The Nielsons

Cheapskate

2012-02-11T12:01:00.000-07:00

For the past 8 months I have not updated my header because I refused to pay Google any money for extra storage. The whopping cost of $5/year was just too much for this cheap gal. I even searched online to try and find a way around it. No such luck. Well, as you can see from the above updated header, I finally caved. I'm on a spending spree now, Bryan better freeze the accounts. :)

Friends and Fondue

2012-02-07T14:15:00.000-07:00

When we lived in Broomfield, I went to a fondue night that a lady in our church put on for all of the women in our ward. It was so much fun. When we moved to Castle Rock, I knew that I wanted to try something like that here. She shared with me her experiences of what's flopped and what's worked, her recipes and in general, is my fondue guru.

On Saturday night, we had friends over to enjoy fondue and the evening with us. I did three "stations" of cheese, meats and veggies and desserts. Everyone brings something and it goes a long ways! Also, if someone has a fondue pot, we borrow it for the evening. I didn't get too many pics of the evening and the ones we do have are slightly sub-par, but there is at least some documentation of it!

The only picture I have of the cheese station, my apologies to Steven (and myself) for the picture. We used apples and bread for dipping in the cheese.

I used 3 fondue pots of broth and 1 pot of oil for the meats and veggies.

The dessert table with a chocolate fountain and caramel fondue to dip any of these items in.

We had a wonderful time! It's hard to go wrong with good friends and good food. Happy Fondue-ing!

Lotsa and Lotsa Snow!

2012-02-07T14:11:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, our local news channel reported that Castle Rock received 28 inches of snow in a 24 hour period! It was fun to get that much snow, especially since we had nowhere to go. Turn on the fireplace, sip some hot cocoa...and do a ton of house cleaning. :) Luke had a fun time playing in all of this white goodness.

Lookin' snazzy Luke!

He couldn't help himself and had to sample just a little of the white fluffy-ness.

Just Another Day...Well, Almost

2012-02-07T08:39:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, Luke took a nasty spill off one of the benches at church. The next day he was still crying anytime we picked him up under his left arm and would occasionally cry out and grab his chest. After consulting one of my favorite resources, Web MD, it looked like he either had a broken collar bone or a terminal illness. I made an appointment with the pediatrician and 2.5 hours later he confirmed the diagnosis of a broken collar bone.

Luke is suppose to wear a sling as it heals. YEAH. RIGHT. Even the doc was like, "I'm required to do this, but it never fits toddlers, and it turns into more of a choking hazard than anything." It's a good thing I really like this doc, because we've been getting a lot of face time lately.

Here is Luke modeling his sling.

I have a broken what???

"Yeah, well, you should have seen the other guy."

Nothing will slow this little turkey down.

Demonstrating the true effectiveness of the sling.

We expect 1-2 more weeks of the pain. In 4-6 weeks it should be almost healed and by 6-12 months like it never happened. I was telling my sister-in-law about the unfortunate event and she replied that she calls those, "special church blessings." Can I get an amen??? :)

Date Night

2012-01-24T14:51:00.000-07:00

We had a great night last weekend. We kicked things off by going to our favorite Indian restaurant, "India's Kitchen," that is only about 15 minutes from where we live. It is so hard to try somewhere different when we find a place that we really like. (I am that person that always orders the same thing.) We even had a coupon to use at dinner, fantastic. I love getting any type of deal.

After dinner we made our way into Denver for the Brad Paisley concert. Bryan gave me the tickets as a Christmas gift, clever and thoughtful man. Scotty McCreery (American Idol winner) and The Band Perry opened the concert. We were definitely part of the "older" crowd, lots and lots of teenage girls. However, there were still plenty of flannel shirts, real cowboy boots and hats--quite the assortment of people. Country music just has a way of bringing people together. :) About halfway through the concert, I found myself joining in with the teenage girls' excitement when Tim Tebow came out on stage and sang with Brad Paisley. Bryan mentioned that he was "slightly concerned" at that moment. "Nothing to worry about, nothing at all..."

Tim Tebow may be my favorite QB, but Bryan is always my favorite MAN.

Ahhhh, cute.

P.S. Do you see the "assortment" of people behind us???

North vs. South

2012-01-22T15:25:00.000-07:00

We knew that when we bought a North-facing home that our Winters would require more shoveling, more salting and more patience waiting for spring to arrive on our side of the street. I don't know that we anticipated this much ice chiseling. We even broke some child labor laws and forced our 16-month-old kid to shovel.

Notice the grass turning green on the other side of the street??? :)

Keep in mind that we received our last, decent snow storm over two weeks ago. It is a vicious cycle of melting and freezing with the drains "not working how they should." Really? I'm thinking about looking for some ice skates on clearance to buy for next year. We have an entire block (north side only, of course) that could be put to some good use.

Baby Shower

2012-01-22T15:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I hosted a good friend's baby shower at our home. Whitney is due in the middle of March with a little girl. It was fun to decorate in pink, white and gray! I'm use to blue and green around here! I had a lot of help from many people that made things very quick and easy, thank you! It was a pretty laid back shower, no games, just food, chit-chat and seeing all of those cute little girl things!

The honorary male guest.

Whitney is such a cute prego! We're very excited to meet Baby Girl!

A Few Other Things

2012-01-22T10:38:00.001-07:00

We made graham cracker houses with the whole gang a week before Christmas. I love this tradition. I actually didn't end up making a house, but I had a lot of fun watching the other "kids" make theirs and sampling all of the candy!

Yoda's secret Winter lair. (some minor sledding and Christmas lights casualties for the cinnamon bears)

The aftermath.

We took Luke out to "The Farm", where my mom grew up and my grandma Munns still lives there. We found lots of fun things to keep Luke entertained. Let's start with the goats.

Hmm...anything in here???

Disappointed crowd, the bucket is empty.

Bryan adapting to farm life and helping "save" the goat.

Playing with "Moose". I'm telling ya, this boy loves dogs.

We headed over to Logan for an afternoon, mainly to hit up our favorite ice cream place, Charlie's--- YUMMY!

We also found some ducks for Luke to feed. All was going well for about 2 minutes and then Luke decided he wanted to swim with the ducks, problemo. Bryan reassured Luke (amongst a crowd of duck-feeding children and women) that he would take Luke out to "the farm" where my cousins and brother go duck hunting and kill a duck for Luke to pet. UHHH...it's okay folks, my husband is just teasing! (If you read the previous post about the coyote and rabbit, you know that was a horrible cover-up). Aye-yai-yai!!

Ducks, I suggest you stay on this side of the mountain.

I think we found almost every swing for Luke to swing on within a 10 mile radius.

We went to the Brigham City Museum. I was very impressed with my small hometown. It was very kid friendly and had quite a bit of cool stuff for the older crowd.

Going for a wagon ride. Sadly, this was possibly the last wagon ride this contraption gave. I must have exceeded the weight limit, because we could not get it to start again. Whoopsie!

Checkin' out the gun show.

Luke exploring, managing to find the only room with dirt and loving every second of it.

Bryan and I were able to catch up with quite a few friends and escape for some date nights, including some great tickets to a Jazz game-thanks Dave! Much to the thanks of my mom for watching the little guy. Luke loved playing with grandma. He was definitely spoiled, as every grandchild should be by their grandparents.

Loading up on ice cream.

Okay, we've reached max capacity.

It's blurry, but this picture sums it up. So many things to play and do with grandma, yet such little time.

Luke's pediatrician told me that with his own children he planned on 4 days of "retraining" for a day with grandparents. According to those calculations, we have about 10 weeks of "retraining" left! :)

Christmas 2011

2012-01-16T19:56:00.000-07:00

We had a great time spending Christmas in Utah with family. I think Christmas time will continue to be more fun as Luke becomes older and grasps the idea of Santa Claus and the true meaning of Christmas. So fun to have a little one this time of year.

Christmas Eve dinner consisted of my parents and our little family. The meal was from Maddox, one of our favorite restaurants, with the addition of a pomegranate/sprite cocktail that was delicious.

Christmas morning was fun with Luke. He couldn't believe that I was letting him rip the paper. At first he was a little hesitant, but once he saw that it was fair game, he was quite the machine.

He received a glow-worm/seahorse that lights up and sings to him when he takes his naps and falls asleep at night. At first glance, I though it looked highly disturbing, but Luke LOVES this thing. He will play with it for 30-45 minutes after he wakes up (and sometimes before falling asleep)! It's a miracle worker, no matter how disturbing it might first appear!

Bryan opening his present from me---a guided fishing trip to Flaming Gorge with Captain Kyle. Spoke to Captain Kyle myself, he sounds like one "classy" individual. I have no doubt that he and Bryan will get along just great.

Christmas afternoon Luke's cousins, minus seven cousins that live in Kentucky and Virginia, came over for dinner. These kids are so much fun to be around. Luke loves being around his cousins...and trying to keep up!

Luke found a gift that he thought should belong to him. Madi was kind enough to let Luke walk her dog around. I can't believe that Luke is so into dogs already. He'll be wanting that one for a L-O-N-G time.

Maybe Santa Claus will hear the pleas of a little boy and deliver a puppy in a few years...we'll see!

Shake-a-lator

2012-01-08T21:21:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite clip of Luke from our visit to Utah. Lukes loves his Uncle Tom, especially when he "shakes it up".

More pics of Christmas time to follow...

A Big Step in My World

2012-01-08T21:13:00.000-07:00

I decided to fly out early to Utah with Luke to spend more time with my family over the holidays. That meant that I would be flying solo with my very active and adventurous 15-month-old. I realize that there are many of you reading this blog that have flown much greater distances with your children and many times did it alone. My hat goes off to you, I am truly impressed. It took me 15 months to work up the courage to do this, and I was a nervous ninny.

Afraid to fly alone with this innocent face? (you don't know his other side) :)

In attempts to plan something for Luke to do every minute of that flight I stumbled across a great idea on Pinterest and decided to make one for Luke.

Any ideas??? A gag mask? A magical sleep inducer?

It is an airplane tray cover. A fantastic idea for that cramped space. You slide it over the tray that you normally put your beverage and peanuts on.

This was the front side of the cover. I included a zipper, button doors he could open to find a doggy, 2 balls(attached with ribbon) and a few pouches with hidden treasures.

This was the back side of the cover. I liked this idea because then he could still play with something when the tray was folded up on the seat infront of you. I made flaps he could pull down to show pics of our family. He really liked looking at the pictures and playing with the velcro.

I cannot remember how long this took me to make, but I don't think it was more than an hour. Whatever amount of time I did invest was worth every second. Luke was occupied for quite awhile with it (you know, at least 5 minutes!). The flight went great, and the time spent with family and friends was even better. I think Luke had an idea where this plane was taking him, but more importantly, he knew who was on the other side waiting for his arrival.

Happy Birthday!

2011-12-21T15:53:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was Bryan's big day and he spent it doing what he loves. (Warning: Pictures below are graphic and not suited for the coyote and jack-rabbit lovers out there.)

His friend, Jeff, drove out from Utah to hunt in Eastern Colorado with Bryan. Bryan was as giddy as a school girl to be going on the hunt. Guns? Bows? Freezing cold weather? Greasy food? It was a dream come true for Bryan. To kick things off, Jeff drove out in his wife's Prius. It's a beautiful ride and very economical, just not the typical vehicle when going out for the kill...or a blizzard that dumps 14 inches. Wah, wah...wahhhh.

After they dug the Prius out, they made it to their secure location, on top of the grain silos. Serious? Yep.

That is where Bryan spotted this guy. He shot him at 275 yards, on the run. This is Bryan's birthday post and details like that are very important in a man's world.

The hunting had just begun...much to this "Wascally Wabbit's" dismay, Bryan tracked him down as well.

Not a world that I understand, but I'm thrilled that it makes my husband happy. The hunt wraps up tomorrow. He is hoping to get a deer so he can make jerky from the meat. Fantastic and it sounds DEEE-licious. I can't imagine anything better for Christmas (Blah!)...good thing it is Bryan's birthday!
Happy, Happy Birthday!

P.S. Bryan is planning to submit this photo to "Bowhunting Weekly" for their vehicle of the year.

Hello!

2011-12-15T11:28:00.000-07:00

Well, after a month of absence, we are back on the blogging grid. Here is the recap on our past month.

We were able to stay in Colorado and celebrate Thanksgiving with Bryan's brother's family and in-laws. It was nice to only do a day-trip and avoid the airports this time of year. It was an enjoyable day in which Bryan was able to shoot guns with thy guys, Luke tried to keep up and run around with all of the other kids, and I kept myself on "quality control" of all of the delicious food. It was a nice, relaxing Thanksgiving.

The following week or week after (it is a blur) Luke came down with a nasty case of croup. I heard him cough that awful, barky cough a couple times in the day, but thought I would just watch him---he didn't seem too bad. Well, suffice it to say, I was tricked! I woke up to hear him struggling to breathe at 12:30 that night. I flipped the lights on only to see my little man working so hard to breathe. I had flashbacks to my intensive care days and thought, "we intubate kids that look like this." NOT the reassuring thought I needed at the moment. I hollered at Bryan to put some sweats on so he could take Luke outside, Bryan was on "red alert" and I've never seen that man move so fast. After the cool air, we tried the steam from the shower, but Luke was still working too hard to breathe. ER, here we come. (I really thought our first trip to the ER was going to be related to that box we pull Luke around in, wrong...again!) After steroids, a few whopper breathing treatments, and 5 hours of observation we were able to go home.

Luke's bed in the ER. He was so sick/tired.

Monitoring his oxygen levels.

My bed...it was so comfortable.

After two more visits to the Dr.'s office and one more visit to the ER (per the pediatrician's request) we are recovered from croup...and on to the next battle of a current ear infection. I love winter. :)

Luke's New Ride

2011-11-19T10:02:00.000-07:00

Our friends, The Claveries, built a great toy for their daughter and shared the "blueprints" with us.

A Pamper's diaper box, rope and duck tape.

Luke watching the magical transformation.

Giddy-Up!

I'm already setting aside some moo-lah for the first ER visit related to Luke's new ride. Until then, I'm putting away the pediatric nurse inside of my brain that is saying...SLOWER! :)

Book Club

2011-11-18T08:51:00.001-07:00

Last night I hosted our church book club. I really enjoyed the book that we read, Unbroken. It is a true story about a WWII POW and his amazing journey of survival and then forgiveness. I would definitely recommend this book, but be warned that this is a war book, not necessarily a light read.
We had a fun night of visiting and eating some fall treats.

Lydia Janet

Diane Sarrai and Bonita

The spread.

I attempted my first pumpkin roll. I watched several videos on YouTube for some pointers. It turned out okay, it at least looked like a pumpkin roll! I might try a recipe with a little more pumpkin spice to it next time.

Homemade jalapeno jelly (thanks to Alysa!!) spread over cream cheese.

Apples and Skor dip.

Hard to go wrong when every dish has cream cheese in the ingredient list. :)

The Folks

2011-11-13T21:25:00.000-07:00

My parents came out last week for a visit. I was pretty lame-o and didn't plan too much to do. One of the highlights was making caramel apples with my mom.

Waiting for the caramel to reach that perfect stage...maybe we should have started this project sooner than 9:00 PM!

YUM!

12 caramel apples...4 people...fantastic.

My dad killing some time with genealogy work. I'm always impressed and grateful for how much he is accomplishing.

The 13-inches of snow that we received in one night contributed to us laying low.

Bryan and I had our first full night away since Luke was born. Enormous amount of thanks to my parents for watching Luke. Grandma Kotter showed Luke how to be a big helper in the kitchen. He is now the master of our kitchen sink. I don't even think about turning the water on without first getting our Higness his step-stool. :)
When I dropped my parents off at the airport Luke had fallen asleep and woke up when we were getting the bags out. He was slightly dazed and confused, but when he saw his grandparents walking through the doors, he snapped awake and lost it. I was chopped liver. After some comfort food and a good nap, he was feeling a little better about the world. Definitely a coping mechanism learned from his mother.

Boise

2011-11-12T10:14:00.000-07:00

We filled our week in Boise with various activities. Grandma and Grandpa Nielson had the perfect Fall back yard. We had a lot of fun playing in the leaves with family.

Trying to get an actual Fall pic of Luke in the leaves wasn't happening.

A pic with Gracie (trying to wake up from her nap) and Luke (ready to go down for a nap) wasn't really happening either. Too bad. I loved that little chair and setting with the leaves.

...I decided to turn it into my own photo shoot. Cue the fan and blowing leaves.

Luke discovered a new love on this trip.

His father is very proud.

Bryan and I rediscovered a love for the recumbent bike that his parents own. This bike is awesome! It was so comfortable.

Again, cue the fan.

There are so many things that are hilarious to us about this picture. Is it the outfit? Bryan's form of a 90-year-old man? His facial expression? All of the above?

To quote my husband, "You don't mess with a man in tapered jeans."

Noted. :)

We were able to catch up with family while in Idaho.

Visited Grandma and Grandpa Nielson. Luke was too fast on this pic and managed to escape before we snapped the camera.

Meeting Aunt Helen and Unlce Roger and loving every minute of it.

Visited Grandpa Kotter and ElNora. Grandpa let Luke push his walker around while we visited. Luke was out of control, making it very entertaining for half the crowd and sheer panic for the rest of us.

And, of course, loved spending time with Grandma Nielson.

The night of the open house.

The stars of the night.

I loved how Jasmine did her hair. She looked just as gorgeous as she did on her wedding day.

Luke looking dapper (minus the white socks) for the evening.

Molly * Greg * Tiff * Gracie

I made his tie with a friend for the open house. The pattern was pretty easy. I would definitely recomend making one if you need a certain color. I think it cost me about $2 to make.

Staying up late at the open house and waking up early made for an "adventurous" flight home. Luke fell asleep right as we pulled up to the gate in Denver. Perfect timing. :)

Family is truly life's greatest blessing.

Wedding Galore

2011-11-11T11:53:00.001-07:00

Bryan's brother, Rick, was married for time and all eternity to his beautiful bride, Jasmine, in the Draper Temple. We were able to attend the sealing ceremony and all of the fun festivities that followed. A **H-U-G-E** thanks to my mom for watching Luke that day. It was a much more enjoyable day for all of us. On our way out of Brigham City heading to the wedding, we ran into a slight delay...

Good ol' Brigham City.

The Happy Couple

Katelyn * Me * Mandi

Nielson side of the family.

The handsome groom with his dad.

After the sealing we went to the luncheon/reception at Millennial Falls in Draper. This place was a gorgeous setting. It was the perfect Fall day, amazing.

Jared * Mandi * JoHana * Charlotte

Two of our sweet nieces Haley and Molly.

Luke had a great time playing at my folks place. He was in heaven with Grandma Kotter...and her four-wheeler.

Sunday we hitched a ride with Bryan's parents up to Boise to spend a week with them and then attend Rick and Jasmine's open house. We had a great time and that post will happen hopefully sooner than later. :)

Holy COW, It's Halloween!!!

2011-10-31T20:37:00.000-06:00

Happy Halloween! Luke was a cow/bull whatever is the correct term for a little boy. Bryan and I attempted to dress up as farmers, but did not succeed in taking a picture of the entire fam. We went to the ward trunk-or-treat and had a great time eating the annual chili, visiting with friends and appreciating all of the creative costumes out there! Luke didn't quite catch onto the "trick-or-treat" action. He liked to carry his pumpkin around and receive candy, which he would promptly inspect each piece and then dump the other contents out of his pumpkin in the process. Not our best effort, but it sure was a lot of fun...maybe the most for me.

Chillin' with Charlie, an In-N-Out Burger, "Animal Style". His parents were dressed up as In-N-Out workers, clever.

Kickin' it with Max, the monkey

I love the look on Max's face..."Uh...whose idea was this?"

"Let's see...what do we have here?"

Manning our Trunk. Can you tell that he is a farmer with his John Deere shirt?

Who's checking who out in this picture??? CREEEEPY!!

oNe YEaR PiCS

2011-10-18T21:39:00.000-06:00

We had fun taking Luke's one-year pictures. My favorite photo session was the cake smash. I probably liked it the most because there was absolutely NO pressure with it. Put the cake in front of Luke and let him go to town, perfect, for everyone involved.

M.E.L.T.S. my heart.

Unleashing a little bit of the tiger inside.

...and this is when you know it is time to wrap it up. The tiger is ROARing! :)

I took a picture of the picture, so not the best quality on the blog. I may have gotten a little carried away with this idea and sewn his tie and diaper cover to match. I also realize that not everyone out there is as big of a fan of the cake smash as I am, you know who you are, but let ~~Luke~~ me have my moment. :)

Thai Night

2011-10-17T11:39:00.000-06:00

On Saturday night we were lucky to have Jay and Kacie come teach us how to cook authentic Thai food. Jay's wife, Kacie, has done shows on the Food Network, she is the real deal. She taught us how to cook massaman and green curry as well as pad thai. Bryan and I really enjoyed the massaman curry and the pad thai. It was all delicious, but those were our two favorites. We used lots of fresh ingredients-from butternut squash to Chinese eggplant the counter was covered in delicious food.

Luke sampling the fresh ingredients

Our friends, the Cramers, came over to experience Thai cuisine with us.

Kacie is a great cook and teacher. We had a great time!

...and we enjoyed some really good food! (This is the pad thai.)

Cheese-Broccoli Soup

2011-10-11T12:02:00.000-06:00

As the weather turns cool, those warm, yummy soups start turning up in the kitchen again!
I tried this recipe from Bryan's mom and we really liked it.

1 qt chicken broth
1 large carrot
1 stalk of celery
1/2 med onion
1/2-3/4 lb broccoli-cooked

Add diced carrot, celery and onion to broth and let simmer 30 minutes. Then add cooked broccoli (I actually cooked the broccoli in the broth, because I didn't read the recipe closely and it still tasted great).

For the sauce:
3 T butter
3 T flour
2 1/2 C milk

Mix the above ingredients. cook until it thickens (I ended up using more flour/water combo to thicken it). Add sauce to broth and veggies. Then add 8 oz grated cheddar cheese. Blend over low heat until melted. Add 1 T Worchestershire sauce. Can serve in bread bowls or with a fresh loaf of french bread.

Delicious!!! Thanks Carrie!

Happy Anniversary!

2011-10-09T16:58:00.000-06:00

I sing this catchy song (just the chorus) every year for Bryan on our anniversary, he loves it. One of those "perks" he didn't know about at the time, three years ago today.

Warning: It may get stuck in your head.

...to many more years of laughter together (and yummy food). :)

Happy Anniversary!!

Dare Devil

2011-10-06T20:02:00.000-06:00

Luke loves the playground, especially since he discovered he could do the following...

Winter Park

2011-10-06T19:48:00.000-06:00

We decided to throw together a last minute trip to the mountains with some friends over General Conference Weekend. We found a cabin in Winter Park that managed to fit all of us. There was a total of 6 families that made it. We had a great time visiting with everyone, hot tubbing, biking, enjoying the fall scenery, playing games (or at least attempting, with 8 kids--ages 3 and under it can be slightly tricky), eating lots and lots...and then eating a little more. :)

Our view from the cabin.

The Kiddos

The "grown-up" kids.

The ladies...well, some of us! We never managed to get a group shot, next time! :)

That's right...a competitive game of "500"

We snapped a few family pics on our last day there. Thanks Kelly!

(and no, I'm not prego, just a puffy shirt...wishing I would have rethought that wardrobe choice)

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this picture!

STATS

2011-09-26T14:40:00.000-06:00

Luke's stats at one year.

Height: 31.75 inches....94 %tile
Head: 48.7 cm............96 %tile
Weight: 24 lbs 6 oz.......72 %tile

I was asking Luke's doctor questions about what was considered normal ages for walking and talking, etc. He replied, "The first two years of a child's life we try to get him to walk and talk, the rest of his life we try to get him to sit down and be quiet...R.e.l.a.x." I really like this Pediatrician, especially since I was born a worrier. :)

Luke's first steps

2011-09-25T19:17:00.000-06:00

Signs of Autumn

2011-09-21T11:15:00.001-06:00

I love the smell of pumpkin spice in the Fall. (Walmart for $5, not too shabby)

I love setting out the Fall home decor.

This morning there is even a nip in the air, leaves are slowly starting to change colors... and Bryan is doing what he loves most about the Fall. He is on the hunt!!!

Well, Bryan was actually up at 5 am and went bow hunting for an elk, but no such luck. (Darn it). Since the lighting was not optimal that early in the morning I decided to stay in bed and take a picture when he came home, purely for lighting reasons only. He was kind enough to demonstrate his "Crouching Predator, Hidden Bryan" stance.

Autumn is officially here for us (even though the calendar proclaims two more days).

Castle Rock Stake 5k Run

2011-09-20T15:01:00.000-06:00

Last Saturday we ran a 5k with our stake. Bryan was kind (and humble) and decided to run with Luke and me the entire race. We definitely didn't set any records, but we enjoyed running our first "race" together.

Some of our friends in our ward that also ran that morning.

I actually ended up taking first place in my age division. Well, I guess I took first and last place since I was the only one in my age group, ha! I love that the award was a "Cold Stone" gift card. That is exactly my idea of what the award should be for running a 5k--- not power bars/gels, water bottles or fancy-shmancy drinks. Finally, someone normal out there.

We cashed in the winnings last night for FHE. I think Bryan will be running at his own pace next year with the knowledge of what he could possibly win. We're not counting on a repeat from me, unless I have the same amount of competitors. :)

Some Girly Time

2011-09-16T14:33:00.000-06:00

My friend, Alysa, had her sweet baby boy about 2 weeks ago. We were lucky to have the big sister come on over and play with us for a few hours. We had a great time!

Luke was still asleep for the first little while so Presley and I were able to make some pumpkin chocolate-chip muffins. The smell and taste of these muffins make me feel like it is full-blown Fall. Presley was a great help making the muffins!

I didn't manage to take any pics of her and Luke playing, but they had a great time getting into all sorts of mischief.

Thanks for coming to play Presley, come again soon! :)

Happy Birthday!

2011-09-15T20:55:00.000-06:00

Luke is officially a ONE-year-old!!! We kept the day pretty quiet around here, but still let the little man know that he is loved, especially on his important day.

"OOOooohhh, it's my birthday!?!"

We'll show you what we were up to today...

Opened presents.

A Laptop??? Seriously???

Close...a winter coat in a laptop box! :)

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Nielson!! We promise Luke is in the coat...somewhere!

Played outside.

Last, but not least, demolished a cake.

Started off a little timid...

Warmed up once he realized that he wasn't getting in trouble for his actions.

Decided to even share some of his birthday cake, so kind. YUM!

Love this last picture of the "cake smash" or as we are calling it the "cake obliteration."

What a crazy, wonderful, exhausting, fulfilling, heart-wrenching, amazing, love-filled year. I know there have been moments that I thought would never pass and other moments that I prayed would last forever. We feel so blessed to have Luke in our family. We love you Luke.

"While we try to teach our children all about life,
Our children teach us what life is all about."

~Angela Schwindt

Luke's Birthday Morning

2011-09-15T20:15:00.000-06:00

I read an article about a family who made it a tradition that on each of their kids' first birthday they would place four objects on the opposite side of the room and see which object they would pick first.
They would attach more or less meaning to the objects such as if the child chose the piggy bank it meant that child was going to be a banker later in life.
I decided that this could be a fun tradition to adopt into our family. I do not have the intentions of this being a fortune telling tradition, but rather something that is simple and fun to look back on with our family.
The four objects we chose for Luke:

Binki: Loyalty
Book: Scholarly
Dump Truck: Hard Worker
Piggy Bank: Money Bags who will support his parents

...does that make Luke a hard worker who will be loyal???

P.S. I realize that I'm contradicting myself about the fortune-telling thing, but it is pretty fun! :)

364 Days

2011-09-14T20:52:00.000-06:00

Bryan is off at a church meeting tonight and I should be productive while he is gone. Instead, I'm letting my mind wander to how our world was about to change for the better one year ago...

Mister Max

2011-09-09T15:48:00.000-06:00

Luke's new pal, Max, moved into our ward a few months ago. These two boys were born only 5 days apart! Luke really likes to play with Max. However, Luke can get a little too close at times with all of his excitement, but luckily Max is a forgiving friend and I think they really "hit it off". :) Thanks for coming to play!

Book Worm

2011-09-09T15:39:00.000-06:00

Luke has turned into quite the book worm. We enjoy reading to him and having him sit on our laps for more than 10 seconds!

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Kotter for the book!

The Laundry Helper

2011-09-09T15:30:00.000-06:00

My chores around the home are now being shared with little man. He is a GREAT helper! I now need to teach him how to fold and put away the clothes. :)

P.S. Sorry the video is sideways. One of these times I'll figure it out, well, maybe. :)

T-o-M-A-t-O-e-S !!!

2011-09-03T09:56:00.000-06:00

I planted two itty-bitty tomato plants and they have turned into two GIGANTIC tomato-producing beasts! We are enjoying many tomato-basil-mozarella sandwiches and adding fresh tomatoes to just about anything! I wasn't able to keep up with all of these tomatoes, so I decided to try canning some of them. I ended up with 6 pints, not too shabby for using just 2 days worth of tomatoes. No explosions and they all sealed, in my book that equals success!

For the Kentucky Kotters...

2011-09-03T09:50:00.000-06:00

We also enjoy those speed limit signs that dare to be different. :)

Tri Numero Dos!

2011-09-03T09:49:00.001-06:00

After one triathlon, the rest are easy right?!? :) My friend, Sarah, drove out from Utah last weekend so we could do the "Iron Girl Triathlon" in Boulder.

The night before the tri we made sure to carbo-load. Carbo-loading is, quite possibly, the best part about a triathlon.

It was a Sprint Triathlon; I like those shorter distances! We completed a 1/4 mile swim in the Boulder reservoir, an 18-mile bike ride and a 5k (3.2 mile) run. It was great to do a tri side-by-side with Sarah!

"Me Go"

2011-09-03T09:49:00.000-06:00

When Bryan was a little tike, he would beg to go with his Dad and older brothers hiking/camping/backpacking-anything outside by pleading, "me go!". Bryan's persistence paid off when his parents bought him his very own backpack. He felt like one of the big boys.

Fast-forward 25+ years...looks like history might repeat itself.

That is THE backpack from Bryan's childhood days.

Vigorous stair work-outs to prep for the hikes.

Conquering obstacles that might arise on the trail.

Of course, one must only pack the neccesities.

"Me go???"

Ah Shucks! Maybe next year!

(A mom can wish)

USA Pro Cycyling Challenge

2011-09-03T09:47:00.000-06:00

As it says in the title, the USA Pro Cycling Challenge was held in Colorado for the first time. There were several "stages" a.k.a. races throughout Colorado over about a week. We drove down to Colorado Springs to see one of the time trials. It was a 5.5 mile course. On average, it took 8.5 minutes for a cyclist to complete. That means that they were cruising at about 38 mph!
We were able to see the best of the best. Cadel Evans, winner of the Tour de France, the Schleck brothers, Levi Leipheimer to name a few.

Bryan is the one responsible/to blame that I know these guys. I have to admit that a few years ago you would NEVER have caught me at a bike race...boring. However, I was loving it and finding myself wanting to be one of the crazies that you see on TV, you know, the one running alongside the bike with paint all over his body. I restrained myself-it was too hard to keep that pace with Luke in the stroller.

We tried hard to blend in and not to embarass Luke's father. Luke rocked his shades for a solid 20 minutes.

He was C-O-O-L.

Bryan is hopeful that one day we will make it to the Tour de France. For now, this was perfect! :)

A Great Weekend

2011-09-03T09:45:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, Bryan's parents came out for a weekend visit. Bryan was able to go backpacking with his dad and brother in the Indian Peaks Wilderness area. It sounded like they had a great time (with a few glitches) and all of their hard work was rewarded with the gorgeous scenery.

Carrie and I held the fort down and had a great time! I put Carrie right to work with sewing curtains for Luke's room. This was a project I meant to do months ago, but I didn't have the courage and skills to see it through. Thank you Carrie for helping me out and doing it! I found the vintage airplane fabric several months back and fell in love with it. I also wanted to line the curtains with "blackout" fabric so Luke would sleep 23 hours a day. :) Carrie is an amazing seamstress and made the curtains without a single flaw. I love how they look in the nursery!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

The next day, we ventured out for some lunch and shopping. I thought it might be a good idea to show Carrie what IKEA is all about---turned out to be pure chaos. We didn't last long; I began to feel way too claustrophobic. We recharged our batteries with the aide of Sonic's Happy Hour and an afternoon rest. We decided to head off to the outlets in the evening and found a bargain or two. Of course, Luke managed to take in as much Grandma time as possible!

We finished off the weekend by going to Erie (about 40 minutes north of us) to visit Mike and Melissa's family. It was nice to see family and to let the little cousins play!

Penny Stove

2011-08-25T09:39:00.001-06:00

Bryan was looking at ways in which he might be able to make his pack lighter when he goes backpacking through the wilderness. He stumbled across the "penny stove". Dan and Bryan decided to construct this little gem and see if they could make it work. The supply list included:

2 pop cans
one penny
a few tools
...and some rubbing alcohol

The construction phase. Warning: The techniques seen below are NOT recommended, but do provide a certain level of entertainment.

Drum Roll....Did it work???

Yes, "man make fire".

Brigham City Temple

2011-08-24T10:14:00.000-06:00

My hometown, Brigham City, is being blessed with a temple! It should be completed by about this time next year. I forgot to include pictures of the Temple from a trip we took in July. So, better late than never.

Brigham City has a "Peach Days" celebration every fall for the harvest of peaches. The peach blossom was incorporated onto the temple.

Also, I forgot to include on that trip that we visited Tom at the "old" court house where he works. He took us to the very top of the building, into the clock/bell tower.

I really like that last picture of Bryan and Luke and wanted to make sure I had it documented somewhere! Thanks Tom for taking us!

Utah Trip

2011-08-24T09:55:00.001-06:00

My brother, Dan, and his family that live in Virgina were visiting Utah last week, so we made our way west for a visit. We decided to make the 8 hour drive this time. We had not driven to Utah since last Thanksgiving when I-80 closed because of a snowstorm and we were stuck in beautiful Evanston for a night with our 2 1/2 month old baby. Summer time is a much better time to make the drive. For the most part, the drive went really well.

There were many happenings while we visited family in Utah. Bryan decided to go on a backpacking trip with Tom and Paul in the Uintahs. I think that Bryan was the most excited about this trip. I should let him out of the house more often. :) Tom and Paul endured the hike and lived to tell about it, which was comical, as always.

Paul has a very generous heart and packed an entire sack of potatoes up to their campsite to share.

Puts a new spin on packing the essentials. :)

While Bryan was out exploring, I was having a great time at home with the family on our own adventures. Luke had lots of fun playing with cousins and receiving oodles of attention. On Saturday, Ben and Mindi took us boating. I loved it!! It seems that Colorado doesn't have very many lakes/reservoirs and so boating is a little more difficult to come by. We busted out the tube and even the 1980's slalom ski. By some small miracle I was able to get up on the ski, maybe it was due to the taunting of my nephew that I wouldn't be able to get up and I needed to prove I was still cool and young. :) Granted, I could be barely walk the next day, but it felt great to be out on the water again.

It was great to be able to see everyone that we could! Here are a few more shots of the fam...

Colorado Camping: Round Two!

2011-08-23T22:14:00.000-06:00

I have been horrible about keeping our blog up-to-date (just take a gander at the header). Slowly, but surely I will catch up! The beginning of the month, we went camping with the Cramer Family up Guanella Pass. We lucked out and found a great camp site nestled in the trees with a river/creek running through it. The trip was complete with hot dogs, smores, a toasty fire and two very dirty little boys that were in heaven.

Charlie lead the way, crawling like his buddy Luke. He would even glance back and make sure that his pal was coming along okay, such a good friend!

Luke decided that since we wouldn't give him the axe to cut up the wood that he would take matters into his own hands...

I know, bad parenting moment (I have quite a few of these) ... I thought of the slivers, dirt, etc. but it all ended well, the proof is below.

We had a great time! It helped that Luke slept much better this go around.

Thanks Cramers for coming---we look forward to next year!!!

Douglas County Fair

2011-08-16T20:43:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, we went to the Douglas County Fair. There were many sights, sounds and smells to take in while we were there (some good, some not so good).

We started with the animals.

Keep an eye on those piggies!

Wait, which piggies???

Next came the fair food. A turkey leg for Bryan and Luke.

A bag of cotton candy for me.

We skipped the rodeo and carnival rides this year due to the weather and attention span of our child, but hopefully we can catch those next year!

SwimBikeRun

2011-08-03T22:11:00.000-06:00

After months of planning and attempting to train, I completed "My Way or the Tri Way" sprint triathlon with my training buddy, Elizabeth. We had great support from our husbands through this entire process, hats off to them...

Oh, and these two little guys on the grass.

We started with a 750 meter open water swim. Open water means that we swam in a reservoir, not a pool and that we were kicked/punched in the mayhem of it all. :) Did I mention that I signed up and paid money to do this???

Making the run back to the transition area from the reservoir.

This is the transition area-pic taken before the tri began, my hair doesn't dry that fast :). Can be a little tricky finding your bike when there are 300+ other bikes in this area.

Next came a 12 mile bike ride through rolling hills, "rolling" may have been an understatement, or a statement about my training. (Thank you Elizabeth for the pics)

We finished it off with a 3.5 mile run. It was a tough course, but it felt OH-SO-GOOD completing it! Loved seeing these two guys along the course, and especially at the finish line! Woot! Woot!

IKEA

2011-08-03T20:35:00.000-06:00

Last week I went the grand opening of IKEA with Elizabeth and Charlie. It was C-R-A-Z-Y!

After waiting in this line for close to an hour we finally made it into the big, beautiful building.

Can you feel the excitement?!?

We made several purchases on our lists and will return (many times, I'm sure) once the chaos calms down. We had a great, exhausting time at the store. Bryan has his fingers crossed for the next big, "Grand Opening" to be a sports store. Bad news for my husband, H&M opens later this year in Denver. :)

Munns Reunion

2011-07-31T23:18:00.000-06:00

The Saturday following Island Park, we had another reunion with my side of the family! We were packing in as much fun as possible! In the morning there was a carnival for the little kids with all sorts of games.

The Balloon Dart Board.

I like the intensity Hallie shows. Every kid loved this one. "Wait, I get to throw something really sharp as hard as I want"?

A very creative "bear hunt".

Tin can toss.

Jess and I ran the fishing pond, let me clarify, the pretend fishing pond. When the kids realized there was a REAL fishing pond on the other side of the grass, we were out of business. We didn't stand a chance.

What more could a kid want??? Hmm...maybe a wagon ride?

Done.

The carnival was amazing! Thanks to everyone that organized it and pulled it off!

The big kids modified the carnival games to their liking. The winner of each event wore this snazzy "Sheriff" badge.

Bryan basking in his glory after popping THREE balloons while throwing darts going down the slide.

Yep, he's A-L-L mine. :)

My favorite modification was the football toss. The contestants had to throw at the target while being pulled across the lawn on the wagon, next came the "long bomb" over the canopy, followed by a boot-leg play. Bryan is responsible for all of the football terminology, I sincerely thought he was making those up.

In the afternoon, the world's largest "slip-n-slide" was set up.

My niece, Katelyn, being brave and going head first!

Another cute niece, Aubrey, slidin' down with Luke and me.

Luke enjoying the slide in his own way.

I loved this slide! I'm still trying to think how and where we could do this in Colorado.

We had quite the surprise in the late afternoon when this guy buzzed overhead.

It was the candy bomber! I grew up attending a family reunion where candy was dropped from an airplane for all the kids to collect. It was so fun as a kid that when I realized what was going on I had to keep myself in check and remind myself that I was now an "adult" and needed to step aside while the "kids" ran for the candy. How I missed those "good ol' days" in that moment. :)

The true surprise was when the airplane looped around for another "bombing". We weren't planning on that...TAKE COVER!

All of the fun and family togetherness is because of this incredible woman, our grandma.

Her and our grandpa have always set a great example of the importance of families. She is one amazing lady.

Island Park Reunion

2011-07-27T22:19:00.000-06:00

Last week we went to a cabin in Island Park, Idaho with Bryan's immediate family. We had a wonderful time. There were rivers to float, trails to ride 4-wheelers on, delicious food to inhale :), gorgeous scenery to admire and great company to enjoy!

On the way up, we stopped in Rexburg. I attended BYU-Idaho and LOVED it there! We showed Luke around the town, it's never to early to start persuading. :) They have since built a temple in Rexburg, it is beautiful.

The cabin we stayed in was very spacious. We had plenty of room for the bounce house and...

the newest addition to the Nielson Family, "cheep-cheep."

We definitely kept busy with our time that we spent together. Here are a few pictures to share all the fun that we had!

Old Faithful in Yellowstone

Target shooting off of the deck.

4-wheeling/driving to gorgeous summits.

Floating the river.

Cousins having lots of fun together.

All of the excitemtent eventually led to this...

We drove up to Big Springs one evening, it was beautiful.

Bryan took these photos when he was out and about with his brothers and dad. It would not be a true Nielson Reunion unless the men in the family are all taking the same picture to upload onto a computer discuss later. :)

We had a wonderful time and are trying to adjust back to "normal" life.

However, Luke is pretty bored around here and wondering, "Hey! Where did everybody go"?

Let Freedom Ring

2011-07-05T21:28:00.001-06:00

This 4th of July we made our way to Snowmass Village, which is about 10 miles outside of Aspen. It is about a 3.5 hour car ride without the infamous I-70 traffic. We managed to get caught in that traffic mess going up, however, it was definitely worth it! We enjoyed majestic mountains, raging rivers, and fantastic fireworks. It was a fabulous weekend. The only thing we might change when we go next time is to stay longer so we can squeeze in some road biking as well as a rodeo, yes, a rodeo. Luke is going to be in the "Mutton Bustin' " one of these years, we need to start him young. If you're not sure what "Mutton Bustin' " is, shame on you.

What better way to celebrate our Independence Day than by driving up "Independence Pass"?

It was a b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l day!

We enjoyed several hikes along this stretch of road. Luke was pretty "wide-eyed" during the hikes. Bryan kept things interesting for the kid...he was strapped in at all times.

Luke was exhausted with all of the hiking, but kept in good spirits.

We rewarded him with his very own plum and a few "360s" courtesy of Bryan.

Luke loves "360s".

This is where we paused on our journey because Bryan swore that he saw Lance Armstrong. To quote Bryan, "I guarantee that is Lance." Well, we should have placed a bet, because on Luke's closer inspection it turned out to be an impostor...I could have made some serious moo-lah.

Ahhh, The Maroon Bells.

We did a little fishing at Ruedi Reservoir, gorgeous. We love to fish. I love to "reservoir" fish, Bryan is more of river and stream guy. I love my type of fishing, because I am ridiculously lucky. This trip did not let me down, "FISH ON"!

Bryan thoroughly enjoyed watching me reel this big lunker in. Besides letting the entire reservoir know that I had a fish, I completed my catch with a victorious fish dance. I think this is my biggest catch yet. I know it isn't huge, but to me, it felt gigantic. :)

Luke's reaction to how his mother acts when she catches a fish.

We caught the fireworks in Aspen to complete our holiday weekend. Happy 4th!

P.S. Two of my favorite, random pics from the trip...

Busy Day

2011-06-29T21:32:00.000-06:00

Today felt like one of those whirlwind days for me. Bryan pitched in and "put dinner away" before he had to take off...

... it just made me chuckle. :)

Mmm...Mmm...GOOD!

2011-06-26T10:25:00.000-06:00

I tried Cinnamon Roll Pancakes this morning for Sunday breakfast. They were delicious! Click here for the recipe. I substituted with a pancake recipe that I like, but I'm sure you could even use an instant form and they would turn out great. Check out the original recipe. The previous sentence will make more sense.

Coffee Table Makeover

2011-06-26T10:14:00.001-06:00

A coffee table can be turned into an ottoman? What? Sounds simple enough. Ha! This was one of those projects that I scheduled 2-3 hours to complete. I think it took me closer to 6 hours, that might even be rounding down. It's somewhat of a blur now. Bryan's friend, Brandon, ended up helping me a ton while Bryan took baby duty. I think Bryan was relieved to get out of that mess and entertain Luke. However, I do love how it turned out and believe that it was worth the time and effort. Brandon might tell you otherwise.

Bryan doing the demolition on my coffee table from Craigslist. These will be the holes used for tufting. He was quite excited that he was able to buy a new tool for this project, even if it was just a drill bit.

Prepping the table with high density foam. We tried "liquid nails" to adhere the foam to the table and it didn't live up to its name. I used good ol' fashioned hot glue and that seemed to work great (thank you Tracy).

Next, we wrapped it in batting.

I made the buttons for the tufts using a quality purchase from Walmart. You get what you pay for with these. Next time, I would buy a different brand from Jo-Anns or Hobby Lobby. I'm not sure when that next time will be.

The buttons.

Used upholstery thread and plenty of it to help create each tuft.

Luke assisted Bryan and pulled the threads nice and tight so he could staple the threads in place.

Tufting: Check.

Again, Luke assisting in the project. He has such an eye for detail and would pull the "extra" batting off for me to make sure it was even all around. Extremely helpful.

By far, the hardest part was each corner. I think it was a good thing that Bryan and Luke's precious ears were out of range to hear his mother's rants of frustration. :)

Corner view of the finished product!

Tufting from above.

What do you think?

A Camping We Will Go!

2011-06-24T14:34:00.000-06:00

We ventured out on our first camping trip of the season. HOORAY for Colorado Camping!! Overall, we had a good time and will continue to make camping part of our "family fun" memories. However, we did learn a few "golden nuggets" along the way.

Blankets are for decoration only.

Dirt is delicious, especially mixed with sticks.

Dirt must be sampled in a variety of locations, quality control, you might say.

I really, REALLY need to find shoes that will stay on his feet. Any suggestions for extra wide and thick baby feet?

We spend too much money on toys. Next time, I'm bringing home a few pieces of scrap wood.

Hiking is a relative term. We knocked off 0.5 miles of The Colorado Trail. Only 482.5 more miles to go! Bryan wants to do the entire trail (in segments) at some point in the future with kids in tow. We're still learning. Hmm... :)

Bryan is going to need a bigger pack to carry Luke, me and our gear on the remaining miles of the trail.

Here is a very vague map to give you an idea of the trail.

Any takers???

Sunglasses are cool at any age.

Tough to get a good family picture when there is a combination of fire, dirt and a 9-month old involved.

Mornings begin EXTRA early when camping with Luke. 4:45 AM, seriously?

Not the highlight of the camping trip, pretty sure that was the low point.

More dirt?

Could it be??

YES!

How could he sleep any longer knowing that there was SO much dirt and SO little time???

Well, that about wraps it up, "Happy Trails to You"! (I couldn't resist.)

9 months!

2011-06-20T15:58:00.001-06:00

Luke turned 9 months old last week. Time is flying! He is very active and can pretty much get anywhere he wants to, dangerous. This last week he managed to split his eye open in the tub, had the appearance of eating 20 Oreos all over his face, turned out to be more like 20 lbs of dirt (maybe the dirt was the better option) and bonked his head countless times on pretty much anything. I guess we are in that "stage"... for the next 17.5 years??? He definitely keeps us on our toes!

Stats from the last visit:

Height: 30"............. 94 %tile
Weight: 22 lbs 3 oz.. 76 %tile
Head: 47 cm..............91 %tile

He is growing so quickly! Here are a few pictures of the mischief he's been into as of late.

There is no drawer or cupboard left untouched.

Getting into tight places, followed by an abrupt onset of amnesia and can't remember how to get out, "help"!

This gate can only hold him back for so long.

Helping out with his diaper changes, such a big help.

This is how the toy generally works.

Luke likes to pull it over, on occasion, and take a more "relaxed" position while playing with the toy.

He obviously enjoys this way MUCH better. :)

He manages to pull a pretty good, "I'm innocent" face.

Happy 9-months to you and all of your mischievous ways! :)

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T16:34:00.001-06:00

Sometimes, pictures can say it all.

Splish-Splash!

2011-06-07T16:23:00.000-06:00

Today was the little man's first day at the neighborhood pool. He LOVED it! I loved it! Hopefully next time (tomorrow) Bryan will be able to join us. I have a feeling we could be spending quite a bit of time here this summer. Bring on the warm weather and cool water!

Testing the waters.

Watching the other kids to find out what he should be doing. Luke had no fear and would keep crawling until the water was in his face! I guess he just wanted to play with the big kids!

Favorite Things Update

2011-06-06T16:05:00.001-06:00

As the song goes, "These are a few of {Luke's} fav-o-rite things"...

Noodles with tomato sauce. Delish.

Tickles. He has several "tickle spots" and loves to laugh. As you can see, he still has his bib on, giggles and eating are definitely in the top two spots of favorite things.

The only thing that might rival the eating and giggling would be climbing. The chairs at our kitchen table provide Luke's favorite climbing gym. (Of course, if Bryan or I attempt to lay down, then we become his favorite climbing apparatus.)

Memorial Weekend

2011-06-06T15:53:00.000-06:00

We took a quick trip up to Estes Park for the Holiday Weekend. It is about an hour and a half from us, making it not too far, but far enough that it feels like we're getting away. We love this small town. The weather was a little chilly so we stayed in Estes Park and didn't venture into Rocky Mountain National Park this time. RMNP is only 5-10 minutes from Estes, very convenient, but much more snowy. One of my favorite things about Estes is the taffy and "old school" candy shops. Walking along main street, it feels like every other shop has something sweet to offer. We are slowly checking candy shops off of our list.

There was a lake not too far from where we were staying. We decided to stroll around the lake and skip a few rocks. It was a chilly, but gorgeous morning.

Luke, the explorer.

He was too interested in the water to look at the camera, or maybe he was just sick of us trying to get his attention. I'm betting on the latter.

Grandparents: Any time is a good time.

2011-06-06T15:46:00.000-06:00

Last week, my dad surprised my mom (and me!) and booked some last minute tickets to come out to see us! We felt very lucky to have them here for a few days. I managed to put them right to work! We did some hunting at the local stores and nurseries for tomato and basil plants, perennials, and a few annuals. We planted them in the backyard in our little garden space. I'm crossing my fingers that I can keep them alive for at least a week...we'll see.
Next project, I used the fabric that I scored at a yard sale a few weeks ago ($1.50 for almost 8 yards) to make some curtains and pillows. My mom kept Luke busy so I could be more efficient without my"helper" assisting me. She also made sure that my square pillows didn't transform into triangles and that the curtains looked like actual curtains. I will post pictures of the above projects at some point. (Maybe...only if my plants survive) :)

After we finished up our projects, we decided to get out and enjoy the nice weather. We went on a little hike at Roxborough State Park. We managed to wait until the hottest time of the day, good planning on my part. My parents were good sports. It is a very pretty place, especially this time of year. I love the green trees and bushes against the contrasting red rock.

Like I said, it was a little hot... :)

Thanks so much for coming!

We love you.

Stair-Master

2011-05-24T10:22:00.000-06:00

It was one of those moments when Bryan thought I was watching Luke and vice versa. When Bryan discovered the little man, Luke was quite proud of himself. We were terrified. The gates are going up.

Bargain Season

2011-05-23T13:58:00.000-06:00

Ah, it is that time of year when the birds are singing, flowers are blossoming and YARD sales are happening on every street corner! It might be the most wonderful time of the year. I do love a good yard sale. My friend, Kelly, invited me to go with her on Saturday morning. We did not leave empty handed, lots of other peoples' "treasures" now belong to us.

We might need to take a trailer next time for all of our loot.

Bryan is quite determined that our little family will be going camping this summer. I decided to embrace this adventure and purchased a camping chair for Luke while we were out and about. He lasted almost a minute in it.

This is definitely his favorite spot in the house. ANY time he hears the spring on the dishwasher he stops what he is doing, crawls incredibly fast to this magnificent toy and plops right down. I make sure to put all of the sharp knives within arms reach. :)

A Different Bug

2011-05-17T20:40:00.000-06:00

Well, the domestic bug I had was overpowered by a nasty stomach bug that came to stay for a day or so. Yuck! Luckily, Luke nor Bryan have caught this bug, fingers crossed. However, since I was a little slower at getting around to things, Luke managed to step up to the plate and take care of himself, more or less.

Learned a few new ways to entertain himself:

This is called "Luke the Turtle." Creative name, we know.

Next, he learned a new "illusion" - a.k.a. magic trick.

****Drum roll****

Poof!! That's right. The WHOLE golf ball.

Scrounged up whatever he could find to fill his belly.

Jackpot!

Bryan took pity on Luke for the lack of attention he received and made it up to him with his first chocolate chip cookie.

Nothing like a little comfort food to ease any pain. :)

Luke did get pretty bored around here. He dressed up all fancy to see if Bryan would take him into the office so he could learn the ropes there-having exhausted his resources at home. He really thinks that "sales" is in his blood, he might just have the "Nielson Boy Charm." Could you say no to this face?

Snow Day!

2011-05-13T14:50:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, MAY 12th, it snowed here in Castle Rock! Not just a little skiff on the ground, a full on snowstorm. I loved it! We haven't had much of a winter here and it was kind of fun; I also knew that it would melt and be gone today!

Charlie, Luke's friend, invited him over to play in the snow. The boys had a great time, but I think their moms enjoyed it a little bit more. Here are a few pictures from their adventure in the snow!

Luke making himself comfortable.

Luke relaxing on Charlie...poor Charlie was using all of his stomach muscles to support him AND Luke. Luke's looking at his buddy and wondering what the problem is...

As you can see, Luke is already kicked back and loving the idea of sledding. As for poor Charlie, I think he is beginning to wonder who invited this kid over!

The initial excitement of the sled moving across the snow...didn't last long

Uh-Oh! They only made it a few feet, maybe inches, before they toppled over. Valiant effort.

What? No tears??

(P.S. I love the look Charlie is giving me in this picture..."What's wrong with you lady? Help us out!"

Okay, yep, there are the tears.

We rescued the poor boys from their mothers' idea of a good time and took them around individually on the sled. The boys liked this much better. However, I am still laughing about the previous pictures.

Luke bundled up for his turn on the sled. He thought it best to lay down this time...might have a longer chance of staying on the sled.

Success! He loved it!

For the grandmas out there, I'm sorry that I don't have snow boots on your grand kid, but he is wearing 2 pairs of socks. :)

We had a great time in the snow. Thanks for inviting us over!!

Domestic Bug

2011-05-11T20:41:00.000-06:00

As of late, I have caught the domestic bug, not sure where it came from-I'll see how long it sticks around! I made a few baby items that were quick and simple.

My sister-in-law, Jess, shared a bib pattern with me that I just loved to make the following.

Last time I visited Utah my mom showed me some burp cloths that were made of terrycloth and "minky". They were amazingly soft. We visited a few craft stores for the fabric I wanted and this is how they turned out.

If only I could transfer via picture their cuddly, cozy texture. I might just use one on top of my pillow tonight.

Mother's Day

2011-05-11T20:03:00.000-06:00

This Mother's Day was my first "official" Mother's Day. I have wonderful examples in my life of mother/womanhood. My own mother, mother-in-law, grandmas, aunts, sister-in-laws, church leaders, etc have all done an incredible job with setting an example for me to follow. I had no idea (and probably have only caught a glimpse) what being a mother would mean to me. I'm not sure what words to type to describe how hugely blessed I feel to have Luke in our family. Bryan and I love that "little stinker" so much. It has opened my eyes to the love that mothers feel for their children. Being a mother is, by far, the most challenging and rewarding work I have ever done. As the saying goes, "I thank Heaven for little boys"...

...especially, this one.

Double Trouble!

2011-05-07T15:15:00.000-06:00

Luke loves being around other kids, especially Charlie. Charlie lives just a few doors down from us and we love when he is able to come over and play! I have a feeling that in just a short matter of time, these two are going to be partners in crime...

I promise that we usually let Charlie inside of our house to play, but the boys seemed to like playing this way! :)

Cinco de Mayo!

2011-05-06T09:37:00.001-06:00

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, we enjoyed a festive, Mexican dinner. We tried a new recipe and loved it! I think the key with this fish taco recipe was the lime vinaigrette, yummy! We added guacamole, pico de gallo, queso fresco, and more of the lime vinaigrette to the tacos (I forgot about the coleslaw in the fridge-oops.) To make it more "authentic" I added rice and beans as a side. We also enjoyed our own version of a Pina Colada with my classy glasses from the dollar store. These glasses have a cactus for the stem, hilarious and perfect for Cinco de Mayo!

Pico de Gallo Recipe

Grilled Fish Tacos with Lime Vinaigrette Recipe

You can almost catch a glimpse of the cactus stem on the glass, but not quite.

Luke joined in on the celebrations with his first Pina Colada...

Can you say "sugar rush"???

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Homemade Freezer Strawberry Jam

2011-05-05T14:32:00.003-06:00

"Sprouts," one of the local grocery stores was having a good deal on their strawberries, so I loaded up in hopes of following through and making some strawberry jam. Today, I made it happen. The recipe I used is from my mom, and it is d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s. Warning, if you are diabetic or not a fan of sugar, this is not the recipe for you. For the rest of us, enjoy! :)

Homemade Strawberry Jam

2 cups crushed strawberries

4 cups sugar (yes, 4 cups)

1 box "Surejel" --- I use the generic brand and it turns out fine

3/4 cup water

**Wash and de-stem your strawberries**

**Next, mash strawberries**

I like to put them in a 9x13 pan or cookie sheet to mash. I also use a simple, ol' potato masher

**Pour 2 cups mashed strawberries into separate bowl from sugar.

Add sugar to strawberries and mix well. Let sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. **

**In saucepan, combine 3/4 cup water with 1 package "Surejel". Bring to boil on High heat. Stir constantly. Boil 1 minute, stir constantly. Remove from heat.

**Dump "Surejel" into fruit and sugar mixture. Stir for 3 minutes to completely dissolve sugar.**

**Pour into freezer containers and chill.**

That's all folks!

Surprise!

2011-05-05T13:49:00.000-06:00

Luke learned when he crawled that only his knees and hands were touching the ground. I think he thought to himself, "I wonder what it would be like to have only my feet touching the ground."

Well, he figured it out! I guess he just needed to sleep on it. (That's my solution for a lot of things, too.)

I brought him downstairs from his nap and his favorite show, SportsCenter, just happened to be on. He must have wanted a closer look at the stats.

Bryan's Take On Spring

2011-05-05T13:10:00.000-06:00

Bryan does like Spring...mostly. You see, Bryan has these pesky things called allergies which tend to make Spring not that enjoyable at times. A few weeks ago, his allergies peaked. How could we tell that they peaked? It was quite easy to see... (at least for one of us)

Poor, poor Bryan.

Ahhh...Spring

2011-05-04T10:03:00.001-06:00

I LOVE Springtime. I love the blossoms on the trees, watching the daffodils and tulips reappear and holding my breath that our other perennials survived the winter! I usually walk around the yard once a day, just to see if anything else is greening up or showing off its first blossoms. This is what I found this morning.

First blossoms on our Lilac bushes.

Our Radiant Crab Apple trees are in full bloom. I had no idea what bright, PINK blossoms these trees would produce!

Some day I hope to be an amazing gardener. As of right now, I pretty much manage to kill anything that tries to give me fresh herbs, fruit or veggies. We have this space in our backyard that I am trying to figure out what to plant in it. We have a retaining wall that I thought might be fun to try and plant something that would crawl up it...or have any of you heard that vines/crawling plants are a nightmare? I would also like to mix flowers with veggie plants (such as tomato). Any ideas of what I could put in this and when I should plant???

Another aspect of Spring that I love is the warmer mornings and evenings. We went on a family hike this morning. There was a gorgeous blue sky with plenty of sunshine that we enjoyed while hiking. I think Luke likes the warmth of Spring combined with his backpack.

I've had my eye on this wreath for a long time. I finally got around to making it. I don't think I'm in love with how it turned out, but it feels "Spring-y" to me, therefore, I like it. :)

Spoiled!

2011-05-02T09:17:00.001-06:00

My sister-in-law, Mindi, and her daughter, Madi, came out to have a mini girls' trip while the guys in the family went on a baseball trip. We (especially Luke) felt spoiled that they were able to come!

Madi and Luke. Luke loved playing with his cousin...he LOVES to be around other kids, especially Madi!!

We managed to squeeze in some craft time, this is a girls' trip after all! We made moss monograms (fancy way of saying letters covered in fake moss) that were super easy and I really like how they turned out...

Mindi showed me how to make fabric flowers and headbands. These were also easy peesy and way cute!

One afternoon we went to "The Wildlife Experience". They had a really cool display on frogs. Did you know that one tiny frog can kill 10 humans with its poison?!? That is more poisonous than any snake, spider, or any other creepy-crawly thing! We also liked looking at the salt water aquariums. The sea horse stole the show! I actually thought that sea horses were like unicorns, more on the fantasy side of life, nope, they're real...maybe unicorns are too...

When can you guys come again??? We're already missing you!

Grandma and Grandpa Nielson

2011-05-02T08:48:00.000-06:00

At the beginning of the month Bryan's parents came out to attend a family funeral. It was such a sad occasion. It was nice to have them here and we enjoyed the visit, amongst the difficult circumstances.

Bryan's dad snapped a few photos for us of Luke while he was here. Luke was happy about all of the attention he received from his grandparents.

We look forward to seeing you guys in July!!!

Cannot Wait

2011-05-01T21:59:00.000-06:00

I was going to try and do the "catch up" posts in chronological order, but this simply, cannot wait.

TA-DAH!!!

Luke thanks Grandpa Nielson who spent extra time coaching and encouraging him.

Back Tracking

2011-05-01T21:39:00.000-06:00

WOW! Where did the month of April go??? We have quite a bit of catching up, so I'll start with me. :) Bryan spoiled me on my 28th(!) Birthday with waffles and strawberries for breakfast, lovely flowers and a romantic dinner at a fancy shmancy restaurant. I went to lunch with my friend Elizabeth, Bryan even took Luke for a few hours so the gals could chat it up. We knew it was a good visit when we found out that our husbands checked in with each other to see what the other one had heard or if anything was wrong...hee, hee!! It was a great day.

Of course, I didn't manage to take any pictures of Bryan or me on my special day, but I did capture some of the other highlights!

Luke sang me his version of "Happy Birthday". He then proceeded to take care of himself for the rest of the day, giving me the day off. Such a thoughtful boy.

He also thought that it might be time to start dropping hints about what he wants for his birthday... (yeah, right.)

Good Morning!

2011-03-26T14:50:00.002-06:00

For the most part, Luke wakes up very happy in the morning. There are definitely mornings where I think he should roll over and wake up on the other side of the crib, but generally speaking, he is a happy babe in the early hours. Bryan and I will often elbow each other out of the way when going to get him out of his crib because we LOVE the following faces...

...not a bad way to start the day.

Super-size

2011-03-26T14:43:00.001-06:00

If we had to pick Luke's true love, it could easily be food. This kid is hilarious when it comes to eating solid food. There are times (more often than not) that Bryan and I feel like we can't deliver the food to his mouth fast enough. We decided that maybe the baby-size spoons simply weren't cutting it and we needed to increase his portion size. Bingo, problem solved.

Bon Appetit!

Mr. Destruct-O

2011-03-26T14:33:00.000-06:00

Luke doesn't quite have the crawling thing down yet, but he still manages to get around just fine! I left the room the other day for just a few minutes and when I returned he was very pleased with himself and his accomplishments. I can't help but wonder how long he must "eye" something and then is ecstatic when he finally manages to pull that thing into his possession.

Busted!

Difficult to recover the magazine after Luke's rampage. :)

Springtime Hike

2011-03-19T21:01:00.001-06:00

Today felt like a beautiful, spring day! We went on a short hike in Castle Wood Canyon to enjoy the weather. The canyon is about 20 minutes from our house and provides easy trails that are perfect for our family. Things are definitely still brown, but I love seeing the buds on trees and bushes signaling that spring is just around the corner. Luke was able to try out his carrier that we purchased last year at a neighborhood garage sale. The pictures speak for themselves. The carrier was a good purchase.

Bryan has such good memories of spending time in the outdoors with his dad and brothers growing up. He is really hoping that Luke will want to camp, hunt, backpack, etc with him when he gets a little older. I think today felt like those times are getting closer. Luke is changing and growing up so fast! Bryan loved this hike...almost as much as Luke.

6 months old!

2011-03-15T21:27:00.002-06:00

Today is Luke's 6 month mark, his half-birthday. We celebrated by going to the Dr.'s and letting him receive lots and lots of shots. I know, how thoughtful. We did the typical weigh-in and measurements the stats are as follows:

Head: 46 cm, 93 %tile
Height: 27.5 in, 85 %tile
Weight: 18 lbs 14 oz, 76 %tile

Bryan was quite upset about Luke's apparent "plateau" in weight gain. He is planning protein shakes for our child as I type this. I see the plateau as a direct result of Luke's work out regimen in the johnny-jump-up. He knows that swimsuit season is fast approaching. :) Either way, "plateau-ing" or "off the charts" we're so glad that he is healthy and doing well!

We love Luke's smile...hard to not smile when you have this guy lookin' at you!
(Please pardon the drool-fest, he is working on tooth #2!)

The Nielsons

Cheapskate

Friends and Fondue

Lotsa and Lotsa Snow!

Just Another Day...Well, Almost

Date Night

North vs. South

Baby Shower

A Few Other Things

Christmas 2011

Shake-a-lator

A Big Step in My World

Happy Birthday!

Hello!

Luke's New Ride

Book Club

The Folks

Boise

Wedding Galore

Holy COW, It's Halloween!!!

oNe YEaR PiCS

Thai Night

Cheese-Broccoli Soup

Happy Anniversary!

Dare Devil

Winter Park

STATS

Luke's first steps

Signs of Autumn

Castle Rock Stake 5k Run

Some Girly Time

Happy Birthday!

Luke's Birthday Morning

364 Days

Mister Max

Book Worm

The Laundry Helper

T-o-M-A-t-O-e-S !!!

For the Kentucky Kotters...

Tri Numero Dos!

"Me Go"

USA Pro Cycyling Challenge

A Great Weekend

Penny Stove

Brigham City Temple

Utah Trip

Colorado Camping: Round Two!

Douglas County Fair

Swim***Bike***Run

IKEA

Munns Reunion

Island Park Reunion

Let Freedom Ring

Busy Day

Mmm...Mmm...GOOD!

Coffee Table Makeover

A Camping We Will Go!

9 months!

Happy Father's Day!

Splish-Splash!

Favorite Things Update

Memorial Weekend

Grandparents: Any time is a good time.

Stair-Master

Bargain Season

A Different Bug

Snow Day!

Domestic Bug

Mother's Day

Double Trouble!

Cinco de Mayo!

Homemade Freezer Strawberry Jam

Surprise!

Bryan's Take On Spring

Ahhh...Spring

Spoiled!

Grandma and Grandpa Nielson

Cannot Wait

Back Tracking

Good Morning!

SwimBikeRun