Our Nelson Family summer of 2012 has been so much fun! It is sad to see it slowly coming to a close. As you know, I've neglected the blog over the summer becuase there were always so many other fun things to be doing, but now that routine is setting in, here is my photo dump from June to present.
Connor at 9 months
Brody and Gunner!
Brody loves to have Gunner come play with him. it sure makes the day pass quickly.
At the beginning of the summer, we had a huge Nelson-Ostlund Family Reunion. Grant and Connie were even able to leave their mission to return home for a few days in order to be there for it. Each of the families involved were in charge of certain activities. Our family helped to organize the horse riding events. Brody hasn't had much time on a horse, so he was so excited to be able to ride with his cousin, Sadie.
Kevin's Aunt Rita, who has down syndrome, has not been doing as good lately, and has been staying in the Raymond at an Extended Care facility. She was able to come visit the reunion for a while. Brody loves to make Aunt Rita smile, and although most of us adults can't do it, a lot of the kids seem to get her to light up. She didn't want to let go of Brody's hand once he gave it to her, and Brody thought that was pretty funny.
We were so excited to have Deanna and Kim both come down to visit with their kids. Kim stayed at my house, and Dee stayed with my parents. To start off our week of fun, we went to waterton with Grandma and Grandpa (minus all our husbands who had to work or were away).
We were even brave enough to try hiking to Crandall Lake with the kids. For some reason, we remembered it being a bit smoother and thought it would be easy to bring a chariot the whole way...
but we would now recommend that it is not a good idea. Thanks, Dad, for helping to get the babies to the lake. :)
The kids were all real troopers.
Brody, who was on his way to being potty trained, of course pooped in his underwear at the end of the hike, so we had to just have him in a pull up for the way home. Zach and Brody both had little fishing rods, and they were a big hit with the kids.
With the nice weather, we were able to do some fun outdoor activities while they were here. I also helped to watch Roxy's kids, so they joined the Bennett clan for some slip and slide...
As well as some pool time. I improvised on the pool slide.
Marilyn Peterson also let us crash her house to use her astro-jump slide. The kids LOVED it.
By nine and a half months, Connor had learned to get around pretty good by crawling.
I love his smile.
My family all left after the Settler's Day parade that weekend. It was a lot of fun having them around. Kevin played in the Family Softball Tournament the whole weekend. Brody loved playing catch. Kevin even tried to teach him some batting skills.
At the end of July, Kevin took a week off to go visit his parents on their mission to Martin's Cove. We went through Yellowstone on our way. It is the first time either of us could remember going there, and we would definitely go back. There was a lot to do and see. Along with natural hot springs and sulfur pools, there were some other crazy things to see.
This was a bubbling mud puddle.
These pools look beautiful but smell like rotten eggs. Brody didn't like them.
We drove past this beauty and Kevin was choked that he couldn't have come across this somewhere in hunting season in Canada.
Here's old faithful... The video cuts off quickly at the end... you'll have to watch it to find out why.
We only spent one day going through Yellowstone, and so we continued on to Cody, Wyoming. We were able to get to a hotel and get out of the van just as Brody got car sick (or so I thought... later I found out that he had picked up hand-foot and mouth disease - which he then passed on to Connor = 2 grumpy boys the entire rest of the trip).
We went to the Cody Wyoming "BUFFALO BILL" museum, which is definitely worth seeing, as far as museums go. There was also a church history mural painted in the entrance of one of Cody's church buildings that we were able to see. We also headed to a dinosaur museum - and I already can't remember if it was in Cody or just somewhere south of that, but anyways, it was pretty neat. Brody loved the T-Rex, and the long neck ("Little Foot")
FINALLY, we made it to the Martin's Cove Missionary camp, where we met up with Lisa and her kids. Jeff and Angie's family joined us the next day as well. We were so excited to see Grandma and Grandpa!!
We went to look at Independance Rock, which is not too far from there.
It looks small here, but there really isn't much sticking out of the ground like this rock, and it looks totally different from any other land formations around there, so it looks bigger in real life than it probably is.
Grandma and Grandpa took us to Ayer's Natural Bridge. The kids didn't take to long to get in the water.
Cambree and Tycee
Kevin, and his new best friend, Brook. She seemed to adore him.
On the way home one night after supper, we stopped at Independance Rock again, and almost everybody climbed up to the top. Can you tell who that is??
The next day was our big Martin's Cove day!!
Martin's Cove is a place where a Mormon Handcart Company, that left too late in the year, ran into extreme winter conditions and lack of provisions. So many of the M.H.C. died before rescue parties were able to reach them through the difficult weather conditions. We were able to take two covered handcarts with us on the hike to Martin's Cove, which was extremely difficult, even in hot weather.
Here is the boys' handcart!
Brody and Cambree hitched a ride!
Connor also hitched a ride!
AND the girls' handcart. Autumn was a machine!!
... and this is the young kids for the last mile of the hike back to the visitor's center.
That night, Connie cooked us an incredible meal, including fresh Connie buns, which I've missed! We all got together in the trailer Kevin and I rented for a family 'fireside'. Connie and Grant told us about their mission, and told us one of the stories of the individuals that part of the M.H.C.. They have to learn these stories to share with groups or individuals who come to see Martin's Cove.
Grandma Connie just bought some awesome accordians, and so Kevin and her played a duet of "Home on the Range" for us all. I love this picture.
Here we are saying goodbye to Grant and Connie the next morning.
Since we were so close, we all decided to go travelling a bit more, and went into South Dakota. We were able to go on a tour of a huge cave system (SO cool, but was difficult with my kids along, as you can't do much if they have to pee or are scared of being in the dark). We also saw Mount Rushmore!
Not far from Mount Rushmore is Rapid City, one of the funnest places we saw on the trip for the kids. You could stay a two weeks there and still be enjoying it with your kids. We went to Reptile Gardens, which was really cool. I could have sworn the trainer was going to get bit by a croc or alligator at least 5 times.
The video doesn't do this guy justice, but it was still really awesome to watch.
If you liked that, then you should have seen what happened when he brought out a bucket with chicken bits in it to feed them.
Brody got to pet a giant turtle!
Connor got to ride one.
Brody and Kevin also got to see the FATTEST gophers I've ever seen up close. This was supposed to give you a sense of what it would be like to be a gopher. Brody just wanted to get them all, like daddy does in the fields.
There was also a snake show. Brody got to pet this crazy-big snake!
We drove the entire next day to get home, and we must have had some back-road trail on our GPS, because there was almost nothing to see or do the entire drive until we got to Great Falls.
I knew that Connor was right tuckered out from all of our travelling when he fell asleep before getting to his lunch.
I love his one finger...
"Just one more minute, Mommy. I promise I'll finish my food soon."
...and upon arrival home, we bought a new house!
It's not finished here, but that is what it generally looks like.
Connor helped Daddy put gravel on our new drive-way to our (yay!) attached double garage!
As I was finishing off my gardening for the year, I just about stepped on this guys. He was busy eating a bird. I'll be honest - I just about wet myself, it scared me so bad, but it was just a harmless snake.
Brody turned 3 on August 27th!!! He wanted a farm party, so we saddled up the horses and made barn cake! Many of his cousins and a couple of good friends came to celebrate with him!
What a handsome little man!! I'm so proud of him in so many ways!
Look! All by himself!
Here's Connor at 10 month old!
I went on a Mommy-Daughter date to Mamma Mia in August. I wish I did more stuff like that with my mom. I think that's the first time I've done something with her, without the kids, since having kids. It was a first Professional Musical either of us had been to as well! I loved it, and have a newly strong enjoyment of ABBA songs!
Brody helped Kevin lots on the combine this fall. We are already finished harvest for this year, which is about a month earlier than normal! It has been a fantastic year for us, and we feel truly blessed.
Unfortunately, after I left with Connor this day, Brody proceeded to first, poop his pants, and then throw up in the combine... he didn't go on too many more work-trips with Dad after that.
Here is Connor this week at 11 months! He stands up next to whatever he can find now, and loves playing with Brody now. I don't think he will be walking by his birthday, but it shouldn't be too long after that.
Brody got his first stitches this month. He hit his head on something at the playground. He did pretty good for the doctor that did the stitches, but when I took him to the doctor last weekend for tonsilitis, he screamed the whole time over nothing, so I think he was a bit traumatized over the whole stitches experience.
He cracks me up so much, and is quite the mama's boy recently. We just started into Joy School (home taught pre-school) last week, and he seems to be doing good. I already miss him a ton when he goes though.
Brody with his besties!! (Isaac and Lucas Walk)
