Cousins Lyndi and Pauline back to school!

BACK TO SCHOOL

It's that time of year again! Cole was the first to head back to school- a big Kindergartener! And next week, Kenneth will advance to the first grade! Then Lyndi will start back after Labor Day and so will the college kids- Jake and Ike (via internet). Then Zina will resume teaching later in September.

But... I talked Pauline into coming down on Front Runner to stay with me and attend BYU Education Week last week! We had a blast being together and pretending we were college kids again! Uffda! That was hard on the brain! So many good classes it was hard to chose! And they had so much good information my hand was cramping from all the writing! Haven't used handwriting in a very long time! We get used to the keyboard! I saw some people (old people!) using their tablets and taking notes on them. Technology has come a long way!

In a family history class on the new Family Search Family Tree, we learned how to upload photos and stories to the people on the tree. And if you have a Smart phone you can just take pictures of old photos and upload them through your phone! (I'm not smart enough to have a Smart phone so I can't tell you first hand how that works! They said if you don't understand how things like that work, ask a 5 yr old!) So I have been uploading things the "old" way. It's fun to be able to have everything all online for others to share. That way you can collaborate with other "cousins" that are also working on the same tree and share information and link what they are doing with what you have found. They said there are 40,000 additional records added to Family Search every day!

What a fun way to spend the week! We were exhausted by the time we got home but ready to go again the next day! Perfect way to end the summer. Tomorrow I have a training meeting and Wednesday too, then start for real September 3rd. Things will be a little different this year. No recess duty because I will be doing Kindergarten intervention (reading). They are starting a new reading program using  i pads for 3-6th grades that sounds really cool! I'm excited to see how it works. 

So.. happy back to school for those who will be doing that! And happy regular life to the rest! Hopefully we are all learning something new every day, right? 

Hello dear family!

It's been a long time since anyone has posted on this blog! I was just looking at all the old posts and was amazed how fast time has passed since those things occurred! Scully has left us and Squeeker is alone holding down the fort! I guess she is probably heavy enough to do that by herself! (She's not fat, she's fluffy! Well 15 lbs actually!) We love her and she doesn't ask much... just an occasional flashlight that she can chase or if there is sunlight coming through the skylight in the kitchen she meows til we get the hint that we COULD get out a silver knife and catch the rays and reflect it on the floor so she can chase that around and around in circles til she gets dizzy! She doesn't act her age which I think is getting pretty close to 12 years old! She still likes to sit on my lap when I watch TV. She likes to be around people when they are talking and tries to "join" the conversation interjecting an occasional meow just to be sociable! Of course her favorite activity is still napping. A lot!

Updating blog

"24 cats"

Some t.v. shows just need two cats on the lap to get through! Cats seem to know if humans need them to sit on their laps to help calm them down and lower their blood pressure when things get tense. Obviously our cats are really in tune because this was taken on the season premier of the show 24 which was 2 hours long and pretty tense! With those glowing eyes though, it looks like they could be starring in their own t.v. series.. after all, the black and white one's name is Scully.. you remember the "X-files"??? hmmm. Maybe I should be even more scared?

We need to learn how to PARTY!!

Remember where the Griffens used to live? Well, a few changes have happened since they moved to Grandview Farms! Our new neighbors are from Salvador and they know how to party! Check out the festivities this weekend! Imagine lots of Latino music coming across the street and the sounds of kids jumping in that big trampoline in the back yard! The cars are parked on both sides of the street and I saw them putting up banquet tables earlier today... They put us to shame in the party department! We hope to have a party next weekend and invite the Mexican girls that stayed with our ward who are now living in Provo. Laura had a baby and she and another friend with her baby came to visit and they want to see all the "host" families so we need to organize some fun in our backyard too! Don't know about the trampoline though!

Chipmunk Cheeks

Here is our little "sicky" recovering from getting his wisdom teeth out. The first day is always the worst.. especially when there is a problem at the pharmacy because of a change in insurance.. So it took a long time to get those pain meds home. By the time they got there, Ike was not numb anymore and feeling a lot of pain! Mom felt pretty bad to see him have to suffer so much. But he was a brave little soldier and is now feeling good enough to enjoy the pampering he is getting! I think he is getting bored already though.. By Monday I am sure he will be ready to get to work at his new job at Supersonic carwash!

Pomp and Circumstance

Dum-dum-da-da-da- dum-dum... Picture in your mind (oh, never mind.. there they are in the photo! That is Ike with the lei around his neck)the long line of students, robed in their green and white gowns (lovingly pressed by many mothers) walking to the strains of Pomp and Circumstance- that traditional processional which has ushered many a graduate from the safe realms of childhood into a yet unknown future. The audience rises to their feet and claps and cheers as their students enter the McKay Events Center at the UVSC campus. There is something about hearing this song being played that makes your life flash before your eyes and gives you cause to reflect and ask... "how did this day arrive so quickly?" "Are they ready for this?" And probably more accurately... "Am I ready for this?"

During the graduation program we got to hear from the Provo High School Wind Ensemble. There is Isaac in the green graduation gown and hat in the back middle playing percussion. They did a great job. That's one thing we forgot to take though... a pair of binoculars so we could see him from so far away! It's a lot different than my graduation back in North Dakota where we had 24 seniors and the ceremony probably took about half an hour!

The big moment arrives! Our senior is in the spotlight (and so far away you just have to take our word for it that this is really Isaac!) When they announced the name of the graduate they had a big screen that showed his senior photo next to a baby picture! It was fun to see how they had changed in 17-18 years!

Isaac walking back to his seat after receiving his diploma. Malina went down to the floor to snap this photo. I am not sure whether Ike is smiling because he finally graduated or because his family was yelling, "Go white stallion!" from up in the bleacher seats! Some people blow air horns, some ring cow bells or whistle but our family has a tradition of yelling that phrase whenever one of our kids does something special! It's a long story of how it started, but many of our children have had to endure the embarrassment of having their parents and siblings yell that during parades or other public events!

Pondering and Pontificating

Ike contemplates the meaning of life now that he has his diploma.. sharing words of wisdom that he has gleaned from his 12 years of educational experience.

"Hey! Where's my diploma? They forgot to put it in here!"

(when they handed back their gowns, they got the real diploma)

After the graduation ceremony, all the parents wandered aimlessly looking for their graduates while the graduates wandered aimlessly looking for their parents! It took us awhile before we finally linked up with Isaac and went outside for some photo moments. We grabbed a stranger to take a picture of the whole family and when he pushed the shutter he said, "Say Texas!" in a southern drawl and we all cracked up! It was almost like having Jake with us, hearing that accent!

Here is the special graduation cake and other fun stuff. The leis were from the Haws' and and another Polynesian friend. We still have cake if anyone wants a piece! Come on over!

Candy Bar Poster

Look! the traditional "candy bar poster" for graduation!
Now Ike is guaranteed not to go hungry for at least a couple of days!

After the grueling 3 hours of listening to speeches and watching 360 graduates accept their diplomas it was time to relax in the back yard with a barbecue. There were lots of good things to eat and fun company to visit with. We wished our other children could have been with us also but time and distance didn't allow it this time. It's hard to gather your chicks again once they have scattered!

The last Nielson graduate!

The big day finally arrived- May 26th- graduation day for our baby, Isaac! It's hard to believe how fast time has gone since we welcomed this sweet little boy into our family! It's obvious that he didn't stay little! He's right up there with his brothers, Andrew and Jacob. Grandma and Grandpa Nielson came from Colorado and Sarah and Darin came from Idaho for the special event. The weather was beautiful... 90 degrees and breezy. We were lucky to have great weather Friday and Saturday because Sunday we had rain, hail and temperatures in the 30's during the night! The rose arbor bloomed in all it's glory just for a prop for this graduation photo!

more Utah stuff!

I walk past here everyday to and from work. It's the SF version of "hotel utah" :)

Andrew's photo contest entry

well 3 photos actually:)


Hover-Loui

energy > coordination

New Additions to the Family

Here are two cute little critters that make us smile!