Our Baby...

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...

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...

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...

*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...

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...

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...

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...

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.