Nielsen Clan

It's been nearly 2 years since my last post. Blogging seemed to take a backseat to life.  We have moved again, added another family member, begun applying for grad school and been on all kinds of new adventures. It's impossible to start catching up so we will just pick up the pieces and move on.

We live in Pocatello, ID once again. No, it was not planned, but it was welcome. Justin took a job in the ICU at Portneuf Medical center in March 2012. One month later we learned we would be adding a member to the family.

Kyler is turning 4 on Thursday and I'm having a panic attack. How can my baby be 4? How can my baby be 4 going on 12? How is it that my baby is no longer a baby? How can I actually raise such an intelligent child in a way that actually encourages him? I have no answers to these questions, and they taunt me daily.  He is wonderfully bright and too smart for his britches.  He just finished his first year of preschool. He can count to 50 and beyond, knows all his colors, shapes, and letters. He has an insatiable zest for life and it is useless to try and slow him down.

Carson Ray Nielsen was born on Dec 21, 2012.  He has been a ball of fun since then. He is 5 months old and just about as perfect as he can be. That's not to say there haven't been quite a few surprises and scares from birth to now, but he is perfect for him and that's enough for me.  He will be fitted for a cranial helmet the end of this month and it will become our constant companion. Perhaps we will name it... there is one thing for sure, it will double as a 4 wheeling helmet and we can't wait!

Justin is in full "apply for Grad School" mode.  We have our favorites (let's all cross our fingers for Florida!), but we will accept anything that comes. It will be a trying time and it's full of the unknown which terrifies me. I just keep breathing and reminding myself that time passes and life will be wonderful.

I continue to fill my time with hobbies that range from quilting to photography. Sewing is a big one. It has been wonderful to get started on projects that i find to be worthwhile. Photography has become a big one too.  I know less than nothing really, but that doesn't stop me. I just plug along, learning as I go and one day I will look back and realize that I am a photographer. That will be a cool day!

 Recently a very dear and talented friend of mine took our family pictures! I knew they would be wonderful because I had seen her work before. But I would be lying if I told you I wasn't surprised by just HOW good the turned out.  Thank you, Misty! I don't know if I can thank you enough! 

Sqeeeeeeeze!

*Sigh* I love this.

Kyler, go like this! or not...

He makes me melt.

My better half!

I keep tripping on the railroad ties

Mom, Dad, I'm freezing!

Ok. I'm good now.

He was really afraid of this slide. It was quite tall.

Love

We could not get him to pose with the woopie. He ran out every time we lifted the blanket!

Misty: "Okay, one more with Justin's eyes open." Justin: "He's hitting me!"

I'm 2!

Jump!

Coolest vintage gas station ever!

Ever have those times where you open your eyes and see just how great your life is?  Well this day was one of mine! LOVES!

Time passes. Of this I am 100% certain.  The trouble is when one is certain of a fact, plausible deniability is no longer available to that person.  I am coming up on a new decade. I will turn thirty in 4 days and to say that I have wished for plausibly deniability would be an understatement. I have willed the day away, wished the day away, even ceased from saying the dreaded number so as to be able to deny it's offending presence. But the truth is, Time Passes.

Well this evening as I was brooding over the looming death day deadline, I had a most wonderful surprise.  A dear friend came over to shoot the breeze for a few minutes as it's been a long time we've chatted.  We sat and talked while the boys played and I just reminded myself how good life is. Then I headed to another girlfriend's house where she was hosting a craft night. I pulled in the driveway and noticed a beautiful spread of food and some strung lights and thought, "Wow! She really went all out for this like I would had I hosted this."  I passed Kyler off to her husband (the dedicated babysitter of the evening) and began walking over to the group.  It was then that I heard something that brought me to tears.  "SURPRISE!!!!!"  There stood all fo my dearest friends. They had thrown me the very party I would have thrown myself : "30 Sucks".  Lollipops everywhere, signs, banners, a lollipop pathway, food, cake and most of all friends. So many friends. Even now as I write this, I'm tearing up.  They had arranged with Justin the date and time and even though he threw a kink in the works by going fishing instead of keeping me occupied and bringing me to the party, the surprise went off without a hitch!  I had no idea and was so genuinely surprised by it all I burst into tears.  These friends knew enough that I was having a hard time, but they had no idea I was hurting right then.  How I love these women!

We sat and talked and as the evening wore on, lit a fire to stay warm.  We shared stories and giggled like school girls. When they brought out the cake I had a momentary lapse in gaiety as I saw all the candles. But then the sight of all those women there to support me and love me through this reminded me that this new decade will be a good one.  I stood in front of the cake while they sang and made my wish. In the past, my wishes always contained a wish for some present or "thing" I was hoping for. Tonight, I simply wished to have friends like this for the rest of my life. One could never go wrong with a wish like that. I blew out the candles (with a little help from friends) and the merriment continued.  We talked into the night and giggled at all the cars that would drive by to see what the hubbub was about. We shared stories and love and by the end of the evening, I wore a smile that will continue for days.

Thank you, Sisters. I love you!

Palouse Falls, Washtunca, WA

 We had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! Of course our weekend started on Monday Memorial day and ended on Tuesday. Justin worked the whole weekend so we celebrated Monday and Tuesday.  Monday we had a wonderful recital with my youngest student Anna D'hulst.  She is 4 years old and did WONDERFULLY!  I was so proud of her as she sang her three nursery Rhymes, Hickory Dickory Dock, Humpty Dumpty and Baa Baa Black Sheep.  I will miss her this summer!  After Anna's recital we had a BBQ with the D'hulst's and the Perez's. It really was a wonderful night!

Tuesday morning we got up and packed a cooler and went for our latest adventure: Palouse Falls!  Palouse Falls is a 198 ft high waterfall about 2 hours south of us here in Spokane.  It really was amazing to see it come out of nowhere!  One minute you are driving through rolling hills that reminded us of New York, and the next you drop into the beautiful valley with the sights and sounds of a gigantic waterfall!  We spent several hours just walking the paths and staring off cliffs down to the river. It was a great way to spend the only sunny day this week!

 One handsome man...
 Plus one cute girl...
 Equals the cutest little boy alive!!!!