My son, the dog (we are so proud of him)

The late great Winstion Churchill said "To everyone, there comes a special moment when he is figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a special thing unique to them, fitted to his talents; What a tragedy if that moment finds him unprepared or unqualified for the work which would have been his finest hour." I am just hoping that what happened last night after dinner wasn't Evan's grand oppertunity. If it was, however, he lived up to his potential beautifully. You see, I make this delicious pasta that my kids love as well as the grown ups. When Lauren was a baby, she would lick the plate after she ate this super good pasta, and now she always asks for seconds. If you have ever seen Lauren eat (picture a small bird) then you would know how monumental that act alone is. Evan loves it too, and apperently, so does our dog. We let our dog lick the plates after we eat (saves me time when I do the dishes. The plates are already "rinsed off" so to speak). I have imagined my son on the other end of a football, or perhaps sitting behind the resolute desk in the Oval Office. My loafty dreams from him didn't include licking a plate off the floor like a dog, but apperently that is what makes him happy, so who am I to stop him? Instead I told Chad to come quick and check out Evan. Once Chad got a load of what Evan was up to, do you think he stopped him, since obviously Evan's mom isn't about to. Nope. Instead he grabed the camera to document our son's greatest acheivment in his short life for posterity.






When it looked as if all the sauce was licked up by either boy or beast, Evan just signed that he wanted more. Being the good mom that I am, I went ahead and put more sauce on the plate and laughed as Evan had at it again. (don't judge me).



When he was done, he just looked up and laughed with a look of deep satisfaction on his face that few would acheive. Our dog, being the thoughtful little girl that she is, cleaned off Evan's face for him.

All in all, it was more entertaining then Dancing with the Stars. My funny boy. There is never a dull moment when you share your house with children.

Why I love Chad

The last thing on Chad's to do list on Saturday was go to a book store and then go to IKEA all day long. But when I looked longingly into his eyes and did my little begging sigh, he had no choice then to agree. I had gotten a gift card to Borders Books for Christmas from Debbie, and since the closest Borders is in Salt Lake, it took untill now for me to use it. We drove all the way to Borders, and if I was being honest I would say that Chad was a little teny tiny bit cranky. But he went anyway. Once he got a little caffine flowing throuh his blood, he was a little bit cheerier. I got Lauren the new Fancy Nancy book (which she has been carring around with her since we bought it). And I got a book called "Two Rivers". I love new books. I love old books. I just love all books. I love the smell of them, and the feel of them in my hands as I devore a new story. It bugs me on that Clean Sweep show how they make them get rid of all there books if they haven't read them in 6 months. I would never give up my books. Each time I open one, it is like revisiting an old friend. So thank you Chad for taking me all the way to Salt Lake with two fussy kids, just so I can get one new book. After I got a new book, we drove to IKEA. I love IKEA. Once we get where we want to be finaclly, I am going to turn my whole house into an IKEA show room. It is almost overwhelming for me to go there. Everything there is exactly my taste. You can keep your R.C Willeys and your Tie Pan Trading, I will take IKEA! We had been going going going all day long. By the time we left the Mecca of home decor, we were starving. Chad drove back to Ogden and was on his way to Del Taco when I told him just how much I love Cafe Rio (hint hint). He asked if I wanted a burrito there and of course I said Heck yes! So he waited in the car for a half an hour while I waited in line at Cafe Rio. What a guy. Then when we got done at Cafe Rio, we drove to Del Taco to get Chad his burger and frys. But guess who ate all the frys on the way home? I was hungery, and there they were. What's a hungry girl to do? Anyway, Chad just laughed at me. And he is right. He hasn't been able to have frys in 6 years because of yours truely. I won't order frys myself, but if they are there-hot and waiting in a bag that sits on my lap-I just can't help myself. All day long, Chad catered to what I wanted. To me, that is true romance. I bet if you asked him, he would have much rather stayed at home and blow up bad robot guys on his computer game thing. That game can keep his attention longer then I can, and he forgoed the oppertunity to play it all day, and instead let me do all that I wanted to. Flowers and chocolates mean nothing when compared to that. Oh and plus, he is such a good daddy. Lauren and Evan just love crawling all over him and playing with him. You never know when you get married if the man you choose to be with for all eternity will be a good dad or not. I got lucky. Thanks for the great day Chad, I love you with all my heart!

(these are pictures of Chad playing with the kids, and our furry baby Radley.)

I have written alot about Lauren this week. But you are going to have to hear about her just one more time. She just says the funniest things!! I have to write them down or ealse I will forget.

BACKSTORY: Lauren had picked some "sunflowers" (that is what she calls dandylions), and put them in a little cup with some water. The next morning she went to go check on her flowers, but they had died. She was sooo sad. This is the conversation that followed.

LAUREN: Mommy, come quick! I need your help!
ME(running to see, because by the sound of her voice, I am thinking she must be stuck somewhere or hurt): What is it?
LAUREN: My flowers died and I don't know what to do about it. I am so sad. Help them Mommy. Give them some water to make them all better.
ME: After you pick flowers, they start to die Lauren, there is nothing I can do. Let's go pick some more.
LAUREN: I don't want new ones. I want these to be resurected.

Ok, I just thought it was so funny that she said she wanted her flowers to be resurected. And I was impressed that she used the word right.


BACKSTORY: We were at the mall. Chad was getting his hair cut and we were just walking the mall waiting for him to get done. We just passed a shoe store.

LAUREN: I want some new church shoes mommy.
ME: Not today Lauren.
LAUREN: Please Mommy. I have been wanting them for so long a time.
ME: No Lauren, we are not buying anything today.
LAUREN: But I wanted them for years and years and years..
ME: Really? Years and Years huh? How many years exactly?
LAUREN: For like 5 years! (umm..really. She is four.)

BACKSTORY: My favorite thing to do with my kids is when Chad and I are just hanging out on our bed with Lauren and Evan. We were doing that one day when Lauren turned to Chad and I and said..

LAUREN: Mommy, you are my one true love. And Daddy, you are my prince.

So stinkin' sweet! I love my sweet tender loving funny smart dramatic little baby girl.

The Great Pout

Sometimes, a picture is all you need to tell a story. This is one of those times.

Sissors and Ducks..

After 4 1/2 years, I thought that it was about time that Lauren got her hair cut. Don't get to excited, we only got it trimed. Everytime I would tell her that she was going to get her hair cut, she would cry. She is fine with it as long as I say "trimed" and not "cut". And that really is all we got. I love her hair. It is so pretty, I think. It is soft and shiny, the kind of hair that people spend thousands trying to acheive. I didn't want to just walk into Fantastic Sams or Great Clips. I couldn't trust my baby girl's hair to just anyone, so I asked my freind Michelle if she would do it for me. And I am glad that she did. It is hard for me to get my own hair cut, let alone Lauren's. And Lauren's hair hasn't been touched by sissors her whole life. For years, she wasn't allowed to play with sissors because I was so nervous that she would take them to her hair. Anyway, I think Michelle did a good job. And it really doesn't look that much different then what she had before, which is just the way I wanted it. Thanks Michelle!! You made something that I was a little nervous about, turn out to be no big deal. (So sorry I was late).



See, it is not much different. I should actually say that she had her first hair trim today, and not her first hair cut. She is so funny. She has this light about her. She makes everything better.




After her hair cut, we went over to the Layton Park to feed the ducks and play in the play ground. It was such a nice day, I just didn't like the thought of going home and waisting all of the sunshine. So we picked up a hot dog and some bread at Maverik (I know you have to be jelous of our hot dog lunch-yummy) and drove right over to the park.




My little boy is so tender hearted. He loves animals. Everytime he sees a person he doesn't know enter the room, he runs away from them (Lauren runs to them, I am sure-thinking that there is a new friend for her). But as far as animals go, Lauren and Vin are also opposite in there reactions. Lauren screams and runs in the other direction, while Evan runs right for the animal. He loves all kinds. It was hard for me at the duck pond because Evan kept wanting to follow the ducks right into the water.

See! Evan is trying to get to the ducks, while Lauren has his shirt and is trying to pull him away. She is trying to protect her little brother. Evan kept feeding the ducks right out of his hand. For such an interoverted little guys, it was fun to see how he had no fear with the ducks.




We only stayed for a couple of hours because we had to pick up Chad from work, but it was a lot of fun. And just like everyday where we decided to go and do something that is out of our routine, Lauren is all glossy eyed on the couch watching The Tale of Despereaux while Vin is passed out in his room. It was a great day. On the radio I heard Weazer, The Killers, The Shins, Greenday, All American Regects-all the good stuff. It was like they were using my playlist off of my IPOD!! The sun was shining bightly, but it still wasn't all to hot. My kids wern't fighting at all. And Lauren didn't whine, not once. It has been one of those days where I look at my life and think that things just couldn't get any better then they are now.

Kari's Shower

My sister in law Kari had her baby shower on Saturday. I love my family, and I just love that Kari is going to be a mommy. I have a speacial place in my heart for Kari. She is the first one of Chad's sisters that I got to meet. She had just come home from her mission and was visiting Chad in California when I first started dating Chad. It is Kari that I first told how I felt about Chad. And it was Kari that asked me if Chad were to ask me to marry him, would I say yes. And of course, I told her I would. Kari is a speacial girl with such a sweet heart. She is always there for other people, and I love that I can call her my sister. I know that through thick and thin, she will be there for me. I don't think that there are many people that you can say that about. But I can say that about Kari (and Chad's other sisters too, actually). She is going to be an amazing mom! I am so happy for you Kari!!

Just a couple more weeks and we get to meet little Lincoln James Nicolay!

E-Mail from Mimi..

I only have a couple of minutes this morning, but this is just to dang cute not to post. I got an e-mail from my mom-in-law in California and this is what it said. (I hope she doesn't mind me posting it.) It just shows how funny Lauren is.

Hi Melissa,

I just wanted to tell you about the conversation I had with Lauren earlier this week.
Lauren was talking to Doug and I got on the phone after to say hi to Lauren. This
is how the conversation went:

Me: Hi Lauren, how are you; I sure miss you.

Lauren: (long pause and I hear a sigh) I just don't know what to do about you,
I miss you and want to see you, but I'm just a little girl in a blue dress"

Broke my heart....I miss her so much Melissa. I told Chad that I want to call
her on Sundays.

Well, I better get to bed; I just had to tell you that story. I love you all so very much.

Love, Mom2, Mimi, Debbie

Haha, Lauren is a funny girl. And I can totally hear her saying all that. That sounds just like her.

What a great day for a baby blessing

We really don't do the "Easter bunny" thing. I gave Lauren an easter basket full of candy and we got her a pretty dress. But we really don't tell her that the Easter Bunny left it. I don't know why. I guess the idea of a giant bunny is a little disturbing to me, plus I think it takes away from the real reason we celebrate Easter. After we did our little homemade Easter celebration, we all pack ourselves into the car and headed down to Salt Lake. Chad's little sister Traci was blessing her new little one Kaden "Kade" Kevin Nelson. Oh he is so cute! I love little babies. We then just went to Traci's house and hung out with family. It was alot of fun. We missed Shari's kids who are in California with Mimi and Pop Pop for Easter. I am sure that they had a blast though and didn't miss us much :)



Grandma Nancy playing with Lauren, Evan and Carter. My kids are so lucky to have their Grandma Nancy. They both just light up when they see her. And I am lucky to have her too. She is very good to me.


I thought this was really cute. Grandma Nancy gave Lauren and Evan some bubbles for easter. This is Evan with the bubble wand right up to his mouth, and he is blowing so hard and so loud. It was cute.

Doesn't my little boy look so cute. Just in the last week, everytime I look at him, I can see him looking older. He is looking more and more like a little boy and less and less like a baby boy.



Lauren had a magnifying glass. She was looking for "flowers" with it (which were really dandylions).

And Lauren found one. Yeay!

I thought this was cute. This is Carter wearing Shari's shoes. I had to post it :)

I thought this was cute. Evan is not like Lauren. Lauren will crawl on anyones lap, talk to everyone, she makes friends where ever she goes. Evan is a little more interverted (kind of like his mommy). When ever we are around a group of people, Evan clings to either Chad or I. Well, yesterday while we were at the church for Kade's blessing, Evan crawled onto John's lap twice! It was amazing. Evan never does that. Then, later, when we were at Traci's, he did it again with John. Just crawled right on his lap. It was very cute to watch him come out of his shell like that. He really took a liking to his Uncle John.

Look at my poor little buddy's face. Nancy had some trail mix, and she gave Evan some rasins out of it. No big deal,except the raisins were mix in with peanuts, right. Well Evan is alergic to peanuts. His nose automaticly started to run and his eyes filled up with tears. His whole face turned red, poor little guys. We gave him some alergy medicine, and he was fine after that.



We had fun. It seem like such a perfect day to celebrate a new little baby. And I am looking forward to Kari's little guy being born. Then we can do it all over again.

Oh, one more thing. Traci gave us a bag of cloths that Carter had grown out of. I put Evan in a pair of Jammies from that bag. When Lauren saw him she said "Oh MY GOSH! He is Gooorgous!!" It was really cute. So thanks Traci for the cloths, apparently they make Evan Gorgous.