Visitors from Ohio

The day after my brother got here from Iowa Linden's brother and family arrived from Ohio! We had lots of fun with the Nielsen clan while they were here. We got family pictures taken. (Will post some when we get them back.) We enjoyed spending time together and playing games. I actually beat Jeff in a game (Scum, 4 rounds in a row.) I have to mention it because it is probably the only time that I will ever win a game when I am playing Jeff. I don't know what it is about Linden and Jeff, but they always win when they play games. I guess it is just good that I am a good sport and don't mind playing game after game and never winning.

Uncle Jeff and cousin Anna with baby Isabel at Grandma's the night they got into town.



Grandma Nielsen, Shaun and Jenna made pinatas for all of the cousins. They had fun breaking them and sharing the candy. Here is Anton taking a swing at his train pinata.



Zackary with his pinata. On the other side was Mike from Monsters, Inc.



Cousin David reading to Zackary.



Cousin Anna holding Isabel.



Anna and Anton climbing in the tree.



Wait, Anna, the milk is for the baby cows!!!



Feeding the baby cows. Doug, Jeff, Anna, Anton and myself.



Anton loves feeding the baby cows. When we went to feed them (at my parents) while Jeff was here they were only about 4 days old. They are so much bigger now.



Isabel and Ella chillin' in the shade with Aunt Annikka while we fed the baby cows.



A special THANKS to Sandy for sending pictures for this post. I kept forgetting my camera!!

Visitors from Iowa

For almost the whole month of June we were blessed to have my brother's family visiting from Iowa. We had LOTS of fun playing with cousins and visiting. We miss them now that they are back home. We did lots of fun stuff including: jumping on the trampoline, going to the zoo, "chasing" cows, having hot dog and marshmallow roasts, and so MUCH more. Unfortunately I forgot the camera most days we were together.

Anne, Jennifer, James and Grace at the zoo.



Zackary, Grace, Anne, and Anton at the zoo.



Almost all of us from the zoo trip. Missing the photographer (me) and Isabel. We all got in the zoo for free on this trip and enjoyed seeing the animals. We watched ducks, penguins, monkeys, lions, tigers and bears and more.



Edwin's Gang before they left for their TWENTY PLUS hour drive back to Iowa. Thanks for coming!! Love ya and miss ya tons.



On a side note since they took off back to Iowa Anton has been talking about his cousins Grace and Anne and Zackary's cousin James. Funny how he thinks about cousins.

Goodbye, Dani!

Last year in August my parents welcomed their newest exchange student, Dani Lappi from Finland. Things started out a bit crazy for him. The same week he came my brother came home from his mission and my sister got married. I think he was glad when things were a bit quieter after everyone left.

We had lots of fun with him throughout the year. Anton and Zackary LOVED playing with Dani. It was quite entertaining to watch them wrestle with Dani and Uncle David on the floor, see them getting chased around, held, and even occassionally read to by Dani and Uncle David. I think the only thing that Dani didn't do to help us with the boys when we visited Grandpa and Grandma was change diapers. We enjoyed going to soccer games to watch Dani and Uncle David play and really appreciated the babysitting they provided for us. I hope at time that Mom was glad to have Anton and Zackary "babysit" Dani and David.



We said goodbye to Dani on June 8, 2010. He was pretty excited to be going home. We are missing him. Good luck, Dani.

May in Review

May started out with Linden gone. He left the morning of April 30 to leave for his internship in Richland, Washington. For his internship he will be working at a Nuclear Power Plant for eight weeks. I spent the morning moping around, thinking about how much I was going to miss him while he was gone and how hard everything was going to be without a husband and father around to help with things like bedtime.

After moping for the morning I got busy. I had told myself that one morning of moping was all I got. We had a crazy first week without Linden. At times I felt like I was barely surviving. Thank goodness for a great support system of parents, in-laws, friends and siblings.

Early Friday morning (2:45 am) of that first week I woke up to the sound of someone jiggling the back door knob and knocking on the door. My first thought was to go get my phone and dial 911. As I headed to get my phone I was hoping that the police could get there quick enough for me to keep the kids safe while I tried to keep whoever is outside from getting in. As I was walking down the hall to get my phone I heard it start ringing. As soon as I heard the phone ringing I knew it was Linden. He had decided to surprise me and come home to visit. He caught a ride with a couple of other guys from Idaho Falls that are also working up there. They dropped him off and Linden spent the next fifteen minutes trying to wake me up so he could get inside. He couldn't open the doors from the outside because of the child safety locks we have. I was quite relieved that I didn't have to call 911.

We had some pictures taken of the kids the Thursday before Mother's day. They turned out really well. Here are some of my favorites. Thanks to Gina Nelson for a great job on the pictures.

My three beautiful children!!!



Anton loves to ham it up.







We had a hard time getting Zackary to smile like he normally does. I love it when he shows off his adorable dimples. Combine the dimples with his gorgeous eyelashes and adorable eyes and we are expecting him to be a girl magnet in a few years.





Isabel was a bit sleepy and we only got one really good picture of her with her eyes open.



Somehow Isabel twisted the pacifier in her mouth and then fell asleep.



May 18-20 Anton, Zackary, Isabel and I went down to Utah to visit Aunts and an Uncle and Cousin. We drove down on Tuesday to Ogden and had a great time with Aunt Claudette and Aunt Brook.

While in Ogden we went to the Dinosaur Park. We spent most of the time outside, but the little time we did spend inside in the museum I got a couple of pictures. This is one with the boys wiggling while they sit by the T-Rex skeleton. Anton's reaction to it was, "It gives me a scary." (I think the unusual wording comes from him translating the Spanish way of saying it into English. Yeah, he really is learning Spanish.) Because it gave him a scary we had to talk him into sitting there for a picture. Zackary also decided that he needed to be "scared" because Anton was.



The boys sitting by the triceratops skull in the museum.



After we got outside we were enjoying walking around the trails and got several photos of the different dinosaurs. There are ambient sounds playing via various speakers outside and as we were walking past the T-rex it happened to growl. Anton was hesitant to be walking past it in the first place. When he heard the growl he jumped about four feet away from the dinosaur. I had a really hard time not laughing, he looked so cute. Don't worry though, I quickly comforted him and explained AGAIN they were just pretend.

This one truly did give Anton a scary and we couldn't get him close to it. Hence, we just got the picture with Aunt Brook and Zackary. I don't remember the name of the dinosaur.



A safe dinosaur for a photo op with Aunt Claudette, Isabel, Aunt Brook, Zackary and Anton.



We miss Papa!!!









We really enjoyed walking around seeing all of the differnt dinosaurs. What the boys enjoyed most though was the playground. It had been raining off and on all day, so the slides were wet but that didn't deter them. Needless to say their pants were soaking wet by the time we left, but they had a blast.

Thanks for taking us to the dinosaur park Aunt Claudette!!!



Tuesday night we stayed at Aunt Claudette's and Aunt Brook's. At bedtime Anton and Zackary decided they were going to sleep in Aunt Claudette's bed. We found them there, at the head of the bed, playing with the pillows.



The next morning we headed down to Woods Cross to visit Aunt Annikka and Ella. Ella is one month younger than Isabel and slightly bigger. I couldn't resist this "stop taking pictures and pick me up look" from Isabel.



The two cousins yawning together.



After visiting with Aunt Annikka and Ella for a little bit we headed down to Provo to visit Aunt Leonora and Uncle Kevin. Kevin wasn't quite off of work yet so we went to the Bean museum with Aunt Leonora. While there the boys saw, Elephants...



...and Lions.



They had fun looking on the display down below.



We saw lots of different ducks and so MANY different animals from around the world. The boys really enjoyed it. We will have to go again when they are a little older.

Again, we had to talk Anton into taking a picture with the scary animals, like bears.



After spending Wednesday night at Aunt Leonora's and Uncle Kevin's we drove back up to visit Aunt Annikka and Ella and Doug again on Thursday. After that visit we headed to Pocatello to say hi to Aunt Misti and have a delicious supper that she made for us. She also gave the boys these cute bunny masks. Anton insisted on wearing his several times throughout the next week, including when I went to the polls to vote in the primary election the following Tuesday.



My mom saved this outfit that I wore when I was a baby. I had Isabel wear it once and made sure to get a picture. It is a bit worn out and I don't think it would last for another wearing.



We finished out May by attending Dani's graduation. Congrats, Dani!



And also John Niel's graduation. Congrats!



We were blessed to have a visit from Linden over Memorial Day weekend. And again I cried when he left. I think I cry more each time he leaves. We miss him and truly want him back home with us, SOON!!!

My Little Miracle

I just got home from the evening session of Stake Conference. Our stake president spoke about the miracles that fill our lives and the steps that we can take to more fully recognize the blessings from our Heavenly Father. Monday, May 3, I was very grateful for a little miracle that occurred in my life.

I had just gone outside to haul some wood inside when I noticed that I had a little boy that followed me out. I got Zackary back inside and Isabel was a bit fussy. So, I stayed inside and got her calmed down, fed and sleeping in the cradle. I was headed back outside to get more wood, but didn't want the boys to follow me out so I snuck out the back door after I got them interested in books AND Sesame Street.

It didn't work. Halfway through getting my arms full both boys were coming out the back door, wanting to help me. I can't forget to mention that this was a cold, WINDY, Idaho spring day and they came out without coats. To make them feel like they were helping I had them each carry a small piece of wood. After the three of us were loaded up we headed over to go back inside.

Unfortunately, the boys were trying to be helpful and locked the door for me as they came outside. I tried to get it open, but couldn't. I knew that the front door was locked up tight, I had double checked it before I went outside. What to do?? I was outside with two little boys without coats on a cold day, and worse, little Isabel was INSIDE!! I headed back to our neighbors house hoping they would be home and I could call mom to come over with our spare key she has.

Thank goodness for neighbors. They were home and let me borrow their phone. I called mom. She didn't answer at home, so I tried her cell and just left her a message. The next call was to the office. The secretary there said she was at the cannery. Hence, there would be no help from mom for a few hours. The secretary volunteered to go find the keys, but I told her that I had no clue where they would be or even remembered what they looked like.

Meanwhile, my mind is hoping and praying that Isabel was allright and that we will be able to get back in QUICKLY. The neighbors gave me a screwdriver and instructions as to how to break into a house. I knew that the back door never seemed as secure as the front door, so I attempted there first. No luck. I went to the front door, praying more earnestly that I would be able to get in. I got there and barely touched the door and watched it swing open. My prayers had been answered. I KNEW that the door had been closed and closed tightly, yet when I went to open the door it practically opened itself for me. How truly grateful I am that I was able to get back inside so quickly. Isabel was just fine, in her cradle sleeping, and Anton and Zackary didn't get cold from being outside in the wind. That was a huge miracle for me. There have been so many times and ways that our prayers have been answered, this is just one of the many miracles that we have in our lives. How grateful I am for a loving Heavenly Father.

Happy Anniversary

On April 29, 2005 Linden and I were married for time and all eternity in the Idaho Falls Temple. Five years and three children later we are more in love than ever. I am so grateful for this wonderful man that I have married. He is truly amazing. He is very kind and thoughtful. He makes me laugh. He loves playing with the boys and Isabel and is a great father. They love him. What a huge blessing in my life to also have a worthy priesthood holder presiding in our home. I love him so much and fall more in love every day. He is not perfect and neither is our marriage. Just like anyone else we are learning and growing together. I just feel extremely lucky that I have a man that is willing to look past all of my faults and see the real me. (I especially feel lucky that he doesn't care when I don't make dinner.)

Where Linden proposed to me February 5, 2005.



We have LOTS of family to help us throughout our married lives and raising children. Thanks to everyone, and all those not in the picture, also.



Hamming it up for the camera.



What a HANDSOME guy. How lucky am I???



All ready to go over the threshhold with my new bride.



OH!! She is so HEAVY!



We will be a Forever Family!!!