A Reason to Celebrate

Since the last post Alex and I have had a lot of reasons to celebrate.  In February we celebrated Alex's birthday. It was on a Sunday so we went to a movie the day before but we had too much candy so we vetoed dinner afterward.  The next day Alex was on-call and had to work until 7:30. When he got home we had a halibut dinner.  I don't think it was Alex's finest birthday ever.  Hopefully next year we can make up for it.

The other reason we have to celebrate is that March 11, 2012 was our one year anniversary! To celebrate we went on a cruise for a week.  

It started out a little rocky.  For some reason there was quite a bit of "motion in the ocean" as the captain would say.  It lasted all day of our day at sea and left Alex feeling sick.  

This picture doesn't do justice at the size of the waves

The next day didn't get much better and in some cases took a turn for the worse.  We went to Cozumel, Mexico and lets just say Alex and I are not in a hurry to go back any time soon.  It started of the a boat ride to the mainland that lasted 45 min. and certainly orchestrated from that place below.   For the sake of those with weak stomachs I'll leave the details of the boat ride out and sum it up by saying it was traumatizing.  After the boat we got on a bus for another 45 min. to the Mayan Ruins.  They were really cool but it was a really high price to pay to get there.

After the Mayan we went to a Mexican lunch and swimming in the ocean but it was so cold and windy we decided to just hangout on the beach.

The next day we went to Grand Cayman and have one of the most enjoyable days ever.  It was a much needed day so we didn't wonder why we went on a cruise.  They did have to cancel the excursion we wanted to go on because of safety but we managed just fine.  We started our day eating a delicious lunch at Hard Rock Cafe.  After lunch we enjoyed a few hours of lounging at 7 Mile Beach and swimming in the ocean, not to mention the amazing coconut water.

 
The following day was our day at Jamaica and just as enjoyable as the day before but in a very different way. It was much busier but full of so many adventures.  The best parts were the playing with the dolphins and hiking the falls.  Unfortunately, we weren't able to take cameras to the dolphins or the falls.  But, we did have fun with other creatures. Every time I told Alex I would not touch a particular animal I ended up with it on my head or around my neck.

The following days were spend on the ship and it wasn't quite so rocky.  We were able to lay out on the  top deck and enjoy the views of the ocean.  Eat amazing food and feel very well taken care of.  

I was so happy Alex could have a fun vacation since they are hard to come by.  We really enjoyed the last 5 days of our 7 days cruise and I feel we both got a much needed vacation.

The last reason we have to celebrate and certainly the most important is that Baby Nelson is on its way. I'm almost certain this child has ADHD because if its not sleeping its going crazy.  We had ultrasounds twice this week and both times the baby was bouncing all over the place.  We also believe the baby is a thumb sucker as seen in the pictures below.

We couldn't be more excited about this sweet addition.  We are really looking forward to October 2.  We feel so grateful that in just a few months of this new year we have had more blessings than we could ever ask for.

The Holidays and So Much More

So I have been seriously slacking here on the family blog.  There have just been too many fun things that it overwhelms me a little.  First, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Alex was on home call so we were really limited with what we could actually do.  He ended up working most of the day and I spent the day feeling a little home sick watching the parade and preparing the food for dinner that night.  We went to a friends house with 5 other families and enjoyed a fabulous dinner and great company.  Since we had dinner with friends, Alex was a little stressed about not having leftover pie (apple pie). So I attempted to make my first pie ever.  Although it wasn't perfect, it turned out pretty darn good. Alex seemed to enjoy it since he ate 3/4 of the pie.  

The next fun thing to happen was my birthday.  I was so excited for my birthday this year.  I felt like that I was a small child and really anticipating a day that was going to be all about me and wondering what was in each nicely wrapped box.  Needless to say, Alex spoiled me (and that's an understatement).  I was so excited that I actually woke up long before he had to leave for work and he let me open presents then.  He had bought me the start of the Willow Creek Nativity (very few people know how badly I have wanted this), a pair of grey TOMS, and drum roll... a sewing machine!!!! I also got a sewing kit, a new coat, apron and the best spatula/spoon ever and money and gift cards to shop with!!!!

Love the sewing machine!!! Also, notice the cute sewing kit from my mother-in-law

When Alex got home from work he brought me these beautiful flowers

Alex was really stressed about trying to make this the best birthday since it was my first one married.  All I can say is that he has set the bar really high for the years to come.  

Naturally, the next thing to write about is Christmas! This being our first Christmas married Alex and I wanted it to be the best ever, it was.  We weren't sure how much money we would have to buy gifts but magically moonlighting became an option just in time.  Since the month started out tight we had very little money for an decorations. We knew we would need to buy a tree so we got our first tree. It was SO much fun to decorate it together while listening to Christmas music.

Because money was so tight at the beginning of the month, I knew if I wanted any decorations I would have to make them.  I fell in love with a wall decor item at Pottery Barn (which was WAY out of my budget) so I decided to make my own. I also made a wreath for the front door for $5.

Pottery Barns 

My version of the one above for 1/5 of the price

 Alex and I were able to do a lot of fun things all month to get ready for Christmas. One of them was to meet up with my sister and her family for the Macy's Christmas Land and Santa.  The line was never ending but after seeing their kids see Santa it was well worth it.  Plus the Christmas Land is fantastic.

Then the magical day came and we had so many gifts under the tree it took us hours to open.  Our family and friends were VERY kind to us.  By the time we got done it really looked like someone had robbed us.

Last but not least, came the New Year.  New Years Eve we spent with friends and it was a lot of fun playing games and snacking on treats.  Alex and I were the lame ones at the party and we left at 11:45 because Alex had to start a new rotation and he had to wake up at 6:00. New Years day was a bitter sweet day.  My sweet grandma passed to the other side of the veil that morning.  I was relieved she didn't have to suffer but heartsick she had to leave us.  I made a last minute trip to Utah to attend the services and see family.  I was very appreciative for all the love I felt from everyone.

Despite this rough start to the year I still feel incredibly hopeful for a wonderful year ahead.  I always love the power to start over and do good a new year brings.  If this year is half as good as the last year then we are in for some good things.

That One Day...

Since it is early November, I feel this would be the appropriate time to blog about that one day.  You know that one day where people wear ridiculous costumes and get sick from partaking of too much junk. Honestly, for most of my life  I really didn't even look at it as a holiday. It was simply another day that marked the nearness of the fun holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Since getting married, Alex has introduced me to one of the most enjoyable holidays out there... Halloween. Who knew?

 We started off by going to our ward Halloween party.  It was a lot of fun.  We had a delicious dinner, danced our little fannies off and chatted with our friends.  Our original idea for costumes came from Despicable Me (one of my favorites).  Alex was going to be Gru and I was going to be a minion.  We changed our mind because finding the right items to pull it off was harder than expected (maybe next year).   We then thought about going as Simon and Paula but I couldn't figure out a modest outfit to make that happen.  So we finally decided to go as..... Edward and Belle. 

The costumes didn't turn out perfect but they worked and most people guessed right off who we were.  The wig that Alex was wearing was actually for a Simon Cowell costume but Alex cut it and messed it up.  Speaking for myself, I hate wigs and will probably avoid them for future costumes.  

T

The next thing we did for Halloween was to carve pumpkins.  It was SO much fun.  In the past I have always hated carving pumpkins. It's probably because they always turn out with a few unrecognizable holes and the top is cut somewhere near the center in a very jagged distorted circle.  This time we had the right tools and took our time. It was a blast.  Alex's is simply amazing and he proved what an artist he is.  Mine was simple but for once you can (kind of) tell what it is.  

Jamie's pumpkin. It's Dracula, in case it's hard to tell. 

Alex's masterpiece. The picture is blurry so it's hard to tell how amazing it really is.   

On Halloween we set our pumpkins outside all lit up! As the kids approached the house we could hear them squeal in excitement about how cool the pumpkins were.  Most of the comments were "Wow look at that haunted house," then we would hear, "How did they do that!?"    

The excitement only escalated when we opened the door and gave them their choice of either a box of crayons or a full size candy bar (this was Alex's idea to claim the title of "coolest family").  The kids were as happy as could be. It honestly made this Halloween a day to remember and set the holiday's off to a very good start.  I'm so grateful Alex introduced me to a new and fun way to celebrate this awesome holiday.  We are already looking forward to Halloween next year!  

The Latest and Greatest

So even after promising myself that this blog would never get behind yet I seemed to have gone on a little blogging hiatus. I didn't mean to; I thought about blogging a lot and I even thought about what to say but truthfully, Alex and I have had boring lives' the last few months. Alex has been busy at the hospital and I have just been holding down the fort. Despite our uneventful lives, I was able to find a few fun things that have happened the last 6 weeks.

The city of Rochester is great at providing a lot of fun things to do, especially in the summer. We finished off August by attending First & 3rd, it is an outdoor market that is held every Thursday and runs from May to August. There are hundreds of booths and live entertainment.

I'm still looking for a job but after getting the rejection email for the job Alex and I were both hoping I would get, I decided to just enjoy the down time. I never really want all this down time until I don't have it. I know that once I find a job and once Alex and I decide to throw a child in the mix that I will be craving quite time and a flexible schedule. So needless to say, I have been living up the life of a stay-at-home-wife.

Alex and I spent some time enjoying the Fablehaven series. We both really enjoyed it. Alex finished much faster than me because he reads lightning fast. I, on the other hand, am a really slow reader so I will be finishing the last book, probably, tomorrow.

With so much free time I decided that our dining room wall really needs some color for cheap and this would be the perfect time to do a little craft to spruce up the bare wall.

I really liked it at first but then the pages started to peel and crinkle. After a few days it just ended up looking like it was...well homemade wall art. So I came across a cute simple piece of art at Bed, Bath, & Beyond. With the last of our gift cards we decided (I decided, with Alex's permission, of course) that this would be great in our dining room. Plus it was on sale for a steal of a deal.

I don't like it as much as I liked the first hour of the homemade art but I like it much better than I liked the next day of the homemade art. I plan to add a little more around it as time goes on.

So the other day Alex came home from work, quickly changed his clothes and came out to the kitchen where I was cooking dinner. I looked up to find him standing there with the same smile you would find on a kindergartner who did really well on his art project. Then Alex announced that his official MD license finally came. I'm so proud of him and all of his hard work.

Last, but certainly not least, Alex and I purchased a pool table. Go ahead judge us. Tell yourself how irresponsible we are to make such a large purchase. Now that you have judged us, I will inform you that we got this beauty for 20 bucks... yes, really just $20. Plus we got 10 cue sticks and all the necessary accessories to play with it.

It all happened while I was looking for a really cheap dining room table and chairs online. Alex and I are tired of not having enough room at our table to entertain and we both think that financially it would be wiser to buy a used table and refinish it. While looking I came across this ad. It was being sold by a sweet older couple. They just don't play pool anymore. We love having this table to play on and to have a place where our friends can come and play.

Now we are just waiting for all of you to come play pool on our table. Since it will require some traveling, perhaps you should just come, make yourself at home, and stay a while.

The Nelson's present: The House Tour

We promised you picture of our house. We took a few pictures but we felt that a video would be more fun. The battery died on the camera right in the middle of the tour so we had to do it in two parts. Also, don't mind the pictures not hung up yet and some other details we have not attended to.

House Tour, Video 1

We love our house. It has been a great little house to rent. There is so much storage and really so much space overall. Just in case any of you like our house as much as we do (or your time is too precious to spend on watching the videos), here are a few photographs of the house but they are only of the main level.

Entryway

Living Room

Dining room/Living room

Kitchen

Alex using the kitchen

Bathroom

Master bedroom

Office (that was someone else's baby's room)

Now it is time for you to all come see it in person. We hope to see you soon.