once upon a time...we celebrated Memorial Day 2012

As is our tradition, we journeyed to Richfield for the Memorial Day weekend.  It's always a time full of family, food, and fun.  Each year I love to see my children at each of the cemeteries, and look back to the pictures from the years before to see how much they've grown.  I appreciate that my children think of this as a special time and are able to learn about their family history firsthand.

Mr. Blue Eyes, waiting in the car at the cemetery.

All the cousins at Grandma and Grandpa Nielson's grave.

Flags

Great Grandma and Grandpa Nielson's grave

Nathan, Gracie, and Reid

Reid with the headstone he accidentally knocked over

The traditional photo with his namesake

Securing the flowers

Great Grandma and Grandpa Hawley's grave

Duck Duck Goose - Go Lexi Go!

Duck Duck Goose - She's gonna get him!

Duck Duck Goose - You can do it Reid!

Duck Duck Goose - Way to help your brother out, Derrick!

update, again

Here is the abbreviated version of life at our house.

• We moved to Utah.
• I'm still a nursing student in Colorado and will be traveling back and forth to finish off my final two semester before I graduate in May 2013.
• Jon is still unemployed, but we are hoping that will change here soon.  I have just started a temporary job as a Medical Records Field Technician.

Jon likes to point out that our family experiences are not being recorded, and that I need to catch up on blogging.  He's right.  I've got a plan, but I've learned over the years that if I share my plan with people instead of just doing it, I'm more likely not to succeed.  Let's give it a try.

update

As promised, here is an update on our little family.  An awful lot has happened in the last year and a half since I really posted.  To begin, we moved from Montrose, CO to Fruita, CO in September 2011.  We have known for some time that we wanted to leave Montrose, but didn't expect that it would be until I finished school.  Along that note, I am officially a nursing student.  After completing my application, I was accepted in to the BSN program at Colorado Mesa University back in November 2010 (which is part of why my blog took a backseat).  I began the program in January 2011 and just completed my 2nd semester as an SN.  Next week I will start Level III, which I am so excited about because this is the semester of babies and kids, which is what I got in to nursing for.  I have three semesters left, and then I will become an RN.  So, the plan was that once I graduated, we would be able to move out of Montrose, preferably back to Utah.  I KNOW.  I'm the last person I thought would ever want to go back once we got out, but I really do.  The plan was to stay in Montrose, even though my schooling was a 1 hour commute, each way, every day, because either way one of us would be driving since Jon's job was in Montrose.  However, in early September Jon found himself on the wrong end of some work politics and we found ourselves unemployed.  Our reason for staying in Montrose no longer existed, and for a variety of reasons we decided to make a fresh break and move so that I could be closer to my school.  Plus, while jobs are difficult to find right now, they are nearly impossible to find in Montrose.  We decided to focus our efforts on finding a job in the Grand Junction or Utah metro areas.  We're still waiting and hoping for the right opportunity to come along, but for now he is holding down the fort while I go off to school.  We're fortunate to have a great support system that has made this whole experience far more bearable than it is for many others going through the same thing, and for that we feel blessed.  The kids are doing well and absolutely love their new school here in Fruita.  Derrick will turn 11 next month and is in 5th grade.  He participates in the GT program at his school and just started basketball practice last week.  Abbie is 9 and is in 4th grade.  She got a "real" jewelry making kit for Christmas this year and has gone a bit crazy!  If she asks to visit the bead aisle at Hobby Lobby one more time I may just lose it!  Grace will turn 5 years old next month and will start Kindergarten in the fall.  She is incredibly tall for her age and people are so surprised to find out that she is not even in school yet.  She loves to play pretend and, much to our dismay, is currently going through a phase where she refuses to put on shoes.  It's an ordeal every day.  Reid turned 3 in October and it's like a switch got flipped.  He talks non-stop and is all boy.  He is the perfect mix of sweet and naughty.  Maybe that is what we should have told his new Sunbeam teacher when she called a couple of weeks ago to ask what his strengths and weaknesses were....um, he's three.  So, there you go.  I hope to be better about frequent postings to the blog.  I did really have an excuse with school, last semester was a killer!  This semester is supposed to be much better.  At the very least, I have a new years resolution to get my family memories in order and participate in Project Life this year.  I think I'm going to do a P12 version (monthly) and since I do digital, I plan to post the layouts here.  Here's to 2012.

birthday present

Today is Jon's birthday, an occasion so momentous that it has brought me out of a year (plus some) blogging hiatus.  Oddly enough, my husband apparently misses a regular blog update on our family, so much so that he actually told me that a birthday present to him would be if I blogged.  Fortunately, his birthday also coincided with the last day of my finals this semester.  It has been a doozy, and I'm finally coming up for air.  Good thing is that I survived, with flying colors none the less!  It has been so long since my last post and sooo much has changed in our family during the last year, that I can't do it all justice in a quick post.  So, an official update is in the works, and with no projects to complete or exams to study for, I am out of excuses!  But, for today, I wish my husband a Happy Birthday.  Here's to 34, and being far better than 33!

a little crazy

Ever have those days where you wake up without plans for something, then before you know it you've gone and got another dog?  No?  I guess it's just me.  Long story short, Truman needed company and the breeder we got him from was willing to give us this dog for FREE.  It was too good to turn down.  Plus, he's pretty cute.  Meet Dexter.

baptism

Last weekend Abigail was baptized and we were privileged to have both sets of grandparents, one great-grandparent, and most of her aunts and uncles in attendance.  Those who were unable to make it had pretty good reasons (like their Primary Sacrament Program or living in Istanbul, Turkey), but we know that they would have been here if they could.  It was a special day and we thank all who came to share it with us!

 

 

just in time for school

Around here, it's pretty obvious that we are at the end of our rope where summer is concerned.  As if Derrick's incessant whining about being bored isn't proof enough, my stellar mothering skills will seal the deal.  Today I mopped my floor for the first time in weeks AND I fed my kids Toaster Strudels for breakfast and dinner.  Beat that.

poor thing

Today we went to the local county fair.  And I only managed to take one picture.  Not of my kids, either.  Jon pointed this poor thing out and all I could do was think back to when I stopped nursing Derrick.  I wanted to offer her an Aleve and a warm compress.  Perhaps this is on purpose, but I don't think so, as I'm guessing that part of her "purpose" is to give milk.  Obviously these animals are the responsibility of young ones who have no idea what that feels like.  I get that it is fair week, and it's exciting for all those presenting their "projects", and you can get distracted with everything going on, but good heavens, come and milk your goats!

excuses, excuses

I've had a dry spell, it's true.  But I finished up my last week of summer term AND I've been on vacation.  We journeyed to Utah to participate in the Pioneer Day celebrations.  And we had a great time.  But, unfortunately my blogging took a back seat.  I spent yesterday swimming in a sea of dirty laundry, and my house still looks a little pathetic, so serious posting will have to wait until later.  But for those who noticed, I'm not going anywhere!

kids say the darndest things

I love kids.  Today in Primary a 10 year old girl gave the opening prayer.  Most of it consisted of the common prayer phrases, until she got to the end and said the following.

"We thank you that we could go to Sacrament today and actually enjoy it."

It was all I could do not to laugh right then, especially since as the Primary Chorister I was seated right next to the podium.  Afterward, all the adults shared a quick smile before hurrying the children off to class.  But I have to say that comment made my day.

Now if only Grace and Reid would decide to let me enjoy Sacrament Meeting again...