Nielsen Crew

My cute kids having fun

2011-03-28T07:36:00.000-07:00

Nathan got a new bike!

We went down to Long Beach with some family to go to the Aquarium. It was one of the best Saturdays we've had.

The boys with their cousins.

We also went to the Tar Pits a while back. Nathan wants to be a paleontologist so he loved it.

Back when it was raining a lot, we made some edible play-doh one day. Nathan played with it while Collin tested just how edible it was.

I had to put another Disneyland picture with our group we always go with. I'm so glad we have friends to meet down there.

Our family this Winter

2011-01-04T08:35:00.001-08:00

New Year's in Utah

Christmas in California

Vacation in Tahoe

Disneyland and Football

2010-11-22T07:29:00.000-08:00

We love Disneyland! I'm even more excited to go now that my best friends Stacy and Audrey and their kids have passes. More good times are to come.

The Raiders. The past 6 weeks, Nathan played in a pee wee flag football league in Fontana for 3 and 4 year olds. It was a lot of fun watching him run around. I wouldn't go as far as to say Nathan loved it, there were days he didn't want to play, but it was a good experience, doing an organized activity. Maybe he'll be more prepared to start his real sport, baseball.

Getting his award.

Running with the ball. One of the hardest things to teach the kids was to run in the right direction. It was so cute to watch.

Nathan practicing playing catch. None of the kids could really catch. In the games, they just handed off the ball.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

Trick or Treating with Stacy, Spencer and Cody.

Cutest yoda ever, look at that smile!

Having fun at the ward Halloween party.

He only put his hand in the pumpkin for the picture, I cleaned out all three pumpkins, but that's what moms do right?!

Catching up

2010-08-07T09:07:00.001-07:00

You have to love summertime! We've been living it up about every weekend. Collin loves the ocean (I know he isn't smiling, but trust me)
Nathan rode a Ferris wheel for the first time with Grandpa down in Balboa. We also discovered how much our boys love seafood; shrimp, crab and lobster.
We went to Matt and Wendy's wedding. It was so beautiful and we love them so much!
I have the best husband who lets me go out with me girls often and boy do we have a good time.
This year Fourth of July was WONDERFUL! All our family, including most the Utahans were here to swim, bbq and light some fireworks.
I love this picture of Collin at the beach. He was so cold, just hanging out eating some grapes.
We went to an Angel's game with Uncle Justin. Which means Nathan had someone else to bug about getting some cotton candy.
In June, Ryan and I went up the coast for our fifth anniversary. We stayed in Morro Bay and went to Hearst Castle. I would pack my bags and leave again tomorrow to go back up there if I could. It was the best weekend.

Let's go for a run!

2010-05-22T20:33:00.000-07:00

My new favorite hobby, running. I started running with some girlfriends a few months ago and now I'm addicted. A few weeks ago my friends and I ran in the Aflac Iron Girl down in San Diego. Abby and I ran the 10k. Never in my life did I think I would run 6 miles, but now I can't wait to go further.

Me, Jenny and Abby after the race.The greatest friends in the world.

This weekend we all talked our husbands into running the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department 5k Mud Run. 3 miles of hills and pits filled with mud and water, running through it, crawling through it and getting stuck a few times. It was a blast and we can't wait to do it again next year.

I love my husband. I'm so glad we got to do this together, we make a great team.

Sea World

2010-04-15T06:54:00.001-07:00

Thanks to my wonderful friend Katrina we were able to go to Sea World yesterday for a great price. We had a blast with all our friends. Nathan and Collin really enjoyed watching Shamu and Nathan even got to touch a bat ray, unfortunately I didn't take very many pictures.

Utah and Juniper's baby blessing

2010-04-15T06:48:00.001-07:00

All the Nielsen's: Justin, Cam, Rillene (NANA), A'Lea, Collin, Katie, Ryan, Nathan, Duane (GRAMPIE), Melissa, Miles, Bridget and Chloe, Adrienne, Juniper and Kyle.

Grandpa Frank and Grandma Marilyn with all their Great Grandkids.

Our new niece, the beautiful Juniper Kylie Nielsen

My sister-in-law Adrienne and I

Easter

2010-04-15T06:43:00.001-07:00

Whatever you can do, I can do better

2010-03-10T11:45:00.000-08:00

Well maybe he's not a better scooter rider than his brother, but Collin definitely enjoys trying to do whatever his brother does.

Friends

2010-03-03T18:49:00.000-08:00

Collin and his best friend Natalie. You can just tell these two like being around each other. Lucky for me, I like being around Natalie's Mommy too. It's good to have great friends.

Finally!

2010-02-17T13:10:00.000-08:00

Collin's Mickey Mouse Clubhouse party

So the battery on my camera died the day of Collin's birthday party and we just used the video camera to take some pictures, but that led to me taking forever to upload the pictures to my computer. Now I'm finally posting Collin's first birthday pictures. His little party was so much fun and he really loved his cake.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-13T15:32:00.000-08:00

I saw these super cute Valentine's Day bags on one of my favorite blogs Made with Love and Glue and had to make them. Now keep in mind I am a very beginner sewer so you can only guess how proud I am that I finished them, before Valentine's Day even. I'm going to fill them with a little toy and some cake balls I made (you can see them in the background) and hopefully my kids will enjoy them. Here's a couple more pictures of the inside and the back. the tutorial is from the blog Our Scoop. Hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's filled with lots of hugs and kisses from the ones you love.

What not to eat when you are trying to lose weight

2010-02-02T07:12:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 envelope active dry yeast
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup evaporated milk
7 cups bread flour
1/4 cup shortening
Nonstick spray
Oil, for deep-frying
3 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

Mix water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.

In another bowl, beat the eggs, salt and evaporated milk together. Mix egg mixture to the yeast mixture. In a separate bowl, measure out the bread flour. Add 3 cups of the flour to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add the shortening and continue to stir while adding the remaining flour. Remove dough from the bowl, place onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray. Put dough into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.

Add the confectioners' sugar to a paper or plastic bag and set aside.

Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 1-inch squares. Deep-fry, flipping constantly, until they become a golden color. After beignets are fried, drain them for a few seconds on paper towels, and then toss them into the bag of confectioners' sugar. Hold bag closed and shake to coat evenly.

Found this recipe for Paula Deen's French Quarter Beignets and had to try them . . . boy I'm glad I did but I don't think I should make them again until after I know I fit in my bridesmaid's dress. Hope one of you likes the recipe and enjoys these yummy doughnuts as much as I did.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-04T12:56:00.001-08:00

Christmas is much more fun when you have little children. Watching their faces light up with joy melted my heart. I am so thankful for my family and the Christmas season.

A Pirate Birthday

2009-12-23T07:36:00.000-08:00

Nathan turned three yesterday and we packed our day full of fun, friends and family. We started off by canceling our plans of going to the park due to rain (boo) but it worked out because all his friends came to our house. He had a blast playing with Dillon, Cooper, Ethan and Avery (that girl knows how to hang with the boys). It was so cute to watch them all try t o play hungry hippos together, they are growing up so fast. That night we had my parents and Ryan's grandparents over for dinner. Nathan loved his pirate cake and the tons more toys he received. My favorite part was the big hug and kiss he gave me that night when he said thank you for the party.

Wannabe Crafty Mom

2009-11-04T13:22:00.000-08:00

I'm so addicted to browsing craft blogs lately! There are so many cute things to make unfortunately my skills are limited. I just got my first sewing machine and am attempting to learn to sew. These are a couple of small projects I've made. Collin's asleep right now but I'll get a picture of him in the tie shirt when he wakes up.

The best time to go to Disneyland

2009-10-17T16:18:00.001-07:00

Nathan's first time on the Matterhorn. He says he likes it and even asked to go on it again but he also says "it's okay Momma I just close my eyes and scream"

Collin's first time on the carousel, soooo cute!

I love Disneyland in the Fall. It's usually not quite as crowded and all the pumpkin decorations are so cute. Here are some pictures from our last couple trips.

What's new

2009-09-18T14:17:00.000-07:00

Collin started crawling

Well I have been terrible about blogging lately. I always look forward to all of you updating yours but I'm too lazy to work on my own. Here's just a few things that have gone on lately.

We got a cat. Ryan and Nathan named him TroTro

And Nathan's imagination as well as his hat collection are growing. Lately he loves to be a pirate and a cowboy.

My beautiful boys!!

2009-08-07T15:43:00.000-07:00

Watch out girls the Nielsen boys will break your heart! Aren't they handsome?!

OC Fair

2009-08-02T13:23:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Flag

2009-07-06T13:29:00.000-07:00

Fourth of July is our family's favorite holiday. We had a blast at Sylvan park watching Gram play in the Redlands 4th of July band. Then we came home and bbq then went swimming. Collin slept through all the illegal fireworks going off around our house while Nathan oohhed and aahhed. Nathan even held his own sparkler this year while I nervously watched.

Father's Day

2009-06-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

This is my Dad . . . Walter Dave Wyler. He is one amazing guy. Full of energy and fun. I'm told he was up with the sun and out riding his bike when he was little. I hope my boys are just like him. Here he is with my Grandpa, whom I love and miss so much.

There's no doubt that my Dad loves my mom, he has since they were 16. I'm grateful for all they've taught me, it has helped me become the wife and mother I am today.

When I was little I remember my dad telling me I could do anything a boy could do. He motivated me to set my standards high and to be my best. He always expected A's on my report card and I will always be grateful that he pushed me so hard to get a good education.
My dad has and still does work hard to provide for our family. But when he isn't working hard, he's playing hard. We always took the best family vacations, usually to Mammoth where we'd fish, and camp and hike. I'm glad he instilled a love for nature in my life.
My last semester at BYU my dad drove up to Provo to help me move all my stuff home. He was there for a few days, we went skiing/snowboarding together and had so much fun. I'll never forget that trip and how close I think it brought us together. It wasn't until I was older and especially after having my own children that I realized how much my Dad loves me and how much he sacrifices to make sure I'm happy. He is so generous. There's never been a day that I haven't felt safe and loved. Thank you Daddy. I love you and Happy Father's Day!

A Great Weekend!

2009-05-26T20:36:00.000-07:00

Well last weekend started with Collin's 4 month check-up. He weighed 13 lb. 2oz and is 25 3/4 inches. He's so much taller than Nathan was.

We also bbq'd with my parents and went and saw Night at the Museum 2 at the drive-in. I love the drive-in. Nathan can be loud and it doesn't bother anyone not to mention the movie was hilarious.
On Monday we took Collin to his first Angel's game. We all had so much fun, everyone except the Angel's, they lost. They lost real bad :-( At least I got a cute picture of my boys.

2009-05-12T19:51:00.000-07:00

Best Mother's Day Ever! Ryan got me tickets to go see the stage show, Dirty Dancing at the Pantages theater. Some of you might not be so excited, but I absolutely love this movie; I have since I was a little girl . . . weird I know but Ryan knows this and is the best husband ever for taking me to see it. I'll be sure to tell you all how wonderful it was after I see it.

Easter Fun

2009-04-13T20:48:00.000-07:00

My mom has made a bunny cake every year since I was born. Now it was my turn. Cute huh?

On Easter we went to church at my parent's ward and then had lunch with them. Next we headed over to Ryan's grandparent's house for a yummy ham dinner. Nathan had a blast hunting eggs three different times and eating way too much candy. Watching him get so excited about the Easter bunny is fun but I think my favorite thing about Easter was the message Bishop Ferry gave in Relief Society. He shared a story about a woman who was over burdened, who felt like she was doing all she could but still wasn't really happy. Her husband told her All she could do was her best and then turn the rest over to the Savior. He is there to make up the difference for us, in him we find true peace and happiness.

Utah Trip

2009-04-07T14:41:00.000-07:00

Collin laughing at Daddy

The cousins Chloe, Bridget, Nathan and Collin (took all four parents making silly faces and continuously putting kids back on the couch, but we got the picture)

Making a snow angel and throwing a snowball at Daddy and Grampie. What a shock to go from 85 degree weather in California to snow in Utah.

Riding the horse Nana and Grampie have at their house

It had been over a year since we went up to Utah so our trip last weekend was over due. We stayed with Ryan's parents in Mapleton and spent some good quality family time together. The road trip was interesting with a 2 year old and a two month old. We definitely made more stops than usual but surprisingly the crying was minimal in part due to the portable dvd player.

JumpZone

2009-03-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

he wouldn't even stop for a pic, this is mid run.

it was hard to get a good pic of him sliding, too bad because it was so cute!

Last night Ryan and I took Nathan and Collin and met up with our friends Brach and Nicole and their kids at JUMPZONE in Redlands. The kids had a blast. I was so surprised to see Nathan running around and going up and down the slides all by himself. He can be kind of a wimp sometimes, so I thought he would be too nervous. I've never seen the kid play so hard. It's a great place if your looking for something new to do with your kids.

Best Buds

2009-03-22T20:33:00.001-07:00

Nathan feeding the goats at Bracken Bird Farm

Nathan gets so excited now when I tell him we're going to go hang out with his friends. You can ask him who his best friends are and he says Dillon, and Coopa, and Randy. Lucky for me their Moms are pretty fun to hang out with too :-) Love you guys, Nicole and Ashley

He can light up a room

2009-03-22T20:31:00.001-07:00

The pictures so don't capture his real smile, but you can see his whole face light up when he smiles. It melts my heart everyday.

Mr. Frog

2009-03-16T07:59:00.000-07:00

So Collin is obsessed with this frog that hangs over his seat and plays music. i just put it up last week and he loves to smile and stare. To my astonishment last night,Ryan and I watched him bat at the frog and then he actually got a hold of it and made it play the music. This kid is going to grow up too fast!

Sweethearts

2009-03-12T07:38:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I were so excited to leave both kids for the first time at my parents and go to the San Bernardino stake sweethearts dance. It was a lot of fun. I have pictures of us and our friends at this dance every year we go. I'm so thankful for good friends and my sweetheart, Ryan.

He does listen . . .

2009-03-12T07:34:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder whether or not I'm really instilling a love for the gospel in Nathan. It's so hard to know if they really get it when you pray and read the scriptures. Usually when we pray before bedtime Nathan just copies everything I say, finally the other night he said his own prayer it went like this
Nathan: "Heavenly Father. Thank you for daddy. Thank you for doctors, Thank you for my shot. Thank you prophet, bless prophet. . . Mommy do it"
And then I helped him finish. I don't know where the doctor thing came from, he hasn't had a shot for a while but it obviously left an impression.

Collin's Blessing

2009-03-01T19:47:00.000-08:00

nana and grampie (ryan's parents)

Grandma and Grandpa (my parents)

Today was a special day, we blessed Collin. Ryan's parents along with Cam and A'lea came down from Utah and both of our families were together. I love family so mauch, I'm so thankful for the gospel and the knowledge we can be together forever. I'm grateful for my husband and the priesthood he holds, that he was able to bless both of our children.

Naptime

2009-02-25T15:50:00.001-08:00

I was reading to Nathan before his nap the other day and Collin started to cry so went and got him. When I brought him in Nathan said "Mama lay Collin down"so I did and Collin quit crying right away, he loves his big brother. I think Collin is starting to look more like Nathan everyday.

Aunt Megan

2009-02-21T09:24:00.000-08:00

I couldn't believe Nathan was big enough to do it on his own.

I wish I would've gotten a picture of Nathan putting his hands up like he was on a roller coaster, it was so funny.

After Collin came, my sister flew in from Germany to visit. It was so nice to have our family all together again and to give Nathan a chance to bond with his Aunt. While she was here we went to Knott's Berry Farm. The pictures are proof of how much fun we had.

Being a Big Brother

2009-02-03T19:35:00.000-08:00

So of course Nathan has his moments when he says "I don't like baby no more" or climbs on the couch and tries to pull my shirt down while I'm nursing saying "Don't do that Momma" but for the most part I think he loves being a big brother. He is constantly kissing Collin on top of his head and he likes to hold the pacifier in Collin's mouth and tickle Collin's feet while I nurse. If Collin starts to cry Nathan goes to him quickly and says "it's okay Collin, it's okay". I can't wait to watch them grow up together and be best buddies.

Meet Collin!

2009-01-27T13:23:00.001-08:00

Collin Walter Nielsen
January 23, 2009 1:00 am
8 lb. 141/2 oz. and 21 1/2 in.

look at all my dark hair

the boys

A Wonderful Christmas

2008-12-26T11:42:00.000-08:00

Christmas is so much better when you have kids, seeing them get excited and spend hours playing with all their new toys. Ryan and I got a new video camera for Christmas. I love finally being able to capture all the cute things Nathan does and says, however with the new camera I completely forgot to take any regular pictures, here's the two I did take. Hope everyone had a very merry Christmas!

Disneyland and a Birthday Party

2008-12-24T09:22:00.000-08:00

My mom and I took Nathan to Disneyland last week to see the Christmas parade and then on Sunday we had a birthday party for him, I can't believe my baby is two. We were so happy Ryan's parents made it down for the party and that all of our friends and family celebrated with us. This has been the year of the train so I made Nathan a train cake and he got lots of train toys and other goodies. Ryan's grandma also got him his first bike, he's been trying to ride around the house bumping into everything because it's been so rainy outside. Nathan blew out his own candles but was then way to excited about toys to eat cake or anything that night, so about midnight he wakes up whining and I go check on him and he asks for bread which he ate with his eyes closed, I felt so bad he was so hungry but it was kind of funny too. Happy Birthday Nathan, the best Christmas present I ever got!

There's nothing like the smell of a real Christmas tree

2008-12-14T16:35:00.000-08:00

We bought our Christmas tree this weekend, I love sitting by the tree at night with nothing but the tree lights on and the fire going. It's so relaxing, I love this time of year, but who doesn't?!

Ryan wanted Nathan to put the star on top, I was skeptical but he did it.

What a face! In my family we got a new hallmark ornament every year, this year Nathan got a train, you can see how excited he is about it.

Baby Shower

2008-12-05T22:00:00.000-08:00

My wonderful Mother threw me a baby shower last night, thanks to all my great friends for coming. We had a lot of fun. I'm getting more and more excited for our new little baby boy to come.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-05T21:51:00.000-08:00

my Dad gave Nathan a rubber band gun . . . there's only one rule You don't shoot Mom!

I finally got my camera back, I had left it at Ryan's Grandma's house. I really wanted to post our Thanksgiving pictures right away so I could brag about what amazing turkey my husband makes. My Dad always deep frys a turkey and this year Ryan decided to do one on the BBQ too. They were both amazing, the best part was the gravy we got from Ryan's turkey...AMAZING!

Picture Perfect

2008-12-01T20:53:00.000-08:00

I took Nathan to Picture People to get some pictures taken for Christmas and his birthday pictures. He absolutely loves having his picture taken, he's such a ham. Every time I go the photographer comments on how easy he is. I didn't even have to help place him this time, if she said sit he sat, if she said hold this he he did. Any way I was so happy with all the pictures, here are the ones I ended up getting.

Ryan's Anti -Twilight post

2008-11-25T21:50:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I went to see the movie with my wife like a good husband should do. It was fine. I think if I was still a junior in high school I would have liked it a lot. The only thing I liked about the movie was when that vampire guy called the annoying girl a spider-monkey and jumped out the window. Thats about it.

One Happy Kid

2008-11-12T17:49:00.000-08:00

Nathan loves all things trains and really loves watching Thomas and Friends on tv so of course we had to take him to the train museum in Perris when Thomas came to town. He was so excited to ride on the train and just loved everything about the day. He woke up in the middle of the night after we went saying "mama, ride Thomas all day" over and over again.

Fingerprints

2008-11-09T20:56:00.000-08:00

On Friday, Nathan and I joined Katrina and Lizzie for their adventure of the week and went to the Fingerprints Kids Museum in Hemet. Nathan really loved driving the fire truck and police car, digging for dinosaur bones and spent a considerable amount of time grocery shopping. It is the cutest hands on kids museum, I recommend to anyone with small kids.

Tagged

2008-11-04T08:25:00.000-08:00

So I usually always ignore it when someone tags me but this one seems easy enough. Ashley said to post the 4th picture in the 4th file of my picture files. Here it is...

Conference weekend April 2007 we went to Utah to see Ryan's family. Nathan is about 4 months old here and fell asleep with his Uncle Cameron. Cute huh!

I tag Stacy, Allison, Marisa, and Nicole

A Happy Halloween

2008-11-01T17:00:00.000-07:00

So on a couple of other blogs people put pics of their kids last year and I thought that was cute, they really do grow a lot in a year and Halloween was definitely more exciting for Nathan this year. We went to three different ward Halloween parties (on different nights) and Stacy's party. I'm all trick or treated out!

Halloween 2007

Halloween 2008

Ryan's brother Miles and his twin girls came trunk or treating with us

The pumpkins we carved with Spencer and Stacy. Ryan's is
the one throwing up and mine is the pooh bear

Ryan and I dressed up like Juno and Paulie Bleeker for Stacy's party, it was a lot fun

Cute Cousins

2008-10-27T15:09:00.000-07:00

Melissa (Miles' wife) and their twin girls are down visiting from Utah so we went to play with them last night. They are such happy girls and even though Nathan ignored them most of the time we got a few cute pictures.

Grampie came to visit

2008-10-20T17:32:00.000-07:00

Ryan's Dad and sister, A'lea came to stay with us this weekend to get some Nathan time. We had so much fun going to Oak Glen and then down to the Birch Aquarium in San Diego. It's so hard living far away from Ryan's family sometimes, we want so badly for our children to be close to their grandparents. I'm so glad Nathan got time to bond with his Grampie and we can't wait for everyone to come back down for Christmas.

At Oak Glen where we pressed cider and ate apple pie. Yummy!

Nathan being a goofball at lunch eating an oreo.

My New Favorite Thing

2008-10-16T15:18:00.000-07:00

Digital Scrapbooking. I've seen a lot of other people digitally scrap stuff and finally got brave enough to try myself. Thanks to my amazing husband for teaching me how to use the program and everything. I'm so excited about all the cute stuff I can make now.

Punchins

2008-10-07T17:15:00.000-07:00

So I've been trying to get Nathan excited about Halloween. He loves pumpkins or as he says punchins (trust me it sounds super cute when he says it). My mom bought him this funky visor that he walks around wearing upside down and singing "spida hat, spida hat" and today we made little ghosts out of his feet. Other than that our family has just been enjoying time together, conference was wonderful to watch this past weekend and Ryan's parents came down for a funeral so we got to spend time with them too.

Why haven't we ever gone to the fair before

2008-09-20T13:20:00.000-07:00

Friday night we went to the LA Fair with some friends and it was SO MUCH FUN! Even though I couldn't go one the rides with Ryan, Kyle and I had fun watching Ryan and Jenny go crazy. Nathan loved all the animals and the big fat corn dog he inhaled. I can't believe we didn't eat more food than we did, my mouth was watering the whole time. Everyone go to the fair.

A Mammoth good time

2008-09-14T17:19:00.000-07:00

Rainbow Falls

Watching a movie on Daddy's ipod on the ride home

Ryan getting Spencer hooked on fly fishing in the float tube

Dirt, Dirt and more Dirt

trying to catch a fish

This weekend we went camping in Mammoth with our friends Spencer, Stacy, Randy and Chelsea. It was a very fun and relaxing trip despite the fact that our air mattress had a hole and went flat as did the second one we bought up there hence I had to sleep on the hard floor. Sleeping while pregnant is uncomfortable enough without adding in rocks poking you in the back. Still, we had fun fishing, sitting around the campfire and hiking. Hiking; something else that is hard enough without being pregnant but I was proud of myself for doing it. It wasn't a very hard hike and the waterfall we saw is beautiful. Nathan was definitely ready to come home today but looked pretty happy playing in the dirt the whole weekend. The proof is in the pictures.

It's a Boy!

2008-09-02T11:14:00.000-07:00

I had an ultrasound on Saturday and we found out we are having another boy. I'm so excited for Nathan to have a little brother to play with. Now if we could only decide on a name. Any suggestions?

My Happy Day

2008-08-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

So today is my 25th birthday, I feel so old. On Saturday Ryan had a BBQ at our house and invited some of my friends. He was so amazing, I didn't do ANYTHING for the party. Thanks to all my friends for coming I had a blast.

A Fun Day!

2008-08-17T10:19:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I went down to San Diego and met Ashley and Stacy at the zoo. I love going to the zoo because ever since Nathan was about 10 months he has been obsessed with animals. He likes to tell you what each animal is and what they say. He is always a little scared of the gorillas but he loves the hippos and even tries to kiss them through the glass. He also loves seeing little Randy, they always reach out and try to hold hands and hug each other. I'm so glad that I've stayed good friends with Ashley and Stacy and we can watch each other's kids grow.

Wicked!

2008-08-03T10:14:00.000-07:00

On Friday we finally went to see Wicked with our friends Stacy and Spencer. Everyone told me it was amazing but it was even better than I expected. Big thanks to Jenny and Kyle for watching Nathan all night so we could go.

Baby Blues Traveler

2008-07-24T16:22:00.000-07:00

So anyone who knows Ryan knows he loves to play the harmonica and he has passed that love onto his son. Nathan just started playing the other day and now the boys listen to the blues and play their harmonicas all day. It's the cutest thing I've ever seen!

Little Randy's Birthday

2008-07-08T12:52:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we went down to Encinitas for Little Randy's first birthday. It was so beautiful down there and Nathan loves the water, he would run toward the waves and play in the sand. Ashley throws a pretty good party!

The best weekend ever

2008-07-08T12:30:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know Fourth of July is probably our family's favorite holiday. Ryan's grandma is in the Redlands 4th of July band and has been for over 2o years so it's a family tradition to go to Sylvan park and hear the band play and then go to the University stadium for fireworks. Since Ryan helps the band set up we always get really good seats in front. This year Kyle and his new wife Adrienne were there and Stacy and Spencer. We had so much fun. Nathan loved all the music and even though he was on the verge of exhaustion he laid there half asleep and watched the fireworks.

Nathan directing the music

Nathan and Kyle dancing

Our Family is Growing

2008-06-28T07:56:00.000-07:00

For anyone who doesn't know yet, I'm pregnant. I had my first doctors appointment last week and found out my due date is January 17th so I'm three months along. Ryan and I are very excited.

What a mess!

2008-06-25T07:50:00.000-07:00

I was taking a nap on Sunday when Ryan comes and wakes me up to go look at Nathan and this is what I found. Ryan had given him a fudge sickle and boy did he like it. All I said is well you better clean him up, later I found them both in the pool. :-)

All his pretty hair is gone

2008-06-11T15:25:00.000-07:00

So Nathan had his first real haircut today. He's had it trimmed before but today it all came off. I was always nervous he would look like a little baby again if I cut it too short but I actually think he looks older now. So here are some before and after pictures.

San Diego Zoo

2008-06-08T09:03:00.000-07:00

We finally made it down to the zoo yesterday. It was so beautiful down there and we had so much fun. Nathan really enjoyed all the animals especially the monkeys. After we were done at the zoo we walked over to Balboa park. Ryan use to go there a lot when he was little so he was very excited. He was especially excited to ride the little train with Nathan because he didn't get to when he was a kid. There is so much to do down there we can't wait to go back.

Water Baby

2008-06-08T08:55:00.000-07:00

Finally it is warm enough to use our pool. Nathan still gets a little nervous if he isn't in his little raft; probably still having flash backs from being dunked last summer. But he'll have to get use to it because when it's 100 degrees this summer you will find me in my pool. All are welcome to join us.

tagged...

2008-06-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

thanks to Nicole for tagging me and forcing me to update my blog.
1. Major in college . . . Recreation Management
2. First Job . . . lifegaurd at Pharaoh's
3. Favorite Food . . . chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate
4. Favorite Color . . . Blue like the color I painted my living room
5. Town I live in . . . San Bernarghetto
6. Past Pet . . . Buh ( i know weird name, Ryan's idea)
7. Nickname . . . the only one I can think of is when Nicole use to call me Twos because she thought it was funny that I use to wear two sport bras in high school when I played volleyball.
8. Goal for next year . . . Save more money!
9. Age at my next birthday . . . 25
10. Place I want to visit . . . Germany, where my sister is right now
11. Favorite thing . . . my husband and son, they both make me laugh so hard
12. Favorite place . . . Mammoth, Ca.

New Friends

2008-04-30T08:34:00.000-07:00

Ashley Patterson came to stay with us for a couple of days. We had a lot of fun, it was just like we were college roommates again. Little Randy and Nathan were both excited about having another baby around. They would even wave and smile to each other. Nathan even gave little Randy a hug a couple of times and pushed him around on his little bus. They are too cute as you can see in the pictures.

The Best Meatloaf Ever!

2008-04-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

So last Friday Ryan grilled the best meatloaf I ever had, that's right I said grilled. I guess you could do it in the oven too but I think the grill gives it more flavor. So here is the recipe, hope someone tries it.
1 1/4 lb. ground chuck (I just used ground beef)
1 1/4 lb. ground pork
1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
1 large egg
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
2 cups bread crumbs
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp dried tarragon
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Sauce
1/2 cup bottled barbecue sauce
1/4 cup ketchup

1. In a large bowl combine the meat loaf ingredients. Using your hands, mix thoroughly.
2. Divide meatloaf mixture in half and form into 2 loaves, place on baking sheet.
3. In a small bowl mix the sauce ingredients. Top each meatloaf with 3 tbsp. of the sauce and coat thoroughly.
4. using a metal spatula, gently pick up each loaf from baking sheet and place them directly on the grill. Grill the meat loaves over indirect medium-low heat (about 300 degrees) with the lid closed until a thermometer reads 155 degrees. Takes about 50-60 minutes. Remove the loaves from the grill and let rest 10-15 minutes. Slice the meat loaf into 1/2 inch slices and serve with remaining sauce.

Go Angels!

2008-04-18T12:11:00.000-07:00

Nathan and the boys. Last night we went to an Angel's game with Uncle Justin and Aunt Stacy & Uncle Dirt. We had a blast and the Angels won.

Mammoth trip

2008-04-08T11:47:00.000-07:00

I finally went to the top of Mammoth mountain. For those who don't snowboard or haven't been to Mammoth, this was a big deal for me. Eleven thousand feet up, 60 mph winds and I had to go down the steepest black diamond I've ever been down, but I'm still alive and we had a ton of fun on our trip.

I want to be like Daddy

2008-04-03T14:11:00.001-07:00

I'm sure I'm not the only one whose husband leaves his shoes lying around the house. Luckily, I have a little helper who is always picking them up for me. Today I found Nathan trying to put on Ryan's shoes, too cute!

Uncle Kyle & Aunt Adrienne

2008-03-31T14:16:00.001-07:00

Nathan just adores his new aunt, I'm excited to have another cool girl in the family too, We all love Adrienne and Kyle and their wedding was a lot of fun.

I had never been to the San Diego temple, it was beautiful!

Ryan and his funny faces :-)

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-03-24T17:47:00.001-07:00

I'm Alive

2008-03-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

Contrary to what some of my blogging friends may believe I'm not dead, but I did move. Ryan, Nathan and I moved back to the ghetto of San Bernardino on March 1st. It's actually been great, the house is tons bigger with a great back yard and fenced in pool, we really love it. Everybody feel free to come over anytime.
Our new address is 2351 Davidson Ave San Bernardino Ca. 92405

Nathan almost 15 months now and running around like crazy

Finally a break

2007-12-27T11:03:00.000-08:00

Wow next time I get pregnant I'm definitly going to try not to have the baby around Christmas. Nathan's first birthday party was so much fun, thanks to everyone that came but I almost forgot that Christmas was three days later. Hope you all enjoyed your Christmas. Here's some pictures of the chaos that was last week.

He didn't cry!

2007-12-17T15:19:00.001-08:00

Nathan and Santa. I was worried Nathan would be scared of Santa, but he did great!

Growing up

2007-12-14T09:40:00.001-08:00

Getting into my cupboards. Who knows where I'll find him next.

Nathan is now officially walking. It's so cute! (Sorry the video is a little dark.)

Thanksgiving in Utah

2007-12-04T14:03:00.000-08:00

Ryan and I at the BYU v. Utah game. Go Cougars!

Nathan ate soooo much food at thanksgiving. He really loves feeding himself now too.

2007-11-20T13:30:00.000-08:00

So Katrina informed me that my blog needs some serious help. I have to admit I don't love technology, Ryan does, not me. But I vow to do better and post more pictures of the raddest kid in the world.

Tiggerific

2007-11-20T13:21:00.000-08:00

Finally, a picture of Nathan from Halloween. Just in time for Thanksgiving.

2007-10-29T16:26:00.001-07:00

Two more teeth! I wonder if he'll get the Wyler gap?!

2007-10-29T16:23:00.001-07:00

Eating an apple at Grandma Mable's house

Aunt Meg

2007-10-03T13:32:00.001-07:00

This is for my sister who's in the Air Force. Your nephew (and the rest of us) miss you alot!

Check out my Slide Show!

2007-10-03T13:30:00.001-07:00