The Nelson Nuthouse

Monday, May 28, 2012

Party at the Park for Mikel's B-day

We celebrated Mikel's 27th birthday at Lake Solano!!!! After Joanna pulled off a spectacular surprise party with his friends and fam at Murillo's, we thought we would honor him Nelson style!!!

Which means....

CAKE AND KIDS

DUCKS AND DARLIN'S

FOOD AND FUN

FUTURE SOCCER PLAYERS AND FATHER-DAUGHTER TEAMS

AND LOTS AND LOTS OF LOVE

Party Pics

Blowing out the 69th candle!

Landon helping Dad open up a camping chair with an attached coffee holder!

Dad opening a North Face shirt!

So Abe and Laura...once again you were extremely missed yesterday! We had Dad's family birthday party complete with his patriot red, white and blue theme!!! Paul barbecued some teriyaki marinated tri tip (recipe a la Aunt Diane) and we had potato salad, red-white-blue jello (of course), salad (for the veggie lovers), corn (for Parnel:) ) banana bread (male and female:) ) and Dad's favorite dessert--apricot cobbler!!

Dad showing Hannah how to refill his Keurig canister:)

(What is she thinking? Better yet, what is Parnel in the background thinking?)

Our Chief Barbecue Chef--Paul

Joanna (Hair by Melissa) and Marvelous Mikel, whom we really love!

As usual, we followed lunch by questions, that even our bright grand kids now read on their own! Answers centered around St. Thomas islands, mom, Jimi Hendrix and camping!:)

Bekah and Keira

Auntie Esther bought all the kids patriotic sunglasses, colors and color books!!! We really missed Macie being here!!!

Landon

Later in the afternoon we headed over to the dreaded Fiesta Days and took Landon on this first roller coaster ride alone and he flew on his first airplane:). It was like Landon was starting kindergarten the way Essie and I felt with him on the rides by himself! We weren't sure if he would freak out or not, but he was great with a steady eye on his mama. When they headed for his first funnel cake, I headed to meet Sarah at the park and that's when we tried to Face Time you, Laura!

Nick, Es and Landon

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Happy Birthday Skipper!!

Happy Birthday honey!!!! How blessed I am to have you as my "partner in crime" raising our bountiful brood of wonderful children and enjoying our amazing grandchildren!! What would I have ever done without your wisdom, provision and hugs of encouragement?


Papa making coffee with Landon

Queen Lily Campground

Thanks for all the camping trips, getting me out of my comfort zone climbing rocks and hiking down snake-invested (I am sure!) trails near Feather River.

Thanks for all the trips to my favorite spot in the world--the beach!!!!!!

Thanks for all the delectable barbecues, omelets and wonderful creations—like our Super Duper sandwiches! Just for the record, kids—peanut butter, ketchup, diced red onion, and pickle relish. We expect that recipe to get passed down to the third and fourth generations.

Thanks for all the guys things you bring into a house of girls like football, pool, baseball, and detective mysteries!

Thanks for all the trips into town to pick up one weird item I needed like one clove of garlic, or one teaspoon of vanilla. Not to mention all the ice cream or donut runs you made to surprise the kids!

Thanks for all the times you have mowed our spacious yard, killed the aphids, fed the fruit trees, weed whacked the ever growing monstrosities, pruned the trees and planted vibrant flowers you knew I love!!!! What a thrill to have a new side-kick to help you mow the lawn!!!!

Thanks for your servant’s heart which brought a forgotten book, jacket, purse, key, or notebook into town to someone who desperately needed an item.

Thanks for the friends, like Dan the former Dinker, who has become a family friend to all of us and has shared in our family trials and joys!!!

Thanks for all the smiles you have put on my face through your manufactured trips, funny songs, semi-funny jokes, fake eyeballs, rock dancing from the 60’s, and thousands of other silly, hilarious tactics to make me laugh ‘til I cry!

Christmas with Joanna, Kiley and Keira

Papa helping with Easter egg dying!!!

Thanks for the thousands of items you repaired for us—the computer daily, the vacuum cleaner once a week, the disposal once a month, the washing machine once every two months, the toilet once every six months and the car every nine months!!! I am so grateful you can fix anything and do so over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over!!!