I woke up this morning in a bit of a funk. Just normal Monday blues I guess, but man I love the creativity of kids. As I lounged in bed for longer than I should, the boys put together this little party complete with an amazon box piñata, pin the fish on the ocean, homemade pixy stix (made from crushed smarties and poured into straws), face-the-cookie, and tumbling cups. I love that they help me see the beauty in the simplest of things, especially when I’m not at my best!
Saturday June 20th was Grandma Nelson's birthday. The weather was sunny and warm and the perfect day to celebrate at the beach. We met up and Mom and Dad's house first thing in the morning and we came a bit early to surprise Grandma with a sidewalk chalk birthday message from all the grandkids. She loved it! Then we drove out to Raccoon Creek Beach and got there just in time to secure a great spot before the crowds hit. We've never been there with cousins and the boys were in actual heaven all day long. Kyron was the cutest just crawling around the beach digging in the sand, especially when he'd crawl right out of his swim trunks. Hahaha! The bigger kids loved making "hot tubs" and Geoff won the best uncle award for dumping bucket after bucket of water in for them. Janna loved basking in the sun, and Tanner and Landon mastered swimming out to the rope and doing flips in the water. After hours of fun we drove back home for a delicious birthday dinner put on by Dianne for Mom's birthday. We're sure grateful for incredible family and for Grandma's influence in all of our lives. We hope she knows how much we love her and that she enjoyed her big day. Happy Birthday Mom/Grandma!
My boys asked me 4,982 times when there cousins would be arriving. It goes without saying that we were THRILLED to have Geoff, Dianne, and their kiddos in town for a week. We spent lots of time swinging on the swing-set and Grandpa's spinning swing, riding motorcycles, the go-kart, and the quad, blowing bubbles, having cook-outs, making bird feeders, playing games, eating popsicles, watching movies, and having WAY too much fun!
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.