Merry Christmas from the Nielson's!

Drew, Sydnee, Kaeson, and Amanda

She Loves her Daddy!

Over the hills and through the woods... to Grandmother's house we go!

Every year we make the trip to Cub River to go to my Grandma and Grandpa's house for a Christmas party! Its so much fun to get us all together and to be quite honest we are all a little loony! We enjoy a big dinner and wonderful pie! Then we exchange gifts... This year my dad and Aunt Linda had a really cute idea to play a game so no one knew what their gifts were...like a white elephant gift. You had to draw a name out of a bucket and the name that you drew was to help you with the question you drew out. If you got the question right then you got your gift...which everyone got their gift cause they were questions about our crazy family!!! So then after you got your gift you were supposed to grit your teeth in a smile and say " I LOVE IT!" It was the cutest thing, Sydnee got a stuffed penguin and when she pulled it out of the bag she said "Bird!" then without any coaxing she said "I LOVE IT!" That is a memory I will never forget! Thanks for making it a great party Dad and Aunt Linda!

Our Beautiful Babies!

Drew's Surprise B-day Party!

In the three years that Drew and I have been married we have not had the money or the chance to celebrate our birthdays in a fun way... Well the money part has not changed and neither has the time but I scheduled it in anyway! I really wanted to do something fun for Drew.

Drew works very hard for our family and hardly ever has a day off. Working seven days a week really takes a toll on him and we have very little time to get to see one another. Drew is a very sentimental guy and family means the world to him! We hadn't had the time to go visit Drew's family too much and I feel so bad because they are amazing people and I love each and every one of them dearly! I knew that Drew would have the best birthday if he could spend it with his family so I lied and schemed and threw together a SURPRISE birthday party! I have always wanted to do a party like that...you know where you hide and actually say "SURPRISE"!!! Well it all worked out we even got to yell surprise... I thought he would cuss if we scared him...nope Kaeson got the surprise and started screaming! We had his parents, my parents, Amy and her family, Layne and his family, our friend Abbey, and her son cache. Our little house was packed. We had Drew's favorite Turkey steaks and rice-o-roni! Abbey did most of the cooking but I did the rice and well I need cooking lessons cause I don't know how I manage to get it mushy and crunchy at the same time!? Drew told me later on after everyone had left with tear filled eyes that this was the best birthday he had had in a long time! ...Success!... Thank you for everyone that came and for keeping it a surprise I appreciate you all and love you all very much!

Thanks Papa Richard

My dad had these little lunch boxes that we used for my Grandma Naef's Christmas party and Sydnee was playing with them...when it was time to put them back she thought it was the end of the world so my dad had this little make-up kit just lying around and said can she have this...I said sure, not knowing what I was getting myself into! I knew she liked to pretend to put her make-up on when I did mine but I didn't know she loved it that much!!! I went downstairs to put in a load of laundry when I returned this is what I found! She says..."Face" "Pretty". I couldn't get mad I just smiled and said hold still we are taking pictures!!! She had to give Kaeson Kisses after and I was laughing so hard cause it doesn't look like kiss marks at all just little blobs all over the side of his head! That wasn't the only time either she has done this two or three times and when you walk in she says "Way!" which means go away. She knows its not something I love for her to do but I allow it cause they are only little once...

A Great Company To Be a Part of!

This is B&D Welding and Fab.'s Christmas cards and I had the privelege as the secretary to address, lick, and mail them out! Drew and I love our job, I don't work near as much or as hard as Drew does there, but its always fun to go into work and give stinky Brandon a hard time... While the economy is having a hard time and people are being let go from their jobs, Drew and I are very greatful to have a job, to have a large work load at that, and to work for an amazing company as B&D. Thanks Stinky Brandon!

Hangin' out with Daddy!

I work three nights a week for a company called ZDD. And when I go to work that is the kids time with their Daddy! I wish I could just get them to fall asleep on me that easy! They love their daddy and you have never seen a prouder daddy!!!

Kaeson loves his cereal!

Kaeson hit four months and I knew he was ready to eat baby cereal! He looks like he has been eating it since day one! He is such a chubby butt! He is so cuddly I love it. He is such a happy baby and a good baby too! We are very blessed parents. All Sydnee needs to do is give him hugs and he is laughing hysterically! He loves his big sis, and she loves him as well...I love it when i catch them watching a movie in there room and Sydnee has got him by the hand cuddling with him. My favorite is when she says "Hi baby" Boo Baby" I u baby! (I LOVE YOU) I love my little drew!!!! When people see Kaeson they tell me how crazy it is that he looks so much like Drew!

Sydnee and her favorite eating spots!

You never know where Sydnee is going to eat her meals...she thinks that she is too big for the high chair on most days. She picks different places in the house to eat...at this particular time her tricycle suited her just lovely!

Sydnee's 2nd Birthday

For Sydnee's birthday she wanted an Elmo theme...do you think I could find a stinken Elmo cake anywhere...NO! So I went out of my comfort zone and made Sydnee an Elmo cake! Then I got so into it that I made the kids mini Elmo cupcakes!!! I even made my own frosting and I must say...it tasted good!!! She got so many presents...Grandma asked if it was Christmas or what? She had a blast and was so cute...thanking everyone!

Beautiful Hair!!!

Can you believe that she sits through 45 minutes of this!? But doesn't she look beautiful!? Its so worth it...and every time I am done doing her hair she says....Da-woa! (Thank you...in Sydnee language.)

Halloween!

Halloween this year was so much fun! The costume that Sydnee is wearing was Chaz's and Jace's when they were little, and it was intended for Kaeson. It was a little to big for him and when Sydnee saw it she said that she wanted to be a pumpkin, so we had to buy Kaeson another pumpkin costume. We had a great idea that Drew and I would be farmers and our kids were our crops!!!! Ha Ha Ha I thought we were creative!!!

Dance and Gymnastics

Sydnee has been going to Tangle Wood Studios for a mommy and me dancing and gymnastics class for about three months now and LOVES it! She is always dancing around showing off what she has learned and doing her favorite...Motor boat! Its so much fun to get to spend that time with just my Sydnee, Kaeson goes to my mothers house cause he doesn't so much like the dancing stuff!

Gymnastics/Dance

I really wanted to get Sydnee involved in something that she could have fun, meet new little kids, and learn a lot of new stuff. I asked Drew what he thought about putting her in gymnastics when she turned two and Sydnee was sitting right by us when we were dicussing it and she got a huge smile and said "uh Huh!" Drew's only reply was..."I can't argue with that." So we enrolled her in a mommy and me Gymnastic and dancing class.

So this is the first week that she went and she really enjoyed the gymnastics part of it. They have mats all over the room, a tiny trampoline, beams, bars, and a fun slide! In fact the whole time we were supposed to be dancing she asked if she could "pump" on the trampoline in the other room. The other ladies said that she would get more involved the more that she comes. I thought that she did pretty good considering that the other kids have been going for a while now and that all but one girl is older than Sydnee. Kaeson on the other hand... we better find a sitter for him next time. That was his time to eat and well its not easy to be in a mommy and me class when the mommy is absent and taking care of him.

I can't wait for next week so Sydnee and I can have some quality time together and she can learn some more dancing moves!

A Favorite Memory

I have this memory and some might think that I am dumb or that I am silly but it means a lot to me and I get an overwhelmingly good feeling every time I think about it.

When I was little my mom and dad worked full time and I went to a babysitter while Patty and Amy went to school. Then when I was old enough to go to Kindergarten Amy was then old enough to watch me and help me get to school. I will never ever forget how she prepared me for that first day of Kindergarten...

The night before she carefully helped me pick out an outfit...we laid out my clothes, my jewelry, and matching shoes. So there was no question in what I should wear for the next day. Then she set the alarm and we practiced waking up to it and ran through my routine of how she would get me ready and how the bus would come pick me up.

Some times I get this really overwhelming feeling and its the same feeling that I used to get when Amy would help me get ready for school in the morning. When she moved out I tried to keep up the routine the same way she had taught me but it was hard without her. Like I said it might be silly to some but its a memory I will never forget! I know that when Sydnee and Kaeson have their first day of Kindergarten I will take the same routine in which I was taught and pass it down to them.

Amy acted like a mother to me for a lot of my childhood and she still mothers me from time to time. But now that I am a mother also she and I can be best friends and share memories with our kids.

MAN COLD!

Ladies beware!
There is a man cold sweeping the nation! Its highly contagious and can be very deadly! Please keep your husbands, boyfriends, and significant others indoors at all times and for goodness sake keep lots of Theraflu on hand.
You thought that it was difficult when your kids were ill...that doesn't even compare! Some of the signs and symptoms that you need to be aware of:

• A headache worst than yours!
• Feeling dizzy anytime house work needs to be done!
• Too weak to change a diaper.
• Can't cook pre-cooked meals.
• Feeling nauseated more than your morning sickness!!!

They really need to start a hotline for all of the women who have had their husbands hit with this deadly cold! Please please if you get sick don't let on about it...or your husband will get it worse!

Sick Babies

My kids and I all got hit with a nasty cold! Its been nothing but Kleenex, boogers, medicine, and lots of hugs in our house!

Look at that face! Don't you just wanna squeeze him!?

More Painting???

Drew and I got into a huge paint fight. I guess we hadn't had enough fun painting already so Drew decided to paint me! I tried to paint back...but he fights dirty! Then he made me go into the grocery store to buy kleenex for our kids. You would not believe the stares you get when you are in a paint war!

More Painting!

Last year we had a new roof put on the house that we rent and they had to rebuild the front porch. Well it needed to be painted BAD! So after painting the shop then we got home and painted the porch, once again we had great help! Well I didn't do much...

Drew saved a side of the post for each kid to do. Chaz helped with the top of the porch, well because I hate to admit it but...he's taller than me!

Jace and Sydnee both hate their hands to be dirty. Jace is a great helper and took the responsibility to clean her up for me!

Brandon has been really busy with getting the new shop ready, so he can move his business. My job has been to get the painting done in mine and Brandon's office. Amy was out of town for the weekend so I helped with the boys. We loaded up all the kids and a bunch of toys and they didn't play with a single one of them! Instead I got the best bunch of painters that I could of asked for!

Ater Drew got off work he came and helped us out. None of us could reach the corners...I forgot a ladder!

All about Sydnee

Some of Sydnee's favorite songs...that we sing...and we sing...and we sing....

• The wheels on the bus


• If you're happy and you know it


• Monster Mash


• I want candy


• All I want to do (Sugarland)


• She thinks my tractor's sexy (Kenny Chesney)


• Her own lil song about mommy, daddy, baby, and the rest of the family...you just have to hear it.

Any song that comes on the radio she is grooving and moving to and belting out the lyrics...well I think its the lyrics!

And any thing can be a microphone! I think she is the next American Idol!

Splish! Splash!

Bath time is a favorite time at our house! And Sydnee loves her bubbles!!!

I can't get lil Sydnee to smile at a camera... I pull it out and she says....CHEESE!

Best Buddies!

Kaeson, Cache, and Sydnee
Who do you think will win? My vote is for Kaeson...


I think Cache is a little upset...what do you think?

What did you do with my husband!?

What a shock! I didn't know whether to laugh or scream when I saw Drew! He has been painting I-Beams at work and well it was a tad bit windy one day and he spent more time painting himself than the beams!

Oh there he is! A hot shower and a whole tub of fast orange later...then i found him!

Haunted Houses!

Tonight we decorated these gingerbread haunted houses. I was so bumbed out cause on our house, half the roof was broken but it added character! We just let Sydnee go to town on it but she was like a lil Gretel and eating more of the house than we could really decorate! I just love Halloween, especially now that I have kids, and Sydnee is just at a really fun age and little things just make her day. Amy's families house was way cute! The boys do such a good job at stuff like that...they have really creative minds!