February 17th was an epic day. Bridger and I had flown into Denver the day before and then drove with Kevin, Helen, and Charlotte to Utah to surprise Mom for her big day. Her reaction was priceless when we walked through the front door. Total, complete, shock! In fact hours later she still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that we were actually there. The next day we all joined her for a birthday bash at the cabin. Everything was covered in feet of snow and it was the best, day, ever! We played games, ate yummy food, and played out in the snow. Bridger and I loved being with family, we just wished the rest of our family could be there too. I put together 60 "Riesens" we love Mom/Grandma and gave them to her to read throughout the day in a jar full of Riesens candy. After a fun filled day at the cabin we drove back to Fruit Heights for the night and then had to take off the next morning for Denver where we would be flying back home from. It was a whirlwind trip but so worth it. We sure love you Mom and are so thankful for 60 years of love and wisdom that you share with all of us. Happy Birthday!
For Christmas my parents gave us an overnight stay at the Great Wolf Lodge in Sandusky, Ohio. The first time we tried to go we were all packed up, the kids were checked out of school, we had a sitter for Chloe, and just as we went to get in the car Tanner started throwing up everywhere. That threw a major wrench into our plans, but luckily after calling the Lodge they were kind enough to move our stay dates to a few weeks later when we could be healthier and happier. I'm sure they really didn't want us coming in that state anyway! ;) So we popped the breakfast sandwiches we had prepped for the trip into the freezer and anxiously awaited our trip. The day finally arrived and thank heavens take two went much more smoothly. It was cold and snowy outside which made the indoor water park even more magical and fun. After checking into our room we threw on our swimsuits and immediately hit the pool. There was something for everyone and it was the perfect place for our range of kiddos. Tanner and Landon loved the bigger slides and the smaller stuff was great for Braddock and Bridger. Dean spent lots of time in the hot tubs with Bridger and I was always up for another trip down the slides with the older boys. After several hours of swimming we ventured out to the Olive Garden for dinner. The boys rarely ever get to go to a sit down restaurant so this was an extra special teat. They were actually really well behaved and the food was delicious. After a full day we all slept well and were ready for another day of swimming the next day. We stayed until nearly 5pm with a two hour drive home and school the next day. On the drive home we hit up Little Caesars for some pizza and the sweet guy at the drive through window gave us an extra pizza for free! It was the icing on an already pretty incredible cake. And while we were gone things got pretty exciting for Dianne as her water broke and she delivered our sweet new nephew Kyron. We can't wait to meet him!
think they're in charge around here, but really we all know the boys call the shots. Dean's the cyber school coordinator at the high school and has made himself indispensable as the go-to tech guy as well. Andrea loves being a stay-at-home mom, hanging with Keaton all day. She does her best to keep up with the boys and is Activity Days Leader at Church. She volunteers with the PTA and blogs in her "spare time."
is nearly 18 and is halfway through his freshman year at BYU. He's pursuing a degree in Chemistry but changes his mind often. He has pet snails in his dorm and is working on a podcast in his spare time. He also loves to cook and is enjoying his independence.
is 15 and in 10th grade. He plays the trumpet and piano and participates in the school musical every year. He can't wait to turn 16 and learn to drive and is enjoying being the oldest now that Tanner's away at school.
is 13 and in the 8th grade. He plays saxophone in the school band and continues to take piano lessons. He rocks the school musicals, plays on the boys soccer team, serves with NJHS, and a million other clubs. His mischievous smile keeps us all on our toes, and he is best known for his scavenging skills, bringing home all sorts of "treasures" he finds at school.
is a big 10 year old and rocking the 4th grade. He's the lone Nelson at the elementary, but handles that like a champ. He plays piano and is always talking our ears off. He's smart as a whip and loves playing soccer.
is almost 3 and absolutely full of energy. He loves music and sings all day long. He is smart as a whip and has an impeccable memory. He's adored by his big brothers and gets into EVERYTHING.