Inspirational

Check out this beautiful and inspiring story about the Nielson's.


http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2008/11/20/20081120mr-stephanie1120.html

Halloween

We had a great Halloween this year! Justin really got into it for the first time and was excited to go trick or treating. Justin was a lion because he loves lions and has a very ferocious "roar." Isabelle was a beautiful purple fairy simply because I fell in love with the costume. Unfortunately, we couldn't get very good pictures because the kids didn't want to hold still and we couldn't get any of them next to each other because everytime Justin would go to stand by Isabelle she would run away from him! He had been bugging her all day and I think she had had enough by that point!

Pumpkin Carving

I was excited for us to carve pumpkins this year because I thought that Justin would really enjoy getting messy. Boy was I wrong! He didn't even want to reach inside at all but he did enjoy watching Dave and coloring his own pumpkin. Isabelle was not really interested at all but content to run around us and eat Dave's necklace from his Uncle Rico costume.

The pictures ended up backwards, so here is the finished product first!

Eating the necklace

Coloring the pumpkin

I really think Dave enjoys carving the pumpkins and letting his creative side come out.

And it's Going to be. . .

a girl! As Dave put it, Isabelle will have the sister I never had. Now if we could just give Justin the brother Dave never had. . . The baby looks great and it was actually the most entertaining ultrasound i've had. She of course had her stomach down so it was hard to tell the gender. My doctor says he is 95% sure it's a girl and will check again next time. Dr. Beck kept poking at her trying to get her to move and by the end of the ultrasound she was literally doing front flips which was pretty funny to watch. Everything looks healthy and we are just excited to hear that!

It was time. . .

My mom will be so happy, Justin finally got a haircut! I love his hair long and get so many compliments on it but it was so long the poor kid couldn't see anymore. I started yesterday by just cutting the front but apparently Dave thought it looked like a mullett so today he cut the back. I have to admit that Justin does look really cute and he keeps calling himself handsome, but I can't wait for it to grow back! Before

Poor Justin had to look up to try to see out from under his hair!

After
Doesn't he look handsome! Dave think he looks like he's 5 now.
At least you can see those beautiful baby browns now!

On a side note, Justin has a fever of 103.5 today! He's acting normal so hopefully it won't turn into anything more and will go away quickly!

Twenty-nine is fine, right?

Yesterday I turned the big 2-9. It was a great day and Dave and I had a great date Saturday night to celebrate but I am still having mixed feelings about this one! I am just one year away from turning 30 which if I think about that too long it starts to freak me out! We ate at the Macaroni Grill Saturday, and I couldn't help looking around at all the young employees and remembering when I worked in restaurants during college. I thought to myself, "I'm not that much older than them now, right?" but if I asked them they probably would think i'm old! On the other hand I think, "I'm only 29 so why do I feel like i'm 39!" I can't believe how much having kids and all these "adult" responsibilities has aged me. How do you stay feeling young when it's so hard to find any time to yourself? Sometimes I think, "In a couple of years when my kids are older and more independent it will be okay, but then I remember I'M PREGNANT and the whole cycle of raising a child is about to start over! But if I really step back and put things in perspective I feel like I have so much at such a young age. I have a wonderful husband who supports and encourages me in everything that I do, two beautiful children with one on the way that bring me more joy and laughter then I could ever imagine, a beautiful house in a great neighborhood, and I come from a wonderful family and now I have amazing in-laws too. The list could go on and on and on and with each birthday i'm sure that I will have more to add to that list so I think from now on i'm just going to remember "Age is just a number" especially next year when I will be turning 30!

By the way, here's something that always brings a smile to my face when I think about it, no matter how old I am, Dave will always be 4 years older! Just one of the benefits of marrying an older man! I love you Dave!

I would love to put a picture up of my birthday yesterday but we didn't take any! Instead, here is a picture from October 2004, when I wasn't even thinking about age!

The Pumpkin Patch

On Saturday we went to Mother Nature's Farm and had a great time! We went there last year too and the kids really have a blast. Justin, Robyn, and Isabelle all had a great time picking out a pumpkin and then decorating it. There is also a tractor ride that takes you around the farm and you can see all the animals. At one point in the day we couldn't find Justin and when we finally did he was running back and forth from one animal's cage to the next. He really loves animals and could have spent the whole day with them. Isabelle also really liked the animals and it was really cute to watch her because she is starting to do animal sounds! Justin was so proud of his pumpkin! Honestly, the one he picked out was one of the worst in the patch and was starting to rot, but whatever makes him happy!
Robyn went with a Patriotic theme.
Isabelle definitely mastered the "maaaa" sound by the time we left!