Temple Square and Christmas Party

We headed back down to Utah last weekend for the Nielson family Christmas Party. We were lucky enough to get tickets to the Christmas Concert at the Conference Center. Matt and I decided to take the girls this year. We went a little early and walked around (in the rain) and saw the lights on Temple Square. The girls haven't been for a few years, so it was fun for them. The concert was so good. It featured Alfie Boe and Tom Brokaw. The music was incredible. It was a fun time.

(It is nice to finally have someone old enough to take a decent picture of Matt and I together.) Saturday was the family party. We started with the guys and Paige playing some basketball. Then the kids got to frost sugar cookies and do a pinata. We had a yummy lunch and then we had a visit from Santa Claus. The kids put on the Nativity play and then the cousins exchanged gifts as well as the adults and we had a lot of fun. It was fun to see all of Matt's family, except for one nephew who is on a mission. It was really fun and made the kids alot more excited for Christmas.

The line up of cousins waiting to hit the pinata.

My cute angel, Mary, shepards and wise man.

Monday night we took the kids to the carosel to see Santa and go for a ride on the horses. It was fun for them and they loved seeing Santa.

The countdown is down to five days left. The kids are super excited and the girls only have one more day of school until their break. It will be fun having them home for a week. Matt also has some vacation to use, so that will be fun be home all together. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of our friends and family.

Gingerbread houses

I made a mistake this year by taking the boys with me when I bought our gingerbread house. The second we got home they wanted to decorate them. I was able to hold them off a few days by hiding the box and they forgot about it. They were each able to decorate their own this year and the boys absolutely loved it. Brock's is by far the winner of the most candy used and Collin was very picky as to where he put his candy. It is fun to see their personalities come out in how they decorated their house.

Thanksgiving

This year we were able to head down to Utah and spend a few days with Matt's family. Thanksgiving day there was only us, Matt's parents and his sister Angela's family. It was really nice and fun to see all of them. We were able to go to the new James Bond movie "Skyfall" with Matt's brother Shaun and his wife. It was fun. The kids loved all of the cousin time and the fun sleepovers. I was also able to do some Black Friday shopping and I got most everything I wanted and I didn't even go out until 9 a.m. All in all it was a really fun weekend. The weather was gorgeous in Utah too, that is why the kids have bare feet in the picture.

The boys were so funny. They were into playing games on the Kindle with their cousin Noah.

Halloween

We had a really fun Halloween. I decided to sew the kids costumes this year. Paige was easy. I had made an indian costume for her for a school program, so she just wore that. Simple.

Kayla started as a witch. I made her a cute cape and we had striped tights and the works. One problem. Her hat wouldn't stay on. So, for the first dress up (for the trunk-or-treat the night before) she was a witch. For Halloween she was a black cat. It was cute on her and she didn't seem to mind that she had to switch costumes.

I had a theme that I wanted to do for the boys, M & M's, and I thought they could each be a different color. That was perfect for Aiden and Brock because they were really excited about this. Collin on the other hand had a different idea. He got into his head that he wanted to be Peter Pan. I tried and tried to change his mind, but he wasn't buying that. After no convincing, he got his Peter Pan costume. When all was said and done I actually think I liked Peter Pan the best.

We carved pumpkins on Monday and the kids loved it. The boys got to use stickers and markers and they were definately very creative. They all had a lot of fun and I think we got some pretty cute pumpkins.

Between the trunk-or-treat at the church and trick-or-treating around the neighborhood, the kids got a lot of candy. They are in heaven. I am trying to control the intake of the candy, but that doesn't always happen. I am kind of glad Halloween is over, now we can look forward to the rest of the holidays.

Family Pictures

We were able to get new family pictures a few weeks ago. The turned out pretty good. The boys lately squint their eyes and have weird smiles, so the family picture could have been better, but it isn't horrible. We got them taken up at the College Gardens and it was so pretty up there. As I have been looking through these, I can't believe how fast my kids are growing up.

Coeur d'Alene

A few weeks ago Matt and I were able to go to Coeur d'Alene. He had meetings with work, so I tagged along and just relaxed and didn't do much. I did some shopping, reading, and nothing. I met up with my good friend Tara. She lives in Spokane and came over one afternoon. We met at the Coeur d'Alene Resort and went to lunch, had pedicures and then went and got a Gooey. A very fun day and a fun time talking and catching up with Tara.

The kids were able to stay at my mom and dad's for the week and they had a really fun time. Sometimes it is really nice to get away. I was glad to get back to the kiddos though and they really missed us.

Weekend with cousins

Last weekend, Matt's brother and his wife and family came for the Labor Day weekend. We took them to Mesa Falls and then went swimming at Rexburg Rapids one last time before they closed. We played lots of games, ate some yummy food and had a lot of fun. We are so blessed to have such wonderful families and have kids around the same ages that love being together.

Back to School

The girls were so excited for school to start this year. They were bored with Summer and could hardly wait for the first day. Kayla is in the 2nd grade this year and Paige is in 5th. She is at the Middle School and they have different schedules, so that has been a big change. It is crazy to think how fast time is going. They are both really good students and I am most excited to be back on a routine again.

The boys are missing them and are really excited when they get home from school. My days seem longer, because the boys have given up naps and I don't my time to get my projects done. It has been an adjustment for all, but it is a true sign that they are getting older and busier.

(I love this picture. Their dad pulled their shirts up on their heads and they could not figure out how to get them off. It was hilarious.)

Kayla's Birthday

Kayla turned 7 last week. She was so excited for it to be her special day. I had given her and Paige a few jobs to do that morning and she said she wasn't going to do jobs, because it was her birthday. For some reason she thought she was queen for the day. What's new. We went to lunch at McDonald's and then for dinner we had my parents come over. She chose to have Chinese Haystacks and instead of cake she chose Raspberry Desert. She loved it all. For her birthday she got a new scooter, some clothes, legos, a sleeping bag and a piggy bank. We love having her in our family and she makes life exciting. We love her to pieces, even though she knows how to push all of my buttons. Happy Birthday Kayla!!!!!

Feeding the Ducks

Matt's parents, his sister Angela and her kids, Kobi and Ava were able to come last weekend on their way home from Jackson. It was fun to see them and to spend some time with them. Matt and his dad took Kobi and Paige golfing on Saturday, so the rest of us went to the Nature Park to feed the ducks. My kids love doing this and we haven't done it for awhile. Fun times.

Soccer

Paige was able to soccer this summer. Matt was her coach and that was fun for the two of them to do together. She definately improved since the time she played before. She was a little more aggressive and did really well. She had a lot of fun and they won all of their games except for one. What a fun season.

Jackson Hole

Matt was able to a white water float in Jackson with a lot of his brothers and sisters and their families. The kids and I drove over for the day and we had a picnic in the park and just hung out with his mom and dad. After the float we met up with everyone and had dinner at Bubba's. Then we were able to walk around some of the shops in downtown Jackson. It was a fun day.

The cousins, downtown Jackson Hole.

Mesa Falls

For my mom's birthday this year she wanted to something fun with the girls. My nieces were here staying for a week with her, so we left the boys home and drove up to Mesa Falls. It was so pretty up there. None of the kids had ever been there, and they loved it. We went and saw the lower falls and had a picnic lunch and then we drove to the upper falls. We walked down and around the little boardwalk and enjoyed being so close. It was a fun day and my mom loved it.

24th of July Parade

A few days after the 24th, we went to the St. Anthony Pioneer Day Parade. It is tradition to go to the parade and then we go over to my aunt and uncle's house for a big BBQ. It was really hot, but the kids had fun getting lots of candy. The girls even braved the blow up water slide in their clothes. It looked too fun to pass up.

My kids and my nieces, Bailey and Sierra.

Kayla's Surprise

For Kayla's birthday we told her she would be able to get her ears pierced. A few weeks before her actual birthday, I surprised her right after swimming lessons, and I took her to get her ears pierced. She wasn't nervous at all and she said it didn't hurt. She loves having them pierced and can hardly wait to change her earrings and wear all of her cute new ones she picked out.

Camping in Ferron

Matt had planned and was so excited for a camping trip down to Ferron, Utah. His family went there alot growing up and he loves it, so he planned for a year to go camping there. (A little pre information. A month before all of this, we ended up trading in our Suburban for a mini-van. We decided if we were ever going to get a truck, this was how it was all going to happen. So we traded in and we both had mixed feelings about it. I knew we were going camping and wanted to pull a 4-wheeler, but Matt informed me that it wouldn't be a problem.) On with the story. We were all loaded and headed out on the boy's birthday. When we were just past Blackfoot, we blew a tire on the 4-wheeler trailer. We pulled over to the side and Matt and I got out in the 95 degree weather and tried to get the tire off the trailer. Matt forgot to put any tools in, so we couldn't get the spare tire off. So we ended up getting the flat off and then we headed into Blackfoot to get some tools. While there, we decided to just get a new tire instead. So we headed back to repair the tire. So after about 1 1/2 hours we were all done and on the road again.

The boys didn't seem to mind being stuck on the side of the road for 1 1/2 hours. As long as their movie was going they were happy. All was going well until we got to about Plymouth. The check transmission light came on. By this point I was really frustrated and mad. I had kept telling Matt that I didn't think we should pull a trailer with the mini van, but he was determined. We got off and checked things out and there were no leaks or anything and the car seemed to be driving fine. So we continued on. By the time we got to Ogden, Matt was beginning to wonder if we should keep driving it. So we got off in Ogden and found a dealer. They were already closed, so we were going to leave the car over night and have them look at it tomorrow. In the meantime his parents were headed up to pick us up. We hadn't eaten any dinner, so the kids and I walked over to McDonald's to eat. That made them happy. After we ate, his parents arrived and we were going to unload our car into theirs, but we got in and the light had turned off. We figured we had just overheated, so his dad pulled the trailer to Bountiful and we drove the van. It took us 7 1/2 hours to get to Bountiful. I was not a very happy camper. The next morning before heading out for camping, Matt went and had the car checked out and they said there was nothing wrong with it. Surprise. I could have sworn there was a problem yesterday. Oh well. So we pulled a boat (a lighter load according to Matt, and against my better judgement) all the way to Ferron. All went well until we got to the campsite and our check transmission light came on again. I just tried to forget about it. We ended up camping the first night in the tent. The kids loved it and the weather was perfect. We even roasted some smores and those were a hit. It sprinkled on and off in the next morning. Matt took Aiden and Collin fishing from the bank and then the girls went out in the boat fishing with Matt and his dad. Then the fun started. It started raining around 1 p.m. and it didn't stop. Luckily we had rented the Ranger Cabin, so we went back there and cooked dinner inside. We decided to stay in the cabin that night and everyone else camped in the rain. By the next morning we were all tired of the rain and everything was so wet. It was still raining, so we packed up a day early and headed back to Bountiful. The light was still on as we drove out of the mountains. When we got to town we stopped and checked the fluid levels and noticed the coolant was pretty much empty. So we bought some and filled it up and the light went off. All was well until we pulled into Matt's parents driveway. The car started seizing and lost all power. By now I was mad. We unloaded the entire car and Matt was able to mostly coast down the hill and take it to the dealership. The plan was to head home on Sunday, but now we were stuck until Monday when the dealership opened and someone could look at the car. So we stayed at Matt's parents and waited. Monday they looked at the car and told us that we need a new engine. We were not happy. So they told us we could drive the car home to Idaho, but we would have to stop every 100 miles and add oil, because it was burning through the oil. So we started our trek home and stopped to fill it with oil, but it was never low and we didn't have any problems the whole drive home. We had the dealer in Rexburg check it out for us and they said nothing was wrong. I was hating the van by now and was mad we got rid of the Suburban, but all is good now. Since this lovely weekend, we have had several times where there has been something wrong with the van, but when they looked at it they said it was fine. I am now the owner of a Suburban again. We got rid of the troublesome van and got a different Suburban. I am happy. So our camping trip was a bust. We had a 1/2 day of fun camping, but the drive, and the weather were not so good. Hopefully next year when we decide to go camping again, we will have better luck. (Sorry for such a sob story post. I didn't want to forget our wonderful weekend.)

4th Birthday

The boys turned the big 4 this year. I can't believe it has been four crazy years. They are so fun to watch and listen to. They are the best of friends and I am so grateful for them. They got some clothes, jammies, cars toys, a play BBQ set, some clothes and a Pink Panther movie. That was their favorite. They kept asking for a Cars birthday again this year, so I made them a Lightning McQueen cake. I was quite impressed with how it turned out. They had a fun birthday and we are looking forward to another fun filled year.

Brock

Collin

Aiden