the nelson family

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Family Night: Salem Pond

A few weeks ago, we decided to take the boys to Salem Pond for Family Night. I was surprised at how much fun we had as a family. Throwing the bread to the ducks was the highlight of Cohen's day. He loves to throw anything and everything, but for it to be okay to actually throw the bread, he was ecstatic. Talon slept the whole time so he didn't get to experience the ducks with Cohen, but hopefully this will be something we can do often. I think what I loved about visiting the ducks the most was how quickly we could do it. With a very active two year old, we try to do activites that are short and sweet!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

..Four Months..

Summer is coming to a quick end and the realization that I have to go back work next week is killing me! Looking back to Talon's birth, I remember thinking I don't have to go back to school until Talon is four months! Well here we are in August with school around the corner and Talon hit the four month mark. I am one of the luckiest working moms in the world that got to spend that much time at home with her kids. I have spent the summer playing and haven't recorded Talon's grow as much as I would have liked. At four months, Talon giggles like you wouldn't believe. It is the cutest thing in the world listening to him giggle and try to breath at the same time. He also loves his brother more than other person in the world and enjoys watching all of Cohen's crazy moments. Talon also: sleeps through the night (around 11 hours), loves his bottle, is a very happy and content baby, loves to suck on anything he can get his chubby hands on, is a talker like Cohen, and loves being with his family! We are so thankful to have Tal in our family! He truly is such a great kid and we are so excited to see his little personality come out. Hopefully, he will be more laid back than Cohen. I don't know if we can handle two kids that active!!!

Talon's Four Month Stats: Weight 16 lbs 14 oz (85%), Height 25.75 (79%), Head Circ. 16.1 (17%)

Previous Stats that I have neglected to post and for my record:

2 Months: Weight 14lbs 3 oz (91%), Height 23.5 (79%), Head Circ. 15 (25%)

2 Weeks: Weight 8 lbs 8 Oz (42%), Weight 22 (90%), Head Circ. 13.6 (10%)
Newborn: Weight 7lbs 12 oz (34%), Height 21 (82%), Head Circ. 13.4 (14%)

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Pioneer Weekend: Fiesta Day's Parade and Family Parties

Considering Cohen is 2, loves fire trucks and Papa Shoe was in the parade, we knew we had to attend the Fiesta Day's Parade. We didn't set out chairs the night before so we had to get up at 7:00 a.m. to set up a small spot at a church. In years past, I have usually gone to the city park for the parade, but I knew Cohen would be terrible there so I decided to try a church with a grassy area for him to play on. Right before we take Cohen to a big event like this, we always reconsider if we want to deal with chasing this wild child of ours. In this case, like many, I knew we had to do it because he would love it while we would have to endure it. To our surprise, Cohen actually was great; the weather being overcast and the parade being in the morning may have contributed to his mellowness though. Co sat very well with Brock and didn't try to run off until the last 30 minutes or so. Unfortunately, it did take me almost a block to catch him. I did learn that the end of the parade gets very long and boring so next time we may leave a few minutes early. Tal slept through almost all of it and when he was awake, he was very pleasant and enjoyed being outside. After the parade, we had two family parties, the Holley side and the Nelson side. I love hanging out with both sides of our family while Cohen gets to play non-stop with his cousins! We truly are so lucky to live close to our families and to be able to celebrate holidays together.

Pioneer Weekend: Sunday Night Baseball

Sunday Night Baseball at Grandma and Grandpa Nelson's house has turned into our family's favorite activity. Soon after the weather warmed up, Cohen talked everyone into coming outside to watch his cousins and him play baseball. In years past, we spent Sundays visiting and watching Sunday Night Baseball (SNB) on ESPN at Tyler's parents. Now, Cohen has started his own SNB and I can't tell you how much fun it is to watch. It usually consists of Cohen and Nolan taking turns (the best that can be expected at their age) hitting off the tee, Lilly crawling on the cement, Talon kicking in the shade, a 7th inning stretch for popsicles and water bottles, and usually some delicious dessert to enjoy after the game. I told Tyler the other night how much I enjoy doing this on Sunday nights. It feels so nice to be outside once it has cooled down after a hot day and I love watching Cohen running around with a red face smiling from ear to ear! There isn't a better way to spend time with our family than at SNB!

Pioneer Weekend: Park and Rodeo Time!

Some of my favorite activities over the 24th of July are eating delicious food at the park and going to the rodeo. This year was no exception! On Friday night, we took our kids and ate our favorite food at the park: Tri Tip from Big Papa's. It was absolutely scrumptious!!! I could eat that much more than once a year. After some delicious food, Cohen insisted (by running) on playing at the park playground. How can you say no to that request when he is waiting for you to catch up by the swings? Cohen was curious about the carnival when we walked by, but he is too little to understand that there are fun rides that he would enjoy given the chance (lucky for us, I know!).

On Saturday night, Tyler's parents took us to the rodeo. I know Tyler was a little nervous taking Cohen to this (from past experiences), but it turned out fine. It meant that someone was always on the go chasing Cohen, but other than that, we had a great time. Talon was an angel as usual. He fell asleep for part of it and then watched the second half. Even though his bed time was before the rodeo started, Talon managed to be a night owl and was the last one to sleep that night! We didn't stay for the end of the rodeo, but we made it until 10:00 which is pretty late for these little boys. I wonder how next year will be with a one year old and a three year old...

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Happy 80th Birthday Grandpa!

My Grandpa Barney celebrated his 80th birthday on July 12, 2011. It was such a milestone for him to make it to this point and we were so excited to share his special day with him. On Friday after his birthday, we had a family BBQ with everyone that could make it. Many of my relatives live out of state and we don't get together as a family very often. I had such a great time visiting with everyone and watching Cohen interact with his cousins; he especially loved my cousin Rachel and asked his dad if she could sleep over. We promised him that when Rachel comes back to Utah that he could play with her again!

On Saturday, my grandpa had an open house for his birthday. I couldn't believe how many people came and supported him. It was such a neat experience to see all the different lives that he touched during his lifetime. He truly was so happy and had a wonderful time visiting with each and every person that came through.

This picture is of my cousin Michael. I think of him as his second mom! When I was young, I would go visit my Aunt Stacy and play with all her kids. I developed such a strong bond with Michael. It was crazy for me to see him holding one of my babies. I always have thought of him as little and to my astonishment, he isn't so little any more!