Peace On Earth

Yesterday when I picked up Nora from school her teacher pulled me aside and said," I just have to tell you what Nora said today. We were making Christmas lists of what we want to ask Santa for. We went around the room and told what we wanted for Christmas. Most kids said things like i-pads and other materialistic things. Then it was Nora's turn and she said, 'All I want for Christmas is peace in this land. I ask for it every year and it never happens.' Only Nora would think to say that."

On our way home, I was asking Nora about it a little. "So you want peace in the land for Christmas?"

"Yeah, peace in the land...and peanuts."

Love that girl!

California Tumbleweed Snowman

My mom made a tumbleweed snowman at our house one year. I don't really remember it so maybe I was at college or on my mission. When I told Nora about it, she was all over that idea of course. So here is our humble creation. Merry Christmas!

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The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About Snow

 Our local childrens' museum hosted a Cat in the Hat day last week. The kids listened to the classic story and then the Cat actually showed up for a visit.

The craft was making a cute, little snowglobe with Christmas tree ornaments, mason jars, water and glitter.

The 'coolest' part was going outside afterward to play in the snow that had been trucked into the parking lot. Ike had a blast! ...for about 5 minutes and then he was too cold, but he did have a great time. It's fun to have him home with me now as the 'big kid.' Such a smart and sweet boy. Several times a day he'll come snuggle up to me and say, "You're the best mom." Aaaw! Can't believe he'll be three tomorrow!

You Know Your Husband's Been Talking Politics When...

The other night at dinner, we were asking Nora if she knew who was running for president. She correctly identified Obama and Romney.
Branden asked her, "So who are you going to vote for?"
"Romney," she said.
"Why?"
"Because I can't find a job."

Kindergarten Lady

Nora is now a big kindergartner! She is in all day kinder (8am-2pm) and I think it was a bit of adjustment at first, but now she is doing great. Here are a few tidbits from her experiences so far:

• The  first week, on Friday when I came to pick her up, Nora's teacher grabbed me and said that they had done show-and-tell that day, but that Nora had not brought anything to share. Apparently that did not deter her in the slightest though. She got up, spread her arms out wide and said, "Well - it's me. I didn't bring anything, so I thought I'd share myself. You won't see me for a few days, so get a good look now!"
  
  Her teacher thought it was hilarious!

• She's surprising us with the things she is learning. For example, a few weeks ago I was asking her about her friends at school. She told me that at recess that day she had played with her friend Holiday and a new girl, Holiday's friend.
  "Oh cool," I said. "Did you like playing with Holiday's friend?"
  "Well...," Nora answered, "we weren't synergizing."
  Branden's and my mouth dropped open. "What does that mean?"
  "It means we weren't working well as a team."
  
  Pretty good for her first month of kindergarten!
  
• The other day on the car ride home, Nora was really excited. "Mom! Today we learned about Johnny Appleseed and I made up a song about him to the tune of 'Carol of the Bells' and I shared it with my class!!!"
  "Wow," I said. "You sang it for your whole class? Did they like it?"
  "Well...[a bit deflated] they didn't give me a round of applause."

Vienna's Quilt

My mom is amazing. She makes totally custom, tricked-out baby quilts for each new grandchild. We just give her a theme and and color scheme and she goes to town. The only problem is that each one is such a work of art that I don't want to use them and ruin them. I end up hanging them on the nursery wall! I am completely in love with Vienna's. So cute.  Apparently my dad helped on this one a lot, so thank you to both of you!!!

Sister's Weekend

My mom had a great idea a while ago to have all of us get together sans hubbies and kids. We finally got our sisters' (and mom) weekend together and all met in Salt Lake. We spent the weekend:

•  weeding at the New Roots Refuge Garden, a project that helps refuges use their native skills to support themselves. We met a great guy named Frederick from Burundi who told how excited he was that the garden has made it possible for him to pay his own electric and phone bills. 
• doing a live session at the SLC temple.
• eating yummy food
• shopping!!!

•  visiting with my Grammy and Grandpa. I got to introduce them to Vienna. They were impressed by her pilates moves (she's always holding up her head and her feet while on her back.)

• attending the Relief Society Broadcast at the Conference Center.
• holding our own book club. We read Corrie Ten Boom's Tramp for the Lord. Plenty of good stuff to discuss.

I am very grateful to Branden for holding down the fort while I was gone. It was a really nice break and chance to hang out with my favorite women. Plus Vienna was pretty much an angel baby on both plane rides and while being carted around everywhere. She only had a really hard time on the 3 1/2 hour drives to and from the airport. :)

Thank you Mom and Sisters for a wonderful weekend!

A Visit from Toddsay

Lindsay and Todd and Co. visited California last week and we were really lucky to get them down our way for a day before they headed over to the coast for my mom's family reunion. We joined them there again on Saturday. So fun to see my sister!!! Wish we lived closer, but I'm super stoked that they at least live closer now that they have moved to Provo. 

It was so hot when they visited Visalia so we took them to a park first thing in the morning and had to leave by about 10:30 am!

 Our little monkey girl

 Nora copying Colt

 The ladies in stripes

 Ty and Ike - best buds...in the future, hopefully!

Some Favorite Summer Memories

 We enjoyed visiting with Briana and her girls at Gramma's. Nora loves playing with even her littlest cousins.

 Vienna was blessed the weekend after Independence Day. My parents came down, and so did Branden's parents and his brother Eric and family. So fun to have such a big group there!

 My mother-in-law made this blessing dress!

 Pudding finger painting for FHE.

 Our happy, little Vienna.

 Part of "summer art camp" at our house.

 Nora picked out this cake design for her birthday. The flag won out over princesses and flowers!

 Hanging out at Playland and Storyland in Fresno.

Vampire Baby

The other day Ike was sitting next to me while I was feeding Vienna. He lifted up my shield and he could see that she was latched onto me. "Baby Vienna bite you?" he asked. "No," I said. "She's just drinking." "She drink your blood?" And although I told him no, it was milk he still thinks its funny to tell me that she's drinking my blood every time I feed her. :)

And oh yeah - she's here! Vienna Rose Nelson, born May 29th, 8 lbs 8 oz and 20.5 inches long. Very uneventful birth by c-section. Definitely felt the pain that first week, but doing much better now and overall VERY glad I went with c-section this time. 


Vienna is a healthy and contented baby and seems to tolerate her very boisterous siblings pretty well so far. So glad she's here!

Gramma and Papa Arrive!

Gramma and Papa got in last night to stay with the kids when we head to the hospital tomorrow and the kids have been in heaven since the moment they arrived. This morning Gramma surprised us with some super aprons - its her tradition to make an apron for the kids at home and bake cookies while mom's having the baby. These monkey ones are perfect for my wild bunch.

As soon as Gramma gave Nora the aprons, she was ready to play with them. She wanted to be a monkey and have somebody be a monkey trainer.  She started calling out, "Who wants to be the monkey trainer?" No one was giving her much of a response, so she took the big apron and started to put it over Papa's head saying, "I'm going to put one on this old guy."

Branden said," Nora! That's kind of rude, honey." Nora was duly chastised and got a repentant look on her face. Then she came over behind Branden and whispered in his ear, "I'm sorry Dad... But he IS a grandpa."

And here is me the day before Vienna comes. Branden keeps telling me I don't look as big as I did with Nora or Ike, but I certainly don't FEEL any smaller!

More from Nora

On Sunday, after I picked Nora up from Primary, we were stopped by the song leader who said, "Nora made a very smart comment today." She proceeded to tell me how Nora knew that "choose the right" didn't mean you could only walk to the right or make right turns in your car, but that it meant to choose the "good way." The song leader finished her tale to me by saying, "And that was very smart, Nora." And Nora, without missing a beat, said, "That's because I was born in the year of the pig. People born in the year of the pig are really smart. That's why." 

Oh I am so going to miss the days when she doesn't say things like that anymore! :)

 Here's my little model in a few dresses I made for her this month. I stuck with a simple moo-moo pattern. :) That's about the extent of my sewing abilities.

Ike had to get in on the picture action, too!