Top TEN 2013

Blogging has taken a back seat to other priorities this year.  Honestly, I've missed it.  I've missed being able to look back and have some accounting of our goings-on.  I swear - the older my kids get - the faster time seems to fly.   All of a sudden another year has come and gone and I stare in wonder at how life has changed over the past nearly 20 years that Mr. Nelson and I have been married.  Fiddler on the Roof totally had it right "Sunrise, Sunset....swiftly fly the years"...(or something like that).  And the kids quite often like to remind us how close we are to grandparent-dom.  (just for the record, we AREN'T THAT CLOSE!.....Still SEVERAL years off!)

So, off we go....in no particular order, here they are.....10 things I never want to forget about this year.

Tanner running his first half marathon.
Can't even begin to say how proud of him we were for first of all committing to do it, secondly - training for something that he thought was beyond his capacity to accomplish, and mostly - finishing what he started. He's a stud.

Addie's family night lesson about Christmas.  We learned that the Wisemen brought Jesus gifts of "gold, mercy, and frankenmerry....I mean Frankenstein".  (nope...we didn't take a picture of family night....just of her birthday, so that will have to suffice)

Tylers Eagle scout project.  Organizing and putting on a soccer clinic/camp for special needs kids.  His whole soccer team plus most of the youth from the ward came to be a 'buddy' for each kid.  Ty did a fabulous job pulling it together and even got sponsors to provide food and goody bags.  It did my heart good to watch the transformation of all the youth who came - who at first were a little unsure of how to act toward these special needs kids.  But by the end were high-fiving and hugging them.  Truly was awesome.























Impromptu trip to Bear lake for a couple of days.  Building our sand 'snake', and the castle village (for princess 5 yr old, of course).  Playing in the water.  Four Wheeling.  Spending time together.  Priceless.

Brigham City Temple open house.  We got up EARLY to go to accommodate Mr. Nelsons work schedule .  No one complained. The temple is beautiful.  I love knowing that because of temples, we can be sealed as a family unit beyond this life.  That gives me hope.  And peace.  And something to work for.



Tanner speaking in Stake conference.  He was scared to death.  He did an amazing job.  It wasn't a 'look-down-at-your-paper-and-read-the-whole-thing' sort of talk.  He spoke from the heart.  He bore a strong testimony.  I'm humbled to be his mother.
















Having double foot surgery.  Not fun.  At all.  But hopefully by the time everything is all healed it will solve years worth of problems.

Soccer X's four.  Tanner having fun with Co-ed AYSO, Tyler playing Comp league.  Emma playing Comp league.  And Addie deciding there IS room in her life for ballet AND soccer.














Turning 40.  No need to elaborate :)









Two trips to St. George.  One soccer related.  The other race related.  Both wonderful trips.  I love that place.  Love the red rocks.  Love Zions National park.  Love the sunshine.  Loved seeing Beauty and the Beast with the girls.  It's a happy place.

Red Rock Relay.  Hotter than blue-blazes for that run.   A sponsor from Mr.'s work rented an RV for our team - which was a spot of heaven.  Can't decide which we like better - Red Rock, or Ragnar.

Tanner dating.   And dating.  And dating.  And also Listening to conference and realizing that he is now eligible to be a missionary a year earlier than anticipated.   He let us know he plans to put his papers in by March, have his mission call before he graduates, and.....this would be his last Christmas at home.
Both Mr. Nelson and I have been a bit emotional from time to time about this.  Not because we don't want him to go.  Quite the contrary.  We are so grateful he is the young man he is. Grateful that he's excited to embark on two years of service for the church we belong to.  Just feeling a little sad that when he leaves, the dynamic of our home will be forever changed.  His quiet, calm, peace maker qualities will be missed.





Grandma Berry's funeral.  It was a beautiful tribute, and I was grateful to come away understanding a little more about the hardships she endured.  It helped me to have a better understanding of why she was the way she was.  It was sweet to see how tender Grandpa was and has been toward her since she passed away.  There's always been a soft spot in me for Grandpa Berry.  He's one of the most kind and genuine men I know.

Emma took a nearly 4 month no-sugar challenge....and DID IT!  She totally didn't think she could.  Didn't think she'd even wanted to do it.  But when 50$ was put on the line, she stepped up.  Wanted to give up a time or two...but stuck with it, and ultimately earned herself a shiny new fifty dollar bill on Christmas morning.

Tyler and Thomas.  Nuff' said.



Chik-fila Cow appreciation day.  Don't know why we think this is fun.  But it is.  And you get to choose anything you want on the menu.  For free.  Just for the record, we couldn't convince Mr. Nelson  to participate.  So he ate Chinese.



















No pictures for this one, but then there was the 6 week period in which it seemed almost comically that everything around us was either breaking down, or required money at that very moment... and we were wishing for the money tree to be in full bloom.  The computer death.  Jason's car death.  Pipes under the sink.  Garage door broken spring. Foot surgery.  Bone graft surgery. Data recovery on computer death.  ....and I think there were actually a couple of other things to that have (thankfully) slipped my mind at the moment.


You're thinking I can't count, right?  That was definitely more than ten things about this year.  Who knows, I may even add more in the days to come.  I'll have to call it 'Seventeen + things I don't want to forget'.

It's been a good year.  It's also been a hard year in more than one regard.  I hope I take from the trials and learn from them.  I hope to treasure the memories made, and continue to make more.  I wish to make the most of life, and not get caught up in the 'thick of thin things'...a lesson I seem to have to learn over and over.   I want my children to do better than I've done.  And mostly, I want to have joy in the journey - what ever or where ever the journey takes me.

Life is good.