This years top 10....

Well here I sit.....it's 10:35 New Years Eve. Most of you are having a fabulous time getting ready to bang the pots and pans to bring in the new year. But the girls and I are quietly sitting at home thanks to a ruptured ear drum from Emma, and a tad-too-runny nose from Addie.
I'll admit, my insides were pouting as I ate my can of Progresso soup for dinner and thought of the fabulous nacho bar we were missing at Mema's house (I've been thinking of Velveeta-Ro-tel cheese dip ALL WEEK. I LOVE that stuff!).

Could she not have TIMED the rupturing of her ear drum any better than New Year's eve? Really people.

As we snuggled up together and watched Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph (just a side note - I KNOW Rudolph is a classic. Burl Ive's rocks.....but it seemed kind of creepy and a tad bit scary the other night. And the music? Let's not get started on the music. I've been singing "We're on the island of misfit toys" all night long.....and that's simply way too long to be singing that song.)

...sorry...I digressed again. So, as I was saying......we were snuggled up watching some fabulous Christmas classics, I realized that really - this is where I should be, and at that moment, there wasn't anywhere I'd rather be. Yes we were missing out on some fabulous Nelson family company, and awesome ro-tel cheese dip. But spending time with the girls, with nothing else to distract my attention? Felt good.

Alright, so the real reason of this post was just a quick wrap up for the Nelson bunch.......So here's just a quick wrap-up of our top 10 from 2009 (in no particular order):

Disneyland - love love love that place.

Emma getting baptized.
(it was bright, okay?)
Tyler receiving the prieshood

Tanner becoming a Teacher


Jason running his first half marathon

Addie wearing princess panties (hooray for no-more diapers!)...woops....sorry, no pictures for this one yet :)

The "Thursday" pool (Thanks Sis. Stevenson)



July 24 Camp out in the back yard....rain, wind, and all.

Cruise to the Carribbean

Tanner's wall of glory: (This one may need some explaining.....back in July Tanner one day said "hey, I totally feel taller"....so we measured, and by George, he was. It thrills him to no end to be measured now. Monthly. And gloat in his height. And that he can wear Jason's shoes now. And that he buys clothes in the Men's section. Probably his most thrilling accomplishment on the wall of glory is the top 2 dates, if you'll notice they are 2 days apart. I'm not kidding when I say we measured and remeasured thinking it must be some mistake. Hooray for teenage growth-spurts that very well may eat us out of house and home.




....as I was looking through pictures, I realized that we have much more than a top 10 list. This has been a fabulous year, always an adventure, and like I'm sure is the same for all of you - there have been struggles, triumphs, lessons learned, lessons still working on being learned, and many many many blessings.

Life is good. No. Life is awesome.

The happy place :)

It is I tell you. It truly IS a happy place.
Not intending to bore anyone with a travel log.....but - just so it's documented.....here it goes....
8 days lapping up the 50's and 60's while you people were suffering in the 20's and snow (not to rub it in or anything :)....





...and on another triple happy note -
Son #2 FINALLY conquered a piece of himself! He has NEVER, ever, ever (did I mention EVER) liked rides. Any kind. Except the slow ones like the sky ride at Lagoon. Truly, you think I jest. Not so.
From the time he was 2 and we took him on the tilt-a-whirl at the city fair - he hated every minute of it. We've bribed him on a few things here and there - very mild things, mind you....i.e., Puff-the-dragon-roller-coaster-in-the-kid-zone-of-Lagoon, and the like. He tenses up like nothing I've ever seen, and we've all just kind of come to grips with the fact that he just does NOT like motion.
Now, giving the kid some credit - we've been to Disneyland 4 times, and even bought Lagoon season passes one year, and he's always been pretty darn patient at waiting (because when you don't like to ride rides, you mostly just wait). But this year was his year - he did it - he actually TRIED 5 new rides, and loved them (well, most every part of them....except the downhill parts - but he persevered people!)
It made the whole darn 12 hour drive down there completely worth it just to see his "I-just-CONQUERED-it!" face.
Kudos go to Son #2!


Third happy thing.....Never thought I'd say it, but princesses totally rock. What could make a 3 year old happier than meeting Cinderella, Snow White, Ariel, Belle, and as a bonus - Mulan???? It was a slice of heaven for the 3 year old.



And not that I don't love my life here in Layton.....but honest-to-Pete it was awfully hard to drive back, losing 10 degrees every couple of hours. Driving from palm trees, to the snowy 30 degree Wasatch front road slush. Ugh.
Blessed be you fabulous neighbors who shoveled our walks and driveway. We owe you brownies.

I totally could have taken another week or so of vacation..... but apparently the 8 year old was ready for our 8 days of fun to be end. As we were unpacking, I came down the hallway carrying a suitcase full of things to put away, and heard some sniffling sorts of sounds.....and there she was - crying in her bedroom. "What's wrong?" I asked.............."I'm just so happy to be home, mom".
Wow.
There's no place like home apparently.