Happy Early Birthday Chris!

Chris turns 24 this month! His birthday is on the 24th, which happens to also be Easter. Since I wasn't sure if we would be in the hospital or not, I decided to give him his birthday gift a little early this year. He has been doing a TON of fishing lately. He goes several times a week after work. I don't mind at all, since he is usually home before I'm done with my afternoon nap haha. It's really nice being this close to so many rivers. Man I love Oregon!! Earlier this month he bought his 2011 fishing license as part of his gift, and I put together a sort of gift basket filled with a bunch of different fishing supplies for him. Some storage containers, lures, swivels, flys, etc. He has also been spending some time making his own set-ups, so I bought him some yarn and beads. Since he has been sort of left-out lately with all this baby stuff, I thought I should make a quick post for him. I was even able to snag a quick picture when he wasn't looking! Haha

Just Catching Up

I've been a very bad blogger. Sorry about that =/ Things have really taken off with my Sewing Blog and my Etsy Shop. I've been a little distracted. It has been great though! I'm definitely not complaining.I've got an extra $70 hanging out in my PayPal account, so it's totally worth it. Haha.

Baby Stuff: Things are still going great. We have a doctor's appointment in just a few hours. Hoping to hear more good news, as always. One of the few complaints that I have: Sleep, or lack thereof. I'm still losing my battle with my RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome). I'm hoping the doctor can give me some advice today. *Cross your fingers* Other than that, it's been pretty easy! My feet and lower back are pretty sore, and my ankles are just starting to get a little poofy. It's definitely hard to bend over and tie my shoes haha. But nothing major at all, we've been lucky. =D Jordyn's room is almost done too! We have just about everything that we need. Just a couple more things to get out of the room, and some last minute organizing. I still have to wash all the blankets and clothes, but that can wait another week or so. Right now I'm just getting to the impatient/nervous stage. I don't anticipate any real problems with the delivery, but it's still scary as heck!

Chris: He has been doing great. Just working mainly. He has also been spending a lot of time with his RC car hobby. He is still selling those sleeping bags that I've told you guys about, and he gets to use those profits to buy parts for his project cars. For a while he was participating in races, but it didn't take long for that to get old. Chris has always been very good at following the rules, and people at the races simply don't, and it takes the fun out of everything for him. Now that summer is getting closer, he is also switching his focus towards other hobbies. He is thinking about doing some major work on his 4Runner, finally. He has wanted to get it taken care of for so long, but never had the time or means to do it.

Me: Other than the pregnancy, the biggest thing I've been busy with is definitely my sewing blog. I've been featured a few times on other blogs, and I'm back to selling things on Etsy again. It's been a little hectic, but really fun. Since it's a hobby that I can do sitting down, it's been great for all these evenings when I'm not feeling up to doing much of anything else. I'm hoping (haha) that I'll be able to get some more done during maternity leave. We'll see how that actually goes. (Leave the "Yeah right!" comments to yourselves please). I also started a new book this week. So far, I'm really liking it! It's very thick and intimidating when you first pick it up. But it's been an easy read so far. It's called "The Year I Turned Sixteen: Rose, Daisy, Laurel, Lily" and it's by Diane Schwemm.

Grateful

Earlier today I was reading this post on Love Without Training Wheels. (You should really check this blog out, it's wonderful!) I felt like the author, Ada, really knew what she was talking about when she wrote this section:


"Yet when I’m in the midst of making dinner, we can share a silent glance and know that we both want of batch of biscuits to go with the meal. Often A comes from work with an arbitrary bottle of wine tucked under his arm, to celebrate, well, nothing, except maybe an exceptionally good homemade meal or an evening of Netflix watching, cuddled up together on the couch. Once in a while, he comes in the door and tosses a bag of Skittles at me: my favorite candy which I never buy because, well, my teeth would rot out if I bought Skittles every time I had a craving.

Wait, that is romance, isn’t it?"

It was one of those times when you're reading something, and actually respond out loud, because you are so touched by it. I love it when I'm reading something and get to feel that "That's exactly how I feel!" Feeling.. Don't you? Lately I have been feeling especially grateful for Chris. He has been so great with this pregnancy. I've mentioned before that I haven't been sleeping well, so I usually take a nap after work. Chris has taken over a lot of the dinner prep and cooking, so that I can sleep. He has also been helping a lot more with the cleaning and laundry, since I get so winded just walking up the stairs. When I've had my emotional meltdowns, he is handling them like a pro. He doesn't get offended with what I say, and he rarely fights back. He usually just leaves me alone so I can come back down to earth. He has been so fantastic, and I couldn't ask for a better husband, or best friend, during these few months. =D

When I read that blog post earlier, I started feeling the same way. Where did our romance go? But then I realized it has been here all along, it just changed. It's there when I buy his favorite snack at the grocery store, or when I let him spend time with his friends at the RC race track. And it's there when he lets me sleep in an extra hour, while he picks up the house.

I've come to the conclusion that: As long as you both recognize the good intentions behind the action, it doesn't matter what the action actually is, it can still be romantic. <3

Thank you Hunny, from the bottom of my heart. I love you so much!

S'mores Casserole

Every now and then Chris gets a little creative in the kitchen. I've been really sick for the last week, so he has been helping out with dinner most nights. Tonight, he decided to try a new dessert. He made this S'mores casserole tonight. It was so good! A little messy to eat, but still delicious. It's basically layers of crushed graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate chips. Yummmm =]

We also went for a nice Sunday drive today along the Sandy and Bull Run rivers, checking out the damage from the recent flooding. Amanda posted a few photos on her Photography and Sewing blog. Click here to go check it out!

Cribs, Blankets, and Roses

   We finally got our crib mattress tonight! Grandma Jo bought us this cute sheet a week ago, and I have been so excited to finally set it up! The crib has been set up for a couple weeks now.. but it didn't look right until now =] Jordyn already has quite the blanket collection going too. (Thanks to our Vegas baby shower and Christmas gifts!)

   Daddy filled the holes in the wall, and hung her stuffed animal sling too =] I'll get a finished photo up later when the rest of the nursery is done.

      On a totally separate topic.. Chris bought me these gorgeous roses last night. But roses never last long in this house. My wonderful black furball has a taste for them. He chews on them when we aren't in the room. I woke up this morning to find the evidence...

   The little brat...


OH! P.S. Chris just received his letter in the mail, announcing that his application has been accepted for the Troutdale Police Department Reserves. He has a test next month. Cross your fingers for us!! He also turned in his application to be a full time paid officer at Troutdale as well. =]

Fishing

Chris went fishing with his Dad tonight and caught his first Salmon!!

(Photo by Jodi Nelson)

GRAVEYARD!

Well I am pretty bored sitting here at work. It's 2:48am, getting to the hardest part of graveyard: the 3:30am to 5am stretch. I can't lie, all I am doing is dreaming of my comfy bed. On the plus side I am on my second to last shift before my weekend, and I plan to just lay around. Life is good right now. I took two four-day weekends. The last two weekends to spend time with the family and the wife. The students here at Springdale Job Corps Center have been gone on their two week summer break. We have about 15 back/staying. It has been nice to be so quite, but they are back on Sunday. Meaning Monday is going to be crazy. Over the last few breaks it's always been after a week that I missed the students. This year not so much. The peace is nice. Well everyone stay safe.

Chris

Update on Chris

I mentioned a few months ago that Chris is applying to be a reserve (aka volunteer) for Multnomah County Sheriffs Department.

He sent in the application, and was invited to take the written test in April.
He passed the test with a great score, and moved on to the psychological evaluation.
After that, he was invited in for an interview.
After the interview, he was placed at #9 on the list to be hired.

Currently, they are performing the background investigation. This is by far the most extensive part of the hiring process. They want to know everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. The paperwork was lengthy, and took hours to fill out. They are now checking everything for accuracy. They have been calling every reference that Chris put down, and asking dozens of questions. This step has taken a few weeks so far, and we are still waiting.

There have been rumors of over a dozen openings in the department. We are hoping for at least nine! I will be sure to let you know when we hear about the next step!

*Note* Yes this is only a volunteer position, and he will not be paid for it. BUT if he successfully completes all the training he will be given, he will be able to apply for a fulltime PAID position, without having to possess a degree.

Chris the Little Boy

This one is my favorite.. Sooo cute!!!!!!

The Massive Scrapbook Project.. Part 1

So far I have been successful with my scrapbooking project.

I have collected all the necessary supplies for Chris's school book and both of my books.
I have finished over 20 pages of Chris's school book, and I am having a blast.

It's moving very quickly, and I love it, because I get bored easily.
I may or may not have ADD, we will never know ;-)

Anywho.. back to the book.
The things that I'm attaching to the pages are fairly large, most of them at least half of a 8.5x11 page. So far, I have completed kindergarten and first grade, and I am halfway through second grade.

I never realized how much I would learn about my husband by doing this project.

I'm bored, so I made a list of stuff that I have learned about Chris these last few days.
- He wanted to be a Police Officer when he was little.
- He was a Shania Twain and Garth Brooks fan.
- He was excellent at drawing cartoons.
- Not so good at drawing trucks.
- His teachers loved him, and always wrote good things about him.
- He regularly gave his teachers ornaments for Christmas, and always got Thank You cards in return.
- He behaved very well on the school bus, and got rewards for it.
- He was a total ladies man, and always had cute girls in his photos.
- He thought very deeply for a young child, and wrote very convincing papers.
- Some girl named Kahra apparently liked him, because she wrote "Chris Loves Kahra" all over one of his papers.
- And most of all.. HE WAS SO FREAKING ADORABLE!!!!

I have come to one main conclusion:
I AM GOING TO HAVE TOTALLY CUTE BABIES!!!

P.S. If you're bored, and want to laugh, check out this blog http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/ She is hilarious. WARNING: It is slightly twisted/weird humor. So if you're more conservative with your humor.. don't click on the link =]

Happy Birthday Chris!!

Happy Birthday Chris!!!

This year is an extra special year for Chris because he turns 23.
23 = Chris's lucky number
23 = Michael Jordan's Jersey #
Michael Jordan = Chris's Childhood Hero.

Nelson Family Newsletter, Spring 2010

Every 6 months, the families on Chris' Dad's side write a newsletter to the other family members. We all send them to one person, where they get organized into binders/collections and then they are mailed out to each of us. I thought it would be fun to share ours on here, for those of you that aren't involved.

Hello Nelson Family!!

We hope the last several months have been absolutely fabulous for all of you! We are so incredibly disappointed that we couldn’t make it to the reunion this year. Amanda was so excited to finally meet so many of you face-to-face. Unfortunately, we have been into the dentist about 4 times just this month; a root canal and 3 wisdom teeth emptied our budget for plane tickets. =( Trust me though, we are trying so hard to get down there to see all of you!

Hm, where to start.. Well Chris has been going through quite a few changes at work. He works at Springdale Job Corps, which is a Government facility. The Government had a contract with a company called Management Training Corporation (MTC) who trained an employed the staff at Job Corps. Last year, an announcement was made that he Government would be changing their contract, and MTC would no longer be employing several of the staff at Job Corps. Chris had to reapply for his job, deal with a pay change, and all sorts of other political mumbo-jumbo. Thankfully, he made it through that whole mess, and was able to keep his job =] We obviously couldn’t be happier!

Since then, Chris has been applying at several different police departments in the area. He passed the written test for the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office as a Reserve Officer. Right now, we are just waiting to hear if he gets to move on to the Interview. The Academy starts in the fall, so hopefully we can get some information soon. For now, we are playing the waiting game.

We are still both fully involved in our hobbies. Chris is also starting to really get involved in air soft. Basically, it’s like paintball, but with small plastic pellets. Amanda’s cousins are really involved in the game, and Chris has been bringing some of his friends as well. Chris is also still into his RC cars, nothing has changed there =] Amanda is still sewing of course, making lots of wallets and selling them to friends and family.

Amanda also had a big change at work. She works at the front counter at her parents’ auto repair shop, and for the past few years, she has shared the front counter with her uncle Jason. Last summer, Jason announced he would be moving to Nebraska. Amanda ran the front counter by herself for several weeks. After a while, the work load was getting to be too much for one person. Amanda’s cousin filled the second spot for a couple months, but things didn’t quite work out with him. Amanda’s Dad came in and took over. Working side-by-side with one of your parents for 40 + hours each week can be frustrating, but it is also one of the best things that has happened this year =]

Other than that, we really haven’t experienced too much. Maybe next time we will have more exciting news =] Hope you all have a spectacular Spring and Summer!

Love always, Chris and Amanda Nelson

Thumbs up for Chris!

Several months ago, Chris applied to be a reserve for the Multnomah County Sheriffs' Office. Today was the testing day. Chris passed!!!!! I am so incredibly proud of him! His next step is an interview. After that, is a background check. We are crossing our fingers and praying that the next steps go just as well. Being a reserve isn't a paid position, but it's definitely a foot in the door! Departments are much more likely to hire someone who has already undergone all the training and Academy.

Happy Halloween!

So, last minute, Chris decided to dress up for the students at work. To keep with his required uniform, he went as a Narcotics Police Officer.
The flames are airbrushed by a guy that visits the local Craft Warehouse. Chris stood in line for 3 hours to get them done. They played a key part in his costume, helping him blend in at the local drug areas. LOL! The costume was also supported by his empty handcuff case, gun clip case and holstered air soft pistol (because he cant carry a real gun or cuffs at work). The rest of the costume was part of his normal uniform.

Chris has the privilege to work on the same shift as the Senior and K9 Narcotics Officer at Job Corp. He has developed a strong interest in K9 Narcotics work and plans to soon meet a K9 trainer in Salem.

Chris's Truck

This is what the part looked like..

This is what it is supposed to look like..

But now it is all fixed..
Chris has his truck back
And I have my car back

Life is good!

Two Boys, Two Skate Parks

Last week I had a few days off from work.

One of those days we decided to go to Seaside and Cannon Beach.
Chris and Andy had been wanting to try out the skate parks there.

By the end of the day
I'm sure they were getting tired of my camera constantly pointed at them.

I know this, because Chris took my camera from me.
And found better uses for it.

Happy Birthday Chris!!!!

You're Invited!

Saturday April 25th open house for Chris Birthday!

WHERE: Our House
WHEN: 7pm-9pm on the 25th

Brothers

Found this picture hiding in my computer.
Just had to post it =]

Elephant Ears

I was clicking away at my computer last night..
and I very lovely aroma crept up the stairs.

I walked into the kitchen.. and what did I see?

Chris was making elephant ears!!!

I stole the recipe and got some pictures for ya =]

Elephant Ears

2 c. flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. shortening
1/2 c. water
Oil (for frying)

Topping:
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Blend everything, but water, as you would for pie crust. Add water and shape into a ball. Add a few more drops of water if dough doesn't handle well. If too sticky, add flour.

Divide dough into balls and roll flat

Using tongs, place dough in preheated oil.
Dough will float and bubble, pop bubbles if desired.

When golden brown, pick up dough with tongs and allow excess oil to drip off.

Place in topping mixture.

Let cool, and ENJOY!!!