The Nelson Five

A Reunion of Sorts

2012-02-16T23:18:00.008Z

My dearest girlfriends from college came to town for a girls trip to Boston and we ended up in Connecticut (at the beautiful Mayflower Inn and Spa nonetheless!)

I still can't decide which part of the weekend was my favorite, was it when we were circled up on the floor around bottles of wine and cupcakes reminiscing, or was it the endless hike to the summit of Steep Rock when Jan and Elissa turned such lovely shades of green, was it sharing the birth via facetime (from the waiting room of course!) of precious baby Gray, perhaps my very favorite part was the type of service and attention we enjoyed throughout the weekend be it from the lovely waitress at the Good News Cafe or by the people that we encountered on the street that all just seemed to know that we were not from this neck of the woods! Too many fun moments to pick just one favorite, a perfect weekend for sure and much to look forward to the next time around! Miss you all so very much!

Kindergarten Friend of the Week

2012-02-16T02:00:00.003Z

S was the friend of the week for his class last week. He worked for hours on his poster and on deciding which photos to share. He couldn't have been more proud of his work and neither could we!

Happy Valentines Day

2012-02-14T01:56:00.000Z

My heart is full!

Celebrating 12 Fabulous Years

2012-01-04T17:29:00.005Z

12 Years Ago

2012-01-03T21:21:00.002Z

We were blessed with this precious little boy who has grown (overnight it seems!) into an amazing young man. He is innately curious, incredibly bright, dashingly handsome, he is honest and hardworking, he is sporty and social (my how that has increased over the last few months!) and makes me proud every moment of every day! Happy 12th Birthday G, we love you very, very much!

Christmas 2011

2012-01-01T22:23:00.000Z

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Christmas Eve 2011

2012-01-01T22:13:00.000Z

We took the boys to the family Christmas Eve service

then went to mom and dad's for a lovely Christmas Eve dinner

mom had visions of well behaved grandchildren calmly opening Christmas gifts while singing like angels the traditional Christmas hymns

she got this instead

A perfect Christmas Eve!

A Family Holiday

2012-01-01T21:58:00.000Z

We spent the holidays this year in Dallas with our family. We had such fun and enjoyed every moment catching up with our dear friends and family, here are a few highlights:

the boys get measured each time they visit, big growth spurts this year

Mom and Dad took us to the Gaylord for the ice exhibit, a perfect day out for all

nothing is more fun than a picnic with cousins

followed by an afternoon of gingerbread decorating

Hunt for Perfect

2011-11-28T14:46:00.006Z

We ventured out on Friday in search of the perfect Christmas tree

S was the proud victor of finding our tree this year

And then the fun really began ... our little elves took the decorating job quite seriously!

Tis the season!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-26T14:37:00.002Z

Much to be thankful for!

Health Update

2011-11-14T20:03:00.005Z

I am quite happy to report that G is on the mend and back at school today after almost two weeks at home ill. While he has been recuperating, the little monkeys have been enjoying our lovely fall weather and its offerings:

I Have No Words

2011-11-05T00:15:00.001Z

Its been quite a week. I can hardly think coherently much less write coherently. A little background...G has been home from school all week and was diagnosed on Thursday after a trip to Children's (our 6th trip there since June I should add) with pneumonia. I am celebrating tonight because my husband did not get on his scheduled flight to Asia and I therefore do not have to handle this on my own. Probably would have put me over the edge. So here we are, this is our supper:

And this is what I served our children for supper:

No words. Certainly not my proudest parenting moment. However, I'm on my 3rd glass of Pinot Grigio and the kids are on a sugar high. It could be worse, not much mind you but it could be worse!

It's been quite a week. Please let tomorrow bring some relief to us all.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T19:58:00.006Z

Featuring the Green Lantern and Batman

Never before have we had snow on Halloween, we're certainly not in Texas anymore!

G made a late appearance as he had plans with friends from school for Halloween. I was quite lucky to get even one photo of this young man who is growing and maturing by the nanosecond, you can just see it in his face right?

So happy to have all of my little goblins home after a fabulous night of trick-or-treating, they didn't do too bad did they?

Upham Annual Halloween Parade and Class Party

2011-11-01T19:53:00.002Z

Halloween Preparations

2011-11-01T19:50:00.003Z

An Afternoon of Apple Picking

2011-10-30T17:37:00.001Z

A New Trick for S!

2011-10-29T17:26:00.000+01:00

Well done S, well done!

Family Visit

2011-10-24T15:00:00.005+01:00

G's folks had an extended layover in Boston and the children much enjoyed having them here

especially because they came bearing gifts in the form of whoopee cushions

we celebrated Papa's birthday while they were here, always a treat for the boys

A Little Side Trip

2011-10-21T22:55:00.003+01:00

G and I enjoyed a lovely weekend in San Francisco, one perk of having a husband that travels frequently!

The weekend was made even more fun as we were met by our dearest friends the Butlers!

We flew San Fran to Dallas and then Dallas back home to Boston, this was the wide, beautiful sunset (cue Jackopierce's Free) flying out of Dallas, one thing we truly miss...

Thanks to a wonderful, highly qualified nanny for keeping our monkeys so we could enjoy a little time to ourselves, when can we book you again?

B's First Day

2011-10-10T00:44:00.002+01:00

B's first day of Grand Jardin at his precious little nursery. He has been trying to convince me that his school is "not good for me", this despite the fact that he has attended for the last 2 years and has loved every single moment of his time there. He has been working this angle since S's first day and continued even this morning with the assurance that he would be much better served by attending Kindergarten with S. Good try B, good try!

B's Birthday Party

2011-09-14T22:14:00.000+01:00

Another First Day of School

2011-09-12T20:18:00.003+01:00

This time for G, this time for the 6th grade, and this time (for the first time in years) he is not the "new kid" and he is thrilled!

4 Years Ago

2011-09-12T20:04:00.007+01:00

Our lives were richly blessed when our precious baby B was born! Happy, happy birthday to you!

G was in London last week for the big day so we planned a party via VC so he wouldn't miss a thing. Here is B showing him his new soccer ball:

He's Off!

2011-08-31T23:33:00.000+01:00

S's first day of Kindergarten, big day for this little one!

Looking a bit like an overzealous mom

And then there was one...

How Can This Be?

2011-08-31T22:49:00.000+01:00

Our little S is ready for Kindergarten! I truly can't believe that this day is already here, I don't feel like I've had near enough time with him at home. Please let this ride slow down, it is moving much too fast!

Here he is at his back-to school morning to meet his teacher:

Despite me not being ready for my little birds to leave our nest, this one is more than ready to fly!

Love This Spot

2011-08-29T02:30:00.014+01:00

We could not have enjoyed our time at the Cape any more than we did, might just be one of the loveliest places we have been to yet!

And may I never forget this very moment...

Last Stop

2011-08-29T02:10:00.013+01:00

Cape Cod...let the holiday really begin

Love this photo of the boys

We found the Cape to be quite special, cheers to a perfect first day there!

A Day in Mystic

2011-08-29T01:48:00.013+01:00

We spent the morning exploring Mystic Seaport which was fantastic, we could have spent days there! Boys loved touring the ships and G is ready to learn to sail

Entering Mystic

2011-08-25T05:00:00.000+01:00

Our next stop was Mystic, Connecticut and we found it quite charming! A quintessential New England seaport village:

Moving Right Along

2011-08-25T03:13:00.000+01:00

Our next stop was Williamsport, Pennsylvania for the Little League World Series. Never, ever before have I seen G more excited. In his words, "This just gives me the jiggles!" (I think he forgot the word goosebumps)

Our littlest spectator didn't quite make it to the end of the game

Next Stop . . .

2011-08-25T03:00:00.000+01:00

Niagra Falls

Truly spectacular and exceeded our expectations!

Kalamazoo to Detroit

2011-08-25T02:59:00.000+01:00

Best Wishes Liz and Hugo!

2011-08-22T13:57:00.001+01:00

Kalamazoo, Michigan was our next destination for the wedding celebration of G's cousin Liz

Air Zoo in Kalamazoo

2011-08-22T13:30:00.000+01:00

A Highlight for the Boys

2011-08-22T13:20:00.005+01:00

After departing the farm, we stopped in Akron, Ohio at the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Moving Right Along

2011-08-22T03:34:00.012+01:00

Our next adventure on the 2011 Nelson family road trip was a stop at the Kolander's farm in Pennsylvania. The boys could not have had more fun and G decided he was made for country living! Thank you to the Kolanders for having us, we truly appreciate your gracious hospitality and all that you did to make our visit so special!

My Little Farm Hands

2011-08-22T02:22:00.006+01:00

Shop Talk

2011-08-22T01:32:00.008+01:00

The boys had a busy day in the shop:

Pocono Mountains Visit

2011-08-20T19:36:00.008+01:00

First Stop ...

2011-08-20T19:21:00.006+01:00

The Crayola Factory in Easton, Pennsylvania

And We're Off

2011-08-20T19:01:00.003+01:00

The Nelson family car trip of 2011

Let the family bonding begin!

A Wonderful Weekend

2011-08-16T14:18:00.008+01:00

S and I spent the weekend together, just the two of us, no other brothers, only S and mom. To say he relished in the one on one time would be quite an understatement! Here are a few highlights:

He is my precious boy and quite a traveling companion!

Our Favorite Camper

2011-08-16T14:05:00.006+01:00

Absence certainly does make the heart grow fonder! We could not have been more excited to see G after he spent the week at sleep away camp:

How We Spent Our Summer Vacation

2011-08-08T15:36:00.004+01:00

G was selected again this summer to play on our town travel team:

The team went undefeated in season games and made it to the semi-finals. Fantastic season with a fantastic team!

How the Little Brothers Spent Their Summer Vacation Too

2011-08-08T14:47:00.000+01:00

Two of the best baseball supporters around:

Family 4th of July Holiday

2011-07-13T18:38:00.003+01:00

We spent the holiday weekend again this year in Vermont, a few highlights:

Family Photo

2011-07-12T03:08:00.002+01:00

The whole clan...we spent a quick weekend in Dallas to celebrate our precious niece:

S's End of Year Play

2011-07-12T02:45:00.001+01:00

Here is our precious monkey in his nursery's production of The Umbrella:

B's End of Year Program

2011-07-11T19:38:00.007+01:00

Here is our favorite car driver in the nursery production of Make Way for Ducklings:

B was insistent on us bringing him candy for a job well done and we teased back pretending to hear "carrot" instead of "candy", not sure how much he enjoyed the joke in the end:

A Bit of Catching Up

2011-07-11T19:25:00.002+01:00

A few photos from our very own Mayberry Memorial Day festivities, I have to say it again...I love this town:

Our All-Star

2011-05-22T03:21:00.002+01:00

G was selected again this year for our town All-Star team. A few photos from the game:

Congratulations G and well played! We are very proud of you, you have accomplished so much and it is exciting for us to watch you set your mind to something and go for it!

S's 5th Birthday Party

2011-05-15T15:55:00.002+01:00

A few photos from S's super soccer star party

Happy Birthday!

2011-05-15T15:45:00.002+01:00

Celebrating 5 fabulous years with our precious S!

You are the light of our lives and we are so very proud of you, happy 5th birthday S!

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T18:13:00.000+01:00

From our family to yours

Easter Morning

2011-04-24T18:01:00.010+01:00

Easter Preparations

2011-04-24T17:56:00.000+01:00

Another Championship Title

2011-04-24T17:51:00.001+01:00

G's 5th grade basketball team won the town championship!

Valentines Day 2011

2011-04-24T17:49:00.002+01:00

G's 11th Birthday

2011-04-24T17:37:00.004+01:00

Happy 11 years, G! You bring more happiness and joy to us than you will ever know. We could not be more proud of the young man that you have become. Happy Birthday!

Happy New Year

2011-04-24T17:35:00.002+01:00

New Years Eve

2011-04-24T17:31:00.000+01:00

A Bit of Catching Up

2011-04-24T17:18:00.003+01:00

G's birthday ... his only request was snow. He enjoyed it until just a few weeks ago.

Another year under the belt. We love you very much!

Another New Winter Favorite

2011-01-20T13:35:00.002Z

We've discovered yet another great thing about living in these arctic conditions ...

SNOW ICE CREAM!

See how happy it makes the boys!

Love This Town

2011-01-18T02:13:00.003Z

Found a great sledding hill right in the neighborhood, made for quite a fun family afternoon:

Knew it was time to call it a day when S began telling us about his snow burn. Your what? My snow burn. What is that S? When your toes are burning and you can't feel them anymore because they are so cold.

Upon returning home we checked the temperature, a brisk 12 degrees. Seems he may have been talking about frostbite. No harm, no foul right?

Keep Calm and Carry On

2011-01-14T23:26:00.004Z

The Blizzard of 2011

2011-01-14T23:21:00.001Z

Christmas 2010

2011-01-07T23:14:00.004Z

Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T01:09:00.000Z

Can't Get Enough

2010-12-23T01:00:00.001Z

Winter Wonderland

2010-12-23T00:55:00.000Z

A Perfect Day

2010-12-22T00:51:00.004Z

A perfect beginning

a perfect ending

and everything in between

Holiday Baking at its Best

2010-12-20T20:01:00.002Z

A Very Special Visit

2010-12-20T19:58:00.001Z

The two Thomas Nelsons ...

Holiday Traditions

2010-12-20T00:41:00.002Z

Last day of school gingerbread house making celebration!

Annual Christmas Tree Hunt

2010-12-17T23:10:00.008Z

Halloween 2010

2010-11-11T15:43:00.001Z

B's Birthday Party

2010-10-05T01:24:00.002+01:00

3 Years Ago...

2010-10-05T00:39:00.003+01:00

our world was blessed once again with a precious baby boy who would keep us laughing forever after...

Happy Birthday to our one and only B, you have grown into a little boy all too quickly and you brighten our days more than you will ever know!

Labor Day 2010

2010-10-05T00:13:00.007+01:00

aka Weekend of Family in Salado ...

thanks "aunt Em-im-me" for the super-hero get-ups, you have no idea how well loved they are

the annual night parade

celebrating the big 3 with family

seems we fell into the poor oral health habits while overseas

headed to the Nelson family reunion

Nelson babies of the year 2000

last Texas stop was a trip to Baylor and a visit with the bear

Destin 2010

2010-08-11T01:57:00.005+01:00

Happy 4th!

2010-07-05T23:07:00.011+01:00

We left the city for the holiday weekend and made our way to Vermont to celebrate the 4th:

This was our stop, picturesque to say the least:

Family golf round 1:

Second day, full of amusements:

Family golf round 2, mom v son: son led by one stroke, mom not sure if she should be shamed or thrilled:

Mom and son hike, perfect morning of exploring:

Beautiful last stop:

Summer Ball

2010-06-30T22:25:00.003+01:00

Little G has been hearing tales of summer baseball from his friends at school since the day he started school here. He worked his little tail off throughout the fall and winter taking lessons and working in the backyard at every chance he was given. Spring try-outs rolled around and he was beyond thrilled to be selected for the team.

Here are a few photos from their first tournament in which they placed 1st! G is in the front row on the far right hand side:

The little brothers are enjoying summer ball just as much as their big brother!

Where Do They Go

2010-06-23T18:09:00.002+01:00

How can 15 years pass so quickly? Must mean we're having fun!

Happy Anniversary my love!

May I Present

2010-06-17T14:44:00.002+01:00

the 2010 Wellesley Little League National League Champions!

Wingaersheek Beach

2010-06-01T16:00:00.008+01:00

Our weekend in photos:

Old Fashioned Small Town Memorial Day Celebration

2010-05-31T17:01:00.008+01:00

Began with a parade down Main Street:

Little ones did not care very much for the battle reenactments:

Our afternoon was spent watching G play baseball; little brothers of the teammates pass the time well together:

We spent the evening at the town carnival:

Our day ended with spectacular fireworks, a more perfect day could not be had.

We continue to fall in love with our new town and new home with each passing day!

Happy Memorial Day to all

Budding Young Scientist

2010-05-25T22:58:00.004+01:00

G participated in his school science fair a few weeks ago. Here he is proudly in front of his display board. He came up with a great experiment and truly seemed to enjoy the process. We are quite proud of his effort!

To be honest, I didn't know science fairs were even held anymore. This brought back a few memories of my youth. Except back in the day it was an actual (dare I say it) competition. Imagine that. None of this participation award nonsense. None of this everyone is a winner nonsense. Projects were judged on content and merit and relevancy and prizes were awarded. I'm sure there was disappointment in losing just as there was excitement in winning, but it was handled and kids moved on. Sure wish it was still like that today ...

Our Favorite All-Star

2010-05-23T14:53:00.007+01:00

G was quite honored to be selected by his teammates for the 2010 Little League All Star team. Here are a few highlights from the game this weekend:

G pitched one inning with 3 strike outs:

He had 2 at bats resulting in a walk and a single:

Here is the team celebrating a 13-1 win:

G and his All-Star teammates:

G, we are very proud of your accomplishments both on and off the baseball field. You have worked very hard and have seen the results of your dedication and perseverance. It is such fun to watch you and be a part of your many endeavors! Well done, G!

S's School Play

2010-05-18T16:56:00.002+01:00

S was smashing as a red fish in his class production of The Rainbow Fish:

Well done S, we couldn't be more proud of you!

Another Year Passes

2010-05-18T01:46:00.005+01:00

and our Mothers Day miracle turns 4!

S was certain he wanted a baseball themed party which we planned to have at home in the back yard. Only caveat was that in S's mind a baseball party meant he would actually be playing the game, and playing the game at Fenway mind you.

Here we are pre-party, slowing breaking the news to S that we would not be going to Fenway:

He would have to settle for this, which seemed to do just the trick:

Happy 4th Birthday my precious sunshine, you bring more joy to our lives than you will ever know! We will always be thankful for the miracle that we have in you and continue to be blessed by that very broken road that led us to you!

B's Debut

2010-05-08T02:14:00.004+01:00

B's class performed The Very Hungry Caterpillar yesterday. B was brilliant as the cupcake:

He looked like this through the entire performance. If his fingers were not in his mouth, they were in his other "comfort" spot, his nose:

We think he has a promising stage career ahead of him!

Well done our precious cupcake, well done!

First Fenway

2010-04-21T22:29:00.003+01:00

pregame warm-ups for our home team:

thank you Tom for the amazing seats:

sure missed our biggest fan, was a fantastic evening but not the same without you!

ready for the fly ball:

Hopefully this was the first of many at Fenway, truly a special place and a perfect evening with my little boys!

Happy Patriots' Day

2010-04-20T02:48:00.005+01:00

and Happy Marathon Monday:

boys couldn't get enough of da runners, lots ub runners:

spending our first Patriots' Day outside in the beautiful weather after hibernating all winter long:

Easter 2010

2010-04-18T02:22:00.010+01:00

bunny prep:

Easter morning:

not a turkey leg . . . a chocolate bunny:

Presidents Club

2010-03-24T14:42:00.004Z

We enjoyed a holiday in Grand Cayman as a result of G's success at Forrester for yet another year:

Well done you! I couldn't be more proud of you and your accomplishments, both professionally and personally. How you balance it all I will never know, but I am so happy that you do! You give us all that you have while enjoying such success in your career, what a role model you are to our boys. And you do it all with integrity, dedication and honor. I feel blessed to be your sidekick in these adventures!

Valentines Day 2010

2010-03-22T14:23:00.002Z

our little love bugs ...

Family Visit

2010-03-19T14:29:00.005Z

Tobin, Heidi, Emily and mom came for a visit in February. Here are a few highlights:

The little ones took a ski lesson:

while the big ones took to the slopes straight away:

Day tripping to the Boston Childrens Museum:

And to the Science Museum:

Can't wait for the next visit, hoping its soon!