Ryan and Tammie Nelson

Christmas morning - part I - epic fight

2010-12-31T13:34:00.000-08:00

Santa left us an arsenal of nerf guns for Christmas. We were so lucky to have my sister Nancie and Ryan's brother Aaron here to join in the epic fight.

Patriots and cupcakes

2010-10-08T18:42:00.000-07:00

Guess who is Patriot of the Month? That's right Jack!!! Jack is in first grade this year at Plantation and because he is the awesome student that he is he was awarded Patriot of the Month and they give out this cool shirt that the child gets to wear all month (of course only on Fridays because of the uniform dress code)

By the way my other awesome child Payton was Patriot of the Month last month but there was a shirt mix up and he never got to wear the shirt hence the no picture of my #1 son Payton in his Patriot shirt. Friday morning is the traditional Nelson Pancake breakfast day so of course Jack wanted a "P" for Patriot of the month pancake. So the wonderful mother that I am I made a "P" which Jack promptly told me needed the hole cut out because otherwise it just looked like a hockey stick and was not really a "P". So here is Jack with this hole cut out "P"

I made cupcakes today too. I know --- you are probably wondering how does she do it all? So I made cupcakes today to give to our amazing ENT doctor Dr. Eldredge. We were lame and missed an appointment last week for the boys so I thought delicious cupcakes would be nice as a peace offering. I made Triple chocolate and my new creation Snickerdoodle which she called later to thank me and tell me how delightful they were. I so wish I had the money to open a Sugar Mama Sweets branch here in Louisiana. My sister's are doing pretty fabulous at their shop in AZ and I am so excited for them. But until I win the lottery in which I do not play I will settle for making tasty treats out of my home.

As I was making the cupcakes Ben kept asking for "sugar" because he knows I can't ignore how completely adorable he is. And of course I had to take pictures of him making a mess with the batter.

Back in Black

2010-09-11T17:53:00.000-07:00

Sleeping beauty

2010-08-01T19:18:00.000-07:00

Ben's new thing when you tell him to go to sleep. I'm not sure if he thinks he's fooling us or not but he does think its pretty funny.

How would you describe yourself

2010-04-08T12:06:00.000-07:00

Conversations around our dinner table are always interesting. Ryan often asks the boys what they did at recess or who they sat by at lunch. As the kids describe who they played with or who they sat with it sounds a little like this.

Jack: I sat next to "so and so" and " so and so"
Ryan: What's "so and so like"?
Jack: That's the boy with the skinny head

Or try this one on for size

Payton: I played kick ball with "whozit" and "whatzit"
Me: Oh is "whozit" one of your good friends?
Payton: No he's the kid that acts like a cat and can do the wave with his unibrow

This brings the question to mind, What kind of kids are my children going to school with and maybe a more important question is how are my children being described by their classmates?

Conversations with Jack

2010-03-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

Conversation between Jack and I
Preface: We had been working out in the yard that afternoon, I just got out of the shower and had to go to the grocery store

Jack: Mom, do you have makeup on?
Me: Yes Jack I do
Jack: Well I can't see it
Me: I just didn't put that much on
Jack: I like when you have as much as when you go to work
Me: Ok thanks
Jack: Mom you need to put more makeup on
Me: I'm not going to put more on Jack
Jack: It would make me feel better if you put more on mom
Me: It would make you feel better?
Jack: I could put your makeup on for you......... I could make you look like a clown

My sweet Jack is always concerned with what I'm wearing and how my makeup looks. I'm not real sure about the clown comment.

Dance Dance Evolution

2010-03-11T08:21:00.000-08:00

For some reason Ben loves the music from the Jim Rome show. You may remember a previous post with him dancing to the same music a couple months ago. Just wanted to show how his dancing has evolved. I may mention he is a little eclectic in his taste for music. The other day Ryan put on the Lawrence Welk show and he loved that too. Hmmmmm.......

Who was watching that child

2010-03-05T07:14:00.000-08:00

I'm honestly surprised this hasn't happened sooner. I was reading books to Ben this morning and sent him into the library to get another book. A few seconds later I walked in and saw him applying his make up for the day. As you can see he is very pleased with himself and was extremely upset when I cleaned it off. Thank you to the creator of washable markers!!!!!

Mardi Gras 2010

2010-02-20T11:13:00.000-08:00

This year for Mardi Gras Ryan's parents and brother Aaron came to visit. Good times!!! The kids loved having their grandparents and uncle here and loved going to the parades. Even better - they had the whole week off of school - the people here in Louisiana sure take partying seriously. It was crazy cold but we still had a blast! I keep the invitation open -- we are always happy to have visitors. Mark your calendar now next year Mardi Gras is March 8!!!!!

Disclaimer: I did make a slideshow but for some reason it wasn't working so I just downloaded all the pictures seperately. Enjoy!

Mom stuff

2010-01-29T13:58:00.000-08:00

Just thinking of how much I love being a mother to these three beautiful boys

Wink wink

2010-01-08T14:33:00.000-08:00

The other day the boys were teaching Ben how to wink. I think he almost has it figured out

Don't be a hater

2010-01-05T19:06:00.000-08:00

In case you are reading this in between trips to the bathroom where you can't decide which end needs the porcelain god more ........ I am sorry. Who knows how many people from Louisiana to Arizona are enjoying this wonderful stomach bug at the hands of the Nelsons. All I can say is I'm glad I got to visit all my family and hopefully when you are done cursing my name you will be glad I visited too. I leave with an open invitiation to come visit me anytime ..... I won't even care if I get sick.

Play that funky music white boy

2009-11-23T10:12:00.000-08:00

Is there anything cuter than this? I submit that there is not!

A little preoccupied

2009-11-13T09:02:00.000-08:00

So I've had a few people mention I again have been missing from the blog world and "why haven't I posted anything lately". I know I still need to post about Benjamin's birthday and Halloween and the cute things Ben has been doing lately ........ the list goes on an on. But I thought I would post a little something about why I have been so busy lately.

We moved into the new house. And I really LOVE this house. I know I have my work cut out for me. It needs a little work - just cosmetic - but I'm real excited about doing all of that. At first we had issues with the kids completely adjusting but I think they really like their new house too and their new school. So needless to say I still have a bazillion boxes everywhere to sort through so I will only post outside photos for now.

Front view

Side view of driveway - carport curves to the right and the small building is a workshop (500-600 sq ft) which we hope to someday convert to a little apartment

Back view of the house with an awesome huge covered porch

Back yard has an adorable playhouse for the kids which by the way has electricity and air conditioning.

Do you want to come over and play?

They say its your birthday

2009-10-30T10:18:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was Jacks 6th Birthday. In celebration of his birthday -- school was cancelled. Actually it was parent teacher conference day but he still got the day off.

Birthday waffles - wish I could say that they were lovingly homemade. I did however think loving thoughts as I warmed them in the toaster

One of the gifts Grandma Mikey sent. Can you tell Jack enjoys having his picture taken

Jacks Birthday wish was to eat and play with a rat so on to Chuck E Cheese

This of course was not at the top of my list of favorite places but hey you only turn 6 once and the kids seemed to really enjoy themselves

Back home for cake and icecream - Good Times

Our family certainly would not be the same without this little boy. He has brought much joy and entertainment . And who could resist those beautiful blue eyes!

My Jack -- I love you!

Homecoming - GEAUX CAJUNS!

2009-10-25T17:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was ULL Homecoming. We decided to go to the parade on campus and had a REALLY good time. Apparently not too many people realized that this was going on - you can see we had no problem finding a place along the street all to ourselves. Of course here in Louisiana people throw beads even when its not Mardi Gras. Jack has never really experienced Mardi Gras since he was just a few months old when we left. He kept talking about how great it was and asked if Mardi Gras was like this parade. We assured him that it was going to be even better.

They also threw candy and I'm pretty sure we have enough that we won't need to buy any for Halloween

Featuring the ULL Band but even more entertaining were the floats with the Sorority's and Fraternity's. They had music blasting and the floats were bouncing and apparently the music we listened to in Jr High and High School is making a comeback. Maybe its just because they are classics.
Here we are loaded down with beads and Jack holding the flag that the cheerleaders threw to him

Can you tell what Payton's favorite catch was

The kids with the loot

OK yes I am a dental hygienist and yes that is my almost one year old with a sucker in his mouth -- it made him really happy (and quiet)

THE END

All in all a really good time. The weather was fabulous and the parade lasted almost an hour - perfect for kids.

Can't wait til Mardi Gras and bigger and better parades. We welcome visitors!

We've got a climber

2009-10-09T17:16:00.000-07:00

I know its a little dark at first but I think you can see the problem we have here. The ladder no longer stays in the upright position --- the kid has no fear. Of course it doesn't help that the older brothers are cheering him on.

I'm beating you at mother of the year

2009-10-04T18:44:00.000-07:00

Jack: Mom can I have a drink of your soda?

Me: No

Payton: Can I have a drink of your soda

Me: No

Payton: Why?

Me: Because I'm being selfish

Payton: I thought you were allergic to shellfish

Me: I'm being selfish not shellfish - it means I don't want to share

A few minutes later I was presented with a picture that Jack drew with "No (a picture of a fish)" and a frowny face which Jack informed me was him

Double Digits

2009-09-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that my #1 is 10. I wish I could say I remember it like it was yesterday but I can't --- my memory isn't all that great. I have swiss cheese for brains. Unfortunately I can't remember every detail of his 10 years. All I know is that it seems like I blink and he get's older and seems to change everyday.

I do know that I'm glad that I have been given the opportunity to be this boy's mother. I have learned a lot from him and he amazes me every day. He has been such a blessing to Ryan and I. For the first few years of his life we worried so much about him and his health. He overcame those early ailments and has grown into such a magnificent little man. He is a wonderful older brother and always so helpful.

Payton I am so glad you are mine!!

Happy Decade!

My Jack and His Big Day

2009-08-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

Being the good mother that I am I have slacked off on posting about My Jack's first day of Kindergarten. He has now finished two weeks of school and he loves it.

Jack and his big brother

Unfortunately I had to go to work early that day and couldn't take him, but I did make sure I took the "First Day" photos.

When I asked Jack what his favorite part of his first day was he said the bus ride home "It was so cool".

He likes his teacher Miss Hue and is meeting lots of new friends.

GOOD TIMES

2009-08-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

I had a great Birthday- thanks for asking. And since I have a husband who is always trying to find ways to surprise me and puts a lot of thought into gifts ...... I couldn't have asked for a better day.

Of course I had to work, but right before lunch this beautiful creation showed up at the office. "Happy Birthday Love Your 3 Sons" This picture really doesn't do it justice but it was absolutely wonderful to eat.

For lunch I met my good friend Jill at The Ground Pati ( a burger joint) and enjoyed a wonderful chicken sandwich and fries. Good food - good company. Thanks Jill for lunch and as always good entertaining conversation.

After work - off to teach class. I think I somehow managed to convince myself that if I exercised it wouldn't matter how much food I consumed. Which for some reason taking the day off of my diet for my birthday has progressively turned into a week long event

After class I met up with Ryan and the boys for some WINGS!! I know it seems like such an elaborate place to go for a birthday dinner ... but I knew I wouldn't be disappointed with the food and there is something about the look on my boys' faces when they walk into this amazing place. There are TV's everywhere even in the bathroom and yes it was the first place they went to when we walked in the door.
So I ate and I ate like I was never going to see food again even though I knew that cake and Rocky Road Icecream were waiting for me at home.

When we got home the boys could hardly contain themselves they were sure that the next gift would make a blog entry for sure.

Yes my friends --- a Snuggie ( not to be confused with the Slanket)
I laughed so hard when I opened this and I loved the fact that my kids knew it would make me laugh and of course blog about it.

So now I can enjoy the comforting warmth of a blanket and still be able to find my hands..... Check out all the things I can do with my Snuggie

I can use a remote control and still be nice and warm

I can hold my beautiful baby

And it's so nice and big that I can cover all of my children at once

Not pictured: I can eat a snack, I can read a book, I can talk on the phone, I can read a newspaper and so many many more ...........

So thank you all for the Birthday Wishes!!

Shocking!

2009-08-14T10:31:00.000-07:00

I know some of you may be trying to recover from shock that I'm posting two days in a row. I've been meaning to post this one for a while. Just one more piece of evidence who his favorite is.

School Days

2009-08-13T13:25:00.000-07:00

Payton started school this Tuesday. All schools here in Lafayette wear uniforms - something Payton wasn't too excited about but in time will get used to.

Of course you can see Jack and Ben wanted to go too. Jack starts Kindergarten this year but, Kindergarten doesn't start until next week

My 4th grader showing how cool he is

Payton's teacher this year: Mrs. Bacon --- he was pretty pleased with this since Bacon is one of his favorite food groups

The Brotherhood

2009-08-13T10:07:00.000-07:00

Despite the cramped living conditions we have had since we moved back to Louisiana -- the kids have managed to still create a clubhouse

Club Awesome : Password don't enter without Password unless you're a member of Club Awesome

Yes! Club Awesome meets in the closet. You would think with all of the junk we have stored in the boys closet that there wouldn't be any room for anything else. Somehow they manage to cram in there. What's great is that they include Ben who thinks its pretty cool hanging with his brothers. I find it interesting for boys that are not crazy about the dark who need a nightlight in their room at night ----have no problem shutting themselves in a dark compact space for hours at a time with only a flashlight to protect themselves.

Taking an apple juice break

No!

2009-08-08T17:57:00.000-07:00

I'm sure there will be a day when he realizes what NO means but for now ..... its a new trick

In case you forgot

2009-07-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

Sometimes its hard to remember just how adorable my children are. Especially when one is pouting or when one is throwing a fit or when one isn't feeling well and is fussy. But I do remember...... Ryan and I sure make cute kids!

We love visitors!

2009-07-19T15:31:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago The Tregaskes family and Grandma Mikey came to visit. The boys of course loved every second of having their cousins around!! So we spent a lot of time driving around showing the wonderful things about Louisiana and why we love it here.

Yes it makes me a little nervous to know that we had 11 people in a 8 passenger car but we somehow survived and still liked eachother after.

One of the "hot" spots to visit is Avery Island - home of the Tabasco hot sauce factory. Here you learn all about the history of how Tabasco came to be. "Tabasco" means "Land of the hot and humid" and the kids all agreed (thanks to Nathan bringing to our attention) that Louisiana should really be called Tabasco.

Of course we had to show off the UL campus where Ryan is now working. It's a beautiful campus with lots of oak trees and its own swamp in the middle of campus. We took the kids to the swamp to feed the fish and turtles - NOT the alligators - but somehow the alligators managed to find a way to get their fill of bread too.

The cousins in front of one of the larger Oak trees on campus

We also went on a swamp tour: Ryan and our tour guide

Just a few things seen on the tour.........

What's a swamp tour without alligators? And what could be more fun than teasing the alligators? Our guide had some fish with him and would throw a fishing line with the fish out to attract the alligators closer to the boat -- but not too close. Of course if I had better reflexes with the camera these would have turned out better but you can see the alligator jumping at the fish (sort of?)

Our next stop was Red Stick or better known as Baton Rouge. We drove over to Baton Rouge so our visitors could go on the longest bridge and say they crossed the Mississippi. If I didn't know how to spell Mississippi before the trip I do now. Listening to 6 children repeat over and over M-i-s-s-i-s-s-i-p-p-i over and over was the highlight of the drive.

Visiting the Baton Rouge Temple

We are so glad that Amy and the kids and Mikey came to visit. Hopefully more people will feel the urge to make a road trip too!!!

Life will never be the same

2009-07-05T16:37:00.000-07:00

Ben's been doing the army crawl for a little while now but has finally figured out he can use his knees. Life will never be the same.

Yeah for Father's!!!

2009-06-21T13:17:00.000-07:00

I gave birth to these beautiful children but its clear that their favorite parent is Ryan. Maybe its because I have all boys and they naturally prefer dad or it might be that he just is a really great dad.

I asked the boys why they were glad that Ryan was their dad.......

Jack:

He's fun, he reads with me and he eats chips with me

These are all very good reasons!

Payton:

"He's awesome and fun. " Let me take you back a few days..........

I walked into the kitchen the other day and found this on the fridge

So I asked Payton.. "What makes you so awesome"? He said "Because I'm funny and awesome" OK so where did you get your awesomeness from? "Definately from Dad"!

And I might mention that I am awesome too. Payton told me so in a card for Mother's Day. However, I was told I was an awesome mom because he was so awesome. So I guess I can conclude that I am awesome because Ryan is awesome (strictly by association) ...... since that is where Payton inherited it from.

Happy Father's Day Ryan ----- you are totally AWESOME!!!

P.S. Thanks for throwing in the awesome gene to my three awesome boys!

Baby Hyrum and Birthday Boy Adam

2009-06-01T08:05:00.000-07:00

After driving 15 hours to move from Santa Teresa NM to Lafayette LA the boys and I drove to Huntsville AL (another 8.5 hrs) with Aunt Nancie to visit Kelli and see the new addition to her family. Welcome to the world Hyrum!!

I personally think he is a little "mini me" to his dad

And just to keep things in perspective ---- here is my giant baby compared to this tiny baby. Check out those cankles!

Baby Hyrum and Giant Ben

The Battraw family - doesn't Kelli look AMAZING!!!!

Payton was so excited to hold Hyrum. He really is so good with babies. Unfortunately we didn't get to hold him nearly as much as we wanted because he had to be on the billi blanket most of the time

Happy Birthday Adam!!!

More pictures to come.....

Teaser

2009-05-07T19:18:00.001-07:00

I realize I have been a little MIA in the blog world recently. Hopefully this makes up for it and hopefully I can get the blog bug again and start posting more.

Spring Break - The Drive

2009-03-29T19:36:00.000-07:00

For Spring Break we took a road trip to Utah with Ryan's parents. Ryan's brother Aaron lives in Provo so we went to visit him and to see some of the church sites in Salt Lake.Here we are - we've been on the road for a few hours and everyone appears to still be happy and enjoying themselves.
We stopped at Lee's Ferry if you have never been there I highly recommend it - GORGEOUS!

Ryan and Ben

A view of the canyon

My 3 Sons

Looking down to the Colorado River. Something I would have never thought up on my own - but Ryan was showing the boys how long it takes for spit to land in the river.

I have to say that it made me a little nervous being on the bridge. I was ok as long as I was in the center, but the closer I got to the edge the dizzier I felt. I did try to take a picture looking straight down into the river over the edge of the bridge but it didn't turn out so good. I realize I have irrational fears about my children, but I had to keep telling myself ... they will not fall off the bridge.... they will not fall off the bridge.

It was actually pretty cool to see the California condors. I think the boys thought it was cooler to call them turkey vultures, until we explained to them that these creatures are pretty much extinct. There are something like 70ish left in the world and we were able to see 8 of them that day.

Not sure if you can tell what Ben's shirt says "I'd rather be naked". This child loves to be naked. He could be throwing a royal fit but if you take off his clothes all of a sudden he is all smiles and giggles. I'm not sure if that is a baby thing or just a boy thing. Maybe both.

My guys

THE END

More pictures of our trip to come!

Look who's rolling over!

2009-03-29T19:13:00.000-07:00

Still trying to figure out how to roll back onto his back and not too happy about it.

Little Reminders

2009-02-14T15:00:00.000-08:00

Ok so maybe since I've been working full time I never find the time or desire to keep my house as clean as it should be. Maybe I start to clean and get frustrated with it all and have to stop cleaning before I lose my mind.
Well today I tried to get some of the rooms looking half decent and Payton kept asking me " Is someone coming over mom?" Do I only clean my house when someone is coming over? Or is it that I just realize what a mess and how embarrasing it is when someone is going to come over? I didn't think my children were keeping tabs on that. I told Payton "No - no one is coming over I just want a clean house". So a little time goes by and Payton says "Mom we shouldn't really be cleaning today - you know - it is a holiday. He is right it is a holiday -but I still wish I could wave a magic wand and make all the mess disappear.

Happy/Sad

2009-01-29T16:57:00.000-08:00

What is more fun than making a baby smile?

According to Ryan making weird noises and making a baby cry is much more entertaining

Just another Sunday

2009-01-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

Don't you just love Sundays? Yesterday morning Ryan was off at a meeting so it was just me and my three sons. I had just helped Jack type up his talk. The theme for the month is "We are Spirit Children of God". So Jack and I had worked on this talk and he did a fabulous job explaining how God wants us to be happy and make good choices. Some of the good choices he can make are things like: listen to my mom and dad, listen to the Holy Ghost, Be nice to my brothers etc....
So I had the boys settled a bit and decided to jump in the shower leaving Ben in his swing. No more than 2 minutes had gone by and Payton was pounding on the bathroom door, I could hear Ben screaming in the background and Jack throwing some kind of fit. I yelled to Payton "What in the world is going on"? Well Ben is crying because Jack is crying and it scared him.. "Why is Jack crying", I ask. Payton responds "because Jack hit me"
So I know what you are thinking. Why is Jack crying if he hit Payton? No it's not because he was moved by the spirit and felt horrible for being mean to his brother. You see Payton forgot to mention that after Jack hit him he grabbed Jack's arm and pinched him. Cue the music...... All the world is filled with love when there's love at home......
Hey guess what? Payton has a talk next week!!!

It's Gumbo weather

2008-12-13T08:19:00.000-08:00

It's Gumbo weather!! Unfortunately El Paso is limited on the sausage required for Gumbo - unless you enjoy chicken and hotdog gumbo which we do not. So we decided to special order some wonderful cajun sausage. It showed up yesterday in a cooler - still frozen. Ryan thought Jack would enjoy getting mail so when he ordered it he put to be mailed to Jack's House. Well when Jack opened the package and realized it was just sausage he got a little weepy. " I always get the lame gifts in the mail" was the response. Little did he realize that the sausage was packaged with dry ice and the genius that Ryan is helped Jack see that the real gift was the wonderful things you can do with dry ice. First he put it in a glass with soda and the boys oohed and aahhed appropriately. But the real excitement came when the question came up : I wonder what would happen if we put the dry ice in the toilet. So in response to my sister Michelle's blog post --- this is what having little boys is all about. Is it wrong to enjoy watching two little boys put dry ice in the toilet and discover what happens when you pee on it? I say no! Have you ever heard my boys laugh? It's a glorious sound!!

And in this corner...

2008-12-12T17:10:00.000-08:00

Well I took Benjamin to the Dr earlier this week and he weighed in at 13 lbs 7 oz. His doctor seems to be quite impressed with my ability to breastfeed - I think I'm supposed to take that as a compliment. As you can see from the photos : this boy ain't starving!

Apparently he thought he was hungry and decided to eat his hand

It's just not possible to look at this boy and not think he is the cutest thing on the planet! We love him! And as Jack says nearly everyday " He's so adorable"!

Is this a good activity?

2008-12-10T08:44:00.000-08:00

Christmas is absolutely one of my favorite times of the year. And what makes it even better is having a new addition to our family. Here we are putting up the tree - and it only took us two days to put it up and decorate it. I remember mom always saying how she enjoys sitting and watching the lights. I always thought this was a little odd (sorry mom) maybe its a mom thing but I find myself doing the same thing these days. It seems every year we have the discussion "white lights or colored lights"? I like the white light, uniformed tree. Ryan likes the colored light, mismatched. children made tree. Not that I don't like that as well but I've always thought it would be nice to have the family tree and a "just for looks" tree. It seems like I'm getting less attached to the idea each year. It is pretty fun watching the kids get so excited about decorating the tree and deciding exactly where each decoration would look the best. And I find myself watching the colored lights and feeling very happy.

Can we do the activity now? Activity - Nativity : to a five year old same thing. The boys get pretty excited about this as well. I have 3 nativity scenes. This one was given to us from Ryan's mom when we got married. It is fun to watch the boys decide where the best place for everything is. Somedays I notice that a shepherd or a wise man has moved but I'm sure its just to get a better view.

Red Ryder BB Guns

2008-12-04T08:45:00.000-08:00

When you think of Christmas - do you think of a Red Ryder BB Gun? My children actually own one so I can say with confidence that it will not be on anyones Christmas list this year. So what do you do with a Red Ryder BB gun? I think the more important question is what do you do with a BB gun and expired soda that no one will drink. Well this is what you do.....

There is nothing like watching soda cans exploding! And since I was taking these sweet photo's I didn't get a picture of me shooting at the can's. In case you didn't know I am actually quite good at shooting things from a short distance as long as they aren't moving. Not everyone can say that!

Thanksgiving

2008-12-04T08:19:00.001-08:00

Did you have snow on Thanksgiving? I did! We made the trip to Alpine to spend Thanksgiving with Ryan's family - everyone was there except Faron and Jenny. Now you would think with all the fun people that were seeing Ben for the first time that I would have tons of pictures to show for it. Well we definately left with something and it wasn't lots of pictures.
I started out good though - Thursday morning it started to snow and of course the kids all dressed up in their snow gear. Jack and a couple of the cousins were anxious to snow angels which turned out to be mud angels with a dusting of snow but they had a great time doing it. It really was a beautiful sight to see the snow and the snowflakes were HUGE. So I managed to take a few pictures of the snow. Unfortunately by afternoon the sun came out and melted most of it.

I think Jack was one of the first ones outside anxious to play in all the snow. OK so you have to look real closely to see it but it was there. This of course is at the beginning of the snowfall - there really was much more.And I managed to take a picture with Uncle Aaron and Ben sleeping

By Thurs night Jack was throwing up with diarrhea. We decided to leave Friday morning in the event that the rest of us were fortunate to enjoy the same fortune and neither Ryan or I wanted to make the drive back feeling like that. We thought if we made it home it would be better to be sick at home. One by one Amy and her kids, Aaron, and our family have been cursed with the plague. It seemed to be a quick recovery for the kids but Ryan and I for some reason are still trying to recover. You know it just wouldnt' be Thanksgiving without someone throwing up mashed potatos!

It's always fun for everyone!!!

2008-11-21T15:35:00.000-08:00

Nancie came to visit this past weekend and we loved having her here!! Even though all we did was sit around - I'm a little lacking on the entertainment skills right now - it was nice to have family here. The boys loved having her to play games with so I'm sure she got her fair share of Bingo, Clue, and Chutes and Ladders but hey who doesn't enjoy a good game of Chutes and Ladders.

Our favorite Aunt Nancie!!
I know many people have been asking me to post more pictures with Ben with his eyes open. Babies change so much day to day and to be honest I think he looks different in pictures then he does in real life but he's still adorable!

I'm thinking he is at about 11 lbs by now - we have his month check up on Monday but I weighed myself with and without him today and thats what I came up with. He should be putting on the pounds with as much as I feed him. Don't you love the double chin? I wish it was as cute for me to have a double chin. I guess that's why you won't see any pictures of me for a while.

Jack really wanted me to put this outfit on him yesterday but its a 3 month outfit and I told him it probably wouldn't fit. Well I tried it out today and it fits pretty well.

As always I will try to do better about posting more pictures. It's just hard not to want to sleep every chance I get. Some nights he's only up twice and goes right back to sleep other nights he's up for a couple hours. Even though I seem to be exhausted I try to keep things into perspective. I love this little boy! I love Ryan for giving me this little boy! And I would much rather be sleep deprived and up all night with him than to not have him in my life. I am so grateful for a Father in Heaven who allows us to experience having these miracles!

Guess who's 2 weeks old!

2008-11-11T15:06:00.000-08:00

You just can't tell that Jack absolutely loves his little brother. It is not uncommon to hear " Hey there little buddy" and to hear Jacks sweet little voice singing to Benjamin. Unfortunately it is also not uncommon to hear the two older boys argue over who held him the longest and who's turn it is.

I have yet to capture a smile but Ryan has managed to get this semi smile
You can see he has light brown hair but I wonder if it will change to blond - he has no eyebrows !

Our good friends Benny and Maria (Tia Nena and Tio Guero)came to visit with their girls on Sunday

2 weeks ago

2008-11-10T13:51:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago today I was praying that I wouldn't have the baby so we could celebrate Jack's birthday. He had been planning the perfect birthday party for so long and I wanted him to have a perfect #5 birthday. As mentioned before he really wanted a Chuck E Cheese birthday with a hamburger cake. I'm pretty sure he had that planned since his #4 birthday. When we arrived at Chuck E Cheese that night it was a mad house - the whole parking lot was filled with minivans and SUV's so we had to change plans and Jack agreed that he could have his birthday at Peter Piper Pizza. The fact that I had taken the time to search coupons online to satisfy my need to be as frugal as possible went out the window, but it was worth it considering the kids could run around a play games without waiting in a 10 minute line. I mean its Chuck E Cheese for crying out loud - not Disneyland.

The last photo I have with just two (and a half) sons.

Birthday morning pancakes - Mickey mouse of course - and hot chocolate! Just what the birthday boy ordered. Of course he filled up on hot chocolate and didnt' eat the pancakes.

The hamburger cake was freakin awesome!! I was really uncertain about how it was going to taste because it looked like it was about 3 inches of frosting -- and the smell!!!! I know it was because I was pregnant but the smell was very unattractive to me. I have to say that we were all very impressed it really was a great tasting cake!!

Now the french fries on the other hand - not so great. I'm not sure what happened there but it still looked pretty cool.

Me and My Jack

The party crew - Grandma Mikey, Aunt Bess and Jeff, The Valles family - Benny, Larisa, Maria, and Abbie

And what party isn't complete without Dad and his pornstache!

How's that for October 27, 2008 - now October 28th a whole new adventure!

More pics

2008-11-05T11:42:00.000-08:00

Benjamin is now 1 week old!! He still has his days and nights mixed up so he sleeps the majority of the day away. I'm still trying to catch up on sleep but I have a feeling I'll be saying that for years to come.

I finally got a good picture with his eyes open - its not too often that his eyes are open for any long period of time.

Payton and Benjamin - the newness has not worn off yet. The boys still love to hold Benjamin every chance they get.

Benjamin sun bathing and Jack keeping him company.

Stay tuned for pictures of Jack's birthday........

Benjamin Michael

2008-10-30T08:59:00.001-07:00

He's here!! I know you are all anxious to see pictures of Baby Benjamin - here's just a few. When I have had a good nap I will post more.Minutes old

I know compared to little Sammy he probably looks like a giant

Thankfully Ryan's mom Mikey could be here! It was great to have her in the room during the delivery and such a relief to know Payton and Jack were loved and cared for while I was in the hospital.

Yes they are both still this excited about their little brother. It is so fun to see how they behave around him.

Big Brother Jack

Jack and the baby

2008-10-23T09:10:00.000-07:00

So despite the fact that I really want to have this baby I'm concerned that he will be born so close to Jack's birthday. For a while Jack thought that if the baby was born before his birthday that the baby would be older than him. I think that he has gotten over that but he may not understand that if this baby comes before his birthday we will have to re evaluate the birthday plans. Jack has been planning for some time to spend his birthday celebration at Chucky Cheese. He also has wanted a hamburger cake. Everytime we are at Albertsons we have to stop at the bakery to see the cake decorated like a hamburger complimented with french fries. At first I thought -"I could do that" but honestly I just don't have the energy or desire to do anything right now and I guess that includes trying to make a special hamburger cake for my Jack. So last night I was talking to the kids about the baby and I asked Jack "what if the baby is born on your birthday?" He got pretty excited and said that I could I give the baby to him as a present and put him in a box so he could open the box but that I would have to put holes in the box so the baby could breath. Its a good thing he remembered the holes.

And just so that you know because Jack is very excited and has been counting down the days :

4 more days !!!

Stop the Press!!!!

2008-10-21T20:16:00.000-07:00

OK no joke this was on the front page of the El Paso Times today:

"Without bid, inmates will be without tortillas"

EL PASO -- In a city where tortillas are as common as dollars and pesos, inmates at El Paso County jails will have to go without tortillas -- a cruel and unusual crisis.
No tacos. No burritos. No soup. No corn. No flour.
County officials announced on Monday that no vendors had responded to a bid asking for tortilla supplies for the detention bureau division which includes the county jail, jail annex and juvenile detention center.
"Can't we just arrest someone who knows how to make them?" asked County Commissioner Dan Haggerty.
The contract, which is for six months, is normally worth about $10,000.
Piti Vasquez, the county's purchasing agent, told commissioners that one company did intend to turn in the paperwork needed to make the tortilla bid, but they were several hours late in doing so and had to be disqualified.
The county will now have to re-bid the tortilla contract and hope that at least one of the 20 tortillerias in the El Paso area respond.
Haggerty had a better suggestion -- have the inmates make them.
"I can understand why we have to have a contract for the milk," he said. "But there's no reason why the tortillas and the bread should not be made by the prisoners."
Gustavo Reveles Acosta may be reached at greveles@elpasotimes.com;546-6133.

My favorite line "Can't we just arrest someone that knows how to make them?"
Seriously?
What is the world coming to? God Bless America!

Pregnant Bellies and Sweet smelling showers

2008-09-20T19:09:00.000-07:00

So I've realized for some time that I can't see my feet anymore and maybe that's a good thing considering they are swollen a good majority of the time. Just thought I'd share - in case you are wondering what that big blob is covering half of the picture it is the pregnant belly I speak of. And yes I had to do some creative acrobatics to get this picture. Good times!Jack just got out of the shower while smelling his arm and said "Mom I could eat myself I smell so good!" Who ever said that little boys smelled like puppy dog tails? OK so most of the time they do but not after taking a shower with tangerine smelling soap. Jack just makes me smile!

My #1 Son

2008-09-04T17:45:00.000-07:00

Payton's birthday was on Tuesday and I can't believe that he is 9 already! So in tribute to my #1 son I thought I would share a few things about Payton.

He really is a great kid and has a delightful sense of humor. The other night the boys were acting up at the dinner table so Ryan told them that if they didn't stop he was going to have to slap them. Without much thought Payton said " What style?" What do you mean what style? Well you know it could be a ninja slap or a disco slap... and then proceded to show us the different kinds of slaps.

I love to hear Payton laugh. Its actually kind of a giggle and its quite contagious.

Even though he is 9 now and its not very cool to hold his mothers hand he sometimes lets me hold his wrist.

Apparently Payton has a pretty cool shower dance which I have yet to catch him in the act

I love the fact that he loves to tell people about his one normal ear and his one elf ear and how much he is like his dad

It seems as though he has a very low pain threshold - even when I cut his hair you would think that I was beating the child to death the way he over reacts. I think we have heard the phrase "Its the worst pain I've ever been in" a number of times. You would think this would get old, but somehow it never does.

Payton has a great memory (which obviously he got from his dad) especially when it comes to tv shows or video games and if you have a few minutes he will tell you all about it.

He is a great helper and I know he is excited to be a big brother again as long as changing diapers isn't required.

He is very intelligent and apparently much smarter than I am but maybe someday he will realize that I do know a little about some things. I have always thought his he must truly be older than me in spirit. Even as an infant he seemed to be this little man in a tiny body.

He is a wonderful son and I love him! I couldn't ask for a better #1 son.

And welcome to.......

2008-08-26T15:45:00.000-07:00

So the past couple of days I can't get the theme song to My Three Sons out of my head. As badly as I wanted a little girl I am getting more and more excited for this little boy to be born - despite the fact that we can't really officially decide on a name. We have a few ideas now that we both like but for some reason I keep thinking I need to see what he looks like before I can name him. This was not the case with Payton and Jack. Why that is I don't know - I think its a bit frustrating to Ryan - he really wants this kid to have a name NOW. I'm still open to suggestions.

My life

2008-08-26T15:35:00.000-07:00

Maybe I'm ridiculous, but I laugh everytime I see this commercial and I'm pretty sure that this is a foreshadowing of my life in the future. Can't you just see Ryan sitting at the table with the boys and doing something like this?

Look at her garden grow!

2008-08-05T19:59:00.000-07:00

This is our front yard planter with my gorgeous squash garden. We planted yellow squash and zucchini this year and have had an overabundance of squash which we love! I went to Alpine last weekend to see my man and boys and to celebrate Mikey's birthday. While I was gone it rained and my squash went a little crazy. This is what was waiting for me when I got home. Isn't that just the most beautiful sight you've ever seen. It feels like an accomplishment to me especially since I seem to kill any living plant or flower I come into contact with. I've never thought of myself as having a green thumb but hopefully I'm getting better at that. And yes - it seems we pick about this much every day. Now if I could just get my kids to enjoy eating the stuff without gagging.

First day of school

2008-08-05T19:50:00.000-07:00

Payton's first day of school was yesterday. You can just see the excitement in his eyes. It's hard to believe he is already in 3rd grade and almost 9 years old. Of course he is just sure that he couldn't possibly learn anything new but the mean parents we are we insist on him getting an education. His teacher's name is Mrs Rapanut. Yes it is pronounced exactly the way it looks and I'm sure I don't have to tell you how much Ryan enjoys this.

2008-07-13T20:47:00.000-07:00

So yes I do realize that it has been about 2 months since I have posted anything so get off my back! I guess I'll start with the latest and then maybe randomly put in some old news. So the 4th of July we had a full house. Ryan's brothers Aaron, Faron and wife Jenny, Mikey, and Amy's boys (Nathan, Jackson, and Thomas) were visiting and we had a blast!!

Aaron made a giant slip and slide for the boys and they spent several hours playing

Some in action photos

Payton and Nathan enjoying the pool - goggles a must!

Thomas and Jack crashing into eachother

Now of course the real fun came the night of the 4th when we blew things up. Since it is legal here in New Mexico to do so the men purchased enough to keep us entertained for a good 2 hours. However I think the highlight of the night was blowing up Homer Simpson. Ryan had a brilliant idea to give a Homer pinata to Faron and Jennny on their wedding day. Well that was about a year and a half ago so Homer made a visit to our house (courtesy of Mikey who I'm sure was glad to have it out of her garage). I'm not sure how it was decided but the idea was brought up to shove a bunch of fireworks in Homer and blow him up. This could have turned out to be a disaster but it certainly was entertaining.

Here is what Homer looked like to start out with

This was after a large amount of blackcats were set off inside Homers belly which clearly was not exciting enogh so.......

Someone had a brilliant idea to put mortars in Homer - in case you don't know what that is - those are the big ones that shoot way up in the air ..... you know the ooh and aah ones.

OK kids definately don't try this at home

All in all ---- Good times!!

Soccer camp

2008-05-13T17:41:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the second annual Soccer Camp!!!

It's so wonderful that we can get a bunch of kids together and let them run around kicking a soccer ball and call it camp. They were all so excited and it was a blast watching them.

The Tragaskes family joined us again as well as William (Katherine's son) and Grandma Mikey

Warm up time

I love these two pictures of Thomas. Mainly because he is so cute but also because in the world of a 4 year old the time between total bliss and total misery is just a few seconds.

Katherine and William

Just a few fun pics

Everyone had a great time and at the end of the camp everyone got a cool UTEP t-shirt

Gone Fishing

2008-05-13T17:20:00.000-07:00

You may be wondering why this picture is significant. I just wanted to share with you all the damage a 4 year old can do to his pants. When I took Jack to school that morning he did not have gigantic holes in his pants. When Ryan and the boys picked me up from work on the way to our weekend in Alpine Jack looked like this. A couple weekends ago we were in Alpine visiting Ryan's parents and Grandma Sue. Ryan and Grandpa Bobby took the boys fishing - and they had a blast --until it got too cold.

All in all they caught about a dozen trout which we brough home. Ryan and the boys did a wonderful job at cooking them up on the grill. Yummy Yummy!! I'm so glad I have a husband who has incredible man skills and loves teaching his boys.

Nathan's baptism - fun with cousins

2008-05-13T16:40:00.000-07:00

Guess who turned 8? Nathan!!! I realize this was about a month ago but since we all know it takes some time for me to actually post on my blog ....... Congrats Nathan!!
So we went to ShoLow and joined in the festivities. The boys were disappointed we couldn't stay longer - they love to play with their cousins.

Justen and Nathan

I couldn't resist this picture! Grandpa Bobby was helping Payton figure out how to put on a "real tie" before the baptism. Love It!
This was a separate visit but I thought I would show the whole gang: Kylie, Payton, Jackson, Jack, Thomas, and Nathan. We love the Tregaskes family!

Speed Racer

2008-04-22T19:52:00.000-07:00

Pinewood Derby Time!!! So Payton's first Pinewood Derby was this past Friday. Apparently Ryan is not a huge fan of this particular event because there always seems to be at least one child left out or crying because their car never won. Valid point. Anywho Payton was still way excited so Ryan put those feelings aside and helped him make the BEST Pinewood Derby Car EVER! Of course with a little help from Grandpa Bobby. We were up in Alpine last weekend to attend Nathan's baptism (pictures coming soon on a different post) and Bobby happened to have all the necessary sawing material as well as the "winning" secrets.

The final product - sort of - at least the design. By the way - have to give props to Faron for the sweet design that we copied from his winning car - how many years ago?
More work with a little help from Dad and Jack
I think this is Payton's favorite pose - look familiar?
I really tried to get a good picture of the track - it's a bit fuzzy but truthfully I think this might be one the best picture I got of it.So the first did a trial run and Payton's car kicked some booty I mean some serious bootay. So after he scorched everyone I turned to Ryan and said - "We need to leave now" You know just in the event that that didn't happen again and we had a dissapointed child. However the Pinewood Derby Gods were smiling on Payton that day because he won EVERY race.

So Payton won 1st place and there was much rejoicing in the land of the Nelson's. And yes most of the father's were huddled around Ryan asking him how they made the car and checking it out.

The dynamic duo kissing the winning trophy

Random Easter pics

2008-04-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

Don't you love Easter? Don't you love seeing Easter pictures a month after the fact? Well stop complaining about my lack of bloggin saavy and just enjoy the pictures.
Since I do not have little girls and I can't buy fancy frilly Easter dresses my boys will always have a new Easter tie. Aren't they so handsome?
Seeing what's in the baskets
Coloring eggs the day before
So there you have it - random Easter pics. Someday I will start making regular postings. Some day.

BLUE and GOLD

2008-03-23T20:40:00.001-07:00

So here's the first edition - I'm making progress - one event successfully blogged (even if it is a month old)

The tradition in our ward for Blue and Gold is for the fathers and sons to make a cake together to celebrate the Birthday of Cub Scouts. Payton really wanted to make a graham cracker cake in the shape of a castle. Tricky but not impossible.Having a little fun with the graham crackers
Surprisingly when we left for the night we took the cake out of the fridge and it looked like this. So Payton the ever creative child that he is, improvised and strategically placed action figures and a canyon to make it look like the castle had been bombed. It still tasted great but I think the appearance made people shy away from trying it.

And what do you know - Payton placed 2nd. It might have had something to do with the fact that it looked like he actually made the cake and not his mother (like the other cakes). Chalk that one up for experience!

Step off

2008-03-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

So I'm beginning to get threats about posting something new on my blog. I know. I'm working on it. I just haven't had the time. I promise this weekend there will be new and exciting things to show and tell. So for now ...... pretend like you just saw something great.

Valentines Day

2008-02-16T19:30:00.001-08:00

So I have to say that this Valentines Day was absolutely the BEST!!! I got out of work late and was bummed about that but when I called Ryan to tell him I was on my way home he told me to ring the door bell when I got home. So as instructed, when I got home I rang the doorbell and this delightful young man answered the door. (Minus the deer in the headlight look) He said "Dinner for one? Please follow me" then he preceded to walk me into the kitchen, pull my chair out, place my napkin on my lap, and place the menu in front of me.

Welcome to Candy Ninja Turtles of Love Cafe

And inside of course - the choices for a delicious meal....

Introducing Chef Jack... now Payton tried his hardest to get Jack to put on a white shirt and tie but he was not at all interested in that. Apparently it took some convincing to at least wear the apron.

The masterminds behind the whole beautiful night
I know you can't tell by this picture but the lights were out, the candles lit and the "homemade meal" was fabulous

The boys had been planning this for a week or so prior and I had no idea!! I absolutely have the best most thoughtful kids and husband. Happy Valentines Day to me!!!!

Wanted: Dead (not alive)

2008-02-01T18:07:00.000-08:00

Apparently I forgot that there are other people in my family. Since I have the master hunter in the family I need to recognize his efforts in this blog as well. So these are the mountain sheep that Ryan checked out a couple weeks ago. Tomarrow my huntin husband is spending the day doing the MAN thing and hopefully will return with his bounty. No pictures of live sheep tomarrow --- just the dead one he carries back in his jeep. And since one of the perks of this new toy of his is that you can hose down the interior, we may doing that as well. Take luck Ryan take luck!!!

Still bloggin

2008-02-01T16:17:00.000-08:00

OK so I realize that it's been forever since I've blogged. All I can say is I'll try to do better. I thought about posting Christmas pictures but not sure. It's been so long - do people really want to see Christmas pics when Mardi Gras is just around the corner? Oh yes by the way - Mardi Gras is Tuesday!! King cake anyone?

Boys will be boys

2008-02-01T16:00:00.001-08:00

So the other night I was doing my duty as a mother/hygienist and flossing my children's teeth as I was getting them ready for bed. I flossed Jack first and as I was flossing Payton's teeth, Jack decided to do some ninja moves and landed on his face on our tile floor. While screaming and crying he stood up and at first I wasn't sure what exactly was wrong. What I mean is that there was so much blood that I couldn't tell where it was coming from. And as I'm sure you can imagine - the hygienist in me was concerned that a tooth was lost in the process. Needless to say after I stopped enough of the bleeding to see what the damage was I figured out that he had bit his lip completely through and through. So of course I had to take a picture of my poor child in pain. Yet somehow he still managed to try and smile.

I know it looks painful doesn't it?

This one is of how it looked the next day - I know you can't see it in this photo but he had a huge traumatic ulcer inside his lip as well as being black and blue

Even though I am well aware of the healing process of the mouth I am still amazed at how quickly he recovered. It has only been a week and it looks like nothing ever happened.

Ode to a shower head

2007-12-10T19:32:00.000-08:00

I know I'm a little crazy right now but I love my new shower head! I had been noticing for a while that it was requiring a lot more work to get wet in the shower. The water pressure just wasn't the same. So I mentioned this to Ryan and he promptly went to Lowe's and bought a new shower head and installed in on Sat. And I love my new shower head. It is so great! And if my shower was not so not picture friendly I would take a picture of my new shower head and share it with the world.
The End

Thanksgiving

2007-12-09T15:18:00.001-08:00

OK so I know that Thanksgiving was like forever long ago and I am way behind on my blog but better late than never. Story of my life. Well as many of you know we drove to Houston to see Ryan's parents on their mission. Ryan's brother Aaron also joined us. Good times shared by all and a really neat experience for us all to see Bobby and Mikey in this setting.Mikey at her desk in the mission office
Bobby showing the boys where he get's all his missionary work done
I know there are many Turkey Bowls that go on but we had a baseball game instead and had a great time. The boys aren't at all competitive - and they definately didn't inherit that from me
Jack pitching - now I wish you could all see this in real life. He really takes great effort to make sure that whoever is on whatever base (even when no one is there) does not steal a base. Not sure if that made much sense but trust me its pretty funny.
There's no crying in Baseball!!

Unfortunately someone didn't think to take a picture of the homerun queen (that would be me)

I think the kids were a little surprised that I could actually hit the ball but I think in the end they decided that mom really is better than dad.

Aaron and Mikey showing off the turkey

Good eats! The Thanksgiving spread

All and all a good time!!

Old Mesilla

2007-11-10T17:49:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we took a short road trip with the Valles family to Old Mesilla in Las CrucesOutside the old courthouse where Billy the Kid "supposably" was hung
It's amazing how much fun a water fountain can be to a four year old who was "SO thirsty"

I just love these pictures and yes I realize that this blog is a little "Jack heavy" as Ryan puts it, but I just couldn't resist how adorable this is.

Needless to say I'm sure you can imagine that he wasn't so dry after that drink.

Halloweeny Night

2007-11-10T15:54:00.001-08:00

Thankfully this year I was not in the hospital for Halloween! Our ward had a Halloween "party" and trunk or treat. The party was not so much but the trunk or treat went well. Anytime you can collect mass amounts of candy in 15 minutes - its a good thing. Of course we invited our adopted family - the Valles.Larissa the witch, Abby the fairy, Payton the red ninja, and Jack the fireman

Jack's Birthday

2007-11-10T15:34:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you are all impressed with the cake that I didn't decorate myself
I know its been said before - but do you think he looks a little like me? I'm just saying
The birthday party - Larissa, Payton, Jack, and Abby
Its so great to have a child that wants simple things for his birthday. He just really wanted to ride his bike. I know to some it may be odd, but our church parking lot is really ideal for bike riding and although it is quite common to see a car in a parking lot we only go when cars are not around. I do try to teach my children important things in life like avoiding playing around cars

Sweet Ride

2007-11-10T15:29:00.000-08:00

For those of you that have inquired about the newest addition to our family and Ryan's most favorite toy

Building and Growing

2007-10-27T12:33:00.000-07:00

So we went to Lowes this morning to get some things for Ryan's lab at work and they had this great thing going on. Every 2nd and 4th Sat they have a kid's program "Build and Grow" where they have a little project that the kids make and it's totally FREE! Today they were making spiders. We happened to show up right as they were ending but the guy let us do it anyway. The boys got these great Lowe's aprons, goggles, a certificate and every time they make something they get a new patch to sew on the apron. LOVE IT!!!! They had a great time and it was a great family time activity. I highly recommend it - we are looking forward to doing this again!
He really did have a better time than this picture shows
Super Payton - with his lightning reflexes and keen sense of eight-year-oldness he conquered the Lowe's kingdom.
The Goof Troup

More pictures of our day

2007-10-13T21:05:00.001-07:00

We think its a ram? A goat? Not sure
We saw mostly does- after we saw the little baby deers with the mommas, Payton asked why none of the male deer were around. This gave Ryan a wonderful opportunity to explain the nature of the wild kingdom. That in itself was entertaining. All Payton had to say was "it's a good thing humans aren't like that"

Just a Lazy Saturday Afternoon

2007-10-13T20:39:00.000-07:00

We had to break in the new jeep so we took it for a ride in the mountains near El Paso and ended up in Cloudcroft. Saw some pretty cool things!

It didn't take long for Jack to fall asleep

Payton in the back seat loving the drive

I couldn't resist

Doesn't he look so excited to be driving

Good Times

2007-10-12T19:14:00.000-07:00

I know you can't tell from this picture but apparently if you put on a little High School Musical Jack stands up on the kitchen counter for a stage.

Can you say Bet on it!!!
Someone forgot to tell Jack to put on his silly face
Yes - I am teaching my children the Lindblom pout
What can I say... they are just the cutest kids you've ever seen and it looks like they just love love love eachother- at least when a camera is around