Nielson Family Reunion 2014 Mt. Hood
8 years ago
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Independence Day
For July 4th this year we went to Mitchell's brother Andy's house for a BBQ. Eventide had a blast! She was like the energizer bunny and was going non-stop all day. She had a blast playing with her cousins. Around 7:00 we (just me, Mitch, and the girls) drove to Riverfront Park to see fireworks. We sat down next to a family with several girls (one of them around Eventide's age) in which Eventide made quick friends with, of course! The fireworks didn't start until 10:00, so we just hung around for a few hours. Eventide was a little startled by the fireworks, but loved them nonetheless. It was worth the time and effort! We had a good 4th of July! (Our camera battery died a couple hours after we got to Andy's, so the pictures are limited)
Bouncer
I realize that this is likely to be a pretty boring video to anyone who is not me or my family...I'm her mom...so I just think my children are fascinating and adorable. Adorable enough to record a video of Memory playing in her bouncer for like 5 minutes.
"Memory"
I didn't catch the beginning of the song, which is too bad, because it was the loudest part. If you can't tell what she'd singing, look up "Memory" by Elaine Paige on youtube. I just love this little girl!
BTW, this was just after dinner. I was doing the dishes and she was finishing up eating and playing with her jar of pennies. And of course, belting out a song at the top of her lungs.
BTW, this was just after dinner. I was doing the dishes and she was finishing up eating and playing with her jar of pennies. And of course, belting out a song at the top of her lungs.
Funky chunk carrots from our garden
because that's why you're reading my blog right? To look at pictures of carrots?
I know, right?!
I just couldn't bear to eat this last one. It was to funky cool.
I think it's kind of fascinating how they mutate like that.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
You think she's trying to tell us something?
Eventide likes sitting here sometimes when we watch a movie...
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Easter
We didn't do much on Easter day. My parents had a collection of fun little toys and stuff for Eventide that my mom brought up and Mitch and I got her some Tinkerbell coloring stuff. So we arranged those in a basket for Eventide to "find" in the morning. She really liked it and was pretty excited about it! Memory just got a few outfits, because lets be honest, she doesn't really care at this point. The night before, my Mom and I frantically sewed dresses for the girls with matching fabric. I made Eventide's (with a LOT of help from my mom) and my mom made Memory's. They turned out REALLY good and are just adorable! I made matching fabric flowers to put in there hair. We went to Sacrament meeting then came home, took some pictures and then dropped my mom off at the airport. I was REALLY sad to see her go. It was SO nice to have her here to help out and SO nice just to see her and spend time with her.
I have a video of Eventide on Easter morning..but it's nine minutes long...so you'll have to do without! :)
I have a video of Eventide on Easter morning..but it's nine minutes long...so you'll have to do without! :)
Monday, August 1, 2011
The Midwest
At the end of July, we drove to Wisconsin/Minnesota with Mitchell's dad and brother Roy. There was a reunion for all of Mitchell's dad's cousins. It was cheaper to drive, so that's what we did. I was a little nervous about it because it was going to be a long drive and I knew it was going to be pretty rough on the girls. We left Spokane around 6:00 pm on a Wednesday and drove through the night, all through the next day and stopped at a motel Thursday night, and then drove 5 more hours until we got to the lodge that we would be staying at. The girls handled it a lot better than I thought they would. It helped that we had a portable dvd player. Eventide pretty much watched that the whole drive up.
The lodge we stayed out was amazing and huge! It used to be a barn, but was gutted out remade into a lodge. We really enjoyed it and it was really relaxing...until you walked outside and the humidity punched you in the face! The beautiful scenery was very deceiving. It looked sooo nice and sunny and beautiful outside, and then as soon as you opened the doors, you started breathing water...
The reunion was on Saturday and Sunday. We all went on Saturday, but me and kids got sick, so Me, Mitch, and the kids stayed back at the lodge on Sunday and napped, read, and watched movies.
We drove around Minneapolis on Monday where Mitchell's dad showed us his homes growing up and the schools he went to and etc. Then we began our drive back that day. We stopped at a motel for the night and the next day we headed to Wall Drug.
Wall Drug is a really intense rest stop. (http://www.walldrug.com/). We had just woken Eventide up from her nap to go in, so she wasn't in the best of moods for the 1st half of our short visit. Her favorite things: The giant T-rex, the covered wagon that kids could play in, and the toy store! It was a good break from the driving.
After Wall Drug we headed towards Mt. Rushmore. About 5 minutes from our destination, we hit a deer! I actually didn't even know what had happened at the time. There was a large thump and the car shuddered and Mitchell's dad pulled over to the side of the road. I thought the tire had popped or something. Mitchell, his brother, and his Dad got out to check out the damage and it wasn't until about 20 minutes later that I learned what had happened. There's a lot of little details about the incident that kind of made us feel like maybe it was supposed to happen. In any case, It did some major damage to the front of the car and took out one of the head lights. We headed to a mechanic close by who turned out to be a really great guy and as it turned out, Mormon. Coincidentally, he also served the exact same mission in Korea as Mitchell's brother Monty (though at a different time) and his name was Roy (the same as Mitchell's brother & Dad). Though none of that really matters, it was just interesting. In the end, the mechanic, Roy, fixed the broken headlight for free and was wonderful and helpful.
After much consideration, we decided to still go to Mt. Rushmore. It was pretty awesome and worth the time we took to see it. As we left, Eventide said "Bye-bye Men!" (she also said "bye" to a cheeto on the ground).
We decided, instead of stopping at a motel, to just drive through the night to get home (I actually didn't drive at all, which I am EXTREMELY grateful for!). The drive home was a little more rough on the girls then the drive there. There were so sick of their car seats!
Reaching Spokane was a wonderful wonderful feeling! We had a good time, but I learned something very important...in regards to traveling across country with a three month old and a 2 year old-IT'S NOT WORTH IT UNLESS YOU CAN TAKE YOUR TIME! We had fun (listening to a ton of my father-in-laws stories, relaxing at the lodge, frequent Dairy Queen stops, Mt. Rushmore, Wall Drug....) but it was pretty exhausting driving so much at one time with minimal breaks and rough on the little ones.
The lodge we stayed at:
View from the lodge:
Tired from all that driving
Playing with Uncle Roy (or "Wo-ee" as Eventide called him)
Snoozin' at the Lodge
The giant T-Rex that Eventide loved at Wall Drug
Playing in the wagon
Mt. Rushmore
The lodge we stayed out was amazing and huge! It used to be a barn, but was gutted out remade into a lodge. We really enjoyed it and it was really relaxing...until you walked outside and the humidity punched you in the face! The beautiful scenery was very deceiving. It looked sooo nice and sunny and beautiful outside, and then as soon as you opened the doors, you started breathing water...
The reunion was on Saturday and Sunday. We all went on Saturday, but me and kids got sick, so Me, Mitch, and the kids stayed back at the lodge on Sunday and napped, read, and watched movies.
We drove around Minneapolis on Monday where Mitchell's dad showed us his homes growing up and the schools he went to and etc. Then we began our drive back that day. We stopped at a motel for the night and the next day we headed to Wall Drug.
Wall Drug is a really intense rest stop. (http://www.walldrug.com/). We had just woken Eventide up from her nap to go in, so she wasn't in the best of moods for the 1st half of our short visit. Her favorite things: The giant T-rex, the covered wagon that kids could play in, and the toy store! It was a good break from the driving.
After Wall Drug we headed towards Mt. Rushmore. About 5 minutes from our destination, we hit a deer! I actually didn't even know what had happened at the time. There was a large thump and the car shuddered and Mitchell's dad pulled over to the side of the road. I thought the tire had popped or something. Mitchell, his brother, and his Dad got out to check out the damage and it wasn't until about 20 minutes later that I learned what had happened. There's a lot of little details about the incident that kind of made us feel like maybe it was supposed to happen. In any case, It did some major damage to the front of the car and took out one of the head lights. We headed to a mechanic close by who turned out to be a really great guy and as it turned out, Mormon. Coincidentally, he also served the exact same mission in Korea as Mitchell's brother Monty (though at a different time) and his name was Roy (the same as Mitchell's brother & Dad). Though none of that really matters, it was just interesting. In the end, the mechanic, Roy, fixed the broken headlight for free and was wonderful and helpful.
After much consideration, we decided to still go to Mt. Rushmore. It was pretty awesome and worth the time we took to see it. As we left, Eventide said "Bye-bye Men!" (she also said "bye" to a cheeto on the ground).
We decided, instead of stopping at a motel, to just drive through the night to get home (I actually didn't drive at all, which I am EXTREMELY grateful for!). The drive home was a little more rough on the girls then the drive there. There were so sick of their car seats!
Reaching Spokane was a wonderful wonderful feeling! We had a good time, but I learned something very important...in regards to traveling across country with a three month old and a 2 year old-IT'S NOT WORTH IT UNLESS YOU CAN TAKE YOUR TIME! We had fun (listening to a ton of my father-in-laws stories, relaxing at the lodge, frequent Dairy Queen stops, Mt. Rushmore, Wall Drug....) but it was pretty exhausting driving so much at one time with minimal breaks and rough on the little ones.
The lodge we stayed at:
View from the lodge:
Tired from all that driving
Playing with Uncle Roy (or "Wo-ee" as Eventide called him)
Snoozin' at the Lodge
The giant T-Rex that Eventide loved at Wall Drug
Playing in the wagon
Mt. Rushmore
My Berf-Day!
My 24th birthday was on July 1st! I always thought 24 was kind of one of those "blah" ages. Nothing special about 24. But then my dad says I'm 2 dozen years old now...and when you put it that way, that's kinda cool! "How old are you?" "2 dozen."
A few days before my birthday, I had my friends Myaela Cress and Paula Lavine over for cheesecake (Cyrus O'Leary's Turtle cheesecake-HEAVEN in my mouth! Does not get better than that). We just chatted and ate (at least I did) large quantities of fattening snacks and fruit smoothies. It was sooo nice just to sit around and chat with girlfriends, which I do not do enough!
On July 2nd, we went to Greenbluff to pick Strawberries. Greenbluff is a large collection of farms in Spokane. You can go to them through out the year and pick fruit and vegetables (that are in season) at various farms. They are usually much more inexpensive than buying them at the store and SO much yummier because they are fresh. It's also nice to support local farmers. In any case, We went to Siemer's farm, and it turned out they were having a Strawberry festival at the same time. Strawberries were 80 cents a pound and they were SOO yummy. We invited all of Mitchell's family to come along and we had a good time. We didn't get as much strawberries as we would have liked due to the little kiddos, so we stopped at a a farm on the way out and bought some pre-picked, sliced, and cleaned strawberries. They made some REALLY good strawberry smoothies and didn't last long!
After you get to the farm and get a box/basket for picking fruit, you take a train (pulled by a tractor)to the strawberry fields which Eventide LOVED. She was upset that we had to get off the train when we got the fields, so when the train/tractor came back around, Mitchell took her on to it again (for those of you who don't know, Eventide LOVES trains!).
Playing in the pool on my actual birthday:
Playing on a kids train at the farm:
Charity and Mems at Michell's parents (after picking berries)
A few days before my birthday, I had my friends Myaela Cress and Paula Lavine over for cheesecake (Cyrus O'Leary's Turtle cheesecake-HEAVEN in my mouth! Does not get better than that). We just chatted and ate (at least I did) large quantities of fattening snacks and fruit smoothies. It was sooo nice just to sit around and chat with girlfriends, which I do not do enough!
On July 2nd, we went to Greenbluff to pick Strawberries. Greenbluff is a large collection of farms in Spokane. You can go to them through out the year and pick fruit and vegetables (that are in season) at various farms. They are usually much more inexpensive than buying them at the store and SO much yummier because they are fresh. It's also nice to support local farmers. In any case, We went to Siemer's farm, and it turned out they were having a Strawberry festival at the same time. Strawberries were 80 cents a pound and they were SOO yummy. We invited all of Mitchell's family to come along and we had a good time. We didn't get as much strawberries as we would have liked due to the little kiddos, so we stopped at a a farm on the way out and bought some pre-picked, sliced, and cleaned strawberries. They made some REALLY good strawberry smoothies and didn't last long!
After you get to the farm and get a box/basket for picking fruit, you take a train (pulled by a tractor)to the strawberry fields which Eventide LOVED. She was upset that we had to get off the train when we got the fields, so when the train/tractor came back around, Mitchell took her on to it again (for those of you who don't know, Eventide LOVES trains!).
Playing in the pool on my actual birthday:
Playing on a kids train at the farm:
Charity and Mems at Michell's parents (after picking berries)
Eventide's Birthday Party
Eventide turned 2 on May 19th! We had a birthday party for her on her actual birthday. We just had family over...which was still a lot of people! Eventide had a blast, which she always does when she gets to play with her cousins! for her birthday, she got
a toy car ( that makes sounds and drives when you push buttons on it), a battery operated toddler sized 4-wheeler, a train horn, and play food for her kitchen. Her Nana and Papa got her new clothes for the next size up. :) We had pizza, a Tinkerbell themed cake, soda, and ice cream. Usually when anyone in Mitchell's family has a birthday, we do the party in Spokane (at Mitchell's parents house) because most of his family live there, but this time we had it at ours in Cheney and it was sooo nice! Anyway, we had a really good time and so did Eventide, which is the most important thing. :)
With her cousins Gabe & Eli:
Playing with Elaine:
The older kids playing games on the back porch:
Lining everything up...of course!
Mems was there too...
a toy car ( that makes sounds and drives when you push buttons on it), a battery operated toddler sized 4-wheeler, a train horn, and play food for her kitchen. Her Nana and Papa got her new clothes for the next size up. :) We had pizza, a Tinkerbell themed cake, soda, and ice cream. Usually when anyone in Mitchell's family has a birthday, we do the party in Spokane (at Mitchell's parents house) because most of his family live there, but this time we had it at ours in Cheney and it was sooo nice! Anyway, we had a really good time and so did Eventide, which is the most important thing. :)
With her cousins Gabe & Eli:
Playing with Elaine:
The older kids playing games on the back porch:
Lining everything up...of course!
Mems was there too...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
