Salt Creek and Cousins

We had an amazing time at Salt creek with our Nelson cousins this summer. The weather was beautiful and the company was even better. The cousins played so well together and so did the adults. Mikes family has been going camping there for over 20 years every summer. It's been 7 years since we have all been there together again.  We have many fond memories of Salt creek throughout the years.
                              
Some of the memories we all remember and laughed about often are;

When Kate and Andrea tried to make the family play the "I love you because...." game. Let's just say that backfired a little bit and we have never played since.

The time dad dumped a bag of sawdust in the fire and burned off his eyebrows and lashes.

The many times Beth fell in the tide pools while trying to get a closer look at some sea life.

Every time dad tries to back up the tent trailer.

When Kayla was one and told everyone who sat in her seat that it was "my b***h"(bench)

The many times it rained and poured and we sat underneath "tent city" miserable and cranky

The many boy friends who slept in the "boy friend tent".

Karen's outdoor kitchen that put us all to shame.

When dad got the car stuck and it shot gravel into Jaime's crotch while he helped push dad out.

The times we ate dinner at 9pm because we had to wait for the dutch oven food to cook all the way.

Adventure grandpa!

The camping pillowcases mom made all the grandkids except for Kate's kids.

Late night talks at the camp fire with awesome brothers and sisters.

The raccoons opening our coolers and drinking our pop.

Riding the ferry across the Puget sound.


Then.......

 

 

Now...........
                                    

                                       

B.Y.U. Bound

As our family drove the 14 hours to Utah to drop Kayla off at college, there was always the looming thought of saying goodbye to our first born. It just seems so unnatural to raise a kid for 18 years and then just drop them off in another state and say "see you later".
  The first day we checked in to the dorm we drove all around campus. The excitement was palpable. The campus was beautiful and everyone was so nice. Lots of moms and dads were moving their kids in.  As we walked through the campus, we laughed at the fact that everyone we walked by smiled and said"hi"to us.
                                     
The first two room mates we met were darling. Amy is a swimmer for BYU and has prosthetic legs. She was so outgoing and smiley. Jaycee won Miss. Syracuse last year and is competing this year to be Miss Utah. She was very laid back and friendly.

 Kayla's roomie that bunked in her room didn't make it until the next day.  I was so proud of Kayla for staying the night there without her roommate there yet. Her name is Regan and she is so darling. Kayla and her have a lot in common and they even look like they could be sisters. Regan will be leaving on a mission in January.

All of these girls live in Utah so they go home a lot. I told them to take care of Kayla because she tends to get very home sick. They were all very kind and cute with Kayla. They are going to have a blast! Our family took them out to dinner one day to get to know them. I asked them a million questions about them and their families. It made me feel better to know a little bit about the girls Kayla will be living with.

We got her dorm put together and shopped for all the last minute needs. Mike's way of coping was to post minute by minute updates on facebook. My way of coping was to buy anything and everything Kayla needed. Maybe even some things she didn't really need, but it made me feel better to know she had everything possible that she may need.

 

                                     

 

 

At the B.Y.U bookstore we found these awesome Star Wars posters. So of course, we had to have them for Kayla's room.

                                    

Everyone in our family got BYU gear except for Mike. Being a life long Husky fan, he couldn't bring himself to buy anything because he knew he wouldn't wear it. He still will support Kayla in attending BYU, he just won't wear the gear.

 

 

Kayla spent the next couple days doing freshman orientation with her room mates. The college took the traditional Y picture in the stadium with all the freshman.

When we said our goodbyes on Saturday night there was not a dry eye left in our family. It was so hard to leave our baby girl and know that she is on her own now. The ride home from Utah was weird. Of course the kids were thrilled to have the extra space in the car.

 

 Since then,Kayla has been attending all the B.Y.U football games. She loves the school spirit and the crazy fans. The last game they went to, they spent 6 hours in line before the game. Her other room mate Reagan spent the whole night in line. The line went clear around the whole stadium.

 This is a before and during the downpour they had at the first game. They actually had to postpone the game for a couple hours because the weather got so bad. We watched the game on T.V. it was fun knowing Kayla was there.

This is such an exciting time of life for Kayla. Everything and everyone is new and exciting. We on the other hand feel like someone is always missing from our home. As much as we miss having Kayla around, there is no other place I would rather have her be. She will learn so much about herself. She will gain a stronger testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ as she studies and learns on her own. I am so proud of her and the person she is becoming.

 

 

 

 

I Love to See the Temple

When I was 17, our family adopted my two cousins Mary and Cody. Soon after that we went to the Seattle temple to have them sealed to our family for time and all eternity. For those of you that aren't a member of the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints, when two parents are married in the temple, all the kids they conceive after that are born under the covenant which means that they are automatically sealed to the parents. After you adopt a child, the whole family goes to the temple with the child being adopted and has them sealed to the parents. So we got to experience the sealing covenant in the temple when we were young.This was a very spiritual experience that I will never forget. I felt the spirit so strong in the temple that day. I knew that this was the place I wanted to be married in.

Little did I know, about 2 years later I would meet the man of my dreams and be sealed to my husband Mike Nelson in the Seattle temple. It was 1993 and we were so young!!Look at Mike's hair!!

 

 

Since then I have had a strong testimony of temples and the work that is done there. I believe that families can be sealed together for eternity. I love being able to do this work for ancestors who have passed away and were not able to have this work done while on the earth. I love going to the temple and leaving the hustle and bustle of the world behind.

About 2 years later Mike and I were on vacation in Hawaii. I was 5 months pregnant with Kayla. We were able to go to the Hawaii temple with both sets of our parents. It was a much smaller temple but still very beautiful. My hair is awesome here.

The next temple we were able to visit was the Washington D.C. temple. Mikes parents were on a mission for our church there and we went to visit them. This temple is so huge and very busy. When you are driving on the beltway and come around the corner, you can see this temple from the beltway. It is quite a spectacular view, you feel so close like you could reach out and touch it.

 My brother Shawn and his wife Courtney were married in the Boston, Massachusetts temple. I loved the look of this temple. Mike and I traveled with Max to see  them get married.

 

 

 Mike and I went on a get away to Arizona. While we are there we visited the Mesa temple and visitors center.

 

Mike took the girls to the Vancouver B.C. temple open house a couple years ago. When a temple first opens, they have an open house before they dedicate the building. During this time, anyone can go on a tour of the temple and see how beautiful and special it is. When we were in Utah we went to the Ochre mountain temple open house. This was so fun because our whole extended family went together. (I couldn't find pictures of these temples)

We also love to visit Salt lake city temple square. The visitors center there is so much fun. I love learning about church history there. This temple took the saints 40 years to build.

  

 Last year we visited the Hawaii temple with the kids. The girls did baptisms for people who have passed away and were never able to hear about Christ's church. This was Lexies first time ever doing this and it was an amazing experience. It was so fun to be in the temple with the girls.

This past November our family went to New York. We saw the Palmyra Temple. We went to the visitors center and learned about church history. We will never forget the feelings we had here as we learned about the early saints of the church and the trials that they went through.

 

Then we visited the Manhattan, New York temple. It was crazy to see a temple right in the middle of a such a big city.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints has 155+ temples across the whole world. I am so proud to be a member of this church. With just over 14 million members in the church, it continues to grow and grow. I am continually learning and growing and strengthening my testimony. I hope to be able to visit many more temples in the future. I love to see the temples!

                                                   
                                     http://mormon.org/me/1WM5/Andrea

3 Graduations in a week

When the kids were younger we would always talk about how when Kayla was a senior, Max would be in Kindergarten. It seemed so far away then. This year has been a whirlwind of firsts and lasts. My first child graduating from high school. My last child graduating from kindergarten. My first year with all my kids in school. My last year with all my kids living at home. There are so many emotions with all of this.

Kayla's graduation was great! My mom and dad, Mikes mom and dad, and my brother and his family came. We went to red robin for dinner before graduation. It was really nice to visit before and have a relaxing time before the ceremony. We ran into Kayla's favorite track and cross country coach(Mr. McDowell) at red robin.

                                   
                                   

                                  

It was so fun watching Kayla walk down the aisle with her class. Of course our family screamed the loudest. We were all so proud of her. Kayla is also the first grandchild on both sides of our families, so she has been the first to graduate. After graduation Kayla went to the all night senior party with all her friends.

 

 

 Max's Kindergarten graduation was so cute! We love Mrs. Pratchner. She has been a kindergarten teacher to Lexie, Calvin and Max. Kayla came with me since she is not in school anymore.

Calvin is leaving Stillwater elementary to go to the big middle school Tolt. He had Mrs. Rosbach this year. She has taught Kenzie, Lexie and Calvin. Hopefully Max will have her when he is in 5th grade.

Calvin has had his cousin Jake in his class the last 2 years. They are best friends and do everything together. This is a picture of Jake, Nathan, and Calvin.

 Calvin got the academic presidential award. He works so hard in school and loves to learn.

 

I am not a super emotional person, so I didn't cry at any of these events. But the thought of all my kids growing up is really starting to hit me. As busy and crazy and tiring as it has been raising them, it has also been fun and rewarding seeing them turn into great people that are fun to hang out with.

Being a mom is what I have done for the past 18 years. It's not a flashy, high paying job, but it's one of the most important jobs there is and I love it!