Family Campout

Sometimes you've just got to get away...

But not too far away.
Last week we spent a night camping in the backyard. Jordan has been begging since I went to girls camp, so we finally caved. But, this was as adventurous as we could get. Don't get me wrong, the hike in was grueling, but we did it.

Dinner....cooked inside, but eaten outside. Here's Braden admiring his chip.

Jordan, who we caught singing YMCA.

Our campsite. If anyone is interested, we have really good rates.
Call for availability.

We went pretend fishing, swimming, and canoeing. Jordan caught a few sharks and a whale, but we had to throw them all back. I only caught an old boot.

You can't camp without some roasted marshmallows and SMORES! This was the boys' favorite part of the night! Looks like next time we can skip the whole tent thing and go straight to the marshmallows.

Mine are the perfectly toasted ones closest to the camera. Notice Jake's toothpick size stick. He was pretty proud of it!

Enjoying the fruits of their labors.

Wait....Jake's been ATTACKED. Luckily he only suffered a few minor abrasions and the loss of his left pant leg.

Ready for a night in the tent.

Yup, we were roughin' it!

Nelson Family Reunion

We all had such a great time. EVERYONE was able to be there. I don't remember the last time that happened. So luckily we were able to get some pictures taken. I love them! For those of you who know my family you'll enjoy the updated pictures. For those who don't know my family, this could get a little boring.

Left to right: Cami, Melody, John, Robert, Cari, Kathie, Alisa, Cassandra

The two who started this whole thing!

Robert and his sweet daughter Brooke.

Jose, Cassandra and their family. Asa, Ariella, Tierzah, & Malachi

Alisa, Ben, and their children Alex & Elena

A few of our family. I've been playing with the B&W feature on my photo editing software.

Unfortunately, Braden decided to be a punk and didn't smile.

Cari, Justin, and their precious little Korbyn.

My little sister, Melody. She's fresh back from the mission and...available. She will be attending BYUi in the fall and she likes chocolates and long walks on the beach...

The Grandchildren

My sister has a feature on her camera that makes it look like someone was smiling when they really weren't. Well, if someone is already smiling it makes them appear to be related to the cheshire cat! Good times!

Jake and I at the Bellagio. The tower from the Paris is behind us!

All the siblings out on the town.

Jordan is best buds with his little cousin Ariella. I love this picture.

Alex, Jordan, & Ariella. They played so well together. I wish we lived closer to them! Jordan does too. He's named all his stuffed animals after his cousins.

Six Years!

Today's the mark of when we wed,

Only 6 short years ago.

I will attempt to summarize,

From the moment we said, "Hello"!

We both were back at BYU,

Ready for another year.

At first he didn't notice me,

But I continued to persevere.

As FHE and activities chairs,

We saw each other a lot.

Somewhere along the way he noticed,

It was his heart that I sought.

Wasn't long before we said, "I do."

Our honeymoon was like a dream.

In a whirlwind of school and life,

I was craving pickles and Ice Cream.

Number one arrived like a flash,

The mirror image of his father.

Bought our first home in Colorado,

And then we had another.

Firmly in the fast track of life,

Our family of four was seated.

Much school and work and parenting,

Often left our batteries depleted.

With graduation now behind us,

A new chapter can finally start.

One thing I'm surely thankful for:

We'll never be apart!

Honey, this silly poem doesn't even begin to recount all we've been through together. I am so thankful that I ended up with you. You're a wonderful husband and father, and especially my friend! It's been a great 6 years, and I look forward to 6 million more!

Happy Anniversary!