Funny, funny MONDAY!

Here's a joke to start your Monday off with a laugh.............



An old man lived alone in Idaho. He wanted to spade his potato garden, but it was very hard work. His only son, Bubba, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament.


Dear Bubba:

I am feeling pretty bad because it looks like I won't be able to plant my potato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. If you were here, all my troubles would be over. I know you would dig the plot for me.

Love, Dad

A few days later, he received a letter from his son.

Dear Dad:

For heaven's sake, Dad, don't dig up that garden. That's where I buried the BODIES.

Love, Bubba

At 4 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local Police showed up and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left.

That same day, the old man received another letter from his son.

Dear Dad:

Go ahead and plant the potatoes now. It's the best I could do under the circumstances.

Love, Bubba

Hee, hee, hee!

Elder Nelson - Phone Home!

So Christmas is always something to look forward to, but this year it was special because I knew that we would be able to talk with Tyler.  We were so excited when he called about 10 am our time.  We had some trouble because he gave us a number to call back to, but it was pretty hard to get through.  We finally did it though and we all talked to him for like 2 hours.  It was great.  We all just hung out on a phone and said whatever we wanted when we wanted.  It was like having him in the house because we were all walking around and hearing his voice wherever we were. 

He is doing so well.  We are so proud of the things he is learning about himself.  And the Christ-centered life he is trying to live. 

He told me in an email the week before that he was really looking forward to our phone call and that he "freakin' loves me".  Now I am really not a fan at all of the word freakin, but if he is going to use it in that way, I'll take it!

We had sent him two packages before Christmas.  It's hard to send stuff to a missionary because they don't really have a lot of room to pack a lot of stuff around.  But we found some stuff.  Luckily he did get both of them which I was concerned about because they say that Mexico is pretty tough to get packages through to their intended recipients.  There are others that think that I am actually sending boxes to them, even though they say CLEARLY  to Elder Nelson  So that's what his picture of the boxes are.  He was pretty happy to get some stuff from home.

We did find him some stuff he'd enjoy.  Just some stuff from the States that he couldn't get there.  I made him a Denver Broncos stocking and filled it with all of his favorite Christmas candy.  He was thrilled with his packages and felt the love we wanted him to feel sent from his family at home to him.

Just to the right of the center/top of this picture is a little black book that I made.  It was based on this video on youtube.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snAjZ8mfoYw

Its from Elder Busche and it's a great uplift for anyone.  I made one for Jeremy after he introduced me to the video on line.  So I decided to make one for Tyler as well.  He was so appreciative of it.  He told me that he loved the book and told his companion, "Look!  My mom made this!"  He's never been so proud of my crafting before!

This is a picture of Elder Nelson with his Mission President.  His name is President Alin Spannaus.  Tyler really loves him.  His testimony has grown so much because of the experiences that they have had together.  It's been a great experience for him.  

So our Christmas was complete with Tyler in the picture as well.  We miss him so much, but we know that he is doing something that will benefit not only him and his future family, but many others in his future.  He's already been out there a little over 300 days, so we are almost 1/2 way to a Homecoming Party!

2010 Ketchup! Hee, hee, hee......

I thought I'd update my blog a bit since it hadn't been done in a while.  I can't remember if I included some of the following photos or not, so if I did - enjoy the trip down memory lane!

So this was of my birthday.  A DQ cake.  YUMMY!  They are so nice to me (well, I'd have to give all the credit to Mike because the kids don't have enough allowance pooled together to get me a slice of DQ cake, let alone a whole one!  Only because their allowance is $0.00 per week!)  Mike also generously gave me some moola for a shopping spree and I did indulge (in both the cake and the shopping spree!)

Here's Brigam trying on snowbarding gear in Dec.  It's all hand-me-down stuff (notice the pink goggles :), but he seemed excited to hit the slopes. But when the first couple of opportunities for "snow fun" came, he didn't want to go.  He was under the impression that he would be getting all new gear from Santa for Christmas and said he would wait until then.  Then he would "tear up the slopes" with his siblings.  I was doubtful he would go at all even if Santa filled his wish list with shredding gear.  Where did he get the idea Santa was a snowboard giver anyway??????

Brigam got to make his own gingerbread house at school.  He was so excited to bring it home and show his artistic/creative side.  I know that it just looks like angled graham crackers surrounded by candy on a plate, but believe you me, just about each candy was something special.  It had a job and a purpose.  I'm telling you that he'd do great building booby traps for high security buildings.  After photos, he was a pretty nice guy who was more than willing to share his treasure-trove of sugar bliss with his siblings.  He's nice like that, you know.

 So here we are getting ready for the Cable Bridge Run.  Don't we all look so dang cute in our "fun" hats?  We actually all ran in the hats.  It was a crazy day to do it.  We got a fresh blanket of snow during the middle of the night of a few inches.  It was cold and slick, but it was fun.  We all did the 3 mile run (you can do 1, 3 or 6 miles) and their times were pretty good.  Of course, mine would have been better but I had to bring up the rear to make sure no Nelsons were lost during the running of this tradition!

Our results are as follows:

Jeremy 27:38

Brigam 34:31

Mike 38:40

Mykalyn 44:10

Terilyn 44:27

Not too bad, but now we have a baseline to beat next year!

 So here is Christmas Morning.  Of course, Mykalyn is always prepared for the camera.  They were so excited!  Brigam did get is board from Santa.  It looks like Jeremy was as excited for Brigam as he was!

Jeremy got a new board as well.  It was sorely needed since he decided to grow a bit this past year.  It was funny because he was so wrapped up in Brigam's board, that he failed to see his own leaning against the wall.  Needless to say, he was excited.  I had to tell him to "take that thing out of your mouth"!  I know, and he's almost 16.

 Brigam got a snowboarding helmet (thank goodness Dad's a safety geek and thinks it's important.)  He was so excited because his helmet can plug into the new to Brigam, used Ipod that Peggy gave him.  He's rockin' ready for the slopes now.

 Jeremy has an oral fixation.  He loves things, he puts them in his mouth.  Here is his Denver Bronco leather wallet.  "Jeremy, get that thing out of your mouth!"

 Mykalyn got new goggles.  Unfortunately they were not pink, but they did fit and that is a step up from the pink ones.  Isn't she so photogenic?

 She desperately needed a new camera.  Her one she got last year got loved to DEATH.  She is so happy to not have to hang on to a battery compartment while she takes the shot so that the batteries don't pop out!

It was a great Christmas morning.  One in which we got to talk to Tyler for quite a while.  Please see previous post.

And this is how we celebrated New Year's Day.  We had a baptism.  It was truly a great way to start off the year.  Our friend, Kim Dueno, got baptized.  That is Elder JOE Smith (not kidding) on the left.  He has the same birthday as Tyler.  He is awesome.  Next to him is Bishop LaDow.  That's who Kim wanted to have baptize her.  There's Brigam.  He's the reason Kim wanted to find out more about the church.  She saw something in Brigam that was missing from her own life and the lives of her boys.  She was brave enough to check it out.  Next is KIM!!!  She is truly awesome.  She is golden.  She is such a strong daughter of our Heavenly Father.  I am so glad to call her my friend.  She amazes me and makes me want to be a better Latter-Day Saint.  On the end is Elder Boren.  He came in the picture the Wednesday before Kim's Saturday baptism.  Not pictured is our Elder Perkes who was transferred just that Wednesday before the 1st of Jan.  He was very instrumental in Kim's teaching and learning as well.  Great missionaries!  Greatest of all experiences for me to be a part of.

Brigam and Kim.  His "second" mom and I am truly OK with that. 

Here's the latest pic of my Mom and Dad.  I told my parents they better enjoy their last Christmas in Mongolia.  They need to come home now and hang out with their grandkids before they are all out of the house.  Isn't my mama beautiful?  You know she is.  They are expected back the first part of May.