red, pink & monsters mashing....

It's coming....

Jack o' Lantern faces smiling.

Miss Bompie will be Little RED with

her riding hood...


Lizzie Jane will be sporting all PINK


And Joshua will be attending the
Oly High "Monster Mash"


(another dance, another girl--i am
still trying to figure out how the "girlfriend"
is OK with the fact they are NOT
going with each other?!)




Don't worry Grace has plans too,
too many to name.

Stay tuned for the weekend update.

I promise to add photos for the grandparents!

infertility, unemployement and hope.

i KNOW you want to know what ANY of those things have to do with each other.


but they do, they do! Read on, I promise you they do!


Last week, my hope faltered. It diminished. It downright fell off of a cliff.


Here's the 'nitty gritty' of it (say that in your BEST Jack Black "Nacho Libre" voice....and if you have not seen the movie and are feeling like something silly, go rent it!)


for EVERY job that my husband applies for there are probably 500 (or MORE) qualified people applying for the same job. He has a college degree and 20 years of business experience. He has had a few interviews, and a few offers. All with salaries LESS than he made when we were first married. Jobs we have had to turn down as they would not even pay our mortgage every month. We figure jobs in HIS "old when he had a job" salary range are being offered to people with even MORE experience and Masters Degrees. That is the cold hard fact of our economy and job market right now.


Believe me when I say to you "YOU DO NOT WANT YOUR HUSBAND TO LOOSE HIS JOB RIGHT NOW!"


Well, after a long discussion last week about "life"(that was not the most pleasant of my life...although I will proudly admit after 18 years of marriage there is not much yelling anymore, just a lot of disagreeing.) Kyle had a few reminders for me.


Kyle will proudly call himself a "hopeful" person. He believes that, in the end, most things generally work out.


Let's just say I have a much harder time with all that "hope" crap and pretty much like to "see it" to believe it.


I know what you're thinking and you're right, HE (as in my husband)is usually right in the end.


Things, USUALLY, have a way of working themselves out.


So what does all this hope and unemployment talk have to do with infertility.


As Kyle so kindly reminded me in a late night email (sent from the basement computer to my computer upstairs--as he had banished himself to a night on the couch to let me simmer and I had 2 small girls in my bed since they were the only warm bodies I was letting near me for one night!)


The THING he reminded me was about a time 17 years ago, when we had no children and were having a hard time getting a single one here!



We experienced a stillborn son and then 2 miscarriages before we ever had Josh. Talk about devastation (at the time)! Talk about heartbreak! Talk about loss of hope for birthing a living child. If you look at us NOW, however, you would never know that before 4 wonderful children came many moments of doubt, discouragement, and heartbreak.


We wondered if we would EVER hold a child in our arms that was alive and well.


But, you can see by our tall, vibrant, noisy brood that God did work in mysterious way and after years of heartbreak and pain, we were blessed with 4 babies. Alive and kicking!(there were years in between each child that were hard too--but still the babies came!)


So my VERY long winded point to this post is... (the one my husband made to me)

...is that while we cannot SEE or taste or feel the end result (when, where, and how he will find gainful employment) that there are MANY instances in our PAST that should lead us to HAVE HOPE and carry on.


We did not know HOW, or WHEN, or IF children would bless our home. But they did. It took a while, it took Doctors and tests, and medicines to make it happen.


It took many months of ups and downs, heartache and despair, hope and prayers, to make that dream happen.


BUT, it did.


He (my kind, patient, hopeful husband) assures me that just as with infertility, if we persevere long enough and continue forward, our efforts will be blessed and a job will come.


It will come kicking, and screaming, and with much joy into our lives.


And just as with our children, who took a lot of work to get here...the "new job" will be savoured just a little bit more. It will be appreciated, and gratitude will fill our hearts for an opportunity to get up each day and go to work.



For all those who have listened to MY ups and downs, most of all my husband and children, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.


I am grateful for kids who have not complained (literally!) ONE TIME about the sacrifices they have had to make, the things they have given up, during this season of our lives. I keep waiting for a tear, or gripe, about something (ANYTHING!) and it has yet to come.


So, thank you Kyle and Josh and Grace and Eliza and Olivia. My literal, living, breathing examples of what can come from hope not lost.


This post is for all of you.


I love you.


Mom

Happy Birthday Kyle.

From THEN....

TO NOW!

HAPPY bIRTHDAY!!!

HERE'S HOPING THE YEAR AHEAD IS

FILLED WITH wonderful THINGS!

lOVE,

dORIEN, jOSH, gRACE, eLIZA & oLIVIA

...and STILL growing!

we measured Josh today,
you know,
to see if he had grown at all.

one more FULL INCH in the last 9 months.

that puts him just shy of 6'5".

seriously, the kid is STILL growing.

do church pants come in a 38" inseam?

POST EDIT: my mother just had to inform me that there are 6'7" genes on her side of the family. Well, we're off and running then. What if Josh marries a really tall girl? How tall will THERE children be? EEK!

the date

Seriously, could they be ANY cuter?

Josh & Whitney

"forever Oly"

Olympus Homecoming 2009

cake...16 candles.

the boy missed his ENTIRE birthday

yesterday....so we blew out the candles

today and ate the cake.

Homemade

chocolate chip cookie dough

chocolate cake.

Pretty tasty!

double POST: 16 & XC

16....

and he's off!

driving,

dating,

(homecoming tomorrow night, dinner, dancing, the whole

shabang!)

are we EVER ready for this as mothers?

top 16 favorite things about josh. (in no particular order)

16. his piano playing.
15. his "tallness" (and all the comments it elicits from people)
14. his brains, he's got a good set there!
13. his humor, he makes people laugh.
12. his willingness to help.
11. his ability to be friends with ALL sorts of kids, his circle of friends seems to know no bounderies.
10. his goodness, his heart.
9. his honesty.
8. his firecrackers and "bomb" building (all things "boy").
7. his integrity.
6. his messy room, he keeps it right up there with the best of them!
5. his mad artistic 'skillz'.
4. his driving abilities.
3. that he is my son.
2. that we LOVE him.
1. that he is 16 and growing up and NO ONE could EVER ask
for a better son EVER! EVER! EVER!

WE LOVE YOU! and are so glad you are in our family!

CROSS COUNTRY....

gracie tried "XC" this year.



she has never run before.



(ever)



She started the first race off in 90 degree weather,



came in 79th and thought she was going to die.



she kept going...and whittled her way to 32nd place



5 races later.



Two BIG thumbs up from me and her dad!



one thumb: for trying and keeping at it!



second thumb: for trying something new and bettering



herself along the way!







Gracie, we are SO PROUD of you! Great job!



maybe track next spring?

sneak peak & "jesus toast" for sale on ebay...

You're in for a treat folks.

Here is a "sneak peak" of the boy's Homecoming outfit.

Gray pinstripe mafia pants, white shirt, hot pink tie (actual tie

still coming in the mail-super deal on ebay-and one has

to match ties with date's dress these days. "She" is wearing hot pink.)

AND the cherry on top....

"Bob Holman loafers".

Now one must know Bob to understand. AND one must know

that Josh has a reverent fascination, bordering on obsession, of Brother Bob's shoes.

(for those that do not know BOB, he is a super funny 80ish year old

man that attends our weekly sunday meetings!)

Josh has been scouring SLC high and low for the "Holmans" (as

he lovingly calls them). They were the final piece of his fashion puzzle

for Homecoming, so to speak. At any rate, the whole ensemble is his

16th bday gift from "Grandma Regular".

Upon walking into Ross

(Dress for Less) last night with yours truly, we
happened upon the "Holmans". (the shoes, not the people)

Josh was transparently GIDDY with glee at

the find. Imagine this, they were the ONLY pair left on the shelf.

AND on clearance. And size 13 (his size to be exact!)

How does one walk by and not buy? Fate was on our side, luck was with us!

The "Holmans" were procured. LEST you miss them on Saturday evening

at the dance, Josh has assured me that that he will be wearing them to

church on Sunday.

Ladies, watch out! Try not to swoon when my son walks by in an original pair of the "Holmans".

You may find yourself wishing YOUR MAN was half as stylish! (or TWICE as stylish?)

Now on to "jesus toast" and miracles. You must forgive me for I do so love a good laugh, albeit
a sometimes irreverent one. The other day on ebay we found the below "Jesus Toast" stampers for sale. (and i thought what a PERFECT holiday gift for all my neighborhood friends!)
We had a good giggle, the whole Nielson crew.



The next night after baking a batch of cookies, I walked into my kitchen only to find that the cookies were all "smiling" up at me. A miracle? A blessed event? Were these cookies worthy to be sold on ebay for great sums of money? Were all our financial woes over?



Can you see it? Smiley faces in all the cookies? Do you think they would fetch a hefty price on ebay? (And would it lessen your faith to know that Brother Josh "Bob Holman" Nielson "miraculously" imprinted each cookie HIMSELF with a smile?)



Remember, we are after all "never fully dressed without a smile!"



Until Friday (the big 16th bday), and Saturday (the big date) and Sunday (the big becoming a Priest)...munch on that.



(This mother is having some severe growing pains with her children this year.
They are growing, and it is causing me some great pain! I am adjusting ever so slowly...)










FYI-should you need your very own toast stamper, they really are for sale on ebay. You can find them by searching under key words "Jesus" and "toast".

one mile

go ahead. sit down. pull up a chair and put on your favorite pair of my shoes. yes, you read that right, MY shoes. now walk a mile in them. and listen.

i was slowly and carefully crossing the parking lot at Target today (as all good drivers SHOULD do, and as my husband will attest to, i am THE definition of careful driver!) going down the "down" lane looking both ways, when out of the blue a perfectly coiffed young lady (in her early 20's if i had to guess) came ZIPPING across the lot, not in any lane mind you, at what i would consider an "unsafe" speed. (not that i am an expert or anything.) She cut right in front of me and honked at ME! Yes! ME! for driving like a grandma in MY LANE! i tooted back because i felt i did not deserve the honk. after all i had the parking lot "right of way" so to speak.

well, my honk was the wrong move apparently. she SLAMMED on the brakes (of her very nice white new BMW by the way) backed up quickly, unrolled her window and yelled at me, "you got a problem (insert your favorite not very nice word here)? huh? did you hear me? i said DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM (same word again)!"

i sat there for a second and thought, "well, i am pretty sure she is not REALLY asking me if i have a problem, like as in a REAL "problem" in my life..." but since i was feeling a little pissy at her i unrolled MY window and said, "well besides your driving, and not calling me very nice words, i ACTUALLY DO have a few problems going on in my life right now-would you like to hear about them?" and then, i smiled and waved at her.

it stopped her for about 1/2 a second before she told me i was a "crazy (same word again)!!", swirling her pointer finger next to her head in the "crazy" motion. She then proceeded to give me a very expressive middle finger. After which she drove (quickly) off in her very nice car, with her newly highlighted, nicely styled hair and pressed clothes. (probably saying a few more choice words about me as she drove off.)

it took me another half of a second to burst into tears and sob uncontrollably all the way home!

OH! the injustice of it all! what a snotty girl, i thought.

how DARE SHE! she was "in the wrong"! not me. how could

anyone be so RUDE? what was HER PROBLEM? She didn't know

that I really DID have some problems going on in my life(nor

did she probably care!)

But then halfway home i thought, well maybe SHE was having a

really bad day. (hopefully a REALLY BAD day)

maybe when i honked at her it was the last thing SHE needed.

Who knows if that is true. maybe she is

just not a very nice person in general who goes around

yelling *(&@#@ to complete strangers in parking lots.

My whole point in this long and sorted tale, is that we NEVER

really know what's going on with another person. We never

know their intent, the goodness OR badness, of their hearts

unless we can "walk" that figurative mile in their shoes.

Judging is really easy to do. It's the easy answer as to why

someone is they way they are.

And i have said it before and will say

it again--until you KNOW (and i mean REALLY KNOW) a person,

judging can often be wrong. MOST people, when you get to

know them are often different than a first impression, or

judgement, of them. Sometimes even people you THINK you've

known for a long time, maybe you still don't REALLY know

them. I had the chance recently to talk to someone i did not

know all that well.

i mean REALLY talk to them, for the first time ever.

The insight that conversion gave me, completely altered MY

perception of this person.

It gave me pause to think and examine all i THOUGHT i knew.

So my message is...just walk a mile. And if you think you

know WHY someone is the way they are, and you haven't ever

REALLY given them a chance. Give them one! or two!

You may be pleasantly surprised when you find out who they

really are.

In the meantime, if you happen to see a white BMW with

plate number...

Ok i am kidding. I am SURE she had a perfectly good reason

for her behavior today~

walkin' a mile people, walkin' a mile!

an anniversary of sorts.

...for my blog that is!

happy one year of blogging to me.

as i looked back to see what the year had brought

i realized a few things...

*duct tape is fun to experiment with and even funner to blog

about.

*dust bunnies ARE real, never never believe it if someone

tries to tell you differently.

*i am pretty sure that Mr. Darcy is still the sexiest man

alive, yet somehow McFlurries were spot on for Valentines.

*California dreamin' is THE BEST!

*sometimes i know i am the only one laughing when i read

what i just typed.

*and that is OKAY!

*I am an "odiater" of snow.

*I seem to have a cursing problem when i drive (and maybe a

few other times) which i freely admitted over the past year.

*i like to type.

*my husband snores when he sleeps on his back (i have yet to

blog about this though, just a little food for thought)

*unemployment posts make people less likely to comment.

*family birthdays are fun to see in technicolor.

*toilet paper and licorice are good things.

* all in all, it has been a great year! taking the ups with

the downs, i have loved having it all in print!

Here is to another year of blogging...

Happy Anniversary!

portal

as i sit here all alone with myself,


my children farmed out to various friends and activities,


i have decided that i am simply


a PORTAL.


a vessel that provides a way for them to enter this earth life.


a person who feeds them


and clothes them


and changes messy diapers


and then,


simply sends them on their way...


out into this big world.


no one told me it would be this hard to let them go.


but,


through me they have come to enter this wide wide world.


they are entering into their own lives with GUSTO.


i watch them circle around homebase, always anxious to step away


...again.


it is fun to watch them step away, but hard to let them go.


maybe now is a good time to think about getting a dog again?