family of PERPETUAL MOTION

2010-12-22T23:47:00.000-08:00

2010

no news:

same town. same job. no babies, illnesses, accidents, deaths, earthquakes, meteors.

what we LOVED in 2010:

buying our 1st home. our boys. family. cousins. grandmas. grandpas. sisters. brothers. moms. dads. aunts. uncles. friends. time together. our dog rosie. our cat jezebel. disneyland. orange county family and fun. the beach. river rafting. swim team. girls camp. service. kindergarten. ayso soccer. coaching. adult ayso. chess club. straight A’s. snowboarding. our trampoline. micah's job. yosemite. nyc. boston. vermont. new hampshire. awesome husbands who make girls trips possible. exercise. good health.

the temple. small miracles. mighty blessings.

the gospel. our savior!

another GREAT year. wishing you the same.

the NILSSONS:

micah and cheryl

jaden mckay maika'i (9)

beckam scott (5, a few weeks shy of 6)

asher john~patrick (3)

and yosemite

2010-06-13T17:40:00.000-07:00

micah's only birthday wish was to finally take his family to yosemite. he has been but the boys and i never had. it blew me away and was beyond amazing!! it was cold but that didn't deter us. we were lucky enough to go w/ my sister and her fam, who were coincidentally going the same weekend! we only spent half a day in the park and did the vernal falls hike. it was 3 miles and perfect for this stage of our family. we can't wait to get back and see more and would love to camp when the weather is more permissible.

lest you think we've dropped off the face of the earth...

2010-06-02T22:16:00.000-07:00

here is a photo summary of

some of the things we've been up to and
my biggest excuse for why i haven't been blogging:

10 year anniversary trip to NY
of course, we had some trading to do while we were therethe real trader and dear friend, james5 years old!!first snowboarding trippinewood derby
his own super-hero costumelots of time w/ family!
all the cousins on my side.easter at the scheidlesshaving cream wardisneyland
randomly ran into our long lost besties there, who currently reside in AZ!mother's daymicah got the cinnamon rolls and oj for breakfast,
jaden created the rest all by himself!
(micah also prepared a delicous grilled tri-tip and veggies feast for dinner,
which sadly wasn't documented since we were too busy devouring it)
no, look! he is cute.asher LOVES my nephew den denjust killing time
just because, from jaden loving getting to hang out w/ long, long time bestieshave to document this.one morning i'm frantically getting dressed in my closet when asher comes in and asks if we're going to be late? to which i reply, yes! so please go get your clothes on! as i run down the stairs and through the house calling his name, there is no response. when i open the door to the garage and call for him, i hear his little voice call back and then i find him like this. except he was hiding the gum behind his back as best he could. buckled up and ready to go. classic.

yosemite is next. stay tuned...(if you're still around)

look what the easter bunny drug in...

2010-04-05T23:47:00.001-07:00

rosie

the house...

2010-03-13T17:04:00.000-08:00

in its 3.5 weeks post move-in form for those who have been asking for photos. taking the decorations out of the boxes is as far as we've made it and it's really hard to take photos of a room but here they are nonetheless:

front of the house:
(sorry i was too lazy to shut the garage door)
we're the dead center house of a cul-de-sac.
potted lemon trees will go on either side of the big
front window and more box woods around the front.
all the rose bushes are coming out!

DOWNSTAIRS
sitting/music room:
(off entry)

the fairygod sister is currently moving into her new home
so we will be inheriting furniture that's not moving with her
for this room.

kitchen:

dining room:

also inheriting a new dining table
(those of you who have had the misfortune of sitting in these cursed chairs will be happy to hear)

family room:

which may or may not house a flatscreen tv someday.
jury is still out on that one.

guest bedroom:
(aka grandma kippy's room)

bathroom:

UPSTAIRS
bathroom:

playroom:

beckam & asher's room:

hallway office?:

master bedroom:

master bath:

my favorite!

master closet:

around the corner:

i can finally see my clothes!!

this was the view from the master bedroom for a few weeks, while the water holding area had water:
and this is the view to the left.
it's our neighbors backyard but it's still our view!
behind the wall you can see a grassy area, which is an empty lot that will never be developed and is completely enclosed by a privacy fence. so despite the vast space in our backyard, guess where the boys choose to spend much of their time? over the wall, digging for treasures, of course!!

holy 472 photos

2010-03-03T15:09:00.000-08:00

so i finally got my camera and the down(up?)loading cable together in the same place and had 472 photos to down(up?)load!! they include many important and fun blog-worthy events, including jaden's pirate birthday party, our trip to legoland, christmas and beckams preschool christmas program, jaden's baptism, our fabuloso trip to NYC, beckam's 5th birthday party and some of the house. for now, i'm just going to post a few i took around the house today. there will be many more to come... in the backyard:

and my fairy god sister shelli has been up to her fun old tricks again. while jaden was at school today, she worked her magic in his room. he was SO excited and thrilled w/ the results as was i. they're at target as i type getting a few more finishing touches (i.e. lamp and chair) but i think it's perfect. the photos are a little washed out because of all the sunlight in the room but you get the idea:
and she does this all in the middle of trying to finish her own house, which she's hoping to start moving into this weekend.
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G she is!!

oh and...

2010-02-21T20:49:00.000-08:00

when i came home yesterday from a full day of errands, kip announced, "i'm just cooking away in your kitchen and i love it!" she had a pot of hamburger stew on and the dough for rolls were rising!! everyone who sees my kitchen is so happy for me and comments that it's as big as all the kitchens i've ever had combined, which isn't saying too much if you've ever seen any of our kitchens. they've all been about the same tiny size. "two-butt kitchens" as my mother liked to call them! then darron, sandee and family arrive with all the fixins for chocolate chip cookies that she promptly began baking!! how could life get any better than that?! well my sisters and i are starting a dinner co-op this week, too, which is pretty exciting as well. you know since we all live within 5 blocks of each other. i will cook dinner 2 nights a week and then we'll be fed 3 nights a week! can't wait to see how it works out!!

real quick...

2010-02-20T22:55:00.000-08:00

it's late and i still need to do stuff before 9am church tomorrow but i just wanted to post a quick little update since it's been so long!

we're in our new home--hooray!! we moved in wed. and we loVe, LoVe, LOVE it!! it's so perfect for our family right now. i will post pictures soon but am sad that i didn't take before pictures. we bought a foreclosure so we had to repaint, recarpet and we chose to replace the linoleum in the bathrooms with travertine that my dad had in excess and replace light fixtures throughout. it really feels like a new home now. and i'm so excited that we're starting to get visitors in our home again!! kip came yesterday, my sweet friend ixchelle from davis is coming tomorrow, my dear jodi is coming in a few weeks followed by my sunshine from monterey. we love having visitors (dyers?!!). my kids are starting to fit right in here. today we looked out in the backyard and saw jaden riding his quad in his wife beater and shooting his bb gun! i'll have to post that picture. and now just a quick rundown of a few things i've enjoyed about having our home and our location:

*the day after we moved in, we were just about to sit down for dinner, when my sister and my niece showed up and joined us. then 10 min. later my other sister knocked on the door with two of her boys (ages 9 and 11). they ran here from their house! my brother-in-law followed shortly after.

*my two oldest nephews play together on their varsity basketball team and are rockstars!! our family looks forward to their games on friday nights.

*after dropping jaden off at the bus last week, i passed two of my nephews waiting for the same bus to come pick them up for school and got to see their their older brother standing by to make sure they got on safely.

*micah's started playing on an outdoor soccer league. they play at a park a few blocks away from our house. when we got to the park tonight we ran into my nephew, who was there shooting hoops along with about 10 other old friends who all play in the league!!

*i live about 2 miles from a trader joes and a brand new beautiful super target (with a full grocery store).

*the chase bank a mile from my house has a drive-up atm with a touchscreen and you don't have to fill out an envelope to make a deposit!!

just to name a few...

happy happy new year

2009-12-31T09:48:00.000-08:00

and happy 10 year anniversary to us!!

this year micah got me a house!! our 1st house. appropriate, i think.
seriously, our offer was accepted yesterday.
10 years with my soul-mate. what more could a girl ask for?!
i'm thankful everday for you micah!!

we plan to ring in the new year with our family tonight.
the boys are so excited!

we'll be celebrating next week in NYC!!
we are so excited!

here is the 2009 family wrap-up:

when it comes up that we recently moved from monterey, we often are met with hesitant congratulations, if not apologies. but we’ve been very pleasantly pleased with our move. we've had the opportunity to live in some beautiful and wonderful places and feel that we’ve learned, grown and gained something valuable from each place, hopefully changing us for the better in different ways, but bakersfield is home. there are a lot of people that we like here and not only do they like us but they love our kids, too. our kids are in love with all of their grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins and for that reason, there is no place we’d rather be.

micah is loving his job. he likes working for a firm that does all areas of law with the exception of criminal defense and family law. he’s specializing in litigation and employment law but is branching out in other areas like property and real estate, too.

jaden is 8 and will soon be baptized and starting cub scouts, which he’s super excited about. he loves the cats he inherited since we moved to papa’s house and is so attentive and sweet to them. he spent birthday money on air soft guns and gear and also enjoys skateboarding. he’s adjusting well to a new school and classroom. but will moving schools yet again once we close on the house, which he's excited about because he'll go to school w/ my two nephews!!

beckam is 4 “and ½ and ¾”. he turns 5 in january. he’s started half-day preschool five days a week since we moved, which his mom was not quite ready for but it’s what worked out and he’s happy. he loves to play with toys and has such an imagination! he’s really tall, and has an appetite to match his size. one day he begged for sushi for lunch and was so careful not to eat them all so he’d have some left as his treat for our movie night.

asher is 2 and is kind of lost without his playmate in the mornings. he’s taken to some not-so-pleasant survival skills as the 3^rd child in a house with two rowdy brothers such as pushing and kicking to greet people, along with biting, spitting and hair pulling when things don’t go his way. but he’s just as sweet and friendly as he is feisty and gives hugs and kisses out liberally. he keeps us laughing with all the cute things he says: “asher, you’re so cute!” “no I’m not.” and “asher, are you mommy’s boy.” “no. I mimi’s (or papa john’s) boy.” he calls mimi and papa at least once a day but usually more.

we realize bakersfield is not monterey but it is still home of Rivers End Rafting, owned by micah’s brother darron, and a trip down the kern river is an adventure waiting for you!! so come see us this summer!

oh and i love this one...

2009-12-10T23:01:00.001-08:00

explains why asher was held most of the time

to avoid just being a blur in our photos

family photos 2009-the unedited version

2009-12-10T22:16:00.000-08:00

thank you melissa!!
we had so much fun and you did a great job
(especially considering who you had to work with)
we love you and love the time we spent together!

since i didn't have enough going on

2009-11-13T22:57:00.000-08:00

with a move in a week from today, we decided to throw jaden a surprise birthday party tomorrow. the kids will already have been fed pizza at the primary program rehearsal so then we're going to kidnap a few of them and turn them into pirates...
rumor has it, there's some buried treasure somewhere around these parts so we're going to make em' find it:
then we'll feed em' some cake and send em' home w/ their booty!

a few more of the a-dults:

2009-11-09T09:28:00.000-08:00

jaime, i was a witch

micah as mr. darcy/joseph smith

we went to a costume party, too where i was a witch and micah was my broom.

but remember, no camera.

look. we got a new camera

2009-11-08T21:57:00.000-08:00

so now i have some pictures to show you:

HALLOWEEN 2009

batman for trunk or treat

skateboarder, who chose to watch the costume parade this year.

this is jack. from the nightmare before christmas. he won 1st place at micah's office pumpkin carving contest. the dilapidated look just gave it more character i guess. and yes there were other contenders, good ones, too i hear. it was even anonymous. our jack 0 lanterns didn't fair too well this year.

this is how they looked after 2 days. the other one is beckam's wolf, which was super cool but you'd never know if from this view would you? too bad we didn't get our new camera until after carving night!!

Trick or Treating

shadow ice wolf ninja.

guess who?

alfalfa, petey and froggy

asher was such a social little trick or treater. he wanted to stay and visit w/ everyone. i imagine he thought it quite rude to take candy from these people and then just leave!! he also wanted to eat each piece of candy as it was given to him. i'm sure he thought he'd died and gone to heaven. he even kissed each ghost that lined the walkway to one house going back to some just in case he missed them. he was so cute.
of course the other boys had a blast, too and their hard work trick or treating literally paid off. they were very selective in how much candy they ate so as not to decrease the weight of their buckets!! they were rewarded $15 each by a local dentist who offered $5 for every pound of candy!!

2009-10-28T09:27:00.000-07:00

so one of my bestest besties ever, jenny has just launched an educational video game rental company providing monthly rental plans for 8 leapfrog and VTech game systems. her company works very similarly to Netflix and Gamefly. you rent the games, play them all you want for as long as you want and then return them.

read an article about them here. and go check out her website. then rent some games!!

if you didn't make it to monterey to visit us,

2009-10-23T12:46:00.000-07:00

you should have! cause now it's too late (unless you're melissa white who pre-booked w/ us for the photo shoot she's coming to do for us on nov. 5). we're moving back to bakersfield in 29 days...by choice. yes. and it will be a great opportunity for our family so we're excited. and my kids can hardly wait to be close to their cousins. after i told beckam's preschool teacher, i said, "yeah, he's sad to leave." to which he replied, "NO, I'M NOT!! I'M SO EXCITED!!" well then, there you have it.

mondays are my least favorite

2009-10-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

but it was a productive day: boys bedding changed, their room picked up (x10), a good long phone conversation w/ a bestie, 3 loads of laundry folded and put away, linen closet organized (again), towel drawer in kitchen organized, 3 more loads of laundry washed, two bathrooms cleaned, dishwasher unloaded, reloaded, big dishes washed, games played w/ boys, ninja-moves demonstration watched, homework done.

i like having monday as my workday because it makes the rest of my week a little easier (and cleaner) but it's also the reason monday is my least favorite day of the week. and the reason cooking on monday night is a challenge. the last thing i want to do is make a big mess that will have to be cleaned up (okay so a lot of nights feel like this but i usually do it anyway).

but tonight called for in-n-out. except that on our way to in-n-out we saw denny's. well micah saw denny's and we all agreed on that instead. because when is that last time we've eaten at denny's? and you can get breakfast for dinner!

so there we were. micah and i and three wild banshees seated in our booth. and the first set of silverware fell under the table. then a second and a third. and you know what it's like having a 2 year old out to eat. they want to sit by dad, no mom, no the high chair, not the high chair, so they have to go out w/ dad, now they're back and he wants the salt, to taste the salt, then the waiter shows up but the two year old steps on a big brother's finger so he's back in the high chair whether he likes it or not. but he doesn't like it so he's crying....and there's the waiter. still waiting. ever so patiently (thankfully). and i know that all 3 sets of eyes in the restaurant are on us: that family at the back of the restaurant.

then the 4 year old has to go potty so i take them all for a little diversion, flashing a quick smile as i pass the other 3 patrons. when i return, we have the place to ourselves (not surprising). micah asked if the man talked to me on his way out. i said, "no. why?" and micah said, "because he talked to me." this sweet older man came over not to impart his words of wisdom, not to criticize but to express a job well done for our diligence. for not dismissing or ignoring the misbehavior but trying to correct and teach. micah responded by saying it didn't feel very productive. the man assured him that there are rough nights but sticking w/ it is what matters. he left by saying we just needed to hear that tonight. and boy was he right! how nice it felt to hear a heartfelt expression of confidence rather than feeling a silent harsh judgment. i love that man and want to remember to be like him!

this incident reminded me of Elder Bednars talk from general conference. here are some excerpts:

....Sometimes Sister Bednar and I wondered if our efforts to do these spiritually essential things were worthwhile. Now and then verses of scripture were read amid outbursts such as “He’s touching me!” “Make him stop looking at me!” “Mom, he’s breathing my air!” Sincere prayers occasionally were interrupted with giggling and poking. And with active, rambunctious boys, family home evening lessons did not always produce high levels of edification. At times Sister Bednar and I were exasperated because the righteous habits we worked so hard to foster did not seem to yield immediately the spiritual results we wanted and expected.
....Sister Bednar and I thought helping our sons understand the content of a particular lesson or a specific scripture was the ultimate outcome. But such a result does not occur each time we study or pray or learn together. The consistency of our intent and work was perhaps the greatest lesson—a lesson we did not fully appreciate at the time.
....Each family prayer, each episode of family scripture study, and each family home evening is a brushstroke on the canvas of our souls. No one event may appear to be very impressive or memorable. But just as the yellow and gold and brown strokes of paint complement each other and produce an impressive masterpiece, so our consistency in doing seemingly small things can lead to significant spiritual results. “Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great” (D&C 64:33). Consistency is a key principle as we lay the foundation of a great work in our individual lives and as we become more diligent and concerned in our own homes.

i love elder bednar, too! and i also want to remember that sometimes you can see productivity like on mondays and it looks great. but a lot of times you can't see it and it's still there. that's really important and i must remember that especially!

2009-09-22T21:20:00.000-07:00

our coastal cowboy.

in memory of the curls:

these pics arrived in my inbox today and made me so happy. they reminded me of our fabulous trip to nebraska (where they were taken). the boots you see above were found a the local thriftstore for $4 along w/ a matching pair for asher for the same price.

we stayed at ft. robinson, (see link) an old military fort with a lot of history. it was beautiful and there were so many fun things to do. we took a hayride up to the buttes for a chuck wagon breakfast where the boys mountain climbed to their hearts content, we went horseback riding, and watched a rodeo where afterward the boys were invited to lie down on cowhide while holding on to a rope for dear life as they were drug behind a horse around the arena!

which is how i nearly ended up shortly before this picture below was taken. ms. maggie mae (nilsson) raced passed me yelling, "yah, yah" in my horse's ear who promptly heeded her command and took off in a dead run. i managed to stop him, one foot out of the stirrup just seconds before we disappeared into the tree you see. this is me giving her a friendly shove. punk.
we spent three days at ft. robinson w/ all 5 of micah's siblings, each of their spouses and their 8 hildren in a three story house. there were 10 kids sleeping on the 3rd floor in bunk beds and all of the couples had their own room. so. much. fun! there were lots of cousins and extended family in the neighboring homes, too.

one night we all sat out on the porch and reveled in the magic of the most incredible lightening and thunder storm (and were glad that brian wasn't electrocuted by the live wire that was knocked down by a fallen tree).

we then headed up through the black hills of south dakota and custer state park to mt. rushmore. the drive was unbelievable. think wild buffalo grazing right along side of the road and big horn sheep literally running along side our car!! a tour through wind cave national park, the mammoth site and bear country usa were among other highlights of the trip!!

thank you kippy for getting us all there!! it was such a memorable experience!!

a staple at our house

2009-07-28T13:51:00.000-07:00

i was so in love w/ the tomato basil hummus from trader joes but it was kinda pricey for a little container so i figured out how to do it myself:

1 can garbanzo beans, drain half the liquid
3 T tahini (ground sesame seed, found in the international food section of most grocery stores)
2 T lemon juice
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 can stewed tomato
1/2 can tomato paste
5 big fresh basil leaves

pour all ingredients into a blender and puree.
pour into bowl and drizzle w/ olive oil

serve w/ pita chips or blue corn chips or any way you like

mexican quinoa salad

2009-07-17T21:08:00.000-07:00

i know a lot of you read my happy little life but there are some who don't and i just wanted to add my testimony of the mexican quinoa salad! i know a lot of you would enjoy it, too!!

quinoa (pronounced 'keen-wah' in case you have to ask for it. read about it. it's so good for you. a whole grain that's hight in fiber and has 5g of protein in 1/4 c. you can find it at costco, tj's or any health food store.) was new to me but the salad sounded so good and after our meal tonight, i just sat there pondering the experience.

i'll post the receipe here because that puts you one click closer to making it.
it's from delicious by nature:

Measure desired amount of quinoa into a large bowl
Pour water over grain and scrub grains together
Pour off top layer of water, add more water and scrub again
Pour quinoa into a fine mesh strainer and now you’re ready to cook!

Salad:
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water
1 mango, peeled and diced (use a big one, it was my favorite part)
1/2 can black beans (8 oz), drained and rinsed (i used a whole can)
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and diced (i just used canned, already diced and drained juice. i also served them on the side so they could be added to each person taste.)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 avocado, diced

Dressing:
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 4 lemons
1 chipotle pepper in adobo plus 1 tsp of juice (you can find these canned in the mexican section of your local grocery store)
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring water to boil in a medium pot on stove top. Once it is at a boil add in quinoa and return to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover - cook for 15 minutes until water has been absorbed.

While quinoa is cooking, cut vegetables in preparation for assembling salad.

Pour olive oil into the bottom of the large bowl that you will be serving in. Blend the remaining dressing ingredients in a blender until combined (about 20 seconds). Pour into the bowl with the olive oil and whisk to combine. (i followed kelly's advice and served the salad w/ just the olive oil, juice from one lemon and salt and pepper. we served the blended dressing on the side so we could each add it to taste because it's a little spicy. the adults loved it!! but beckam perferred it w/o the dressing. jaden and asher would have preferred just plain black bean w/o the rest of the salad.)

When quinoa is done add it to the bowl along w/ the fruits & vegetables and toss.

If you have time, it is best if you let the salad sit covered in the refrigerator for about an hour to let the flavors combine. This salad was also great the next day, though you may want to add the avocado closer to serving in order to keep it from browning.

we served it as a meal w/ pineapple chunks, cantaloupe and rolls!

is there something seriously wrong with me?

2009-07-15T18:01:00.000-07:00

we just got back yesterday evening from an AWESOME trip covering colorado, wyoming, nebraska and south dakota (more details later) and i'm already planning our next one. here is our agenda for any of you sac/davis folk who might be interested:

Monday
1:00: Jelly Belly Factory
3:30 ish: Play at Community park in Davis
Nugget Sandwiches for dinner!!!
Frozen Yogurt for dessert

Tuesday
10am: Sac Zoo
Lunch and Fairytale Town
No evening plans

Wednesday--Davis Day
9:00: Arboretum/Visit Horses (maybe cows,too)
10:30: Solano Park Playground by my old house

12:30: Plutos for lunch (or somewhere yummy downtown)
2:00-4:30: Rec Pool
(Clean up at the Wiscombe's)
5:30: Dinner at Farmers Market
More Frozen Yogurt

(I'd like to make a trip to the DI in Sac on Thurs. maybe)

We'll leave sometime Thurs. or maybe Fri.

long time no blog

2009-07-08T16:05:00.000-07:00

and posting is the last thing i should be doing right now since we leave at 4 am to fly out to nebraska for a family reunion. except we don't actually get to fly to nebraska. we fly to colorado--the closest airport to the little town we're trying to get to in nebraska and then drive the rest of the way. the boys are super excited because it's cowboy country and truly they were born to live on a ranch. it will be a great trip i'm sure and a great excuse to see the whole nilsson crew again and a good amount of dyers (though some will be missed!).

today was the day that taco bell, a dr. pepper and finding nemo saved my life (or maybe it was my kids life). it's seriously the littlest things when you're a mom.

also today, i found jaden attempting to change asher's dirty diaper. clean diaper was in place, asher laying down on top of it, wipes open and ready and jaden mustering up the nerve to open the dirty one. i sat down and asked if he'd like my help to which he happily obliged. i handed him a wipe to help when he replied, "when the girl is doing the dishes, i'm going to offer to do them and she can change the baby." i asked if "the girl" meant his wife. affirmative. at least he's planning to share the work load. i also told him he may feel differently when he has a baby. because his dadddy had never changed a baby in his life and when jaden was born, i didn't change a diaper until he was 2 days old.

catch up:
we spent two weeks in bakersfield at the beginning of summer, which included a great getaway for micah and i to attend the wedding of two fabulous friends in los angeles and have a brief visit with the maughans. the boys did a sports camp together the week after we got home, which was the greatest decision ever (1-3, m-f: perfect). and today they finished their two-week swim school and not only do they look like little pros but they had a great time. beckam was SO excited for swim lessons to really learn how to swim, which is a huge change for him. he's usually very apprehensive about new situations but really seems to be maturing in that area. i'm sure it helps to have a big brother to keep up with.

last weekend we had a visit from the hill clan for 4th of july, which was a blast as usual. we met them in santa cruz and spent the day at the boardwalk. it was cousin heaven! ashlyn (14) was supposed to meet up w/ some friends but chose to stay w/ the family to hang out w/ her cousins--so sweet!!

so there's a quick recap on this familyofperpetualmotion. we'll be home a few days afer this trip before heading up to davis for some more summer fun. the jelly belly factory, sac zoo, rec pool, arboretum, farmers market, solano park and fun friends are all on the agenda!

they're engaged

2009-06-09T22:57:00.001-07:00

he's 31 today

2009-05-24T22:15:00.000-07:00

i had great intentions today to celebrate this fabulous man of mine. and i bought all (almost) the stuff we'd need for a birthday fit for a king. but here's how it actually went down.

7:30 i wake up and get ready for my 8am meeting, leave the house w/ everyone still in bed
10:15 return from meeting to find an empty house, homemade waffles w/ fresh fruit and not a trace of breakfast mess
10:25 boys return from playing at the park
10:30 put asher down for his nap and then visit with our very diligent and dedicated home teacher
11:15 wonder why the baby is still not asleep and just jabbering away, go in and sing some more songs
11:25 take a phone call and talk church business
11:45 head into kitchen to find the birthday boy happily adding the last ingredients to the thai chicken crock pot dinner. i got to put the lid on and start fixing lunch for the boys while he goes in and finally gets that baby to sleep
12:00 i finish getting ready for church while micah assembles his own chicken wrap (yummm)
12:45 i'm off to church w/ the big boys, micah hangs out for the next two hours while asher gets his nap in (i know we're bad mormons but honestly--why take an unnapped baby to 1pm church until 4 o'clock?)
4:30 return home to find a beautiful chocolate cake already baked and frosted. (strike 3 for me). so the boys and i at least get the table set all fancy w/ place mats, napkin rolls and henry weinhards before micah gets home from his after-church-responsibilities. jaden prepares a delicious salad, including fresh chopped cherries, tomatos, raisins and carrots all by himself hoping that his dad will say "yummmmm." beckam decorates the birthday boy's chair w/ beautiful artwork. we call grandma doris and wish her a happy birthday!!
5:30 micah gets home and we enjoy a fabulous dinner where we discuss why our daddy is so special which includes jaden's declaration that "he's the smartest dad because he chose the best wife in the world AND he always makes me first even when his friends are around." and i shared that i was grateful for him because he always makes all of us first all of the time! he's completely selfless and i know that even though today is his special day, he loved every minute of serving his family all day!! and he always makes me feel like the best girl in the world!
6:00 call britney to wish her a happy birthday, too! and then eat cake w/ chocolate brownie ice cream (oh, that micah bought himself at the store yesterday because i didn't even think of it while at the store earlier)

and why is jaden's face all red you wonder? because minutes before he looked like this:

scary. darth maul has nothing on him.
they got into the face paints.

happy birthday micah.
we LOVE you so!
and how lucky are you that the whole nation gets the day off tomorrow to celebrate!

2009-05-13T18:42:00.000-07:00

(sorry to those of you w/ reader for the duplicate posts. )

happy mother's day.

mine was spent on sanibel island celebrating the marriage of my brother-in-law dan to the lovely sara kramer! it was such a beautiful and perfect beach wedding with lots of friends and family there to support them. when we arrived at the hotel the scene was reminiscent of our davis days looking like we'd landed at the bike barn. there were over 50 bikes lined up for every wedding guest each one personalized w/ a name tag. inside our rooms we had welcome bags including bios of each family member on both sides, sights to see on the island, a daily agenda, water bottles, sunblock, saltwater taffy and the beloved insect repellant! learning from my sister-in-law's 500-and-something no.see.um (the bugs are that tiny) bites, i bathed in that stuff every night and got away unscathed.

images taken from minna dyer here and here.

we put many miles on our bikes mostly at night alligator hunting. at night they can only be seen when light reflects off their eyes that glow like fire. it was crazy creepy cool. we only had two minor biking incidents. one was my father-in-law who indoed and flipped over his handle bars, sending me into complete hysterics for a good 20 min. (i seriously have a sick sense of humor. what is wrong with me?!) however, i was repaid for my cruelty the following day, when i duplicated his accident as my dress got caught in my break pads and sent me sailing. i wasn't laughing then but fortunately, my adrenaline was at its max since we were on a photo scavenger hunt racing against the other nilssons and two of our competitors were actually passing us at that very moment so i didn't even feel the cut on my leg. we also spent a day at sea exploring different islands and marine life. we saw lots of dolphins and a sting ray JUMP out of the water. apparently they do that!! micah took me out on my first brief sailing excursion. besides my fear of feeling like shark bait, it was exciting and scary for a second when micah fell overboard leaving me to man the sail.

this image from christy dyer.
both of my sweet mothers spent their mother's day taking care of my children. a mothers job really never does end. i hope i can give my daughter, oh wait! i don't have one!!! my sons and their wives a kidless getaway one day, too (just not all at the same time)! and then do all their laundry when they get home so they don't have to (thanks again mom!). i hope i can show my children how much i love them the way my mothers show me! we so greatly appreciated our time together and squeezed every second out of our kidless getaway!

darron, dan and micah

i returned to a beautiful new set of dishes from my boys that they remembered i'd been wanting and the sweetest homemade cards! these made my heart happy:

HAPPY mother's DAY
to mom
love Jaden Nilsson

mom I Love You so much you are the brite side of my life. love Jaden Nilsson.

and a picture of me watering my garden filled w/ beautiful flowers, a ladybug and bee. and a picture of jaden saying, "your garden is pretty" with me saying, "thank you."

2009-05-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

in six days all the nilssons (sans children) will be gathering in sanibel, florida to celebrate the marriage of dan to the lovely sarah. and because this family loves a competition, we have been playing sanibel trivia. everyday brian sends an email with sanibel trivia and the first one to respond with the correct answer gets a point. sometimes there are bonus questions or challenges. like a seventy two word blog post.

sadness

2009-04-22T21:17:00.000-07:00

it was with sad, broken and heavy hearts that we buried our precious tiny tim tonight.
i hate it so much and it hurts my feelings so bad. he was a 6 month old desert tortoise and was such a fun little pet. micah and i were amazed at how much enjoyment a little turtle could bring. he was so cute and social. he woke up every morning w/ the rest of the family. we loved him!

we're guessing he got dehydrated yesterday in the heat wave. i put him out on the patio to bask in the sunshine. he is a desert tortoise after all. he had fresh water and food and was in his little habitat w/ shelter from the sun. sadly, i never checked on him again yesterday to replenish his food or water and today i found him lifeless. such a sad, sad day for our family. i cried a lot.

he did have a good life but he will be sorely missed! and it's going to take some work getting over the guilt i feel.

jaden is worried about how we'll find him in heaven. "it's going to be so crowded. there's going to be so many angels and how will we recognize him from all the other turtles." i like his heaven. and this was a good life (death being a part of life) experience for the boys.

and just in case you thought turtles were boring, please look at these tricks he could do:

and can you see him in this picture nestled snugly under micah's leg?

sleeping in my hand.

rest in peace tiny.

easter 2009

2009-04-15T21:31:00.000-07:00

family pics = super challenging. wish i knew more about photo editing.

2009-04-07T23:04:00.000-07:00

i've been holding out for danny gokey but adam has slowly been winning my heart and his performance tonight...stole it! this song seriously made my heart race. just watch and see...

p.s. i saw him in wicked in real life.

2009-04-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

please tell me you have all seen the goods at darlybird.com!

do you know i've never bought earrings anywhere else? (ok, maybe once but that's it. seriously).

and one year i did all my christmas shopping at the darlybird trunk show. her stuff is that cool. (especially if you like vintage)

i miss the days of shopping the darlybird collection in person and hanging out w/ one of the coolest girls on the planet! and indulging in her yummy eats! i miss her sweet little girls and awesome husband.

so guys when are coming to visit?

p.s. i still want a darlybird shirt w/ that cute little logo on the back shoulder. wouldn't that be so cute?!

oh yeah, and don't miss the giveaway! check out darlyblog for the details...

i love the sabbath...

2009-03-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

especially w/ 1 o'clock church.

i love having a low-key morning to hang out w/ my boys. to make them french toast w/ veggie sausage and yummy smoothies, to play steam roller on the tramp and to pick carrots, broccoli and snap peas out of the garden!

asher gets a full nap.

i have time to iron.

i have time to really get ready (the only time all week).

and when we return from church, it's dinner, a little down time and the bedtime routine. today while i made dinner the boys played ring around the rosie w/ asher and watched planet earth--our favorite sunday show!! hearing the boys laugh and play is like music to my ears and amazingly i hear it a lot on sunday when we have 1 c'clock church.

i love that sunday is a special day!

when all else fails...

2009-03-27T14:33:00.000-07:00

post a recipe. i can't think of anything else noteworthy to blog about but food is always a good option in my book. and remember my criteria: fast, easy and delicious. please share yours!

chile verde bowls

in large pot boil:
1 box chicken broth
6-8 raw chicken breasts, cut into pieces (scissors are the best)
1 onion, quartered
3 cloves garlic
salt, a good amount (tenderizes chicken)
pinch of sugar
lemon juice
1 can green ortega chilis (rinse can w/ water and add to pot)
1 jar salsa verde (rinse jar w/ water, 1/4-1/2 full and add to pot)
1 cup red salsa

boil 15 min. until chicken is cooked through. reduce heat and simmer until ready to serve. i also like to throw sliced zucchinni into the pot about 5 min. before serving.

serve over this most delicious spanish rice. i finally found the perfect recipe by combining 3 other rice recipes:

saute 1 1/2 c long grain white rice in
4 T olive oil w/ 1 finely chopped onion and 2 cloves minced garlic until rice starts to brown

add:
2 c chicken broth
2 t cumin
1/2 t salt
1/2 t paprika
1 can stewed tomatos, pureed (or 1 can tomato sauce)

bring to boil. then reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 min. turn off heat, let stand additional 5 min. and then remove lid to avoid over cooking rice.

serve w/ warm tortillas or corn chips and garnish w/ cheese and/or sour cream

i did go a fun fieldtrip w/ jaden's class today to the natural history museum. jaden was so cute and cuddly w/ me. i guess he knows he has to take advantage of his mom time and get his cuddles in when he can. i loved it! he was so cute answering lots of questions and has really improved w/ his impulsive nature. he patiently raised his hand every time he had a comment instead of blurting out the answers (even when other kids were). this is really a big improvement.

the docent was showing us two feathers; one from a hawk and one from an owl. when she waved the hawk feather it made a big whoosh sound but when she waved the one from the owl it was silent. she asked the kids why that would be. i couldn't come up w/ a good explanation. then jaden raised his hand. i wondered what he would say. when she called on him, he responded, "because an owl has to sneak up on its prey so it has to be silent." and he was right. uh-oh, i better get back to studying.

really good information for those who want to know....

2009-03-15T08:32:00.000-07:00

visit www.mormon.org and/or www.lds.org for more truths about
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

(i think in facebook language now...)

2009-03-11T23:13:00.000-07:00

cheryl wants to know if the homemade french toast, 30 min. reading session, batch of cookie dough (for eating), trip to the beach, help cleaning "their" room, apology, bedtime stories, kisses and hugs count when she also did all that screaming? seriously. i think being the mom is hard!

goodnight. and here's to a better day tomorrow.

and if this makes you think about judging me than please just erase it from your memory.

more food...

2009-03-03T11:31:00.000-08:00

grilled turkey panini

yummy turkey (costco's columbus brand is good)
yummy cheese (provolone and blue cheese crumbles are good)
yummy bread (sourdough, focaccia, ciabatta are all good)
spring mix salad greens
sliced tomato
thinly sliced purple onion
spreads:
pesto
red pepper and artichoke tapenade (from tj's)
mayo and mustard

pop in the panini maker (or in a pan) and grill

sweet potato fries
(so delish. would i lie to you?!!)

1 - 1 1/2 lb sweet potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon

preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil

peel sweet potatoes and cut into strips that are about 1/2 inch wide on each side.

place the sweet potatoes in large ziplock bag. add oil, salt, paprika and cinnamon. seal the bag and shake well to thoroughly coat the fries. spread the potatoes out onto the baking sheet in a single layer.

cook 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes. transfer immediately to a paper towel lined plate and serve warm.

mix mayo and ketshup w/ a little cayenne pepper for a tasty dip.

girls weekend

2009-02-23T21:25:00.000-08:00

ixchelle, adie, me, paola, sue

we stayed up way too late, we lived on caffeine for two days so we could function and pack everything in, we caught a late night showing of he's just not that into you, we (paola and adie) made chilean empanadas and ate lots of good food, we basked in anthropologie and all its carmel glory, some got new haircuts, some picked up some awesome souvenirs at the local toy store, and micah so willingly put up with it all, including full-time kid duty (and claims the chocolate covered cinnamon bears and empanadas were good compensation),
now we're wondering when we can do it again...

2009-02-10T22:52:00.000-08:00

the pinnacles

this national monument is only an hour away from us and we finally got to explore it. well a little at least. it was so beautiful and refreshing to be there. there were lots of rocks to climb to perilous heights and there were caves to explore. the boys loved it.

balconies cliff

about a 2.5 mile hike

i think the caves were the highlight of the trip. they were perfect for our family. not too deep and dark. well they were pitch black and very wet but it only took 10 min. or so to get through.

jaden and i are wondering if that's really the way out.

and it was. this is when jaden turns his back on us, stamps his foot refusing to go through and declares: "i'm not going to die here!" all serious and dramatic. that is until the rest of us started through, including beckam at the front of the pack.

micah (and asher, who suffered a few knocks to the head) was such a trooper. this wasn't the only time he had to do a manuever like this. once he was on all fours crawling. his shoulders felt it for days.

he was SO glad he did it!

recipe of the week...

2009-02-03T21:18:00.000-08:00

cheesy tortellini
an adaption of minna's recipe

tortellini, cooked (i used olivieri 7 cheeses from costco)

creamy alfredo sauce w/ a handful of fresh shredded parmesean, heated
(minna suggested using 2/3 c sour cream and 1/4 c fresh shredded parmesean)

saute diced tomatoes (i love the splendido little tomatoes from tj's, i used 10 or use 2 big tomatoes), 4 chopped green onions, 1 c mushroom and a clove of garlic in 2 T olive oil, sprinkle w/ sea salt and course ground pepper

pour alfredo sauce over tortellini and top w/ veggies. serve w/ toasted sourdough

allergy baby

2009-02-01T22:34:00.001-08:00

the real asher

we think it's a dairy allergy. he won't drink cow's milk but it seems to be from yogurt (i've been feeding him plain, greek yogurt). we're still experimenting. this was the worst of it though. he's had sporadic breakouts since this picture but nothing like this. crazy, huh?!!

bangs

2009-02-01T22:28:00.000-08:00

Beckam's Birthday

2009-02-01T20:42:00.000-08:00

beckam was very specific in his plans for his 4th birthday. he wanted his dad to cook benihana's at home (which means tapenyaki-style), his friends to wear star wars costumes (even though he didn't own one, which he was fine with) and chocolate cake w/ chocolate frosting.

we surprised him by having "the papas" (mine and micah's dad) bring his cousins evan and bradon from bakersfield.

we got him a storm trooper costume, which arrived hours before the party

neighbor boys

and papa john got him an anakin costume that evan got to wear
(papa also brought light sabers for each kid--non-stop entertainment for 6 boys)
and papa dave brought beckam this:he made it himself w/ his new cake decorating accessories
(yes, that's fondant. impressive.) the other kids got chocolate muffins w/ vanilla ice cream and homemade hot fudge sauce. i thought that was an easy chocolate cake w/ chocolate frosting.
ready for the chef.
on the menu: shrimp, chicken, steak, egg fried rice, sauteed mushroom, zucchini and onion
and ginger ale to drink
awaiting the volcanic eruption:
my sweet, happy birthday boy.man, i love this kid. he greets us many times throughout the day w/ random hugs, sweet little kisses and confessions of love. the other day this is what we heard from the backseat:
"dad, i just really love you. i love you, too mom but i just really love dad. i love the way he looks. i just really love him."

some papa lovin'

turtle tent from the neighbors
happy birthday beckam boy!
we LOVED celebrating you!

another recipe if i may and a cute beckam story

2009-01-27T21:11:00.000-08:00

and i may since it is my blog. i like to share these because i'm always looking for new fast, healthy and most importantly delicious dinner ideas. it's not a real recipe it's more of a meal idea:

meatball sandwich
focaccia rolls (SO GOOD, trader joes), toasted

italian style (or turkey) frozen meatballs (trader joes), cooked

provolone cheese, melted on top

marinara sauce
(i just throw these ingredients in the blender and then heat on the stove: 2 T extra virgin olive oil, 1 small onion, 4 cloves garlic, 28 oz can stewed tomatoes, ½ t salt, ½ t black pepper and 10 fresh basil leaves (or dried or if you're my husband, you use cilantro instead of basil (on accident)--same difference, right? it still tasted great. i tell you he teaches me time and again that there really IS more than one right way to do things!)

cute beckam story
sometimes as a mother i wonder if my boys are learning anything i'm trying to teach them. and then there is a moment like this and i realize the answer is YES! asher can now reach the doors to the armoire, which houses the tv and he loves to exercise his new found skill of shutting the doors whenever they are open. unfortunately for him, they are only open when the tv is on and more unfortunately, his brothers do not appreciate him closing them while they are watching a show. so the other day, this very scene played out while i listened from the dining room. i hear the armoire door shut and turn my head to see what the repercussions will be. beckam walks over to asher, gently puts his hand on asher's cheek and quietly says, "asher...please don't shut the doors again, brother is trying to watch star wars." and best of all, asher listened!!
glory, glory hallelujah maybe they are learning something!

excuse me while i play on facebook

2009-01-26T21:50:00.000-08:00

i won't be long and when i return:

i'll tell you about beckam turning 4 (two weeks ago)
i'll show you my new bangs and pictures of asher w/ an allergic reaction (to what? i don't know but he looked f-u-n-n-y. kinda scary really.)

a recipe and more family photos

2009-01-22T19:59:00.000-08:00

i hear some of you actually use the recipes i post so here's one of our favorite fast and easy "regulars":

abc chicken soup
(i just make up the amounts every time so this is what i did tonight)

boil 3 large chicken breasts in chicken broth (3 boxes of pacific from costco) for 10 min. or until chicken is cooked through. chop 3 potatoes, 3 carrots, 2 stalks of celery, 1 parsnip, 2 zucchini and 1 cup of mushroom. remove chicken, shred and set aside. add veggies to boiling broth, except for zucchini and mushroom. let boil a few minutes before adding bag ABC pastsa (trader joes). cook 8 min. or so and then add remaining veggies and chicken. salt and pepper. serve w/ trader joe's most delicious corn bread!!

for beckam it's the lettuce wraps but this is jaden's fav. tonight he had two full bowls and was ready for "third 2nds."

and today in the mail i got the cd of our family photo shoot that melissa did (header photo)! wanna see some of our favorites?! (they're not blurry if you click on the image)
and there's a few more that will be featured in our header at some point. because any good photographer includes personalized blog header photos don't they? she's in san luis obispo so look her up if you want some great pictures at a great price!! she's super cute and nice, too!

maybe men don't belong in the kitchen.

2009-01-07T22:10:00.000-08:00

i was talking to micah on the phone last night while shopping at target when he says, "oh, that's why there's bubbles all over the floor. that wasn't the soap for the dishwasher." so today we ran the rinse cycle to see if we could get rid of the lingering suds. when micah opened the dishwasher, all that could be heard from the kitchen over and over was, "wow, these soap suds are fantastic. these suds are really fantastic." then, "come here, you've got to experience this."
micah's notorious for these kind of accidents. this is perhaps his best:

when we were very newly married, we were doing laundry late one night and since the laundry room was outside and around the corner from our apt., i sent him out to change the clothes from the washer to the dryer and bring in the clothes from the dryer. then i waited for him to come back. and waited and waited and waited. and waited. then finally the front door opened and in steps micah laundry basket in hand. check. i look at him confused. he smiles. (this story i cannot retell without laughing my head off as i type it) and says, "the dryer is broke. there's water pouring into it!" i'm still confused. water? really? he goes on: "yeah, it's the funniest thing. i opened the dryer and the clothes were still really wet. so i put more quarters in and WATER starting pouring into the dryer!" of course i was hysterical and surely wet my pants and probably did each time i retold it to every member of our family. he went on to tell me how baffled he was about water in the dryer until it occurred to him that it must be the washer! but why in the world, he wondered, would the washer be on the right side?! the washer goes on the left. it's always supposed to be on the left! he then resorted to taking each piece of clothing out one by one and wringing it out before tossing it into the dryer. "spin cycle? what's a spin cycle?" he wondered. (he still didn't know tonight about the spin cycle when i stopped at this point while reading him this post and said he would probably do the exact same thing today should the dryer ever malfunction like that again).

i teased him about his great ploy to get out of laundry duty for the rest of his life. and it actually kind of worked. i'm happy for him to fold but i'd rather man the machines. and fold he does. you should see his skills! he's learned from the pro (apparently that's me. just ask his mom and dad. they marvel at my folding and have been known to just sit and watch me. really! no talents. who am i kidding?) so it all works out. and the dishes got clean. and the clothes did, too. so i'm not complaining. really.

Happy New Year to YOU

2008-12-31T23:16:00.000-08:00

and happy 9th anniversary to us!
i'll die if my kids get married at 21. i'm SO glad my parents had complete trust in me and never questioned or doubted my decision (i know some were skeptical since we only dated 6 months before we were married and i became mormon to boot). i couldn't have found a more perfect man had i searched the world over. and how cool is it that i met him when i was 12 and got to watch him live his life for 9 years before i ever dated him. i was well-informed and he's exceeded the potential i saw in him another 9 years later! what a testament to the benefits of living the gospel.

this year i want to exercise regularly even it's only once a week.
i want to focus on the good things in people even if it's just their shoes at the moment.
i want to enjoy each day with my little family even when it's hard.

i'm grateful for where i am at the end of this year and look forward to the growth and experiences the new year will bring.

2008-12-07T22:44:00.000-08:00

a great christmas story:

and i just heard this christmas song, children, go where i send thee by mary chapin carpenter on the radio (for what I thought was the first time) and loved it! so we got it on itunes and have enjoyed it so much. in fact, we were listening to it tonight as the boys were going to bed and jaden got up to request we put it on his shuffle for him.

here's the funny part, i was trying to figure out how to post it here so you could hear it and when i searched for it, it came up w/ natalie merchant singing it and i immediately recognized it from her cd--one of my favorites! but it sounds so different i had no idea it was the same song.

check em' out. what do you think?

2008-12-05T15:58:00.000-08:00

have you seen this awesome website:

Personalized Christmas Story Books

we made some today and even laminated them.
the boys loved it and were so excited!

Thankfully...

2008-12-01T21:22:00.000-08:00

we got to go to moscow, idaho w/ the other 22 members of my family (more than half were kids) for a thanksgiving gathering. it was cold but we were in the comfort of my sister's beautiful, cozy home and didn't even notice. we had such a great time! the kids played tirelessly in the basement (which is bigger than my house) while we a-dults cooked (or watched others cook), visited, cleaned-up and played games. i talked a group into going to see twilight with me again and i loved it just the same. so did micah and everyone else, especially my 14 year old niece. (everything was so beautiful, i didn't take any pictures. that happens to me a lot. i don't know where to even start so i just don't. i'm sorry. i call it "just enjoying the moment" not "just being a slacker")
(did you remember to insert "thankfully" after each bullet) they didn't lose mine and asher's luggage until the return flight and we'd planned on staying overnight in sac w/ some of our best cousins, who are always SO hospitable and gracious. and our luggage was found in the morning while we attended the davis ward (so.much.fun to see good old friends). and the airline reimbursed us for my cute new church dress, shoes, outfit for asher and toiletries we had to buy!
when the christmas tree slid off the roof of the car tonight on the freeway at 5 o'clock, instead of tumbling off into oncoming traffic, it dangled perilously on the side of the car hovering too close to the pavement, giving the boys and i a good laugh until i could pull over. and while i awaited the arrival of my knight in shining armor, a nice chp officer showed up, inched his way between the tree and the whizzing cars to hoist it back on top. micah arrived shortly thereafter w/ bungie cords in hand and we made the short jaunt safely back home (when jaden proclaimed, "that's the last time we let some kid tie our christmas tree to the roof of the car." he was at least 18.) amazingly the tree is unscathed standing proudly in the living room as i type!
jaden informed me tonight, "mom, i'd rather not read my "pretend" reading books from school. i like reading real books like the scriptures where i can get good information."

REVISED

i didn't get sick on thanksgiving, which has happened to me too many times.
beckam started puking tonight--not on our trip and not in costco today before the christmas tree incident and it wasn't on jaden's head (you know trundle beds are good for that when you're on top. my sister and i had them. i slept on top and i'm sure janie still remembers the fateful night i got the flu). it was just all over his bed.

things could always be worse, right?!

2008-11-22T22:01:00.000-08:00

The Wedding:

The lady scots:

before the party got started:and after:
this was our palace:

chichen itza
AMAZING.

jungle tour and zip-lines:
mike and erin
(on their honeymoon)

cenote:
going down
back up:
minus the 2 run-ins with la policia, this was the perfect vacation. we were innocent both times and were able to avoid much hassle w/ a $75 pay-off. of course the optimist my husband is considers the vacation complete for what kind of adventure would it have been without having to brib the mexican police? honestly, the people were very nice even one set of the cops and the military guys w/ the GIANT machine guns!

IF YOU GET A CHANCE TO GO TO PLAYA DEL CARMEN, DO IT!

2008-11-22T21:15:00.000-08:00

First, can I tell you how much I loved Twilight the movie?! It came as a huge surprise to me! I'm (unintentionally) critical of movies and I really didn't have great expectations for it but I was SO pleasantly surprised!! It was such a great excuse for a girls night and I thought the theatre audience was so much fun. I seriously asked Micah if he wanted to go on a date to see it again. I NEVER watch movies twice, especially in the movie theatre but I'm pretty sure we'll go. The sweetest thing is, he'll love it, too. Too bad he hasn't read the book yet because I think that really helps you enjoy the movie more (I'm pretty sure it would seem a little ridiculous otherwise). I thought it was a great companion to the book and would venture to say I liked it as much.

Second, do you know our primary program is tomorrow! We practiced for 2 hours today and the kids were completely AMAZING! I do not know how they sat so patiently for that long and held it together the whole time. I'm just praying it carries over to tomorrow. Some say the worse the practice the better the program. What does that mean for us?

Third, do you know that my husband is in baking peanut butter cookies for our linger longer (potluck for you non-mormons) tomorrow while I'm "working on the finishing touches to the primary program"(shhhhh. So I got a little distracted) and they came out so beautiful and delicious. And I really love that guy!

Fourth, Jaden turned 7 last Sunday! We celebrated all weekend: Bonfire, wiene roast and smore making on the beach, trip to the planetarium to watch an astronaut movie in the dome, an ipod shuffle loaded with "dad's" music (resulting in the most excited Jaden I've ever seen over a gift) and pazooki (giant chocolate chip topped w/ vanilla ice cream, caramel and fudge) with friends:

Now, I'll try to post some Mexico pictures(again).

Oh,one more thing, do you know we have another new pet? He's (she's?) SO cute I have to show you:

"little"/"tiny"/"tortuga" sleeping in my hand.
he was one 1 of 7 babies found in Jenny's front yard after their tortoise "ran away"

2008-11-17T23:47:00.000-08:00

this is precisely how i felt when i awoke thurs. morning (we got home in the wee hours):

photos to follow...

we're off....

2008-11-06T08:40:00.000-08:00

to mike and erin's weddingand our first extended kidless vacation.
wish the grandparents luck.
and us, too that we won't get too homesick.
and that our kids will want to come back home upon our return.

2008-11-04T12:09:00.000-08:00

THIS is ridiculous.
and sad. what a lame and gross exaggeration.
politics are so ugly and divisive.
the depths to which politicians stoop is outrageous and so contrary to the values and morals i'm trying to teach my children about being good and honest citizens.

Until today, I have remained quiet on this issue. Both sides of the argument have some merit (as is the case with almost every issue). The reason for my anchoring on the YES side is because ultimately, this video - as well other issues surrounding the two campaigns - demonstrated that in our society it is becoming unacceptable to be religious. I agree that minority political groups are entitled to equality. But I also firmly believe that everyone, including minority political groups, should permit other people to have differing opinions . . . without being labeled hateful, unfair bigots. I have seen far too much hateful bigotry coming from this campaign. Some from the YES side, but even more from the NO side.

If I refuse you to hold your own belief, I am in the wrong. If you do the same to me, you are in the wrong.

Tolerance goes both ways.

I AM MORMON and i can tell you intolerance and HATRED is not the spirit behind the YES on 8 campaign. of course i can't speak for everyone but the leaders of this church are simply trying to preserve the institution of marriage, which is the cornerstone of civilization. PROP 8 DOES NOT BAN HOMOSEXUALITY, it simply defines "marriage" as the union between a male and female.

if you want to educate yourself about the church's real motives and reasons in supporting Prop 8, go here. they counsel to love and to emulate the teachings of Jesus Christ. i realize that we don't live in a perfect world and that ignorance and intolerance is prevelant but "the church" can't be blamed for that. that's not the message i get from the leaders!

i support Prop 8 because "marriage" carries a religious connotation that exceeds the act of living together, being committed to one another, or even constituting a family. i believe that marriage is ordained of God and that marriage is a traditionally religious arrangement that has been incorporated into our civil legal system. as i will discuss below, i would support a distinction between a legal union and a religious union.

that fact that i support Prop 8 does not mean that i hate gay people (think how ridiculous it would sound for me to hate people who smoke. though i don't want them to smoke in my face, i certainly don't regard them as a person any less. it's the same thing). i respect their lifestyle choices (or lack of choice as the case may be). i have many gay family members and friends whom I love dearly. i do not think that restricting the historical application of marriage as between a man and a woman is discriminatory to them, or to other gay people.

. . . there is a place for appellate courts to overrule laws that discriminate (yes, even without a jury)- but I don't see how having different terms for the union between two consenting adults based on the gender of their partner is discrimination. Not when the rights conferred by both terms are equal. Since there was not inequity in the law, I don't think it was the court's place to find Prop 22 unconstitutional.

in California, domestic partnership law provides "two adults who have chosen to share one another's lives in an intimate and committed relationship of mutual caring" (i.e. domestic partners) with "the same rights, protections, and benefits, and shall be subject to the same responsibilities, obligations, and duties under law, whether they derive from statutes, administrative regulations, court rules, government policies, common law, or any other provisions or sources of law, as are granted to and imposed upon spouses."
(Family Code Section 297 et. seq.)

the legal rights of marriage have already been extended to same-sex couples. the law is also clear that any new law that grants spouses a benefit (or burden) applies to domestic partners as well. prop 8 is not about equality of rights - it is about re-defining the traditional concept of marriage as ordained by God.

it is not legally possible for me to enter into a domestic partnership with someone of the opposite sex (who is under 62 years of age). i could argue that this is discriminatory. on the other hand, i could realize that i already have the same rights of domestic partnership - but because i chose to marry someone of the opposite sex my legal union is called a "marriage" and not a domestic partnership. i can't be "domestic partners" with someone of the opposite sex, and people of the same sex can't "marry." we all share the same legal rights, but the law has created a different term to describe the arrangement. i support this inequity in terms because marriage as a religious term has never been applied to same-sex couples.

but it goes beyond mere semantics. i wouldn't complain if everyone in California were granted a domestic partnership. leave marriage to those religions that choose to designate the union as such. i think a religious marriage can be viewed as a partnership between two spouses and God. take God out of the equation, and you are left with a domestic partnership. as it stands now, however, our nation has deep religious roots and the legal term for the union of "two adults who have chosen to share one another's lives in an intimate and committed relationship of mutual caring" is "marriage."

to me, a YES vote on Prop 8 permits those with a religious perception of marriage to have that perception remain inviolate, while NOT removing any legal rights from same sex couples.

gay couples already have the same legal rights as straight couples. Prop 8 does not eliminate any of these civil rights. to some, such as myself, marriage is more than a legal arrangement. it is a religious arrangement. Prop 8 reinforces my right to have a religious arrangement. by all means, let the state remove the term marriage from its use of describing legal ties between a couple, but until it does, i shouldn't have to have my personal definition of marriage impinged upon when all it does is confer a title (and not a single right).

halloween 2008

2008-11-03T21:17:00.001-08:00

a weak attempt to capture the festivities.

the pumpkin carving:

beckam decided to boycott the costume theme this year (which was initially his idea).
they were going as narnia characters: beckam as aslan (the lion), jaden as prince caspian and asher as a dwarf. we have the cutest lion costume but it didn't cover his face so 30 min. before leaving for the trunk-or-treat, he switched to zorro. he chose batman for his preschool party and zorro again for trick-or treating. beckam is funny. he does not like to look or act silly (unless it's completely his idea). he gets embarrassed so easily and won't put himself out there if there's any risk of embarrassment.
asher looked so cute but you can't really see his costume from these pictures. and jaden chose not to wear the black boot covers.

and did i stress over any of it? nope.
a quick way to get around the block to more good trick-or-treating. don't report us.

lettuce wraps

2008-10-25T18:30:00.000-07:00

my cousin carrie shared this recipe with me. we made them tonight and they were soooo good! beckam asked if he could have them in his lunch everyday and polished off two in no time. asher did, too! we are already feeling the appetites of four boys in the house--i can't even imagine what it will be like 10 years down the road. everybody (except jaden) wanted more when they were gone. i'll definitely double the recipe next time.

Lettuce Wraps Brenda Lee

1 lb chopped chicken (i used 12 oz. extra firm tofu instead)

12 lettuce leaf cups (romaine or butter lettuce) Crisp in ice bath 10 min.

2 T sesame seed oil

1 T minced garlic

1 T minced ginger

6 green onions

¼ cup soy sauce

2 T hoisin sauce

1 T rice vinegar

1t cornstarch

¼ cup cold water

Rice or Crispy Rice Noodles

Island Soyaki (sauce from Trader Joes)

Chop and measure all ingredients before starting. Heat oil in skillet over med-hi. Add garlic, ginger, and ¾ of green onions. Stir fry 30 seconds. Add ckn stir fry 3-4 minutes. In a small bowl whisk together soy sauce, hoisin, vinegar, cornstarch and water. Add to skillet. When mixture boils reduce heat to low and simmer 1 minute. Spoon mixture into lettuce wraps garnish with green onion, shredded carrots, cucumbers, peanuts, rice, and island soyaki sauce)

ready for a good laugh?

2008-10-25T12:27:00.000-07:00

smurfy

i called micah, african american smurf.
he comes from a darker skinned smurf land.
(and is related to the blue man group)

i wanted a yellow wig but micah thought my hair was fine.and check out Sarah and her security officer:

you can see halloween costumes of ours from years past here.
(including tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum mentioned in the comments)

some firsts...

2008-10-21T23:07:00.000-07:00

my first garden. and these were the 1st sprouts.

the boys first time in a british phone booth (in san jose).
we had a free nights stay in a fab hotel in san jose thanks to micah's trial being postponed at the last minute. since they didn't have 24 hrs. notice for cancellation, the firm got charged for the first night and we got a free room. we all enjoyed the jet tub, the boys were thrilled to have their own room and tv (too bad mom spoiled the sponge bob fest) and on saturday we all loved the discovery museum, especially this. it's a must-see if you have kids and are ever in the area.

asher's first steps caught in picture. don't let him fool you though, crawling is still his primary mode of transportation. he's working on another tooth (#5 on the bottom).

and this is lizzie. she was our 1st pet (besides our sea monkies) for a day. jaden caught her at school, brought her home on the bus (in a critter keeper) and then let her go in our back yard. she's still hanging around, too.

o fear not, we are not petless. the week following, he brought this guy home. so we hit up craigslist and pieced together a nice little habitat for him at a much better price than the pet store was offering (please tell me you remember to check craigslist before buying new--it hasn't failed us yet).

rock-lemon (on the leaf) and a friend (from the toy box) to keep him company.

2008-10-08T15:47:00.000-07:00

Petite Rouge
A Cajun Red Riding Hood

i love reading this book to my kids.
it makes me read with a great cajun accent, which is very fun!
check it out.

here are a few of my favorite lines
(remember to use your best cajun accent):

"I'm countin' to t'ree,
an' if you still dere,
dis pole gonna hit you
where you part you hair."

An' when she say, "One,"
Ol' Claude back out de way.
He know dat de girl
sho' 'nuff mean what she say....

Ol' Claude make a smile,
an' he say, "It's dat flu.
It make me all green wit' dem bomps,
dat's fo' tru'....

"Why don' you come closer,
'cause I wanna see
all dat good food you mama
done cook fo' po' me."...

"You mout' kinda big,
an' you nose kinda long,
an' I got me a feelin'
dat somet'in' bad wrong."...

i really appreciate a good children's book.
because some of them just aren't.

2008-10-03T14:52:00.000-07:00

he walks when he feels like it and has two new teeth on the top

yum spaghetti squash

2008-10-01T20:08:00.000-07:00

i accidentally bought spaghetti squash at tj's the other day. i thought it was a melon. luckily i saw the sticker before i cut into it. so i started asking around about what to do with it. who knew it was so delish?!! did you? thanks stephanie for the great tips. here's what i did with it tonight:

baked @ 375 for 1 hr. then let sit 20 min. (the skin was like a shell once it was baked and the meat just fell right out)

grilled zucchini and red pepper in olive oil
add squash and marinara sauce
top w/ fresh parmesan and mozzarella cheese

serve w/ toasted sourdough

seriously so good.

i'm always looking for Y-U-M-M-Y healthy recipes so please share if you have one.

hair no more

2008-09-29T22:06:00.000-07:00

he looks so different without his shaggy do.

beckam's been wanting to cute his hair short like his cousin evan's (see below) for awhile so we did it (well jessica did).
they're besties!

tweezerman

2008-09-27T12:56:00.000-07:00

edit: a friend of mine once posted on her blog asking which one product in our "tool box" we couldn't live without. at the time nothing stood out but yesterday when i lost my tweezers momentarily, i had the thought that if i were stuck on a deserted island, i'd really need these. so i thought i'd share it with you.
one of my favorite tools that i'd hate to live without.

if an amazing pair of tweezers doesn't excite you, you must be lucky and hairless enough to not have to bother with such details. consider yourself fortunate. either that or you like the uni-brow look.

go buy yours today at any beauty supply store. you'll be out $20
but they're SO worth all 2,000 pennies!
trust me.

NARNIA

2008-09-26T20:39:00.001-07:00

the happy bickerin' beaver couple

my sweet friend amy and my dear micah

the beavers and a couple of narnians
(jaden and addison)

mr. beaver and aslan

saturday night fans

in friday's audience were my mom and grandma, kip, scott and shell, let the record show that westin in all his 17 year old glory came to support his family along w/ ashlyn, morganne and of course my dedicated shawnee. saturday afternoon included dave, bradon and my dad. micah had a whole slew of work friends, too!

being part of this was such an incredible experience. micah thought it would fun to go to auditions w/ jaden...little did he know he'd score the part of mr. beaver--he had the judges at hello. micah and jaden had a blast and we're still on a high a week later! it was A LOT of work but SO worth it.

an incredibly talented lady in our ward owns a theater and was asked to do this production with our stake. it was so well done--i was blown away! the lion, the witch and the wardrobe was selected based on the parallels c.s. lewis draws in the story to the atonement of jesus christ. it was powerful indeed. i'd really like to get the music from the show on cd. it was so good and will always be sentimental. i leave you with the theme song:

now, the real adventure starts
a challenge that will truly test
the best that's in your hearts.
find the courage within
and then begin
to make the world right again,
to make the world right.

worldly men will say to compromise
that visions of a better world
are fairy tales and lies
they may mock you with scorn,
still, you were born
to make the world right again
to make the world right.
...

for if faith stays alive
hope can survive
to make the world right again
to make the world right again
to make the world right

--Ted Drachman

2008-09-11T21:31:00.000-07:00

this is why micah doesn't do our grocery shopping:

his excuse: 0 g of trans fat (see the blue square.)
i can't pass up cookie dough staring at me in the fridge.
and i eat way more cookie dough than i would cookies.
and guess what i saw at costco? this same tub multiplied by 3!!
note to self: do not send him to costco alone.

Procrastinating...

2008-09-03T21:43:00.000-07:00

instead of writing/preparing the CSMP 2008. (children's sacrament meeting presentation)

it feels like a term paper looming over my head. it's been a long time since i've experienced those feelings. starting is always the hardest part for me. i could use some encouragement. just please don't say, "you're just starting."

1st grade. new school...

2008-08-29T23:00:00.001-07:00

on our way

feeling a little nervous

more at ease

and there is another jaden m. n. in his class?!

(we talked about how he might need to initiate play with other kids since he's new and kids sometimes have a hard time noticing the new kids when they're busy)

this is his report:
he asked a group of 3 kids if he could play tether ball with them. since it was 2 on 1 he thought he could even the teams out. they said no. it broke my heart. i can't even explain the sadness this brought my soul. when i told micah this evening he said, "i want to go play tether ball with him!"

he wrote a note to a boy in his class asking him if he wanted to play with him. the kid wouldn't accept his note. my heart is in pieces. jaden sneaked (snuke?) the note into his backpack. today, the boy thanked him for the note and said he would like to play. but they didn't.

he tried. he'll have to try again and again. it builds character right? right?!

nie thursday and friday

2008-08-29T22:11:00.000-07:00

thursday:

from the grill: salmon w/ soy sauce and ginger glaze, fresh asparagus, red pepper and pineapple
passion....'nuff said

friday:

yoga
made a conscience effort to appreciate my time with my children all week (admired my baby in my arms during each feeding, read "one more book," laid down with them upon each request, etc.)

asher, 10 months--LOVE those curls!

filled the pool (and water balloons) and watched them play and play and play

nienie tuesday and wednesday

2008-08-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

tuesday:
whole wheat pancakes for dinner with fresh strawberries and 100% maple syrup.

today, i'm baking pumpkin chocolate chip cookies (in my apron!) and maybe i'll get some pictures of it.

recipe as requested:
from phoebe
1 c sugar, 1c shortening, 1c canned pumpkin (small can), 1 egg, 1t vanilla
2c flour, 1t baking powder, 1/2 t baking soda, 1t cinnamon, 1/2 t nutmeg, 1/2 t salt
1c chocolate chips, bake @ 350 for 10 min., makes 4-5 dozen

on a side note:
today i asked beckam if he could count in spanish.
his response:
"no, but i can count in swahili."
("swahili, huh? do you know where they speak swahili?")
"in africa!"

nienie

2008-08-25T21:29:00.000-07:00

it was in a conversation between darlybird and phoebe that i first heard the word "blog." that was about two years ago and once i started reading, i was hooked (though it took me a while to come around and start my own). i think it was on the topic of the walmart shirts on darlybirds blog that i first clicked on cjane in the comments and discovered cjane enjoy it. then later, again on darlybird a comment from nienie piqued my interest and i found her. then i learned they were sisters! it's a small blogging world afterall. but then a good friend from home emailed and said he found my blog and had started one himself. on his was a link to his wife kelly's and soon i had this great network of inspiring and entertaining blogs I read regularly. it was funny the day nienie showed up on kelly's blog and i learned they were long lost VT friends. then, the godparents to her children show up on our cousins blog. a small, small blogging world.

that nienie though. she is so interesting and entertaining. her romantic view of life kept me coming back again and again for my dose of nie. reading the nieniedialogues is like watching a sitcom (think "the donna reed show" or "leave it to beaver" starring ms. june cleaver) but in real life. it's fascinating really. and sometimes a little hard. because she has 4 little children: ages 6, 5, 3 and 2 (i think) and she makes it all look so EASY and FUN and BEAUTIFUL and HAPPY and ROMANTIC and HEALTHY and CREATIVE and CLEAN and...you see what i'm saying? but i've learned things from her. and i'm still learning things from her even now while she's away. she finds JOY and HAPPINESS in her home. at home. with the laundry, with the cooking, with the cleaning, with the children, with her crafting. what brings her the most (the most.) satisfaction and enjoyment are within the walls of her home. she doesn't look for it elsewhere. if you've chosen to stay home with your children, that's a good lesson i think. and sometimes it can be hard. i want my children and my family to know and always remember the joy and happiness they bring me every day. if you clicked on her link you know that she and her husband were in a private plane crash on august 16th and both suffered severe burns. they are in a burned unit and will be there for awhile. our hearts ache for them. they are all in our prayers. please keep them in yours and visit cjane enjoy it (and you will enjoy it, i'm sure) for more details, updates and ways to donate to their recovery.

and in honor of nie, domestic goddess, i'm celebrating by doing something nie-ish every day for let's say a week. maybe more. and i'll keep you posted:

monday:
fresh baked bread and this veggie pasta (and FHE)

if you have a breadmaker, you should make this bread. thank you kelly.
i used the express setting. perfect, delicious and ready in 1 hr.!

from the mouth of jaden

2008-08-13T22:05:00.000-07:00

jaden wanted to stay outside and play on the play equipment while I took beckam inside to preschool. when i told him i'd rather he came in with me just to be safe he reminded me that i'd let him stay out there last week with addison. i said "yes, because you had a buddy with you." his response (said with such conviction and confidence):

"mom, i always have a buddy with me. you know jesus and them."

it made me laugh out loud. so cute.

keepin it real

2008-08-05T22:48:00.000-07:00

i just sent this email to my brother and thought i might share this snipit from it.

Turning 30 has been interesting. In some ways I feel like I've been planning a trip to Hawaii for 30 years, dreaming of the beauty and blissfulness of it all, saving all my money to get there, having traveled across the US to catch my flight, flying across the ocean for days and then upon my arrival discovering it's nothing like I expected but more like.......the Mojave Dessert (sorry Sandee). Being a mom is a much, much, much harder job than I ever imagined!! (I was much better at it before I had kids, dang it.) With trying to provide them w/ all the fun and enriching experiences I want them to have comes the reality that they have their own little developing personalities that sometimes get in the way of the "fun and enriching" along w/the incessant housework and meal preparation (a lifetime more of these two things seems absurd)--Oh, it can be such a challenge for a perfectionist such as myself. Of course there are many rewarding "moments" but there are so many other moments that feel much less than rewarding. I'm so thankful for my incredibly supportive and loving husband who gets me through those other moments and is always standing by to listen, encourage and cheer me on when I feel like the biggest loser. Anyway, I'm always striving to find the joy in each day instead of looking in the future because I have a funny suspicion that I'll look back one day and long for today. Life is funny that way.

I think Gordon B. Hinkley said it well:
"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just ordinary people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is just like an old time rail journey. . .delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."
Thanks Sue.

how's that for a blog update.

2008-07-02T23:44:00.002-07:00

i've never posted more than once in a day and today i'm going for 3. i'm doing it while I can, my record for frequency hasn't been great lately.

i just wanted to share the reward system we've been using that's actually worked for us (i mean that i have been consistent about) because it's easy. with summer time and all maybe it would work for you, too.
do not judge my artistic ability. i'm just posting the picture. is it self-explanatory enough? the little pictures are ideas of how they can earn tickets. only recently did i start writing chores on the tickets (after reading this) and i love it! the tickets taped under their name are those that have chores written on them. things like: make your bed, take out mom's bathroom trash, put a a new bag in mom's trash can, water the plants in pots in front, put away your laundry, read a book to mom, etc. otherwise, the tickets are just awarded at my discretion (and not awarded at all if they're asked for--I'm mean). like if they go to bed really good, if i see good problem solving or teamwork, if they help without being asked, etc. and i know you're not supposed to take away a reward they've earned and mostly i don't but i have a few times.

and here are the only pictures i've taken recently (i'll do better):

face crayons are awesome. and they love to do it themselves. it started off like this:

papa smurf a dog

letting my kids just be kids sometimes helps me feel like a good mom (and some days, I need all the help i can get). and it usually involves getting messy. tomorrow i'm going to let them finger paint with shaving cream on a cookie sheet (thanks carrie). i'm forever grateful for woodland parent nursery school and teacher debbie. it would've been worth living in davis for 3 years even if that was the only thing we did there! it's scary to think what i'd be like as a mother without that foundation. as a parent, i worked there 2-3 times a month and had parent education classes 2x a month. it was invaluable. i'm sure i could use a refresher but at least i had the experience for 2 years!! i heart teacher debbie and the things she taught me about preschoolers and how to help them "talk it over," to use their imagination and get messy and how potty talk is okay when they're alone in the bathroom. they'll learn to read soon enough...like in kindergarten.

yummy, quick and easy pasta

2008-07-02T21:49:00.000-07:00

sun-dried (or grape) tomatoes
fresh asparagus (cut into 3rds)
artichoke hearts
red pepper
portabella mushroom, sliced
garlic, pressed
sea salt
topped with capers

serve over whole wheat penne pasta

seriously. that's it. and it's SO delicious!!

summer lovin', having a blast

2008-07-02T13:40:00.000-07:00

and no pictures to prove it. how disappointing I know.
so this is our first month of summer regurgitated
(if any body reading has any photos to prove where we've been and what we've been up to, please send them my way. I've been a major slacker in the photo dept.).
I'll try to make this short.

we pulled jaden out of school a week early because disneyland is way more fun than any end of the year party (and you all know about my disneyland rules, don't you? rule #1: I don't go during the summer and especially not during summer break) we had plans to meet the hatch's (friends from BYUH, live in WA) there and as luck would have it, when the kearns (also friends from BYUH, live in UT) called to wish micah happy birthday, we found out that they were going to be at the happiest place on earth the very same days as us--what are the chances?!

we stopped in bakersfield on our way down to celebrate micah's birthday again. there was swimming, a water slide, climbing wall, golf cart, trampoline, basketball, lots of food, including brownies and homemade ice cream, friends and family--the perfect recipe for a great time!! THANK YOU to everyone who was there and contributed!!

next we headed to the oc for our week-o-fun. we logged about 30 hrs. at disneyland and ca adventure with three perfectly well-behaved kids and lots of time spent (though not enough) with some of our favorite friends and their adorable kiddos. we enjoyed an evening out with the maughans at the melting pot to celebrate all of our birthdays. another dining highlight included a trip to the cheesecake factory (have you ever been? the menu is like 50 pages long. there was no way I could make a decision so I asked the waitress to pick for me)---Yummmmy! lots of time was spent poolside soaking up the sun--fabulous!!

then it was back to bakersfield for my surprise birthday week celebration. micah organized a-party-a-day. each day included lunch, dinner and babysitting. perfect. yes! some days included shopping sprees w/ muy, muy cute clothes, other days just included shopping minus the spree. there were manicures, pedicures, perfume, jewelry, new sunglasses, CUPCAKES from the cutest little cupcakery, candles, b&bw goodies, flowers, balloons, cash and cards---whoa, what a week! it made turning 30 worth it (I was apprehensive). then I had to leave my throne and return to reality but not for too long.

I brought my three nephews home with me and we loved every minute of the 9 days of camp cousins (my favorite part was having the coolest, most responsible 15 year old nephew here with me--he was the greatest help). this was during that weird heat wave so we enjoyed lots of beach days. with kippy joining us for some of that time, I even had one beach day w/ the big boys while asher hung out at home with her (why don't we live closer to family? this question seems to keep coming up). we had two more overnight guests during that week along w/ a visit from papa dave to retrieve the boys and return them to my sister.

then there were 4 days to regroup before jenny came for a visit, which included yet another birthday surprise (thanks to micah for coordinating). a trip to san francisco w/ her to visit erin sans big boys. we left friday and had a fabulous girls weekend in the city. I'm happy to report there were no broken car windows and our gps is safe. asher was a complete angel and endured a late night at the theatre, restaurants and more shopping. he got lots of attention for his sweet smiles and perfect disposition--it was such a treat! and perhaps a little deceiving to my two best ladies: one is only 3 months away from motherhood and the other maybe 3 years. asher made it look a little too romantic. I returned home to cute kids, a hot husband, clean house and folded laundry--what more could I ask for?!

so now we're trying to catch up from all the fun. and I'm thinking another trip to bako is only 4 days away (micah goes back to the oc for a week and I'm a whimp). I hope the blog neglect improves but I can't make any promises.
we are the family of perpetual motion.

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOLLY DEAR!

2008-06-12T21:46:00.000-07:00

Happy days will come to you all year.
If I had a wish then it would be . . .

That you would come home tomorrow back to me! (and bring my boys too, and that you had a great week visiting family and friends, and that you know how much I love you, and appreciate you, and adore you, and think you're cool, and that you would continue to teach our boys the wonderful way you do, and that you know what a great example you are to me, our children, your friends, you primary kids, and strangers, that you always remember how much you are loved as a mom, wife, daughter, sister, grand daughter, niece, friend and everything-in-law, that you will continue finding joy in everyday life, that your fantastically strong testimony will continue to grow, that your brilliant light will always shine, that you will have time to yourself, that you will feel the support from your husband that you deserve, that you will laugh so hard that you almost pee your pants (and snort), and worth repeating . . . that you know how much I love, appreciate and adore you!)

happy, happy birthday

2008-05-25T23:40:00.000-07:00

micah dear
(and grandma and britney)

thank you for all the phone calls and emails for happy birthday wishes!
micah and the boys went mountain biking while I made party preparations.

then we partied on our new patio! it was a very lovely evening.
we're so lucky to meet such great friends wherever we go.
he's accomplished a lot in his 30 years!!
here are just 30 things i love about him:

if he wants to accomplish something, he will. and he'll do it well.
he's really in love with me.
he's the best at everything he does
he sang in choir in hs
he played football in hs
he performed in two school plays
he played soccer through hs (and college and grad school)
he was our homecoming king
he plays with his boys
he's HANDSOME!
i've known him since he was 12 and he's always impressed me
he's romantic but not cheesy
one night he was waiting outside for me to get to his house sitting on the hood of his car playing "when you say nothing at all" on his guitar and singing along.
he plays the guitar, ukulele and can play any song by ear on the piano
my sister got him a ukulele in hawaii. he learned "somewhere over the rainbow" and called her to play and sing for her as a Thank You
he loves MY family. every one of them.
he's super smart and knows the answers to all my questions
he took me to hawaii for two fabulous years
and we didn't have to pay for it because he's so stinkin smart (they paid him)
he always supports me in everything i do
he's my best friend and has been for 18 years
he's incredibly humble
he's such a great sport and is always game. always for anything!
he makes me feel beautiful everyday...usually when i feel it the least
he loves to cook and help me in the kitchen
he cleans up the kitchen
he cleans bathrooms to my standard of clean
he takes care of all his kids, all at once, all by himself and keeps the house in order
he's my hero. really!
he let's me warm my cold feet on him in bed

BONUS: he makes cute babies i really love you man!

honesty IS the best policy

2008-05-20T22:13:00.000-07:00

jaden came home from school today reluctant to give me his daily report. it went something like this: "mom, if I'm honest, will I still get in big trouble?" "I don't know jaden." "mom, I don't know is not an answer--that's what you always say." "well, I can tell you you'll get into less trouble for being honest" (hoping that I can keep my word). "I got sent to the office." (1st time.) "why?" "for climbing on a pile of dirt." (me feeling a huge sigh of relief--I can deal with climbing dirt piles). here's a quick summary: jaden and two friends were on their way back to class from the bathroom and spotted a pile of dirt. wheels in heads start turning. boys succumb. one boy starts dragging other boy, best friend of jaden, through the dirt. just as jaden steps up to defend friend, they are discovered ("that's the bad part, I didn't even get to help him.") and sent to the office. here's my favorite part: "we were going to blame everything on [the dirt draggerer] but I realized that wasn't honest. and I said a prayer and asked Heavenly Father to forgive me for planning that. Ms. [office lady] let me go back to class first for being honest. I got my name on the board plus a check so I didn't get my star. I told my teacher she should give me three checks and call you." she didn't. but he still gets a star in my book. there are two principles I hope my kids learn in their life (okay a lot more really but there are two I seem always to go back to):

Accept responsibility for your actions. along with the consequence.
If you don't like something, figure out a way to change it. Be a PROBLEM SOLVER! don't stay on an unsatisfying path.

intertwined through this story are other not so fabulous choices like his newly acquired skill of climbing OVER the bathroom stalls, which he perfected on aforementioned bathroom trip but hey, you choose your battles. boys will be boys. dirt hill and stall climbing I'll take when it comes with integrity any day.

to our Mothers

2008-05-11T20:51:00.000-07:00

mimi, mimi, mimi
you really make me happy
when you smile and say hello,
especially in warm july
thank you, thank you, thank you
for money and the hot cocoa.

grandma kip, grandma kip, grandma kip
when you served your mission,
how did it make you feel when you were
on your second and when you came home?
thank you for the visits when I came into
your room (even when you were on the phone)
and for the delicious porridge you always made
for me.

grandma doris, grandma doris when you die,
we will all cry, cry, cry!
But while you're still alive, A-live,
we will always chat.
thank you, thank you, thank you for giving us
candy and coming to all my parties and whenever
someone comes you come, too. We Thank You!

Mamaw, Mamaw, Mamaw,
do you like us to watch your scooby-doos?

I like that we have grandmas, especially ones
like all of you!!

Love jaden and beckam
(actually written by jaden and beckam)

FRB

2008-05-06T19:02:00.000-07:00

asher's new blanket.

handmade by auntie pek.we LOVE it.
THANK YOU so much!!

aren't the colors
FANTASTIC!!
we call it the funky retro blanket (frb).
wasn't that it, Pek?

Perpetual Motion

2008-05-06T16:07:00.000-07:00

A photo update

MARCH

she (being Sister Grandma Kippy) returns from africa!!
and meets asher for the first time.
we spent some time in the oc where the family reunited.
we hung out in newport and got to see a production of Savior of the World,
featuring staten as a temple boy and brian as captain moroni.
Grandpa turned 90!

asher sits. good boy.beckam rides on two wheels!jaden takes a limo
APRIL
asher grabs a bowl of curry off the table and gets burns on his hand and foot.
he only cried for about 5 min. total!

after the blisters popped it looked much worse.
super sad but it's completely healed after 10 days.
co-op kids washing dishes--one of my favorite childhood activities.

micah leaves us for 9 days and heads back to the oc for work
(staying in a fancy shmancy hotel oh and takes a tour of the natural history museum, visits the body world exhibit twice, has dinners with friends, plays in a soccer game, sees wicked and gets to meet our newest nephew Cayman Nilsson Maughan).
I call for back-up.
mom and grandma come for 3 days and then dad and sandy for 4!
Thank goodness for family--what a huge help to have them here with me!!
Thank You
then this happens on day 2:

and it was my fault.

I'm thankful for good insurance who says once I pay $500, they'll pay for the rest on both cars--and I'm sure the rest will be substantial. there's no good story. I was just backing up in my cul-de-sac, trying to avoid the car on my right and hit the one on my left. sadly, I didn't hear anything until I crunched my door real good. thankfully, just the side of their bumper took all the beating. I'm thankful that my husband's response was "I'm so sorry. I can understand how that could've happened." (and that he was off living it up in the oc. maybe that made him a little more sympathetic.) I'm thankful no people were involved, especially my children. and I'm thankful my mom and grandma were here to cheer me up!
the rest of the week was smooth. it included lots of good take-out, a clean house, my laundry being done, projects being completed and an early birthday present for micah and I:
our first grill and patio set!!

it was a great week but we're ready for the daddy to be back.

don't ever forget it

2008-04-14T13:59:00.001-07:00

beckam is a little torn. some days, he can't get over how big he's grown and will just
marvel at his height, strength and ability. he awakes so proud of how
much he grew in the night. a lot of his confidence as of late has come from his new
found skill of riding on TWO wheels. his bike has become his constant companion.
thankfully it's small and can travel easily with us. if only bike riding were allowed in
nursery, that would be another problem solved--until then we suffer through sunday.
but these are the moments I treasure:
today we were sitting on the couch together reading books before naptime
and in the middle of it and completely out of the blue, beckam says so sincerely,
"mom, I don't ever want to grow big. I don't ever want to grow so
big that you can't hold me anymore." so we made a deal. I'll just keep holding
him no matter how big he grows. even when he grows "really BIG," he promised.
beckam has been heard to pray, "Heavenly Father,
please bless that I don't grow too big so mommy can't hold me anymore."
the funny thing is that today I wasn't even holding him but he was enjoying the moment and the feeling--and so it was his realization that he didn't ever want to lose it.
it's a feeling I'm so familiar with as a mother. those moments with
my boys that I treasure and never want to lose. when I say, "beckam, please don't
grow up. don't grow so big that I can't hold you anymore." or "come here Jaden,
let me just hold you. I have to keep holding you as much as I can because one day
it will be the last day I hold you and I won't even know it and then you'll be too big.

more updates to come...

Winner, Winner, Winner

2008-03-03T22:19:00.001-08:00

thanks to everyone who participated in the see's candies fundraiser for jaden's school. and thanks dad for spreading the word for us.
we found out today that for every ten items sold, his name was entered into a drawing for a limousine ride from school to mcdonalds for lunch and his name was drawn! it was funny how excited this news made me. i think because i don't recall ever winning anything, his little victory was thrilling. jaden was a bit worried about the ride though. afraid the long limo might not be able to make the turn into the micky d's parking lot. funny kid.

i think he's one of the lucky ones (this isn't his first). i think you're either lucky or not. i'm not. jenny IS. here are some of her lucky moments:

limo ride to breakfast and then dropped off at school on the first day of jr. high (maybe that's not so lucky)
trip to universal studios including air fare and cash
inheritance (that's lucky).
once we were taking turns calling a radio station to win a prize and she won! don't remember what
i know she's won a couple of BIG trips, too

and i know there's more but i can't think of them. help me out jen.

are YOU one of the lucky ones, too? please share your victories with us.

where have i been?

2008-02-26T22:33:00.000-08:00

two words.
primary president.

be back soon.
i hope.

beckam today, "mom i want to go to target."
me, "why do you want to go there?"
him, "just to look at the stuff they have. i like all the stuff they have."
me, too!

then he told me that grandma doris died today.
"no, she better not have. i will be SO sad and cry a lot when she does."
him, "yes, she did."
let's call her, i say.
ring, ring, ring, ring.
no answer.
i leave a message telling her that's it's very important that she call me back.
and i hang up.
him, "see, i told you."

she called back.
ALIVE and WELL!!
and we're looking forward to our visit with her this weekend.

for you kirsten

2008-02-15T20:56:00.000-08:00

because you're my friend.

I'm supposed to:
1. Pick up the nearest book to me(one of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

"The charge upon the burden of proof was [also wrong], because if the plaintiff wished...to recover on the theory of that though he had not performed, he was not in willful and deliberate default, he was...bound to prove that he was not, since that too was a condition upon the implied obligation to restore any benefits..."

and on and on and on...blah blah blah. You do not want me to keep typing. trust me.

--Section 3 Reliance and Restitution of Micah's Contracts textbook

"this thing rocks"

2008-02-06T21:38:00.000-08:00

that's what was said by jaden a hundred times today after the launch. it was honestly super cool. i had NO idea it would really launch 600ft. into the air. i guess i missed out on these cool toys as a little girl. it was $16 well-spent (at target) and well-deserved for jaden's outstanding parent/teacher conference report.

why didn't i think of that?

2008-02-04T21:03:00.000-08:00

on the menu for dinner tonight :
green eggs and ham.

and did jaden have any clue it was chuck full of pure spinach? not a clue! he not only ate it willingly but turned down seconds on ham, asking for MORE eggs. i wasn't actually here to witness it for myself. micah was the master chef tonight while i went grocery shopping to collect the rest of the stuff i'll need for some more "deceptive" cooking. micah said it tasted just like a spinach omelet, maybe better. if you know beckam, it's no surprise that he too LOVED it! he's the kid who eats fresh spinach leaves on his tuna fish/pickle sandwiches.

why didn't i think of this before? here's what he did: steam the spinach (3 handfuls), stick it in the blender with 5 egss, a dash of salt and bit of melted butter. oh and he did add some green food coloring just so he could say that's what made them green. just like the green, red or blue milk they often request for dinner. thank you for writing the book jessica. oh and the ham. have you had the kirkland smoked ham steaks from costco? so tasty. the kids especially love it. plain, with eggs, in mac n' cheese, etc.

jaden went through the book with me and selected a few other dinner choices for the week. he's so excited for tomorrow: chicken alphabet soup with carrots, potatoes, celery (and cauliflower and sweet potato puree). so am i.

here we go again...

2008-02-01T23:43:00.000-08:00

this is for you minna...

here are six non-important things/habits/quirks about me
(according to micah):
1. my level of tolerance is directly related to the condition of my house
2. i've lounged on nude beaches...clothed (sick voyeur) trying hard to look casual
3. i don't like waking up in the morning. i'm not grouchy but the waking up is painful (but not literally)
4. i like feeding my family healthy food at home. though i'm not afraid of an occasional splurge on the go.
5. i really LOVE my christmas cards (the ones with photos, i won't lie) and see no reason to take them down before april. i love seeing my friends on my wall everyday. maybe they'll remain indefinitely.
6. the hawaiian ocean spoiled me! i believe i've only been submersed in the sea once since we left over 5 years ago. i passionately detest cold water so if it's not newport in the summertime or hawaii, i'm on the sand!

laura, hilary, kim, alissa, shara and ames--you're it!!
respond to this question about yourself on your blog and then tag six others.

the reason for the wii

2008-01-30T22:35:00.000-08:00

my guitar hero

he wants to rock and roll all night and party everday

tres

2008-01-25T13:35:00.000-08:00

people always told me that once they had their 3rd all semblance of normality was gone. i think i'm feeling it. my life feels kind of crazy. like i need to multiply myself so that i can keep up. i spend so much time maintaining my house but never feel like i'm getting anywhere. you know, two steps forward, three steps back. this made me SMILE and say AMEN! i'm so glad she's back (for my sake and hers!!). she's been SO sick with #4! my baby, he's oh so cute and he doesn't like to sleep by himself, which makes getting stuff done seem impossible sometimes. and then there's these kind of things, which really adds to my work load but it's worth the experience for them.

and trying to man-handle all of them in public is a bit overwhelming. i see them behaving in ways i said my children would never behave. like using the aisles of old navy as a soccer field. but i say, what do they expect if they have bins of soccer balls?! or bouncy ball machines?!
of course, going to breakfast with the girls is a priority along with taking the boys to tennis and the library. and going to san luis obispo for the MLK holiday to spend time with my sister and niece and doing some FUN shopping. that's all much more important than staying home to get stuff done. oh, and can i get your opinion on this that some sweet friends came over and helped me with. do you like the arrangement? please offer any input or advice before we make it permanent.
today, is the first day, i feel like progress has been made. this is the first week in a long time, that i don't feel like i'm drowning in laundry. maybe it's doing a little, like one load from start to finish (wash-put away) everyday, instead of multiple loads sitting around waiting to be folded. i finally got both those bathrooms cleaned, the guest bed made, the mud hosed off the patio and the kitchen mopped. i don't have to admit how long those things have been on my to-do list, right? i am so lucky to have such a helpful and understanding husband, who does as much as he can to help me. thank you so much micah for ALL you do for me and the boys!!

i've found myself singing this song to asher lately:
Cleaning and scrubbing can wait for tomorrow,
For babies grow up, I've learned, to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust, go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep.
it's a better way to cope than to just go crazy. and accept this life as my new normal. for now at least.

1.12.08

2008-01-13T23:42:00.000-08:00

marks the 3rd anniversary of the birth of

Sir Beckam Scott
we celebrated by taking a trip to the fire station, eating pizza and ice cream cone cakes.
these guys were awesome.
our tour was an hour and 20 min. long. we saw every inch of the fire engine and two fire trucks (did you know there was a difference?) along with the station.
in this picture they're blowing up this amazing rubber balloon that can lift up to 42 ton (or 9 little boys easily).finally got that motorcycle helmet that santa didn't bringbeckam also enjoyed a surprise visit from his good buddies from Davis: holden and cade. thank you so much for making the trip!

here
is his tribute from last year.

here he is at 3 months old (same age as asher)
all these boys look so much alike, sometimes it feels like I'm raising the same baby over and over and over again.
now, this is asher. see the similarity?
beckam, you make us smile.
you are so sweet and generous with your affection.
"I luv you."

you love:
race cars, motorcycles, your family, friends, helmets (football/motorcycle), your wednesday playdate/co-op, eating, the library and getting the same books (submersibles and the terrible whatzit), reading, "hot things," tuna with pickles

you don't love:
nursery, tv, movies, robbers, the idea of going to preschool

happy new year

2008-01-04T17:05:00.000-08:00

our year has been filled with JOY indeed

click on the links below for
the highlights of 2007:

"a womb with a view"
march
"micah nilsson, esquire"
may
"out with the old"
july
"in with the new"
august
"annoucing..."
october
"it's official"
november

Happy Anniversary

2008-01-01T22:28:00.001-08:00

I forgot to mention the highlight of the evening.
remember on our 1st anniversary that a perfect stranger picked up the tab for our dinner? well, this young couple sitting next to us were on their honeymoon and completely on his own accord, my sweet husband took the opportunity to pay it forward.
it was a surprise to even me. as we were getting into the car, he says, "well they should be getting their bill about now." SO SWEET!!

take a look at our dinner menu:

read the top line under CHART HOUSE.
when I saw it, I was looking for what sides came with my prime rib!

just the three of usour 3rd wheel was a perfect gentleman the whole night

THANKS family for giving us time to celebrate

Celebarting 8 Years

2007-12-31T15:59:00.000-08:00

of Marriage TODAY!
I'm the luckiest girl--
I couldn't create a more perfect husband!!

my mom took the big boys home with her yesterday. micah surprised me by taking the day off!! we went to our favorite breakfast spot and then did some bargain shopping in peace!!
we're off to dinner at the Chart house and then downtown to the First Night celebration!!

anniversaries of old:
1 year: living in hawaii but visiting utah to meet our new nephew staten maughan. spent the day in park city, toured the olympic snow park, went back to SLC and watched Legacy and ate dinner at The Roof in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building--the tab was picked up by a perfect stranger!
2 years: flew back to hawaii from CA with a 1 month old baby and went to bed
3 years: living in San Diego. Kip came down and stayed with Jaden while we went to San Juan Capistrano for the night. We ate dinner at the 5 Crowns in Laguna Nigel and stayed in a quaint little hotel on the beach. We also met up with Brian and Amy that night, who had flown in from Virginia to look for housing back on the West coast. We met little Windsyr for the first time at 4 mo. old.

4 years: a surprise scavenger hunt through town organized by my awesome husband. the first clue directed me to a flower shop where I picked up a bouquet of roses and my next clue. other stops included See's Candy and Victoria's Secret among others and it all ended at the Red Lion where he was waiting for me in the Honeymoon Suite with a candlelit lunch from my fav. restaurant.

5 years: thought I was going into labor with Beckam. sat home and waited.

6 years: flew to San Diego on an all-expense paid trip to the Lozano Smith Christmas party while mimi stayed with the boys in Davis. Stayed at a fancy hotel and also squeezed in a temple trip!

7 years: I surprised Micah by taking him to Sycamore Mineral Springs in Avila Beach. They're private natural hot springs beneath a canopy of Sycamore trees. We enjoyed a delightful dinner on the pier and concluded the evening at Jenny's house for her annual
Casino night.

translator needed

2007-12-26T21:56:00.000-08:00

buy american? and miss out on the best part of these toys?
taken directly from the packaging:
remote control "Flying Saucer"
"wonderful, speedking, wonderful speedking, variable attitude"
"Warning: different type of batteries or new and old batteries which are not mixed. Please take out the batteries from the toy when don't be playing for a long time. Before charge batteries again, please let the batteries are fully consumed. Replacing batteries by adults."
Made in China

"EXCITING GAME ELECTRIC-CAR"
(this is a track with battery powered trucks)
"EXTREME CHALLENGER
ALL NEW EDITION! FLASHING ENTER!
POWERFUL TRACK
install-self
game mode freely design
two or more join playing
exciting and funny game
Go Go Go! Get Ready for the great Challenges..
Run quickly when on the long bridge with loosing planks!!
Escape ! We have woken up the baby dino.
The Big Dino has discovered us (referring to a snake and alligator)
CAUTIONS! Guardians should read!
Thank you for choosing our producti to use it correctly and safely, please first read through the directions on the package. keep the package well after reading."
Made in China

and on and on and on....
read your packages, they can be very entertaining!

Merry Merry Christmas

2007-12-26T21:27:00.000-08:00

the children were nestled all snug in their bed...

we may never see beckam any other way

our first christmas with just our little family

unwrapping intermission for a yummy breakfast

the kids had a blast--can you see jaden (aka optimus prime) in this picture?
jaden spent most of the day outside bug hunting with his bug vacuum and habitat santa brought and riding his ramp (on his skateboard and scooter with his dad on his new wave board) also from santa--we can't figure out how he got them on his sleigh
as you can see, beckam spent the day in his uniform, playing with his shake and go race track and using his cucumber hand soap from santa

and the sweet baby

Thank You to our Family

for the
Wonderful Christmas

It's already been a Merry Christmas

2007-12-22T21:01:00.000-08:00

here are some things that have helped make this season so meaningful for us:

the package we sent to south africa
the baby and maternity clothes boxed up and waiting to be delivered
the 8 dozen peanut butter kiss cookies we made and delivered. jaden insisted we knock and run and had so much fun doing it. except the time he knocked beckam down on the porch of one house in an effort to help him getaway faster, sending him into hysterics--they got caught that time.
making 30 of these mice with my grandma for her to give away

she let me keep some, too. we tried to leave some for the garbage man and mail lady along with some cookies but I guess the likeness was so good the crows devoured them before they were picked up. beckam hand delivered a plate to the recycle man and the mail lady ended up with see's candy.
giving these heavenly little goodies to our neighbors: jingle bell rock (dark aloha rocky road w/ macadamia nuts) and peppermint bark. they're made by a chocolatier in the ward we were in last summer. I've enjoyed a few myself.
reading our 24 days of Christmas most nights with sweet stories, scriptures and hymns
sending Harry and David's 12 days of Christmas to a special family who's been SO kind and generous to us
letting Jaden pick out food items that were donated to the Salvation Army through his school to feed the homeless
buying Christmas cards created by children from St. Jude Children's Hospital at Target

The card was 2.50 and nearly half was donated to St. Jude for research. The greatest part was that on the back was a picture and a bio of the child who's artwork was featured. My kids loved reading about them and were so glad we could donate a little to help them.

most of all seeing my children capture the true spirit of the season through charity

santa's elves

2007-12-18T09:20:00.000-08:00

my kids are having so much fun with these videos.
they love watching their friends/cousins dancing in elf suits.
check my boys out in their dancing debut here.

but the really fun part for me has been making them of my friends who have never seen them and emailing it to them.

here is jenny and jeremy
and here is erin and mike

leave the link for your dancing elves in my comments and make my boys day!

Dear Santa

2007-12-17T15:37:00.000-08:00

*our 1st real christmas tree*

big big dart gun!
surf board!
and a wet soot
after he wrote this, he told us how hard it was to think of anything else since he just had a birthday and got "like everything."
so we reminded him that he didn't need a long list then.
so he added:
a pes u luv!!!!!!!
a pes of luv fm my famlie
then he gave us a satisfied wink.
jaden wrote this list on his own.
can you decipher what it says?
"a piece of love"
"a piece of love from my family"

and THIS is the kind of thing that happens at our house on sunday.
poor baby doesn't know anything different

Benihana's and Marshmallow Snowmen

2007-12-10T20:54:00.000-08:00

that's how we celebrated family home evening.

the boys really wanted to go to benihana's for dinner tonight.
so micah told them he'd make them a
benihana dinner, nilsson style.

jaden informed me that the whole point was having it cooked in front of him and he was not disappointed.
micah doned his tall paper hat and went to work.
our food was prepared in front of our eyes on the electric skillet at the dinner table!
it included steak, shrimp and vegetable/egg fried rice--it was delicious!

and the show was spectacular--featuring the erupting onion volcano, the beating fried rice heart and he caught a shrimp in his hat!!

jaden thinks micah should get a job a benihana's.
forget law.
culinary arts, here he comes.

and for a treat, marshmallow snowmen. a variation of these (but not quite as cute. we improvised by dipping a toothpick in chocolate sauce to make the eyes, nose, mouth and buttons).
thanks for all the fun ideas minna!
(she's doing 24 days of christmas with an activity-a-day.
we've also made the snowflakes out of grocery sacks--so they stick to the window easily).

we also enjoyed a game of sequence for kids and reading out of our 24 days of christmas binder, which includes fun stories, scriptures and hymns.

the best part of the evening:
the most thoughtful and grateful prayer spoken by our 6 year old boy expressing his perfect understanding of the true meaning of the season.

we have such a testimony of family home evening.