Here is Cooper's closet, once full, now looking very empty. Here is the floor in front of the closet, a giant mess. He was "looking for something". Bubble bath day for sure!

This has been a week of friends, family, and soccer! Courtland won her final game (six shots on goal for her and she missed all of them-so no help from her) and her team now moves to premier division. Yahoo!! This is exciting and a little scary as now they will be playing the best teams in the state. Great job Warriors! Then Scott's mom and sister Becca came to visit and finish up shopping for her mission to Canada. It was so much fun to have them and makes us wish we lived closer so we could spend more time with them. Scott got to travel for the pheasant hunt and now my freezer has plenty of birds. (no, I don't eat them, but Scott and the kids love them on the BBQ.) Can I say DIS-CUS-TING!! I know I sound crazy to all you hunters out there, but it really is mental with me.

I have been tagged! I usually wouldn't do this but I love reading my friends so here goes: 100 things about me that you maybe don't specifically remember or have no knowledge about: 1. I am very opinionated and quick to judge. 2. I have a pretty poor long term memory and even worse short term. This does not include tests, for some reason I test really well. This applies to: Where did we have lunch after we got married? or Why did I come upstairs? or TiVO the Jazz game?-oh sorry honey, I forgot! Or Coach, I know that I have called three times this week about today's game, but what time is it at?- I wrote it down and can't find the paper! 3. I love my family. (of course) I mean all my family-brothers, aunts, cousins- the whole bit. 4. I also love my husbands family-I got the sisters that I always wanted when I got Scott. 5. I am really missing Max now that he is in first grade. Why didn't they hold him back a year? I wasn't ready! 6. I love to eat cheese and onions together with nothing else. 7. I read the paper every day. 8. I read the obituaries every day, I'm always looking to see if any of my hospice patients are there. 9. I love the patients that I take care of. 10. I love seeing the accomplishments of my kids. 11. I have the greatest friends-really! 12. I love popcorn balls! 13. It is really important to me that my kids are exposed to art, music, and books. 14. I want to be athletic. 15. I also want to eat Wendy's M&M vanilla frostys. A lot. Every day. It has become an addiction. 16. I am totally inspired by my friends and the awesome things they do. Triathlons, Hood to Coast, volleyball, they are amazing! 17. Bunco is the FUNNEST! I LOVE TO WIN and LAUGH and BE REALLY LOUD! 18. It annoys some of my friends. (SOrry guys-I'm having soooooo much fun) 19. Sometimes I wish I would have had a girly-girl. You know, the kind who like Barbie and want to make Barbie clothes and houses- like I did when I was little. I had the Barbie Motor home, Barbie swimming pool, Barbie Corvette, Barbie dream world. I bought Barbies for my kids, guess where they are, yep, in a box in the garage. Probably 90% have perfect hair because they never saw five minutes of play time. Then I think, I don't have time for girly-girls right now. I barely get my hair done half the time. 20. I worry that Courtland will get hurt playing soccer because she is so aggressive. 21. I worry that my kids will make the same mistakes in their lives that I did. 22. I cried the day my husband bought me a brand new (13 miles on it) Honda minivan with a dvd player because I didn't want to be "that mom". Four years later and another new Honda later, I love love love it. (Thanks Honey) 23. I have super sun-sensitive eyes and always have to wear sunglasses. 24. I love to ride motorcycles. 25. I think my dad is a total stud on a motorcycle. He has tons of trophies that he won when he was a younger version of himself for racing. He goes to Sturges every year. Way to keep the love, dad! 26. The only broken bone I have ever had was on a motorcycle when I was showing off. 27. I always get hurt when I show off. 28. I am having a hard time raising my 4th child. He is a handful. Sometimes I want to give up. But I love him dearly. 29. I want skin that tans really well. 30. I would also like a little back to my booty. 31. I'm thankful for a husband who can and does fix almost anything, who can work all day and still be happy when he comes home, and who, if he had to, could go out shoot me some dinner if he had to. 32. I love my kids freckles and match hair color. 33. I hope my daughter-in-laws like me, and that I am a good mother-in-law and grandmother. (thanks for the examples Irene and Mom) 34. I never want short hair that I have to have set at the salon once a week with rollers. I think long grey hair is ok-don't you? 35. If I had nothing else to do, I would hold my baby until he was old enough to crawl and explore on his own. 36. I like my bed made. 37. I like to organize. I make a huge mess while I am doing it, but I love to just tear everything out of a closet and make it look great! 38. I - love-shoes!!!! 39. I would love to go to Italy, Spain, and Greece. 40. I hate seafood. 41. I love pizza, salad, garlic bread, waffles, and hamburgers. True blue American. 42. I love the way my husband smells. I would go into our closet and smell his shirts when he was deployed. and yes, it made me cry. Talk about self torture. 43. I love to read, a lot. I read when I am eating, before bed, sometimes at stoplights (Twilight). 44. Yes, I am totally lame and loved Twilight. I resisted a long time, but finally caved. and loved it. I was living in Forks for a while, ignoring the house, kids, husband. Sorry guys-it was a fun read! 45. I love to Country dance! A boyfriend in collage that went to BYU took classes to learn how just for me- before I knew how- and I thought it was lame-o. What a fool I was!!! How freakin nice of him and how dumb was I? Two stepping is the best! 46. Scott and I always play "who sings this song?". I win half the time. Or more. Depends on the stations, Scott knows the country songs better than me, even though neither of us listen to country music. 47. I think my baby smells good, too. 48. I have an abnormally good sense of smell. 49. I really liked nursing school. 50. I did really well, too. 51. I am really uncomfortable around people that I can't read well. please just be an open book like me-it's not hard. 52. I think I am almost perfectly happy when I am on a road trip-books to read, ipod to listen to, husband to rub my shoulders, kids fighting in the backseat. 53. I love American Idol, Project runway, Top design, Top Chef, really any reality competition. I love to see people do well. 54. I am jealous of the Jazz. They take my husband far, far away for 7 months of the year. 55. I like sports cars. 56. I have pretty bad TMJ. 57. I think my brothers are more talented than I am. I'm just bossy. 58. I think that my brother Brad is the funniest person I have ever known. 59. I miss my grandpa and grandma. I can't wait to see them again. 60. The most perfect day of my life was with Scott in Galveston, TX. He had a three day break from his deployment and I met him in Houston. It was seriously the best ever! 61. I don't like to be away from Scott for more than a day or two-even if I am mad at him. 62. I love rainy days. 63. None of the names of my kids was my on my list of top 10. Scott never liked the names I pick. 64. I love really loud music in my car. Really loud. 65. I hardly ever get to turn up the music as I am almost never in the car without little people in there, too. They don't appreciate it like I do. 66. I really like "Pour some sugar on me" by Def Leopard. Loud. Don't ask me why. 67. Ideally, I would like to go to the spa every Tuesday morning for a couple of hours. 68. I like my eyes. 69. I hold grudges. 70. I'm not very good at keeping in touch with friends, even if I love them. 71. I would love to live on a ranch. 72. I would have cows and pigs and chickens and horses and dogs, dogs, dogs. 73. Big dogs. 74. And an old pickup truck. 75. With a creek out back. sounds good, huh? 76. I hated my pediatric rotation because I couldn't stand to see children that had been neglected. 78. I wish I could protect little kids from bad things. Kids should be able to run and swing and throw rocks in the water without worrying about anything else. 79. Scott proposed to me by pretending to break up with me. WHat? NOT romantic. 80. I am so happy that FINALLY one of our kids got a dimple like Scott. 81. I love to rearrange my furniture. 82. I like to lie in bed and watch movies. 83. I hide candy from my kids so I can eat it. 84. I wonder if my mom did that. 85. I am not very organized in my day to day living. I don't have a laundry day. (of course, I have so much now that I really should do it every day.) 86. I like my name. 87. I really love Anthropology. I want everything in there. 88. I am trying to stop acquiring THINGS, stuff that isn't necessary. Everyone makes fun of all my stuff. (don't you need a set of plates for the fourth of July?) 89. Truly addicted to magazines. LOvE to read them. (not all, like I'm not picking up Mechanics Digest or The Art of Taxidermy) 90. I'm always worried my kids will drown. I'm over protective near cliffs, railings, anything I perceive of as dangerous. 91. I like to swing. and jump on the tramp. 92. I would like to take a ballet class. 93. I have seen a lot of people die. Now sometimes I will unexpectedly picture how a complete stranger will look when they are dead. Weird. Like at the checkout at Target. 94. I still love my job. 95. I love listening to my husband on the phone when he is working. 96. I love to sit on the grass at temple square during conference. Why does it have to rain all the time lately? 97. I love where my life is at. Who knew that I would be so happy making freezer meals, changing diapers, driving a minivan, and getting up in the night with kids? 98. I like to take care of my husband. I'm grateful he takes care of me. 99. I love jewelry. My brother had the nerve to say I don't need any more. Is he crazy? A girl always needs more. 100. Once I have loved someone, I love them forever. I still love my friends from Kindergarten. That wasn't too bad, kinda weird thinking about myself so much in one day. Now I am tagging the girls! Malinda, Marcy, Danica, Shannon, Amy, Janna, Melissa, Stephanie, Marisa, Sherilyn. Go!

I have been following a blog of a woman whom I thought was really amazing and did really great things with her kids. She was in a plane crash with her husband on Aug. 16th. She has been burned over 83% of her body. I just can't get her off my mind. Her family is taking care of her four children while she and her husband recover. It is amazing to read how this family has coped through this horrible tragedy. If you want to read her blog the link is under "my favorites" entitled Stephanie's blog. I'm sure you will find her as amazing as I do. Her sister has been updating her blog with old posts so we can read them again. There is also a link on nienie called c-jane, this will take you to her sisters blog with updates on the progress of the Nielson's and their kids. If you would like to donate, the pink button at right will link you. They are asking for prayers and I'm sure we can all do that. Our lives and families are such a blessing. Nic

I have discussed at length the reason for blogging with my friends. Some do it to stay in touch, some so family gets pics of the fam more readily-especially the ones that are far away, some to document thier lives, some to express themselves. Why do I? It started to share with grandma and grandpa but I think I am going to take one special friends advice and start blogging as a "family journal". It probably won't change much, but I may ramble on more. Just warning ya all.

Maylee at a tourney, #6. Court #15. Court 1st day of junior high.

Summer ward pool party. Lots of fun and food to be had this night. Thanks bishop!!! We loved it!

At the fair before a soccer game. Are you getting the relationship of all things revolving around soccer?

Super fun visit from the cousins! Trevor, Chad, Gracee, Garrett, Dusty. We love you!

Our trip to Heber, we stayed at the Homestead. Super Fun! They had an outdoor concert on the lawn that night, the kids played tag while we enjoyed great music. We also swam-probably shouldn't be in a swim suit yet (sorry other guests) but threw caution to the wind and enjoyed myself. These pics from the hot pool that is in a crater. completely freaks me out to have the little kids in there, it is like 100 feet straight down and of course I'm convinced the kids will fall in and drown. Court also played a soccer game-Great job sis!

Hair before, hair after. 12 inches. what was I thinking?

Our favorite swimming hole! Brad and his partner in crime, Maylee. Max and Mia My most handsome hubby. Love ya babe! Scott and Cooper. Hey honey, the office job isn't doing much for your tan!

Roasting marshmellows. Look out, he is dangerous with a big stick. yep, he is washing dishes. had to capture the moment for posterity. grandma loving the babe.

The kids at Big Springs.

This is Big Springs, we go every year at least once. The kids like to feed the fish and it is soooo pretty . the first picture is where the river just comes right out of the mountian, or the start of the spring. Looking down river from the bridge. Holy crap this was a ginormous trout! Looking back toward the spring.

random snaps of Maylee, Brad, Scott, Cooper, and Kash

Look at his face. He has the love, man. It is in the Nelson genes. I don't know why I didn't get pics of the other kids riding the motorcycles and 4 wheeler- but they all LOVE it. I have to say my favorite part of the trip was a ride with Dad, Brad, Scott, and I all on our motorcycles. There is just nothing like going fast and seeing all the beautiful forest. It was really a blast. Too short, I had to get back for the baby. Look out next year, we hope to have our own bikes and I am riding from sun up to sun down. Max really loved it-he wanted to go fast at all times, even when he was driving. Thanks grandpa for the best time of the summer!