Cory and Julie Nielsen

Dexter the Dog

2011-08-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

We have added a new member to our family ... Dexter the chihuahua/terrier mix. We felt Cory was a bit outnumbered, so we got a boy to try to even things out!!! Here is our cute boy.

He is a rescue dog from the Adopt-A-Dog in Hood River. He was abandoned by his previous owner. I think they wanted an accessory, and soon realized he was actually a dog, not a purse! They dyed him purple and barely fed him and taught him only a little. So he requires some teaching and loving and food. The purple will fade! (Its mostly on his undercoat and tummy now). We're excited to have him and its kinda fun to be followed around again! Welcome home, Dexter!

Jillian is ONE!

2011-08-01T11:29:00.000-07:00

My baby girl is ONE whole year today! I really cannot believe it! Partly, because she's small. She's a petite thing (go figure!) and looks younger than she is. Its also, partly, because we're pretty sure she's our last child and its bittersweet to see her growing up so fast! She is a fun and very happy little girl. Bright blue eyes that reflect everything she thinks. She is so very happy and loves to be around her family. She has the cutest little dimple in her left cheek, and I love it! Jillian crawls everywhere exploring everything. And although she is delicate in her explorations, she's also very deliberate and focused. Jillian loves watching Vi and Ella and our new pup, Dexter. Each morning she rewards her rescuer with a huge smile when we go in to get her from her crib.

We had a family party last night for her. I've never seen a baby dig into their cake like she did! No holding back. She was filthy within seconds!

We are all so in love with this sweet 1 yr old and are so grateful she's in our family. How lucky are we?

Summer Vacation

2011-07-15T09:44:00.000-07:00

For the first time in years we took a family vacation (all 5 of us)! We drove 18 hours to Meeker, Colorado for a family reunion. The girls were amazing on the drive. Minimal crying and whining. Although, that was helped greatly by the DVD player and new toys. Meeker is a beautiful little town in NW Colorado on the edge of the mountains. We enjoyed shootin' and fishin' and a parade and swimming and horse back riding and kittens and foals and mosquito bites galore! The girls' cousins (Kyna and Anneke) were able to visit too, so they got some great cousin bonding time. We all had so much fun together and really enjoyed our time. Here are some pictures of our trip:

Papa and G'ma with their girls

Papa and Jillian (look at those eyes - so happy!)

The "Best Cousins Club"

Waiting for the most patriotic parade I've been to in quite a while

They only caught crawdads, but they still had so much fun!

Ella with the new baby kitten

Isn't it beautiful out there? Ella riding Ham (yes that's his name!)

Such complete JOY on her face! I love it!

We are so grateful we were able to go to Meeker. And I'm even more grateful that the girls were amazing. I was prepared for 2 days driving with whining and crying and tantrums ... but there were none! What a great vacation and time spent together!

I am so busted!

2011-06-13T13:07:00.000-07:00

It has been almost a year since I last posted anything. How bad is that? Apparently life has been a bit crazy and blogging has been last on my list of things to do! So let's catch up, shall we?

Last September Ella turned 7! Now she's almost 8!!! She'll be baptized in September and is so excited, its almost all she can talk about. She's been taking swim lessons and has become quite a little swimmer. She can swim the length of the pool and back, plus do cannon-balls (a must!) and she loves diving. She's tall and skinny! Gorgeous brown eyes as always and is turning into quite the girl! She recently was picked by the school principal to read a poem she wrote in front of the whole school! She was amazing. She has a natural talent for poetry and drawing. She takes after her aunt and uncles! She is so very helpful with the little girls and just loves them. Her obsession with horses is only growing. She's asked for a horse riding birthday party! That's a tall order ... hopefully I can fill it!

Violet turned TWO in March. She's a funny little girl. Full of attitude, but really funny too. She is pretty sure she doesn't have to listen to anything we say, which is quite frustrating. Luckily she's also very loving and cute! She absolutely loves shoes. Wherever we go and whomever we meet, she must see their shoes. At church she insists on her nursery leaders taking their shoes off so she can wear them. This last week I was informed that she's started to kiss the boys. Oh man. She's putting the moves on them big time ... already. She is a very confident little girl who really enjoys being around her family and constantly moving. Violet is a very busy girl! Violet does anything Ella does. And that is funny to watch! The 2 yr old version of a 7 yr old's moves, etc. Its just funny! She wants to be with Ella constantly. Very sweet! Oh yeah, and she's a thumb-sucker. That should be fun to get her to stop doing! She is a cute fluffy little girl who is still working on growing hair. She has beautiful blueberry eyes and lovely blonde curls.

Jillian will be one in August. She is coming into her own, both physically and emotionally. We're starting to see who she will be! She's not crawling but she is somehow moving everywhere! Jiji has a temper, when her needs/wants are not met or she's put to bed too soon for her taste. However, she's also very happy and sweet. She nuzzles like a cat, which is funny! She adores her older sisters and finds them quite amusing. Jillian has the same blueberry eyes as Violet, but bigger. And they all have amazing eyelashes. I'm jealous. :)

Cory has been busy with jobs! Last year he was laid off in January and worked a couple contract jobs for Logitech and Intel. Now he's with a new company with a "real" job and he's really happy there. The commute is annoying, but the job is worth it. He's been trying to get a medieval group off the ground. But life seems to get in the way. I sometimes feel weird surrounded by swords, shields, helmets, etc. But it makes him happy. I know I'm the only girl on the block with a suit of armor in her dining room! I guess that's something to be proud of! (I thought about posting a picture of him, but since I don't want a picture of me on here, it doesn't seem fair to put one up of him, right?)

I have been busy. Adjusting to Jillian has been fun, but challenging. Luckily they are all very sweet good girls! And we have a lot of fun most days! In February I started training for a half marathon (that's 13.1 miles, in case you didn't know). It was fun and hard. It was an all women marathon and every Saturday we'd meet up and start walking/jogging/running. At the end of May all the training paid off and I finished all 13.1 miles! I wasn't even last. Its started a fire under my tush and I've signed up for an upcoming 8K and I'm looking for more. Tonight I'm starting a new program called Couch to 5K ... so we'll see how that goes! Its been fun to attempt things that I can complete and then feel proud of myself for. My mom actually got to be here when I walked/jogged the 1/2 marathon. That was kinda cool. To cross the finish line with Ella while my family and Mom and friends watched. Pretty cool. :)

We are looking forward to a trip to Colorado this summer for a vacay! Yay! It feels like forever since we've gone anywhere. We are NOT looking forward to a 20 hr drive in the car with 3 kids, but thankfully portable DVD players exist. That will help. We have also begun house hunting again. Its not going very smoothly, but we're hanging in there. The right house is out there, I can feel it!

Anyway, that's got us caught up for now. Hopefully I'll do better. Sorry.

Ella is 7!

2010-11-15T19:46:00.000-08:00

Where does the time go? My Ella Bella is 7! We celebrated her birthday and for the first time ever both sets of grandparents were there to celebrate! She had a great weekend, with several birthday dinners and lots of gifts and love. Grandma Matlock even made a special castle cake for her. She is a very loved little girl who is growing so big and beautiful. She is so loving, constantly thinking of others and how she can help. She is very bright, both mentally and spiritually. Ella is joyful. Always! She reads like the wind and loves to gain knowledge! We are so lucky to have her with us. And as soon as Kodak releases my pictures I will post some! Right now its holding them hostage.

Our girls

2010-11-15T19:43:00.000-08:00

I love random pictures of my girls and the things that they do. So enjoy a few!

I heard Vi in the play room whining and whimpering. When I went in there, this is what I found. In case you can't tell that's Vi upside down in the baby swing. And stuck! I laughed pretty good, ran for the camera, and THEN I rescued her!

My girls riding ponies at the local Pumpkin Patch. Ella, as always, is thrilled, Violet, not so much.

My favorite ... the girls reading books. Ella loves to read and Violet loves to listen. And since she's 1, Violet is almost always 1/2 naked!

Jillian's Blessing Day

2010-11-15T19:38:00.000-08:00

Our Jillian was blessed on September 5th and all the grandparents and our friends came to celebrate! It was a beautiful day and we're so grateful for our family and friends ... and of course for Jillybean!

Erick Peterson, Jimmy Matlock, Wayne Nielsen (holding Jillian), Cory Nielsen and Bryan Smart

Sheryl Peterson, Melissa Smart, Julie (holding Jillian), Ella, Kathy Nielsen (holding Violet), Kathy Matlock

Halloween 2010

2010-11-15T19:34:00.000-08:00

Halloween is my favorite time of year! What other time can you dress up and get free candy! I love seeing all the kids come to our house. In Keizer we would go through maybe 1/2 a bag. Here, we went through 2 big bags in 1 hour. Had to turn off the lights early! In years past Ella has always been something pretty. This year she opted for scary. I think I did a pretty good job turning my beautiful girl into a deathly looking vampire! Violet was a rabbit, and I giggled all night as she fought to keep her huge floppy ears out of her face. Jillian was an "unimpressed-with-this-whole-thing" LadyBug. I could not get a pic of all 3 looking even remotely happy. Ella as giving me her "Vampire Face," Violet kept trying to get away and Jillybean was screaming. Gotta love it! They were all so cute! I love Halloween!

Ella the Soccer Girl

2010-11-15T19:29:00.000-08:00

My girl is playing soccer! She started as a newbie, knowing nothing, but by mid-season she was a soccer player! She even got into the whole aggressive side of it. One day she had her "game face" on, and she made a play for the ball right in front of us. After clearing the ball out of the huddle, she full on shoved the girl she was fighting for the ball with. I gasped, but the other moms totally laughed. Afterward we had to explain that you can "nudge" but not full out shove like she did. She was just way too into though! She had the best coach (as you can tell - he joined in the "funny faces" photo below) and a great group of girls to play with. A wonderful first experience with soccer!

My Great Grandma

2010-11-09T10:40:00.000-08:00

My Great Grandma lives a few hours away and while my parents were here for Jilian's blessing, she came to visit. Violet and Ella fell immediately in love! We are so glad she came to visit!

Baby Jillian

2010-10-26T10:16:00.000-07:00

Jillian is here! She's almost 3 months old now (I know, I'm way slow at blogging about her!) She was born August 1st after a long labor (for me). But she's here and she is Oh So Sweet! She has dark hair like Ella and dark blue eyes like Violet ... and just like the rest of the girls she has her Daddy's lips! Her sisters love her to pieces. Violet's first word every morning is "Baby?" and then searches the room until she finds her. Ella loves to hold her and feels very proud when she gets Jillybean to stop crying. She's a great big sister! We are so lucky to have these amazing girls!

(PS ... Its been so long since I've blogged that blog spot has changed the way you post, and I'm a tired Mama so its gonna take me awhile to figure this out!)

Call the Tooth Fairy!

2010-05-19T13:56:00.000-07:00

Ella lost her first tooth! She came up to me one day and said that her tooth could twist, and when I looked at it, it was barely hanging on. So we yanked it and she was thrilled. Absolutely could not wait to call everyone! She has since lost her 2nd one, so she has a delightful hole where her 2 bottom teeth used to be!

Violet Baby

2010-05-19T13:53:00.000-07:00

Here are pics of the rapidly growing Violet

Ella dressed her up as a "queen" but I think she looks more like Captain Jack Sparrows long lost child!

My lovely, always happy, girls!

Violet is obsessed with shoes ... mostly on her hands. When she finds some she puts them on her hands and crawls around and claps them together. So much fun! If she's crawling, there are shoes on her hands 90% of the time! Obsessed, I tell ya!

Fun Run!

2010-05-19T13:49:00.000-07:00

Every year Ella's school has a fundraiser where each kid asks their family/friends to pledge money towards the laps that they run. Ella came home so excited, she said we needed to buy her "running shorts" because normal ones wouldn't work. She ran 1 1/4 miles that day ... on little 6 yr old legs! She had so much fun! Each time she came through the victory arch after a lap, she was skipping with her Victory Arms. The girl is unstoppable!

OMSI Trip

2010-05-19T13:37:00.000-07:00

We went to OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) a couple weeks ago when Cory had the day off. Here are the girls (and Cory) enjoying the atmosphere.

Violet was just happy being held.

Ella playing with her paddle boat.

The girls using a crane to unload ship cargo.

Ella in the NASA Rocket

Posing with Samson the T-Rex

It was a good day together, and fun to have Cory with us!

It's a girl!

2010-04-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

We are adding another girl to our family! We've seen her twice, and she's definitely a girl! The ultrasound tech told Cory that he really needs to work on his Man Cave now. Cory said that he's glad she's a girl, "I can handle girls. Pink, purple, butterflies and horses. A boy would mess up my system at this point!" So logical for ya! We are so excited and can't wait to meet her. Girl name suggestions would be helpful. We think we have a few choices, but we can't decide for sure. She is a very active baby, constantly moving and dancing. Sadly her preferred platform is my bladder, but we're dealing with it! She's due around August 5th, so just a few more months!

Random pics

2010-04-20T09:36:00.000-07:00

Here are some random pictures to keep you involved. A couple of shots of the girls enjoying a beautiful sunny day in March.

Violet's birthday!

2010-04-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

Our Violet baby is 1! She was unimpressed with the decorations, and mildly impressed with opening gifts. She was also very calm about eating her cake ... but she got into it (eventually). She is so Cory's daughter! I find it hard to believe she's already 1, but that's the way all parents feel. Time flies and they grow so fast!

And big blue eyes with chocolate smeared everywhere. Pretty clean, though, right!?!

More updates

2010-03-02T14:59:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, Cory was laid off the end of January. He was just hired last week for a short 8 week contract job with Logitech. So we're very grateful. We know it's only a short-term thing. But it's money coming in for 2 whole months! And he'll get paid while he keeps looking for a permanent job. We have an exciting month in March. Violet turns 1 (if you can believe it! I can't!), and we find out if we're having a boy or a girl. So we'll keep you posted! And hopefully I'll be better about posting pictures (especially of Violet's birthday)! Thanks to everyone for your support and prayers ... keep 'em coming!

Julie

Ella's Haircut

2010-03-02T14:56:00.000-08:00

Ella has had semi-long hair forever. But this past week she said she wanted short hair. We discussed, at length, what she'd be giving up. But she was positive, a short hair cut is what she wanted. So off we went. The hairstylist had just cut the first 5 inches off her head, and asked "Why do you want short hair?" And Ella said "Because my friend Lauren got a hair cut and was getting a lot of attention, and I want attention too." Yep, that's why she cut her hair, for more attention at school. Too late to go back, so we finished the haircut. And she looks SUPER CUTE! I totally love it, I just have to wonder at her motives. But most importantly, she's very happy with how she looks. And she beams each time she sees herself in the mirror. That's always a good thing!

Violet's first artwork

2010-03-02T14:51:00.000-08:00

The other day Ella comes running to me in a state of panic because Violet is drawing on her desk. I thought to myself ... "This can't be true, she's only 11 months old." So I follow Ella, and sure enough there's Violet happily drawing all over Ella's desk. Ella has only once drawn on something besides paper, and I know she wasn't this young. So I guess that means we better keep an eye on our little Picasso ... she's starting early!

The culprit (doesn't she look so innocent!)

Her artwork (I know it's light and hard to see, sorry!)

A campout inside!

2010-03-02T14:47:00.000-08:00

One of the benefits of Cory being unemployed is that he does fun things that I just don't do. Like set up the 2 person tent in the playroom. The girls spent HOURS in there. Sometimes just rolling around and talking to each other. It was very cute to listen to!

I must apologize!

2010-01-11T13:28:00.000-08:00

It has been forever since I've posted anything. And since this is my way to update people, it means nobody knows what's going on! I'm so sorry! It's been a crazy few months. We found out in November that we are expecting a baby. And it's taken some time to wrap our brains around that. To bring Vi into our family it was a long, involved process. And this baby is a surprise! Go figure! Baby is due around August 1st. And we are so excited, and still a bit shocked! So morning sickness isn't really conducive to blogging, I've discovered! We also just moved into a new wonderful home. We have missed a backyard terribly. So now we have space and a backyard! Ella's favorite parts are: 1. Chandeliers 2. Stairs in the house 3. A playroom. My favorite part is the space and that the move is over! I think that might be Cory's fave part too ... the move is over! So now we're settled, and the 1st trimester is almost over, so hopefully I'll keep everybody up to date better! Hope you all have a fantastic new year!

Let it Snow!

2010-01-11T13:23:00.000-08:00

It doesn't snow very often here, so when it does we go out and enjoy it. Even if it is only 1/2 and inch!

Look at Vi's lovely squishy cheeks!

Ella's snow angel! Look at her face, she's so HAPPY!

Both my beautiful girls! Aren't they lovely?

Merry Christmas!

2010-01-11T13:20:00.000-08:00

We had a good Christmas with just us and the girls. We had a lot of fun watching them open their gifts. Violet was the typical baby and cared more for the wrapping paper than the actual gift, but she came around. Sorry there aren't more pictures, but we were too busy unwrapping!

My Happy Girls

2010-01-11T13:17:00.000-08:00

Our girls are nothing if not happy. So enjoy a few random pics!

Violet is NOT happy about the new coat.

She looks like she just got caught with her hand in the cookie jar!

The girls with Papa and Grandma Nielsen (sorry I'm not a better photographer!)

Halloween!

2010-01-11T13:13:00.000-08:00

Halloween was a lot of fun this year. Ella got to go trick or treating 3 times ... which is pretty cool when you're 6. Hang on, it's pretty cool when you're in your 30s too! Ella was a lovely ballerina (and got to wear make up for the first time - she looks 16), Violet was a pink Unicorn. It was past Vi's bed time, so she's pretty much checked out, but she still looks cute!

Violet laughing

2009-10-01T14:22:00.000-07:00

Violet is our little Michelin baby ... and nobody gets her to laugh like Ella does. Violet started kicking in her bath, and Ella said "Kick it up baby" and Vi thought it was awesome. Doesn't Vi have the most awesome rolls?! Enjoy! :)

Ella's a Kindergartener!

2009-10-01T14:18:00.000-07:00

My girl has started Kindergarten ... and she LOVES it! (Can you tell?) As if that wasn't hard enough for me though, she's also taking the bus. She's too little to take the bus! But she's thriving and loves everything about school.

Ella waiting in the gym to head to class

Ella Bella on the bus (yes I got to ride with her the first day)

Ella waiting in line for the bus

Violet's first taste of food!

2009-10-01T14:16:00.001-07:00

One of the things I love about babies is their reaction to solid foods. It's just AWESOME! Violet loves food now, but at first she was unimpressed! Judging by her face, it must've been pretty bad!

Growing Girls

2009-08-28T13:45:00.000-07:00

Violet (5 months)

Violet (2 weeks)

Ella (5 1/2 years)

Ella (3 weeks)

Look how they've grown!

It's fun to see how quick the girls change. Ella is a beautiful joyous almost 6 yr old who simply CANNOT WAIT for school to start! Violet is chubby and happy and growing rapidly! I'm a happy mama!

The fam!

2009-08-28T13:34:00.000-07:00

Sam, Ella, Max and OzzyMom, Andy (in blue), Me, Jake (in orange), Beth and Dad

All 14 of us!

All the cousins, including Violet (this really is the best picture we could get!)

My siblings and I haven't been together for almost 3 years. I guess it takes a solid health scare to bring everyone home. (I guess that's only me. I'm the only one who had to go anywhere.) Anyway, we enjoyed being together and watching our kids play. Violet instantly won over her aunts and uncles and Ella super enjoyed playing with her "boy cousins." We were only sad that Cory couldn't come with us, but that's the way it is with short notice trips.

Future Cowgirl

2009-08-28T13:30:00.000-07:00

Feeding Cash oats
Ella, Violet, Me and Cash

Auntie Beth and Ella riding Cash

While in Alaska, my sister (who is a great Auntie) arranged for a horseback ride with a coworker. Ella was THRILLED and delighted. Deborah (Beth's coworker) even let Ella steer the horse all by herself. It was a good morning! We even got Violet up for a photo op. Afterwards, Ella showed her appreciation by taking off Cash's saddle, brushing him and feeding him oats. Yummy! Thank you Auntie Beth! :)

Grandpa's girls

2009-08-28T13:26:00.001-07:00

We just went to Alaska to help my dad recover from surgery, and although he couldn't pick up the girls, he got to spend some valuable cuddle time with them. As soon as Violet was done eating I'd put her in his lap and let them cuddle, and inevitably, Ella would soon join them. Grandpa spent a lot of time watching movies that only a grandpa and a 5 3/4 year old girl could love!

The Beach

2009-07-26T10:49:00.000-07:00

We LOVE going to the beach. Even if it's just a day trip. It was Violet's first trip and she was unimpressed. I spent most of the time in the van with her. It was really windy and noisy and crowded ... I think she was over-stimulated. But Ella and Cory and Grandma had fun!

Ella's pictures

2009-07-26T10:45:00.001-07:00

Ella is a HUGE fan of taking pictures. Here are her views of Violet and Grandma and herself.

Isn't it funny that they are all basically making the same face?!

Violet is growing so fast!

2009-07-26T08:22:00.000-07:00

Violet is 4 months old already! She is 16 lbs ... thank you very much. Well fed, apparently. And she's a happy relaxed baby. She smiles a lot and watches even more. She's very alert. She loves to stand and doesn't want to lay back anymore. So she spends a lot of happy time in her exersaucer with Ella teaching her how to play with the toys. :)

My girls

2009-07-26T08:20:00.000-07:00

I believe there is an amazing bond between my girls. Violet lights up when she sees Ella and Ella just adores Violet. I propped Violet on the couch and vacuumed the hallway. When I came back Ella was laying next to her on the couch talking to her. And Violet was talking back. Very sweet!

Camping!

2009-07-26T08:16:00.001-07:00

I was brave and decided to go camping with a 3 month old. Worked out quite well, she slept the whole time (that's why there aren't any pictures of her)! Ella had a great time. She played by the river, learned fire safety and as we were leaving we saw a mama deer and her fawn. I even had a 5:00 am bathroom run encounter with a deer. Very nice!

Violet's First Laugh

2009-06-18T22:32:00.000-07:00

Violet laughed today for the first time ... all because of Ella! You all know how 5 yr olds just can't sit STILL. And Ella was jumping around telling a story and Violet started laughing. It's not a huge laugh, but it was so cute! And just what I needed to ease the burden of a tough day. So here's the video, it's kind of quiet, and her laugh was better before we started filming (of course!) but you'll get the idea!

Daddy's Girls

2009-06-08T12:08:00.001-07:00

Here are Cory's girls in their "I Love My Dad" T-shirts. Ella planned it out and made sure we wouldn't forget to put Violet in her matching T. Those girls LOVE their Daddy!

Baby Violet is growing so fast!

2009-06-08T12:06:00.000-07:00

My little girl is not so little ... or so it seems! She'll be 3 months in 1 week. Hard to believe! She's so chubby and happy! What a doll! This is Violet posing in a dress from her Auntie Beth.

Waterpark

2009-06-08T12:04:00.001-07:00

The city of Wilsonville has A LOT of money, and so there is a free waterpark for the kids to enjoy. And it runs everyday during the summer. It's fun to watch Ella running around and playing!

My Girls

2009-06-08T12:00:00.000-07:00

Violet enjoying the Bumbo

Happy girl!

My beautiful girls!

Ella reading to Violet

They're growing so fast and so beautifully!

Cory is 39!

2009-06-08T11:58:00.001-07:00

Ella designed his cake ... and is very proud!

Yep ... he's almost to that "over the hill" number! And he still looks good!

Dirt Baby

2009-05-09T16:51:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago we went to the local AgFest and Ella got to make a "Dirt Baby." In case you're wondering it's a nylon knee high with grass seed and then dirt added. Then you glue the face on and put it in a cup to water. After a week, it grows hair! Ella named her Dirt Baby "Ancy" ... like Nancy without the N. Today was Ancy's first haircut, given by Ella.

Ella's pictures

2009-05-09T16:50:00.001-07:00

Ella is very fond of photographing Violet. Here are some of her shots right after a bath today.

Violet Baby

2009-04-28T13:37:00.000-07:00

Here is Violet, our newest member! She was born March 16th and weighed a healthy 7 lb. 15 oz. Ella just LOVES her and dotes on her all the time. She is growing fast and bulking up. She has started to smile, which is just adorable!

The Belly!

2009-02-24T13:21:00.000-08:00

I am a few weeks from giving birth and the belly is HUGE! Holy cow! From my perspective it doesn't look that big, but then I saw the pictures. Good golly ... I think I might be 9 months pregnant!

Beach trip

2009-02-24T13:19:00.001-08:00

We ran for the coast for a last minute mini-vacation before the baby comes. It was a beautiful day and the beach was fun as always! In the background is Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach.

Gingerbread Houses

2009-01-01T19:08:00.000-08:00

One of my mom's traditions is making gingerbread houses from scratch. So in her luggage, she brought all the tools necessary for such an undertaking. We had a good time, and when we finished we all had a SEVERE sugar high! Gotta love it!

More Snow!

2009-01-01T19:05:00.000-08:00

We have had an abundance of snow this year, and have tried to enjoy every minute of it. My parents flew in from Alaska and so they helped us enjoy the snow! We got over 12 inches, which is very crazy for this part of Oregon. It made driving interesting and walking just as bad sometimes. But we sure had fun playing in the fort and making a snowman!

2008-12-19T11:17:00.000-08:00

What Have You Done?
What have you done? (Bold the things you have)

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept overnight on a train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden a gondola in Switzerland
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagra Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen Amish country
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason - though there's always a reason!
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House - from afar, but not a formal tour
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. One cavity or less

Snow Day!

2008-12-14T14:19:00.000-08:00

I know that for some of you snow is a daily occurance during the winter. But not here. They cancelled church today for fear that people would get hurt trying to make it in. Now, it's not that much snow, but considering it only snows once a year if we're lucky, that means nobody has any practice. SCARY! So we enjoyed our snow day and tromped through the forest and fields and had snowball fights. Ella is very persistent, if not accurate when it comes to snowball wars!

Trails and fields

2008-12-14T14:17:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about our new apartment is the trails and fields around us. Ella and I try to go for daily "hikes" around us and enjoy the nature. It's quite nice! The other super cool thing about our apartment is Cory's daily 5 minute walk to work and now he gets to come home for lunch every day!

*Now that we're settled, hopefully I'll keep up with the blog better!

We finally moved!

2008-10-29T11:14:00.000-07:00

It's official. We sold our house and now we're all moved. It was a long couple of weeks, but it's all done. I drove by the old house yesterday and saw the new guy moving in. A very weird feeling to see someone else in your house. Our apartment is small, but efficient ... and most importantly: TEMPORARY! It's serving it's purpose, which is good! Cory really enjoys his 5 minute walk to work! And we love having him home for lunch everyday! Wilsonville is a lot different than Keizer. It has a lot of things we'll enjoy, but is missing a lot of others. Because we're so close Wilsonville depends on Portland for a lot of things. Like affordable grocery stores, and things like that. But we'll get used to it! Ella and I are both feeling a little home sick and we have a good case of cabin fever ... but we're working on it! We're just happy it's all over and done with! Now we can settle in and wait for the new baby girl in 4 short months!

We're having a GIRL!

2008-10-29T11:12:00.000-07:00

It's another girl for the Nielsens! Cory will be sooooo outnumbered! I was SO SURE this time that it was a boy ... I asked the ultrasound tech to check again to make sure. I was totally shocked ... and completely excited! Ella is THRILLED! When I told her it was a girl, she said "I was begging for a girl!" And she just can't wait! She's giving us name suggestions ... and one of our favorites is actually one of her suggestions. Go figure! Anyway ... another girl! More pink and purple!

Ella turned 5!

2008-09-30T21:53:00.001-07:00

Can you believe it? Our girl is 5 ... going on 16 most days. She wanted a Sleep Over Party, so that's what we did. And we all survived! She had a great time! She's growing soooooo fast!

It's a baby!

2008-08-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

This is our "official post" ... we are pregnant! Or I am, I guess! We heard the heartbeat today, so now we can make it official! We're seriously excited, since it's been a long 3 years in the making! The baby is due March 15th ... and I just can't wait! Ella is quite thrilled and is pulling for a baby girl. Although just today she seemed to finally accept the idea that it might be a boy. She has been giving us girl name suggestions. They are as follows: Chloe, Zoe, Vinny (yes for a girl!), Maya, and Aleeya (or something like that). We go in for an ultrasound in a couple weeks, and I can't wait to see the young one! Anyway ... just wanted to share the GOOD news! Love you all! Julie

Family Bowling

2008-07-30T19:15:00.000-07:00

Ella went bowling for the first time. It was almost depressing how cute she looked in her bowling shoes! Each time she'd roll the ball down the lane (an average of 2.5 mph) she did this awesome "Go me" dance. She was just as supportive of Mom and Dad too!

Soccer!

2008-07-30T19:13:00.001-07:00

We had our friends Josie, Noah and Jonah come over and play soccer. The kids sure had a good time, even if there were a few injuries!

Dress up

2008-07-30T19:11:00.000-07:00

This is Ella's latest dress up outfit. Before we took the picture she also had a black "fur" 1/2 jacket on. It was very "classy!"

Mud Dance

2008-07-16T19:50:00.001-07:00

This is Ella's "Mud Dance" ... enjoy! (Hopefully it works!)

MUD is awesome!

2008-07-16T19:46:00.000-07:00

Today Ella played with some friends, in theory it was supposed to be a swim party, but it turned into a mud party. And it was so funny! They pretended they were Mud Monsters. When it was all over and they were cleaning up, Ella said "This sure is the greatest day in my entire life!" Oh to be a kid!

Camping at the Coast

2008-07-02T10:04:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend at the coast camping and playing in the sand with some friends of ours. Enjoy!

Ella graduated from preschool!

2008-06-13T10:36:00.001-07:00

Here are Ella's graduation pictures. Her teacher, Mrs A and with her best friend, Shayla!

Missing tooth

2008-06-13T10:34:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, I had to have a tooth removed because it was infected. For just a few days, this picture will be up and then I'm taking it right back down. So you have to look quick. Here's me ... minus my tooth. :(

Preschool Teddy Bear Picnic

2008-05-27T20:16:00.001-07:00

Ella's preschool went to the local Iris Gardens for a picnic with the garden's teddy bear. The following pics are just priceless ... mostly because 4 yr olds are AWESOME!

Cory's birthday

2008-05-27T20:15:00.003-07:00

Cory has had another birthday! He's almost an old man! haha! Here are a couple pics, too bad I made the cake. It's not that pretty.

Pics of Ella Bella

2008-05-27T19:59:00.000-07:00

Here are pics of our growing girl. I'll get more up soon after I figure out how to do this! haha!

We're blogging

2008-05-27T19:52:00.000-07:00

So I'm following the trend and I've created a spot for everyone to check up on our family. Hopefully it works and you all enjoy it!