the crafty conservative

Letters to Santa

2010-12-23T18:06:00.004-06:00

The picture above is the letter I wrote to Santa when I was 5*. I think I got out a toy catalog and just copied down every toy that looked good to me. I'm thankful that my kids made their lists a little less complicated.

Eva asked for the Toy Story 3 toys. She's been a very good girl and her dad was very brave this year on Black Friday. I think her Christmas wish will come true.

Caleb asked for Mario Kart. Santa has known about this wish for a while so when I bought the Wii (on Craigslist) earlier this year, I found one that came with that game and set it aside for Santa to use this year. He's very grateful and promised me that I'd get exactly what I want this year.

That's a Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine. I don't know if I got this the year that I wrote that letter to Santa, but it was one of my favorite toys when I was little and I know that it's going to be under the tree for me this year! Thanks, Santa!

*In case you thought I misspelled my name. I didn't legally add the 'h' until I was 10 years old.

The One Where I'm "Cool" and a "Genius"

2010-11-20T10:51:00.002-06:00

I've been blogging for six years now. Wow. You know one reason why I started? Melessa. She was doing it. So, I thought I'd join in.

Melessa has a great talent for reminiscing and writing about it in a way that is interesting and entertaining*--whether you were there or not. I love reading about her high school adventures, her Rainbow girl antics, and college days. This week she's remembering...ME! If you care to read about some of my good old days, hop on over to her blog.

*Melessa-I hope your screenplay takes advantage of this special talent...because you really are good at it!

School Daze

2010-10-04T16:12:00.003-05:00

Sure, it's October. The kids have been in school for several weeks now. And...it's been a resounding success!

Caleb is in 2nd grade. He loves his teachers and his classmates. This year was his best transition yet from summer to school. I think it may have a little to do with Academy of Rock and the consistency and daily routine that came along with that. We didn't get to do as many fun family outings (no Oklahoma trip--but we're going during fall break) but I think it was worth it for all of us. In fact, most of our family came to visit us! That was a nice treat.

Eva is in Kindergarten and comes home every day with a new adventure to share. She is learning so much. She can write her full name and the names of all of our family members. Just last night she gave us all individualized popsicle sticks when she caught us being good. I'm glad I was well behaved! We just had parent teacher conferences and her teacher told me she is well-liked and friendly. Eva is also improving her letter and number recognition. She loves books and is excited to be learning her letters and how to read.

Now that the kids are in school all day, I have time to get more done around the house. Surprisingly, I am still a master at avoiding housework. The good news: the kids are better at picking up their own messes now (thanks, Wii). The bad news: my messes are getting bigger because I'm at home all day by myself crafting and computing. My social life is improving, though! I go on "outings" at least 3 days a week. Tuesdays are for friends, Wednesdays are for Toolulu, and Thursdays are for Carl.

Speaking of Carl, he's the 2nd Counselor in the Bishopric now. Basically, that means he's really busy at church. It's not much different than when he was Scoutmaster. That was a big time commitment, as well. It's just we don't get to sit by each other at church anymore. People have been coming out of the woodwork asking to help me with my kids during the service. *yes, they are sometimes that bad.

There you have it. You've been updated.

Want more? I update more regularly at the following places:

Christynelson.net

Facebook.com/christynelson1

Twitter.com/christynelson1

Kindergarten Kamp

2010-08-01T22:48:00.004-05:00

Eva is starting school this year and for a week in the summer, they have Kindergarten Kamp. She got to spend a few hours a day learning the ropes. Good thing she's getting her counting down...

Well, we're working on it.

This Little Gem

2010-06-17T22:48:00.002-05:00

I'm coming out of retirement to post this sweet little gem from Eva.

Guilt Ridden

2010-04-12T21:39:00.002-05:00

I can't keep up with this blog anymore. It pains me to say it...especially because I blog for a living. But, because of that I need to let go of this one. I will still keep it published. I will probably still post from time to time. I just need to give myself permission to let it go.

Permission granted.

I'm certainly not falling off the face of the Internet.

My personal pictures and day to day goings on can be found on Facebook.

You can find me on Twitter, too.

I will always be posting on ChristyNelson.net. Here is the Facebook Fan Page.

My business website is Toolulu.

I hope you'll follow me over to one of the other sites.

Turning 5

2010-03-17T22:31:00.003-05:00

Eva's 5 now so I thought I'd share a few things about my favorite girl.

1. She lost her first tooth just days before her 5th birthday.

2. She gets in trouble at school sometimes because she's very protective of her "boyfriend". She told me today that it makes her so sad that other people like him because she liked him first! Is this starting already?

3. Her favorite TV show is The Super Hero Squad Show and she likes Hulk and Iron Man the best.

4. She is very sweet and cuddly. She often just wants to sit in my lap and tell me how much she loves me.

5. Eva is finally getting better about letting me fix her hair and she's starting to take more of an interest in wearing clothes that match and are clean.

6. Her favorite movie right now is This Is It. She asks to watch it daily and her favorites are the monsters (Thriller), Beat It, and are you walking (Smooth Criminal).

7. Eva's favorite color is pink.

8. Eva doesn't like cake or cookies. She blew out her candle in ice cream.

9. She has no fear. This girl is our little daredevil. She also likes to hike and camp--which makes her dad very, very happy.

10. She has some imaginary friends. They all have weird, made up names like Sheemy, and Keyloo. She likes to dress them up, too. Sometimes they are guitars. Sometimes they are the rail posts on the stairway.

Our little Eva is so wonderful and we are truly blessed to have her as a part of our family!

Mini Me

2010-03-12T14:06:00.002-06:00

It's possible that my daughter has seen me on more than a fair share of Skype calls lately. That's what happens when you have 3 business partners that live far away. She also kept throwing up her hands and shaking her head a lot. I wonder where she got that from?

Teeth

2010-03-11T18:46:00.003-06:00

Eva lost her first tooth today. We did a mini photo shoot but didn't do it until it was dark and all Eva wanted to do was show off the tooth...not the cute hole in her smile. Caleb wanted in on the action, too. When I showed them this picture I told Caleb that he looked serious. Eva chimed in and said, "And I look AWESOME!".

Promotion and Tenure

2010-03-10T10:18:00.003-06:00

I think I need to learn the Nebraska fight song.

Some members of Carl's department at the University asked him to go up for tenure a year early. It doesn't hurt to try. So, for the past several months, he's been going through all the stuff that entails. Paperwork, reviews, more paperwork, waiting, etc....

It's been a little stressful.

Carl told me this morning that it's a done deal. He got it (effective August 16th). I can't help but feel super blessed at a time when so many others struggle with job security. He found out on the same day that UNL announced $3.6 million in cuts. I asked Carl if this could ever happen to him. He said the only way he could lose his job is if he royally screws up or they get rid of his whole department (which, for Mechanical Engineering is very unlikely).

Good thing I love it here.

My Kid is Awesome

2010-02-24T19:26:00.002-06:00

Yes, those are guitars playing dress up. Rock on, Eva. Rock on.

Better U Big Reveal

2010-02-12T09:36:00.002-06:00

Last night was our big Go Red for Women event where they paraded us on stage and showed a video of all of us that made us cry. Let me tell you...this group of women? Amazing. We all had our own personal struggles and many had stories that would just melt your heart. But you know what? We stuck with something for 12 weeks. We ALL got healthier. We made friends. And you know what? We all got 3 more months of membership at Lifepointe! We can't wait to see how much more we can improve.

I had a heck of a time finding a red dress to wear to the event. So, after an afternoon of shopping with Kelly...we bought some fabric. We made the dress the morning of the event. As in, yesterday. Kelly rocked it big time. THANKS!

My stats after 12 weeks:

Blood pressure went from high (148/96) to perfectly normal (118/78).

I lowered my cholesterol 15 points.

I lost over 9 inches.

I lost 7 lbs.

My pants are on the ground.

I gained over 4 inches of flexibility.

I went from 12 pushups to 30.

I have no gallbladder (who needs it, anyway?).

Caleb Turns SEVEN!

2010-02-03T19:49:00.003-06:00

I can't believe Caleb is already seven years old. His birthday weekend was a lot of fun. We spread it out over the course of a few days because Carl had to be gone on Caleb's actual birthday for a scout trip. Anyway, Caleb didn't mind.

We had a little "surprise" party for him on the actual day. I got him off the bus at Mary's (our babysitter) house and all the kids were there to celebrate!

She even got him a present. He got his very own gumball machine.

I can't tell you how excited he was about that.

Here are seven interesting things about Caleb:

1. He loves to "Google". He especially like searching for Mario Kart.

2. Caleb is really growing. He wears size 10/12 clothes and a men's size 5 shoe.

3. His favorite song at the moment is Primrose Lane (thanks to Lawrence Welk).

4. He is an expert speller and reader. We're still working on his comprehension but he can read just about anything you put in front of him.

5. Caleb will eat pizza, ice cream and granola bars (sunbelt chocolate chip) all day and all night if we let him. I'm contemplating a refrigerator with a padlock.

6. He loves to draw pictures of people. Some of his favorite subjects are The Fresh Beat Band and his family.

7. He's got a smile that will make you melt.

We love you, Caleb!

MIA

2010-01-27T08:38:00.003-06:00

This may have been the longest I've ever gone without posting on this blog. I just feel like I've never been so busy in all my life. I don't have time to keep up with this site as much anymore. It's a shame, really. It will never completely go away. I'll still update it now and again. I wouldn't want to leave Gayla* without anything to do all day besides chew tobacco and sit on her porch with her gun. So, I'll leave it at that.

If you want to know what I've been up to...I'll need you to check out ChristyNelson.net. It involves cake, lost of crafts, and Mark Montano.

One of a Kind

2010-01-15T21:07:00.003-06:00

I'm pretty sure my son is the only little kid in the whole world that has ever uttered this phrase:

Mom, I just want to look like Ava Barber!*

They sure like their Lawrence Welk. Here you can catch a glimpse of the kids watching an episode when we were getting our new TV ready to put on the wall.

*He wanted his yarn "hair" to look like her.

Going Back to 2002

2010-01-12T22:40:00.002-06:00

I consider myself pretty geeky. I love the internet, blogging and all of my social media stuff. One thing I don't do is text. Not my thing. It's only in the past year or two that I've actually started using my cellphone more than my home phone. Texting just seemed silly when I hardly used my phone and I was always near a computer for email. But now I'm not at home as much. I'm too cheap to pay for a data plan on my cell so I can't check my email on the go. I do have an iPod Touch so I can check it if I have wi-fi. HOWEVER....I'm heading to a trade show at the end of the month with 3 of my business partners. I have a feeling that texting is going to be the best way for me to keep in contact with them during the show as we work. We won't be together most of the time so I think it is time to bite the bullet and get a messaging plan.

Here's my question: will 200 texts a month be enough or do I "splurge" and pay $20 for unlimited?

Snowed In

2010-01-04T18:59:00.003-06:00

We spent most of the holiday at home. Like most everyone else living in the middle of the country, we got a fair amount of snow. The kids loved it! By the 26th of December, we had just over 24 inches of snow. I couldn't believe it when it started to cover the bottoms of the swings.

Eva and one of our neighbor girls tried it out. They could sit on them but not swing because the snow was so packed underneath. Fun times.

It was nice spending the holiday at home with nowhere that we really needed to go.

The other thing that happened over the holiday? I got my gallbladder out. I spent New Year's Eve in the hospital. I thought I would be a bit further along in my recovery by now but I'm still pretty much stuck in my room most of the day. I'm in a lot of pain but I'm catching up on a lot of tv. Did you know that All My Children is celebrating its 40th anniversary this week? Noah Wylie also suggests that we spend $16 a month to save the polar bears. I'm not buying it. I thought I might have to get the InStyler and SkinID but then I saw Hoarders and realized...I'm good.

I Resolve...

2009-12-30T21:40:00.000-06:00

to not have a gallbladder in 2010.

Farewell, non vital organ.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-26T08:12:00.002-06:00

Here is the only "Christmas morning" experience we had this year. It happened at 2am. I'm glad I have this video or I may not have survived Christmas this year at all. When the kids got us up at 7am, we went downstairs to utter destruction. Every present that was under the tree was unwrapped (including ones for me and Carl). Most of the boxes containing those items had been ripped to shreds. Caleb is the only one strong enough to do that. Eva said she didn't do it...she was "just watching". Either way, they both got sent to bed as soon as we got up.

I considered re-wrapping the presents and having them open them again the next day. I also considered taking away all the presents for good. Instead we cleaned up the mess, opened our own stockings (the only things left unharmed), and went upstairs to play a game and chill out. By the time Caleb woke up from his nap, I was a little more calm and I just let them play with their stuff.

Santa's going to have to rethink his strategy for next year, that's for sure.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T17:59:00.001-06:00

Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Crafters

2009-12-20T08:23:00.001-06:00

I seriously underestimated what my energy level might be after working for Provo Craft the week before Christmas. My five days of gift ideas have turned into three. Of all of them, I think this one is the most crucial! The stocking is a great place to put all sorts of little goodies that crafters will go crazy for! Husband (s), take note!

1. Gelly Roll Glitter Pens

What crafter wouldn't want to write (or embellish) with glitter?

2. Wintery Glitter from Martha Stewart

This might be a little big for a stocking stuffer, but any Martha Stewart glitter will do. I'm starting to sense a theme here. I better get off the glitter train for a moment because I know that it is not every crafter's cup of tea.

3. Fat Quarters

"Fat quarter" is a term that refers to a yard of fabric that has been cut into 1/4 sections across the crosswise grain. So, instead of a 9" x 44" piece of fabric you get an 18" X 22" piece. Most craft and fabric stores have fat quarters for sale for around $1. They come rolled up or in little squares and make the perfect stocking stuffer!

4. Ribbon

A spool or two of fun ribbon appeals to a lot of different types of crafters. Can you ever really have enough?

5. Adhesives

Most crafters have their favorites. If you are stuffing a stocking for a specific crafter, go snoop and see which kind she prefers. Having extra adhesive (or any consumable, really) is always a good thing.

BONUS:

Massage gift certificate--just saying. I'm sure I any crafter would love one of these in their stocking.

*cross posted at ChristyNelson.net

Gift Guide: Gifts for Techies

2009-12-15T08:36:00.000-06:00

Day 2 of gift guides include stuff for the techies in your life. I most certainly consider myself a member of this crowd. I'm a computer nerd that loves crafts.

: photo copyright Craftsquatch

1. Twitter Pillow from Craftsquatch.etsy.com

This first item is perfect for any crafty geek in your life. You can purchase one of these on Etsy for $20 but I'm sure most of my readers (at least at ChristyNelson.net) could make their own version for less.

2. Wi-Fi Detector Shirt from ThinkGeek

Words can not describe how badly I want this shirt. Actually, I want the technology on this shirt to put on one of my own. It totally detects the wi-fi and lights up accordingly! It's only $20. What a bargain!

3. A Netbook

Any little netbook would probably do! I've linked to this one pictured that I might purchase if I was shopping for myself. My laptop is my primary computer but can sometimes be a bit cumbersome to lug around for meetings and conferences. A netbook is a good bridge between my iPod Touch and laptop. I think it would make a terrific gift for me any techie.

4. Flip Video Camera

This has been one of my favorite tech purchases ever. It is so easy to use and so versatile. This is not only a great gift for a techie (although, they probably already have one!) but it is a great overall gift for anyone...a new parent, a teenager, a blogger, a grandparent. You don't have to be very computer savvy to use it, either. It's got a flip out usb and built in software. Easy peasy.

5. Notebook Cooling Pad

Sometimes you just need to use your laptop on the couch or in your bed. Instead of burning up your legs and your computer, a cooling pad is the way to go. This isn't the one I have, but it looks pretty darn good and got some great reviews on Amazon. The one I have is a bit bulky. This one is lighter and slimmer. That's important.

Gift Guide: Gifts for Foodies

2009-12-14T09:20:00.001-06:00

This week I'm posting some gift guides. They'll also be cross posted on ChristyNelson.net. There will be at least one homemade item per list.

Today we've got gifts for foodies. Enjoy!

1. Taste of Italy gift set from Vervacious: Voyage Inspired Fancy Foods

At $50 this is a little out of range for a hostess gift (at least for me!) but if you're shopping for an adventurous chef wanna-be, this could be a great option. Vervacious has so many different blends and gift sets (another great one is theSpanish Favorites for only $25). They also offer subscriptions where they send out something amazing once a month.

2. Homemade Spice Rubs from ChristyNelson.net

Okay, I'm adding something I've featured on my other site. It makes such a great gift and is so quick and easy that I couldn't leave it off the list.

3. Kuhn Rikon Paring Knife

At $10, this knife could easily fit the hostess gift bill or be a great add-on to a fun food related gift. There are many colors to choose from and did I mention that it's NON STICK? I'm putting this on my Christmas wishlist.

4. The Man Who Ate Everything by Jeffrey Steingarten

Is this book really over 10 years old? I love it. Jeffrey Steingarten is now very well known, having been a judge on Iron Chef America since it premiered. This book is full of short articles so it is a great read over a period of time. I own this book and find myself grabbing it when I have a few moments and just want to read a chapter or two. I'll warn you, though. You might want to put his second book in your shopping cart as well.

5. Omaha Steaks Tasteful Gift Combo

I do live in Nebraska, you know. This isn't just a gift for foodies. This is a gift for anyone that eats. Well, anyone that eats meat. At under $70 and free shipping, the recipient (and their family) will be enjoying this gift for months. It is full of great food!

A Little Venting

2009-12-11T20:01:00.003-06:00

To the man that was dining with his family at Runza tonight:

I hope you feel better about yourself having yelled at me and my kids tonight. You told me to get that "big kid" out of the play area. He's two years younger than your daughter that was pushing around mine. How do I know she was pushing around my daughter? Caleb is very just. He sees things in black and white. He saw your daughter push mine and he went over to her and told her to tell Eva that she was sorry. I'm sure it looked a little menacing. My kid is big for his age. Would you have reacted the same way if my kid was white? I don't really want to go there, but I think I just did.

I tried to explain to you that he is only six and has autism. I tried to explain to Caleb that it isn't his job to make your daughter say she is sorry. I tried to comfort Eva after being pushed around by your kid that is twice her age (although only a little bit bigger). All the while you're yelling at Caleb to get away which is just making him more upset.

I felt bad about the whole situation. It didn't have to go down like that. Pushing happens. Sometimes my kids are the offenders and we do our best to apologize and fix the situation. Sometimes they are the ones that get pushed. We do our best to forgive and be nice. Things didn't escalate until you started getting after my son. Let's take care of our own, okay? I wouldn't have been in your daughter's face for what happened whether it was on purpose or not.

We got out of there as quickly as we could. Caleb cried the whole way home and kept mentioning the yelling man and saying that he didn't want him (the yelling man) to be mad at him. It's possible you're not giving tonight's incident another thought, but I am. I'm proud to have a son that looks after his little sister (even though I admit we need to work on his methods) and tries his best to do the right thing.

AdoptUsKids

2009-12-10T15:42:00.002-06:00

This Friday at 2pm EST there is a Twitter Party with AdoptUsKids. If you're interested in the adoption process, want to know how to get involved or to learn more about children available for adoption...you should check it out!

Adopt Us Kids helps recruit and connect foster and adoptive families with waiting children throughout the United States. Funded by the Children's Bureau of the Administration for Children and Families, the national photo listing website at AdoptUsKids.org contains photos and information about children in foster care.

Adoption is such a great option! My family certainly wouldn't be the same without it. So many children are in need of a home and I know so many people that have so much love to give.

To learn more about adoption from foster care and how to help spread the word about children in care waiting for a forever family, please visit Adopt Us Kids. To search for children in your area, visit the Adopt Us Kids Child Search.

To participate in the Twitter party:

- Tweet Friday between 2:00 and 3:00 p.m. EST with the hashtag #AdoptUsKids
- Follow @PerfectParent and @ResourcefulMom

Snow Day

2009-12-08T12:09:00.002-06:00

I spent a week in Grand Rapids and I was missing my family like crazy. I leave again on Monday and I'll be gone for another week. Being away from everyone really takes its toll. I like the paycheck, the people I get to meet, and the crafting. It just makes coming home all the sweeter because I know what I have here is even better than all of that!

Today I got a special blessing.

SNOW!

It is snowing so much that my whole family is stuck at home. I had a full schedule for today and most of it is now canceled. I get to stay at home!

Stop Right There!

2009-12-05T22:01:00.002-06:00

You know on the Price is Right how they have that game where you get the price in the "green" range and then you push the stop button? If they let parents stop their kids from growing once they get in a certain age range, I'd be really tempted to push the button right now.

Caleb is almost 7. His teeth are falling out at an alarming rate. His feet are bigger than mine. He's growing up so fast!

Eva is 4 1/2. She is such a sweetheart. She loves to help me and is still loves to cuddle. She tells me she loves me all the time and says the funniest things.

I'm in Grand Rapids for the week and I'm really missing my family. This morning they listened to my voice on the radio. I was interviewed for a feature about etsy. It was a fun interview that I got to do with my friends. Caleb said I sounded great and he'll see me on Monday. I can't wait.

Holiday Gift Guides

2009-11-27T19:52:00.002-06:00

Last year I did some holiday gift guides. Did you all like those? I'm thinking about putting together some more this year. Any specific topics you'd like covered? Gifts for Foodies? Gifts for Geeks? Gifts for Me?

Speaking of gifts for me...I want this.

It's the GoWear fit system. I'm becoming quite health obsessed and think this would be really cool to track my calories and even my sleep! With the BetterU challenge, I already feel like I'm on the Biggest Loser. This will just add to the illusion. Because I want the display that goes with it, the total price goes up. And that is why, I won't be getting this for Christmas. Don't be too sad for me... I got a serger instead. I wonder how many calories I will burn while using my serger?

Stride Rite and Cyber Monday

2009-11-27T19:22:00.002-06:00

I got most of my Christmas shopping for the kids finished last year by entering giveaways. Here's some info on a neat opportunity from Stride Rite that will be happening this weekend.

Stride Rite is celebrating Cyber Monday, this Monday the 30th, by holding a Fan Celebration Day on www.facebook.com/striderite. Stride Rite Facebook fans are invited to log on Monday, November 30th from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST for hourly giveaways with amazing prizes including gift cards and gift bags from Stride Rite Children's Group brands including Saucony Kids, Sperry Top-Sider Kids, and more. There will also be a fan-only coupon for Cyber Monday shopping on www.striderite.com and a mystery prize valued at over $600 that fans can enter to win throughout the day!

Global Influence is hosting a twitter pre-party on Sunday from 9-10pm EST. You can follow the #srCyberMon hashtag. You'll have the chance to win one of seven Stride Rite gift cards.

To learn more and/or RSVP, please go here.

Losing More

2009-11-25T08:33:00.002-06:00

I'm down 3 more pounds. That brings my grand total to 9. Certainly not Biggest Loser worthy, but not bad.

I'm not just losing weight, I'm losing my mind.

I think I can do everything.

I can't.

I'm going to spend this holiday weekend getting caught up on as many things as I can so I can make it through December. I'm about 60% sure I won't even be sending out Christmas cards. I'll be working in Grand Rapids, MI Dec 1-6. Then I'll be back in Chicago Dec 14-21. My January travel schedule looks as hectic (but more fun!) with a family vacation to WDW and also the Craft & Hobby Trade show in So. Cal.

I've also been spending at least 10 hours a week at the gym. I know I really need to do this and I'm (mostly) happy when I'm there.

I don't know where I'm going with this post. Another clear sign of losing my mind.

This doesn't need to be a complaining post. Because, I'm not. I just wish I didn't have to sleep. Seriously, how lucky am I?

I have an amazing career. I'm doing the things I've always wanted to do!

My family is amazingly supportive and awesome.

I have this great opportunity to participate in the BetterU makeover challenge.

Now I can just suck it up and do all the things I love!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tooth Fairies

2009-11-18T14:45:00.001-06:00

I made a tooth fairy pillow last night for Caleb. I explained the situation and the basic story over at ChristyNelson.net.

The kids loved the whole concept and it was fun to experience. Even though Caleb's lost over 6 teeth, this has been the first one that has actually made it home.

Today Eva wanted to dress up in our Halloween costume. The war paint was courtesy of preschool. She was quite the vision!

Chicago Craft Trip

2009-11-17T20:00:00.002-06:00

I got back yesterday from a great trip to Chicago. If you factor out the part where I went to the ER the night before (I'm fine) and being in pain the first couple of days (I'm better), it was a great time. I was there doing some work for Provo Craft doing some Cricut demonstrations. It was quite glamorous working in a Costco for 5 days. But, really, I had a lot of fun.

While I was there, I spent one morning at the Chicago Sewing Expo. I got to see several people I met in Kansas City and it was fun to talk with them again. I'm posting some videos and reports from that on ChristyNelson.net.

I'm sure you're really wondering how I did on my workouts and healthy eating. I posted a video blog on that very subject over at the BetterU site. Now that I'm back, I've had a really great day today. My coach had me do some spinning today. It was pretty difficult, but I survived. I also did really well today with my eating. So, I'm back on track.

Tomorrow I'll blog about the kids and their big news!

Slow and Steady.

2009-11-10T14:42:00.002-06:00

I weighed in at Weight Watchers this week and I was down .8lbs. That brings my total to just over 5 lbs. in 5 weeks. Not stellar, but it could be worse. I was hoping for at least double that. Maybe I should do more than just hope and actually track my points like I'm supposed to.

I met with the dietitian at LifePointe today. I mainly spoke with her about some coping strategies for when I'm not at home. She gave me some really great advice and instead of dreading what kinds of things I'll eat on this trip, I'm looking forward to it! I leave tomorrow for Chicago and I'll be there until Monday. I'll be working several hours a day in a Costco (glamorous, I know!) demoing the Cricut from Provo Craft. The rest of the time I'll be working out, working on Toolulu/Christynelson.net, and hanging out with Sarah and Erin working on Craft Happening (more info coming soon on that one!).

I wonder how much weight I'll lose/gain this week? Care to take a guess? If anyone gets it right on the dot, I'll send them something awesome. Plus, it will give me motivation to actually make it to the weigh-in once I get back into town.

Oh, Crap.

2009-11-10T09:26:00.002-06:00

Poop story to follow. You've been warned.

Caleb pooped in his pants yesterday. It has been over a year since I've had to clean up his nasty man poop. I was getting a little cocky having 2 kids that would pee and poop in the potty and not have nighttime accidents anymore.

Sufficiently humbled.

I'm also really proud of myself for the first (almost) six years of Caleb's life where I had to clean up his poop on a regular basis. I'm surprised I didn't go crazy. Oh wait. I did.

I'm (mostly) better now.

Assuming Caleb poops in the potty today.

Don't Cry

2009-11-09T13:13:00.001-06:00

Grandpa Nelson

2009-11-08T14:56:00.001-06:00

Carl got back from his Grandpa Nelson's funeral last night and had some great stories to share with me. I'm going to have him write some of those here on the blog so we'll have them documented. The photos are from our last trip to see Grandpa Nelson in July 2009.

Grandpa could always be found with something in his hand - a tennis racket, fishing pole, gardening tool, or conductor's baton. He was expert at all these hobbies (tennis, fishing, gardening, and music), and he achieved this by a combination of talent, love, and perseverance. I never once came close to beating him at tennis - I have the love and a little talent but that's about it. He also knew how to make other people happy, by telling stories/jokes or by providing loving service. He was always giving away his beautiful flowers, and he was always out in the garden early in the morning gathering fresh berries so that he and Grandma could fix us all delicious hot breakfasts when we were visiting their home.

Grandpa was very focused on achieving his career goals, but still gave quality time to his family. He grew up without much material wealth, the oldest in a family of 9 kids, but learned that by his industry he could be successful. Despite financial obstacles, he was able to create an opportunity for himself to enter college, and while there, not only worked at various jobs but participated in theater and music on campus and in traveling shows. He became interested in library science and later earned a master's degree in this field as well as an MBA. He had decided that he wanted to become director of libraries at BYU, and although he was turned down for this job and others, he eventually found success by the old adage, "try, try again." After being director of libraries at Eastern Oregon College and then earning his PhD at UC Berkeley, he gained a position at BYU and eventually achieved his ultimate career goal in the 1960s. He remained in the director's position for the rest of his career, where he made many significant contributions to the university libraries.

OU Football

2009-11-07T18:21:00.003-06:00

I would be more excited for this game tonight if I wasn't alone. Boo. Hoo. It's not as fun cheering when there's nobody to cheer with. Alas, I'm hoping for a victory.

Here's a picture from last year's OU/UNL game. I was down in Norman and I went with my dad. It was a great experience to share with him. Especially since OU scored about every other minute during that game.

This is one of my favorite pictures from that night because I was zooming in to get Stoops and I got Caleb in the background. I may have to blow this one up and put it in Caleb's room someday. He loves OU football, too!

Five Years Later

2009-11-04T09:05:00.003-06:00

I've been chugging away on this blog for FIVE YEARS now. I can't believe it. Seems like so long ago and just the other day all at once. Kind of like a kid. My middle kid. Younger than Caleb but older than Eva.

To celebrate, I thought I'd share five of my favorite posts. Some are funny, some are sweet, some are random. Kind of like this blog. Thanks for hanging in there with me, guys!

1. 100 Things About Me (written in 2005). For the most part, they all still apply. Number 91? Like I said, don't hold me to that one.

2. I Am, I Said. I love Neil Diamond. What can I say?

3. Pass the Doughnut. I haven't roller skated since and it was a good 18 months before my bum fully recovered.

4. The Life of a Champion. Gold medal knitting at its finest.

5. This Just In (or out). One of the greatest days of my life.

Honorable mention:

Who else has their blog readers name their baby?

Choose to Rock! Pat Benatar concert.

1st Annual Girls Weekend. How much fun did we have?

Do you have a favorite post from long ago? Share it in the comments!

Big Loser

2009-11-03T22:11:00.003-06:00

Last month I heard about the BetterU makeover challenge campaign put on by our local American Heart Association. They were going to pick 10 local women to participate in this challenge. I knew I had to apply. As soon as I got home, I filled out the application and hoped for the best. A couple of weeks ago I got the call! I made it!

Last night was our orientation. I met the other 9 women. We each have our own personal health coach. We met with a cardiologist. We had our blood checked. We got swag!

I really felt like this was as close as I would ever get to being on The Biggest Loser. I have so much support and motivation that I feel like I can't fail. These next 12 weeks are going to be tough but I've never been so excited to be a big loser.

Cross posted at the BetterU blog. Go and check out my progress along with the other participants and follow our stories!

Curlformers. More Than Meets the Eye.

2009-11-02T14:28:00.001-06:00

When I was in Oklahoma, my sister and I went to Sally to get some cool hair supplies. We found these Curlformers and just had to try them.

Here is my before picture.

Then you put these curly-q doo-dads in the hair.

I waited for a couple of hours for my hair to dry and then it came out like this:

I've curled my hair several times with these and I've seen the best results when using them on damp hair and letting them air dry. The heat didn't work that great and overnight made me look like Annie.

Oh so fancy.

So, what do you think?

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T21:17:00.001-06:00

Our day started off in the car. We drove from Oklahoma to Nebraska. It was as fun as it looks.

We hurried home so the kids could go to the trunk or treat at church.

Eva was a fairy princess and Caleb was a scarecrow. They loved dressing up almost as much as they loved getting all that candy!

Outfit #137

2009-10-27T10:03:00.000-05:00

One of the many outfits Eva put on yesterday. She's always very proud of her creations.

I wish I would have taken a few more pictures of her throughout the day.

She got a teddy bear in on the act, too. The bear had at least 4 outfit changes during the day.

You can't put the bear down for a nap in play clothes! It needs pajamas, of course!

She's been enjoying having big brother home from school for Fall Break.

She might change her mind by the end of the week.

Babies, Dogs, and Cats

2009-10-26T17:36:00.001-05:00

Yesterday Caleb was asking me why we didn't have a baby, dogs, or cats.

How do you respond to that?*

Look! It snowed a couple of weeks ago and I forgot to post the pictures.

What? You don't have snow in early October where you live. Pity.

*change the subject, of course!

Toolulu in the News

2009-10-22T13:18:00.001-05:00

Toolulu was featured recently in the Lincoln Business Journal. They did a good job on the article. I believe if you click on it, you'll be able to see the bigger version where you can actually read it. The LBJ really needs to get online!

Anyway, everything is pretty accurate except at the very end where it talks about a social media conference. It's actually a CRAFT conference and it is coming in October 2010 and you can bet I'll be posting tons of information about it here in the future.

Speaking of crafts, I'm in Kansas City for the next few days ~~enjoying the lovely weather~~ at the sewing and quilt expo.

No Change.

2009-10-19T12:33:00.001-05:00

I stepped on the scale today at Weight Watchers and I weigh the exact same as I did last week. I'm counting this as a win considering the majority of what I ate last weekend came from Arby's. Darn you, 5 for $5. I can't resist you.

In other news, this poor blog has been neglected. I've been busy working on my other sites and have left this one to languish. I'll try to update it as much as I can but frankly, I have got to spend my time on the other ones since they actually pay some bills. I've also found that most of what I would be blogging about here in great detail, gets shortened and facebooked (yes, it's a verb) so by the time I'm ready to blog about it, I'm "over" it. Fickle me.

This blog is still my go-to site for kids news, poop stories, and weight loss adventures. I'm by no means ready to shut this baby down. I just felt a little blog neglect explanation was in order.

Until next time.

Habits Worth Forming

2009-10-14T13:56:00.001-05:00

I'm just starting week 3 of Weight Watchers. My weigh in this week was rough. I didn't know what was going to happen. I was sick all weekend and pretty much ate whatever I felt like (including most of a pizza over the course of 2 days). Even with all of that, I was down 1.2 lbs.

I did try making a cake with Wild Cherry Diet Pepsi. All I can say is that it was a total waste of a perfectly good soda. Devil's Food cake mix+Wild Cherry Diet Pepsi= gross cake. That didn't stop Carl and Caleb from eating the whole thing, though. They must like gross cake.

Last week I started using this new product that I thought I would tell you about. Disclosure: I did get this product for free. I met the woman behind the product at Bar Camp and she gave me a set. We're also going to partner with them at Toolulu to work on a few projects.

These are bracelets from HabitWise. I am using the GetLoss program. Basically, I use these bracelets to help me make good food choices throughout the day. Certain colors equal different food groups. You start the day with all the bracelets on one arm. You move them over to the other arm as you eat those types of foods.

I must admit, I was skeptical. Were bracelets really going to help me eat better? Apparently so! They are a constant reminder and give me visual cues as to the types of foods I need to consume. I really enjoy this system and have been thinking of all the ways you can alter it to fit your lifestyle. I was thinking I would use them to start tracking my Weight Watchers points.

Do you think you would benefit from this type of product? What would you use it for? They're really interested in hearing your opinions so they can make this product a success.

On My Mind.

2009-10-10T08:10:00.001-05:00

There is snow on the ground, we're having a rough time with Caleb, and I had to move my website to new hosting (which took me longer than I wanted). But, what I really want to blog about today is this:

OU/TX! If you don't care about college football, you probably won't find this funny so spend those 4 minutes doing something else. Enjoy (either way). The game is next weekend and I can't wait!

It Wasn't Me

2009-10-06T20:50:00.001-05:00

I let my daughter leave the house looking like this. She got lots of "compliments" on her sparkly skirt and shoes. She was so proud of this outfit. She wanted to leave the house without any pants on under that skirt. I did put my foot down on that one.

The pants she has on used to be Caleb's. Yes, she wears hand me downs from her brother.

Have I mentioned lately that Eva is very into brushing her own hair? This involves her squirting water all over her head and then she brushes through it. She can't reach the back of her head very well. It's not looking that hot.

Somebody cut my iPod charging cable in half. Eva said it was daddy. I can't get too upset at her, though. It could have been me. The cable was sitting really close to all the stuff I was cutting up for the craft challenge packets. I'm 85% sure it wasn't me, but just the possibility is enough for me not to be too upset about it.

I wasn't going to mention on this blog that I started Weight Watchers. But, I outted myself on Twitter and Facebook. I lost 3.4 lbs last week. Go me! Now I'm trying to come up with low point treats. You know how you can make a cake with a mix and a can of diet soda? I'm totally going to do that. What cake mix do you think will taste the best with Wild Cherry Diet Pepsi?

Something else happened today. My other blog got a redesign. It was a win/win situation. Steph from ThinkDoBeCreate ~~helped me~~ customize(d) a Wordpress theme I liked and did some great work on everything. The price was right and she's adding work to her portfolio. I'm sure I was the perfect client and not demanding at all ~~even though I kept hounding her via twitter and facebook~~. Want to see what we came up with?

Introducing the new ChristyNelson.net.

I'm still working on getting the posts organized and formatted correctly but if you've got some advice on things we might want to fix, let me know!

I Get the Point.

2009-10-04T19:59:00.001-05:00

A while ago I got a phone call from someone at my church that was really offensive to me. I told this person so. This person hasn't apologized to me but I think this is more because this person thinks that what they said was not racist. This isn't something that I think about on a daily basis but this person called tonight and it made me think of the incident. I didn't answer the phone, Carl did. This person called right as I was giving the kids a little lesson. I was sharing a quote from President Gordon B. Hinckley.

"May God help us to be a little kinder, showing forth greater forbearance, to be more forgiving, more willing to walk the second mile, to reach down and lift up those who may have sinned but have brought forth the fruits of repentance, to lay aside old grudges and nurture them no more."

Gordon B. Hinckley, "Forgiveness," Ensign, Nov. 2005, 84

(emphasis my own)

I wasn't going to blog about this since I thought it might be "nurturing" the old grudge. But I promise this is the last time I'll bring it up. Lesson learned.

Quack.

2009-09-29T22:10:00.001-05:00

If you are watching this season of The Amazing Race, you'll know that one of the competitors has Asperger's Syndrome, which is a form of autism.

One of the road blocks on the first episode involved herding ducks. I was thinking that I bet the man with Asperger's would do a great job if he is anything like my Caleb.

A couple of the other competitors called him the duck whisperer.

Caleb sure loves the ducks and geese at Grandma and Grandpa Greer's house. They love to follow him around and he'd just march around with them all day.

Trust Me. This is Hall and Oates.

2009-09-26T21:10:00.001-05:00

You'll just have to trust me that this is Hall & Oates. It's been a month ago since I saw them in concert and I haven't blogged about it. Who am I? How did I let this go so long undocumented?

I went with Shannon, Wendy and Carl. I was taking pictures with my new Ashton-signed camera (the signature has since faded away completely). After I took this one, the camera asked me if someone blinked. Hmmm. That surprised me. So we tried to recreate the message.

No message on this one. But I did figure out how to do some editing directly on the camera. Check this out.

We had a lot of time on our hands waiting for Hall & Oates to sing, "Private Eyes". They're watching you. *clap clap*

In fact, we're still waiting.

Good thing the tickets were only $12 or I'd want my money back. How could they NOT sing that song?

Oh, dear Eva

2009-09-23T17:12:00.001-05:00

Kids Toys

2009-09-19T17:26:00.001-05:00

How many toys do kids need? In my house, I'm pretty sure it's not a lot. They play with a few toys over and over and the rest just make a mess. I took matters into my own hands today.

I'm throwing away the toys. I'm feeling pretty generous in allowing each child 10 toys. This isn't even literally 10. For example, Eva's dollhouse and the furniture and things that fit in it count as one. Caleb's Scooby Doo people count as one. They'll still have more than enough. Maybe I'll lower the number to 5 toys each eventually.

It feels pretty good to get rid of all that stuff. The picture above was taken about an hour into the cleaning. It's still crazy down there. And you know what? The kids are fine with it. I'm having a harder time convincing Carl.

Know anybody that wants some toys?

Dear Software Developers,

2009-09-18T17:02:00.001-05:00

I am in need. I don't know if something like this exists. If it does, point me to it and I will want to buy it! If it doesn't, make it!

Wanted: an iPhone app or Kindle feature where you can read books and then when you get in a car or want to listen to them, you can switch to the audio version in the exact spot where you are in the book. When you're done with the audio, it will take you to that spot in the book where you finished and then you can keep reading.

How cool would that be?

You're welcome.

Christy

2009-2010 Book Group Selections

2009-09-18T13:23:00.001-05:00

Last night we had out book group meeting to pick out the books for the rest of the year (Oct-Sept).

October: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

November: Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

December: As a Man Thinketh by James Allen

January: People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

February: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

March: Life is So Good by George Dawson

April: Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

May: Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

June/July/August: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown AND The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

September: From Chunk to Hunk by Fred Anderson

Alternate list:

The Female Brain--Brizendine
Faith of our Fathers series
The Book Thief--Zusak
A Man for all seasons--Robert Bolt
A room of ones own--Virginia Woolf
The Man who ate everything--Steingarten
You've got to read this book--Canfield
The Shack--Young
Tending Roses--Wingate
One thousand white women--Fergus
Pretties, Uglies, Specials--series by Westerfield
Summer of the Gods--Larson
several classics were also mentioned--Little Women, Black Beauty, Call of the Wild, Little Princess, Jane Eyre, All Quiet on the Western Front, Of Mice and Men, A Wrinkle in Time

Blogging Like It's 09-09-09

2009-09-17T09:08:00.001-05:00

Want to see some pictures from the 09-09-09 party? I thought you might.

We had a minor glitch with the location. Seems like they forgot to let us in. A few phone calls and 45 minutes later, we got in the building. I was surprisingly not stressed out about it. We had fun outside, the kids ran around, and when we finally got in they gave me a refund for the rental (Carl LOVED this part).

Matt wins the prize for most committed to the theme. He got his hair cut into a mullet for the evening.

Wendy held her own as well. Here she is posing for her senior picture.

Deb broke out some pulp fiction moves. Like my super sweet vest?

Carl did some "break dancing".

John came "tied to a modem" and Leith was just excited to run around and play!

Lisa's always the life of the party.

The game room was a big hit.

The kids got to tumble.

We couldn't forget the Macarena!

Time to start thinking about 10-10-10! It falls on a Sunday so we'll have to celebrate some other day again.

photos are from me and rossn (Thanks, Ross!).

Modern Torture

2009-09-14T13:14:00.001-05:00

I went to the chiropractor for the first time on Saturday. I've been so scared of it for years. I always thought that chiropractors get you in their office and then "fix" you so you have to keep coming back forever. I've also been not so keen on hearing my back crack.

My back was hurting so badly and not getting better so I sucked it up and called a chiropractor. I got a recommendation from Kelly, called on Friday night and was in there first thing Saturday morning. Good call.

I went back in this morning and I'll go again on Friday. My back felt better immediately. I'm still a little sore and didn't like the cracking sounds, but I'm a believer.

Mystery Solved.

2009-09-11T16:55:00.002-05:00

Night Rain by Jim Brickman.

Caleb playing Mystery Song.

Annie

2009-09-10T17:04:00.001-05:00

I heard today that one of my friends from Indiana passed away. She had been battling cancer while trying to raise a young family. She was upbeat and cheerful.

She leaves behind a loving husband and four beautiful children.

I haven't seen her since I moved but we'd stayed in contact via email and through facebook. She loved stamping and crafting like me so we loved to share ideas with each other.

I realize that all of these things we go through are a part of life and there is a bigger plan at play here. This knowledge gives me comfort and hope but it doesn't quite numb the ache of knowing that those she left behind won't have the benefit of knowing her as well as they could have.

I'll miss her.

First Day of School

2009-09-09T13:25:00.001-05:00

Eva started her last year of preschool today. Here she is with her favorite teacher, Ms. Karla.

Eva's been waiting for months for school to start and she was so excited for this morning to finally be here.

Here are some fun facts about my little Eva:

1. She's 4 1/2 years old.

2. She loves eating chips, quesadillas, and "machos" (nachos).

3. Her favorite show at the moment is "The Fresh Beat Band".

4. Dressing up is still a priority. We choose our battles so she often looks ~~like a bag lady~~ interesting.

5. She likes me to tell her the story of Princess Eva and Prince Caleb. Princess Eva loves to dance and she helps Prince Caleb, Queen Christy and King Carl to defeat the Wicked Witch of the West to make sure that they can still dance and make music forever and ever.

6. If I let her choose where we should go out to eat, she likes to go to the restaurant with the chicken and that means HyVee grocery store.

7. Eva has a great imagination and loves to play with her Little People. They have been some of her favorite toys since she was little.

8. She appreciates bathroom humor. Anytime she can say "poo poo", she will laugh hysterically.

9. Eva's laugh is one of a kind. I love it.

10. If I let Eva have a spoon and a peanut butter jar, she'd be happy for hours.

Party Like It's 09/09/09

2009-09-08T11:42:00.001-05:00

I've had a year and month to plan this party for tonight. It just wasn't going to work out to have it on 09-09-09 so we're doing the next best thing and we're going to "Party Like It's 09-09-09!".

My house just wasn't going to cut it for this party so I rented the Calvert Rec Center. Usually I ask people to bring a treat to share. Instead, this year I'm asking for $1 per person (totally optional) to help offset the cost of the location. In return, the party will be SUPER AWESOME!

The Calvert Rec Center has foosball, pool tables, a ping pong table, and a whole mirrored dance room. DUDE, it's going to be SWEET! Not to mention the outfits some people are going to be wearing. And the hair? Out of this world. Rumor has it, one attendee ~~Matt Mar~~ will be sporting a mullet for the occasion. YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS IT!

ARE YOU COMING???

Go Texas!

2009-09-06T15:43:00.001-05:00

Last night was sad for me. As a die hard Sooner fan, I was sad to see Sam Bradford get hurt and our team not play to the standard we've been accustomed to these past several years. However, I went to OU in the 90's so I'm used to heartbreak. The good news is that this was just one game and I know we'll turn it around.

Some people seem to think that just because I'm a Mormon, I would be happy that BYU won. Let me put something into perspective.

If BYU played Texas, I'd wear orange and cheer for the Longhorns.

That's how much I "like" BYU.

Laid Up.

2009-09-04T19:46:00.001-05:00

I had another crazy day today. Got some great done work with Deb for Toolulu. Then I came home and had a wild afternoon with Caleb. Once I got everyone calmed down, I was ready to get some chores done. As I was taking a load of laundry out of the washer and putting it into the dryer, I felt something happen in my lower back. Standing up was extremely painful. I stopped what I was doing and went to lay down.

Sitting doesn't bother me too much. It is sore but doesn't really, really hurt unless I try to stand up and walk. I'm trying to look on the bright side of the pain. I'm hoping that by resting it tonight, I'll be better tomorrow. In the meantime, I've got my computer, a beverage, dinner is on its way, and a book.

Not to mention, I'm really glad this happened while Carl is home.

Diaper Free is the Choice For Me.

2009-09-01T08:38:00.000-05:00

Did you all know that I haven't purchased a single diaper for over a month?

I can't remember the last time one of the kids had an accident at night.

It's official.

NO MORE

DIAPERS!

Autism Walk Recap

2009-08-31T09:19:00.001-05:00

The Nebraska Walk Now for Autism was on Saturday and it was quite the family affair! Here are the kids and Carl on the walk portion of the day.

For me, the day started early. I was at the stadium by 9am to help get the volunteers in order. I was starting to get worried a couple of weeks ago that we weren't going to have enough volunteers. But we ended up having more than enough! That was a good problem to have! Thanks to those of you that were able to come out and volunteer! It was much appreciated!

Some readers of this blog might recognize a few of these great volunteers!

Caleb was so excited to see Audra! She's one of his primary teachers and he talks about her all. the. time. In fact, I don't think he's been this obsessed since the Carliles.

I was busy volunteering so I didn't get to see the kids too much except for during the walk. I was glad I gave Carl my camera to capture some of the fun.

I mean, who wouldn't want to see a picture of their kid coming out of something like this? I jest. They love that caterpillar bounce house.

Looks like Caleb loved all the bubbles and activities in the sensory tent. Check out those Husker tennis player volunteers! Thanks, guys!

After the walk, a few of Carl's scouts came to help with the cleanup. They worked so hard but we rewarded them with snow cones, popcorn, Subway sandwiches and free t-shirts!

Thanks to all of you that helped us raise money! Our team was able to raise (as of right now) $490. That was a lot less than my goal (darn economy) but we were excited to be able to raise at least that much!

Until next year!

Edited to add: I forgot to add the link to the news story (it is in the right sidebar- you'll have to find it in the small thumbnails because I can't get their popout player link to work) about the event. Nothing like getting interviewed after working outside for several hours!

Some Sunday Thoughts

2009-08-30T17:25:00.001-05:00

I live in extremes. This morning I was hit, kicked, spat upon, peed upon, yelled at, and my clothes were ripped and stained. This afternoon I have been told that I am beautiful, the best mommy ever, and I have been hugged and kissed repeatedly. I've also had to break up very few fights.

It's not easy living like this. There really isn't much of a middle road with my kids (especially Caleb). He is either a complete angel or a child with a rage that I can't bear to see. It is an emotional roller coaster that really takes its toll.

Our third hour lesson this week at church was all about teaching children. I really enjoyed it and came away feeling that even though I don't think what we're trying to accomplish with the kids fall on deaf ears, I need to keep at it. Here are some of the quotes used in the lesson (Marion G. Romney, “Let Us Set in Order Our Own Houses,” Ensign, Jan 1985):

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Prov. 22:6.)

This counsel is prompted by the conviction that training our children is the best antidote to the materialism, irreverent secularism, declining morality, adult and juvenile delinquency, increasing crime, and general disregard for the laws of God and the dignity of man that so plague our present world.

No wise Latter-day Saint parent, with an understanding of the power of prayer and the irreligious trend of our society, will fail to train his or her children to pray. No person has a stronger weapon against the power of evil than he who with unbroken regularity goes night and morning on bended knee before our Heavenly Father in sincere and humble secret prayer.

Furthermore, I hope that parents do not underestimate the power of their own daily prayers in behalf of their children. It was the prayers of Alma in behalf of his wayward son and his son’s companions which helped bring them to repentance.

I came away from church feeling uplifted and more motivated. I consider this afternoon one of those tender mercies that I can put away in my mind and remember it the next time I'm in the midst of mortal combat with my kids.

When I blog about church, I'm referring to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You can go to Mormon.org or email me if you have any questions about our beliefs.

Can You Spare a Dime?

2009-08-28T11:19:00.001-05:00

Or maybe 50? This is my last minute call for donations to Team Caleb. Please consider donating! The walk is tomorrow and I've spent more time volunteering to make the actual event happen then I have fundraising and it is showing.

If every one of my blog subscribers donated $5, I'd be super close to reaching my goal. If only half of my twitter followers gave me just $1, I reach my goal!

What do you think? Are you in? Can you help?

The button above only accepts donations greater than $20. You can use the paypal button on the sidebar to donate in smaller increments.

CoverGirl Outlast All Day Lipcolor Review

2009-08-27T10:37:00.001-05:00

Here's another review for all you lipstick afficionados.

I reapplied it after I filmed the last part of the video and it lasted really well the rest of the day. Not bad.

You'll need to check out Robyn's response to yesterday's video. She's got some lipstick that it looks like I'll need to try out ~~after CoverGirl sends me my $8 for that lame lipstain~~!

CoverGirl Outlast Lipstain Review and Experiment

2009-08-26T08:24:00.000-05:00

I wanted to try this CoverGirl Outlast Lipstain out. I did an experiment. Here are the results.

I've got an iPod that will connect to the internet and fit in my pocket. Can't someone make a lipstick that will stay on all day?

The Best of Both Worlds

2009-08-25T18:16:00.001-05:00

This morning I was getting a little work done online. Eva was in the kitchen and I was at the kitchen table. She had the radio turned on and was listening to a cd we got from the library, Hannah Montana. She started singing "The Best of Both Worlds" at the top of her lungs. The 4th time through I decided to record it. She was just as enthusiastic as the first time. Enjoy.

I couldn't help but ponder the fact that I really do have the best of both worlds by working at home. I love all my jobs!

Lifelong Learning

2009-08-23T22:04:00.001-05:00

I just wrote and erased (on purpose) a big long post about why I think college educations are important whether you think you are going to use them or not. I was thinking about it because I was reading through the visiting teaching message and thinking about this back to school season. Instead I'll just leave you with a quote from the LDS (Mormon) prophet on the subject.

President Thomas S. Monson: “Beyond our study of spiritual matters, secular learning is also essential. … I urge you to pursue your education—if you are not already doing so or have not done so—that you might be prepared to provide if circumstances necessitate such.

“Your talents will expand as you study and learn. You will be able to better assist your families in their learning, and you will have peace of mind in knowing that you have prepared yourself for the eventualities that you may encounter in life” (“Three Goals to Guide You,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2007, 119).

Bad Mother. Good Mother?

2009-08-21T08:36:00.001-05:00

Caleb wouldn't get on the bus this morning. He was running away from me. When I did get a hold of him I was hit, scratched, and kicked. He flopped out in the driveway and screamed like a banshee. Five minutes. The bus driver helper finally got off the bus to tell me that even if we got him on the bus, he probably wouldn't be able to ride if he won't keep his seatbelt on. Did I mention that Carl left to go to work early this morning?

He didn't want to go to school today. He can't tell me why. It breaks my heart. But not enough to let him stay home.

I drove him to school (once I bribed him with some cookies to get into the car). He got out kicking and screaming. He laid down on the sidewalk and yelled and kicked some more. It was quite the spectacle.

A teacher came up to me and asked me if I needed help.

Yes.

She helped me get him in the line. A line helper kept him occupied. I turned to leave and heard him yell for me. I couldn't look back.

I got into the car and drove up and down the street to keep an eye on him. They finally let him in the school early and I hope that calmed him down.

I've got my phone in my pocket, ready for a call. Just in case.

1st Grade

2009-08-19T13:11:00.001-05:00

Swimming Lessons

2009-08-17T09:14:00.001-05:00

I signed the kids up for another week of swim lessons to build on the momentum built from the first week. Eva was so close to passing the class the first time that I knew for sure she would do it this time around. I wasn't so sure about Caleb. He was so timid and wouldn't jump in without help the first week.

Well, what a difference a week makes! Check him out here!

Eva did a great job, too! The video of her jumping off the diving board was so funny that I was laughing so hard I didn't even get her in the frame. This one was funny, too, but I kept her in the shot the whole time.

They both passed so next time they can be in Level 3. They both improved so much this summer! Last time I took them to the public pool Eva was doing handstands and flips. They'll soon be swimming circles around me.

Rock of Ages Winner

2009-08-14T09:57:00.001-05:00

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2009-08-14 14:55:33 UTC

RANDI! Congrats! I have your address somewhere but you better email it to me (christy@christynelson.net) for good measure and I'll have them send your Rock of Ages cd.

If It Kills Me

2009-08-13T20:35:00.001-05:00

I've had a really long day today. The kids have been super wild and all I can do is count down until school starts. It probably didn't help that I found Caleb's morning meds on the table still untouched at 4pm.

The day started off great, though. I woke up super happy. I had an amazing dream where I was friends with Jason Mraz and we were on vacation. We kept running into all sorts of people that I hadn't seen in years. I hadn't had a dream feel that real since the one I had where I was married to Patrick Swayze. I have no idea where that came from and it was probably 8 years ago when that happened. I just remember waking up and totally expecting Patrick Swayze to be right there.

Back to Mraz. This dream was so real that all day I've been thinking that we we really are best buds. Now that I'm typing this out I realize that I may need some medication or some sort of intervention. I mean I don't *really* think that Jason (we're on a first name basis now) and I are best friends. It was just such a vivid dream that they feel like actual memories.

Where am I going with this?

I guess what I want to do is share one of my favorite songs. This is If It Kills Me. The version on the album is nice but the peppy background takes away from the feeling of the song (in my opinion). This acoustic version is so much more powerful. In fact, it is the same version they used on SYTYCD. I get so emotionally involved with this song and all I can do is hope that he gets the girl.

I usually have to listen to Lucky immediately after this song so I can imagine that it is part II of the saga.

I don't usually spend my days obsessing over my favorite singers, but on a day like today, it was a welcome diversion.

Passing Out

2009-08-12T13:52:00.001-05:00

If you follow my twitter or facebook feeds, this is old news. Eva fainted yesterday. Then she puked. It all happened while I was getting interviewed for Silicon Prairie News.

I got the call as I was getting home. I thought the most stressful part of my day had passed. Not the interview. The fact that I left my iPod Touch in the Buffalo Wild Wings bathroom! I had taken it out of my purse to check the calendar and left it by the sink. Luckily, not many women eat at Buffalo Wild Wings so it was still there an hour later. Phew.

Back to Eva.

Apparently, she was standing in the bathroom with some of the other girls that Mary watches. Then she fell straight backwards and lost consciousness. Mary revived her. Eva's lips were blue and then she threw up. They gave her some 7up and some Ramen noodle broth. Then she called me. Mary didn't want to interrupt my interview. I told her that the next time anything like that happens, she can interrupt ANYTIME!

I got to Eva in a few minutes and took her to Urgent Care. Caleb was freaking out because he was going to miss swim lessons. Lucky for him, Shannon was able to take him at the last minute*. THANKS! The only thing they did at Urgent Care was check her blood pressure, make sure she wasn't in immediate danger (after they made us wait 20 minutes to see a doctor), and then told us to go to the ER.

All of this was happening and I couldn't get a hold of Carl. This made me mad. He got a cell phone just for this purpose! Turns out he was in a meeting and I couldn't have got a hold of him anyway, but still! It stressed me out.

At the ER, we had to do a little more waiting. Luckily, Eva was in good spirits. The color was coming back to her face and she wasn't throwing up anymore.

I signed on to the wi-fi and was extra thankful that nobody stole my iPod from the bathroom earlier in the day. I started tweeting and facebooking (yes, they are both verbs!) updates. It helped me feel better.

In the end, here are the highlights:

no explanation
HOT ER Doctor!
Blood Work
EKG
Discharged

The best explanation they could come up with was that she was so sick from wanting to vomit that she passed out. I guess we'll never know. The good news is that all her tests came back okay and today she is totally back to normal. We hope it was an isolated incident and that it doesn't happen again!!!!

In other news, today I sliced Eva's toe open with the library door. No trip to the ER necessary but she is sporting some pretty sweet band aids.

*Shannon also just delivered brownies to me. Awesome. I should be taking brownies to HER!

Rock of Ages Review and Giveaway

2009-08-11T08:39:00.000-05:00

I was so excited to get this CD to review from the One2One Network. It's got Constantine (you know, the American Idol Finalist from a few years ago) and some of the greatest songs from the 80's.

I really love the mashups. They have some great songs together. My favorite combo is: Any Way You Want It/I Want to Rock. And seriously? Oh, Sherrie and Don't Stop Believing are definitely highlights. I've been rocking out to these since I got the cd and I've even got my kids singing some of the songs. Nothing makes this 80's child happier than to hear her child sing, We're Not Gonna Take It.

You can buy Rock of Ages here or try to win it! One lucky reader will get a copy sent to their house. You know you want it. Just comment and you're entered. I'll draw a winner on August 14th.

Aurora

2009-08-10T08:08:00.000-05:00

I found out about Aurora when I was at BlogHer. It was one of the things I was most excited about. I have finally had an opportunity to play around with it and I want to blog about it before it is too late for you to take advantage of their coupon code (see the end of the post).

Here is where I admit that I can't use Photoshop Elements. I got it for my birthday this year and have yet to figure out how to use it. Okay, I've done a few things with it but they took me so long that I got frustrated and haven't really messed with it since.

I saw a demo of Aurora in the Shutter Sisters Suite and it looked like just the thing I was looking for! With just a few clicks, I can get some great results. This after shot took me 4 clicks and about 1 minute.

Aurora isn't your thing if you want to add layers, text, or other goodies like that (the text on these were added in Windows Live Writer). It is really just an easy alternative for relighting, some basic color manipulation, and cropping. They also have a fantastic social media application where you can send your pictures directly to Facebook.

Want to try it out for yourself?

Aurora costs only $19.95 and is downloadable within minutes of purchase. They are offering a code for a 20% discount. Use the code: AURORA20 before Sept. 1st, 2009.

Eleven.

2009-08-07T09:24:00.001-05:00

I love the number 11. It is my favorite. It could have something to do with the fact that I was born on the 11th (of April). Or, it could be my love of repeating numbers.

Today is my 11th wedding anniversary.

To keep it real, I'll admit that year 9 was a bear. Year 10 was all about rebuilding. I'm looking forward to year 11. We're off to a good start.

*These photos were actually taken last year on our anniversary trip to NYC. This year we're not doing anything so exciting. We'll be celebrating tonight with dinner and a movie (Harry Potter, of course!).

BlogHer Recaps

2009-08-01T13:41:00.000-05:00

I'm posting my main BlogHer recaps over at ChristyNelson.net. You can find Part I over there today and Part II will post tomorrow.

Enjoy!

Ford Ride & Drive Event Recap

2009-07-31T06:59:00.001-05:00

Last week I was one of 50 bloggers invited to check out the Ford plant in Chicago. We were given a tour, an opportunity to drive some of the cars, and an in depth look at some of the exciting new features that will be available soon.

I forgot to bring any socks on my trip so I was wearing heels with bare feet. By this point, my feet were bleeding and killing. I wasn't too happy. But, that's not Ford's fault. They did get me a bandaid. :)

The massaging chairs were pretty awesome. They have little bags that fill with air inside the back and butt of the chair. They are supposed to keep the blood flowing to your back and bum to keep you more alert and less sore.

By the end of the day my feet were so sore, I stopped taking pictures. Here are some of the things I took away:

The people at Ford are very passionate about their work.
The safety lady tried to convince us that you could fit 3 car seats in the back of a Taurus. We didn't believe her.*
I gave a "WOOHOO" for the people of Nebraska when they told us they are working on making lots of their stuff out of corn.
You can fit a grown woman in the back of a Taurus trunk comfortably. They have a glow in the dark safety release in case children go in there to play and get stuck.
Cooled seats. Awesome.
I would buy a Lincoln MKT the day it comes out if I had the money.
Adaptive cruise control *will* be on the next vehicle I buy.
Their SYNC system is pretty snazzy but not something I felt like I had to have. Carl would hate it.
Park Assist isn't something I really need living in Nebraska. In Chicago? A major plus.

Want to see what other people (and me) said about their Ford experiences?

*She said that you have to have to have two front facing, one rear facing, and buy specific car seats that fit in their car. She also told me to keep my kids rear facing until they are 40 pounds. I told her that would be very uncomfortable for some 4/5 year olds since they have long legs. She said that a broken leg is better than a brain injury. If you can't tell, that part of the day was my least favorite.

Vacation Recap: Sunday Night

2009-07-30T08:18:00.000-05:00

I had no idea that Carl had never seen the Great Salt Lake. He's been to Utah at least once a year his whole life but they never went. I would have believed it if he told me he'd never been to Lagoon, but the Great Salt Lake? It's free! In the Nelson household, that is the benchmark for any appropriate vacation activity. We had to rectify this situation so we drove out there on Sunday night.

We got there just as the sun was setting and a storm was rolling in. We drove out to Antelope Island for these pictures. The kids and I got in a little bit.

Everyone told us to take bug spray. Thanks to the Skaggs' for hooking us up. It definitely helped!

We didn't get to stay very long and we weren't able to see any bison. We did see a herd of antelope on our way out, though. It was a great end to our quick Utah vacation.

We got up bright and early the next day for our trek back to Nebraska.

Vacation Recap: Sunday Morning

2009-07-29T18:05:00.001-05:00

Still catching up from our Utah trip. Here is a recap of what we did on Sunday morning.

My uncle Ron wanted to take the kids out to his work so they could see the big trucks. Carl was excited about it, too. Ron works at a plant that gets salt from the Great Salt Lake. They get the water from it, put it in ditches or little ponds, let the water evaporate (or something), and then get the salt.

The kids wanted to play on the snow. They were a little disappointed when we told them it was salt.

Ron started up a couple of trucks to find a good one for them to take for a spin. Caleb wasn't too fond of the noise.

Ron took them out for a drive for a while and then let Carl get behind the wheel. He had a great time. I opted to stay behind.

I hung out with my grandpa in my van. We had the air conditioning on and it was a great time to talk to him one on one. I asked him about his mom. I don't know all that much about her.

My grandpa said that his mom was a church going woman that was very honest. He said beautiful things about her. It was nice to hear.

Once we got back to the house, Ron put the him and the kids on the 4 wheeler. Yes, Eva is wearing a tiara. It is standard issue for any 4 year old, ATV riding girl.

Here's a picture of me with my Grandma and Grandpa Jacox.

The whole family. Caleb mad a conscious decision to keep his eyes closed for all of these pictures. It was fun for him so when we took this next picture, they all decided to do it.

Horrible backlighting. My bad. This is Ron, Krisen, and my kids.

Vacation Recap. Sunday: Too Many Years

2009-07-28T22:11:00.001-05:00

I am falling way behind on these Utah vacation posts. There is actually one part of the vacation that happened before this section but I'm posting this one anyway because it is ready to go.

It has been around 10 years or longer since I've seen some of my cousins and my aunt and uncle. There are no excuses for this and there was no way I was letting another trip to Utah go by without seeing them. Even though we didn't have a lot of time in the area, we managed to have a nice afternoon lunch with all of them! It was so nice that we forgot to take pictures. I regret this to no end.

Before we went back down towards Jeff's house, we made a quick stop at the Skaggs'. I have not seen Kadee or Scott since the 9th grade. This was 20 years ago. That's a long time. That is why I love facebook. I'm pretty sure we look exactly the same as we did when we were 8th graders. We're still as awesome as we were back then, that's for sure! The biggest mystery of the evening: Where is the tape we made at Magic Mountain of all of us singing "Faith"?

The Juice

2009-07-28T01:27:00.001-05:00

I'll be posting some things from BlogHer over the next few days. I've also got some more Utah vacation to share with you. For now, I wanted you to see an episode of The Juice (a weekly web show on BlogHer.com). They were asking some of us to go and film some useful tips and mine made the cut for this special BlogHer episode! Check it out.

Vacation Recap. Saturday: Goats

2009-07-25T13:02:00.000-05:00

On Saturday morning we went down to Provo again. We took some family pictures and afterward, I got to eat at Cafe Rio. Yum. I got the Pork Barbacoa Salad. I tried both dressings but I like the cilantro one the best. After that, we said our goodbyes to Carl's side of the family. We had the remaining 1 1/2 days to spend visiting my side.

My cousin Katie, just turned nine. For her birthday she wanted goats. She got two Norwegian Dwarf (I may be totally wrong here but I think that's what they are called) goats. She named them Elf and Rambo. Rambo was sick when they went to pick them up so they goat farm sent over Larry as a replacement.

This is when Eva and Katie decided that the goats needed to have an exercise class. They were running around the pen yelling, "Personal exercise! Personal exercise!". It was super cute.

They posed for this picture when the class was over. The goats weren't tired yet so they let them out of the pen and into the yard.

Here you can see my uncle Jeff, my grandma, and the kids (ha ha--get it? kids? goats?).

I hate goats. Even cute dwarf ones. I went inside after this and helped my cousin, Krisen, make me some more bracelets to give out at BlogHer.

The kids continued to have a great time outside and Carl captured their awesomeness.

Vacation Recap. Friday: Provo/Springville

2009-07-25T00:11:00.001-05:00

I have no pictures from this part of the vacation. I'll distract you with more pictures from Wheeler Farm.

That Zachary is one of the cutest white babies I have ever seen.

My plan was to eat at Cafe Rio on Friday but the timing of the Springville picnic made it not work out. It was okay because I got to eat there on Saturday.

We took some time to drive around town looking for free wifi (thanks Provo City Library) and a Church Distribution Center (thanks, BYU). After we did all of that fun stuff (including a stop at 7-11), we went to see Carl's Grandpa Don and Marion. They live in this great house across from BYU and the garden is spectacular. Grandpa Don has quite the way with the flowers. I can only imagine the spectacular we would have seen had he been in better health.

We headed out to Springville to meet up with Carl's Nelson cousins. We had a picnic at the park. Before they got there, my friend Robyn drove over to see me. It was so great to see her again!

I would have more pictures from the picnic but I was busy making friendship bracelets. I'm pretty sure I'm the new favorite cousin. I kept all those kids happy and busy with the embroidery floss. It was really a lot of fun.

Caleb was really tired and a little crabby but he did really well the whole day! We promised him a swim at Jeff's house once we got back to the house. We got there after dark but the kids didn't care. They got into the pool and shivered like crazy. Fun times.

Vacation Recap. Friday: Wheeler Farm

2009-07-24T06:08:00.001-05:00

Last Thursday we drove to Utah. It took a long time. We were tired. My uncle Jeff let us stay at his place in Kaysville. We got a good night's sleep and then Friday morning we got up and met Carl's parents, brothers and nephew in Salt Lake City. We decided to spend some time together at Wheeler Farm.

Caleb went straight for the ducks.

Eva wasn't far behind.

Zachary took a little time to get acclimated.

Grandma Nelson was the chauffer.

Grandpa Nelson went straight for the vegetable garden.

Carl was hungry.

Eric's a proud papa.

Jared was elusive.

I was behind the camera. Sweating.

Who decided it should be over 100 degrees in Utah?

Clutter Diet Giveaway

2009-07-21T08:29:00.000-05:00

You know I'm a big fan of The Clutter Diet. I blogged about it in detail here. Like most diets I do, I am really, really good and then I'm really, really bad. Then I go back to really, really good again. Vicious cycle that I can't seem to break. With the clutter diet, I do okay. I'm pretty good about completing most of the tasks. I'm bad about "weighing" in. I'm good about keeping one or two places well organized and clutter free. I'm bad about letting the rest of the house suffer. Yin and yang.

What am I getting at?

TODAY ONLY the first 20 people to click on THIS LINK and sign up for the Clutter Diet will get a month FREE! Use coupon code: C16527.

Pretty sweet, right? You can cancel at any time so it really is a no-risk offer. I love it and I'm pretty sure you will, too.

What are you waiting for?

Ford Ride & Drive Event

2009-07-20T08:24:00.000-05:00

I'm attending an event put on by Ford in Chicago. It is the day before BlogHer and I'm really looking forward to seeing some of the behind the scenes at Ford. Carl got pretty jealous when I told him we get to actually go to the plant and see the factory as well as meet with some of the designers.

One of the main reasons they are having this event is so they can pick our brains about what women really want out of a car. Not only can I share my own opinions, but I'd love to pass on yours as well.

Here's what I want out of a car:

If it really is a 7 passenger car, I better be able to fit 7 ADULTs or car seats. How can they count those super tiny seats if the only people that can actually fit in them are supposed to be in car seats and not even a car seat will fit?
Not too many bells & whistles. I like innovation and technology but some things I can live without. Lots of features (to me) = lots of things that can break.
Reliable. If a car has proven itself to be reliable, I'm willing to pay more for it because I know in the long run it will be worth it.
Trunk space. We were shopping for our last car when the kids were still pretty little. I couldn't believe the majority of the cars (and vans, even!) that wouldn't fit a double stroller and a suitcase.
12 Volt Power Ports (for chargers) should be in each row. We just took a road trip and my husband had a long cord reaching from the front to our middle row so he could work on his laptop.

Is this too much to ask?

What do you want out of a car?

Hit or Miss

2009-07-17T09:39:00.000-05:00

Traveling with my kids is a hit or miss proposition. I'm typing this before our latest road trip (which should have happened yesterday) so I don't know how that one went. The kids are now 4 and 6 and I can honestly say that traveling with them now is SO MUCH EASIER than when they were babies. Or is it?

Pro: No diapers.

Con: No diapers. If they gotta go, they gotta go!

Pro: They can buckle themselves in their seats.

Con: They can unbuckle themselves.

Pro: They can tell us exactly what they want.

Con: They can tell us exactly what they want.

Pro: They can feed themselves.

Con: They have yet to mastered cleaning up after themselves.

Do you have some of your own pros/cons about traveling with kids?

I'm Not Really a Waitress

2009-07-16T10:01:00.000-05:00

That's the name of this nail polish. I'm not Really a Waitress. For that reason alone, I'm sporting this on my toes.

C'est La Vie

2009-07-15T09:41:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow begins my whirlwind trip schedule. This weekend will be spent with my family but starting on Wednesday, I'll be on my own for just over 10 days! It sounds exciting now but I know I'll be missing my family. Luckily I get to come home for a day in between.

I've been trying desperately to get everything done around here. I've got most of the blog posts ready to go on christynelson.net. This poor blog has been sadly neglected. I'm sorry. The Crafty Conservative has been serving me faithfully all these years and it is falling by the wayside. I'm not jumping ship or anything. I just might not have too much to say over here in the next few weeks.

Then again, I might just surprise you. I mean, I'd rather schedule a bunch of crazy blog posts on here than finish up laundry. Clean underwear on a trip is highly overrated. Oh, wait. Maybe I better go put a load in.

Time to Donate!

2009-07-12T19:52:00.002-05:00

It's that time of year again. I'll be asking you all over and over to help out and donate to Team Caleb for the Nebraska Walk Now for Autism.

Last year I had a massive month long extravaganza with a mega raffle and fun times. This time I have done nothing of the sort. This doesn't mean that I'm not open to the idea. I just haven't done any of the work for it yet. I'm anticipating getting a lot of great swag from my upcoming trips so I'm sure I'll have some stuff to raffle off. I know most of you will donate no matter what (thank you!) but I love giving things away so it is a win/win. I'll keep you posted on the raffle. In the meantime, please donate! We raised $1000 last year (WOW! THANKS!) and this year I've raised my goal to $1500. Let's do this!

HOW TO DONATE

You can click on the big button to make a donation of $20 or more.
Click on the paypal donate button to make a smaller donation.

HOW TO JOIN OUR TEAM

THE DETAILS

August 29th at Haymarket Park
It is totally free and a great family activity (food, bounce houses, games).
1pm-4pm

OTHER WAYS TO HELP

I'm the volunteer chair this year so if you're interested in volunteering, fill out the form below! I'll put you to work.
Donate a prize for the raffle.
Hang up a poster in your office.
Start your own team!
Spread the word about Team Caleb and encourage people to donate.

VOLUNTEER FORM

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Mary & Joseph Go To Bethlehem

2009-07-09T22:27:00.001-05:00

I missed out on this tonight because I was out partying with some friends so all of this is second hand from Carl. It was just too funny not to blog.

They did scripture charades tonight. Caleb had his hair on and was Mary. Eva was Joseph. Carl was the ~~ass~~ donkey.

Once they were done with the story, the kids got into bed. As Carl was listening in as Eva said her nightly prayers, he heard her say:

"Thank you that daddy was a honky"

Payback.

2009-07-08T11:44:00.001-05:00

Remember this keychain from NASA? It is now a bit of a joke in the family. Friends on facebook were suggesting I make Carl a keychain for his birthday.

Carl's keychain was solar powered. I tried to mimic that by using glow in the dark yarn. It works surprisingly well. I wouldn't want to use this yarn on a very big project though. It smells funny.

I blogged about this in detail over at ChristyNelson.net. Included is a tutorial on how to work with plastic canvas. We may live in Husker country now but once a Sooner, always a Sooner.

He actually wants to use it as a keychain. Go figure.

This wasn't all he got. I also told him to buy tickets to see Winton Marsalis. Anyone want to go with him?

Don't We All Love Mraz?

2009-07-06T19:12:00.003-05:00

This is the funniest video I've seen in a long time. Thanks to Tina for sharing!

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Happy Birthday, Carl!

2009-07-06T08:51:00.001-05:00

Many of you saw this photo already on Facebook. We were working in the yard on Friday and Carl was rocking the dark socks.

Carl turns 33 today. I'm making him something special that I will most surely blog about later. He also gets a whole pie to himself.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DR. CARL!

Swimming Lessons

2009-07-04T08:13:00.001-05:00

Caleb and Eva completed an intense week of swimming lessons and they loved every minute of it! It was a rough start for me. The teacher made me cry when she wouldn't let me sit with Caleb until he got into the water the first day. There were no other adults around that weren't in the pool and I was worried Caleb might run away. He did run away the next day so then I was allowed to stay. That was the only day he had a problem, though. Once he got into the water he was fine. He just didn't like waiting for the other class to finish.

Eva was quite the swimmer! We got to watch the last day and she was swimming all over the place and even in the deep end! She didn't lift her head to take a breath so she is still in the level 1/2 class but we signed them up for another week in August and I'm sure by then she'll be able to move on to level 3.

Caleb also improved so much! He doesn't hold his nose anymore and he loves going underwater. He also did some swimming in the deep end but was a little hesitant and wanted his teachers to help him (about 1/2 the class needed this extra help).

We were going to take them swimming today to show off their new found skills but the weather doesn't seem to be cooperating. I'm so proud of all they were able to accomplish this week!