are glad that we could spend the holidays with them.

Ryan's 27th Birthday and Thankgiving Celebrations!

2008-11-28T12:31:00.000-08:00

This year for Ryan's birthday we kept things pretty low key. As a family we baked a chocolate cake with white frosting and purple sprinkles. It was really fun to see how excited Avery was for the whole thing...are there kids out there who wouldn't be excited to eat cake? I didn't think so.

Make a wish Ryan! Happy 27th Birthday! We love you!

This thanksgiving Stacy wanted to make a dessert to take for after dinner. She made a Peach Cobbler! And boy was it YUMMY! She was so proud that it turned out so good for being her first time making it. Doesn't it look delicious?

When we got to the Nelson Parents home Avery had so much fun playing with Audrey (left of Avery) and Savannah (right of Avery). They had the pleasure of sitting together while they ate. Cute kids!!

Here we all are dishing up the awesome food that was prepared! We were all so excited to eat! We definitly came with the appetites needed to stuff ourselves full.

Here us another picture of the good and yummy food.

Here are Holly and Stacy minutes after eating...they still look so happy while feeling so full.

Ryan and Stacy. It's not very often Stacy is the one in the pictures. Usually she is the one taking pictures.

From Left to Right: John Free, Jen Free, Marilee Nelson, Rich Nelson, Audrey Free and Savannah Free. What happy faces!

All the yummy desserts that made our mouths water! They were all so yummy!

So I'm sure you have guessed that the word of the day was "thankful" and at a close second was "yummy." We had such a great time playing games, putting together puzzles and watching a movie. It was exactly what a holiday should be.

Hope everyone reading this had a wonderful thanksgiving as well!

Nelson Family Thankgiving Message

2008-11-13T20:13:00.000-08:00

With the fall season comes many things to be thankful for. The simple things, the important things. Helping each person ponder what they are thankful for.

The changing of the leaves, I love watching the leaves change color. It's so amazing to live on this Beautiful planet that our Father in Heaven has blessed us with. I wish that we had more time to enjoy the simple things in life. That we could slow down and pay attention to the things we take for granted.

The Thanksgiving Holiday. It's not my favorite holiday, but I do enjoy being with loved ones and spending time together. To be able to take a time out from our busy schedule's to appreciate what we have. The blessings that are in our lives and the things we have to be thankful for.

~ Call it a moment a "reflection," call it whatever you want. The next few weeks are going to get more and more crazy as the Holidays come and go. I wanted to share with you all what we are thankful for as a family because chances are we won't have the time to do this later. It is a time for thanksgiving...so here is what we are thankful for.

As a family, we are thankful for a Father in Heaven that loves us and watches over us. He blesses us in our times of need as well as our times of struggle. He comforts us when we need to be comforted. He watches over us when we ask to be safe. He is there always and he loves us always. Mistakes or no mistakes he will never abandon us. We are thankful for our Savior Jesus Christ who is our brother, a man who sacrificed so much for each of us individually. We are thankful to be members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for without the gosple, for with out our religion and beliefs we would be lost in this world.

We are also thankful for all of our family and friends, we love you and thankful for your love and support and we hope that we can we can show you the love and support that you are in need of, when you need us, we are here.

So even though it's a little early, Happy Thankgiving! Have a wonderful Holiday and we will check back with you when things slow down, and the dust settles.

With lots of love,

The Nelson Family

Finally! Our Halloween Story

2008-11-13T18:50:00.000-08:00

Halloween. This holiday has gotten more and more fun with having a child. Here is this year's story...And Avery wasn't sick for a change! But, Stacy was :(.

This Halloween Avery wanted to dress up as Sprider Man. Unfortunatly, when it was time to put the costume on, he flatly refused. So, he wore his camo sweats. We went to dinner for family home evening and then did a little christmas shopping, and then asked Avery if he wanted to try to costume on so that he could go trick or treating for candy. Still refusing to put the costume on we let it go and took him to the mall to trick or treat. With his Elmo bucket in hand we set out. From store to store Avery shyley asked, "hick o' heat," and in response the nice employees of the stores would gladley give me him candy. We were about 5 or 6 stores in and Avery looks at me and says, "mommy, mommy!" and I replied, "yes, Avery." Then he says, "wook and aw my handy!" (he had about 6 pieces of candy in his bucket) And I said to him, "wow, that candy looks so yummy." And he replies, "yes, it wooks yummy, but I have enough handy and I want to go home now." What! My 3 year old little boy says that his 6 pieces of candy is enough and he wants to go home?! Who's kid says that?! Obviously, ours does! What an amazing little boy he is. I love how unselfish and non-greedy he is. Needless to say, Ryan and I were quite impressed with his level of satisfaction with the Halloween holiday as a whole. Ryan and I weren't done window shopping so we walked around to a few more stores, but Avery asked to go home a few more times, stating that we didn't need to be there anymore because he was done trick or treating and had enough candy. When we finally got home he had some of his candy and went off to bed telling us how tired he was from having so much fun. I love my son! I am so glad to enjoys life!

Halloween FHE

2008-10-24T17:14:00.000-07:00

Back Story: Halloween has been an ellusive holiday for Avery all his life. When he was 4 months old in October of 2003, we dressed him up as a Lion ( Thanks to Michelle for that adorable costume.) And he slept through the whole night of celebrating and trick or treating. In 2006 he dressed up as Tigger, while his best friend Emma dressed up as Piglet. What a cute pair they were. It turned out that Avery was sick with a very bad cold and Stacy wouldn't let him out of the apartment. So, Emma and her parents were kind enough to visit our little sick Tigger and bring him candy. In 2007, Avery still couldn't catch a break, he was sick AGAIN and couldn't go out to trick or treat! So, we stayed in frosting cookies with our neighbors and Avery passed out candy to the kids who came to his door. He really hasn't had a chance to get the full excitement of All Hallows Eve.

This year we are crossing our fingers and hoping for the best! And in preperation of the fast coming Halloween night, we had a Halloween FHE. (which takes place on friday nights because Ryan works Monday nights.) We had a lesson about keeping our promises. Then we dug right in and went full force into the halloween festivities and made Halloween magnets. And while it was quite the mess, Avery had a lot of fun, and so did we. We always enjoy seeing him be creative while have fun. Here are some pictures of our evening.

When we were done with our halloween activity we decided to have some halloween candy! What can we say...we busted it out already. Hopefully we will have some left to pass out when it comes time.

This is Avery making sure all his M&Ms are accounted for...well, all the ones he hadn't eaten yet.

Having Family Home Evening isn't something we have always been good at or consistant in. But we are starting a new year resolution of doing it now, so when 2009 starts we will be in the habit of it. Wish us luck...we hope it goes well.

Boys Camping Trip

2008-10-20T10:52:00.000-07:00

UEA week has come and gone. But while in the midst of it the boys went camping. Rich, Ryan, Avery, Chad and Jordan went up to Nuns Park in Provo Canyon for an overnight camping trip. Here are some pictures of there adventures.

If you look closely on the leaf you can see a bug of some kind.

Chad and Jordan warming themselves to the fire and roasting marshmallows.

Meanwhile, Stacy was home ALL BY HERSELF! And it was bliss! She gave herself a manicure and pedicure and watched one her of her favorite TV shows and went to bed early and slept in the next morning. Although she enjoyed having a break with the boys away, she was happy to welcome Ryan and Avery home.

What a fun weekend for all of us!

It's the End Of the World...as I know it!

2008-09-20T19:29:00.000-07:00

One of the many JOYS of being a parent is teaching your children how to eat healthy. One of the many difficulties of being a parent, is when the child in question (see below) doesn't agree with you on food choices!

Avery has always been a wonderful blessing in our lives. He is sweet, cheerful, smart, obedient, mindful, thoughtful, courteous of others and really fun to be around. He is non-confrontational and loves to share with others. I'm am such a lucky mother.

But there is one thing (among others) that makes me feel like a failure. And THAT is getting Avery to eat anything that doesn't include the following: Bread, tortillas, crackers, french toast, muffins, toast, fruit snacks, yogurt, peanut butter, jam, milk and juice, and occasionally a strawberry or two, and fruit smoothies. That being said. Most of his meals are P,B & J sandwiches, or toast with yogurt (some kind of pie flavor, that doesn't have any pieces of fruit in it) and milk and a couple of crackers.

Being a child who HATES ALL sticky foods. And carries a wash cloth around the house with him to wipe his hands and mouth and a moments notice. He has made a declaration that just about, no, scratch that....that pulled my world down around me. Can anyone guess what it was? Some of you already know this story...but humor me for a second, Because if you knew Avery like Ryan and I, you would know what a huge deal this was.

Today I made him the usual ( at his request of course!). PB & J sandwich with crackers and fruit snacks (He only gets one packet of fruit snacks a day. They are expensive, so I try to make them last a while.) Anyway....He sits down at the table and begins to dig in. First he dumps the fruit snacks out on his plate and discards the wrapper. They he counts each yummy, fruity flavored morsel. Proceeds to place one on each of his crackers, and starts to sing. I ask him, "Avery, aren't you very hungry?" And he replies, "Oh, yes mommy! Hoot Snacks and crackers SO yummy!" And then I say, "Well what about the yummy peanut butter and raspberry jam sandwhich?" And here it comes...are you all ready for this? I sure wasn't. He says to me, "I don't like the sayich mommy. Leelah (his word for Peanut butter) and Jam TOO sticky! Makes my hands all sticky, no like it mommy." He was so serious I didn't know what to think. I told him that there wasn't any oozing out the side, but he was adamant.

Now you ask yourself why I was so floored? It's because for the last 2 (give or take) years, that meal has been his favorite. And before you ask if I have offered him other options for meals...the answer is an astounding YES. I have worked so hard to make sure he has other options. He knows what he likes and he sticks to it. A creature of habit you could say. Well, he has changed all the rules of the game and left me with no clues as to how to get to the next level! AHHHH! Let me tell you, that I don't starve my child....He just refuses to eat anything that isn't the afore mentioned foods. So, now that he as pretty much refused to center piece of his menu, what do I do now! This is going to get tricky. He is a very picky eater and definitely keeps me on my toes. Tomorrow I will offer him cereal and a fruit smoothie for breakfast, and he will drink the fruit smoothie and be done because he isn't a cereal fan (unless he is at my in-laws because they have yummier cereal). This kid will go all day with out eating because he doesn't like what I'm offering...and then he comes to me and says, "mommy I'm hungry." and I offer him what he was offered before, and he says, "no thank you." and walks away. "At least he's polite," I will think to myself.

So here it is. My End of the World confession. It's a sad one, but it's true. Wish me luck in this new adventure. I just hope and pray that one day he will want to be just like daddy, and that it will include eating what his daddy eats. I can get Ryan to eat well, just not my strong willed, stubborn son! Good grief!

He sure is cute though. Showing off his treasured fruit snacks and crackers...he didn't really eat much...just played with his food.

Celebrating 5 Years!!

2008-08-22T13:20:00.000-07:00

Five years ago on August 22, 2003 we were married in Orem, Utah! Celebrating 5 years together was quite an occasion...

Ryan's parents took Avery last friday night so that we could go out to celebrate. It was Avery's very 1st night away from us, but we will get to that part later.

I planned a picnic dinner at the park for 2, which sadly enough is something we had never done together before. I made grilled chicken sandwhiches, baked beans, some fruit and chocolate cake for dinner. Our picnic at the park was AMAZING! The weather was perfect, cool with a slight breeze. It was a nice change from how hot it has been lately. When we were done eating we went to the dollar theater to see Iron Man. We had seen it before, and it was so good we wanted to see it again. Since we had some 20 min. before the show started we walked over to Costco and browsed all the cool stuff we couldn't possibly afford. It's always nice to dream though! Finally it was time to see Iron Man! And yes, it was as good the second time as it was the first time. When Iron Man was over, we opted to see The Incredible Hulk too! We got lucky they were both at the Dollar Theater. We hadn't seen Hulk before so that was really fun! When we finally left the theater we were exhausted, so we finally got home at about 11pm.

What was great about going to bed late was that we got to sleep in the next morning! With Avery spending the night at Nana's and Papa's we were able to do what ever our little hearts desired. It was nice to be Kid free for a while, but were sure missed our little monkey! But he had pleanty of fun of his own!

Anyway! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY RYAN! The last five years have been wonderful and adventurous! I look forward to the next 5, and the 5 after that, and after that. I Love You!

Weekend with Nana and Papa!

2008-08-22T13:17:00.000-07:00

While Ryan and I were celebrating our 5th anniversary, Avery stayed with Nana and Papa Nelson. It was his first night away from home without mommy and daddy. Friday night stated with a big mooshy bang! Avery got to play with home made Play-Doh! Cookie cutters and all! He had so much fun with this.

Later Nana and Papa and Aunt Holly went to the Springville county Fair! They took Avery to the petting zoo! Avery's favorite part was that he got to count pigs...

and more pigs...

some Alpacas....

and even a cow or two!

Next Avery said that he wanted to go on some of the rides...so Aunt Holly took him on the Stawberry ride. Holly said that he liked turning the wheel inside the car, but that he hated spinning fast! She explained that you couldn't spin the wheel if he wanted to go slow. So they just sat there waiting to get out. I don't think Avery like that ride much...that's what they tell me anyway.

Then, Avery wanted to go on the little train ride. This is Papa getting him in the car and ready to go. Papa said that he was suprised that Avery didn't freak out when he walked away...then when the ride started Avery started to panic and want to get off right away! The man working the ride wouldn't stop it for Avery to get off even though he was the only kid on the ride! Go Figure!

Then it was home they went. Nana, Papa and Holly sang Avery fun songs on the in the car. He kept requesting...or should I say DEMANDING that they sing them over and over again. By the time they got home all three adults were exhausted and Avery was still asking for more songs.

This is Avery's bed. He and Nana and Papa camped out on the living room floor! What fun they had. They put the movie The Iron Giant in for Avery figuring he would fall asleep while watching...no such luck. He kept asking Holly "what's doing?" and Holly would sleepily replay with her eyes still closed, "He's walking." that answer seemed to suffice since Avery would let it go and then ask the same question minutes later.

Saturday morning every one woke up and they ate French Toast for breakfast. It's one of Avery's favorites and I'm sure he enjoyed it.

After breakfast Nana, Papa, Holly and Jordan took Avery to Cabella's. It's an outdoor sports store with lots and lots to look at! They had fun while running around and enjoying themselves.

Thank you to Marilee, Rich, Holly and Jordan for making Avery's time with them adventurous, fun and downright tiring. Avery had such a wonderful time that he ALWAYS wants to go to Nana and Papa's house. It really is his favorite place to be. Not only did you all keep Avery busy and happy, but you let Ryan and I have some time to ourselves which was really, really nice. Thanks again! And we love you all!

Breaking Dawn

2008-08-04T09:28:00.000-07:00

On Friday August 31 at 10pm myself, Jen Free, Ryan's cousin Lauren and her cousin Emily headed to Borders bookstore for the Breaking Dawn By Stephanie Meyer Book release party. There were over 1600 people in attendance. We spend the first hour and a half walking around looking at different things they had to entertain us. finally at 11:30 the Borders employee's started lining us up in our groups...we were in the 201-400, in numerical order. Now all we had to do is wait.

Finally!! at about 12:30am it was our groups turn to get our books. The line twisted around the store. As well slowing moved through the store we could feel the anticipation mounting...and at about 12:50am we had our books in hand! People were screaming in excitment to go home and read this book. Fans of the Twilight Series have been waiting a year to get their hands on Breaking Dawn and finally it happened.

We were on our way home from the store and we could feel our fingers itching to open those first pages to dig right in. When I finally dropped Jen off at her house we both looked at the clock, it was 1:11am! Well at least were were home AN HOUR earlier than we had been last year when we got Eclipse! That is improvement.

I had decided whether I was going to start reading when I got home. I was so exhausted from the day, but my curiosity won out. I was up untill 3:15am reading when I finally tore myself away from this amazing story of a human girl and her vampire!

So today is monday and I have finally finished reading Breaking Dawn. It is by FAR my favorite book of the series with Twilight coming in a close second place. I have spend the last 3 days delved into this book like my life depended on it. I have lost sleep, I have gotten headaches of sleep deprivation, I have skipped doing the laundry, and all because I am a die hard fan of the series. So now after having such a great fantasy weekend I am getting back to real life! But I sure enjoyed this book! I would recomend it to anyone and everyone.

I can't get over how great this book was!

(And a special Thank You to Aisling for taking the pictures! I'm glad that you were there with us even though you didn't get a book right then. It was great meeting you!)

A Blessing and Some Randomness

2008-07-23T19:40:00.000-07:00

Behold a Blessing!

We just signed our 4th contract here at Starcrest Apartments and this cave of a basement apartment we usually don't have a problems staying cool, but this summer has been extra hot compared to the last three summers we have been here. Sometimes it's hotter in our apartment than it is outside. I don't know WHY we didn't think of this sooner! With a little bit of extra money this month we were able to invest in a Window AC Unit and BOY do we like it! A LOT! Goes to show you that when you pay your tithing, you are blessed with something you didn't know you needed.

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Some Randomness...

Well Avery has decided that he likes being a Chef! He told me he wanted to wear Ryan's cooking apron. So we wrapped it around him, handed him a spoon and then he said, "wook mommy, YaYa(is what he calls himself) wake bannana wedd." Which obviously translates to, "look mommy Avery make Bannana Bread." What a cute kid! He is always asking for banana bread!

And finally...we had that TV show "So You Think You Can Dance" on in the back round while getting ready to read scriptures (of course we turned it off when it came time to read.) And I took this video of Avery dancing to Hip Hop music! It's his new thing, he loves to sing and dance all the time. There isn't any sound, so you will just have to imagine the music...or turn some music on for yourself while you watch. In any case, sound or no sound...it's pretty cute. He literally finishes his dance off with a big BANG!

A Tale of Two Cities...

2008-07-14T09:10:00.000-07:00

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...but we will get to that later.

The first leg of our "Lake Powell Trip" started off with a bang! Or should I say a Tractor. On Wednesday we traveled south to Paragonah, Utah to stay with Grandma and Grandpa Free for the night.

After dinner and watching some TV Grandpa Free started up the Tractor and Ryan and Avery took it for a spin. They looked so adorable riding it together, and Avery wanted Stacy to ride the tractor with them, unforunatly they wasn't room for her.

Avery and Ryan were enlisted to help Grandpa with some work they could do in the yard. Avery had a blast scooping woodchips and dispersing them over the dirt.

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Remember when we said that "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times?" Well, let us explain...

We planned on meeting our good friends the Dunyons at Lake Powell for some fun in the sun. But late Wednesday night we got a call from them telling us that an axel broke on the trailer that was carrying the boat, and on top of that their truck got a flat tire. So it seemed that nothing was going right for them. They had to stop in Las Vegas to get the trailor fixed and didn't know if they were going to make it to Lake Powell. So we ultimatly decided to drive onto Las Vegas to meet up with them there and then all go to Lake Mead. A lake is better than no lake at all. So we were on our way to Lake Mead.

When we finally arrived and set up camp it was hotter than an oven and were were all sweating, not just bullets but arsenals of sweat bullets. It was torture, but camp had to be set up. When we finally finished we changed and finally made our way to the lake. Avery didn't enjoy his first ride in the boat. Pictures were taken of it, but none were postable. We found a little alcove on the lake and set up some shade and chairs and some food and we played around in the water.

Avery and Ryan making a sand castle.

Stacy in her ADORABLE hat!

More sand castle building.

TA-DA! Presenting Ryan and Avery's sand castle...give them some credit, the sand was more like mushy clay and the fact they built this was an accoplishment.

Avery playing in the water with a purple bucket...water in, water out, water in, water out! Kids are entertained by the simplist activities.

Stacy, Emma Dunyon and Brooke Dunyon taking a dip in the cool water.

Stacy and Avery swimming and playing together.

Our second day on the lake was underway and Avery was more at peace with riding in the boat.

Ryan and Avery looking stoic as we wait for others to get ice and drinking water to take with us onto the lake.

An adorable mother duck and her ducklings paddling around in the bay of the lake! Emma and Avery really loved seeing this little family quack around our boat.

A HUGE catfish swimming around our boat while were were in the bay. He had to have been a foot and a half long, if not longer. He was really big.

Emma, Ryan, Avery and Brooke's cousin Jenny playing football in the water.

Because it was so hot camping in the desert and were were so misserable in the heat while we weren't on the lake we decided to pack up camp and head back to Las Vegas to stay with Aaron's sister Jenny. Jenny and her family were so kind to put us all up for a night.

Emma and Avery watching "Home On the Range" Saturday morning. Such cute kids! And they played so well together it was great!

Avery wearing his mommy's hat while in the car on the way home...what a goofball he is...but he sure is adorable.

Avery was so tuckered out that he fell asleep on the drive home...Stacy did too, but since she is the one who takes most of the pictures...we don't see one of her sleeping.

Over all it was a great weekend! And we loved seeing and spending time with Aaron, Brooke and Emma Dunyon. And even though we were supposed to go to Lake Powell and ended up at Lake Mead, it's not where you end up on your summer vacation...but the people you take on your journey with you that make the experiance worth remembering!

Next year...LAKE POWELL OR BUST!

Independace Day Celebrations!

2008-07-04T21:59:00.000-07:00

We started off the day in a very nice way. We all slept in till 8am, believe me...with a 3 year old, that is considered "sleeping in."
On days when Ryan is home, he and Avery do a lot together. Avery loves helping daddy out with various chores or cooking. Today Avery and Ryan had their work cut out for them. And of course Avery was so excited to get the ball roling.

First Avery picked out his "Daddy's Little Helper (will work for cookies)" T-shirt. Then it was off to the kitchen to get started on our Waffle Breakfast.

Here are Avery and Ryan preparing the waffle batter to put into the waffle iron.

And of course Avery has the job of mixing the batter. He loves this part. He is such a good little helper.

The Nelson boys pouring the batter into the waffle iron.

And now finally closing the waffle iron, and waiting for the GREEN light! Which means the waffles are done!

Avery and his YUMMY plate of waffles! It's his favorite breakfast in the whole world.

Once breakfast was over it was time to wash the Pilot. Ryan recieved a Gift Card to Checker Auto Parts so he went and bought some car washing supplies. They were very eager to get started. Avery wanted to be inside the car with dad so that he could help.

While Ryan was vacuuming out the back seat Avery had nowhere to go accept the driver's seat. He is getting so big, but he looks so small behind the wheel. I love this picture.

After the vacuuming was done, it was time to get the scrubbies and soapy water and get wet! Avery hates getting wet unless it involves the bathtub or the water playground...so he was a bit hesitant to do this part.

He warmed up the idea and even got his own wash cloth to scrub the car. All three of us were washing the car at one point. But Ryan really was the best at it. He had the best scrubby.

Once the car was clean it was time to relax. Stacy and Avery took naps and Ryan watched some TV. After nap time was over the 3 of us headed to American Fork to spend the rest of the day with Drew, Christy, Hayden, Hallie and Kiya. Drew and Stacy's sister Robyn and her hubby Jeremy were in town also. It was great to see them.

We were all so hungry we dug into the food and it was yummy. We all know what a sweet tooth Avery has. Here is a picture of him with a mouth full of brownie. I bet sometimes he wishes mom would just put the camera down and give it a rest.

Here are Robyn (left) and Stacy (right) being silly! If you can't be silly with your sister, who can you be silly with?

Ryan and Stacy enjoying the nice cool breeze after a hot and humid day.

Stacy and Avery relaxing while the neighborhood kids busted out the first of the fireworks.

Hallie with a sparkler. Doesn't that look fun!

Kiya sitting in her stroller as happy as can be. She really is such a wonderful, layed back baby! And so adorable!

Stacy's brother Drew riding a skateboard that has only 2 wheels! Hey! He is getting pretty good!

Avery with a sparkler! He had never seen one of these before. And he did quite well considering he doesn't handler new things well. He used 4 or 5 of them! And he loved every minute of it.

Avery with another sparkler. Stacy barely got this picture. The sparkler was almost out.

Avery just had so much fun with these, Stacy couldn't get enough of how happy he was!

Video of Avery with a Sparkler.

Fireworks!

We had such a wonderful day! It started out perfect and just kept getting better from there. We love days that are slow paced without a strict agenda. We can just lolly-gag if we want. Spending time together is so important to us, especially when Ryan works so much and most of the time its just Avery and Stacy. We love holidays and the opportunity it gives us to see and spend time with the ones we love!

Thank You Drew and Christy for inviting us the spend the 4th of July with you and your family. Thank You Robyn and Jeremy for taking the time to see us. We love you all! And we also hope that those we didn't get to see had a wonderful Independance Day! GOD BLESS AMERICA!

~The Nelson Family

Like Mother, Like Son

2008-07-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

Today while Stacy was washing the dishes she looked over and saw Avery trying to climb into the cupboard. Unfortunatly this was as far in as he could get.

This was Stacy when she was between 18 months- 2 years old. She also enjoyed playing in the cupboards.

(Thanks to Stacy's mom for emailing this picture.)

Making Chocolate Cake

2008-07-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just crave some chocolate cake. Sometimes you have a 3 year old who begs you to make chocolate cake. And sometimes it's both.

Finally! The cake had finished baking, was cooled and cut! And boy, was it yummy!

Nelson Family Fun Fillled Week!

2008-07-02T09:48:00.000-07:00

We had a busy week this last week. Ryan's sister Rebecca and her husband Reid and their 6 month old daughter came into town from Colorado Springs. It was great to visit and be with them. Unforutatly I don't have any "worth posting pictures" of Reid or Rebecca. Sorry guys, but I'm sure you will thank me when you find out that all the pics I have of you is while your eating...and pictures like that are never flattering. So! We will just do with a picture of Genna. Keep looking. It's further down! She is so CUTE!

Anyway. Here is our "Fun Filled Week."

Tuesday, June 24th: We went up to South Fork in Provo Canyon and had a family BBQ.

Avery eating Cheetos. "Do I HAVE to smile right now mom? I'm eating!"

Burgers never looked so YUMMY! Way to sell it, Mom and Holly.

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Saturday, June 28th: Mom & Dad Nelson, Rebecca & Reid Cluff, and Ryan & Stacy Nelson went and did sealings at the Provo Temple. (Afterward we took some family pics that I will post at a later date.) After the temple we went to Los Hermanos in Provo for dinner. Here are some pictures of us waiting for our table.

Dad, Mom and Jordan

Chad Nelson and Avery.

Ryan and Stacy.

Jordan and Avery.

Beautiful Baby Genna.

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Sunday, June 29th: We traveled down to Payson to go to a free concert in the Park. Reid's dad plays in it every sunday. We spread out some blankets, played some games, listened to the band play. It was really nice.

Avery going down the slide all by himself. When I say "all by himself" I mean that it was HIS idea. We didn't need to encourage him at all. He is getting more and more brave with things like this. He is becoming quite the little adventurer.

Avery loved swinging on the swing. It was the first time he wasn't it one of those baby swings...He fell off a couple of times. After a few seconds of consoling he got right back on and wanted more! Way to go!

Ryan and Avery having fun playng on the swing. At one point Ryan got on the swing next to Avery and started swinging really high. One little girl at the park yelled out, "Hey, there is a daddy on the swing!" Too bad I didn't get that picture!

Well, we sure had a great week! Thanks Mom and Dad Nelson for dinner. Thank you Rebecca and Reid for the time we got to spend with you. We miss you already! We are so greatful for our family and that we have them so close by to see so often. We love being with you.

Our Hot Summer Days

2008-06-25T15:03:00.001-07:00

Without any central air in our 2 bedroom basement apartment it gets pretty hot. And because it gets pretty hot, Avery has learned how to strip down to his underwear. I was working on the computer and turned around to check on Avery and found him just hanging out in his underwear. Sometimes Ryan and I wish we could do the same. Unforunatly, for us, hanging out in our underwear wouldn't be so appropriate. Avery is so lucky he is a little kid.

For the first time after Avery's birthday he finally got out his Play-Doh. He was so excited to make things with dad.

We got the cookie cutters out and made some shapes. Avery's favorite was the white star he cut out. What a nice star Avery!

Finally they got out the yellow play-doh and decided to make a lot of different sized balls. Thanks to Dad keeping this organized they only got one color out at a time, so that the colors wouldn't get mixed together.

What a CHEESE! Kids get to an age where they WANT the picture to be taken. And after I take each one...he wants so see it and give his approval. Then he says, "do it adain mommy!"

Since it is getting so hot I finally broke down and was ready to give Avery another overdue haircut. He wanted it cut like Daddy's.

And here we go!!! Avery did surprisingly well. He usually books it when I get out the clippers.

Almost done...and he still looks happy.

TA-DA! We buzzed all of his beautiful hair off! And he loves it! Avery rubbs his head with his hand and tells me, "I yike this mommy!" He is all about "I yike" and "I no yike." He knows what he wants...which is a good AND a difficult thing. But in this case everything turned out well! Thank goodness!

A "Water Playground" Day

2008-06-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

We had a fun filled day planned for Avery's 3rd Birthday! The first thing he asked for when he woke up was to go to the "wawa hayhown" which in translation means, "water playground." All day long we had to keep telling him, "later, we are going later today." With which he responded, "wanna dow wawa haydown." Imagine that with a nice long whine. Finally after his nap we got ready and were on our way.
We are so glad for the family and friends that could make it! We had a great time playing and visiting in the water. And more importantly, Avery had a great time! He asked to go again this morning...to which I said, "we just went yesterday! we'll go again some time soon." His face lit up and he said his famous replay, "oh ay mommy! wets dow!" What a cute kid!
Here are some pictures of our time at the Scera Parks Pool. Enjoy! We sure did.

Left to Right: Holly, Elizabeth, Marilee
Center: Brandon (Elizabeth's son)

Avery's cousin Hayden going down the kids slide.

Avery's cousin Hallie.

Avery's Aunt Christy (Stacy's sister in law/Drew's wife/Hayden, Hallie and Kiya's mom)

Avery's youngest cousin on Stacy's side, Kiya

Top Row left to right: Rich (Ryan's Dad), Mandy (Ryan's cousin) Holly (Ryan's sister)

Botton row: Avery, and the back of Jordan's Head (Ryan's brother)

Ryan and Avery.

Stacy and Jo.

Ryan and Avery

Stacy and Avery

Avery attempting to go down the kids slide. He decided against it at the last moment. But props to him for trying!

It's Party Time!

2008-06-17T12:22:00.000-07:00

After the water festivities we headed back to our apartment to set up for the rest of Avery's Birthday fun. We ate lots of yummy pizza, fruit, veggies and then the yummy birthday cake.

This is the wonderful birthday cake/cupcakes Marilee made for Avery. Isn't it so cute! I was so impressed with her creativity.

Avery had a bite of watermelon, a bite of Pizza, and made a B-line for the cup cakes. The first one he snuck. Notice in the next picture that the "H" in Happy is missing!

This is Avery blowing out his 3 candles. Can you see the cupcake in his hand. He was well into his second helping when we sang to him. Chocolate all over his face! Gotta love him!

Finally we moved on to opening presents. This one is a set of Play Doh from Jo, Katie, Jack and Sam. Thanks again guys!

Here is Avery recieving an awesome dinasaur from Elizabeth and her kids. He has already named it, "GuGu." Whatever that means. He won't let me put it away.

And here are our friends Brad, Ashley and their new baby girl Sophie.

Again, we want to thank you all for coming. Avery is enjoying all of the toys and clothes he recieved. Thank you for celebrating our little boy with us. We love and appreciate you all.

HAPPY DADDY'S DAY!

2008-06-15T21:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to all those dads out there! Hope you had a good one! Here are some pics of Avery giving Ryan his Father's Day card. My boys! I love them!

Antique Show

2008-06-15T21:25:00.001-07:00

My dear friend Jo invited me to an antique show in Salt Lake City. And though we saw so many cool things we didn't really KNOW what to take pictures of. So we took 1 silly picture each.
Stacy with a GIGANTIC Coca-Cola Bottle Cap.

Jo with these glasses on. Doesn't she look Awesome!

It's that time again...

2008-06-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

...for a haircut! You think that because we have been cutting Avery's hair since he was about one and half months that he would be used to getting his hair cut. Boy was I wrong! Fortunatly for me, I have figured out that he will let me cut his hair any time I want as long as I don't use those loud and funky feeling Clippers. I'm barely able to use the mini-clippers to cut around his ears and neck line with out a really loud scream. He prefers a hair cut with strictly just scissors. So that is the way I do it. And we got lucky! He smiled for some pictures.

Before/Durring Haircut:

After Haircut:

Rainy Day Memories

2008-05-22T12:40:00.000-07:00

This is the view we have from our front door. I love the rain. Out of all the memories I have of the rain, my favorite would be from when I was about 6 or 7 years old. My dad loved the rain as well. And when it would rain he would take us shopping. ''Shopping is the best thing to do when it rains...there are no crowds to compete with," he would say. So he would pack us into our station wagon with my older sister and I in the very back where we had to sit facing the cars behind us. We would wave and make faces at people. I have this vague image in my mind of my dad walking with us towards the store. And he always parked far away even if the parking lot was empty because he loved walking in the rain.

So every time it rains I think of my dad, and I get to share a personal moment with him. Even though he passed away some years ago it's nice to still have these moments.

I hope you all are able to enjoy a rainy day, and make memories that will last you forever.

~Stacy

Son of a Hair Stylist!

2008-05-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

OH! MAN! Avery's hair is getting so long that THIS is the only thing it will do! I should cut it. But I won't! Because I LOVE IT! And...so does he! Not only does his hair style rock! But so does his shirt! Daddy's Big Helper (will work for cookies!)

We go back in time...

2008-05-16T12:41:00.000-07:00

I'm always amazed at how fast time flies and how big our Avery has gotten. He has never been a small child. Born at 9 lbs. 1 oz, he has always been our Chubbs! And we adore him.

Avery and I were sitting at the computer looking through some old pics and videos and we found this one that he really liked. Avery LOVES watching old videos of himself. He would watch them over and over and over again if I let him. So here it is. He was about 7 months old, and so close to crawling. I listen to this video and think, "wow! I sound INSPIRING!" No wonder he didn't want to crawl to me! Ha!

Bowling League

2008-05-16T10:49:00.000-07:00

Avery recieved a set of bowling toys for Christmas last year. About once a week he will get them out and play in the kitchen. I took a video, but it has no sound, and had difficulty uploading it. I took a picture and I thought that turned out much better. And of course his bowling uniform consists of a white t-shirt and his underpants! Ha! Ha!

The Cleanest Potty Story Every Told!

2008-05-05T11:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, so normally I wouldn't post such a private photo. BUT! This happens to be a milestone for the Nelson Family, and for Avery especially! Our boy is OFFICIALLY potty trained! YEAH! Congratulate him! He picked it up in a day and now it's been a week! He is so smart and such a fast learner! We are so happy to see him grow up and become a big boy!

Look at my New Shoes!

2008-05-05T10:31:00.000-07:00

April 2008. It took forever for Stacy to get Avery to even try these shoes on! When Avery gets in a comfort zone, it takes tooth and nail to get him out. We finally told him that Nana and Papa Nelson would LOVE to see his new shoes. That did it! He was all for it. "Put the shoes on and lets go!" was his reaction! Now he loves his white shoes and wants to wear them even if he doesn't have any other clothes on!

2 Years old Anyone? Avery! Come on Down!

2008-05-05T10:18:00.000-07:00

So, I was wrong when I said life couldn't get anymore fun! Because it does! And is. This picture is of Avery on his 2nd Birthday! He had a Lightning McQueen cake! The best part was that there was a toy car of Lightning McQueen that he got to keep and he plays with every day. Nana and Papa Nelson were in attendance along with Uncles Chad and Jordan, and Aunt Holly.

Becoming a 1 year old!

2008-05-05T10:13:00.000-07:00

Happy 1st Birthday Avery! Life couldn't get any more fun! From left to right: Cousin Hayden Smith, Avery, Savannah Free and Audry Free. ( I should have taken the top off the cake...but oh well, Avery will have to live with the fact that he has a glare on his face on his 1st birthday for the rest of this life...sorry bud!)

Pucker Up!

2008-05-05T10:09:00.000-07:00

Six Months old in this picture! The joy of the Nelson Family, Smoochy gets cuter and cuter all the time.

2008-05-05T10:01:00.000-07:00

Here is Avery Grey Nelson at 2 days old. Isn't he adorable. He was such a sweet baby who only cried when he had a reason to. Hungry? Dirty diaper? Cuddles? Sleepy? Gassy? That's okay! We can handle it! And we did!

2008-05-05T09:56:00.000-07:00

The Beginning. August 22, 2003. Out of all the wedding photos that were taken, this one is our favorite. Thank you to Brad F. for making us look so timeless.