Pluto

{Nicholas and Lottie}

Nicholas asked me why the astronauts were so rude yesterday as
his legs were crossed on the couch
(like his dad, Mr. Nielson does when he is reading)
He was casually flipping through a ten dollar space magazine he secretly
through in my cart a few days earlier at Costco.
I was nursing Lottie.
"Why" I asked.
Then he told me because that they-the astronauts- decided
Pluto wasn't a planet anymore.
"That's so rude mom, so rude"

Nie asks on BlogHer

Nie asks on BlogHer:
What do your family photos look like?


Tell me here.

Last day of school!!!

Last Day of School!!!!
We are celebrating today.
Let the summer begin!

Up up and away...for a day.

{On our way to Arizona}

Mr. Nielson, Charlotte and I are headed to Arizona for a mere 24 hours.
A quick meeting, and I am pretty sure I have a breast infection. Awesome.
Sometimes I feel bad for this shell of mine.
I am recovering from having a baby, major stomach reconstructive surgery,
stomach aches, oh, and I was burned a few years ago---remember that. yuck.
I will get through it, just like everything else.

{Lottie asleep in her seat on the plane...is that the cutest little mug you ever saw?}

I hope I can meet up with my dear friends at the AZ Burn Center....???
Maybe visit LGO?
Friends?
So much to do, so little time.

Mr. Nielson snoozes on the plane.
{I hate sitting away from him.}

Thank you and I am so happy.

Today I was looking through some old photos.
I found these darling self-timer photos of Claire, Jane, Ollie and Gigs
on my computer.
I laughed out loud.
These photos were taken while I was in the hospital in Arizona for
about a month with my hunchie surgery a few years back.

The children are younger but our lives are still kind of the same.
Surgery and change. Here a little and there a little.
But still smiling still blessed and certainly still happy.

I am so grateful for amazing family all around me that keep these monkeys
of mine happy and laughing when I can't.

I was writing thank you cards today and my heart was so filled with
love for many people who took (and takes) care of us daily.
I wrote a thank you to my dear cousin Jayne
{who's husband is the amazing Jed who did this}
because she pumped her own milk for my Charlotte while I was in the
hospital with my last surgery.
I thought about my sisters who call all the time
and ask how they can help.
Or when my sweet brothers text me out of the blue asking how I am.
Or a letter in the mail from a stranger uplifting me and giving me support.
The list just goes on...

I wish I could write all of you love-thank you notes because I
am overwhelmed with the love and support you show me through
letters, cards, sweet treats, things you make, e-mails, and so on.
THANK YOU! I love you and wish I could respond and personally thank you all!!

Loving and enjoying these:

Puj Tub and shoes:
{Thank you Katie}

Petunia Pickle Bottom
{Thank you Korrie}

Pinhole Press baby announcements
{Thank you Stacey}

Hey cousin Katie! Happy Birthday!!!
I love you so much.

Random thoughts on my husband

Its that time of year- outside dining. I love it.
This evening I made salmon with vegetables and dessert:
Chocolate chip scones.
My only dismay with making salmon,
is that it makes the children smell like little seaside fishmongers.
{especially their fingers...}
But no biggie, they shower right after dinner and are in bed.

Many many years ago, when Mr. Nielson and I were first married,
we used to put our babies to bed and then stay up late watching something
on TV and devour bowls of mini-wheat's.
I never thought life could get any better.

Those were good days.

These days are wonderful too.
Different, but wonderful.
Since having Lottie, we stay up late with her and watch "How it's Made"
or something awesome like that.
We still eat cereal and sometimes I nurse Charlotte
and Mr. Nielson feeds me.

Have I ever told you when Mr. Nielson and I watched the Super Bowl,
and a certain commercial came on (about dodge rams even) we both cried.
I feel like I've know Mr. Nielson forever and we are 100 years old.

{Photo by Justin Hackworth}

Did you know he can pick up Charlotte when she is fussy,
and he does this thing with his arms and holds her in a certain way and she
is silent. Its weird, and even before my arms were burned I couldn't
duplicate this special grip.


{Photos by Justin Hackworth}

Or sleep like that....


with his hand like that...nice.

Poem by Claire

{poem by Claire Elizabeth}

Charlotte is our miracle, Charlotte is our perfect angel, it must mean Heaven is here. Perfectly clean and pure she is the 5th pea in the pod, she is our jewel, she is our heart she is our miracle.

Nicholas is our home-body, quiet the opera screamer, he is he is our hope, he is our joy, he is our banana.

Oliver is our playful one, full of imagination, he is the army guy, he is our little daddy and he is a child of God.

Jane is our fire-head, the soccer player too. She is quite the cheerful one and she can be so dear.

{Its that time of year...photo by Justin Hackworth}

*****
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