Nelsonzz News and Notices

Happy Groundhog Day!

2011-02-02T13:54:00.000-08:00

Wow! First time I've been here on the old blog in many moons. It looked like the lobby of the Tower of Terror in Disneyland (picture link provided for those who are not Disney idiots like myself)when I just got here. I did a little housecleaning though, and now it's acceptable for new blog posts. It's been far too long, plus it will be nice to have a post at the top of the blog that isn't a long pity party about getting a boo-boo on my foot.

Mornings are generally hectic for us, as I'm sure they are for most folks. Stacie is busy trying to get ready for work, I'm busy with Lexie getting her breakfast and getting her ready to go catch the bus for school, and Jaden is busy breaking things. Today was no exception, but as Lexie was eating her breakfast, I found a video of today's ceremony in Gobbler's Knob with Punxsuwtawny Phil. Lexie's teacher does a great job of making a big deal out of things like Groundhog Day, and they had made sack puppets in anticipation of the big day. Lexie told me that she was VERY excited to see if he saw his shadow or not, so I figured she'd get a kick out of watching the video. This is what we watched:

We watched the whole video, Lexie laughing about how rotund Phil was, and Jaden peering around her. When they got to the very end, and announced (SPOILER ALERT!!!) that he did NOT see his shadow, Lexie leaped up in the air and screamed "Hooray! Spring is coming!" Then she stopped, looked at me, and got tears in her eyes. I asked her what was wrong, and she had a puzzled look on her face. She though for a second, and then said "Nothing Daddy, I'm just so happy!".

Anyone who has been around Lexie for more than three minutes knows that she can be ultra dramatic. In fact, my dad took the kids to McDonalds on Monday while I went to the foot doctor, and had to deal with the Level 5 trauma of Lexie finding mustard on her cheeseburger. After the ordeal, he remarked that he "wasn't used to girls yet". He didn't have daughters, so Lexie is a new experience for all of us. And while I am becoming conditioned to the hystrionics, yelling, and crocodile tears, today was different. It was a genuine emotional experience for her.

Of course, we relived this multiple times on the way to the bus stop. She related it to "when those ladies cry in church...you know...even though they're happy", and just before the bus came she mentioned that "I'm not even an adult yet, and I was crying because I was happy".

She is such a kick...her passion and determination are such a huge part of her makeup. I have thought many times (and been told many times as well) about how this will serve her well in her life. It makes raising a five-year old more liking breaking a wild stallion, but I know that she will be successful in her life with that type of drive. Let's just hope she doesn't choose to become the most successful art thief or something like that!

So it was a fun little walk to the bus stop and back this morning for me. I can't stop picturing her face as the pure emotion caught her by surprise and really overwhelmed her. If asked, I would have blamed the moisture in my eyes on the frigid winds outside but it was due more to her excitement and indomitable passion of life. I sure love her!

Lexie posing as a unicorn. Her words, not mine.

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"Wait...Josh is WHERE?!?!?"

2010-07-24T01:17:00.000-07:00

(Warning: lengthy, somewhat incoherent, sometimes nauseating ramblings about my recent interment at LDS Hospital follow. May cause drowsiness. Do not operate heavy machinery or automobiles while reading.)

I write this from the comfort of my own home sitting on my own couch. It has been a roller coaster of craziness over the past several days…and I wanted to chronicle what happened and explain everything. More than one person has been heard bits and pieces of our little family saga and was surprised to hear that I spent nearly four full days in the hospital. It came as a surprise to us as well; so here’s a little recap of my week.

I have dry feet. It’s something that I have had for several years, and it’s something that several members of my family have as well (OMINOUS FORESHADOWING NOTE!). Normally a little foot cream keeps it in check, but it the skin will occasionally crack and split, making it pretty sore and tough to walk on. I usually apply some Neosporin and it mends itself over a couple of days. I developed one of these cracks on the ball of my left foot, near the outside of the foot, a week or so ago.

For a while, it wasn’t too uncomfortable. These splits in the skin can get a little painful when I walk on them, but I kind of get used to them and don’t think too much about it. This particular sore hung around and got progressively tenderer each day. By last Friday it was really sore, and my foot started to swell up a bit. I stepped up my treatment, wrapping my foot in moleskin, more ointment, bandages, anything that took the pressure off of it. The outside part of my foot got really tender, and even putting on my shoe became painful. We had a busy weekend, full of errands, family reunions, and birthday parties, and I was on my foot quite a bit. When I took off my sock on Sunday night and removed the bandage, it looked pretty ugly. It was really swollen, and discolored, and I was beginning to understand that I might have a real issue here.

I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, so I went to bed hoping that the foot fairy would visit overnight and spackle my foot back together. I woke up with a bit of a fever, some nausea, and no real improvement on my foot. I finally decided that it was time to see a doctor (I know…I’m an idiot), so I hobbled to the InstaCare. It’s a little bit disconcerting to explain to a qualified professional what is going on, take off your sock, and watch his eyes widen and see him scramble for some gloves. He even brought a couple of nursing students in to check out the carnage, explaining to them “if you see something like this, let the doctor know immediately”. Oh joy.

He made an appointment for me to be seen at the wound care clinic the next morning (calling it an “act of God” to get me in so soon), but as he continued to examine the wound and was able to push a swab over an inch into the wound, he became more concerned that it needed immediate attention. He directed me to the emergency room at LDS Hospital and told me to step on it (Ha! Foot joke!). Again, it becomes disconcerting when you check in, casually notice the sign that reads “Patients will be seen in order of importance”, sit down in a waiting room with a half dozen people, and YOU ARE CALLED BACK WITHIN TWO MINUTES. Fantastic.

I was shown to a “suture room”, equipped with a small bed that was obviously used for short term visits, which became a bit of a torture device over the next seven hours that I occupied it. They ran a whole gamut of tests, finding elevated white blood cell counts (indicative of the infection), high blood sugar counts , and elevated heart rate/blood pressure (I guess I finally got it through my thick head that I was not doing so hot and was a little nervous). They hooked me up to an IV, started pumping me with antibiotics, ordered an MRI on my foot, and told me the only place I was going that night was upstairs.

Stacie had arrived, and decided to run one of our cars home so that my dad could bring her back up with some personal items for me. This sentenced my poor mother-in-law to an extended visit with our kids, but she was so sweet to help us out. Conveniently, Stacie got back to the hospital mere minutes after I was taken upstairs for an hour-long MRI, so she had to sit and wait until they brought me back. I finally got taken to my room and just before midnight I got tucked in for an extended stay.

Nights in a hospital are a real adventure, and the first night was even crazier. They were running so many tests, checking my vitals, drawing more blood, etc. that there wasn’t even an hour long window of time when I could sleep. I was tethered to an IV tree, and they hooked me up to a heart monitor, which I learned to loathe. It consists of five adhesive patches that are stuck to your chest and stomach, and if they come off even a fraction of an inch, the monitor begins a droning BEEP, causing me to scramble in the dark and feel which monitor wasn’t on. The adhesive disks didn’t really agree with my hirsute self (I don’t look like THIS or anything, but I’ve got some coverage), and it was a constant battle during the balance of my stay. It’s crazy how a small BEEP can sound like an air horn in the middle of the night!

The morning came, and with it came a slightly clearer picture. I had some severe cellulitis in my foot, which is a skin infection caused by bacteria. In other words, the infection was eating a hole in my skin, almost through the top of my foot, and it was beginning to spread throughout my foot. They were considering some surgery to clean out the wound, and were continuing the rounds of antibiotics in an effort to kill the nasty infection.

Oh yeah…and they told me I had diabetes.

It was kind of like getting a parting gift on a game show. Go to the hospital with a rotting foot, and you get to go home with a gift basket full of needles, a glucometer, and (hopefully) a new lifestyle. I guess these types of wounds (specifically known as a foot ulcer…Google it if you have a strong stomach. NOT good times) are much more common in diabetics, and my elevated blood sugar tests tipped them off to this possible diagnosis. Further tests would confirm this, but it was pretty obvious to them that I was a Type II diabetic.

Over the course of the next several days, I had visits from dieticians, diabetic specialists, and the internal medicine doctors who all discussed this with me. Each one of them included a bit of a pep talk, and I realized that being diagnosed with diabetes is a really big deal, and can seem overwhelming to many people, although I was able to get my head around it pretty well. Stacie has been diabetic for around six years now, so I’ve lived vicariously through her, and I was comfortable with the testing, carb counting, injections, etc. Sadly, my family is no stranger to diabetes either. My dad is diabetic. So was my grandpa. So were both of my grandpa’s parents. I have two uncles with diabetes. In my mind, it was never really a question of “If?”, but “When?”. Apparently, that time is now. If I’m being completely honest, I kind of suspected in the back of my mind that it was coming on. My energy levels have been so low for a little while, and looking back, it’s pretty clear to me that I’ve been hauling this around with me for a little while.

The MRI showed that the infection had not spread into any of the bones, so I was going to be able to keep what was left of my foot. There were no pockets of infection, so surgery was not necessary. Basically I needed to stay off of my foot and allow the antibiotics to wring the infection out of my foot tissue. This, of course, meant some more time in my prison cell, I mean hospital room.

I consider myself a world-class sleeper. In high school, when I worked a double shift at the movie theater, I would lie down on the cold concrete floor in our changing room and take an hour-long nap. I can sleep anywhere, anytime. But I can truthfully say that I didn’t get more than two hours of consecutive sleep in the four days that I was there. The constant tests, the aforementioned monitors, not to mention getting my petite frame comfortable on that hospital bed, proved to be a lethal combination for sleeping. I have started catching up now, thanks to sleeping in my own bed next to my sweet wife, but rest is not what you get in a hospital, that is for sure.

Thursday morning, the podiatrist woke me, clipped off some of the dead tissue, and dressed my foot. I was told that I had finally worn out my welcome, and was going to go home. The day before, they had placed a PICC line in me, which is basically an IV line that can stay in you for an extended period of time. You can see a picture of one HERE; it’s not really that gruesome. Basically they insert it in your upper arm, and snake the tube through your vein into the main vein in the center of your chest. Kind of an interesting deal; they did it at my bedside in full masks and gowns and had to later check their work with a chest X-ray to make certain that it didn’t accidentally make a U-turn up through my neck (Seriously). This allows me to go to the Infusion Clinic at the hospital and get more IV antibiotics, which I have to do every day for the next 10 days. This is on top of the oral antibiotic that I am taking twice daily. It was one nasty infection, apparently.

I am going to start seeing Stacie’s endocrinologist (who also treats my dad…maybe we can get a group rate) to manage the diabetes. For now, I am taking insulin shots to manage my blood sugar levels and to keep the infection from flaring up. My pancreas has been working overtime for who knows how long, and this will give it some rest. We hope to transition to oral medications in the near future, and diet/exercise will help me to achieve this. I suppose this will have to satisfy my sweet tooth for now:

That will only be stuck in your head for like three days, max. And no, I have no idea why Archie turns into the Trix rabbit when Sabrina kisses him.

I want Stacie to know how much I love her and how appreciative I am of how she took care of things. I can’t imagine a good week for something like this to happen, but this week was especially busy for her at work. Her boss and team were willing to cover for her but there were some things that she had to be around for. Besides winning our bread, she hauled the kids around, and brought them up to the hospital to put a smile on my face. Enclosing Jaden in a hospital room filled with cool things that he couldn’t touch was a challenge, but I cherished the moments I spent with them and I appreciate the extra effort that she took bring them up. Her long holiday weekend has gone from possibly going camping to trying to keep me off of my feet and chasing our kids around all day with little or no help from me. Sorry sweetie…but I sure love you!

Taking care of Stacie and the kids (and all of my loved ones, for that matter) is something that I love to do, and I try to do everything that I can for them. I also know that I tend to not devote very much attention to myself…as is evidenced by letting a tunnel of festering bacteria rot my foot apart to the point that I could barely stand before I go to a doctor. I realize that if I want to be around to take care of my family, I must take care of myself as well, especially with my new diabetic lifestyle. This will be my greatest challenge, but I am looking forward to feeling better and living better. And being able to put weight on my foot again.

Lastly, I want to thank everyone for their kind words and concerns. Every Facebook post or phone call that I received was uplifting to me. I especially want to thank Stacie’s parents and my parents for their help. They were both trying to get ready to leave town this weekend, but dropped everything and rearranged their lives to help take care of our highly emotional daughter and Tasmanian Devil-esque son. I don’t know what we’d have done without you!

My bed beckons…so I will end this long narrative. Sorry for the length, but I needed to document what has been such a crazy few days. No four a.m. wake-ups for vitals, no incessant beeping. Hallelujah!

Getting Around Downtown

2010-07-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

My friend Dustin and his family came into town from Dallas the other day. They come out here every couple of years to visit family and see some of the Church history sites. Lexie, Jaden, and I decided to tag along with them and see what we could. It's kind of funny (sad? pathetic?) that we live so close to these places and don't visit them like we should unless someone from out of town is here.

Regardless of the motivation, we had a great time. On Tuesday we went to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, took a tour of the Conference Center (or "Mo Dome", as my Dad calls it), rode to the top of the Church Office Building, and went through one of the temple's Visitor Centers (with an amazing model of the temple...the south and east walls are cut away so you can see how it's all laid out. So cool.)

Wednesday saw us hoof it to Heritage State Park and the This Is The Place monument. When I worked for my dad they were involved in the renovation and building of a large part of the park, and it was a nightmare for him and his company. According to the plaque in the visitors center, it was dedicated in 1996, so I'm hoping that the statue of limitations has run out on his intense anger with the place! Lexie managed to slice her fingertip on a chair rail, so maybe his curse is still haunting the place. In any event we had a fine time, and Jaden got to ride his first pony.

Below is a slideshow with some of the days' highlights. Thanks to Dustin, Jennifer, Ashley, David and Nathan for letting us share their adventure!

New post, old news

2010-04-09T08:01:00.000-07:00

So, I've had about a week of a break in my scholarly pursuits, and it has allowed me a little free time to finish up some of the "fun projects" that I have wanted to do. Stacie had a conference in Las Vegas last November, and I went down there after it was over to see her and fly home with her. I've had this video 90% done for a while now, but I finally finished it, so I decided to post it. This way we can maintain our "one post on our blog per month" average as well...

Vegas Baby! from Josh on Vimeo.

Water Damage

2010-03-08T21:42:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, February 10th, we had an unexpected, unwanted, experience. We had put the kids to bed and went downstairs to watch TV. Josh had turned on the Jazz game and I had fallen asleep on the couch (as I usually do when a jazz game is on). Josh had heard an odd sound but didn't pay much attention. After about a 1/2 hour he went upstairs to see if he could find out where the noise was coming from. Well, the ice maker had gotten stuck and the water poured out all over the kitchen and dining room floor. Josh spent 3 hours trying to clean it up before he woke me up to go to bed. When I woke I noticed bubbles in the ceiling ... not a good sign.

The next morning at work I was talking to a friend who told me I needed to call the Insurance company if the drywall was soaked or we'd have mold or mildew. It was a stressful morning as we got a hold of the Insurance and they sent a clean up crew to our home. They ripped up everything in the kitchen and cut out drywall from the ceiling and wall in the basement. We had 8 industrial fans and 2 dehumidifiers for 4 days before we were able to get a quote to begin the restoration. You know, it's amazing how when your home is in shambles it's so easy to justify home improvements. I can't count the number of times we said, "While it's out we should replace ..." or "since we have to replace we mine as well upgrade". In the end we ended up with a new flooring in the kitchen/dining room/entry way that I've wanted for years. A new kitchen sink and faucet plus a new dishwasher. It wasn't all flowers and roses, they had to redo the kitchen floor 3 times. The first installation was perfect but then when they installed the dishwasher and sink something scratched the floor and they had to rip it up and do it again. Then it wouldn't stick to the subfloor so they had to rip it up and do it a final time. The company was great to work with and they took full responsibility which we were most grateful for.

The basement was the easiest to restore aside from the fact that all the kids toys are downstairs as well as our TV. We were really limited when we unable to be downstairs during the work. Thanks to family who helped us out by taking in our kids on multiple occasions as well as taking us to dinner so we didn't have to be home fighting the kids. The biggest headache was painting. We decided to paint the entire basement and went through 2 different colors before making a final decision. It looks excellent, Josh did a great job! We also replaced the wall lights and Josh painted the entry hallway because it really needed it! Once the painting was complete it took several days to "de-dust" everything in the basement. They sanded the textured ceiling without using drop cloths ... Brilliant! Everything had an inch worth of dust cover.

We love the outcome from our "forced remodel" but we're also very glad it's over and life can get somewhat back to normal.

Lexie Montana

2010-02-08T08:01:00.000-08:00

I can't believe we haven't posted anything since before Christmas. Sorry about that, faithful blog readers (especially you, Hydee!). Anyway, this video cracked me up. Lexie watched the Hannah Montana movie on Saturday, and decided to perform during the closing song and the credits. She's a crackup...certainly not shy.

And make sure you watch after the 2:00 mark when Jaden decides to join in the fun.

Lexie Montana from Josh on Vimeo.

Happy Holidays

2009-12-22T14:09:00.001-08:00

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Jaden turns 1

2009-12-22T13:49:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe it's been a year since our little guy was born. We had a wonderful celebration for Josh and Jaden (since their Birthdays are so close together). We also had Jaden's 1st official pictures taken and wanted to share with family and friends. Enjoy!

Fun times with Jaden

2009-11-24T22:44:00.000-08:00

Tonight after Lexie had gone to bed Jaden was playing around with various toys when the pretend kitchenware caught his eye. I began laughing when he found a unique way to carry the pan, he thought it was so great that he decided to put on a show and show me what he was truly capable of . . .

I'm still laughing!!!

Halloween!

2009-11-02T09:43:00.001-08:00

Well, All Hallow's Eve has come and gone. We had a busy couple of days...Lexie had a school pajama party, we had a ward Halloween party, and then Halloween itself. We have all been sick this week, so it's been a pretty interesting week.

But we had a lot of fun, and took a lot of pictures. Here are some highlights:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2009-10-11T20:26:00.000-07:00

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Jaden's Big Adventure

2009-09-29T20:25:00.000-07:00

Please click the play button below in honor of Jaden today:

He's cut, he's cut, the Russian's cut sound bite Announcer sound bites

Jaden went to an ENT doctor today and with a brief flash of scissors, got his frenulum (that piece of skin underneath your tongue)snipped. He was diagnosed with ankyloglossia (tongue-tied) when he was born, and we had been weighing whether or not to get it clipped. We were worried that he would have to be sedated and worked on in an operating room, but he was a brave little guy and sat on his Daddy's lap while the doctor did the deed. He cried for about 10 seconds, and then stopped when his Mommy picked him up. The doctor gave him a sticker, which he promptly tried to eat, so his mouth must have felt alright. A little drool tinged in red, and he was good to go!

In case you want to know more about ankyloglossia, here is an expert presentation:

Breakfast with Aunt Cindee

2009-09-21T12:47:00.001-07:00

Well, we had a great adventure over the weekend...we got to fly to Disneyland with Grandma and Grandpa Nelson and see everything. On Saturday morning we had breakfast at the Storyteller's Cafe and Cindee came up to eat with us! It was about an hour each way of driving, but we were sure excited to see her. The last time she held Jaden was when he was one week old, so they had some catching up to do. I wanted to post a few pictures of our breakfast with some woodland visitors today...a more comprehensive record of our trip will follow soon!

Bear World Video

2009-08-04T15:16:00.000-07:00

Stacie already posted a slideshow of our fun trip to Idaho Falls, and this is a video of our ride through Bear World. It was a slow ride, so Lexie got to sit on my lap while we drove through. I apologize for the jostling of the camera; between riding in a moving vehicle, trying to film wild animals, and holding a semi-wild Lexie on my lap, it got a little bit bumpy.

The video is pretty funny...especially the repartee between Lexie and her Grandpa. Hope you like it!

Bear World Drive Through from Josh on Vimeo.

Lexie Turns 4

2009-08-02T15:57:00.000-07:00

We can hardly believe it, our baby girl is 4. Happy Birthday Lexie!!

Trip to Idaho Falls

2009-08-02T15:50:00.000-07:00

For the 24th of July weekend we headed to Idaho Falls with Josh's parents. We were able to go to Bear World, West Yellowstone, and Old Faithful. The days were great, the nights not so much fun. Our kids are pretty good about sleeping anywhere but for some reason they didn't do much sleeping in the hotel throughout the weekend. Probably too much sleeping in the car while we drove. We got to eat dinner at Flags west (a favorite truck stop with the best scones around), had a great view of the Idaho Falls Temple from our hotel room, and I got a new blue Cowgirl hat for only $5. We had a great trip! Thanks for the fun weekend Mom & Dad!!

Rodeo Fun

2009-08-02T15:32:00.000-07:00

I've always been a fan of Rodeo's and this year we were able to make it to the best rodeo in the state of Utah, the Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo. The arena is beautiful, surrounded by mountains majesty. We had dinner at the Burger Bar (my favorite place to eat in Roy) and headed to Ogden for the Pre-Rodeo show. Sky-divers start the night off right then world class competitors/cowboys provided a great show with the assistance of the best clowns in town. I wasn't disappointed, the rodeo was AWESOME. Lexie is going to take after me, she really enjoyed the rodeo and even go to meet the Rodeo queens, complete with autographs and pictures. Thanks to my Mom for watching Jaden for us, it would have been a long night for him. I highly recommend a visit to the Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo!

Payne Family Reunion

2009-08-02T15:08:00.000-07:00

Every year I look forward to the Payne Family Reunion and this year was no different. It was held at the Huntsville Park and our family was in charge of the games this year. Everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves. My favorite was the human fuseball tournament, what a great idea. Lexie had a bit of a meltdown at the luncheon and I didn't handle the situation very well, my only complaint. The kids both enjoyed the ride home with a nice nap, luck Mom and Dad.

'09 4th of July Pictures

2009-08-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

Better late than never, I think. We had an enjoyable day beginning bright and early with Breakfast in the park prior to the Murray Parade. We had a great time with family!

Disney's Christmas Carol Train Tour

2009-07-02T09:37:00.000-07:00

On June 16th, Jaden turned six months old, and we had made plans to go to Ogden. Disney was promoting their movie "A Christmas Carol" with a nationwide train tour that contained props from the movie and showed how they used motion-capture technology and turned it into an animated movie.

We were excited to go, but I had been really sick all weekend and both of the kids had a little bit of it as well. We decided to brave it and traveled up to Ogden; we got there twenty minutes after it opened and there was already a two hour wait, so we apparently weren't the only ones with that bright idea! We toughed it out and ended up having a fun time.

Here's a video of Lexie playing with the touch screen trivia game. She loved being able to touch everything!

Untitled from Josh on Vimeo.

Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House

2009-06-29T21:07:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how long it's been since we updated the blog! We've actually gone and done a lot of things. There are several sets of pictures that we haven't posted yet, so I better start with one and go from there.

Stacie got us tickets to go through the Oquirrh Mountain Temple; it was a lot of fun to see such a beautiful building. Lexie was on very good behavior and told us that "the pool" was her favorite part. We're working on her calling it a font, but for now it will suffice! The colors inside were beautiful and fit in with the location being near the foothills of the Oquirrh mountain range. We carried Jaden, and the part where they had you walk from the basement floor up to the fourth floor was long, but we got our cardio workout in for that day. It was worth the trek; the celestial room was incredible, and Lexie enjoyed sitting in a sealing room where she could look in the mirrors and see forever.

We had a great time!

Dentist Excitment

2009-06-09T13:40:00.000-07:00

Today Lexie visited the dentist for the first time. She has been so excited for her dentist appointment and from what I can tell she wasn't disappointed in the least. Josh sent me a few pics of her in the dental chair enjoying WALL-E as they cleaned her teeth.

When her appointment was over she was so excited and couldn't wait to tell me about her "fun" experience at the dentist. She called me up at work and told me she got a fun new butterfly toothbrush and she even got to watch a movie on the TV in the ceiling while she was upside down. I'm so glad that she had a good experience, maybe this will be the start of good positive experiences at the dentist. I wish all of us got that excited to visit the dentist. I went for my checkup last week and when I told her they took pictures of my teeth she's been so excited hoping that they'd take pictures of her teeth as well. Ah to be a kid again!

Wahoo!!

2009-06-03T11:23:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited and proud of Josh and wanted to give him a public pat on the back. He enrolled in Western Governors University and began his studies on May 1st, 2009. Just one short month after his enrollment he has completed two of his courses and passed both tests with flying colors. Wahoo!!

Keep up the good work Josh!!

Help is on the way

2009-06-02T11:31:00.000-07:00

With evil lurking around every corner, we are all looking for someone to stand up and fight for us. Take heart, America. Help is on the way!

Grumble, grumble from Josh on Vimeo.

The Final Chapter

2009-05-23T17:47:00.000-07:00

And so we come to the final chapter in the trilogy of Lexie and her clogging crew. They took Lagoon by storm last Saturday and came away with another first place ribbon. It was a great way for them to finish out their performances and we had fun watching her.

Lexie At Lagoon from Josh on Vimeo.

Fun in the sun

2009-05-13T11:48:00.000-07:00

We were outside cleaning up a few things in our backyard, and of course Jaden wanted to be part of the fun. Stacie stood him up on the grass, and he was fascinated by it. Lexie wanted nothing to do with the grass the first time that she sat on it, but Jaden loved it. We sat him down and he grabbed handfuls of grass to steady himself, proud as can be. He's almost five months old now...hard for us to believe!

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BYU Boy

2009-05-05T08:42:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken Saturday morning for Daddy. Jaden is getting to be such a big boy, he's 4 1/2 months old now!

KFC Adventure

2009-05-05T07:32:00.001-07:00

Last week KFC offered a free piece of their new "Grilled chicken" so we decided to take a trip with the family to try the new chicken (since we are huge fans of the KFC original recipe). While we were waiting for our chicken their was a man in the corner, Pirate Bob, that was making balloon characters for kids. Fortunately for Lexie she was the only kid (besides Jaden) in the restaurant. She quickly made friends with Pirate Bob and scored herself 2 flower balloons with monkeys hangin on and a parrot on her shoulder to match Pirate Bob's. It was so cute I couldn't resist taking pictures.

Easter Sunday

2009-04-29T09:07:00.000-07:00

So I finally got our video finished for Easter Sunday. Lexie had a great time finding the eggs that the Easter Bunny hid, and after church we went to Grandma and Grandpa Nelson's house for brunch. Hope everyone had a good Easter too!

Easter Sunday from Josh on Vimeo.

Easter Weekend

2009-04-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

We were able to spend last weekend with family...we spent the day with Stacie's family on Saturday, and then the Nelson side after church on Sunday. It's so fun to have family close and we really enjoy seeing everyone. I put together a video of our adventure with the Hadleys on Saturday, and I will post another one of Sunday's escapades soon.

Easter Saturday from Josh on Vimeo.

Disney On Ice

2009-04-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

We were able to get tickets to Disney On Ice last month, and I finally got around to putting it together in a video. Jaden got to spend the evening with Grammy, so we had a fun time with just Lexie. Grandma and Grandpa came along, and Lexie had a great time.

Putting this video together reminded me that we were watching the first part, when Mickey and the gang came out and everyone was cheering, and I literally had to stop recording it because there were so many people trying to find their seats and standing up right in front of us. I've never won an award for punctuality, but I try to be considerate of others if I arrive late. Sadly, this same group of people are the ones who are baffled by the complex and highly confusing "Section #, Row #, Seat #" on their tickets. Many of them had to stand back up and change seats because they were in the wrong place. I have no idea how they managed to arrive at the arena.

If six minutes of Disney On Ice isn't your cup of tea, at least watch the final minute. The finale of Peter Pan and Tinkerbell flying off amidst fireworks brought Lexie to her feet for a standing ovation, and when it was over, she threw in a little dance for no additional charge!

Disney On Ice from Josh on Vimeo.

Lexie's first school picture

2009-04-01T14:24:00.001-07:00

Lexie's preschool had class pictures the other day, and I wanted to post the picture. She was so excited about it that she wouldn't let me have it; I had to make a copy of it and give her "a special one just for her" that she keeps in her kitchen and shows off.

He speaks!

2009-03-25T10:48:00.001-07:00

When Stacie got home from work yesterday, she was holding Jaden, and he was having a great time talking to his Mommy, smiling and gurgling like he does. I happened to record it, so I decided to post it here. Be warned! This is nearly four minutes of cute baby talk. If you have had your sweetness quotient met for today, this might put you over the top.

You have been warned.

He speaks! from Josh on Vimeo.

Return of Lexie Nelson: Feet of fire

2009-03-23T13:31:00.001-07:00

Lexie had another clogging competition a couple of weeks back, and I finally got a chance to put together a video. She really loves clogging, but she loves being in front of a crowd just as much. During their performance, she was so enthralled with everyone watching her that she forgot parts of her routine! But we had a fun time and Lexie did really well.

If you click the "HQ" button on the YouTube player it will play in a higher quality, which is kind of nice. If you have a slow internet connection, it might bog things down a little bit. Turn up your speakers and rock out with Lexie!

Top o' the mornin' to you!

2009-03-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

Day 11 - Final Remarks on our WDW Vacation

2009-03-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

The alarm was set for 6am, thinking that would be plenty of time to get ready and be all packed by 9am. It was a crazy morning and time flew by way to fast, before we knew it it was 9am and I wasn't quite ready to leave. Daddy took Lexie over to Grandma and Grandpa's room where the family was going to meet at 9am. I did everything I could to finish packing, fortunately Jaden had gone back to sleep so I could focus on packing. We finished up and Daddy carried the bags to the front of the resort to check us in for our flight. Jaden and I watched the bags and Daddy went back to the room for the remainder of the bags. The rest of the group joined us shortly and we all got checked in for our flight that afternoon. (One of my favorite features of the disney resorts, you can check your bags and check in for your flights at the resort and your ready to head to the airport. What a great idea!)

We all headed for the Magic Kingdom around 11am for our final fling in the park. We wanted to get a group picture in front of the castle so everyone stuck together for a short time. Thinking back it wasn't very nice of us, everyone was waiting to take the picture at our request and Daddy and Lexie took off for the bathroom and ended up watching the Celebration Parade that began as they exited the restroom. I had walked over and was waiting in line for Lexie so she could meet Pinocchio and get him to sign her book. So, while the family waiting on us we were accomplishing some of our desires. Sorry about that family, thanks for your patience. After the family picture everyone went their seperate ways for a few hours. We were to meet back at the resort at 1:45pm for the Magical Express Bus to the airport.

We made our way to Mickey's Philharmagic with Grandma, Grandpa, and Great Grandma. Lexie loves the part when Donald is shot out of tuba and crashes through the wall, she still talks about it. Grandma and Grandpa offered to take Jaden with them back to the hotel so we could get a few things done quickly. We headed towards the character greeting for Tigger and Pooh, we'd been putting off waiting in line for their autographs but Lexie really wanted to meet them. After a long wait we got our meeting and then headed for the location of Cinderlla's family; (Lady Tremaine, Anastasia and Driscella). They were such a kick to watch, just as you'd expect from the story. Lexie enjoyed meeting them and got their autographs. The one thing I wanted to do was experience the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor. We lucked out and got right in, it was Hilarious. We really enjoyed the show and thought it was well worth the effort to see it. We then made our way out of the park stopping to get a few things including my most favorite of all treats . . . a HUGE Mickey Mouse Rice Krispie Treat. I love taking it home and having a fun treat to eat after our vacation. If Dad would have let me I would have gotten one at the beginning of the trip to munch on during the trip then take one home as well. I love them that much. Unfortunately for us, we missed the Monorail by a few minutes and the next Monorail was delayed. It took forever to get back to the resort and as a result we were late. It was a mad dash to get on the bus. Jaden was crying, Grandma and Grandpa were trying to get things organized and didn't need to deal with Jaden at that moment. Dad had run into the resort to look for a last minute purchase that ended up not being available anymore. In the end, Lexie and I made it on the Bus and Dad and Jaden rode in the van with his parents. Not the ideal situation but in the end we all made it to the airport, through security (which with two kids is a huge task in and of itself) and to the gate in time to board.

The flight home was long. We were all tired and ready to be home. Lexie fell asleep the last 20 minutes of the flight so Grandma tried to keep her awake. Jaden did really well and slept most of the flight home. All of our bags made it home, we collected the bags from the carousel and the guys headed out to get the vehicles. Uncle Nate had a surprise when he got to their SUV, it had a flat tire. Not really what you want to deal with when you get back from an 11 day vacation. We headed home, got the kids to bed and the bags inside the house. It was hard to believe it had only been one day, we'd done so much. Without unpacking we headed to bed. It had been a great trip and we'd deal with the aftermath tomorrow. The best part about coming home, we'd worked hard to get the house clean before we left and it was so nice to come home to things clean and organized. I don't think its been that organized since.

Well, we made it home safe and sound. Thanks for taking this journey with us and enduring our pauses and gaps in the story along the way. This vacation has been a most memorable trip we won't soon forget. Thanks to the Nelson family for a fun trip and all the fun times we shared together as a family. An extra special thanks to Mom and Dad Nelson (Grandma and Grandpa) for taking us along on this great adventure, we had a fantastic time. We love you so much and hope you know how grateful we are for all your love and support. Now its time to say goodbye to all our company . . . remember, M I C K E Y M O U S E Rules!!

Day 10 - WDW Vacation

2009-03-11T10:45:00.000-07:00

The end of the trip is near, this was our final full day in the fabulous land known as Disney World. We took it easy in the morning then made our way to the Volcano Pool at the Polynesian Resort. Lexie is a fish, she LOVES to swim. Grandma had bought her a new Tinker Bell swimsuit and she was so excited to wear it. Dad and Lexie both braved the Volcano slide while I waited below. Grandpa helped us out by watching Jaden so we could all swim. Lexie even got to wear a life vest so we didn't have to worry about her drowning herself.

After swimming we headed to Downtown Disney for lunch at the ne TREX Restaurant. The folks who built Rainforest Cafe venture this new endeavor with Dinosaurs intstead of Rainforest animals. It was such a cool restaurant with many different "theme" rooms. We were seated in the Ice Age Room which rotated between Blue, and Pink Ice. Lexie loved the Dinosaur effects as we got to sit through many Meteor Showers. The food was very yummy, I had fried shrimp and a chocolate shake. The main reason for heading toward TREX was the one and only Build-a-Dino inside the restaurant. Lexie wanted to build her a dinosaur, since she loves Bear World (that's what she calls Build-a-Bear) and this was very similar. Out of all the cute and cuddly dinosaurs she picked the Dilophosaurus (sp?) with sharp pointy teeth and scally skin. The salesman was really cute with her and helped her put PINK to sleep for the surgery to close her up (PINK needed special attention). It took a while to pick out an outfit, Lexie wanted her to wear certain things but Mom wants her outfits to match. Silly Mom! Grandma was so kind to treat Lexie and Jaden to a new Dino friend. Jaden got a Triceratops, Dad's personal favorite.

We headed straight for Epcot from Downtown Disney. We rode Spaceship Earth then headed to get character autographs while Grandma, Grandpa, and Great Grandma took Jaden and slowly made their way to the Mexico pavilion. The Epcot character greeting for the Fab 5 is so fun, we loved the cute backdrops for pictures. Goofy was the funnest, he wouldn't stop playing with our hair and ears for the pictures. Afterwords we dropped off Lexie with Grandma and Grandpa then did some shopping for souvenirs in Mouse Gear store. I found the jacket I'd been looking at in the correct size . . . I love it!

At the Mexico pavilion we met up with Uncle Nate and Aunt Amy. We found tables (waited for tables) while Nate and Dad waiting in line to order food. When we were done with our meal we headed inside to ride the Three Cabellero's Ride. Lexie had been on this ride several times and was most excited to show the others the Donald Duck ride. When we were nearing the end of the ride the funniest thing happened. The passengers in the boat in front of us decided they didn't want to wait to get off so the stood up and tried to exit on the walkway on the side. Hello, you need to wait for the signal to exit. I found it funny since Disney has castmembers at ALL the rides telling you when to enter and exit the ride. Guess they missed that detail.

The kids went back to the hotel with Grandma and Granpa while Josh and I got to walk our way around the World Showcase. It was a nice end to our day, even though my feet were killing me and all I really wanted to do was sit down. We met up with Nate and Amy and headed back to the Monorail to the Ticket and Transportation Center. From the TTC we got on the Monorail to the Polynesian. We had finally made it back to the resort, got the kids and went to bed. We should have stayed up and packed for the trip home but instead we went to bed with the intention of waking up early to pack.

Day 9 - WDW Vacation

2009-03-09T06:58:00.000-07:00

Today was Early Magic Hours in the Magic Kingdom. We had a good nights rest and started off our morning with a short Monorail ride to the Magic Kingdom and arrived just in time to see Mickey, Pluto, Snow White, and Dopey welcome everyone to the park as it opened at 8am. We headed down mainstreet and straight for Fantasyland so we could get in a few rides for Lexie. We rode Peter Pan, Dumbo, and Winnie the Pooh before heading to Toontown. Dad had been waiting, with the crowds, for toontown to open. When the rope dropped he ran for the tent to wait in line to see the Disney Fairies. Even being among the first we had a 30-40 minute wait ahead of us but it was well worth the wait. We magically shrunk as we walked through the door so we were small enough to talk to Tinker Bell and her friends. Disney was even kind enough to shrink a Photopass for us to have for pictures with the fairies (so cute). Lexie even asked the Cast Member if she was big again as we were leaving, they told her she had to walk out the door and "Poof" she would be normal size again. It was really cute. Lexie even told Tinker Bell that Grandma and Granpa were coming back from the Big Boat today and gave her a Mickey Confetti that she had found outside on the ground. Tink told her she'd treasure it always. The characters were really fun and worth the wait.

We met up with Grandma and Grandpa, Great Grandma, and Uncle Nate and Aunt Amy at the Starlight Cafe for lunch. They had a great cruise and we were excited to have them back with us. Lexie was especially excited to see Grandma again and couldn't wait to tell her of all her many adventures. We all headed towards the Tomorrowland Transit or People Mover for a fun ride. Lexie wanted to sit with Grandma and Grandpa but as we took off in the cart ahead she started to cry "I want my Mommy and Daddy". Surprising to all of us because she never really has cared whether we are around or not when Grandma is present. She calmed back down but was overjoyed to see us as we came into view at the end of the ride. As we came down the ramp Lexie spotted Stitch so we ran over to get his autograph, a valued addition to her collection.

The plan was to head back to the room but I pressed our luck and we got in line to ride Buzz Lightyear. Lexie was so excited to ride with Grandma. Lexie was dancing like she had to go to the bathroom so Grandma asked her if she needed to go (since we'd already had such a great track record of accidents). She said she didn't but I forced the issue and we left the line. Grandma told her they'd save her spot but Lexie was so mad she began to throw a fit. She cried all the way to the bathroom and then threw a major tantrum while waiting in line screaming "I don't have to go". To add to the fun there were three spanish girls in line behind us laughing and making fun of the situation I was having with Lexie and it was just making me more upset. We finally left the line and walked back to Buzz. I made her sit until she could calm herself down. She wanted to ride Buzz but I told her we couldn't until she went potty. She finally agreed to go potty so we headed to a different bathroom (I didn't want to wait in the long lines again) and she finally did use the potty. By the time we got back to the ride Grandma, Great Grandma, Nate and Amy had all gotten off the ride and were looking for us. I had told Lexie she could ride Buzz if she went potty so we got back in line with Grandma and Great Grandma for Round 2. In the end Lexie enjoyed her ride on Buzz with Grandma. Grandma's prize for waiting in line a second time was getting her highest score on Buzz, thanks to Lexie's fine driving!

We made it back to the room for naps and then headed back to Magic Kingdom for a few hours of evening fun. Dad and Lexie headed towards the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse while Jaden, Mom, Grandma, Great Grandma, and Grandpa moved slowly towards the treehouse. We met up with Lexie and Dad at Aladdin's Magic Carpet, she had talked him into another ride after the treehouse. We headed towards the Haunted Mansion and stopped to watch the Spectromagic Parade. Lexie loved the lights, especially on the characters outfits. I was nervous for Lexie to ride in the Haunted Mansion but it ended up that she loved the ride. Grandma kept her safe and she enjoyed being Haunted.

We made our way out of the park stopping to watch the fireworks from behind the castle. They were extremely loud as we were closer to where they were being shot off. An interesting fact, Jaden slept through the entire show. It was so loud I wanted to cover my ears at some points so I'm amazed he remained asleep. We must have worn him out.

We got dinner for Lexie at Capt. Cook's and then took the kids back to the room for baths and jammies. The plan was to head over to Grandma and Grandpa's room after baths while Grandpa, Dad, Nate, and Jake were going to get dinner at Downtown Disney (the Earl of Sandwich). The girls met up in Grandma's room and watched Lexie watch cartoons and waited for the guys to return. It took a little longer than expected but the sandwich was yummy, we were all hungry.

Day 8 - WDW Vacation

2009-03-06T13:05:00.000-08:00

Today we headed back to Hollywood Studios for the morning. I know what your thinking, why were we heading back for Round 3 of Hollywood Studios?? In our many trips we had yet to ride on the newest ride, Toy Story Mania. We wanted to make sure we had the opportunity to ride this ride since we'd heard such amazing things. Obviously it's fantastic as the stand by line was always 60+ minutes. We got to Hollywood Studios just as they were about to drop the rope opening the park. We joined the crowds as we headed for the most popular ride in the park. Josh got there just in time to wait in one of three long lines to get a fast pass. I headed with the kids to the end of the stand by line at Josh's request. It was quite the sight, me making a bottle for Jaden while he's screaming, holding Lexie's hand, and managing to walk forward as the line advanced. I was never so glad to have Josh join us again. He had gotten fast passes for 10:15am which we figured would be just perfect for us to ride once and then jump back on for a second ride before heading back to the room. Unfortunately, Lexie notified us once inside that she had to go to the bathroom. I grabbed her hand and headed out to the bathroom. We made it! Finally, success. We ran back to the ride and made our way through the crowds meeting up with Josh and Jaden. We were fine for about 5 minutes then Lexie said again, "I have to go poop". You think we'd have learned our lesson by now but we hadn't. Instead Josh and I argued about whether or not to leave the line and head for the bathroom. I finally grabbed Lexie by the hand and headed for the bathroom. This time she had a major blowout and we didn't make it in time. I ended up throwing her panties in the garbage because I didn't want to clean up the mess. It wasn't her fault, but I still spent the next 10 minutes yelling at Lexie for not being able to hold it. If I had just listened. We didn't make it back in time but Josh and Jaden enjoyed the ride. Josh knew Lexie would enjoy it so he put us back in line. We waited about 40 minutes and finally had our turn on Toy Story Mania. As we exited the ride it was time for our fast passes and we walked back in line for a second ride. Fortunately, we didn't have any problems this time around. It really was a cute ride but I don't know if it was worth 2 1/2 hours of our time. Hollywood Studios was by far the park where we had the most problems on our trip. We bade the park farewell and headed back for the room.

In the afternoon we headed for Animal Kingdom and Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade. The parade is right in the middle of our normal nap time but its a favorite of ours and wanted to make sure and see it on our trip. We arrived just in time to find a spot for the parade. It was well worth the wait, and Lexie enjoyed watching the flamingos before the parade began.

It was extra magic hours that evening at the Animal Kingdom so as the crowds exited the park we headed for the Finding Nemo Musical Show and made it just in time to enter as the were shutting the doors. Lexie and I enjoyed the show, Jaden wanted to stand so Josh stood at the top with him during most of the show. We headed to Expedition Everest so Josh could take one last ride but while we were waiting Jaden decided he was ready to eat. Lexie, Jaden, and I raced across the park heading for the Baby Center while Josh was in the single rider line. Jaden was not feeling patient and screamed the entire way to the baby center. It's so funny to watch people as you run by pushing a screaming baby, I'm sure thinking how they are so glad its not them. I got Jaden changed and fed while Lexie watched Wall E in the playroom. Did I mention the Animal Kingdom Baby Center was my favorite? So nice and big, I loved it! Josh joined us and we made our way out of the park and back to the resort.

Day 7 -WDW Vacation

2009-03-05T21:24:00.000-08:00

Our next day saw us reach the one week mark of our trip. It is so amazing to see how fast time goes when you're in the midst of a wonderful vacation; things happen so fast that it generally takes some time after the fact to take inventory of the amazing things that we did. This little recap has been great for me to do just this. Going through the photos and relating what happened makes me realize how much we got to do!

If you will recall, our last day was quite trying, and we were pretty much worn out, but we were looking forward to our first fun day in EPCOT, starting with a breakfast with the princesses in the Norway pavilion restaurant Akershus. We set the alarm to give us enough time to make our 9:00 a.m. reservation, but in the midst of a late night of laundry, a VERY early morning feeding for Jaden, and hitting the snooze once, we woke up just after 8:00 a.m. OH, CRAP! We started throwing clothes on, waking up Lexie and dressing her, everything that we had planned to do (with the exception of a shower) in ten minutes instead of ninety, and hoped that we could make it in time. Just as we were about to leave, I couldn't find the camera anywhere. I had it in my hand that morning, but now it was MIA. Our video camera was toast (see Day 6), and we were going to a special breakfast with a gaggle of princesses, so we really had to find the camera. We looked for 20 solid minutes...under the beds, in the closets, over and over. As stressed as we were, I couldn't believe that the camera had disappeared in the twenty feet of hotel room that I traveled while I got ready to go. Finally, I found it at the bottom of our computer bag (that Stacie had checked twice before). We were off!

We raced to the monorail station, which was not close, got to EPCOT, and I ran with Jaden to the Norway pavilion, which was conveniently located at the opposite side of the park. Stacie and Lexie made good time as well, and once they got to the restaurant we were being seated. Sure, we were 45 minutes late, but they were nice enough to honor our reservation. Upon entering the restaurant, Lexie had her picture taken with Belle, and then we were seated. We helped ourselves to a great fruit and pastry bar, and they brought us eggs, potatoes, bacon and sausage on a family style platter. Then, in succession, Aurora, Snow White, Jasmine, and Mulan visited us. Lexie was completely awestruck. She looked into their eyes, and wouldn't look away, regardless of what was said. She was pretty cute to watch, and made sure that they all signed her autograph book as well as posing for a picture.

After breakfast, we jumped into line for the Maelstrom ride in Norway, which was just about to open for the day. We then went next door to Mexico, and got to ride the Gran Fiesta tour with the new Three Caballeros overlay. It was so nice to not have a long wait, so we went several times. After, we walked over to Future World to see Figment (Lexie loved the part where he was taking a bath on the ceiling), and we also found Nemo several times. Our last order of business that morning was going on Spaceship Earth (the big golf ball). Lexie and I took one seat, while Stacie and Jaden rode behind us. It is a very interactive ride with a touch screen right in front of you. Lexie started pushing buttons while I sat down, and we came within a couple of seconds of listening to the entire ride narration in German. I'm sure that my two years of junior high school German classes would have come in handy, but we enjoyed it in our native tongue just fine.

We went back to the room for a nap (learning from the day before's mistakes), and went back to EPCOT for the afternoon and evening. We had a sit-down chat with Crush the turtle, found Nemo a couple more times, and finally cashed in our FastPass for Soarin'. Lexie was a little apprehensive about it, and I managed to film her with our still camera during the ride. At first, she is nervous as the room goes dark and we go up in the air, then her eyes get really big, and then she starts going "YAYYYYY!!". I've watched it over and over because it really captures her and her fearless attitude. Those times certainly trump the more difficult times. Lexie took her mom on the ride next, and Jaden and I waited in the foyer.

Once again, we closed the park, leaving with the last of the crowd. Jaden decided that it was time to eat RIGHT THEN, so I knocked on the door of an ice cream shop that was closed and begged for some hot water. We mixed the hot with some water from a drinking fountain so that it was the right temperature, and we were in business (it was kind of amazing to see how quickly and efficiently we were able to perform this task after a week in WDW). Our trip back to the resort was very nice, and we geared up for another fun day.

Another brief interlude

2009-02-27T14:17:00.000-08:00

One more break from the WDW photo tour...

My cute cousin Missy came out to see us last night, and she took us to the Chinese Gourmet for dinner. It was great! When we got home, we all opened our fortune cookies, and this was Stacie's:

Best. Fortune. Ever.

Day 6 - WDW Vacation

2009-02-25T22:44:00.000-08:00

As any moviegoer knows, the middle act of a movie is generally where the protagonist faces his or her biggest challenge. The first act is a happy introduction, the final act is when things are resolved into a (typically) happy ending. But the middle part is often full of conflict, problems, and sadness. Day 6 of an 11 day trip fell right in the middle (cue ominous music). I posed a hypothetical situation to my family via email several weeks before the trip, postulating that I would rather receive a firm kick to the genitalia while standing on Main Street over sitting in my home. The idea being that even in extreme discomfort, my love for all things Disney would supersede the pain. This theory was put directly to the test on Day 6:

Looks pretty innocent, huh? We started the day lazily, sleeping in a little bit and having a late breakfast. Our idea was to get to Disney's Hollywood Studios (DHS from here on out) before lunch, and spend the entire day there until closing, eschewing the midday break and staying until it closed in the early evening. As we packed up for the day, we found our video camera dead as the proverbial doornail; we had used it the night before, and plugged it in to charge for the next day. We hope that it is just a dead battery, but we still haven't fixed this, and this was a definite loss for our attempts to document our trip. Maybe if the camera was resting under a ladder with a black cat on top of it, we could have recognized it for the harbinger of things to come (cue more ominous music).

As we walked to the bus stop, we saw one bound for our destination leaving, but didn't feel like sprinting for it, so we strolled to the bus stop to wait for the next one. 15 long minutes later we were off; this would be the only time during our entire trip that the bus looped to the Grand Floridian Hotel to get even more people, and with the car seat, stroller, and all of us, a full bus was not optimal. In fact, as more people were shoehorned onto the bus, Lexie ended up climbing into the back row, planting herself next to an older couple and proceeded to talk their ears off during the trip. She is such an amazing little girl, and has such an ease talking to anyone and everyone. Our challenge with her will certainly be to implant some form of "Stranger Danger" because she is so comfortable with anyone. We filed off the bus, and the couple came over to thank us for an entertaining trip, offering to take her off our hands. Several hours later, I might have taken her up :)

DHS was extremely busy; there are truly only a handful of rides in the park, and it doesn't take much to produce very long lines. Toy Story Mania, the newest ride and one of our must-sees, was a 90 minute wait, and the FastPass line was no longer open. We hoped to catch it later; and focused on seeing some of the shows that were offered. Because Lexie was fighting a cold, we were giving her liquid Tylenol, which seemed to upset her stomach and left us scrambling for bathrooms several times. We watched the High School Musical street show and then stood in line for the Little Mermaid show. Just as we sat down and the show started, Lexie mentioned the need for some bathroom time. Reading the urgency of these requests became a bit of an art form (one that I sadly failed a couple of times), and I knew that this wouldn't wait. Lexie and I sprinted out, and made it to the bathroom in time, but we weren't allowed back into the theater, so Stacie and Jaden enjoyed the show without us.

After the show, we did a little shopping; Lexie got to buy the Tinkerbell doll that she wanted to buy several days ago. Grandpa had saved his change for her to buy something on the trip, and she pulled the trigger on this. Sweet...more tiny dolls with minuscule parts that I would have to dress for her! It became obvious that the rides were only getting busier, so Stacie and Lexie went to the Beauty And The Beast stage show, while the fellas took a trip to the Baby Care Center so that Jaden could unwind and have some food. After that, we decided to camp out a spot to watch the Block Party Bash, a parade/street party/performance. Stacie took the kids and sat down on the sidewalk while I went looking for some lunch. The crowds made food-getting a waiting game as well, although the monster turkey leg was worth it. I made it back just in time for the show, and we enjoyed primo seats.

After the show, the crowd dispersed and we finished our lunch, sitting on the ground. Lexie was already finished, and her naughty streak, which was slowly escalating all day, suddenly peaked. She stood up, looked over her shoulder at us, and took off running. I scrambled to my feet (sadly, not NEARLY as fast as Lexie had) and took off after her. She had ducked between a series of an ice cream stand, the wait time board, and some shrubbery. As busy as it was, her head start made it impossible to see which path she took. I ran forward, pushing my way through the crowded walkway, and for about 10 terrible seconds I had no idea where she was. It seemed like ten years, but she had doubled back, hoping that I was chasing her, and I spied her. As relieved as I was to get her, it took everything that I had to not beat her little backside right there. We had a long talk about staying with us, and after several earnest promises from Lexie, we decided to give it another shot.

Playhouse Disney was our next stop; we wanted to see the show again, and it was a fun show. As you can see in the slide show, Lexie was practicing her mad face and her happy face while we waited for the show to start. Unfortunately, the mad face won out, and once the show was over, she took off in another dead sprint. I was a little bit more prepared this time, and chased her down before she got out of sight. I was really frustrated, and tried to walk her over out of the way in order to talk to her. Lexie went to her classic "go limp as a rag doll" defense, which is effective considering her stature. I can physically pull her when she does this, but I don't really want to dislocate her shoulder, so I try to reason with her. In retrospect, I should have taken a picture of her in the middle of the animation courtyard, laying face down, in full tantrum. But I just wasn't thinking clearly enough. It's funny, all of the emotions that go through you at that point. Everyone walking past looks at you, and the looks on their faces range from "Can't you control your child?" to "I'm sure sorry...I've been there too". I pulled her over to a park bench and put her on my lap in a bear hug, hoping to calm her down, but it was like trying to hold on to a 60 pound salmon. She went postal on me, writhing around, screaming as loud as possible and hitting me in the face several times. It took about 20 minutes and every ounce of my patience to get her to calm down, and after she did, she promised to behave herself.

Something that may have crossed your mind (it crossed me many times, believe me) is why we didn't just go back to the hotel when we hit critical mass. There really wasn't much to do back at the hotel besides sit in the room, and the way that she was acting, that didn't sound too pleasing. Plus, it took long enough to get to the bus stop, get back to the room, etc. that we knew if we left we wouldn't be back that day. I got to the verge of going a couple of times, and then things would calm down, so we gutted it out.

We planned to see Fantasmic! that evening, which is a live show with songs, characters, and fireworks. It's one of my very favorite things, and in Orlando they have a giant amphitheater to see it in. It became apparent that we weren't going to get to ride anything without a killer wait, plus there were tons of people streaming towards Fantasmic!, so we headed that way. It was a good thing; even though we were an hour early, we were lucky to get a seat. By show time, it was standing room only. Of course, right before the show started Lexie needed to use the restroom again, so she and I fought through the masses to get to the potty. We went in the "Family" restroom, and there was one more horrible surprise in store. I am not really squeamish, nor do I have a delicate stomach per se. I have been in many bathrooms that were not that pleasant, and I have contributed to this on occasion. But the wall of stench that we were confronted with was reprehensible. I have NEVER experienced anything like that, and it was all that I could do to not forfeit my stomach contents. Morbid curiosity made me wonder for a split second about the origin of the funkiness, but we left as quickly as possible. I cautioned the next dad waiting outside the door about the situation (I was also trying to make him understand that we were not responsible for whatever happened), but he braved the bathroom anyway, letting out an audible gasp as the door shut. I think of him often, and hope that they were able to find their way to safety.

The show was great and we had excellent seats, so it was worth the wait. As we pushed through the crowds to where we had to park the stroller, and make our way back to the park, Lexie began listening to the little devil on her shoulder again. We made an ill-advised attempt to stay in the park, but we only got as far as the giant hat (in the slide show) before we bailed. The ride back to the hotel was a real treat...Lexie screamed most of the way home, and Jaden, sensing our frustration, became very fussy and hollered most of the trip as well. Ah, the lucky fellow passengers on that bus!

We got back to the room without causing permanent harm to anyone and the kids zonked out. The coda to the evening involved a comedy of errors (which were self-inflicted) that turned my trip to wash some clothes into a two-hour ordeal and didn't get me to bed until nearly 2:00 a.m. It was very fitting, to say the least. I would expound, but this is long enough, and Stacie is hounding me to get this posted. Another time, perhaps.

The middle act of conflict was over...we survived. Barely. As far as my hypothetical question, I would probably still take the discomfort, especially now that I can look back on the day and laugh about it. It certainly helped that we still had several days to enjoy ourselves, which we will document in the coming days.

Day 5 - WDW Vacation

2009-02-23T17:38:00.000-08:00

Day 5 began with a 'Bon Voyage' to the Nelson Clan as they set sail on the Disney Wonder for a 4 night bahama cruise. We gave our farewell wishes on our way to the Magic Kingdom. We had slept in that morning as it was late extra magic hours and wanted to try and get caught up on our sleep so we could stay a little later in the park that evening.

Our day at the Magic Kingdom started off with Lexie and Dad meeting Mary Poppins while Mom and Jaden made a mad dash for the Baby Care Center, someone was hungry. We spent most of our morning in Tomorrowland enjoying Autopia and Buzz Lightyear. Lexie even got to meet him in person, he was waiting for us as we walked off the ride. We wanted to catch the new parade so we camped out a spot while Dad went to get us dinner. We ate hot dogs, laughed, and got increasingly excited as the parade began its journey down main street. The parade was spectacular, as all Disney parades are . . . a must see. I'm a fan of parades already but no one does a parade like the folks at Disney. We saw Mickey, Minne, Donald, Goofy, Chip 'n Dale, Ariel, Cinderella, and so much more. One float carried Alice, from Alice in Wonderland, and Lexie was so excited because she hadn't seen her before. Lexie waved and waved then Alice looked directly at Lexie and blew her a kiss. Lexie was so excited she blew her one right back. It was such a special moment for me I started crying . . . I know, I'm silly. All the special feelings rose to the surface at that moment. I love seeing her so happy and excited.

We returned to the room for a late nap then back to the park for an evening of fun. Let me take this opportunity to share how much I loved being able to take the Monorail to the Magic Kingdom. The transportation system is amazing in Disney World but the Monorail is by far and away my favorite way to travel. For those of us that have strollers the Monorail is a HUGE blessing because you don't have to remove kids, collapse the stroller and hold all the "stuff" that we usually carry in and under the stroller. I was so excited anytime we were able to use the Monorail to travel to and from the parks. Definately one of my favorite things about staying at the Polynesian.

The night time at the Magic Kingdom is a family favorite. We are able to do and see so much with the extra magic hours. Our first stop was Splash Mountain. Lexie had been watching the ride video with her Dad prior to the trip and was determined to ride. As she put it, she wanted to go "up up up and then down down down . . . Sploosh". She had a great ride but got drench (not to my liking since it was dark, cool, and no way for her to get dry). We did a few Fantasyland rides before we had another unfortunate bathroom accident. Lexie had to go to the bathroom but waited too long to tell us and then it was too late, we were yelling in the bathroom as we tried to wash out her panties. She ended up with some pants on that Dad had forgotten he brought and no panties for the evening. We didn't let it ruin our fun, we continued our adventures and finally ended up in Cosmic Ray's for some dinner shortly before the park closed.

When we walked into Cosmic Ray's we were greeted by a man named John and he asked us if we were ordering dinner. He had 5 meals left on his meal plan and they expired at Midnight (it was 11:45pm). He offered to buy us dinner so the money didn't go to waist. We were both hesitant about his offer but it turned out to be genuine kindness. He ordered us dinner and used his meal plan credit to pay. He really was just a nice man from Chicago, Illinois. He and Josh had a nice conversation while waiting for the meal then he wished us a fond farewell as he was heading home in the morning. It's so nice to see that good people are out there willing to help others. Thanks John, we really appreciated your kindness. We enjoyed eating our meal with a private showing by Sonny Eclipse. Lexie wasn't too hip on Sonny, it was late, dark, and he was singing songs she'd never heard. She was most concerned about his performance but in the end really liked him once she got to know him.

We made it back to our room for a few hours sleep to prepare us for our next adventure in Hollywood Studios.

Day 4 - WDW Vacation

2009-02-21T15:40:00.000-08:00

Day 4 brought lots of different adventures. We had planned to start the day off by meeting Nate and Amy at 7:30am for Early Magic Hours in Hollywood Studios. I got up when the alarm went off at 6:30am and then woke Josh up to get in the shower. While he was in the shower I decided it would be best to let the kids sleep in, they were so peaceful and I couldn't bring myself to wake them. Josh agreed to go ahead with Nate and Amy and I'd come over later in the morning when Grandma and Grandpa were heading over. Josh headed on his way and I layed back down to catch some sleep. Unfortunately just about 20 minutes later the hotel phone rang and both the kids woke up. It was Uncle Jake, his intentions were good as he offered to help me get things ready since Josh was gone. Since the kids were up now we relaxed a little, watched disney playhouse and slowly got ready for the day. Jake and Valerie ordered breakfast for us at Capt. Cook's and we met them there to start our day.

The entire family finally met up in Hollywood Studios and we headed for the Tower of Terror. Lexie had been talking with her Dad about the ride and decided that she wanted to go with the group. She made it through the ride and when it was all over said that she wanted to go again (but she never did ride on the tower of terror again). She's a pretty brave girl to ride that ride at such a young age, I hope it didn't terrorize her for life.

We had lunch reservations at the SciFi Diner, a neat restaurant where you sit in cars and order from the car hops while watching old movies at the drive in. It's such an amazing place with yummy shakes, fries, and burgers. After lunch we headed over to catch the Playhouse Disney show and fortunately for Lexie she was able to see Handy Manny and all the Little Einsteins in addition to the show (the show was a favortie of Lexie's since she watches Playhouse Disney every day). We then headed back to the hotel for a nap.

We had a last minute change in plans and we were able to go see La Nouba with the family while Grandma and Grandpa watched the kids. We'd seen La Nouba many years ago and enjoyed the show equally as much this time around. We had driven the van to Downtown Disney for the show so the rest of the clan stayed looking for dinner and shopping while we drove Great Grandma back to the hotel then returned to join the group. It was a Saturday night and we couldn't find a place to eat that didn't have a major wait so we ended up going separate ways. Josh had told us about a place called Krystal Burgers that he really wanted to find so Nate did some investigative work, got the number to Krystal's and called them for directions. The rest is history, we headed on our way and fortunately for us we found the location and had a grand Krystal dinner.

Day 3 - WDW Vacation

2009-02-19T22:35:00.000-08:00

The second full day of our vacation found all of us meeting in the morning to go to Animal Kingdom for a character breakfast at the Tusker House restaurant. It was still unseasonably cold, and the morning air was quite chilly. The Disney bus system is quite amazing, but we were left waiting for nearly 30 minutes before our bus came by.

We enjoyed the breakfast buffet, and after a short while Daisy, Goofy, Mickey and Minnie all took turns stopping by to take a picture with us. Lexie put her autograph book to good use, and she even got to dance with Daisy in a conga line.

After breakfast we set out to explore Animal Kingdom. We all boarded the Kilimanjaro Safari and saw as much wildlife as I can recall seeing; the highlight being a rhino that was literally running from field to field as we drove by. We spent the morning in the park, finding Baloo and King Louie taking pictures in one area, and Pocahontas signing autographs in Camp Mickey-Minnie. Luckily for Grandma they found Pocahontas, she had told Lexie she would most likely see her but didn't know if or where to locate her. Good job Grandma! Lexie had a great time with Grandpa and Grandma, they spoiled her with some Mickey ears and got a fun princess tatoo on her hand that she made sure to show all the characters throughout the day. She even remembered that it would last "4 days".

Later, we took one of our many trips to the Baby Care Center. These facilities were located in every park (although the Animal Kingdom version was Stacie's favorite), and are a wonderful place to change diapers, make bottles, or just catch your breath in a quiet place. Jaden particularly enjoyed the reprieve from his car seat and would stretch out on the padded changing tables. After lunch at the Pizzafari, we left the park only to find Pluto, Meeko from Pocahontas, and Br'er Bear nearly begging for someone to take pictures with, and Lexie was only too happy to oblige.

After some down time in the hotel, we hopped on the Monorail for a short trip to the Grand Floridian for the opening event of the NECA Convention. Dad has been president of the local NECA chapter for four years now, and this was when the torch began to be passed to the next president. Dad was recognized and thanked for all of his leadership and service, and we were excited that we could be there with him. As a surprise, Donald Duck made an appearance, and then later Mickey and Minnie did as well. Everyone had a great time meeting them, and this was the first time that we were able to take pictures with Jaden and the characters. It was a great night of food, friends, and family! Lexie particularly enjoyed the chocolate cake, cookies, and ice cream for dinner, but so did her Mom.

We closed the night with a quick trip to Downtown Disney to window shop. Grandma and Grandpa helped the kids get to sleep and we wandered around the massive World Of Disney store. We took pictures in front of Daisy and Donald, and Stacie managed to find a mad face to match Donald's. Sandwiches from the Earl Of Sandwich finished off our night, and we headed home to get some sleep!

A brief interlude

2009-02-19T17:03:00.000-08:00

A slight intermission in our Disney World recap; I just wanted to post proof of the resemblance that I've seen since Jaden was born:

That's Jaden on the right, by the way. Day 3 will be coming later today!

Day 2 - WDW Vacation

2009-02-18T12:50:00.000-08:00

Day 2 began as we headed for the Magic Kingdom. It was a very cold day, in fact the headline news story was the record breaking cold weather and the frost being experienced in and around Orlando. It was a high of 58 and the wind was blowing giving a bitter chill. I had packed for cold weather but not THIS cold weather. Lexie had her jacket and we bundled Jaden up under the three blankets I had packed. I think he was the warmest individual in our group. The entire Nelson Clan went to the Magic Kingdom except for Jake and Valerie, as they had some plans with family in Epcot that day. When we entered the park Lexie saw Daisy and had to run right over and have her picture taken; she was really going to love the character greetings. After meeting Daisy I was so afraid of Lexie and Jaden getting cold that we went into the Emporium to purchase some gloves for Lexie and found a Lightning McQueen Blanket for Jaden. It was on sale for $7.99 . . . you don't find much in Disney World for under $10 let alone a cute blanket. We covered the car seat to keep out the chilly wind.

We headed straight for Fantasyland so Lexie could ride Snow White's Scary Adventure, the Carousel, Winnie the Pooh, and more. Grandpa and Grandma offered to watch Jaden so that we could run and get a few things done with Lexie and move a little faster. Lexie visited Ariel in her grotto first before the lines became unbearable and then we found ourselves in Toon Town waiting in line to see the Princesses. It was quite a wait but Lexie was very excited. First she met Aurora, then Cinderella, and finally Belle. She wasn't afraid of meeting the princesses, she was quite the little story teller in her conversations with them. Disney is famous for ending your many adventures into a glorious shopping experience. Lexie walked out right into a large display of Fairies merchandise, while Grandpa purchased Jaden his first authentic Disney World sweatshirt. In her 3 year old nature Lexie wanted one of everything. She couldn't show Grandma fast enough all the little Tinker Bells and then moved on to the small princess dolls (even though she had them at home). The situation escalated and ended in me dragging her out of the store to calm down on the sidewalk outside. Needless to say, we limited our store visits when possible from that moment on.

With all the walking and excitement we knew we'd need a trip back to the hotel for a break/nap. It was a chore to get the kids to take a nap but when they finally did their mom and dad were able to take a nap as well. We headed back into the park just in time for a few hours before it closed. I am famous for my love of parades and shows but this night we skipped the Spectomagic parade in order to get in a few rides while the crowds were entertained by the parade. I think its the only time I've ever purposely missed a parade for rides! Lexie enjoyed the Magic Carpet, Jungle Cruise, and the whole gang survived Pirates of the Caribbean (including Jaden). As we made our way out of the park we were able to catch the Wishes fireworks spectacular. Lexie loves the fireworks and Jaden continued his nap. Towards the end of the fireworks Lexie took off her coat and said she didn't want to wear it anymore. I proceeded to put it back on her and realized that she was soaking wet from the waist down. She had waited too long and had an accident (of the #1 variety) in her pants. We had to rush back to the room and give both her and Jaden a bath to clean them up and get them warm. The family had been waiting for our reservation at the Kona Cafe in the hotel and we joined them just as they had been seated. Lexie enjoyed Macaroni and Cheese, Josh had Prime Rib and my New York Strip was delicious. We didn't stay long, Jaden started to fuss and you could tell Lexie was also ready for bed so we went to the room and called it a night. Jaden did so good sleeping through the night only getting up once to eat around 4am each night. Lexie was a great sleeper, once she finally fell asleep and didn't ever wake until the morning. Many mornings we had to wake her to begin our day. As we did for our next day of adventures...

Walt Disney World Vacation - Day 1

2009-02-17T21:09:00.000-08:00

We made it! We were able to go on a fun filled vacation this month with the Nelson Family to Walt Disney World. We weren't able to post all of our fun adventures during the vacation so we thought it would be fun to post a day by day travel log. So, here goes . . . . let's start with Day 1.

Day 1 was our travel day. It started out at 7:30am as we loaded up the Tahoe and headed for the airport. We had to stop off at Fedex Kinko's to get a print job to finish off a fun WDW Questionairre that Josh had been sharing with the family. We were able to get our bags checked with Sky Cap and walked down to go through Security at the International Gate. It was so nice to be able to take our time going through security and have all the help we needed since we had a stroller, car seat, carry on's and two kids. Lexie was entertained by Grandma most of the flight and Jaden was such a good boy sleeping and playing. He never even cryed during the flight. Whew! We arrived in Orlando, Florida, at 4:30pm and made our way to the Magical Express Bus. Lexie loved the fun video with Mickey as we traveled to our hotel. We stayed at the Polynesian Hotel which was right across the lake from Magic Kingdom. Our room was located in the Aeotoroa longhouse, Room #1205.

Nate and Amy had a room just down the hall from ours and their patio overlooked the lake with a view of Cinderella's Castle. We gathered at 8pm in their room to watch the "Wishes" firework display. It was so cool to be able to watch the fireworks from inside their room and still be able to hear the big boom. It made us that much more excited to watch them from the castle the next night.

We had dinner reservations at Ohana's for 8:20pm but they were behing and the wait was long and the kids were tired so we grabbed a sandwich at Capt. Cook's (the hotel's 24 hr Cafe) and went back to the room and put the kids to bed to prepare for another big day. Our luggage had finally arrived when we got back to our room so I started to unpack for our 10 day disney adventure.

One postscript here from Josh...

Once Stacie and the kids were tucked safely into the room, Nate and I went out in the rental van in search of that great and spacious building, Wal-Mart. After a little meandering, and with the assist of Nate's cool Google phone, we found our destination and stocked up with bottled water, formula for JJ, and diapers/sleep pants for the kids, along with some assorted treats for the room. Needless to say, this trip proved valuable in plotting a course for future evenings (foreshadowing alert!).

Jaden is 2 Months Old

2009-02-17T13:17:00.000-08:00

Yesterday our little boy was 2 months old. We can hardly believe that it has been 2 months already. At his 2 month check up today he weighed in at 12 lbs. 8 oz. and is 23 1/2 inches long. He's grown so much in just a few months and is ranked in the 76th percentile for boys. Jaden has been such a blessing and fun addition to our family. We just love him!!

Draper Temple Open House

2009-01-31T07:08:00.000-08:00

Friday, January 30th, we were able to take Lexie to the Draper Temple Open House. Lexie was most excited to go to the temple and was overly excited to ride the bus to the temple. We started out at a a chapel where we were able to watch a short video on temples. Lexie couldn't sit still and we were most worried that if she couldn't sit for 12 minutes how would she do during the tour. Fortunately for us, she does much better when she can move and walk. She really liked the baptismal font and the pretty lights. It was so neat to be able to walk through the house of the Lord as a family, even though sometimes I felt bad for wrestling Lexie when she tried to take off and go where we weren't allowed. The lighting and chandeleirs were amazingly beautiful. The bride room was a personal favorite for me as was all the beautiful wood throughout the temple. It's truly a beautiful temple and makes me excited to return and perform temple work once it has been dedicated. The spirit was present and made me feel at home as I did the first time I attended the temple many years ago.

As we sat in a sealing room it was so amazing to be able to tell Lexie of our marriage and sealing and how it made it possible for us to be a family for all eternity. As we saw many parts of the temple Lexie kept saying I can't wait to tell Grammie, she'd love this (Grammie was home with Jaden . . . thanks Grammie). After all was said and done Lexie's favorite part was the Cookie at the end of the tour and the baptism pool (as she called it). What a special experience to teach Lexie about the temple. I feel so blessed to be in a land of plenty and opportunitites to teach our family of my love for the Lord and his special house here on earth. I have a strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and am so grateful to have been sealed in the Bountiful Temple for time and all eternity. I hope that everyone will take advantage of the opportunity to walk through a house of the Lord, it was an amazing experience.

Tickets are free and open to everyone at www.lds.org.

Photo Tag

2009-01-29T09:46:00.000-08:00

Ok, here it goes . . . I was challenged by a good friend of mine to post the fourth photo in our fourth picture folder. We have so many folders (I'm an organization freak) so this is actually the fourth folder, another fourth folder, and then the fourth photo file. Enjoy!

This photo was taken at my Grandpa Hadley's 80th Birthday party in Roy, Utah. Taken on July 5, 2005. Fun memories (sorry its not the greatest picture of people but it does get me thinking back to the big event). Thanks for the challenge Catherine!

Jaden's Baby Blessing

2009-01-19T10:22:00.000-08:00

We were able to bless our new addition yesterday at church. It was a great experience and we are so grateful for all of our family and friends that supported us on Jaden's special day.

Jaden had great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts and uncles in attendance with us, and many of them participated in the blessing. We are so blessed to have family close by and still in our lives. We missed those that have passed and know they were with us in spirit. Jaden was blessed by his father and was given the name Jaden Joshua Nelson. He was blessed with health, strength, happiness, and spiritual strength. He was blessed to one day serve a mission and the Lord. We feel so blessed to have this spirit in our family and look forward to a full life with Jaden as part of our family.

Gas Bubbles

2009-01-15T08:51:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've had some time to post information on our blog so while I have a few minutes this morning I thought I'd share a funny experience I had last night. Jaden's been getting on a little bit more of a schedule lately. He usually eats at 9pm and goes to bed until 1 or 1:30am and then is frantic to eat again. He goes back to bed until 5 or 5:30am and then again is frantic to eat. We are usually up for a couple of hours and then he goes back to bed until 9am. If I'm a good girl and go to bed when he does at 9:30pm I can usually get at least 7 hours of sleep at night since Lexie usually gets up around 8am.

Last night Jaden followed his general routine and woke up at 1am frantic for food. He is so funny with his loud cry that won't stop for anything but food. He screams until the bottle is in his mouth, nothing else seems to calm him down. He has this cute little pausy gasp when he crys, I like to mimic him which usually makes him madder. Anyway, back to my story, after feeding Jaden at 1am we began our mission for gas bubbles. When he's tired its so hard to get him to burp because he's sound asleep. We have a deal that if I get him his bottle quickly, its his job to get out the gas bubbles or burps after he eats. Well, we tried for quite some time when I began my usual talks to get out the burps. Much to my suprrise as soon as I began talking to Jaden he let out the largest, loudest, and funniest burp I have every heard come out of his mouth. It was so loud that it startled me and I jumped, then I started laughing. He didn't think it was very funny, I think it really hurt him and he started cryting. I apologized for laughing and we continued on with our burping ritual until all the gas bubbles were gone then we both went back to sleep.

I'm loving all the fun memories we're making with Jaden, even when they are at 1am in the morning.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2009-01-10T09:48:00.001-08:00

We are so grateful for all our friends and family members that have given us love and support throughout the year. We hope that 2009 brings new successes, joys, and much happiness. Wishing you and yours a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-27T11:14:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that Christmas has come and gone. So much goes into one day, and then it's over and done with. Of course, the ten days before were a bit of a blur with our new little one...

We had a wonderful Christmas, and we even braved the storm to visit the Nelson home for a little while. It was great to see everyone, and we came home for Stacie's family to visit us. Cindee flew in from California, and it was great to see her, too.

Here are a few more pictures to share. Happy holidays everyone!

More fun from the hospital

2008-12-20T05:32:00.001-08:00

We're still here in the hospital...we had hoped to go home yesterday (Friday), but Stacie's blood pressure stayed high while they monkeyed around with her medication, so we got to spend another night here. Today we expect to be able to go home, and we're excited to have our little family together again. Our parents have been so wonderful to help us, and to let Lexie spend the night with them so that I could stay here with Stacie. Thanks to everyone for their love and support!

Thursday was my birthday, and I can honestly say that it was the most unique birthday that I have ever experienced. Sitting with our newborn son was the very best present that I could hope for; eating a McRib while I was in the hospital with our newborn son was a little slice of heaven!

We have some more pictures to show; hopefully the next round of photos will be of us taking care of JJ in our house!

Baby boy is here!

2008-12-17T15:06:00.000-08:00

We are proud to present our newest addition to the family: Jaden Joshua Nelson, born on December 16th, at 8:32 p.m. He weighed 7 lbs, 6 oz. at birth and was 20 inches in length.

Everything went extremely well. The first picture in the slide show was of Stacie sitting in the OR, getting ready for her epidural, when the anesthesiologist was called away for an emergency, so we had to trudge back to the room and wait a little bit longer. But he was worth the wait; he came out crying, and has been a docile little boy ever since. We haven't had to deal with the immediate concerns that we had with Lexie so far, and we both feel incredibly blessed to have our healthy little one with us.

Lexie came to see us last night and would hardly let anyone else hold him. She is VERY excited to be a big sister! Thanks for all of the thoughts and prayers from everyone. We are so lucky to have all of your support.

More to come...

Pregnancy Rollercoaster

2008-12-16T16:10:00.000-08:00

What a couple of days! Stacie posted last night about the interesting day that we had, and today was no different. She monitored her blood pressure closely all morning, and found high numbers on par with yesterday's. After several consistent high readings, we decided to call the doctor and ask what to do. Just before noon they called us and told us to come to the Labor and Delivery floor to be monitored.

We made our way to the hospital, no thanks to the blizzard that essentially turned I-15 into a parking lot, and got admitted. By the time she got checked in and situated, her blood pressure was back to normal (of course!), and they decided to just monitor things for a while. She wasn't dilating, and everything looked fine, so we were just about 15 minutes away from getting her discharge papers. At this point, we hadn't eaten all day and were discussing various food options when the blood pressure monitor beeped, noting a high reading. Oh boy. The next several readings were equally high, and the nurse told us that we were going to have to stay around for a while longer. Our visions of chicken fingers vanished into the afternoon and we settled in for some more waiting.

Before long, the resident came in an told us that due to the elevated blood pressure readings, along with some consistent contractions, they were now going to proceed with the c-section! It's been such an up and down day, and while our plans have been altered slightly, we are now a "go for baby". It's about 5:30 right now, and the surgery is scheduled for 7:30, so we have a few hours to wait until it all happens.

Here's a picture of Stacie laying in her bed, getting her arms warmed up so that they can put in an IV:

We'll post again later!

Pregnancy Update

2008-12-15T21:55:00.000-08:00

Today I had my final doctors appointment scheduled in the AM hours. As usual one of the first things they always do is take my blood pressure. Today, it was a little high, even for me - 155/105. They asked me to leave a urine sample so they could test for protein in the urine and then took my blood pressure again, this time it had raised/dropped to 177/85. My dystolic number had dropped but the systolic increased. Josh and I were discussing what questions I wanted to make sure and ask the doctor when he came in and it was all thrown off when he came in and announced that quite possibly they would take the baby today to avoid preeclampsia - YIKES!!! He asked if I brought my bag just in case, to which I replied "NO". I had no thoughts that it might need to happen today. He sent me down the hall for a Non-stress Test and to have my blood pressure monitored. Fortunately for me my blood pressure decreased dramatically during my "resting" period. Most of the results were in the 139/79 arena, much better. Thanks to my body cooperating I was able to go home without having the baby today.

The good news was that my doctor canceled the Amnio scheduled for Thursday and decided definitely to perform the C-section on Friday as he is still unsure that I'll last until Friday. He told me I should stop working and stay off my feet as much as possible . . . bed rest, yuck! I was very excited to hear that I wouldn't have to have the amnio on Thursday and that we could for sure count on the baby arriving Friday morning. We're praying that the Lord will bless me and the baby to last throughout the week and to bless the baby to be ready for delivery as scheduled. I've been resting today, my blood pressure has been a little high but doable. So for now, I'm just taking it easy. A little bit of a scare to start off the week!

Hadley Christmas Party

2008-12-15T20:19:00.000-08:00

Saturday we celebrated the Holidays at our annual Hadley Christmas Party. Due to the baby's arrival we celebrated early this year (thanks all). We had alot of fun doing a Breakfast/Brunch this year. We had TONS of food and then headed downstairs for our annual "Foosball Tournament". It was decided to break the competition into groups this year: Men, Women, and Jr's (kids). Josh won the Mens round (as he does every year), Dawnie was victorious for the Womens, and all the kids won a prize for competing. Grammie takes care of the kids!

A great time was had by all that attended. Even the weather couldn't stop the Hadleys from celebrating the Holidays.

Lexie meets the Man In Red

2008-12-09T18:51:00.000-08:00

So, we finally got over to the mall yesterday so that Lexie could have a quick chat with Santa. She was VERY excited to see him, and had no problem telling him exactly what she'd like for Christmas (shocking, I know). I told Santa that we were working on the "good girl" part so that he could come to our house on Christmas Eve. It IS a work in progress, but she's trying!

Check out Santa's belt buckle! I didn't know he was a pimp in the off season.

We're in single digits tomorrow in the baby countdown. I just bought a gallon of milk whose expiration date is after his birth date. It's hard to believe that it's finally here!

Lexie's Clogging Performance

2008-12-08T11:59:00.000-08:00

Lexie has been going to clogging class for several months now, and last Friday was her first performance. It was at the Kearns Skating Complex where the speed skating was held during the Olympics. And while it was a little bit chaotic (there was a huge winter carnival going on, and they had trouble getting the correct song to play), Lexie did a great job. Here's a short video:

Lexie Nelson: Feet of fire from Josh on Vimeo.

Christmas is almost here! Hope we're ready...Christmas effectively comes on December 19th when the new baby is here, so we have to be ready a little bit earlier than normal. Happy holidays, everyone!

Gobble, Gobble

2008-11-27T14:59:00.000-08:00

As I sit here at work, I have noticed some stiffness in my legs when I stand up, especially the inner thigh/groin region. I did a quick inventory of my last couple of days and realize that I can trace it back to Tuesday, when I raked and picked up all of the leaves in the back yard. Yikes. I mean, I DID fill up three large garbage bags full of leaves, but I must need to step up my activity levels when that produces a little random soreness. Good thing that I'm not a professional athlete; I'd hate to be watching ESPN and see an injury report listing me "Out(yard work)".

Today is a time for family, and for reflecting on what we are thankful for. Stacie's parents had the opportunity to go to California to spend the holiday with their daughter, Stacie and Lexie had the opportunity to go to my 93-year old grandfather's house for dinner, and I had the opportunity to work today. We are thankful for all of the above and more: our family, our friends, our faith, our jobs, our country and everything that we have in our lives. This is a special time of the year...one that will be even more special in a few weeks when we receive another member into our family, and we are truly thankful that he is continuing to develop and grow (although Stacie's not as keen about the growth part). We can't wait for him to arrive and watch him grow. Lexie is thankful for her new baby brother, Turkey Day, and Banana Pie, although not necessarily in that order.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone!

The Crib "Makeover"

2008-11-25T12:20:00.000-08:00

With less than a month (heck, less than four weeks) until our little one is here, we are trying to get everything ready here at home. We decided to paint the crib black (does this really surprise anyone?) and so we took it over to my dad's office to paint it in their warehouse. Dad built something that would allow us to hang the pieces up and spray them, then let them dry. So, now we know where to go if we need to do some auto body work!

It worked great, and after a primer coat and three full black coats, it was done. Thanks, Dad, for doing the majority of the painting and for letting it hang in your warehouse for a week. It looks great!

We worked in the baby's room off and on for a few days (Stacie spent most of one Saturday in there when I was at work), and with the crib set up, and most of the "stuff" that had accumulated in there over the past couple of years out of there, we are mostly ready for the big day. The closet is still a work in progress, but everything fits in his new dresser, so it's not really necessary right now. We're pretty excited!

Here's a slide show with a few pictures of the crib makeover, and some of the finished nursery:

Mark your calendar . . .December 19th, 2008

2008-11-21T08:46:00.000-08:00

I received final confirmation this morning, my c-section has been scheduled for 7:30am, December 19th. At my doctors appointment Monday it was recommended that we don't wait past 39 weeks for the delivery of this baby. Delivery of diabetic women can be performed anytime after 38 weeks but generally never past 39 weeks. 39 weeks would be Dec. 27th and since they don't schedule c-sections on the weekend he wanted to schedule Dec. 26th as the date for delivery. I put up a bit of fight since I didn't want to have to celebrate a lifetime of birthday's on the day after Christmas. The recommended date then became Dec. 22nd which meant that I would have to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the hospital. Not really what I wanted to do either. So, the doctor proposed an option to schedule the c-section on Dec. 19th and perform an amniocentesis the day before to make sure the fetus is mature enough for delivery. It's only 1 day before 38 weeks, which is Dec. 20th, but again because of the weekend issue we would have to perform the test in order to ensure the delivery on the 19th would be ok. I'm not that excited about the amnio but do want to put the baby's safe delivery as a priority since the last thing we want is another baby stay in the NICU. Currently he is measuring a little big (80th percentile for growth) so hopefully his lungs will be developed enough for delivery. If the results come back negative then the c-section will be moved to Dec. 22nd or possibly later depending on the test results. It's amazing that so much can occur within 7 days, especially with a major holiday. To add another log to the fire my doctor won't even be in the state during any of these dates, he's off for the Holidays.

After much thought and prayer we decided to move forward with the 19th. So, for now we're preparing and planning on December 19th for the delivery of our new little one. Only 4 weeks to the date . . . getting so close so fast!

"The Holy War", a response

2008-11-21T08:30:00.000-08:00

Warning: this post is length and graphic in nature.

Well, I got an early Christmas gift on Thursday. My brother Nate blew the dust off of his blog and posted a long entry entitled “A Few Reasons Why I Would Rather Be A Utah Fan” in anticipation of the big “Holy War” between BYU and Utah this Saturday. You can read his post here. He then proceeded to playfully throw down the gauntlet for BYU fans to respond, including a personal challenge to me in email form. Let's see...you're going to let me respond to your post and ratchet the intensity of this rivalry even higher, and at the same time increase the level of tension between me, my brother, and my father (who besides being my relatives are two of my very best friends)? Hey, Merry Christmas to you too, Nate!

But in the spirit of friendly rivalry, I decided to accept Nate's invitation to respond from a BYU fan's point of view. Let me point out one thing up front: Nate is an excellent writer; he is thorough, eloquent, and a true craftsman. I suspect that his post has undergone several drafts and much meditation and massaging. In turn, he has generously given me roughly 24 hours to respond to his masterpiece. I'm going to have to wing this one from the hip, so I can freely admit up front that my response will lack the polish and professionalism of Nate's. Fortunately, I have the truth on my side.

As he mentioned, Nate grew up a casual sports fan, and while he was always a Utah fan, he didn't become passionate about it until around junior high. In 2001, he approached me and our friend Rich about possibly “switching sides” before the first game of the Gary Crowton era (which seemed like a good idea at the time, especially after BYU thrashed Tulane 70-35). Who knew what turmoil the next several years would bring with the bottoming out of BYU's program? Nate has followed both programs closely, and tried to exist as a “sports bigamist”, to borrow a phrase from ESPN's Bill Simmons. But I know that he has remained a Utah fan deep down, and his place on the proverbial fence is now clearly on the crimson side. And I'm sorry for outing you Nate, about that whole switching sides thing. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

I'll address each one of Nate's points in rebuttal, and add anything left over at the end, time and space permitting.

Nate's point: Utah has been as nationally relevant as BYU over the past 17 years.
He argues this point by comparing records of the two teams since 1992, so I will address this first. The winning percentages are a near wash (.511 vs .500) although I would mention that this time frame includes Utah's magical two-year run and the worst 4-year stretch of BYU football in my lifetime. It also cuts off the ten years from 1982 to 1992 when BYU averaged 10 wins per season and established themselves nationally and Utah was abysmal. But within the time frame given, their overall records are very close. Although BYU managed 10 wins six times in that time frame, which was double that of Utah, including an NCAA record 14 wins in 1996, a record which probably cannot ever be broken.

Records cannot address national relevance, however. And in this aspect, BYU is clearly head and shoulders above Utah (and every Mountain West team). BYU's consistency for the past 30 years and their success on a national level makes them the conference's standard bearer. Back when they actually played on ESPN, their TV ratings were always consistent with the big boys. True, they have a built-in nationwide fan base, but that is also what makes them nationally relevant. The 1996 team didn't get to go to a bigger bowl, and they were constantly in the headlines. In 2002, the Bowl Coalition thumbed their noses at BYU, prompting a government investigation and the revamping of some of the criteria used for bowl qualification. Utah was certainly relevant during the Urban years, finally kicking down the BCS door that BYU had been beating in for ten years, but those were the only two years (along with this year) where their national cachet could match that of BYU.

Nate's point: Utah has a better bowl record since 1992.
It's hard to argue straight numbers, and Utah has been impressive in their bowls, winning their last seven in a row, while BYU's bowl efforts have almost always been substandard. Fortunately Nate started looking at bowl records since 1992, so we wouldn't have to worry about examining the 28 years before that when Utah didn't go to a bowl. Whew! A lesser man might mention the fact that the Pitt team Utah beat in the Fiesta Bowl is generally considered the worst team to ever appear in a BCS bowl game, or that the Georgia Tech team they played the next year (who were infuriated that they were snubbed by the BCS) turned in one of the least inspired performances that I have ever seen. But Utah can't pick who they play, and they have beaten whatever team lines up across from them year after year. Nate used this as his trump card for Utah's national prominence, but with like 30 bowls in December, a win in the Armed Forces Bowl (or the Las Vegas Bowl for that matter) gets lost in the shuffle, in my opinion.

Nate's point: Utah has won the Rivalry Game more often since 1992.
In using this as a reason why he would rather be a Ute fan, I suppose that I could accuse him of being a front running fan. But I understand that he is making a case for the Utes, so I see where he is coming from. Again, the time frame eliminates the 15-2 record BYU posted in the other 17 years of Nate's lifetime, but this game has become a true war in recent years. If I'm being truthful, I don't ever really enjoy watching this game. When BYU wins, I'm never really satisfied (I'll have to address BYU arrogance in a minute), and when they lose, it's a long year until they meet again. Utah always brings their A-game, and I don't feel like BYU reciprocates. Of course, Utah fans would argue that their team has something to do with that, and I would have to agree to an extent. Bottom line: this game is a battle, and Utah has more than held their own since Ronnie Mac was around.

Nate's point: Utah has the underdog vibe, BYU has the arrogance vibe.
I chuckled to read the line “That is not to say that Utah has more national interest...” when he spent seven previous paragraphs trying to prove that they had every bit as much national interest as BYU, but I understand his point about the underdog vibe. Nate has always liked to be a little bit against the grain. He liked music that other didn't like, read books that others didn't read, etc. So if he perceives Utah as an up-and-comer, then it would make sense that they appeal to him. Although I take umbrage with him classifying BYU as “the established former power that is perceived to trade on its slowly eroding tradition”. BYU has lost one conference game in three years, so they are certainly NOT a former power, and whatever tradition Gary Crowton tried to erode during his tenure has been brought back in spades by Bronco. And to answer the question about which team a casual observer would find interesting, I'd choose the higher profile team every time. For example, I love watching Stephen Curry and Davidson during March Madness because they are there each year and have had some success. Can't say which up-and-comer from the Southern Conference I like.

The rest of Nate's argument on this point addresses BYU's arrogance. I don't think that the moral argument is even relevant. BYU fans don't tell New Mexico fans that they are better than them because they don't drink coffee. Their arrogance is based on football, not how they live their lives. I've read plenty of message boards (Wyoming is a good example) where they constantly attack the LDS church. But they are anti-Mormon, and hate BYU fans for their association with the church, not because BYU fans are waving their “higher living” in their faces.

BYU fans have set pretty high standards for their program. Heck, I'm guilty of it. I haven't followed football this year with nearly as much fervor since they lost to TCU. But can you blame us? We have been blessed with a program that has been dominant for 30+ years. We have come to expect winning seasons every year, and consequently hold our heads high when it comes to the football team. We perceive slights, question everything that goes against us, and rub people the wrong way. I recognize this. And consequently, BYU is the the game that teams circle on their schedule year after year. TCU has been tackling a dummy in practice since January with a BYU helmet on it. Air Force players talked about how they were looked forward to this game all year. Wyoming despises BYU. Maybe this is my BYU arrogance talking, but I've seen plenty of teams tear down their goalposts after beating BYU (including Utah after they beat a BYU team with a losing record). Beating Utah is always a good win, but not a signature win.

I do want to mention one point to this: Utah fans have been banging this drum for years. They hate the arrogance of that “team down south”. But in the space of two years of success under Urban Meyer, Utah fans (and I'm painting with a broad brush here) became what they have always despised and equaled the arrogance that it took BYU decades to build. It was truly amazing to see such a transformation in such a short time. This has softened some over the past few years. But it is easy to see how success breeds overconfidence or arrogance.

Nate's point: Kyle Whittingham is more fun to have as a head coach than Bronco Mendenhall.
Kyle has learned from many years of sitting at the feet of the master, Ron McBride, about how to work the media. Ronnie Mac was very good at being the fun guy who wore his heart on his sleeve and was pals with everyone in the media. I really believe that this (along with some success against BYU) extended his career several years, as the media was hesitant to call for the head of their pal.

Bronco is stoic on the sidelines, and while he is generally cordial with the media (except for Tom Kirkland, who hosts the coach's show and who Bronco won't be in the same room with), he views the media as a necessary evil. LaVell Edwards was always like this. His scowl and even temper on the sidelines was legendary, and while he softened towards the media over his 34 years as head coach, he still never worked them like McBride.

It's pretty easy to see the effect of these different styles. Last year, when Utah was suffering through multiple injuries, it was plastered all over the newspapers and radio. Even when Brian Johnson came back, the media played up all of Utah's injuries. And on the defensive side of the ball, they were no worse off than BYU (the Cougars were starting four white walk-ons, for heaven's sake). But Bronco's philosophy is to downplay that to the media and not make it an issue. So, this year when Utah has been almost injury-free and BYU has been decimated by injury on the defensive side of the ball, how much have you heard about this? Not very much.

The end result of this is a congenial, happy-go-lucky coach on the hill, and a business-like, seemingly detached coach in Provo. To Nate, it seems like Kyle is the more fun coach. And I like Kyle, but Bronco is the perfect fit for the BYU program. He is an excellent coach, but he also embodies what the university represents. Gary Crowton sought to minimize (or eliminate) the church's effect on the football program, with disastrous results. The church is a part of what the football team is trying to do, like it or not. Bronco has embraced this, holding firesides and placing faith before even football. Plus, from everything that I have read, he has a great personality, and is very engaging. He just has no need to express this to the media, while Kyle embraces this.

Two more quick points on the coaches: Nate mentioned that Kyle's success has made him bulletproof. I disagree, as evidenced by the fallout after they lost to UNLV 27-0 last year. Kyle was VERY close to being sent packing, and most Utah fans were the ones lighting torches and carrying pitchforks. Utah has only lost one game since, so those issues have been quieted. Next year they graduate Brian Johnson, Louie Sakoda, and other key players. If they struggle a bit, we'll see how bulletproof he is. Lastly, Nate's point that BYU fans don't yell as much at Kyle because he played at BYU is laughable. Kyle is a Ute. His transformation is complete, and most BYU fans feel the exact same way. Can he come back? Sure, Steve Kafusi played at the Y, coached at Utah for several years, and now is back in Provo coaching the d-line. We didn't miss him when he was gone, but now we're happy to have him back.

I'm happy to call Kyle “Wolf”, however.

Nate's point: I would rather be nervous about the offense and confident in the defense than vice versa.
Nate didn't follow sports as closely in the 80's, when every WAC team tried to outscore each other, including Utah. This made for some wild games, and some fantastic finishes. Personally, I find this more entertaining to watch, plus having an offense that you can count on helps you get back into games. Utah's offense finding themselves for a couple of drives is the only reason that they beat Oregon State and TCU, and the reason that they aren't 9-2 right now. But I suppose that comes down to preference.

Nate's point: Red is a better uniform color for television than blue.
Red is the color of the devil. Of course it looks better on TV...the devil is full of pride.

Nate's point: Utah's mascot stinks, but at least it doesn't have Cosmo's terrifying face.
Look, I miss the old Cosmo face as much as anyone. But I've come to accept that all mascots nowadays look constipated animals. And if you don't think that this is terrifying, you're wrong.

The real issue here, is what a red-tailed hawk is doing on the sidelines of the Utah UTES. Where is the Indian on the sidelines? Why aren't the cheerleaders dressed up like Pocahontas? Florida State's mascot is the Seminoles and here is what they do in the pre-game. Plus, the crowd does the tomahawk chop and that whole “Ah...ah, ah, ah” chant. Imagine how confusing it must be for say, a German tourist on vacation in Salt Lake and watching a football game for the first time:

“Ah...American football. I've always wondered what it is like. What are these people in animal costumes doing? We don't have that in the Bundesliga. We only have beer, football, and riots. I suppose they are representatives of the teams. Apparently I am watching the Cougars in blue, and the Falcons in red. Or is that the Hawks? Or the Sparrows? Who are these Utes that they keep speaking of? (googles) Oh, the Utes are the mascot of this red team. So why do they have a big bird as their mascot? I am so confused. Perhaps they are wussing out by allowing the indigenous Ute tribe to select a native bird as their mascot and accepting yearly hush money in exchange for not making a stink about using their name in a politically correct time. I understand now.”

Nate's point: Singing “Utah Man” versus dancing the Haka.
I don't remember all of the hubbub about Urban Meyer trying to inject some long-overdue tradition into the program with the cutting-edge idea of singing the fight song after the game (wow...NOBODY does that), but I'll take Nate's word for it. Look, if you want to gather the team together after the game and sing a song set to the tune of the “Mickey Mouse Club March”, please be my guest.

Nate doesn't see the relevance of a BYU team performing the Haka before the game? Perhaps he should read the names on the roster. BYU was the first mainland team to set up a “Polynesian Pipeline” and farm the rich talent from Hawaii. Why do you think the Hawaii football fans hate BYU so much (hey another team that rips down the goalposts when they beat BYU)? Nowadays, most teams in the west, including all of the PAC-10 teams AND Utah fight for the island talent. The Haka comes from New Zealand, but all Polynesian, Tongans, any islander considers themselves blood brothers. Still not relevant enough? Bryce Mahuika, a player for BYU instituted the ritual a few years ago. Bryce's grandfather was a Maori tribal chief, and his father was a full-blooded Maori. When his father succumbed to cancer, he presented the Haka to the team as a tribute to his father as well as a way to prepare to go into battle. This made national headlines in New Zealand, and the BYU team was featured on television there as well. And yes, they still do the Haka before every game.

Now, sing after me: “Who's the leader of the club that's made for you and me...”

I've responded to Nate's arguments, and while this is quite long, I did want to throw in one of my own points.

Josh's point: BYU's stadium is a far superior venue to Utah's.
The most common thing I hear from Utah fans is that Lavell Edwards Stadium looks like it was it was made from an erector set, and that you could dismantle it with a socket set. It DOES have an industrial feel to it, due mostly to being built in the 1980's (it is ironic that my Utah fan father worked on the stadium during the expansion), but it is a huge 65,000 seat stadium that consistently fights with Husky Stadium in Washington as “Best setting for a college football game” when someone puts together a list. When it is filled to capacity (12 straight shutouts and counting), it is a loud, intimidating place to play.

Rice-Eccles Stadium is a different story. When you walk around the stadium, especially the north side, it feels like you're in the ghetto. There is a train that hurtles by only a few feet away, and the walkway is cramped. Trying to get something to eat during halftime is near impossible. Lines from the concession stand meld with the lines from the bathrooms, forming a gridlock that is stifling. I've never felt that in Provo, even with 20,000 more people in the stadium. Fortunately for Utah fans, Salt Lake got the Winter Olympic bid in 2002 and the deep pockets of the IOC dropped some major coin into renovating the stadium. Otherwise, it wouldn't have a huge new press box (which I've been inside, and it is very nice), probably still wouldn't have a Jumbotron, and the north end zone would still be a giant sloped asphalt hill with UTAH painted on it. Don't get me started on the mess that they make of getting people home AFTER the game, either. How they can make such a mess of things I'll never know.

Well, that's about it. This is entirely too long already, but I'm a little long-winded myself. I hope this makes sense...I threw this together in a couple of hours and didn't have too much time to think things through, but it was fun to do a little good-natured trash talking and fun poking. Thanks to Nate for the friendly “challenge”. It's sparked my interest in the game and gotten me excited to watch the game tomorrow.

As far as a prediction, I can see this game being very close, which favors Utah. They are at home, and I can't count on BYU being able to win a close game for the third year in a row. Utah has proven this year that they can find a way to win games that are all but lost. Sadly, my gut tells me that this is how it will play out. BYU's only chance is to play very well, and pull away. Since nothing in my body will allow me to pick a Utah win, I'll call it BYU 24, Utah 13. Although I'd certainly settle for a Louie Sakoda “doink” sequel.

Utah football fever...grab it!

Quick thoughts: Sunday edition

2008-11-16T07:54:00.000-08:00

Wow! Time is surely flying by as we near the end of this calendar year and the beginning of our little one's life. We are busily preparing for our new arrival, as well as all of the holiday season's commitments; Stacie worked most of the day yesterday on the baby's room and it looks great! There are still a few things left to be done, but we could realistically bring our baby home now and have a place for him. The crib of death is nearly transformed and we will post some pictures once it is assembled in the nursery. Hooray!

For today's Top 3, I went with a list of quiet, mellow songs (not all of these will be songs, BTW) seeing how I have to work today and it is indeed quiet and mellow here. I grew up listening to Gordon Lightfoot, a Canadian-born singer who plays acoustic guitar and sings about the Great White North, traveling, and ship wrecks, and his music is the perfect soundtrack for one of those days where you sit in your house, watching the snow fall outside. It's not snowing here today, but it still seems just right. Here is Gord's best:

1. Sundown - Gordon Lightfoot Easily my favorite Gordon Lightfoot song. I love how it starts with the strong guitar chords...this is the song that I would want to learn first if I ever took up the guitar. Can't say that I understand how a woman is "lookin' like a queen in a sailor's dream" and for the longest time I didn't know that the chorus said "If I find you've been creepin' 'round my back stair" (Huh?). Must be a Canuck thing; maybe he hides his back bacon and maple syrup in the back stairs.

2. Carefree Highway - Gordon Lightfoot A great road trip song. I can think of several songs in which he mentions "wanderlust", including this one. Maybe he and Mrs. Lightfoot needed their space.

3. GORDAN LIGHTFOOT ~ Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald - Gordon Lightfoot (How do you misspell Gordon?) Easily the best song about a maritime tragedy, outdistancing "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion and "Rock The Boat" by the Hues Corporation. I have been able to sing this song word for word for many years, now.

Missing the cut:

If You Could Read My Mind - Gordon Lightfoot(awesome song), "Me And Bobby McGee" (allegedly the first recorded version of this song, and a good way to understand what Janis Joplin was wailing about), "Minstrel Of The Dawn", "Ribbon Of Darkness". They all sound similar, but they all sound good!

Halloween Video

2008-11-04T16:12:00.000-08:00

Untitled from Josh Nelson on Vimeo.

Quick thoughts, Tuesday edition

2008-11-04T11:18:00.000-08:00

This morning, after dropping Lexie off at preschool, I went to rock the vote, and when i turned on the radio in the car, I was greeted by Christmas music on FM 100. Sweet! I am a sucker for Christmas music, and I really do enjoy it. It puts me in the holiday spirit, and makes me realize just how close it is. I understand that this post coupled with the ABBA post from last week pretty much destroys the manly image that I have cultivated over the years, but that's life. If any of you want to join in, click here and click the "Listen Live" button.

In conjunction with this, I am going to unveil a new feature of our blog: Top 3 lists. I enjoy lists; I like reading them in magazines, on websites, wherever. They are usually informative, and because they are normally very subjective, they are highly debatable. Crafting a good Top 10, Top 25, whatever, takes a chunk of time to get just right. But a Top 3 list? Give me pretty much any topic, and I can fire a Top 3 list off the top of my head. For example: Top 3 Bounty Hunters? #1 Boba Fett, #2 Dog, #3 Ummm...okay bad example. Here then, is my Top 3 Christmas Songs On The Radio:

1. "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year", Andy Williams version.
The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year - Andy WilliamsThis song always makes me think of going Christmas shopping and seeing lights everywhere. It's a fun, upbeat Christmas song. Plus ESPN usually uses it for their Bowl Week commercials, so that makes it better. And I love the part when he says "...be of good cheer" and the backgrounds singers go "AH AH AH".

2. "O, Holy Night", Josh Groban version
Josh Groban - O Holy Night - Josh Groban There are a million versions of this song, and this one is one of the best. My criteria on this song: towards the end of the song (3:45 in, or so) the song hits it's crescendo with a "NOEL!!!" glory note. If this makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up, it's a keeper. The Il Divo version is awesome, and Nat King Cole's is a classic. The Jewel version? Not so much.

3. "White Christmas", Bing Crosby version
White Christmas - Bing Crosby Pretty tough to go wrong with Der Bingle. Plus, with my family's obsession with this movie, this is a no-brainer.

Just missed the cut: "Mary, Did You Know?", Kenny Rogers version
mary did you know by kenny rogers Great "modern" Christmas song. Stay far away from the Donny Osmond version, another staple in heavy rotation on FM 100.

Our Halloween video will be up soon!

What happens when Lexie misses her nap

2008-11-03T09:01:00.000-08:00

Click here to see

October Fun

2008-10-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

We haven't posted any family pictures from our recent October activities. We've had a fairly busy October and wanted to share a tiny bit with our family and friends. Enjoy . . .

Nelson Family Deer Hunt Weekend

Lexie and her cousin Shelby LOVE to throw rocks in the little river and are entertained for hours collecting and throwing rocks and sticks. Their newest adventure is using the longer sticks to fish.

Kirin's Birthday Party

My friend and old mission companion invited Lexie to attend her son's 5th Birthday party at Bouncing Off The Walls. Lexie had a ball and would spend hours on the "Monster Slide" every day if it were possible. She loves to jump and slide so this party was right up her alley.

Video Time!

2008-10-23T07:04:00.001-07:00

Well, we haven't posted for a little while; things have been pretty busy and I picked up some extra shifts so I've kind of lived at the hospital for the past week and a half. We have some pictures to put up from the past week, but we haven't had a chance to upload them to the web just yet, so in the mean time, I decided to post another favorite video in the wildly successful "Video Time!" post series. I'm sure you've all been DYING for the next installment :)

First, a quick story: I was at my friend Dan's house the other night when I casually mentioned that I saw the movie version of "Mamma Mia" with Stacie on our anniversary. Dan proceeded to rip me up one side and down the other, threatening to revoke my man card among other physical threats after hearing such disturbing news. I tried to explain that I let Stacie choose the movie (it was even the sing-along version) because she took me to Skybox for dinner and tried to talk to me while I sat in front of 500 televisions showing sports, but he was truly disgusted with my news. Dan's dislike of musicals is legendary, and we had just finished watching a very poor football game, so I took his vitriol with a grain of salt. I also confessed that watching that movie made any James Bond movie starring Pierce Brosnan entirely unwatchable. Watching him belt out "S.O.S." with Meryl Streep was absolutely jarring. You can watch it here if you dare. The distorted view and German subtitles will only add more flavor to your nightmares. Fast forward to the 3:31 mark for the most heinous part. Yikes. But you have been warned; there are some things that you can't un-see.

That said, I enjoy ABBA's music. We grew up listening to ABBA; I remember being jealous when my cousin Missy's family got "Super Trooper" on 8-track, and we had a collection of ABBA videos on a videotape that got repeated watching. Music videos were in their infancy, so these were pretty cutting edge. I could never remember which girl was which, but I always remembered that Benny was the dude with full beard and fluffy hair, and Bjorn was the guy who looked like Vizzini in "The Princess Bride" (not the hair). They were the musical geniuses of the group, but in today's image-conscious market, they might have been left behind the scenes. Maybe not; it WAS the 70's after all. Today's video, then, comes from their enormous video vault. I didn't go with "Mamma Mia" or "Dancing Queen" or one of the songs that you hear on the radio frequently. I did, however, choose ABBA's best song HANDS DOWN. Please enjoy:

I understand that what little manhood I had left after admitting to being an ABBA fan is completely gone after proclaiming "Gimme Gimme Gimme A Man After Midnight" their best work, but it truly is. And as way of disclaimer, I never demand a man, either before or after midnight. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

What a great song! It's certainly straight from the disco era, with the synthesizer beat, and keyboard rise and fall. I love how it builds and builds up to the chorus, thumping faster and faster...then POW! "Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight...won't somebody help me chase these shadows away?". The chorus and the beat are awesome. Can't say that I really understand the lyrics...maybe it's a Swedish thing. My brother Nate served his mission in Sweden, so he may have a little insight. The girl in the song might need a late night man to help her dig up some rotting fish to eat or something. The video itself is just alright; it's one of those "let's pretend we're recording the song and film it" videos that seems like a cop out. It has the requisite faux shots of the band sitting behind the mixing board, turning dials and debating production of the song. In reality, I'm guessing that Benny and Bjorn sent the girls out for cigarettes and more blue eyeliner while they tweaked the recordings. You can see them mailing it in; at the 2:41 mark Bjorn is singing/lipsnyching something...just not the music that is playing. It's like they ran out of video so they just shoe horned a shot of him in there to fill space. And at the very end, Anni (the brunette) keeps looking at someone to the right with her hands on her headphones, like she's saying "Did you get it? Now? Are we done? Did you get enough footage?" until she pulls off the headphones with relief. Hey, that lipsynching is a tough gig.

The worst part about the video is that this is the shorter version of the song. I found a longer version, but it is a fan video that is basically the song with still pictures spliced together. it kills me that the last 15 seconds or so is just blank, while the music plays out. I guess whomever put the video together couldn't find a couple more pictures of the gang, or they didn't know how to extend each picture to stretch it out to cover the length of the song.

The best part about the longer version comes at the 2:34mark when they sing the chorus one step higher then the synthesizer comes in and goes "AH AH AH AH AH AH AH". I usually sing that part as loud as possible (including the AHs), especially if I'm alone. I can tell you that my performance is positively Brosnon-esque, so I tend to keep that one to myself. Great tune, though.

Lexie's guys

2008-10-06T09:06:00.000-07:00

It's very possible that you have been introduced to Lexie's guys (perhaps even multiple times!), but for those of you who haven't had the pleasure, please let me provide some background information.

"Guys" is a blanket term for any of the stuffed animals that Lexie transports/plays with/throws when she is mad. A comprehensive list of guys would probably have 25-30 entries. But for all intents and purposes, when you talk about her guys, you're talking about what I like to call "the fab four" (side note: I don't like the Beatles, so I'm actually referring to Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy).

1. Toby : Toby is a turtle who came to us via Build-A-Bear when her Aunt Cindee and Aunt Dawnie took her there shortly after her first birthday. Toby is Lexie's go-to guy. He has traveled many miles with her, and has a habit of saying "I love you" when you push his arm. Toby would be like Mickey in my analogy; he is the front man of the band. When we were watching Toby being "born", I had no idea how much Lexie would be attached to him. He has certainly been well loved...and shows signs of how well loved he is. Toby had to have some minor surgery with the Build-A-Bear plastic surgeon about a year ago, but he had a 100% recovery and is still going strong.

2. Bunny: Bunny is the original member of the entourage. Bunny was a shower gift from Auntie Missy and as I think about it, has been with Lexie since her first day at home. Bunny is one of those 12" square soft blankets with a bunny head attached to it, which made it perfect for Lexie to cuddle with from day one. When she got a little bit older, there was a certain way that she had to hold Bunny, with one finger tucked underneath just so. Bunny has actually been given to Toby, and sleeps with him always (I guess this shows how much Lexie adores Toby). Bunny is the Minnie of the group. She is attached at the hip to Toby, always at his side.

3. Doggy: Doggy is similar to Bunny, except he obviously has a dog head instead of a bunny head. Doggy came into our lives in a most curious way. One night, when Lexie was not quite a year old, her diaper leaked in the middle of the night, leaving us with a wet crib sheet and no options. For some reason, we didn't have another sheet to put on, so I had to race to Wal-Mart for a 3:00 a.m. visit (which, by the way, is the ONLY time that it isn't busy). Bunny, unfortunately, was a wet casualty as well, so Stacie instructed me to find not only a sheet, but a suitable (albeit temporary) replacement for Bunny while he was getting clean. Easier said than done...YOU try replacing an icon. Doggy was the answer, and when I returned home we put her back to bed with dry sheets and a new friend. Lexie found room in her crib and her heart for a new guy, and once Doggy was presentable, she latched on to both of them, and they became a formidable duo; akin to those memorable buddy movies with Mickey and Donald.

Last, but not least-

4. Whitey: Lest you think that we are encouraging racial stereotypes on Lexie at an early age, Whitey is actually a white alligator. We were visiting Hogle Zoo one day, and at the end of the white alligator exhibit was a stuffed white alligator with blue eyes. Lexie took a liking to him, and he came home with us. In a shocking turn of events, Whitey cracked into the guy triumvirate of Toby, Doggy, and Bunny, and has been a solid #4 ever since. If Whitey had to be named after his appearance today, it would likely be "Dusty" instead of Whitey, because he is showing the mileage on his tires, but he is still beloved. Whitey is like the Goofy of the group; he is a integral part of it, but is prone to going off on his own adventures. He was missing for a day, only to be found behind the bed. Then, we couldn't find him for several days, only to have him turn up in one of Lexie's bags. These adventures never cause the panic that a missing Toby would, but when he reappears, it is celebrated with all of the joy of the Prodigal Son coming home.

The main impetus for my posting this was what I found in our living room this morning when I was fixing breakfast for Lexie:

Lexie was getting a tea party ready, and in her words "didn't want her guys to get cold", so she carefully tucked them in while she fixed all of the dishes. I really think that she will be a good big sister; especially if she takes care of him as well as she takes care of her guys. As long as she doesn't throw her little brother when she's mad, we'll be alright!

Pump Victory

2008-09-30T19:25:00.000-07:00

After a long month of pump trials I finally received my very own insulin pump. I've been using a loaner pump from my endocrinologist while waiting for an approval from my insurance company and the shipment of my very own pump. It's been a bit of a rough road calculating costs vs. benefits but in the end we have been blessed with the ability to order a pump of my own. Today I had a doctors appointment and was able to pick up my new pump. Wahoo!! I've really enjoyed having a pump, its made it extremely easy to get my insulin without giving myself up to 4 shots a day. The insurance company didn't approve the use of a Glucose Monitoring System so I'll still have to prick my finger before and after meals BUT I was given a new glucometer that wirelessly transmits my blood sugar levels to the pump for easy tracking. It's so cool! Technology is amazing, such fun tools that help with such a not so fun disease.

The baby seems to be growing on schedule and very active inside my tummy. All of my appointments seem to give reassurance that everything is going as planned. I (we) feel very blessed that the Lord is watching over our new little one and has blessed us with wonderful doctors and technologies that assist with the development of our baby. Thanks to all for your continued love and support!! We truly are blessed.

Lagoon Time!

2008-09-25T17:10:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was Lagoon Day for Nelson Brothers Electric, and my parents invited us to go with them. Stacie and I hadn't been for several years, and Lexie had never gone, so it was a fun experience for all. Several micro burst storms blew through in the course of the day, but we survived! Here are some of the highlights:

Lagoon 2008 from Josh Nelson on Vimeo.

Oh, the things you'll see...

2008-09-25T09:18:00.001-07:00

...in the middle of the night.

Starting work at 3:00 in the morning is quite interesting. I always joke that the commute is great (which it is), but there are things that you see in the wee hours that you usually don't see during the day. When I work on the weekends, I will generally see tavern owners closing up their businesses, and lines of people waiting for taxi cabs to take them home. One night, I drove past a gas station on State Street as a couple of guys starting pushing each other and moving out into the street as one of them started swinging at the other one with a single jack sledgehammer. I put my head down and stepped on the gas pedal.

But this morning I saw something that really threw me for a loop. As I left my house, I realized that I was in desperate need of some liquid refreshment, so I pointed towards the nearest giant yellow "M". As I waited in line, I noticed that the vehicle in front of me was a new Ford pickup truck with a woman behind the wheel and several hunting window stickers (you know what I mean: a picture of a trophy deer that says "Shut the buck up" or something like that). As I waited an inordinate amount of time in line, I became curious about what she ordered that would cause such a delay. After several minutes, the window slid open, and my question was answered. She was handed FOUR HAPPY MEALS.

What?

That's all she got; just the four happy meal boxes, followed by one of those cardboard trays with four small drinks. After a minute of arrangement, she put her giant truck in gear and left. I couldn't stop thinking about how bizarre it was. What would she want with four happy meals at 2:30 on a Thursday morning? It's been on my mind ever since, and I have come up with a few theories, but they all leave something to be desired:

1. She was getting grub for her son/daughter's sleep-over. This is the first thing that came to my mind. But most kids are in school now, and when I was younger and had a sleepover, I might have been awake at 2:30 a.m., but my mom wasn't going on a food run for us, as cool as she is. Plus, most kids grow out of their happy meal stage long before sleepover age and order from the big boy menu. This doesn't seem right.

2. She was driving on a road trip and needed some late-night food for her and her family. Again, possible, although a road trip in that gas hog of a truck doesn't make much sense. Plus, you'd think that the kids would be asleep, and the McDonalds wasn't right off of the freeway or anything. I noticed her drive away and turn into a neighborhood, so this isn't the answer either.

3. She was on an eating binge and was going to get loose on some food like Meredith Baxter-Birney did in a Lifetime movie that I saw when she ate a whole cake in her car. With her hands. I like this reason most of all, and can picture her ravaging those kids' meals like a pack of wolves tearing into an elk. But if this were the case, why would she go with the happy meals? The box format and the smallish bags of fries would just slow you down (plus you'd have to be careful not to eat the prizes in your haste). Wouldn't you just order a sackful of cheeseburgers, a half dozen turnovers and an 84 oz. coke and go to work? I think this explanation has legs, but I can't be certain.

Alas, when it was my turn, I got my drink and .99 double cheeseburger (no pickle, no onion) and left, trying to catch up to the side of her at a traffic light and see what was going on. But I never could, and she vanished in a cloud of diesel smoke. Perhaps I'll never know. I don't work again tomorrow, but when I do, I'll keep a sharp lookout for a white pickup truck filled to the roof with happy meals.

Friday Update

2008-09-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

We haven't posted in a couple of days, so I wanted to write about of couple of things that happened this week.

Stacie and I went to Primary Children's Hospital on Tuesday for a fetal echocardiogram. She has had several ultrasounds already, and we were always assured that everything looked normal. So when the doctor's office called to tell us that they made an appointment to have the fetal echo, it struck us as odd. Her OB told us more than once that it was a standard test for a pregnant woman who has diabetes, but anytime your doctor orders a test to examine the baby's heart closely, it is a little bit worrisome.

The test, which is just like an ultrasound except that it focuses strictly on the heart, took just about one hour. It was a little different; the other ultrasounds were more "show and tell". They would check out all of the baby, so you could see his legs, his arms moving, his face, etc. The fetal echo had none of that. And while it was still amazing, it was quite repetitious as they looked over and over. The good news is that everything looks fine; they had trouble getting a good look at the aortic arch and seeing everything that they needed to look at, because our little guy was as busy as ever, moving around and making himself difficult to capture on film. The specialist gave us a "thumbs up" and sent us on our way, which was a relief. I don't think I'll ever stop worrying...his health and development is on my mind constantly. But Stacie is doing everything that she can to keep him safe and is doing a great job. I can't believe it's less than four months away!

Lexie has had a busy couple of weeks as well. Two weeks ago she started going to preschool (twice weekly) with Miss Bonnie, a gal in our ward who runs the preschool in her basement. Lexie is loving it so far...the first day in class they measured everyone and found out that she is nearly three inches taller than anyone else (not all that surprising to me!). She got to be the weather girl one day, and is having a great time with her classmates. Here's a picture:

She also started taking a clogging class last week. It is a half-hour class every Monday, and we figured that she certainly has energy to burn! She enjoyed her first class, and is practicing her steps for next week. She certainly isn't shy about performing, and will demonstrate to anyone her new talents.

Last (but certainly not least), it was Stacie's birthday yesterday. It is an easy one for me to remember, what with the additional memories that we all have of 9/11. We had a nice party with our family; I'll post some pictures later. But Stacie had a fun day playing hookey from work. She even got her first experience at the cannery, making strawberry jam (her idea!). So now we have some yummy strawberry jam and a whole bunch of leftover cake. Drop on by if you're hungry tonight!

Utah State Fair

2008-09-04T22:03:00.000-07:00

Well, we went to the State Fair tonight; it was opening night, and the crowds were out in full force. We had a great time seeing the animals, riding on some rides, and eating delicious unhealthy carnival food (although we didn't try the deep fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich). Lexie loved all of it...we went on the big Ferris Wheel, which she loved. Plus, we tried a ride that is similar to the Tidal Wave at Lagoon. Lexie thought it was great, although her mother wasn't sure about her riding on it! Here are some highlights:

I heard a rumor...

2008-09-04T08:44:00.000-07:00

Picture removed by Josh.

Josh not happy.

Labor Day Weekend Festivities

2008-09-03T11:05:00.000-07:00

I hope that everyone had an enjoyable Labor Day weekend. Our weekend was packed full of activities for the whole family. Saturday we spend most of the day cleaning and organizing the master bedroom. In preparation for the baby, we are rearranging several parts of the house to make room for his nursery. We are turning the office into the baby's room but that means we now have to find room for all of the office stuff. We decided to start with our room and Lexie's room so we could move furniture out of the office into areas that were already organized and clean. It's been a big job, and even though we didn't get it all done it was nice to have some dedicated time with Josh to do some good cleaning.

Saturday was also the first BYU football game. Which at our house, is a MUST WATCH. Thanks to Josh's friends we were able to watch the game Saturday evening at their new home. (We don't get "The MTN" channel from Dish Network so we have to watch all the games elsewhere) Josh and Lexie went for a swim in the neighborhood pool, we had a nice Mexican dinner, and the boys watched the game while the little girls played and the big girls watched TV upstairs. We all had a great time!

Sunday morning Lexie woke up with a full blown cold. Her nose was running and she was coughing so I decided to keep her home from church while Josh went and substituted in Nursery. Lexie was sad she didn't get to go with her Dad but I didn't want the other kids getting sick. We had planned on heading up the canyon Sunday afternoon to join Josh's family at the cabin in Kamas for the remainder of the weekend. We knew that the weather wasn't going to be great so we debated long and hard before beginning our journey. We arrived at the cabin around 4pm Sunday afternoon. It had been a beautiful day, just a little windy. However, as the afternoon went on the clouds rolled in and so did the rain. It rained most of the evening, into the night, and the next day. Fortunately for us, we were blessed to get a comfy bed inside the cabin for the night and didn't have to worry about setting up or taking down a tent for the rainy evening. Lexie was excited because she got to stay in the trailer with Grandma and Grandpa. We had a yummy dutch oven dinner Sunday night that Grandpa had prepared in the rain (what a trooper). After dinner we laid Lexie down and watched "The Prestige" with Josh's parents. I love that show. The trailer had sprung a leek so Josh and Tom spent most of the movie standing with a towel soaking up the water as it dripped inside the trailer. Monday morning was a balmy 38 degrees. I think that everyone was ready to get out of the rain and head home for the day. Nate and Amy had already left around Midnight the night before because they had rain dripping inside their tent and didn't want to risk spending the night in cold misery (not that I blame them). We all packed up shortly after breakfast and headed for home. We went to Grandma and Grandpa's house for lunch where we could rest in comfort and warmth. We spent the afternoon relaxing and watching "Clean House" while Lexie took a nice long nap. Later that evening we headed for home and I did laundry for the next several hours. Sounds like fun huh? We certainly do know how to cram in as much stuff as we can into one weekend.

In the end the weekend was a success. Josh got to watch his football game, I accomplished some much needed cleaning and organizing, and Lexie got to go to the cabin and be with her grandparents, uncles, and aunts. A great weekend was had by all!

Pump Trials

2008-08-26T21:25:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday I was given an insulin pump, by my endocrinologist office, to see if it will help better manage my diabetes (I've had type 2 diabetes since 2004). I've always been afraid of the word "pump", not really knowing much about what it does or really even how it works. After 2 hours of online tutorials presented by "pump school online" and then an additional 2.5 hours in the endocrinologists office with the medtronic educator I think I have all my initial concerns/questions resolved. Who knew it would take 4.5 hours to learn how to operate a pump correctly.

As it turns out, insulin pumps have been clinically proven to reduce complications in pregnancy for diabetic women. My OB has been asking me for months to switch endocrinologists because he wanted me to give the pump a try, or at least find out more information about it. I finally scheduled an appointment with the new Dr. to make the switch. The N.P. I met with during my initial visit immediately scheduled me for an education session and a trial/loaner pump. Surprisingly it hasn't been as bad as I expected, its been kind of fun to see what abilities/benefits the pump has to offer. Instead of giving myself 4 shots a day I only have to change my pump site every three days. In addition to the pump I have a blood glucose sensor that I insert near the pump site every 6 days. The sensor constantly monitors my glucose levels and allows me and my physicians to see patterns/trends in my glucose levels constantly throughout the day. Prior to the pump I was pricking my finger 6-8 times a day, now I only test 3-4 times a day to calibrate the sensor readings during my trial. Hopefully in the future I'll only have to do 1-2 finger pricks a day. I was so nervous that the two site inserts would be extremely painful but to date I have experienced no pain. I'll agree to trade my two site inserts for all the shots and testing I've done in the past. The pump is actually the same size as a pager/cell phone so it doesn't really cause me much grief to wear. And, surprisingly, the tubing doesn't get in the way as much as I had feared. I really thought I'd feel like I was "tied" to the pump. So, for now, I'll give my pump trial two thumbs up. Now, if only my insurance will approve an insulin pump purchase of my own. More to come later . . .

Quick thoughts: Sunday edition

2008-08-24T08:42:00.000-07:00

I was at work yesterday, and as I was talking to Stacie, she mentioned that Lexie had found a TV guide downstairs, looked at the cover, and told her, "That's Daddy!". This is the aforementioned cover. Stacie said, "That's not Daddy" (probably excluding the word "unfortunately" when she relayed the story to me), and Lexie said, "Well, it looks like him." Ah...my angel, my beautiful little girl.

So when I got home, I picked up the magazine and asked Lexie, "Who is this?". She looked at it and said, "I don't know". "C'mon" I asked "Who is it?". Again, "I don't know"...this time a little more insistent, as if to tell me that I shouldn't interrupt her from watching "Handy Manny" again. I suppose that I could chalk it up to her not remembering what she said earlier, but her memory is far too good to use that as an excuse!

So, my moment in the sun is gone. I'm back to normal status. McDreamy McDaddy has left the building.

The Blogs Of The XXIX Olympiad, #3

2008-08-24T05:58:00.000-07:00

Getting up at 2:00 a.m. to come to work can be a little bit difficult some days, but it has been okay during the Olympics, because the 14 hour time change allowed me to follow the events that happened in prime time in Beijing. I missed some of the swimming and gymnastics that were on in the evenings here because I was in bed, but it was a decent trade-off. Until, of course, we were watching that evening's events, and I'd say "Yep, I know what happens here" prompting Stacie to tell me to stay away from nbcolympics.com and espn.com during the day (Yeah, sure!)

Today was no exception...and as I got ready for work, I was able to catch the fourth quarter of the US men's basketball game as they battled Spain for the gold. First, let me say that I really dislike the Spanish team. They're Euros, which means that they generally look to be in need of a shower, they play WAAAYY over their heads in international competitions (shades of the Ryder Cup in golf), and I hate that some of them have their first names on their jerseys (Raul, Ricky) and some have their last names. Mostly, I dislike Pau Gasol, his constant whining, and the fact that he looks like a llama:

(That's Pau on the left, by the way)

His brother, Marc Gasol, also plays for the team (curiously, they DON'T use their first names on the back of the jersey, which would actually make sense for them) and he is a scruffier, thicker version of this handsome devil. I couldn't find pictures of Marc on the internet...most people are probably afraid to upload them because they assume that it contains some type of hideous virus. But I digress...

I picked up the game in the fourth quarter. The US led all of the game, but their three-point shooting went cold in the fourth, and Spain came back to make it a close game. With just a few minutes left, the US had a four point lead; Kobe Bryant takes a three, makes it, and gets fouled. I gave a fist pump, and let out a "YES!!", then stopped in my tracks. That was the first time that I had ever cheered when Kobe did something good in a game. I wanted to play the "It's 2:10 in the morning and I'm really sleepy" card, but I couldn't. I was actually cheering for Kobe to succeed. It reminded me of Jim Halpert on "The Office" when he said "Congratulations universe, you win."

It was great to see the US make things right, and claim the gold medal that they should win every year. I enjoyed the Carlos Boozer cameo at the end, which, considering his matador defense and the fact that they were playing Spain, seemed appropriate. Ole!

Fortunately, I was able to reel in my Kobe man crush on the way to work as I listened to his post-game interview. He was asked about how he came alive in the fourth quarter to thwart the Spanish comeback and said that he decided to "let the mamba loose". Considering his previous problem in Colorado, I'd think he'd want to keep the mamba on a pretty tight leash.

And yes, I know that "Mamba" is his nickname...one that HE glossed onto himself a couple of off-seasons ago. This is an almost unpardonable act, unless nobody can stand you and you don't have buddies to give you a nickname. See? Man crush gone.

Now that the Olympics are coming to an end, it is a bittersweet feeling. I love the Olympics, and I love the constant sports. Many times I was watching the TV, toggling between two or even three Olympic channels, while I followed a crucial handball match or the team archery event online. But it takes a toll on you. I was pretty good about going to bed early when I had to work that morning, but when I didn't, it was easy to stay up in the wee hours of the night. Our evenings were usually devoted to going through several hours of recorded events, so it will be nice to have them back as well. I'll be compiling my eagerly anticipated Olympic wrap-up and posting it in the next couple of days (I can actually HEAR Stacie's eyes roll as she reads this), but I wanted to mention a couple of the other "fringe" events that I have enjoyed over the past couple of weeks:

Field Hockey - I watched at least a dozen men's and women's matches over the course of the Olympics. It's a great sport; the players use sticks that look like shepherds crooks, except that they're only about three feet long. After watching them run around, hunched over, it seems like a longer stick would be an easy solution, but maybe that's not allowed. They are not allowed to shield the other person from the ball, so stickhandling is at a premium. Plus, they can only use one side of the stick (the other side is round), so they're constantly flipping it back and forth. I also like when they call a penalty; the defending team has to stand inside the goal until they other team fires it to the front of the goal. Then they run out at the ball while the other team smashes it at them. It kind of reminds me of this (go to the 2:44 mark of the clip):

Whenever the women got ready for a penalty, they would all run behind the goal and put on big gloves, elbow pads, sometimes even helmets. And the official would hold up the game while they geared up for it. It was like a baseball player trading his glove for a fishing net when there was a high fly ball that he couldn't reach. Or a football player putting flubber on his cleats to block a crucial field goal. Anyway, I enjoyed field hockey, but I think that the men should have to wear skirts just like the girls do.

Table Tennis - Another sport that hasn't made it out of America's basements yet. China dominated this event (shocking, I know), but the US had a women get to the quarterfinals for the first time ever. Of course, her name is Chen Wang, so we probably got a little bit of "naturalized" help there. The speed of the points is incredible, but while I watch it, I keep telling myself that this is something that I could do, given the coaches and all of the training that they go through. I mean, I'm kidding, but this seems like something that you could excel in if you gave it the proper amount of practice. London 2012, anyone?

In honor of the Olympics

2008-08-20T12:38:00.000-07:00

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Quick thoughts: Wednesday edition

2008-08-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe that it's almost September! And while I look forward to more mild temperatures, it also means that time is fast approaching for our little one to come to us. I can't belive it's only about four months away; we are definitely in "nesting" mode, trying to shuffle things around to turn our office back into a bedroom/nursery. We're keeping the classic Mickey theme, and will add things to it. Stacie wants to paint our crib black, which would match the chair rail and curtains, but I am hesitant. What say you? Please vote on the poll to the left!

Lexie is very excited for her baby brother. We can't walk through the store without her seeing something that is "really cute" and that she wants to buy for the baby. She is constantly giving her mom's belly loves and kisses, and keeps telling me that all three of us can hold the baby together. She certainly doesn't comprehend everything, and probably has no idea how much things are going to change when she has to share Mommy and Daddy, grandparents, etc. with someone, but I am excited to see her interact with the baby. When she says her prayers at night, she always remembers to bless the baby, and loves to tell people that "we are having a baby". I've seen a lot of change from her lately...I think that the "terrible twos" are starting to diminish a bit, and Lexie is starting to mature. We still have our moments (she left Wal-Mart on less than favorable terms the other night), but all in all, I think that she's getting ready for our family to expand, and to be a good big sister. I just hope that Stacie and I are ready!

Quick thoughts: Thursday Edition

2008-08-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

I went into Lexie's room this morning to get her up...she was already awake and as soon as I opened the door, she froze in her bed. I started to ask out loud where Lexie had gone, and how I thought that she was in here. She started giggling as quietly as she could, thinking it was SOOOO funny that she was hiding. Of course, I started tickling her, and she couldn't take it anymore, so she sat up and I "found" her.

Something else I always do is ask her how she slept. Normally she says, "Good", but today when I asked her, she said "Not good", with her sad face on. "How come?", I asked. She proceeded to tell me that the dinosaur had eaten the gum and turned into a cow. Ah...that makes sense! I immediately thought two things:

1. If you could just mix a vampire or a werewolf into that dream, you could sell a LOT of books.

2. Three-year olds aren't immune to bizarre dreams either.

Tree Trimmin' Time

2008-08-13T10:32:00.000-07:00

In our backyard we have the most beautiful Willow tree that provides such nice shade in the summer time. However, each summer we are confronted with the task of trimmin' the tree. Neither mine nor Josh's favorite task. This year we put off the task longer than usual but we finally made time to head outside last night and get 'er done. I have been harping on Josh for the last several weeks that we need to get it done so I was really happy when the task was complete. Lexie and I watched as Josh cut off branch after branch. The branches get so big and heavy that it hangs over into all of our neighbors yards (which makes it that much harder to trim). My job was to observe and identify the branches that needed to be eliminated. When we were all done and I was finally happy with the tree Lexie chimed in and started telling her Dad what else needed to be removed/fixed. Boy, kids really pay attention, too bad she was watching me, the bossy one, and not her Dad who was doing all the work. I don't remember exactly what she said but it was something like "it looks good Daddy but I think those few branches there need to come off still". Ah, what an example I am . . . LOL.

Thanks to Josh (aka Daddy), the tree looks beautiful. Next year I think we'll hire a tree trimmer. The thing is just getting too big!!

Baby boy update

2008-08-11T13:53:00.000-07:00

Well, we went to the doctor again last Friday for another ultrasound, this one being a bit more extensive and time-consuming. They look for birth defects, check out how everything is developing, and take measurements. I believe that for most women, this is the one and only ultrasound that they have during their pregnancies. Because Stacie is considered a "high risk" pregnancy, she has ultrasounds every few weeks...it's pretty neat. We're a little bit spoiled by it, to be sure!

The first thing that they did was confirm that it is, indeed, a boy. We were told a few weeks ago that it would be a boy, but there is always a little doubt left in the back of your head, especially being so early. But he was VERY cooperative and left no doubt as to his gender (That's my boy!). Everything is developing correctly, and he weighs right around 10 oz. Stacie's official due date is now January 1, but the doctor tells us that she won't go that long. We're still thinking it will be the week between Christmas and New Year's Day.

It's still a little bit surreal, and sometimes it doesn't seem like it is going to happen. We only know about little girls, and so it will be an entirely different experience for us. We're very excited, and Lexie told me today that she is excited to "hold her little brother on the couch". Time is certainly going to fly...Stacie's and my birthdays, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas are all sandwiched into the next 140 days before the little one is here. We can't wait!

The Blogs Of The XXIX Olympiad, #2

2008-08-10T22:32:00.000-07:00

Another day, another gold medal for Michael Phelps. In a real nailbiter, he picked up his second gold in the 4X100 freestyle relay by .08 seconds. Pretty amazing, and he's got the two most difficult events finished. He's still got a lot of work to do, but should be the favorite in each of the other six events that are to come. Eight gold medals are a distinct possibility.

I'm really enjoying all of the coverage on the internet. It's so much fun to bounce between several events and see things that you don't always get to see. To watch live video, go here.

I've seen all of the big events so far: the US taking care of China in basketball, the Dutch men stealing a draw against the US side in the final minute, lots of swimming, and some other cool sports:

Water Polo- This might take first place in the "Sport that you never see unless the Olympics are on". I've stumbled across a couple of college matches on the dish, but a Pac-10 clash doesn't really bring the same intensity of an Olympic match. And unlike handball, another Olympic favorite of mine, the US is generally in the mix for a medal. They are second only to Hungary in total Olympic medals won, and they could make some noise in Beijing. They beat China in their opening match, and I am just amazed at how physical this game is. Besides swimming about one mile during the match, they are constantly getting dunked by the opposing players. It's almost encouraged. And from what I understand, most of the contact happens UNDER the water. Repeated blasts to the nether regions from your opponent's gargantuan legs can't be good. In fact, the only part of this sport that I can't be in awe of is the fact that they all wear headgear like this:

I recognize the need for some type of protection, but what's up with that sassy bow tied under the chin? How about some snaps? Or elastic? Even velcro would be better than looking like a newborn. But these guys are amazing athletes, so I can overlook that one thing.

Badminton- This is another great spectator sport: lots of action, amazing rallies, and generally quick points. Another sport in the "No USA" zone, it's usually won by someone from Thailand or Singapore with a name like Pradaaraag Hykdrshyk. This sport has never made it out of our backyards here at home, and my dad and I decided that it might help to park a barbecue courtside to cook some burgers and dogs. And because we're speaking about these eastern countries, I feel it necessary to clarify that I mean HOT DOGS, not actual dogs.

Weightlifting - Not a ton of action, and I really prefer the heavyweight lifters, but the little guys are the ones who end up lifting almost three times their body weight over their head. It's pretty amazing to see a 140 lb. guy lifting one and a half of me up into the air. Watching a guy try to lift the weight only to have his groin explode is definitely below average, especially when they haul him back to the training room and pile his lap full of ice bags. The weightlifting venue is known as the BUAA, which, conincidentally, is the sound he made when he had his problem.

Plus, the ladies get their turn at lifting unfathomable weights, and that means Jang Mi-Ran, the Korean woman who is the three-time defending world champion.

And yes, that's 183kg, or just over 400 lbs. Yikes. I wondered what Oddjob was up to. Hope his groin holds out.

That's all for tonight...will post some more tomorrow. USA! USA! USA!

The Blogs Of The XXIX Olympiad

2008-08-09T08:13:00.000-07:00

I love the Olympics. I love the competition, and I really enjoy watching the events. Plus, if the US is involved, I can become emotionally invested in just about anything (I remember actually yelling at the TV during the last Winter Olympics while watching the USA-Canada women's curling match). So when NBC announced that part of their coverage would total several thousand hours, most of those on the internet where you can pick and choose what to watch, I was as happy as a pig in slop. Now that the Olympics have officially started (although the soccer started a few days ago), I figured that I would post about the things that I watch and things that happen during this wonderful 17 days.

Team Handball - I caught a couple of preliminary women's matches this morning. I love me some team handball; it may be my favorite "sport that is never on TV unless it's the Olympics" with water polo a close second. Although now they just call it "Handball"...I guess the IOC decided that people weren't going to get this confused with two guys hitting a ball against a wall, so I guess that I'll follow suit and refer to it as handball, and let the "team" be implied.

Handball looks like a game that you make up in a gym when a group of guys gets together to play baskeball and nobody brings a ball. You find a red rubber ball on the stage, and divide up into two teams, making up the rules as you go along. But it really is a fun sport to watch. Teams generally score in the twenties, it's always moving, and just about every minute someone is scraping themself off the floor after getting knocked down. I saw a Brazilian girl steal the ball and dribble down for a breakaway only to have a big German girl come out of nowhere and hip check her so that she slid across the floor for about fifteen feet. You'll never see an American team in the Olympics; it's dominated by European countries. But it looks like a game that would be a blast to play. Of course, in my current pathetic physical condition, I'd probably have to play goalie.

Fencing - I saw the women's sabre gold medal match between two US women this morning (USA! USA!). The sabre is the discipline where you can score with the edge AND the tip of the sword (WOOHOO!). Not to be confused with the epee (which is a clue in about 75% of the crosswords that I do) or the foil (which you use to wrap food in to keep warm). This is obviously a very technical sport, and the amount of energy and strength it takes to compete is very deceiving, from what I've read. I'd just like it more if they all dressed like this:

Peg leg would be optional, parrot would not.

Equestrian - I saw a little bit of the individual eventing dressage, but didn't care too much because it was just the preliminaries. Like I always say, "A little dressage goes a long ways". This too, could stand some help in the costume department. Something like this perhaps:

Oh...that IS what they wear. My bad.

That's all for today...I'll be keeping track of which commercial drives me crazy after repeated showings. The early front runner: the one where the former USA fencer uses his sword as a rotisserie on the BBQ. Genius.

Olympics Party Time!

2008-08-09T07:24:00.000-07:00

Has it really been four years since the Athens Olympics? I guess so, because they're back! This called for another Nelson-Tibbitts gala event, and the Nelson downstairs was transformed into Chinatown for the opening ceremonies. We dined on chinese food and enjoyed each other's company. I had to work in the early a.m. so we didn't see much of the actual ceremony, but everyone seemed to have a great time. Here are some pictures:

Fun in the Sun (Valley)

2008-08-08T14:25:00.000-07:00

So, here's the other part of our Sun Valley excursion...mostly of Lexie running, jumping and dancing. Hope you like it!

Bear World Invasion

2008-08-06T21:12:00.000-07:00

During our Sun Valley excursion, we got to visit Bear World just outside Rigby, Idaho. Here are a few highlights:

Video Time!

2008-08-05T08:59:00.000-07:00

Back in the good old '80s, I loved all of the music videos that were on the TV. I recorded hours and hours of videos onto videotapes and carefully catalogued them so that I could find a video for anyone who "requested" it. Of course, this involved several minutes of fast forwarding or rewinding the tape in order to queue up the required video.

But now, thanks to blogs and sites like YouTube, I can play veejay with much less trouble. So, I will post music videos or funny clips from time to time. By the way, for those of you who are blog beginners, the music is from the widget on the side that looks like an iPod. You can skip tracks, and more importantly, pause the music if you want to watch a video. With that said, I present "Stomp" by the Brothers Johnson:

I watch this video all the time. It's just a silly song that makes me smile, and when I get to work at 3:00 in the morning, it's often just what the doctor ordered. And the video is a classic. Some thoughts:

1. I wondered what Jackie Chiles did in the early '80s before he started defending Kramer.
And now I know: frontman for a funky dance band.

2. I wish that I could dance like the bass player does at the 2:11 mark of the video and look as cool as he does. Trust me: I've tried it. NOT GOOD TIMES.

3. Speaking of dancing, I am amazed that a band full of smooth singing brothers stuck two white guys at the critical rhythm sections in the band. First the drummer is white, and second, the token "guy who plays background instrument but really just dances" is a white guy as well (see 0:19, 3:03 and 3:23). That's an upset of USA v. USSR 1980 proportions.

4. My favorite part of the video comes at the 3:00 mark when the lead singer says "Well...well...WELL...WELLLLLLL!!!!" Just awesome. No wonder that white guy is grooving.

5. Lastly, (and this comes from many, many viewings) the video cuts off at the end and the last second shows the video picture sliding to the left, accompanied by a sound that makes me think I'm at a hockey game and someone has scored a goal. What is that all about? It literally drives me crazy.

Great stuff..."The beat is on, and the funk just won't leave us alone". Indeed.

Quick thoughts: Tuesday edition

2008-08-05T04:37:00.000-07:00

Since we now hold the awesome power of a blog in our hands, I hope to post short thoughts or stories, especially concerning Lexie, so that we can record some of the funny/amazing/frustrating episodes of our lives. With that said:

I was changing Lexie yesterday morning from pajamas to her clothes, and she was helping me out. She has struggled in the past to take her shirt off, and while we try to teach her how to pull one arm out, then the other, her patience often runs out and she starts to get mad. But yesterday, she did it perfectly...one arm, then the other, then over her head. I congratulated her, and told her that I was proud of her. Then I had a thought: when do I stop being excited about her ability to take off her clothes? Shouldn't I be encouraging her to keep her clothes on instead of praising her for her ability to shed clothing? I suppose that as long as we don't get her this for Christmas, we'll be alright.

We're back!

2008-08-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

Well, we got back from our wonderful trip to Sun Valley last night. Besides the gorgeous scenery and MUCH milder temperatures than here in Salt Lake, we ate some great food and had a wonderful time. Here's a slideshow:

I'll post some video of Lexie soon!

Destination: Sun Valley

2008-07-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

So, we're on our way to Sun Valley tomorrow. My dad is in charge of an electrical contractor's function, and they invited us to come along. We're really excited to go...Lexie is gearing up for the 4+ hour drive, and we're hoping to keep her entertained so that she doesn't get TOO restless. Not sure what we're going to do for Stacie, however!

Welcome to 2008

2008-07-30T05:58:00.000-07:00

"I guess we're really behind the times"

So said Stacie to me yesterday while we were driving in the car. She told me about all of the blogs that she had been reading lately of family, friends, and ward members and how much fun they were. I had been thinking for some time about starting a blog, and when she mentioned it, I decided to make it happen. So here we go...it should be fun! Some quick information about the principal players:

Josh - Principal contributor to the blog (for now, at least). I will handle most of the technical aspects to the blog and will be primarily responsible for adding more and more widgets to clog up the blog.

Stacie - Principal photographer and occasional contributor to the blog. She is the drive behind our family, and her ever present camera will provide most of the images for this. She is also chiefly responsible for rolling her eyes at things that I find funny and post.

Lexie - Star of the show, subject of most of the posts here. Lexie just turned three yesterday and is MOST excited about being a "big girl". We'll post some of her birthday party very soon...

Baby boy - Coming soon! Scheduled for a late 2008 arrival, we will keep everyone abreast of any new news as we get it. Currently making a cameo appearance as the creepy floating baby in the countdown timer.
We're excited to be sharing our family with everyone!