Nelson"s Nest

4th Annual Friends Beach Trip...

2010-06-22T07:24:00.000-07:00

We will make a million memories with our little Nelson family of four, but I know some of my girls' fondest memories will be trips taken with friends. We just got home from our 4th annual trip to Long Beach with our dear friends. The playing and relaxing were both top notch, but it is always a time to look back and recall the girls from years past. As a new little one reaches milestones we are constantly saying "remember when"... our little girls are growing up (too fast if you ask me).

This year we spent day one in Astoria and day two was beach play time.

(Lots of pictures to come... they are too cute)

Goonies 25th Anniversery

Captain Kylee

Down the lighthouse ladder

My monkey

What a "Crew"

Tightrope walker (I have a pic of her on this at age 3)

Kylee never "tired" of this swing...lol

Riding the trolley

Napping on the trolley

Just like her friend

Big girls getting an italian soda at the bar

Ewww!

Finding treasures

The morning beach trip was REALLY cold!

Back in the afternoon for fun in the sun

These girls created a mermaid villiage

Little Buckaroos

There she is :) Over the next few years we'll be remembering her first walks on the beach

Happy Father's Day to the Best Daddy in the World!

Seriously, could they be any cuter!

Harvest Has Begun...

2010-06-13T07:17:00.000-07:00

Yeah!!!

I know it's not much... and I am having to compete with a strawberry stealing magpie. I love gardening!

Today I am inspired by a quote I ran across on another blog... "Bloom where you are planted". That is my mantra for the summer. There are so so many daily blessings present in our lives, its just a matter of seizing opportunities for joy. Enjoy every moment... even when the magpies are stalking your precious berries.

My Helper...

2010-06-12T07:33:00.000-07:00

Mom: Kyndra can you please help me clean up for Bunko tonight?

Kyndra: Oh yes, can I please, please, please clean the toilets?

Mom: Um, sure.

Life's little pleasures???

Grocery Triatholon...

2010-05-31T11:49:00.000-07:00

Now I know why I have turned down two recent requests to join friends on either a marathon or a half-marathon. All this time I have been in training for a triatholon and this morning I completed it with my Barbie toting, pj wearing, chocolate doughnut eating team... aka Kyn & Ky.

Three hours forty-five minutes later and a lot of blood, sweat and tears we have Race Car Cart Cycled our way through Safeway... heads held high, smiles on our faces, feeling pretty good... Sprinted through Albertsons... starting to breathe heavy, legs burning, getting antsy for the finish line... and finally the worst and final leg BARELY keeping our heads above water in the swim through Walmart... a lot of switch backs due to the crazy remodel, trouble concentrating, heads hanging low, weren't sure we were going to make it.

But, make it we did and I am cozied down for a day of HGTV and the girls are ready for a day of Barbies and Roly Poly (potatoe bug) ranching. I did just get a report that "Big Guy" Roly Poly may be ready to see the light. Time for another funeral and burial. I will console the mourners and put away the 20+ bags of groceries during comercials.

Wag More, Bark Less...

2010-05-17T20:06:00.000-07:00

This has always been one of my favorite bumper stickers. I saw it three times at the beach this weekend. It was Tony's annual "Reach the Beach" ride for the American Lung Association. It was a good trip for the most part. The friends were great, the beach was great, I'm told the ride was great, the shopping was great, and the taffy was great. The rough parts resembled many we have been having lately. Melt down city or what we have officially decided is rooted in being too busy or overscheduled. We have tried everything in our bag of tricks to wag more and bark less, but we finally realized we needed to restructure. We are slicing and dicing our schedule to bits. No more this and that every night. Our little sweeties just need to "play". No more rushing around everyday. I know my anxiety level is being absorbed by their precious hearts and I can't take it anymore. I have never liked to be busy. There is no sense of accomplishment for me in maintaining a juggling act. I did a lot of googling today and came across exerts from the book The Overscheduled Child - Hyperparenting and I quickly ordered it... paying way too much to have it on my doorstep tomorrow. When I read the blips on why we may overschedule like: wanting to give your kids all the enrichment you never had I should have handcuffed myself and locked the key to mommy timeout. I have told myself this a million times. I was more so struck by the list of ill effects and noted that my sweet Kyndra is suffering greatly from all of them. I'll let you know how the book is and how we do with scaling back. We informed the kids of the cutbacks today and all was well. I am beginning to take some deep sighs, but there is a ways to go for the total exhale.

Things that make the Nelson Family Wag

Playing outside

Reading books

Creating works of art at the kitchen table

Throwing rocks in McKay Creek

Family bike rides

Gardening

Movie nights

Visiting Friends

There are many more, but these are on the top of our wag list for the near future.

Oh, and I will get caught up on reading blogs!!!

It's Not You, It's Me...

2010-04-24T11:33:00.000-07:00

Really, you have been good to me. You will always have a special place in my heart as one of my first grown-up, married purchases. We chose you with care and fell in love with your shiny blue color and Hepa-filter.

My needs have changed and you have worn out... don't worry you will live in the garage permanently attached to your hose to give Gray the quick jobs that she needs. Let's face it , Ken (last name More), we all say no food in the new car, but that just isn't reality. So, you see, you are still needed until it is time to completely lay you to rest.

There is someone new. His name is Dy (last name Son) and he just has more to offer... a bagless canister, a tool wand that is accessed in seconds, ability to gently clean the wood floors, a slimmer, sleeker, lighter physique and the glorious ball technology.

Ken you had left us in complete and utter filth according the the canisters (bagless, that is) that Dy filled from EACH room he entered... uggg!!! The dust and Jazmyn hair was completely disgusting. I've got children now and a little more room for entertaining if I choose. I need someone like Dy in my life... I'm sorry.

Now I am off to spend a leisurely day cleaning. A leisurely day is REALLY hard to come by when you are married to Tony Nelson and he has the weekend off. I have had to give him the hand relentlessly this week as he tried to make plans. I don't want any stinking plans, none, zero, zip. I just want to go about my business of digging out of the mess that being busy leaves behind. He is off on a bike ride in this hideous wind storm hopefully burning off some energy (not so much that he can't mow the lawn), so we can continue to putter. I tried to promise the girls that we would stay home the rest of the day, but he told me I really shouldn't promise such a thing.

Now the next someone to get replaced in my life is DELL, but that will be a while I'm afraid.

Happy Puttering!!!

Still Here...

2010-04-03T08:08:00.000-07:00

The Nelson family is still here :) A dinosaur of a computer and a few months with obligations every night and every weekend had my plate a bit too full to find the time to wait ten minutes for pictures to download and such. Visiting the blog world had to take a back seat for a few months. Today I sit at my T-Rex (named DELL), coffee mug in hand, with no obligations for this Easter weekend. I am ready to refresh and reflect.

Tony and I were Thing 1 and Thing 2 for a costume trivia night...Fun, Fun, Fun

The girls are enjoying Tae Kwon Doe... they are orange belts now :)

Kyndra loves 4-h. Here she is working on her butterfly pillow case with Anne.

Kylee busy with play dough. She is hearing much better since she got her tubes in and her adnoids out last month.

I got a new bike. I named her blue. The plan is for her to take me on many family bike rides. In other words I do not plan to join Tony's intensity for biking. We are going to ride 14 miles in the Portland Bridge Pedal family ride this August.

Here is speedy Miss Kyndra. Her bike is named Pixie. She has nearly outgrown her with her 3 and half inch growth spurt this winter. She still leads the pack on our rides along the river levee. You may notice Gray behind her. She is our new Suburu wagon that we love. No more riding at my feet in the Honda for Jazmyn the Dog.

Kylee and daddy take up the back of our family pack with Kylee on the trail-a-bike named Blackie. Tony's bike was named Stinger by the girls.

Here stands the magnificent fort that Tony made for the girls. Kyndra calls it her secret lab.

Complete with a pulley for getting items to the top. Kylee really is happy about it... I swear.

Kylee loves messy buns these days. I just think she is adorable with the double bun look. She is growing up too fast.

Kyndra grabbing a rare moment of relaxation during the last few hectic months.

First breakfast of the camping season. We had an awesome time at Silver Falls State Park during spring break.

Kyndra is sporting some serious blisters on her hands from her monkey bar obsession. She loves these things and is getting really good. I mostly love that this was a tough task for her to overcome, but she kept getting up every time she fell to try again. Now she is proudly "skipping bars".

Awwwwww... Love you girls.

All too soon we will be looking at her senior photos... gulp.

This smile makes my day!

Happy birthday daddy and grandpa on a very rainy day camping.

We love our cousins so much!

Swimming lessons are over and we only have a few things on the calender for the next couple months of weekends. The plan is to garden, garden, garden. Tony has made two raised beds and is going to finish up preparations for the garden this week. Yeah!

Half Way Through...

2010-01-14T18:37:00.000-08:00

Well, our pantry challenge is going well. I'm not sure if Kylee would agree. She has missed a lot of dessert due to plates full of food that she has turned her nose to. We are talking kid type food, not brussel sprouts or lima beans, nonetheless she has a very picky palette. This may be how our freezers got so full. Our menu had gotten quite limited. At a glance it hardly seems we've made a dent in the rations, but at month's end I am hoping to fit everything in a small freezer, so we can defrost and discard those items that just aren't going to ever make the cut. I have had to completely block it out of my mind that wildly awesome sales are flying by me... I even recycled a $10 Safeway coupon (torture).

Tonight Kyndra is sick and I told her I thought I may need to go buy her some medicine. She got really worried that we wouldn't "win" the challenge if I went to the store. I assured her medicine didn't count.

Really In It...

2010-01-02T09:10:00.000-08:00

Okay I really was serious about the pantry challenge, but when I talked to Tony about it he was totally into it. He has been saying forever that we need to eat up the food from our freezer. He will leave no room for fudging I'm afraid (I mean thrilled to be held accountable :(). He thinks this is going to be great for Kylee to learn to eat and be thankful for the food she is provided rather than starting to chant about wanting yogurt or cheese sticks at the onset of every meal.

I am pretty nervous about this now, but a challenge is good... right???

Last night we had Chicken Dijon, brocoli and rice. Today's breakfast was cinnamon rolls and strawberry milk. The lunch menu is weiner wraps. Not bad so far, but stay tuned for the weeks to come.

Eat From Your Pantry Challenge...

2010-01-01T12:26:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite money saving websites put out an eat from your pantry challenge for the month of January. That coupled with the fact that we got our January paycheck before Christmas (you can only assume the implications of that) perked my attention. I quickly decided I was in. The challenge allows for purchase of milk, eggs and produce. I have $100 cash in my wallet for the purchase of those items and for the amenities for Kyndra's birthday dinner. Shopping for anything else is a no no, as is eating out. We do get one trip to McDonalds thanks to Santa and I do get to grab Starbucks two more times, also thanks to the jolly guy in the red suit.

My biggest worry is Kylee, who eats only yogurt, string cheese and chicken noodle soup. I'm not sure what life will be like when she runs out of those things and I am not quite sure what we will put in her lunches on days when she goes to pre-school. I guess we will cross those bridges when we get there.

The challenge suggested taking photos of your food sources at the beginning of the challenge. So here they are... actually quite ridiculous.

Tree Hunt 2009...

2009-12-06T16:22:00.000-08:00

Tony and Marc hosted the 3rd (maybe 4th) annual church Christmas tree hunt. The weather was great, which has not always been the case, and the participants were cheery. Potatoe and chicken noodle soup was served along with hot cocoa and cookies. The boys are making their way down the mountain with ten trees in tow. They are quite a ways behind the girls as they stayed behind to help a lady who got her car stuck in the snow. They will spend the evening delivering the tress... GOOD STUFF!!! Can't wait 'til next year.

Made the Most of It...

2009-12-03T19:21:00.000-08:00

I really feel we made the most of our week off. I certainly could get used to this week long fall break.

Kyndra and I have officially taken up embroidery and can hardly wait until we can work on our projects. It is going to be a fun thing for us to do together.

Kyndra had her first 4-H meeting with leader Anne. She LOVED it and has asked a million times when the next meeting is. She working on a pin cushion... and shhhhhhh... she is getting a sewing machine for her birthday ( picked up at 4 a.m. on Black Friday). We are considering going the chicken route around our house hold... I don't mean the opposite of brave chicken, I mean the poulty kind. I'll keep you posted.

The girls had breakfast with Santa.

Those things coupled with cherished time with family made our week. I captured a few moments with the camera.

We're Home...

2009-11-25T19:50:00.000-08:00

We had a great trip. It wasn't great because we had a bunch of monumental adventures. It was great because I got to share my humble roots with my girls. It has been more than ten years since I have spent time (literally more than a couple of hours) with my mom. I showed them the house I lived in as a child and my grandma's house that I spent most of my childhood moments in. I just kept protecting my girls in a bubble where they are the center of the universe and while they are that very center for me, life isn't always "perfect" and doesn't always cater to them. They needed to be patient in a world that isn't used to little ones, in a world that isn't exactly in their family reference right now. I needed to be taken back to life "before" I started my own family. We are so blessed, but from where I came has everything to do with where I am. Tears were shed when we left, because the visit was more than a blip on the radar. It meant something to us all. Love doesn't always look the same, but it is always important and meant to be shared.

Final Gratitudes...

2009-11-21T20:22:00.000-08:00

Of course, not my final gratitudes EVER, because I am always feeling blessed, but because the girls and I head out on our journey tomorrow.

Today I am super thankful for...

~Getting to meet Alec and Blake. They are so tiny, adorable, precious, loved, sweet, etc. etc. etc. I just can't believe they are here (double gulp). When we pulled up to the house Kyndra said she was so excited she had butterflies in her tummy. It was so peaceful at the house. Of course Taunya, Tony and their moms have a schedule worked out and all is well. I only held Blake because he was fiesty (aka Little Tony) and Alec was snoozy (aka Little Taunya). I didn't want to wake Alec because they are still having to wake to feed every three hours. I can't wait to see them again and again and again. You may note that Kylee is looking a little grouchy in the pictures (blurry I may add... TONY). Don't be too shocked, but she was a little angry and pouty. A little pizza did clear that right up.

~This was one of the deer that made its way through Tony and Taunya's yard. Kyndra loves deer and has great aspirations about hunting. She was proud to tell Tony B. that she is getting a beebing (yes, beebing) gun when she turns seven. She wanted us to take many pictures of the deer. This is the only one that made the cut if you know what I mean. I do love that she enjoys nature and says that the woods are her favorite place to be.

~This beautiful bird quilt that Anne made for our house. I don't know if I have blogged it yet, but I always look at it and smile.

~ Kylee said she missed Kyndra about ten times from 7:00 until 8:30, because she left for a sleepover. Even though they get crabby at each other I know they really really love each other.

~Today our calendar said family day and it really was. We ate pancakes together for breakfast, watched "The Wind in the Willows", drove to LaGrande to see the babies, ate pizza for lunch, got Kyndra dress shoes for her Christmas concert, bought a present for a birthday party she was going to, took her to the party, went to D and B to buy socks, cleaned together for a couple of hours, built a fort, ate leftovers for dinner, hugged Kyndra goodbye as she left for a sleepover, watched "Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" (again), and played Polar Express train. It was a busy day, but that is what our "family" is like. I just need to go with this flow and take in as many moments as I can.

Signing off for this Thanksgiving holiday... God Bless :)

Friday & Saturday Morning Gratitudes...

2009-11-21T08:21:00.000-08:00

Ooops I was a little too busy, followed by a lot too tired to post last night. I am here to catch up :)

Yesterday and this morning I am thankful for...

~A wonderful feast with my students! The kids all did a great job reading their essays and making their bread. We had many visitors and smiling faces.

~Lessons plans done for the week we get back from our week long break.

~And, of course our week long break. I am so excited to spend time with my family. It has seemed a bit too busy lately and I know December will be even more so. This break will help us reconnect and gear up for the busy, magical holiday season.

~Fun times playing bunco last night. I even WON the big prize!

~That twenty dollar prize will purchase some Starbucks for our trip to LaGrande to see Alec and Blake.

~Last but not least I am so thankful that I will not get lost in my own home thanks to the signs that Kyndra has posted all over. I am also in luck if I need to find a yard sale, deer, bugs, ham or jerky.

Have a great Saturday :)

Thursday Gratitudes...

2009-11-19T18:36:00.000-08:00

On this Thursday I am thankful for...

~Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving special

~Swiffer sweepers

~A clean organized fridge

~Kyndra loving school. She wrote a very sweet note to her teacher today... she also wrote a note to a boy. It said Dear Zach, I like you. You are nice. From, Kyndra. She included a picture of the two of them. SO NOT READY FOR SUCH THINGS!!!

~Kylee's honesty... today she is very grouchy and told me so. When I asked her why she was so grouchy she told me it was because she didn't want to be happy. Okay then.

~A big storage area to hide away Christmas presents.

~Our afternoon free of obligations.

Ta Ta for now :)

Wednesday Gratitudes...

2009-11-18T20:13:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for...

~My sweet Kyndra telling me about a boy in her class who doesn't live in our town. I asked her what town he lives in and she said he lives in Rodeo City, which some of you may know is a motel just outside of town. I had to explain this situation to her. She was broken hearted and wanted to know if we could help them. I am so thankful today and ever day for my kind hearted daughter.

~Kylee writing her name on her paper in CCD class tonight and completing her work on her own. I have recently been informed by her pre-school teacher that I just may help her out a little too much on her work. We have been working to curtail that learned helplessness and it was working tonight.

~Listening to Kylee sing "I'm In The Lord's Army". The lady leading the songs said, "Oh, we shouldn't be too loud." Has she met my children? They don't understand too loud, but I don't mind them being too loud when they are shouting AMEN!

~Clay relief maps gone right in my class today.

~Working together as a family on our new chore chart. What began as really stressful has now turned the corner to relieving stress.

~The fact that I can go to bed right now at 8:30, because I have a headache.

Good night all... sleep tight.

Tuesday Gratitudes...

2009-11-17T19:41:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for...

~Kyndra washing and conditioning Kylee's hair this morning. We only asked her to go check up on her sister in the tub and she went the extra step to help her out.

~The big tub of train tracks, Tony's old Matchbox cars, planes and various other things with wheels that we got down out of the closet. The girls have had no interest in TV since we let them dump it out in the office and play to their hearts content.

~Fishy swimming lessons... I love all of the opportunities for kids our town has. Kylee is now a fishy and loving it. Kyndra is now a fishy with flippers.

~Cinnamon Life cereal for dinner.

~And, oh yes, that fence job that Kyndra's teacher had for us. Some of you may be familiar with "The Farm" from the bridges math curriculum... well the our fence job is for just those farms that have invaded our school hallways for years. Now I am thankful for being a mom of a first grader who is going to create one of those farms, and we get to cut the thousands of pieces of fence. I really am thrilled to be able to help :) Just wondering where this farm will end up after it is completed???

~Three new magazines in the mail today, including Family Fun with lots of fun holiday ideas.

~The turkey centerpieces the girls and I made this weekend and the generous certificate Tony's mom sent us to purchase our holiday bird with. The best news out of these turkey gratuities is that Tony's parents get to spend Thanksgiving with us.

Catch ya tomorrow :)

Thankful Series...

2009-11-16T19:57:00.000-08:00

I am going to start my first blog series (well, maybe second). I wanted to blog each day next week about the things in life that I am thankful for, but I realized that one of those things would be that the girls and I will be gone to visit my family. And, so it begins now and everyday until we depart that I will focus on all the many, many things in life that I am thankful for.

Which are...

~My dear friend Taunya who will no longer have much time to read this blog, as she is the proud mother of twin boys. Alec William and Blake Anthony joined us on Taunya's birthday, November 7th. They are little, but doing well. I am completely overjoyed for my friends. I seriously think Taunya may have been a little sick of me forgetting her birthday, so she just had to give birth on that day. Now if I forget I will really feel bad.

~The upcoming trip that the girls and I are taking to see my mom and dad. We are staying in a hotel in a town near where they both live. We are going to make ourselves completely available to visit with just them. I have no idea what those three nights and four days will include and that is the beauty of it. As necessasary, I have no expectations. In the very least we will swim in the pool, jump on the bed, eat happy meals, and shop at the second hand stores that I used to go to with my grandma (gulp, a few tears at that thought). In my greatest hopes, my girls will get to spend some quality time with my mom and dad. They will get to better know these two little angels that we are blessed with.

~The wonderful essays my students are working on about what they are thankful for... and our upcoming feast on Friday. I was nervous to pull off a feast on my own (minus my six year teaching partner who has moved on to snottier noses aka. first graders), but I think it just may be wonderful. I am learning not to underestimate myself.

~My star student of the week's photo montage that was the talk of the class. She, that would be my friend Grace, was beaming as her classmates admired her pictures (thanks Anne). There was laughter, conversation, and most importantly a huge smile on Grace's face as her friends gathered 'round her pictures. It melted my heart.

~Our new bed that will be delivered tomorrow. I feel that we have come full circle as our current bed was our first "big" purchase together. It was such a huge deal all of those eleven years ago. And now we are starting over, this time with a head and foot board as well as a pillowtop... ahh!!! Dreamy!!! Best of all, our old bed that really isn't awful is going to a single mom with four little boys who is starting from scratch... total and complete scratch.

~Our dinner tonight of ham leftover from the church breakfast, scalloped potatoes from a box (I know that probably mortifies some people... sorry), mini pancakes (not from a box) and scrambled eggs (from a chicken). Kyndra hardly took a breath as she was so excited about dinner. Really it is those $1.13 per person dinners that really pack the most bang.

~The fact that my wonderful husband is going to Kyndra's class tomorrow to pick up fence that needs to be cut. I am not exactly positive what the fence is for at this point. I am sure it is the construction paper variety, but nonetheless I LOVE that he is willing to help and be present. I really struggle with not being present and truly appreciate his efforts.

More to come tomorrow and the next day and the next day...

I would love to know what everyone is thankful for these days :)

Borrowed Leaves...

2009-10-30T11:46:00.000-07:00

We don't have leaves of our own yet. Our mini-orchard trees are just babies and our new Red Maple only spreads a few leaves in our yard. I really don't imagine we will ever have many leaves, as we built our house of wood on a place where the wind huffs, puffs and blows terribly hard on a regular basis.

But... thankfully our church had some leaves we could borrow and partake in piling, throwing, and jumping in.

Birthday Hats...

2009-10-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

Kylee turned four yesterday. We can hardly believe it... it seems like it was just yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital and she needed us for everything. I thought I should record exactly "what is up" with her these days.

She...

-loves Barbies
-loves Polly Pockets
-loves playing dress up
-is working diligently on learning her letters
(there is a deal on the table for a breakfast out with mommy when
she has mastered them)
-wants to wear only dresses and velcro shoes
-is sleeping in her new BIG bed
-has started swimming lessons and loves it
-started CCD with mommy and Anne as her teachers
(this is truly going to be a test for both of us)
-eats endless amounts of cheesesticks and yogurt, but that seems to be about it
-still cries when we take her to pretty school
-enjoys painting
-asks to sleep with someone every night
-is afraid of the dark and must have her nightlight on and her music box playing when we put her to bed
-quotes the monsters from Monsters vs. Aliens quite well
(her favorite is quote is when Bob greets the giant robot and says, "hey there, hi, we are here to destroy you". She does it in a completely animated manner)
-tells us she loves us all day long... we are the best mommy and daddy in her heart and to God and the sun and back.

Tony brought home his retired work hats. It was hard, but he managed to part with them and now the girls are wearing them all the time. They were this year's birthday hats. And, by the way I was joking about Tony having a hard time parting with these blue cowboy hats... not really his favs. This beautiful package from Taunya contains lots and lots of Polly Pockets... yeah! Thanks Taun.

Just The Family...

2009-10-11T20:08:00.000-07:00

I just realized that this weekend was spent solely with my family. We didn't hang out with anyone, besides ourselves. I just read a wonderful blog about being content and that is just what I am right now. It must take a 48 hour dose of two adorable, loving, little girls and a fun, considerate husband.

We...

~had our first family movie night, seriously, that I can remember anyway. Tony does not sit still for the length of a movie, ecspecially not a kid appropriate movie. We were able to captivate him with Monsters vs. Aliens. We all started out cuddled on the couch, but needed our space about halfway through (around popcorn and M & M time).

~hung out (the girls and I) at school for three hours while Tony slept. I got my classroom library reorganized by genre. Today I picked up camp chairs for my reading corner (I really hope lice don't like camping chairs).

~BBQed chicken and made twice baked potatoes for a lovely dinner for four. I was sad that I couldn't remember where exactly everyone sat. It has been too long since we sat down for a nice family dinner. We used to never miss... time to slow down.

~dressed the girls in matching pumpkin shirts and went to Tri-Cities to let Kylee pick out her own birthday present. She choose a pre-school teacher Barbie set and a baby nursery doctor Barbie set. We dined at Red Robin and hit Costco and the Mall.

~read books, drew pictures and watched cartoons.

~did lots of laundry and a smidge of other household chores.

~went to church.

~heard I love you about a million times!!! and got oodles of kisses and hugs!!! The girls are so generous with their love... what a blessing!!!

I have to remember to pencil in these family weekends... I do think they are good for the spirit. Next weekend the girls are going to spend the weekend with grandma and grandpa ALONE. I usually always go, but they are ready to go by themselves. Tony is working both days. It is going to be so weird... I am guessing I will cry. At least we will have just had this weekend that was "Just the Family".

Our Latest Insults...

2009-10-03T15:10:00.000-07:00

Kyndra and Kylee really seem to be getting on each other's nerves these days. It is hard not to laugh when they are insulting each other because they use such funny words. There is a lot of "head" and "pants" involved. "Meanhead" and "crabbypants" are two favorites. Kylee often tells Kyndra, "I am frustrating at you". Kyndra is constantly complaining that Kylee "is in her business". There is constant mimicking and endless face making. Kylee's latest comeback for everything can be viewed on this video.

Don't get me wrong we are truly working on using our kind words, but I am thankful these are the worst of our insults (for now).

Disney '09...

2009-09-28T19:18:00.001-07:00

I labeled this post Disney '09 because we realized on this trip that we are tried and true Disneyland junkies. We originally thought we would wait about ten years before returning again, but we now know that won't be the case. Whatever ails you can be cured with a dose of Disney. We are thinking there will, in the very least, be a Disney '12. To our surprise, Kyndra was a complete adrenalin freak. We couldn't keep her off the super thrill rides. Kylee had her favorites too, but they were a little slower paced. We are hoping we didn't scar her for life with a couple of the rides we did coax her on. Her heart rate was easily slowed with a spin on the Tea Cups or a leisurely trip in Pooh's honey pot.

I was sooooo happy to see Sully...

The Nelson girls...

It's Halloweentime in Disneyland...

First at the gates...
The water park at our pirate hotel...

The characters were everywhere (some were even dressed in their Halloween attire)...

A few more pics from our journey...

I can't begin to express how blessed we feel to have been able to accompany our girls on this magical trip.

We're Off...

2009-08-31T18:18:00.000-07:00

I have officially started my 8th year of teaching third grade (11th year of teaching). Kyndra has officially became a 1st grader. And Kylee has joined her buddies at pretty school.

-I love my new room (that would be my 6th new room at my school), I love my class, and I love all the sights, sounds, and smells of school in the fall (not to be confused with the springtime smells P.U.). And, I love love love my Promethean Board. I don't like leaving my girls!!! Thank goodness the day in the life of a teacher exceeds the speed of light and the aches of missing my girls aren't felt much during the day.

- Kyndra has been filled with anxiety about the school year. Her fears subsided a bit right after open house, but returned shortly after. I was worried for her (I don't know where her worrying comes from), but never fear she "LOVES" first grade. "It is better than the best!" Most of the details are unknown of course, but she has been playing school all afternoon with Kylee. I think I am getting a glimpse into her classroom. The discipline policy is clear in my mind as Kylee is not the greatest pupil. I do believe there is also some sort of sign language to use the restroom.

-Kylee, oh Kylee has started back to pretty school much to her dismay. She informed us that a lot of the kids in her class don't really like her. My curiosity sparked, I asked her why that was. She said she just couldn't understand why since she is the nicest girl in her class and the best listener. Hmmm, I just don't know why the kids are a little put off. That part is funny... the tear filled, clawmarked, screaming drop offs... NOT SO CUTE. Doesn't help with the guilt factor.

Here she is ready to go... this is not what she picked out to wear, but her choice outfit required ironing that was just not happening this morning... maybe tomorrow.

Back to school bash...

And now I must go, I am supposed to be cleaning the super dirty trailer for our upcoming Labor Day trip. Whose idea was it to plan a trip the first weekend after school starts??? I'm sure it will be just what the doctor ordered when the time comes.

Have a great first week of school all of you school goers and educators!

Busy Days...

2009-08-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today was a busy, busy day. It seems like the one and only summer when I have a three and six year old is on fast forward all of a sudden. We are trying hard to meet our mounding obligations and still take the time for summer fun. Today was filled with cheerleader camp, delivering a hot blackberry cobbler to the police department, moving classrooms, piles of dishes, working on cartwheels in the backyard, picking our first homegrown tomatoes, multiple viewings of Beverly Hills Chihuahua, mac and cheese and eggs for dinner two hours late, watermelon, lawn mowing, etc...

I thought we had better stop and grab some shots in front of our Giant Sunflower patch. As you can see we only had one survivor, but he is strong.

Vacation 2009...

2009-07-26T21:58:00.000-07:00

Two weeks flew by as we camped our way through this diverse state of ours from the coast of Newport to Mt. Hood. Here is a little recap A to Z style...

A-Alpine slide At Ski-Bowl's Adventure Park
B-Beverly Beach State Park, Beavers, Birds & Bats... evening programs in the parks
C-Cherry picking, Canoeing, Cousins, Castles
D-Devils Punch Bowl (where we liked to hang out at the beach)
E-Every Minute Packed With Action & Smiles
F-Fun with Family & Friends
G- Grandma & Grandpa, Giggles, Games by the Campfire
H-Hundreds of Miles Logged On Tony's bike, Hikes
I-Ice Cream at Volcano Cones in Government Camp
J-Jr. Ranger Kyndra (she completed all of her requirements & is official), Jazmyn (became a crazy swimmer dog)
K-Kyndra's Favorite Part... Everything, Kylee's Favorite Part... Feeding the Ducks
L- Lake... swimming, fishing, & paddling
M-Mo's, Monkey Bars (Kyndra crossed for the first time by herself), Miles of Walking
N-Neighbors... who joined us at Trillium Lake for their first family camp trip, YEAH!!!
O- Oregon Coast Aquarium, Octopus Trees, Outdoor Showers
P- oPossum Pouches... more Jr. Ranger activities
Q- Quiet Mornings... the girls and I slept in while Tony and Jazmyn explored
R- Reading... I finished my first book in practically forever, This Much I Know Is True
S- Silver Falls (We ALL completed a brutal three mile hike... Tony and I were so proud of the girls), Salt Water Taffy
T- Two Wheeled Bike... Kyndra lost the training wheels, Trillium Lake, Timberline Bike Climb
U- Unbelievable... Our little Kylee once so afraid of the ocean couldn't stay away!
V- Very Fast... our vacation days have come and gone, but the memories are endless
W- Whale Watching (Kyndra, Tony, and I)... one of the Grays surfaced within ten feet of our boat
X- eXtra Soil Setting On My Washer... thank goodness!
Y- Yummy Food... camp air just seems to add that perfect flavor to food, especially breakfast
Z- Zs On Tony's Feet... the tan lines his favorite river shoes make

A Wood Cutting We Will Go...

2009-07-10T20:37:00.000-07:00

Tony, the girls, Jazmyn and I took a little trip to the woods south of Pilot Rock. We were on a mission to gather firewood for our big camping trip coming up next Tuesday. There really wasn't anywhere I would have rather been this afternoon than in this little spot in the woods with my family.
This log DID NOT end up in our pick up ready for our campfires... a little on the ambitious side don't you think Tony.

Jazmyn loved biting the long hairlike pieces of moss off the rocks and flinging them around. That's what I call a good time.

Kyndra LOVES to climb on fallen logs.

Kylee is telling me quite a story.

Jump Jazmyn Jump!!!

A little help daddy.

This is a snap.

I hope she didn't get any bugs in her teeth.

This is the good stuff in life!!!

Magone (Magoon) Lake...

2009-06-29T07:13:00.000-07:00

We're here... first camping trip of the summer. Yes, Kylee's rain coat and the boots were necessities on this trip.

This "one" pair of binoculars were a big hit for the explorers.

The awesome sandy swimming hole was quickly renamed Treasure Island.

We traded in our 4-wheeler for this wonderful army green, Old Town canoe. We are ready for the lakes and some short river trips... YEAH!

We did have a few bites of Brook Trout and Rainbow Trout cooked over the campfire.

We spied lots of animals including this muskrat and family of ducks. A deer visited our camp and Tony got up close and personal with a beaver.

Gracie and Kylee hung out on the fishing deck to watch the great fishermen and girls.

What you can't see here is Amy aka. The Grumpy Old Troll at the other end of the bridge. Those of you lucky enough to be familiar with Dora are aware of that character that Amy graciously played. She was an expert riddle maker and the girls managed to solve them in order to continue on their journey.

A short dip in the chilly water.

Cuddling and shivering on the beach.

A little help please.

Magone Lake will definitely be a family favorite.

The Boys, The Bikes, and The Beach...

2009-05-20T14:29:00.001-07:00

We've logged another great Reach the Beach weekend. Reach the Beach is Tony's favorite charity ride. Proceeds go to the American Lung Association. He proudly rides for his grandmother.

This year we were joined by an amazing group of friends. The boys choose Salem as their start point. They put in 80 miles by the time they reached Pacific City. We spent our first night in Salem and saw the boys off at the starting gates. The girls (friends included) and I went to the carousel on the waterfront in Salem. There is just something magical about carousels and the smiles on these faces.

SalemPacific City (The Beach)Tony and Ty have been training like crazy. It paid off because "they did not get passed." Of course their are no winners or losers, but "they did not get passed." They have surpassed the 1000 mile mark, only 200o more to go this season.Exploring the tide pools with daddy as mommy stood aside in paranoia of those sneaker waves.
Sea annnnnnnennnnnnammmmmmeeeeeees or something like that.

Cave dwelling.
Happy Times!!!
Going up...
Come on Abby, I'll pull ya up...
I don't know about this...
Coming down, slow motion...
Coming down, full speed ahead...
The weekend was topped off with a visit with cousins. Backyard sprinklers and plastic pools put a smile on every ones' face... and the BBQ was the icing on the cake... oh no wait we had carrot cake and strawberry cake, so I guess that was the icing.

Everybody wants to help baby Chloe...

Thanks to friends and family for an unforgettable weekend!!!

Smells Like Sunscreen...

2009-04-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

Outside...

2009-04-18T12:32:00.001-07:00

We've been doing a lot outside lately, which for me means I completely abandon all my responsibilities inside. I just can't figure out how those superwomen do it ALL. Needless to say I just haven't been blogging.

We have been having a lot of fun with springtime outdoor projects. Our list includes...

Planting a little mini orchard (a plum, a pear, a peach, and two apple trees)

Planting blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries

Putting in our little pumpkin patch

Tilling and preparing (including dog proofing) our little attempt of a garden

Planting shrubs and putting down grass seed... which I have been obsessing over watching grow little by little

Aerating the backyard

And making a really really really long wish list of things we wish we could do... someday.

To Tony's personal list I would add BIKING, BIKING, BIKING. He is gearing up for a charity ride in May called "Reach the Beach" and he has set a 3000 mile goal for the riding season this year. Do I wonder if he will make it??? Absolutely not, he is way too determined to not reach it. I am hoping Kylee's current strongwilledness grows into that same brute determination.

One of my least proud moments lately has been sending Kylee to pretty school like this...

Yep, that's right BARE FOOT. I, of course, was running late, so her wonderful teachers put her in a pair of socks for the day and sent me on my way. She had gotten into the car herself and I didn't notice her lack of foot attire when I was buckling her car seat... OOOPS!

One of our most proud moments lately was watching Kyndra participate in the annual Lincoln School Egg Drop Contest. Her egg survived, which was exciting, but even more exciting was watching her support her friends whose eggs didn't make it. She is truly a tender heart.

Well time to get back outside... today's plans include pressure washing YEAH!

Loved To Hear Her Cry...

2009-04-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

Usually I can hardly stand to hear my dear friend Taunya cry. It truly breaks my heart, because she is deserving of nothing more than complete happiness in my book. I haven't heard her cry many times at all in our 12+ year friendship. She is just so easy going and accepting of everything and anyone, which those of you who know her are well aware of and those who have barely met her could tell right away I'm sure. Well, when I got the call yesterday at 3:15 and she was crying my heart did not break in fact I think it about swelled out of my chest when I heard her say the words, "I'm pregnant". It has been seven years to the month of March since she and her husband, Tony, started trying. I know this because our plan was to get pregnant at the same time, since we were born in the same hospital and then later met in Spanish class at Western (where I did occasionally have to borrow her homework, because the dog ate mine). We went on to marry police officer boys named Tony (our nuptials were two weeks apart), move to Eastern Oregon, and teach third grade. There were some other uncanny similarities along the way, but those were the biggies. So the plan was to have babies at the same time, but it didn't work out as we had planned. As I enjoyed my girls I prayed and prayed for Taunya and Tony to be blessed with children. I can close my eyes and completely envision the amazing mother Taunya is going to be and now that vision is only nine short months away. Let the shopping begin!!!

Taunya & baby Kyndra

Bring On The Birds...

2009-03-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

Friday night Tony and I got to talking about all of the things we should be doing this weekend. The list was long, but we were easily taken off track when I mentioned I would really like to have some bird houses around our place. I have so many fond memories from my grandparent's home that include birds. There were hummingbird feeders, bird bathes, and houses a plenty. My grandma had a stack of bird books by her big picture window and she and I would watch and study the birds all day. Tony easily obliged my whim and we left behind all hopes of a spotless home for yet another weekend. We got online and searched for the best plans we could find for some kid friendly bird houses (just think only two years ago we were searching for house plans for US). Three houses ranked pretty high, but the coffee can version won out. We invited the neighbor girls to join our little building extravaganza (hopefully we will get an extended family of birds to move into the neighborhood). Bird word should spread pretty quickly that we are friend to all feathered creatures on our little drive.

We didn't have enough coffee cans so Tony scoured two local recycle centers for supplies (you know those coffee cans don't fit through the openings in the bins). He picked up the rest of the supplies at Tum-a-lum and started cutting pieces. I heard all the usual, "this would be so much easier with a table saw." I assured him the bird houses didn't have to be "that" precise. We gave the pieces a quick coat of paint and we were ready to go (don't worry our chores didn't go anywhere).

Sunday was the day for letting loose with paint, brushes, and stamps. Five adorable little girls painted five adorable little bird houses. After the paint was dry the daddies helped nail the little condos together and there you have it... Bring on the birds. Cleaning windows and scrubbing molding will be so much more fun as I watch a mama bird bring snacks to her babies... right.

The Glasses...

2009-03-09T20:07:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to go to a PBS (positive behavior support) conference in Eugene with an awesome group of ladies. One of them was Kyndra's school counselor, whom she is quite fond of. As I was publicly displaying my angst over being away from my family for the first time, the counselor began to talk about my sweet Kyndra. During the conversation she mentioned Kyndra getting new glasses. I assured her she didn't, but she said she was sure she had seen Kyndra wearing blue glasses in class while she was doing her work. I thought perhaps all the kids had on glasses for Dr. Suess week, but she said that wasn't the case. When I got home from the conference I peeked through Kyndra's backpack and found the doctor kit glasses in a secret pocket. The same doctor kit glasses that she has worn every chance she has gotten for the last six months (unless dad is around, he is quite done with the doctor glasses). I asked Kyndra if her "glasses" were a distraction to the other kids. She thought maybe they were, but her teacher told her she was just too cute and didn't make her take them off.

Her teacher has also recently warned us that Kyndra tells her "everything". The last thing she shared was about when we were teasing her that she was going to have to scrub the toilets before grandma and grandpa came because mom and dad didn't love that chore (who are we kidding we don't love any chore). She fretted all day at school about having to go home and scrub the toilets. Mrs. P shared that little tale with Tony as he picked Kyndra up in the ever so famous car line.

Anyway "the glasses" have definitely made the family memory banks. She insisted on putting them on Sparky for the photo shoot. He is our first garage sale buy of the year... let the floodgates open... AHHHHHH!!! She is awfully cute :)

Lately...

2009-02-28T09:38:00.001-08:00

Jazmyn won't leave Tony's side, making some tasks a little difficult. They are both missing their buddy.

The girls have gotten to spend a lot of days with daddy while I am at work. I wish I was with them all day every day, but I know how blessed we are that Tony is able to keep them home a few days a week. They are always busy, busy, busy. They get all those weekday errands done, bring me all the things I have forgotten at home, and simply play the day away. They have also had a couple of bake-a-thons. They are in such good hands :)

We have been Dr. Suessing our time away. Kyndra is really beginning to love to read and the big Suess birthday has her all excited.

Tony spent Friday night and Saturday at a mens' conference for church. His dad came over and they had a great time.

I have had a black eye that just won't photograph quite right. Something was wrong with my cat like reflexes the other day when I asked Kyndra to get me the phone. She decided to toss it to me and I caught it with my eye. It is a lovely shade of green today.

Kyndra has been taking clay classes and is LOVING them.

Kylee is taking a creative movement class for toddlers. She is loving it as well, but she is beginning to give her teacher a run for her money. Just can't quite follow those silly little rules.

Other than that LATELY we have just been hanging out :)

Dancing The Night Away...

2009-02-16T20:06:00.000-08:00

FINALLY, FINALLY, FINALLY Tony was able to take Kyndra to the Daddy Daughter Dance. He asked if he could bring her two years ago and was told absolutely not! It was even suggested to him by the powers that be that he should just turn on some music and dance in the living room... WELL, humph. So, they waited and did lots of dancing in the living room (which was already happening well before it was suggested to him). Kyndra's most insistent response was that it was worth the wait by a mile. She had a blast... all of it, the getting ready, the dinner at Comos, and the endless boogeying. She said her favorite dance was Cotton Eyed Joe (she called it Where Did We Come From, Where Did We Go). I would have given anything to see those two busting a move on the floor to that tune. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow. I couldn't be prouder of the little girl daddy that Tony has become... gulp :) I know time will only go too fast until I am blogging about that first prom night.

Kylee stayed with me and grooved to her own drummer, wait a minute that is what she ALWAYS does. She put together this little outfit and put on quite a show for me, then she and I went to a friends house for pizza and cookie decorating. Fun times for all!

Farewell Dear Friend...

2009-02-15T02:32:00.000-08:00

Havik passed away at 2:30 this morning. He will be missed more than words can say. Now to decide how to tell the girls when they wake up. Sleep will not come easy.

Praying For The Best, Expecting The Worst...

2009-02-12T20:18:00.000-08:00

It has been a sad 36 hours in our house. Yesterday morning when Tony tried to take the dogs for a walk Havik halted in his tracks. He was not interested and wanted to do nothing more than lay in any cozy hiding spot he could find. He would not move all day. We had to use extreme coaxing to even get him to go outside. We recognized a myriad of other symptoms. By evening we decided we needed to do the most revealing of tests... the ball test. As soon as he snubbed a game of fetch Tony was grief stricken. He was convinced of the absolute worst. He is nine years old, but we were expecting five plus more years with our beloved Havik. I'm sure Tony didn't sleep a wink and I tossed a great deal many more times than usual in my bed. This morning I called the vet right away and they got him in ASAP. Test after test came back unstartling until the blood work revealed a major electrolyte imbalance, particularly potassium. It was so far off the norm that they ran it twice. The diagnosis is leaning towards Addison's Diesease (a very, very expensive test will let us know tomorrow). The good news is while the symptoms are totally alarming and the possibilites are yucky all likelyhood is that he will start on a once monthly steriod shot (administered by the owner) and all will be well. He will need to aviod stress ??? Dog therapy, day spa, yoga??? Anyway we are much more optimistic tonight than we were this morning. I think Tony has turned the corner of expecting the most gloomy outcome.

A Rough One...

2009-02-09T17:59:00.000-08:00

It has been quite a rough afternoon to say the least. LOTS and LOTS of tears and time outs... for all three of the girls in our home. One dinner nearly too late for the one blue-suited, tin-badged boy in our house who asks for little more than a meal during his 12 plus hour work day. One bite of dinner the youngest member (and most stubborn) of our family held in her mouth for twenty minutes. I won't tell you how we finally got it down, but it consisted of turning it into smaller portions. A long list of Valentines to complete and homework we forgot over the weekend and a huge pile of laundry are looming over my head.

So what am I doing... checking blogs, realizing it is quiet, and wondering what those two are up to. I am going, camera in hand, to check it out.

And so I found them, playing in their bathroom, happy as clams, as if there had been no drama at all this evening.

"Hi mama, we're playing in here," said the little one. "I see that," I reply with a smile, "I see that."

Kylee is lost in the land of Polly Pocket and Kyndra finished up a lovely game of dinosaur husband and wife. She is now seated at the table quietly doing her homework and I am off to tackle the laundry. The Valentines can wait yet another day. We have to make sure we have cuddle time on the couch :) with a good book or two.

Okay, so I'm not crabby anymore...blogging is good for the soul!!!

Sailor Girl...

2009-02-05T19:11:00.000-08:00

Kylee at her finest, dressed up and ready for her belated Christmas program. She was her usual bundle of energy as we attempted a photo shoot, but she was quite shy during her program. Wasn't she a baby just a few weeks ago...GULP.

Where Did January Go?...

2009-02-05T19:01:00.000-08:00

First baby of the year at St. Anthony Hospital, beautiful Avery Ann Pitner. Isn't she adorable!!! Grace is in heaven...She loves babies!!!

Made it outside a bit. Those bug eyed sunglasses give the facade of spring day.

Sweet Kyndra has learned to tie her own shoes...

So proud (mom and dad too)...

Kung Fu Pan-Cakes at Kyndra's sixth birthday party...
Yes I said sixth, I still can't believe it...

And one of our favorite little family tidbits that we don't ever want to forget, the weeks of finding Kyndra fast asleep wearing her Santa hat.

This was not the way we left her when we tucked her in, but she seemed to locate the hat in the dark and secure it on her head before drifting off to dreamland...

Birds & Words...

2009-02-05T18:55:00.000-08:00

This weekend I discovered an adorable blue bird at Target. I was drawn to the bird just as I was drawn to Lindsay's beautiful nest photo (see amazing banner that will likely remain for years to come... Thank You Lindsay). Something about birds makes me smile and so I decided I am going to collect birds. Tony meekly asked if our house was going to be covered in birds like one may have discovered in my Grandma's home. I told him not to worry. I'm going for the slightly abstract bird and I won't go CRAZY in a feather fetish. The second decor I have been drawn to are words just as I am drawn to the words of my blogging friends. These two things make me smile and I am so happy to declare that I am finally collecting something. I have been searching for just such a signature for a long time.

Home Sweet Home...

2009-01-19T19:50:00.000-08:00

It's so good to be home today. We just returned from a long, busy, eventful, memorable weekend in Portland... and I forgot my camera :(

Quick recap with all I have to offer... WORDS.

Friday brought the first of Kyndra's sixth birthday parties. We arrived at grandma and grandpa's to a beautiful, yummy Barbie Doll cake. We sang and laughed and enjoyed watching Kyndra open her new PINK COWGIRL BOOTS. I'm sure there will be many pictures of them in the future as they won't leave her feet often.

Saturday was the big meeting from which the Nelson family left as farmers. Tree farmers that is, which is considerably easier than the type of farming done around here. You pretty much just watch them grow. We signed on the dotted line to be part of the Gross Family (yes, that is my maiden name) Tree Farm, LLC. We won't see a harvest for twenty years, but hey it is less work. Saturday evening brought the second of the birthday parties at Aunt Amy's house. Burgers, another cake, and LOVE. I was overjoyed, because both of my parents were there and everyone was happy and seemingly healthy... this has not always been the case, but God has done some work with my family (THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU).

Sunday was yet another party to bring together the paternal side of Tony's family. Many gathered who had not gathered for way too long. Lots of kids, lots of laughter, lots of pizza and ice cream. One of Tony's wonderful younger cousins has been battling cancer for some time now. He is putting up a strong fight, but could use the prayers of all who read this. We gave lots of hugs and waved good bye with big cheesy grins.

Monday, today, brought the drive home. It is so good to come HOME. Our house does hug us. It seemed to miss us (along with our four legged family members who were eagerly awaiting us) just as much as we missed it. Last Friday when I rushed in from work to load the car and take off a box was waiting for me. It had a stack of "Home Sweet Home" cards in it made by the incredibly crafty hands of Taunya. These are coming out in place of those Christmas cards I just didn't get to. If I had written out a Christmas letter the most important word I would have written about our year last year is that we are finally HOME!!!

A Sledding We Will Go...

2009-01-11T18:44:00.000-08:00

The day began with snowflake pancakes (thanks to Taunya for the fun pan)...

A much needed snooze for Tony on the way up. He was up for 36 hours, but still had a blast...

Graceful landings...

My little pink, snow bunnies...

Enjoying warm hot dogs and cookies on the snow bank...

That's a lot of little girls, 13 to be exact, along with one boy...

"Come on Mom, let's hit the road"

And so ended another blissful day sledding at Spout Springs.

Spreading Their Wings...

2009-01-05T19:30:00.000-08:00

Playing games all by themselves with the exception of the occasional need for a referee (Thanks to Taunya for the super sized Candyland game, it's a hit).

Taking creative liberties with hair styles.

Doing more and more cooking (usually with just a little help from Grandma & Grandpa).

And the biggest news for the Nelson fledglings is they now have their own rooms. We thought some personal space was in keeping with our theme of 'Freedom'.

With only half a dozen cries for mommy and daddy, one snuggle session each, one little sister sneak into big sister's room, one night light, one hall light, numerous windings of the jewelry box ballerina, and lullabies playing on the CD player they slept cozy as could be in their own rooms.

My Word...

2009-01-03T20:19:00.000-08:00

As I have been browsing posts, I have enjoyed reading about people's aspirations and resolutions for 2009 and reflections on 2008.

I have been doing a lot of reflecting and aspiring myself the past few days... Always good practice!

In particular I was inspired by those who choose one word to imprint on their lives for this new year. I have been trying to follow their lead and wrap my own outlook for this year into one word. I should begin by saying I gave up New Years resolutions long ago, deciding that everyday is the opportunity to begin anew and become a better you. This New Year feels so different in my little family. It feels as if we have landed. We've got the basic blueprint (reflecting back on our construction days) in place. The couple broaching ten years of marriage that neither of us would have changed in anyway, the two beautiful, bright, loving, blessings we have the privilege of calling our daughters, the jobs, the dogs, and the house which sits next to our trailer that will take us on many adventures (none of which will ever include permanent residence again). I think it is just a good time to take one big step forward into this year and the future in general.

The word that best describes my wishes for my family this year is... FREEDOM.

~I hope for Tony to have freedom from the stress and often unpleasantness of his job. I aspire for him to have time to wander out into the woods on his snowshoes, feel the ultimate release of clocking hundreds of miles on his bike, to find space in his busy life for quiet moments drawing or writing verses, and to always know that he has three cheerleaders at home.

~I hope for Kyndra to have freedom from her worries or at least those that are beyond what a five (almost six) year old should be concerned with. Her little heart is just so sweet that she panics over the feelings of others and if she has done the right thing. I love that she is conscientious, but I want her to have the freedom of being 'just' a little girl.

~ I hope for Kylee to continue to have the freedom of 'not' being in a box. She is her own person, marching to her own drum. I want to continue to celebrate her spiritedness and help channel all that is Kylee in a positive direction. I aspire for her to continue to use her funny little words to humor us and express her feelings.

~ For myself I desire freedom from these extra pounds that I have been carrying around for way too long. I desire to be a healthy, energetic mom and wife. I desire the freedom to hold my head just a little higher. I have all the tools, but I just keep failing to commit and letting my personal goals take a sideline.

~And last for my family as a whole I hope we can celebrate all the freedoms that we have. I know, being an American, our list of freedoms is endless, but some in particular that I want to celebrate this year are: freedom of religion, I really want to feed our faith this year as my kids are starting to understand this ever so important part of our family... the freedom to play, play, play and just not sweat the small stuff... the freedom to live as we wish and continue to focus on a more simple life to be free from indebtedness... to just be ourselves and live up to our standards, which I think are laden with integrity and perseverance... the freedom to reach out to those who are hurting or in need... the freedom to take deep, healthy breaths everyday and smile at each morning that greets us.

It's going to be a great year!

Thank You...

2008-12-25T16:02:00.000-08:00

Tony just reminded me of my kindness container. During the Civil War game friends and family members exchanged kind words and placed them in containers with our names on them (mommies only that is) to be opened on Christmas day. I had forgotten until this afternoon, but was touched to say the least by the words in this little container. Besides the words placed in the container that day my husband has been adding LOTS of special notes to me. I am feeling pretty special at this moment. I strongly reccomend this activity to one and all.

Thank you to Santa for sending these most important words for our wall.

And THANK YOU, THANK YOU Tony for tackling the sock monster.

You are the best for countless reasons!

The Faces...

2008-12-25T14:29:00.000-08:00

Of the million and one things I simply can't get enough of with Kylee, her extremly expressive faces are pretty near the top. I know I could never capture her spirit in pictures, but Christmas morning pics come pretty close...

So tired, she wasn't the first one up and had to struggle to open her peepers.

Hmmm, what have we here?

Awesome, a dance cam, now I can watch myself shake my booty!

"Thanks mom and dad I love it, it's wonderful!"

Did you just tell me to be patient?
Check out my new hat, thanks Aunt Amy.
"Um dad, take my picture."
"This was so much fun, I'm so happy."

All Aboard...

2008-12-25T14:14:00.000-08:00

One Polar Express Train courtesy of the big, jolly guy himself...

May they always hear the jingle of the bell!

Roller Kyndra

2008-12-25T14:10:00.000-08:00

Cause & Effect...

2008-12-20T08:32:00.000-08:00

One of my least favorite lessons to teach in reading is cause and effect, but I was feeling it as a theme as I wondered around my house this morning...

Cause:

Effect:

This chair is one of MANY items that has fallen prey to Jazmyn the dog, as she has been stuck in the house the past few days.

Cause:

Effect: Happy tummies, grins, and giggles!

Cause:

Effect: Complete frustration, as I am loosing the battle of the socks!

Cause: Kyndra no longer sucks her thumb at ALL!

Effect: Slightly less orthodontia in her future (wishful thinking) and the feeling of being that much more grown up.

Cause: Tonight being Kylee's last night with a pacifier (so we say). The plan is to give most of them to the baby in Amy's tummy and one to baby Jesus.

Effect: Fear on mine and Tony's part.

Cause:

Effect: Warm hearts and fond memories.

Effect #2: Tears for three Oregon law enforcement families who only get to see their daddy in the hospital or at a cemetery this holiday season.

Overall Effect of Today's Lesson: Feeling blessed that the worst of our problems are lost and mismatched socks, a few chewed up messes, and the ending of the thumb and pacifier era. Feeling overwhelming gratitude.

Beauty Tips For The Holidays...

2008-12-19T12:00:00.000-08:00

Last weekend our little family enjoyed the living Nativity in park. We walked it for the first time and while I had dreaded getting out of our warm car into the snowy, chilly air I felt so blessed that we did. We have driven it many many times, but walking was an entirely different experience. It truly felt like we were in one of the Nativity story books we have been reading to the girls.

There was a little excitement when a lamb departed Bethlehem and made her way a block down the road... never fear she did make her way back to the manger.

I was proud of my husband that night as we arrived and he saw his "guys" standing in the cold directing traffic he turned to me and said wait here. He ran over and got them some hot coffee at the gas station. Tony is always looking for little ways to show them how much he appreciates their efforts. Directly telling them is a smidge difficult for him, so whenever he can pamper them a little, he does.

One of my ex-students, who had been quite troubled as a second grader, was handing out fliers as we began our walk. He seemed so happy to be a part of this spectacular event. It warmed my heart. Anyway, the purple flier has been sitting by my computer ever since that night, because I thought there was such a sweet message typed on the back. I wanted to share it...

Beauty Tips For The Holidays

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it at least once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

People, even more than things, need to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and one for helping others.

One Big Tree...

2008-12-14T14:10:00.000-08:00

This tree is truly Tony's dream come true. I think it will be our only year with an eleven footer. Our friend put it best when he said we needed a double tree this year since we didn't get to have a tree last year.

Wicked Fun In The Snow...

2008-12-14T14:03:00.000-08:00

Fun with our neighbors in the snow!!! Or should I say wicked fun, Kylee's new favorite phrase... Thanks daddy!

We're Home...

2008-12-05T11:36:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Kyndra woke up with one goopy, pink eye and by the time we got to the doctor at 10:45 both were looking pretty sad. The girls and I have been home...
I tried some new recipes. I was in a hurry to deliver treats to the staff at Lincoln School, so I left behind quite a mess...

One yummy gingerbread yule log...

One gingersnap pumpkin pudding freezer pie...

Yummy bowls to lick...
Or should I say fight over (there has been a lot of that during our quarantined confinement)...

One very messy living room, picking it up has been futile...

Talking A LOT about the big countdown...

Our favorite toy/decoration of the season. Unfortunately our camel has perished to the jaws of Jazmyn the dog. The girls were sad, but little do they know a drummer boy with two camels and "The Inn" from Bethlehem is on its way from Fisher Price as I type...
There's baby Jesus...

May you always look up to him my spirited child...

We're Ready...

2008-11-28T12:05:00.000-08:00

Shopping is done... here is one of the best packages I've ever gotten all wrapped up...

Here are our two Christmas cuties ready for pancake breakfast with Santa...
Reindeer pose...
Lights are hung by my wonderful husband with care...

Bring on the holiday cheer, we're ready!!!

To Grandmother's House We Go...

2008-11-19T19:51:00.001-08:00

Last weekend I raced out the door from school, zipped to pretty school (Kylee's word for pre-school), loaded up the girls and began the LONG LONG LONG awaited trip to grandma's. Tony was already in the Portland area, so it was just the girls and I making our way the only way we know how... crazy. I ever so safely was taking pictures of the looney toons girls behind me as I was driving and they began to recognize the signs of getting closer to grandmas.

As soon as we arrived the baking began. Those pies had to be prepared that night in order to be ready for our early Thanksgiving dinner the next day...

Presto, beautiful pumpkin pies and bon bon cookies...

A quick little turkey place mat project thanks to crafty aunt Amy...

A lovely dinner with the cousins...

Followed by story time with Grandma...

More baking...Last minute turkey sugar cookies for the ride home...

A much quieter ride home...

Turkey Party...

2008-11-12T19:53:00.000-08:00

Kyndra had a looming turkey project that she needed to complete. She kept saying that other kids were getting their turkeys in and she gets a little anxious to be behind. Our midweek Veterans Day school holiday was perfect for turkey projects. All three of us worked diligently on our turkeys.

Kylee repeatedly said, "This is the best turkey party I have ever had!"

Kyndra remarked many times that her teacher would love her turkey, which made me so happy. She can be too hard on herself.

We were messy, happy, and done with they turkey project!

Here Kylee is eating the Cookie Crisp cereal that was meant to be used as mosiac pieces. Needless to say my turkey was the only one with cookies glued to it...

A little Q-tip pointillism...

Our turkey center piece is disappointed to see Kylee's turkey has been "cut". I told you ever work of art is a "cut". This is Kylee's "cut" period. Picasso had his blue period, she has her "cuts"...

Whah-la a turkey trio...

Slowin' Down...

2008-11-09T18:08:00.000-08:00

On the tails of some 'overwhelmed' moments for Kyndra, Tony and I realized we have become too busy. It wasn't long ago that we were worrying about filling the days with stimulating activity of all sorts. We wanted to make sure we were exposing the girls to as many physical, academic, and creative endevours as we could. We are now at a point that we need to make a goal of finding time to slow down and just hang out at home. We did a pretty good job this weekend.

REPEATED viewings of Barbie's Christmas Carol & Barbie and the Diamond Castle...

Vintage magnetic paper dolls, great thrift store find Grandma Nelson...

Time for Dance Party USA upstairs...

Train time with daddy...

A LONG game of ring the doorbell, come on in, Santa is the babysitter with Kylee...

You'll notice Kyndra's attire all weekend was her monkey PJs...

One of Kylee's many piles of "cuts"... all of her great works of art turns into a "cut"...

Kyndra had time for her Christmas wish list...

Even time for a pedicure from daddy before he left again for two weeks...

7:00 ?...

2008-11-06T10:40:00.000-08:00

Let me start by saying I have been having really good mornings the past few weeks. I took some advice from an expert on the Oprah show a few weeks ago. It was a terribly sad show about a busy mother who accidently left her baby in the car all day on a hot day because she had changed her routine. She didn't normally take her baby to daycare, but did that day because her husband had an appointment. You may have heard the story or can at least conclude the terrible outcome. I do know sometimes days get too busy to keep things straight and when a change is thrown in chaos can occur or important things can be overlooked. The expert on the show said the best thing busy mothers can do is get up a half hour earlier then normal and have some time to yourself before engaging the busy morning with your children. I have been getting up around 5:15 (tough at first), walking on the treadmill and watching a DVRed show. Then I drink my first cup of coffee (with delicious peppermint mocha creamer that just hit the stores... yum) by myself ...quietly. It has been life changing for me and my family. I feel so much more calm even when we end up in a rush like we do most mornings. Tony gets up and walks the dogs for a half hour and he is much more ready to greet our little munchkins in the morning. Our girls have been waking up to much more refreshed, ready for whatever comes their way parents.

This morning I really enjoyed the bathtub chatter between the girls, rather than shushing them so they would get on with the business of cleaning their little bodies. Kyndra was wondering how many days until her birthday ( a lot... it is January 22nd). Kylee kept repeating that all birthdays happen at exactly 7:00. I have no idea where she came up with this but she was very insistent as she often can be.

Kylee's Little L Lisp...

2008-11-03T16:59:00.001-08:00

Kylee has the cutest little tongue thrust going on right now with her Ls. I wanted to capture it, because I know it is the last of her sweet, little baby talk.

Happy Halloween...

2008-11-01T08:52:00.000-07:00

We have begun our first holiday season in our new home and we are so excited to embark on new traditions that will last the duration of our girls' young lives. I realized that yesterday as Tony and I were talking about Halloweens past. I was talking about the sadness of our first homegrown pumpkins being smashed by neighborhood naughties and I kept referring to it as last year. Tony finally said, "Athena, we were living in a trailer last Halloween." I had totally forgotten, not that it was bad at all, there just weren't any fond holiday memories in the trailer. It was a year in limbo of our life as it is to be here at Nelson's Nest (lovin' it).

Building a home and creating a slew of new expenses on the brink of an economic crisis has felt a little scary, but I am grateful that this year we are truly going to focus on the reasons for the season. Things have to shift for everyone and I am looking forward to humble holidays. I am thankful that our children are young as we are given this lesson of "not overdoing it", which we have done in the past. We are truly blessed with our shared faith and family to see us through.

Enough of the serious stuff :)
Halloween pics of the year...

New candy dish...

Nights of carving pumpkins in our dining room...

Preparing and posing for the evening travels...

Kylee's Third, Third Birthday...

2008-10-28T16:41:00.000-07:00

The last hurrah for Kylee's birthday came in the form of a fun trip to Seattle. Our family met up with the Pitners. As soon as we arrived the boys and girls split. The boys took in the Notre Dame vs. Washington game, which the Fighting Irish dominated. The girls headed to the Cheesecake Factory for a yummy dinner and then journeyed to The Paramount Theater to watch The Backyardigans, A Knight's Tale. Both parties enjoyed the entertainment. Kylee loved the huge, huge, huge, huge, huge, huge dragon (it wasn't even really that big, but she has repeatedly described him this way).

The next morning, following an excellent continental breakfast, we went to REI. You know the REI mothership, as Tony calls it, is in Seattle... conveniently located a block from our hotel. We picked up a couple of pairs of rubber boots for the girls. We ventured to a huge (seriously large) park for a hike to the beach. Kyndra hiked three miles. Kylee made the trip on her dad's back. It was a simply beautiful weekend!

Kylee's Second, Third Birthday...

2008-10-28T16:20:00.000-07:00

On Kylee's real birthday, October 19th, we celebrated with special friends. She wanted spaghetti and a rainbow cake. Tony was happy to oblige both of her wishes. Her day was happy, happy, happy as it should be. Tony and I both used to be opposed to friends bringing gifts for our childrens' birthdays, we just wanted their company. We didn't fuss about it for this little party and we, as if on cue after our guests left, simultaneously mentioned the spirit of giving amongst the other children. We "got it"... they enjoy bringing gifts for their friends. They were so excited to see her open her presents. We didn't plan a bunch of activities for after the meal and cake. The kids just played with the new toys and enjoyed each others company. SIMPLE & SWEET!!! And all these years I have been stressing about the "party".

Big Weekend...

2008-10-12T20:30:00.000-07:00

The girls, Havik, Jazmyn, and I packed into the car Friday night and headed to Hillsboro. Tony had too much homework to come home, so we went to him... we were missing him sooooooooooooooooo much!

Our weekend started with a long awaited trip to Roloff farm. Kyndra and I enjoy watching their T.V. show together, so she was pretty starstruck. They were filming while we were there so we are hoping to catch a glimpse of ourselves on an episode of Little People, Big World.

There was an hour long line to get into the farm.

Our first sighting of Matt... Kyndra squealed, "He's real."

No turning back.

Almost there, these pumpkins with messages started a few miles before the farm.

We're here!

Kyndra and I got to meet Molly and grandma and grandpa in Old West Town on the tractor tour.

Heading into the patch, it was glorious.

Kylee's first, third birthday party begins. Multiple birthday parties is one of the only perks of living so far from family.

We arrived home to sad looking pumpkin vines that had frozen, so we harvested our own patch even though most of them were green. We got about twenty pumpkins... next year we'll get 'em orange. The girls had a great time setting them up on the porch, including our Potatoe Head Pirate Pumpkin. Happy Fall!

No Bully Zone...

2008-10-08T20:20:00.001-07:00

I beg and I plead with Kyndra for details about Kindergarten and I basically get nothing. I get some bits and pieces as I watch her play or totally by accident if she gets on a roll, but none of the long conversations I envisioned. She is just ready to be done for the day and doesn't want to be bothered with the questions. But, today was different. She was really excited to tell me something for the first time. "Guess what Mommy, guess what," she kept repeating. I just as excitedly asked her to tell me about the "what". She was happy to report that bullys are not allowed at Lincoln School. She took this so seriously and I realized the power of this message to five year olds. She knew exactly what a bully was and that it was not acceptable at her school. I could tell she felt safer and more confident. I hope and pray my sweet, sensative girl never has to encounter a bully. I hope and pray her accepting ways break through the exterior of those people we call bullies, who we know have been bullied themselves at some point. I hope and pray more topics or issues will excite her enough to want to share with me.

Lion and the Lamb...

2008-10-08T20:02:00.000-07:00

Kylee's favorite thing to talk about right now is... herself. She is just as egocentric as she should be for an almost three year old. She always says to me, "Mommy tell me my favorites." Which means ask her about her favorite things. I go through the list quite often... favorite color, favorite story, favorite food, and so on. I asked her the other day what her favorite animal is and she first answered lion, but quickly followed up with lamb. "Yes, that's it," she said, "lions and lambs are my favorites." I wanted to remember this because this is just so fitting of my youngest, most spirited child. In any given time frame we can have Kylee the lamb... sweet, cuddly, easy to please and then the switch to Kylee the lion... I don't know how else to say it other than EXTREMELY crabby, demonstrative in her words, voice, and actions, and by no means easy to please. I know this is a phase and it too shall pass. I'm going to call it the lion and the lamb phase. Kylee is teaching me all sorts of patience and resourcefulness. I know she is making me become a better mom and I love her to pieces whether she is wearing fur or wool.

Playdates & Parades...

2008-10-05T07:43:00.001-07:00

Kyndra kicked off her weekend with a MUCH AWAITED playdate (note to self... wait to announce impending playdates) with her pals Katie and Lainey. These are her old friends, not wrinkly old, just old because she has known them for a long time, if you recall. Tony picked them up from kindergarten, fed them, made them forts, created a Shrek 3 movie theater with all the fixins, and waited, waited, waited for me to get home. He scooted promptly out the door for a bike ride when I got home. When I got home the tye-dye fest began. The neighbors joined us, as well as the Sokoloskis later in the evening. Ten tye-dyed Halloween jack-o-lantern shirts were created.

Saturday was parade day. Kyndra has been wanting to be in a parade for the last couple of years. She has seen many of her friends in the Round-Up parades and has been hoping her day would come. It just so happened that the local Kiwaniis came through for her in the form of a Pet Parade. Our dogs were troopers. Daddy joined us even though his police buddies were giggling along the route that they had to secure for 15 children and their pets. We had some rain and wind, but they were overshadowed with smiles, treats, and prizes. Havik won a prize for Most Unique and Jaz won for Shortest Tail.

More pets were on the itinerary later in the day as donkeys arrived at "Niegh"bors, the equine and owner bed and breakfast across the way from us. Tony and the girls got to go over to visit the donkeys and other horses that were at the "inn".

As evening fell Tony lit a fire in our little fire pit. The nieghbors joined us for yummy s'mores and lots of laughs.

Today will be a day to relax and sadly say good bye to Tony for two weeks as he heads to his second to last big reconstructionist training. He will be missed, but we are grateful for this fun packed weekend that we had together.

Blessed Morning...

2008-09-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

It is only 8:43 and I feel like I have had a WONDERFUL DAY! The girls woke me up this morning at 6:30 with bright smiles on their faces. Kyndra and I settled into a heartwarming movie in our newly furnished and decorated living room. I finally got a coffee table, end tables, and a lamp for our living room. I stumbled on a great estate sale yesterday. The lamp, while hideous, provides a really warm, relaxing light and the tables while chipped and scratched were just the finishing touch I was looking for. I was so excited to get out Halloween decorations that have been hidden away for a couple of years. The girls were elated when they awoke from a nap and returned from a play date to a new space for our family. Kyndra and I watched Moondance Alexander... A MUST SEE or should I say if you find yourself in the Hallmark, made for TV movie, rated G genre like myself. I was in tears of joy and she had a grin from ear to ear. Kylee was watching Clifford in the bedroom and Tony was doing yoga (his new found back therapy) upstairs. It felt so good to be together, yet comfortable doing our own thing, not rushing or trying to squeeze family time into the mere minutes we are sometimes limited to. The kitchen is clean thanks to my husband. The girls had have eaten their normal weekend breakfast... Go-gurt and Lucky Charms. They have changed out their dress up clothes numerous times and Kyndra has rounded up all her Breyer horses on the tails of our horse flic (really you must see it). Tony is now herding the girls into a bath in the sparkling tub that I cleaned yesterday... in fact I got all my chores done yesterday, so today is for fun. I am looking forward to painting my new five dollar night stands for my bedroom, maybe tackling a box or two, and enjoying my family. Tony is going to take his new riding buddy on his favorite jaunt up Cabbage Hill... we'll be waiting at the bottom.

I Love You Kyndra...

2008-09-24T19:24:00.001-07:00

Today was a long day for me, in fact it was absolutely the latest I have ever been to pick my kids up. I really try to get to them as soon as I possibly can after work, but today I couldn't get them until almost five. I told Kyndra I was so sorry I was late. She just hugged me and said, "It's okay mama, don't worry about it." She is becoming so understanding and helpful. I pray I let her know enough just how much I love her and appreciate her sweet disposition. I can't even believe I am talking about her reassuring me about something. It seems just yesterday she needed me for everything.

A Very Good Day...

2008-09-20T20:08:00.000-07:00

Last night was a worrisome, sleepless, taped Oprah at 2:00 a.m. , trying to pray (which I am still not very good at) type of night. Today started out as a frustrated, teary, high anxiety type of day, but it didn't end that way. I wasn't hopeful. I wanted to stay in bed and hide, but I didn't. I crawled in the truck with Tony and the girls and went to The Bike Pit in Pilot Rock. We joined up with the Pitners there and had a really nice time. Riding four-wheelers is something we all really enjoy and did so today for two hours. We were super hungry so we found the nearest burger joint in the big town of Pilot Rock, Blue Mountain Cafe. It was just our families with four little girls and a few locals looking on with smiles. It was PERFECT. Comfort food at its finest. I savored every bite of my burger with a grilled bun, tater tots with thousand island dressing, and a monster Diet Coke in one of those big red plastic Coke tumblers with a bright pink straw. I was certainly almost totally done with my pity party and lucky for me the day just kept getting sweeter. The neighbor girls came over for the evening and we had lots and lots of giggles. We had two pizzas... one we cooked from Papa Murphy's that flew through the air into Tony's arms for a catch attempt with a final landing partially on the floor and partially on the oven door... never fear we ordered another from Pizza Hut and were dining in only thirty five short minutes. We colored the night away. Really is there anything more theraputic than opening a new box of 24 Crayolas and going to town with little girls who are thrilled to be sitting and coloring with you. Next, we decorated cupcakes with completely free creative license. I got to sit at the kitchen table and visit with my friends while the girls played (a vision I held onto as we were living in the trailer waiting for our home). We ended the evening with a viewing of Alvin and the Chipmunks. If that isn't a complete turn around I don't know what is... it was perfect for me anyway. I am feeling a much better nights sleep coming on. I feel myself letting go of things not in my control.

All Clean...

2008-09-17T19:23:00.001-07:00

We are so proud of Kylee for a million reasons. Her most recent accomplishment has been mastering the potty. Today, as has become usual, she headed into the bathroom to do her business. It was clear to numerous senses what kind of business it was. I reminded her to wash her hands as I quickly walked past. Later, after dinner, she had to go again and she wanted me to come with her for whatever fickle reason she had come up with. I sauntered in with her and noticed the seat was wet. I asked her why and she told me that is where she washed her hands... pre-flush. It was as if this was normal and probably has been as she has not been asking for my help to wash lately. I just figured she could finally reach the faucet. That's our beautiful, resourceful Kylee.

Life In Movie & T.V. Genres...

2008-09-14T08:38:00.000-07:00

I was laying in bed the other night thinking... if my life were a movie or TV show what genre would it be? My mind was leaning towards romantic comedy, but I don't think that necessarily matches life with a two and five year old. I am definitely married to sports/action/adventure, but I seriously do not match that bill. We are certainly not 50s, 60s, or 70s family sitcom (Leave it to Beaver, Brady Bunch, and the likes). I love sports underdog movies and family dramas, but we really don't fall into those categories either. I guess you could find us on the Hallmark Channel or Lifetime just living through the ups and downs. We would be pretty clean cut appropriate for children programming. Tony gets a little more PG or R-rated at work obviously. I tend to lean towards the talk show genre when I get overly focused (worried) on a topic and can't quite let it go... parenting, underprivileged, abused animals, or whatever the topic for the day may be. What a change from the days when life more resembled an episode of Friends or Seinfeld. I wouldn't trade my low key, over by nine family flick for anything in the world and lately I have settled quite nicely into the fact that I am no June Cleaver or Carol Brady. I am also extremely grateful that we aren't living a drama or soap opera.

What would your promotional poster read???

Movie Genres
Action
Animated & Childrens
Comedy
Classic
Crime
Documentary
Drama
Family
Fantasy
Foreign
Horror
Musicals
Romance & Chick Flicks
Sci-Fi
Sports
Suspense
Teen
War
Western & Cowboy

TV Genres
The Police/ Detective/Lawyer Show
Cartoons
Game Show
Talk Show
Variety Show
The TV Western
Medical Melodrama
Science Fiction and Fantasy TV
Situation Comedy
The Soap Opera
The American Made-for-TV Movie
Docudrama
Television News

Weeks Gone By...

2008-09-11T11:43:00.000-07:00

I finally sat down today for the first time in weeks to read blogs and felt sad and inspired. I was sad that so many touching things had happened in the lives of my friends in the blog world and I had not gotten to share them as they occured. I was sad that I hadn't taken the time to reflect on our lives the past few weeks. That is truly what blogging is for me... a time to stop and celebrate my family. All this time has gone by and I certainly know I have not taken enough time to enjoy the wonderful moments in life. I have been pretty stuck in the whirlwind of what late August/ early September means in the life of a teacher. This gap in my blog represents a major readjustment period in the life of my family. It has been extra tough because Tony has been out of town and will be out of town the majority of September, October, and November. I have been dealing myself a big hand of guilt for going back to work as my children manage themselves through their day at school and daycare, but fall apart as soon as I get to see them. It is interesting to me how guilt takes up the place within me that usually houses patience. It would be handy if patience just came on extra strong and guilt and all the ickiness that comes with it stayed away for good. I know this too shall pass and already is beginning to turn the bend. It is now time to look back over the wonderful times of the last few weeks and smile... some moments recorded with pictures... some just need mentioning as the camera was left behind... alas, the inspired.

~Beach trip with the Pitners...

Bicycles made for four...

5:30 AM hunt for sand dollars (18 whole sand dollars collected)...

Balloon hats made by clowns, the wait in line was worth it...

Sitting on the jetty giving crabbing a try with no success other than an enjoyable time had by all at Cape Disappointment State Park...

The trip was great! I think my favorite part this year was playing games; Apples to Apples and Chutes and Ladders.

~A week in Portland visiting family...

OMSI Dinosaur exhibit...

Tillamook Cheese Factory...

My best birthday ever at La Tea Da tea shop in Tillamook. It was perfect except Tony couldn't join us. We really missed him...

Tillamook Forestry Center (a must visit)...

A really nice picnic lunch with my mom...

Corn Maze...

~Labor Day camping with the Sokoloskis. We had a great time! The highlight was definitely the masses of huckleberries. Sadly my camera batteries were dead and I only got one picture. I guess that is okay because we plan to make huckleberry camping on Labor Day an annual event.

~Kyndra's first day of kindergarten...

~Last Friday... benifit carnival for the daughter of one of Tony's coworkers who is battling debilitating seizures... our prayers are with you Cameryn!
~Round-Up has begun... we have enjoyed Twilight Breakfast, the kick-off parade, and went to the first day of the rodeo with some friends.
~Clothes shopping with Taunya... the shopping was terrible as it always is for me (definitely my least favorite activity), but the company and lunch was wonderful.
~Spaghetti feed fundraiser for the cross-country team where I saw my friends and old neighbors... the dinner was followed by a wonderful visit from those special friends.
~As I type taking a break from preparing the house for a Round-Up visit with Tony's aunt and uncle.
~Currently sitting in a chair having my hair genlty brushed by two cute, little beauty shop girls... THE BEST!!!

This Week's Best Attempt At Wordless Wednesday...

2008-08-13T21:12:00.000-07:00

This is the nest Kyndra sleeps in every night, can I tell you how crazy this would make me...

Kylee is somewhat of a wild women in the morning...

"Accidently" turned the jets on with bubbles in the tub...

Those of you who don't know Kylee's news... can you tell what is missing in this picture?

Eugene Pics...

2008-08-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

Eugene Day Five and A Half / Six...

2008-08-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

Simultaneously to me turning of the T.V. at around 10:15 Kylee started violently vomitting. This continued throughout the night with the last episode at 7:00 this morning. It was so sad. We went through LOTS of bedding. She is now on the floor in the last corner of her second comforter. I sort of rested diagnally across the two corners of her bed (second set of sheets) that she didn't throw up on. Poor Kyndra got it in the cheek on the first episode. No fever or incidents on the other end so I don't think it was food poisoning and it doesn't even seem like a flu... just a bad, bad tummy bug. Hoping our trip home is vomit free!!!

Can I tell you how glad I am that I get to leave all of this laundry behind!!!

Eugene Day Five...

2008-08-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

~Last trip to a thrift store to get the first toy Kyndra had originally picked out... thank goodness "the dolphin" was still there. The girls and I spent maybe $40 dollars total and we acquired; 3 dresses, 5 skirts, 11 shirts, 1 pair of pants, 1 barely if at all used Crocs for 99 cents, 3 pairs of shorts, 2 purses to hold Polly Pockets, 1 Elmo lunch pail, 6 books including 3 Harry Potters, 1 box of flashcards, one play bus, and last but not least one lovely dolphin.
~Missed lunch in the park... well there was one burrito left, but both of my girls turned up their noses. We ate at McDonalds instead and got a couple more Polly Pockets out of the deal.
~An hour and a half in the wading pool waiting for tie dying to begin. I really wanted to help the parks and rec. girls. They could not get organized and were really anxious to call the kids over until they had everything in place.
~Finally tie dying with the "park girls". The girls had a blast and now they have the essential Eugene tie dyed shirts.
~Window shopping down town... I did enter Footwise, the Birkenstock store, and it took all I had not to purchase many pairs of shoes. They were having a garage sale and prices were amazing. This would have broken my strict shoe rules; two pairs of atheletic shoes a year, one pair of summer shoes, and one pair of black or brown(which ever is in rotation) shoes for school. I am due for running shoes and black work shoes, but none at the store fit the bill.
~Ice cream at A & W across from an area in the middle of downtown that was full of homeless youth. I had been calling them runaways, but one of the Eugene crime lab guys told Tony they are homeless youth (seventeen and under), which means their parents have not reported them missing... over 4000... that is daunting and so sad. I had a really heavy heart as I watched these kids who were being totally inappropriate, but they were amongst the only family they trust. I held my girls' hands extra tight as we walked past them... for a few reasons.
~Dinner at Something Something Fish Market or maybe Fisherman's Market. I don't remember the name, but I remember the yummy yummy food. It was fresh... like still alive in tanks. It was quite smelly. Thank goodness they also had outside seating available as well as spaghetti for the girls.
~Quick stop to look at a Jetta wagon... it's hard not to catch the station wagon fever down here... we walked away. We may actually pass the two year mark with a car.
~Another quick stop at REI... also a purchase free stop.
~Play at River Play Discovery Village... THE BEST PARK IN THE WORLD. I forgot my camera, but we are planning on spending all morning there tomorrow and I will capture the amazing fun to be had.

Tony is off studying for tomorrow's big test. He enjoyed class today... the theme was ballistics.

Girls did great with no naps and got over the fact that we missed the puppet show without fussing. Another great day!!! Tomorrow is the last and I still had two more activities on my list. I guess we'll have to come back next year. I am expecting a lot of sleep on the trip home tomorrow.

Eugene Day Four...

2008-08-06T20:12:00.000-07:00

~We were slow movers this morning. We were supposed to get out the door by about 9:30to make it to the Children's Science Factory by 10:00 giving plenty of time in case we got lost. Well, we got really turned around... not lost I just missed about ten turns so I had to double back A LOT and we didn't get out the door until five after ten. No big deal... nobody was keeping track.
~Arrived at the factory by 10:30... played until noon. Lots and lots of fun... their current theme is sound and they had a scream chamber where kids could go in and scream as loud as they possibly could. The decibels of the screams are digitally measured and parents can see video feed from the inside of the chamber. Can I tell you how wonderful it is to see my children whose decibels match a snowmobile in a soundproof room room screaming, but I couldn't hear a thing. I need a scream chamber at my house (or at this moment while Kylee is screaming in time out for taking Kyndra's Mister Bear).
~Free lunch (corn dogs) for kids at another fun park with a wading pool. Kylee performed a dance for the audience of kids on the little platform in the middle of the pool. Kyndra loved the little merry go round and Kylee spent most of her time on the wobbly bridge.
~Much needed naps!!! following an episode in a toy store.
~Dinner at Track Town Pizza. We each got a mini pizza... mine was totally stinky: garlic, feta cheese, artichoke hearts, and spinach.
~Back to room 232 for a Jon and Kate marathon... I guess we have to have some sort of marathon in Eugene.
~Tony is back at class for after dark lessons using lasers. He said today was all about chemistry. He is getting nervous for his big test on Friday. He will have to do lots of studying tomorrow, which is our nine year anniversary.

Eugene Day Three...

2008-08-06T09:04:00.000-07:00

Note on the mornings... I have yet to get Starbucks or the harder to resist Dutch Brothers Coffee in the parking lot. I just keep thinking one coffee is three thrift store treasures.

~Shopping, shopping, shopping, and more shopping. You can guess where the girls and I shopped. Tony got some new running shoes at Eugene Running Company... quite an experience in Track Town USA. We also went to Oregon River Sports to look at canoes. They carry a very very expensive brand a lot out of our league, but fun to look.
~Dinner at Steelhead Brewing Company... YUMMY!!! Our second outdoor dining experience in Eugene which is perfect for people watching extraodinaires like myself. Last night we ate in the Fifth Street Market area which provides quite interesting people watching. There were literally more people traveling past on bikes than in cars. We saw bike messengers, bike ice cream sales carts, bike taxis, and bike pizza delivery boys as well as a menagerie of styles of bikes. Tony was even enjoying the watching. We keep seeing these locally made folding bikes. We are going to take a tour of the production building on Friday before we leave, which is fitting because the bikes are called Next Friday (or is it Last Friday).
~And we finally made it to the hotel swimming pool... maybe just maybe the girls will quit asking??? Doubtful.

We are still really enjoying ourselves. Tony's training is challenging, but good... lots of geometry (angles and trajectories). He is the only police officer. All of the other students are C.S.I. types. I am totally and completely enjoying leaving a mess only to return to a nice clean room.

Eugene Day Two...

2008-08-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

~Up really early to take Tony to the training facility.
~Yummy continental breakfast... minus the waffle bar that we were hoping for.
~Our first parks program activity... roving artist making clay pinch pots, free lunch for kids (hamburgers), and play in the wading pool.
~Naps for all
~Thrift store shopping
~Leftover dinner
~Last but not least... SPLASH!!! indoor aquatic park. We had so much fun. Children could ride on parents laps to go down the slide. Tony must have taken Kylee 20 times. Kyndra went by herself on the slide, but spent more time in the wave pool.
~Oh yeah and don't forget the oreo cookies in bed :)

Day one was still just as much fun as I had posted, but it had to disappear... most memorable was Mazzi's Italian Restaurant and when we first set eyes on our wonderful room.

Farewell...

2008-08-03T07:44:00.000-07:00

Matt, Amy, Paul, Zorah, and Chloe packed up and continued on their trip to Utah before we woke up this morning. We are sad to see them go and wished we lived closer to each other. We are ever so grateful for their visit. Our short visit was full of smiles and laughter... besides lots of playing, playing, playing at the house we also went to Pioneer Park, the Aquatic Center, and watched The Bee Movie in the park. I can't even pick a highlight other than just seeing the kids together and how close they seem even though they don't get to be around each other often.

Just Imagine...

2008-08-02T07:39:00.000-07:00

Beautiful pictures... captured memories of a wonderful day at Hilgard park picnicing and playing in the water with Taunya... Heartwarming pictures of Kylee walking hand in hand with Taunya and throwing the ball for Hunter... Kyndra playing in the mud and lazing in the sun.

Fun pictures of five cousins playing in the backyard pool... laughing and splashing... crawling and running... making trains on the slide and giggly pile ups at the bottom... enjoying Hermiston watermelons.

Just imagine because I accidently deleted 165 pictures of these summertime memories. I lost sleep over it... I shed a tear over it... I am completely beside myself. I have blogged it so I must move on however hard that may be.

Time to go make more memories!!!

Our Baby...

2008-07-24T13:19:00.000-07:00

Kylee Marie Nelson is...

Smart... Funny... Beautiful... Wild... Observant... Quick to meltdown... Quick to console others with a sweet little pat and a gentle, "it's all right, shhh, it's all right, are you sad?, shhh, are you happy?"... Working on her pitching arm when she is angry and decides to throw whatever it is that she has in her reach... Sings a lovely version of Sleeping Beauty's "Once Upon A Dream"... Extremely resistive to picking up after herself... Usually in a dress... Finding herself in time out often these days... Able to entertain herself for hours playing all types of make believe... Dawning an amazing twinkle in those big brown eyes... A lover of any type of berry... Very resinating with the word NO!... A unbelievable source of pride for Tony and I... A light in any gloomy day... Our Little Baby Sweetheart and we wouldn't have her any other way.

Where's Daddy...

2008-07-24T08:48:00.001-07:00

I was just thinking things have been pretty calm around here with the exception of Kylee's "episodes". It has been really rough on the two year old front this week... anyway I didn't really have much to blog about until my sweet Kyndra came in and quietly asked where her daddy was. I told her he was at work for a big meeting... why I asked. Well, she was carrying her dollar store baby doll that she got with her tooth fairy money and I could tell it had come unswaddled from the nice tight wrap Tony had done when he tucked in the girls in last night. She did indeed need her baby reswadled in the lovely doll blankie that grandma Patty had made for her babies. I told her I could do it. She quickly and quietly responded with a, no thank you, I really want daddy to do it. I love how great of a daddy Tony is to little girls... who'd a thought??? Now dollar store baby is cold and has to wait for Tony to return, but my heart is warm and fuzzy.

My Favorite Sport...

2008-07-20T14:02:00.000-07:00

I had an all time record breaker at the grocery game today. It was my greatest savings yet at 57% savings plus a $20 dollar coupon shooting out of my favorite little machine for my next shopping trip.

The highlight...

I got all of these cleaners for $1.16. The original price would have been $29.13. It was one of those times when I had coupons, there were coupons near the products, there was buy one get one free with your club card, and the coupon spitting out machine gave me five dollars towards my next shopping trip for buying these products. The girls and I took the five dollar coupons and got chicken strips at the deli. It was great. The girls DID NOT like sitting through a round of my favorite sport. I prefer to leave them home with dad, but he was sound asleep. They survived and are tucked away for naps... I guess I had better get cleaning.

Trillium Lake Highlights...

2008-07-17T20:53:00.001-07:00

*Quiet times... contemplating, observing, drawing, reading, resting, relaxing, floating, walking around the lake
*Playful times... charades, red light green light, hide and go seek, pony boy, splashing, falling in the snow
*Riding... up Timberline (Tony of course), down Timberline, making the camp loops on the new big girl bike with the training wheels moved up, cruisin on the purple trike
*Eating... hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, chips, yummy lunch at the Ram in the lodge, ice cream at The Volcanoe Shack, s'mores, CANDY
*Fishing... from the canoe, from the shore, from the dock
*Building... sand castles and mud pies, warm fires, memories
*Loosing... my coffee (yikes), a second tooth
*Enjoying... every second of the trip, can't wait until next year

Breakthrough...

2008-07-12T14:26:00.000-07:00

Tony and I are not known for our organizational skills (at all). We are pile movers and spend way too much time looking for things. We really were hoping to change our ways with the new house. Unfortunately most days you would stop by our house it would not be tidy; as I write I see sticky pancake dishes, books, barbies, remotes on the floor, lots of cups, paper all over the desk, laundry, that crazy seashell Kyndra is always carrying around, an empty cereal box a mere three feet from the trash, etc. etc. It just doesn't seem like I will ever be tidy. My wise, dear friend Taunya says in the very least everything should have a place. I do think we have accomplished that. When I see someone pull up in the driveway. I can frantically put things in their place and do some decent tidying in under a minute. It is no longer a matter of hiding in the space that I think they won't be going... well maybe a little of that, but not much. It still doesn't look perfect, but that just isn't me or us and I am fine with that. The last part of our house that needed places for disheveled items was the basement storage area. Tony got out his measly tool collection and whipped out these shelves and work bench. I am so proud of him!!!

The Trees...

2008-07-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

The Maple and the girls...

The Weeping Mulberry and the girls...

The bushes (they are really there) and the girls...
I notice the tag still on one of the bushes (don't look Taunya)-- that is so me.

I hope over the next few years I can update these same pictures with bigger trees and bushes. I wish I could keep my babies little, but I know they will be growing too! My grandma out in the country planted a plum tree in the front yard when I was about Kylee's age. She took my picture in front of it every spring when it had pink blossoms. It isn't standing anymore... oh boy I shouldn't have gone there I'm a little teary thinking of grandma and thirty years of that beautiful tree... oops. On a lighter note I really am proud of us for getting these guys in the ground. Hopefully next year they will be surrounded by grass and not just weeds (have I mentioned I hate weeds).

Look out Venus & Serena...

2008-07-12T13:55:00.000-07:00

The Nelson girls are gearing up. Tennis has been really fun. Both girls have been having a lot of fun and so have I... my sitting spot is in the shade and there are super nice parents to visit with. And, the courts are only about a block and a half from our house. Tony thinks we should take up tennis. I do agree, but I have told him I am going to take lessons and he is not to practice in any way, shape, or form (not even on the Wii) until I am ready. Maybe just maybe I would have a chance when opposing him. I know, I know it is all about fun, but have you ever watched my husband in any type of competative atheletic activity. He has enjoyed watching the girls. Kyndra at the racket and Kylee and baby Gracie are the official ball girls. Those two keep us in stitches the entire time.

Summer...

2008-07-10T20:20:00.000-07:00

Summer 2008 has been great!!! With the exception of a totally absent bedtime and the issues that come with that we have had nothing but sweet times this summer.

Tony has kept up with his night time reading to the girls and they have requested the book Summer by Alice Low each and every night. This book encompasses our summer so far. I love that our lives are mirroring my children's favorite picture book. If I could have described my hopes for my grown up life it would most definitely have come from my favorite books when I was a little girl. I will certainly put this book in keepsake boxes and hope it brings back fond memories for my girls when the are grown-ups.

Tony has gotten to go on a few really nice bike rides with friends including an adrenaline filled ride down a mountain bike trail with our new neighbor. He has also been able to be plugged into the Tour De France which he usually misses due to traveling. He been DVRing it... is DVR the greatest invention or what???

Fourth of July with friends from church... lots of kids having a great time and enjoying the fireworks.

Daily trips to the aquatic center. No tears this year when it is time to go. I am A LOT less nervous taking my kids on my own. Kyndra's swimming lessons are really paying off.

The girls have really been enjoying their new swing set. Unfortunately our puppy Jazmyn does not swing with them she spends more time getting in their way.

We have planted two trees and lots of bushes. We have never really gardened much, but I think it is something we both could enjoy... with the exception of weeding (I call 'not it').

We have been joined twice by friends and neighbors for backyard marshmallow roasts. We are looking forward to more roasting on our three camping trips that we have coming up. Seriously it doesn't get any summerier than campfires.

Tony went to a training a couple of months ago and the gift he brought back for the girls was new fishing poles and tackle boxes. They have been so excited to go fishing since they saw friends fishing last year. They will finally get to go next week when we go camping at Trillium Lake on Mount Hood. There is a really cool fishing dock there and grandma Patty and grandpa Bill are taking them out in their canoe.

We have wonderful picnics and BBQs with friends. We have gotten to be the hosts for a change. We have so many people to feed after a year of being the dinner guests at many gatherings for which we could not return the invitation. We were able to have the families of the men who helped us when Tony was hurt over for a BBQ. We also had Father Clemens and our contractor at the same gathering to offer thanks and bless the house. There were over thirty children at the house... it was so much fun, I felt so blessed.

We are looking forward to our second annual trip to the beach house with the Pitners. Hopefully we will get fresh crab this year (more than the token crab from the lady on the dock who felt bad for the boys) Next year there will be five kids... Baby Pitner number three is on his or her way, YEAH!!!

We have even taken the time to gaze at the stars, which I am still amazed at how beautiful the night sky is in Eastern Oregon. That is one of my favorite things about our home. I also love this picture due to the fact that it is Pendletonesque (hay wagon and all). I can still hardly believe we call Pendleton, Oregon home and love it sooooooooooooooooooooooooo much. Life is good.