The Girls Room (a tour)

I wouldn't enter it into a cutest room contest or anything, but it's clean (for now) and I thought I'd share.

Their doll house is still not assembled, but I love Grandpa "C's" artwork anyway.

Sophia's bed... actually she's so ready for a big girl bed... maybe with our tax return?

This huge window lets in so much light and warmth, it's the first thing I open when I walk into the girls room.

I just converted Jennie's crib into her toddler bed yesterday. She loves it!

The shoes and their vanity of course. We found so many lipglosses when we cleaned their room yesterday, they're in heaven.

I love when their closet is closed. I think the doors are so pretty, and it makes the whole room look cleaner.

Thanks Lenora and Sally for all of the wonderful hand-me-down's. The changing table that Papa made for me when I was a baby has endured 11 kids now, (me, Chad, Kellen, Jeff, Mark, Austin, Quintin, Dalton, Joe, Sophia, and Jennie.) And, it's loaded with even more clothes.

The Nelsons take over Lake Havasu City

Some families get together for Christmas or Easter, but our family celebrates Presidents Day with a bang! Lake Havasu City hosts the WPA Winter Blast each year which amounts to 2 hours of the best fireworks I've ever seen set to music and perfectly timed. That's the draw... or maybe it isn't. Maybe it's the 75 degree weather in the middle of my freezing Idaho winter. Maybe it's the Nelson Iron-Chef-cook-off, or the three new babies and their parents or maybe just spending time at my parent's new winter home or watching Chad in action serving his heart out in his ward as the Elders Quorum President, or seeing my nephews for the last time as they plan on serving the Lord on a mission for The Church of Latter-Day Saints or allowing my children to grow even closer to their cousins to deepen those relationships. Whatever the draw, I loved this past weekend, I enjoyed every second of it, (even though I was super sick the whole time) and it was absolutely worth the 16 hour drive. I love my family!

Christmas Gift Cards Speant

Honestly it took over an hour to spend Grandma C's gift cards. The girls changed their minds dozens of times and then landed on what they always want while we're checking out--cuz I never let them have 'em.

Sophia teaches herself how to write her own name...

On Grammy's desk.


On her sheets.


Under our brand new kitchen counters.


On top of our kitchen counters through crepe paper streamers.


And, on her preschool Olympic painted ring project.

The Piano

Photo courtesy of Sophia Crawford

It's a Stark Upright Grand circa the 1930's. I found it on CraigsList for only $350! It'll be tuned on Monday and I can't wait! So far, the kids and I are loving it, and it hasn't suffered much abuse at our hands.

Since we're so new still to the costs of living here, we're not committing to lessons yet. I do however have my old books from my one year of lessons, (all I can seem to remember is where middle C is :) and I have a new teach-yourself-piano course by my old, old, old Bishop's wife. Dalton is enjoying learning his 5 note scales, and I love the sound of real music in our home!


Here, Sophia is attempting to play the Book of Mormon.

Thinking and dreaming about painting

The best birthday ever...

I enjoyed my little family, I enjoyed a peaceful soak in my new super deep adult sized tub, I enjoyed shopping for 3 new sweaters to help me better handle these seriously cold Idaho winters, I enjoyed my new cookbook from Lewis, and my new salad spinner from Doug, I enjoyed a great game of chess with Dalton, and a terrible game of Mario Kart Wii with Joe. I enjoyed Sophia's excitement for my birthday all day long, and I even enjoyed her disappointment when it was all over Sunday morning :) I had a wonderful birthday, and I enjoyed it all!

My Joe

I get to sub in Joseph's class on Sunday and I'm thrilled! The lesson is "I am a Child of God" which could be taught every single day of every child's life, but especially for my Joe, it's important.

He's making the transition okay, (it would be totally unrealistic for me to expect a flawless move.) All of our issues so far have been his for sure. I had a great meeting with his school teacher, principal, and elem psychologist, and they're super friendly, and have Joe and his issues on their radar.

We have made a shower chart, with his reward being a rip toy (you know the ones where you put the plastic zipper thing in, and pull it out as fast as you can and let the toy take off) after 15 showers. We've made a homework chart for him, with his reward being a trip to Reeds Dairy for ice cream cones for the whole family, (we're not doing ice cream in the freezer anymore) and I'm willing to sit with him and sharpen all the pencil leads he breaks over and over again till his homework is done. He's pretty excited about me stamping his chart, so I think it'll work.

Joe is the most compassionate of my children with genuine concern when anyone is sad or hurt, and real love and comfort for his sisters when they don't get to do big things like the boys do. He came home from the first day of school and I asked him if he made any new friends, and he confidently proclaimed, "Twenty-Four!", like duh mom! He is a joy to have in our home, and I ache when things are hard for him.

So, I am a Child of God, and as one I'm excited to teach this group of kids that they are too, especially my Joe.

We're already having parties!

We've enjoyed Doug's sister Jolene and some of her family from Spokane in our new home already. Then Mishawn our niece and her son Brock (who is just days younger than Jennie) came up from Pocatello, and it accommodated them perfectly! And then my Jerusalem roommate Joanna came up from Bountiful with her 4 kids to pay a visit, we have loved every second of our new home being full of familiar faces, and so much love!

Poor Brock, most everything to play with was pink or had a princess on it. He didn't seem to mind :)

Happily pack up the townhouse

Boxes, boxes everywhere!

I told some of you, but I'll say it again, having packers and movers is like getting an epidural... we still went through the experience, but it was PAINLESS!

Our new home!

There's room for everything! Notice how small our new table looks in the dining area, yeah, the dining is that big.

I love my new kitchen!

Doug bought 3 new snowshovels, and the boys went to work with a nice new neighbor.

Brownies make it a real home.