Thursday, October 30, 2008

October Fun

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.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Video Time!

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.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Lexie's guys

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!

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Pump Victory

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.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Lagoon Time!

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...

...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, September 12, 2008

Friday Update

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!