Hi.

I'm stumped, Folks.
Bloggers block, if you will.
There's things to say and stuff to report, but it's just not comin' to me.
Soooo, a ramblin' I'll go.....

• Who says country life is "slower paced"? Not this girl!! It's a myth. A lie. Maybe when the snow flies? I'll get back to you on that one.

• We are OH SO CLOSE to finishing the bathroom down stairs. Can I get a WOO and a HOO?!?!? I am so excited about this on so many levels. Yay for two toilets, two showers, and two getting ready spots! Yay for the absence of the big mess of construction in the family room! Yay for me not asking Mike how much longer he thinks it will take!

• We plan to have a Family Home Evening on 'New Bathroom Rules of Usage'. It will include a come to Jesus talk about how not to ruin our nice new bathroom, Mike will be leading the discussion--- should be fun. (Grant is calling it our "toilet respect talk") Hey, as long as the night ends with a treat...we're all happy, right?

• We have 2 new members of the family.

Am I crazy? Maybe.
Do I know that living on a farm there's a darn good chance that mice will be a problem in the winter?
Uh, der...ya I do.
Do I hate mice?
Do I really, REALLY hate mice??
More than I can say.
It's a lot.
A whole lot.
Are these two little cuties going to help me sleep a little better at night?
Absolutely.
Allow me to introduce our two new best friends,
doing what they do best during the day (napping)...

Black Bart.
Chosen and named by the boys.

And Ginger Ale.
Chosen and named by the girls.
A.L.E.
stands for Audrey, Lucy, Elsie.
Cute name, huh?

• Grant's 5th birthday is tomorrow. Five??? How can that be? It feels weird. Just weird. I don't really know that I am ready to have my youngest be five. Thank goodness he didn't go to kindergarten this year. I would be a disaster.

• I'm breathing a little easier today. I had to speak in church yesterday. AGAIN. I've already spoken once since we moved here. So that's twice since June! I actually don't mind speaking, it's just always nice to be done with. The first time it was with Mike as new move ins and this time was because of my sorta new calling--been there 6 weeks. Oh, did I mention my calling?? Ummm, that would be Young Women's President. I know! What the What!?! Stop laughing. So far so good, I'm actually really liking it (even though I have a deep dark fear that I am somehow doing something horrifically wrong and I may be given the boot at any given moment...someone will wise up and say,"Hey, who put the crazy lady in charge?" and out I'll go).
  

• Because I know you have all been losing sleep over the 'Green Towel Conundrum', I'll give you an update: It was the strangest thing....I posted that little tidbit on the old blog, and viola, problem solved. No more wet towels folded on the shelf. So, what have we learned here Students? Shame and embarrass your children into obedience. Publicly announce all those little things your loved one's do that just about make you crazy--put it out there on the World Wide Web for all to see--and Ta Da, the problem fixes itself. I know, I'm a genius.

• And since I seem to be on a roll with the whole 'post it on the blog and it shall come to pass' thing....let's all send some positive vibes out there to the universe regarding Mike and a job. mmmkay? Thanks. (After nearly three years, dirt poorness has lost some of it's charm. Strange, I know.)
  

Peace out, Amigos. Peace out.
:o)

And their off....

Who loves school time???

Me! Me! Me!
I do! I do! I do!

Oh, and so do these kids here.

In our line up today
(okay, it was really a week ago--I'm a little slow at blogging)
we have the sweet and beautiful third grader, Miss Elsie-Girl.

We have the gorgeous and always entertaining,
fancy pants Junior High going
(sob, how can that be?)
sixth grader Lucy-Goose.

Next up is the breath taking, talented
long legged beauty herself,
Audrey.
She is gracing the 8th grade this year.

And last, but certainly not least, we have the ruggedly
handsome, too big for his britches, guy who started school
on his 16th birthday, sophomore, the amazing Adam.

The bus (or as I like to call it: Mom's Big Yellow Ticket to Solitude)
arrives at 7:15 and returns and 4:25.
Count 'em up my friends...
that's 8 hours and 10 minutes.
Fan-diddly-tastic!

It is an early long day,
by Thursday we are all glad to have Friday off.
That's how they roll up here.
School is just four days a week.
So far, we like it.

Good bye, Big Yellow Ticket to Solitude.

And, in other news...

We finally ran our BIG race.
The Top of Utah Half Marathon.

Couple things:
* This is the only picture, so enjoy.
* It was a hot day.
* I actually really liked the course, running down the canyon was fun.
* Now that I've recovered, I may consider doing it again.

***

Food storage is big here.
This ward is full of the most organized food storage people I have ever seen.
Imagine my joy to know that chocolate chips are considered a food storage item.
These are my kinda people.
How does thirty pounds of chocolate chips sound?

Good? I thought so too.
Am I a happy girl?

Yes. Yes I am.

***

And, finally, I would like to close with a little something I call
THE GREEN TOWEL CONUNDRUM.

First, a little background.
We are currently a one bathroom household.
The downstairs bathroom is in construction.
Now, as you know we are a family of seven.
Besides the obvious issues of one bathroom and seven people
there is the not so obvious issue of wet towels.
There is just only so much towel rack space, ya know?
So, seven towels is about all there is room for.

Last year Santa
(because Santa is a beautiful genius)
gave everyone their own special towel -this way no one needs to wonder if
"SOME ELSE USED MY TOWEL!"

On with the story.
See this green towel?

This green towel is NOT one of the kids Santa towels.
Nor is it a towel that Mike and I use.
This green towel is a guest towel.
Well, why on earth would I have it hanging on the banister
and not put away folded nice and neat on the shelf with the other guest towels?
Why is it not sitting on the shelf looking cute, doing it's job?

See how lonely that other green towel looks?

Here's why.
Because EVERY night this green towel ends up wet, folded (sorta) and put back on the shelf.
While the mother in me cannot over look the slight amount of joy I
feel about some one actually folding something and putting it away, the freak
in me is trying to control the freakness over
DO NOT FOLD WET THINGS UP!
Mildew, people.
Mildew.

And, the really REALLY crazy thing is...
none of my children are doing this.
I know because I asked each of them.

So, I guess until this towel learns
how to stay dry folded neatly on the shelf
and behave the banister is where it will be.

The Green Towel Conundrum.
It's a quandary.

For reals.

I live in Idaho.
For reals.

School started last week in the St. G.
We are not there.
It's a little weird.

Even weirder than that is that all my chitlins are registered here.
Pretty strange strolling with Adam through the halls of PHS.
I don't know if I can properly convey how surreal it was to walk back into my elementary school to get Elsie all set.
My kids are in classes of my old teachers for crying out loud!
Everybody except Elsie- and she has my good old growing up buddy Anneke's mom for a teacher. (woohoo BTW)

For reals,
it just kinda weird.
In a good way weird.
It's actually been pretty fun having that "it's such a small world" feeling every where I go.
Every where in Preston that is.

But, when I do head down to the big city of Logan I find myself looking for my St. G peeps.
Weird, I know.
I keep thinking I should be running into someone in Walmart or Sam's Club (okay, i know it's costco down there, you get the point). I keep thinking I am spotting cars I know, looking for familiar faces behind the wheel.
It's a strange feeling.
Miss you, my St. G peeps.

And since it's late and I'm on a rambling roll....
The Top of Utah Half Marathon is less than a week away.
For Reals.
And I'm running in it.
For Reals.
I'm actually pretty excited about it.
I think it will be a really fun day.
I say "day" instead of "race" because I really am in it for fun.
To say I was "racing" would be stretching it a bit.

And so, with that I must say....
For Reals, I have one more week of training to do-
starting with a morning run tomorrow.
Fair thee well, my peeps, fair thee well.

Goot Mor-gan!

Okay, I realize if you are not Robyn that title might not make any sense.
Once upon a life time ago, before summer descended upon us, Robyn and I used to talk most mornings after the kiddies were on their merry way to school. Our conversations usually started with a "Goot Mor-gan!" or "Good Morning".
There you go, we are all up to speed now.
So....I say to you--

Goot Mor-gan!!

The time has come, my friends, for me to spend a bit-o time telling you about my garden (and by 'garden' I mean things we have transplanted and that were already here that I haven't killed--good work Me).
We'll call this "Ode to Farmgirl's Garden", shall we?
Now, before we begin there are a few things you should remember.
*this is year numero uno. Some day me hopes to have a garden like unto my mother. It's gonna take some time and know how, but a girl can dream.
*once again pictures were taken after my morning run, so bare with the lighting weirdness.
And we're off....
Let's begin with what was already here:

Raspberry Bushes

I am aspiring to have berries like Natalie,
some day.
I hope.
Hers are AMAZING.

But, see?? Look, actual berries!
There good.

Lilac Bush

I love lilac bushes. They remind me of my grandma.
Kinda sad they only bloom once a year.
Didn't get a picture of it, but it was beautiful.

Some kind of Mint plant.
I don't remember what the name of it is,
but it's really pretty.

On to the transplants:

Me madre and I moved some plants down from her garden to mine.
They are doing so well!
The big ones in the front are cosmos.
Let's get right to my favorite flower.
There in the back on the right.

Primrose.
Let's go in for a closer look.

Aren't they pretty?
They bloom at dusk every night.


I love them.
I've noticed that I look a little scary in all the pics on the
old blog lately. Eh, well. I promise I do look slightly better than this on occasion.
...but it's rare.

Last but not least, the best transplant out there this morning...


This boy was out working on some tractor repairs bright and early.
Just keeping himself busy
whilst he was waiting for a ride in the real deal tractor.


Behold....his daily attire....
Shorts and cowboy boots.
It's a classy look.
You need to be adorable to really pull it off.

Shenanigans.

So, I'm sure you've been wondering to your selves,
just what kind of shenanigans has that old Farmgirl been up to lately?
Well, I'll tell ya.
Stuff..and more stuff.
It's been a summer-o-fun.
How's about I give you the run down via a few pics?
All righty then, let's rumble!


FARM DAY:

A day that is part of the BIG Nelson Family Reunion.
By BIG I mean my aunts and uncles, cousins and cousins kiddos.
It's a lot of people.

If you were lucky enough to have grandparents
that had a farm and then an aunt and uncle took over that farm
and they opened it up to you
all summer any and every summer
and you had all sorts of great memories there,
wouldn't you want to bring your own kiddies back
there and share it with them too?
Ya, that's how my cousins feel too.

Farm Day includes things like:
Hay Rides
Feeding the calves.
And lots of visiting on the lawn
while you enjoy Chugs, Cheese and Aggie Ice Cream.
MmMmmm....Aggie Ice Cream.


NELSON FAMILY CAMP:
This was the "slow year" for family camp.
The "off year", if you will.
Therefore, there was a whole lotta nuttin' going on.
Perfection if you ask me.

The girlies enjoying some otter-pops.

Grant in his "wheel chair".
Weirdo.
Amanda and Wilson chillaxin.
The ladies doing some visiting.

We left family camp a day early.
Unheard of!
What could possible possess me to leave camp early?
Oh....just this lady here.
You know I love me some Anne when I am willing to post this
very scary picture of the two of us.
Good thing for us we are such natural beauties.
In our defense, that there's a picture of two pooped out ladies.
I'd been camping for 4 days and she was on the
tail end of her extended Idaho vacay.
It was morning, we'd been up visiting late into the night
and she was about 3 minutes from leaving.

During their very short visit we did make it out to
meet some calves.
And some cows.
Thanks for stopping by Jackmans.
Come on back any old time.

There you go.
A brief run down of some of the stuff.
There's more.
We'll get to that later.
Peace Out, Peeps.

Happy Birthday.

To an All American Hero.

this was mikey's "costume"
(doesn't he pull off white trash well?
and fyi...those are ROOTbeer bottles)

for the send off of a lifetime,
(took place 2 days before our st. g exit)

water fight of the century
(yes, that is a fire hydrant hose he is holding)

and best ever
'annual jim & jim memorial day neighborhood water party'
(the jims cruised the streets soaking
and then gathering 40 of the local yocals
who then converged on our house for the funnest water fight known to man.
it involved over 2000 water balloons)


I love this guy.
He's pretty much my favorite.
Happy 40th My Dearest.

Abode.

All righty, time for the long awaited pictures of the new abode.
I just KNOW you have all been on pins and needles, hardly been able to sleep at night waiting for this.

Couple things....
1* I am NOT a photog (in case you hadn't noticed before)
2* These were taken after my morning run so I know they are a little strange with the sunlight issues....oh well.
3* I think the outside of our house is pretty deceiving. It's actually quite roomy inside.

The front.
Penny, making a cameo.
She is loving her new found freedom, BTW.

Another of the front. This is the weird light one....
or maybe I have moved to the celestial kingdom
and my house is glowing.
One of the two.

The back.
I really like the walk out basement.
And while we're on the subject, let me just say
I love having a basement.
L.O.V.E - I.T.

And now, it's time for a few of my favorite things....

Our mailbox.
We've worked a lot in the yard.
Did I say a lot? Because I meant A LOT.
This yard was in sorry shape.
We found this old trash can and decided it would make a great mailbox stand.
We dug out the falling apart blue plastic thing it was in, buried the trash can a bit
and Ta-Da!!
So far no letters to Oscar the Grouch have been delivered.

This is an older home.
Complete with all the older home charm I love.
Like....

Sweet built in cabinets and drawers.
Love them.


Cool, cool windows.
My favorite is the little one above our bed.

Awesome doors.
I LOVE this door in the office.

And my view from my back door.

Yup.
I'm in a good place.

07-04

Began with a little 5K Boarder Run.

This is a fun little race that goes from the center of Lewiston, Utah to....wait for it.....the boarder of Utah and Idaho then back to the center of Lewiston. Hence the name the Boarder Run. That boarder also just happens to be part of my parents farm, so we runners have quite a cheering crowd at the turn around during the race. Lots and lots of high fives given out by lots of cute kiddos.

This years family participants included:

Adam, Natalie, Me, Audrey and Amanda.

Natalie had left after the race before we remembered to take pictures, so you don't get to see her in all her running glory. But here's some of the rest of us...

Remember I told you that if you do a race with Amanda you WILL be doing jumping pictures?
Here's the attempt (s):

Adam refused to take part in such silliness. He did agree to stand there.

Clearly, jumping pictures are not my forte'.

I would like to let the record show that I was not aware
that the picture was being taken in this last one.
This concludes our jumping picture attempts for the 4th.
Moving on...

After the race (and some quick showers) we all headed to the big Lewiston City parade. It goes right past my brother, Howard's, place so we parked ourselves on his front lawn.

Have I ever mentioned that we are a big group?

The cousin trio. Grace, Charlotte & Lucy.

This picture is for posterity's sake.
Proof the Dear Old Dad was around for SOME of the summer 2011.

I took no pictures of the rest of the day. Well, except one...Mike and Grant went on a little hike that afternoon and brought me back a beautiful little surprise from the mountains:

Thanks Boys.

We enjoyed a lovely cookout at my mom's house with lots of just good old hangin' around involved. And treats. I don't know who else but the Nelson's plan a day with 1st dessert and 2nd dessert. With no meal in between. First dessert was served shortly after a late lunch of dutch oven potatoes and BBQ's. Second dessert was served before the fireworks.
We enjoyed the fireworks from the comfort of Howard's backyard this year. We usually enjoy them from the comfort of the haystack.

True red blooded American children love S'mores.

Even the big children.

Some are a little messier with their mallows than others.

I would also like the record (since there is no picture) to show that 2nd dessert also consisted of three
very delicious cobblers. Peach, blueberry and cherry chocolate.
MmmMMm.
Too bad your not a Nelson, cuz we do the sweets up right.

The cousin duo. Emma & Audrey.

It was a full, full fun filled day from sun up to WELL past sun down.
And a good time was had by all.
:o)