Stella Baby

Yep, this was a month ago when she was only three months old and a little baby....now she's DOUBLE that size!

Father's Day BBQ

Deagan just mooched off Poppie!

We negotiated into the sale of the home this wonderful trampoline:) We can't keep the kids off it!


That's olivia in there spinning.


My mom with her Dad.


silly lexi


My dad and his brother:)

The gang on the new front porch!

This was taken a few days after we moved in:) Boy were we happy! Finally our own home, again.
Here are a few sneak peak pictures for you, BEFORE we did our painting and moving. Now the wall with the fireplace is RED, and the kitchen has a metallic teal wall, and the rest is a creamy coffee color....I'll post those pics later:)
Snoop-On...

Living Room

Finally, we have a wood burning fireplace that we'll actually use:) And that white box looking thing above the mantle, yeah that's a flat screen TV mount.....for the TV we don't have;)

Living with Dining Room

here's the first half of the living room, with the arched ceiling to the dining room. And the window to the kitchen:)

Entry/Livingroom

On the right by the stairs is the front door, with the stairs against the wall leading right up. You're looking at the living room and a little cut out to the kitchen.

A little peak at the backyard

I have to get out there and get a good picture of the yard, but this is a sneak peak of a part of the deck with the pergola....

The Kid Cut Out in under the basement stairs

There is a little door and window, and the walls inside are painted with chalkboard paint! They just love it!

The Basement

They had just finished the basement when we bought the house, with nifty little "cut-outs" in the walls for a sofa and a TV.

Visiting MiMaw in Frankenmuth

One weekend in early JUNE, we went to visit my mom in Frankenmuth while she was a her "sisters of the heart" reunion. The kids got nice baby massages too!
:)

I'm baaaaack.....

Deagan helping my Dad measure for the deck building:)

yucky tummies

So here we are after a great weekend, feeling miserable laying around. Deagan woke up at 6am this morning and cried for over an HOUR!!!!!! Good morning to you!
He's been really clingy and just not himself all day. And Olivia too, she's been extra sensitive and sleepy.
So this morning went ok, then gradually they got worse. Now here they are on my bed watching Deigo, sipping AJ, and eating slices of bread (they think it makes them feel better). With yucky tummies, low grade fevers and just over-all yuckiness.
You know Deagan's having a bad day when you can get him to lay on a bed for an hour, when he's not sleeping!!!!!
:(

PICTURES ARE UP!!!!!

Visit www.jeffandtricia.com and see are awesome pictures by Arising Images:)

I'm in love....

...with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill !!!!!!!

Jeff and I went to their concert on Wednesday night and it was fantastic:)
They are an amazing couple, and they even let their daughter come up on stage and sing one with them!

And oh, their duets, oh so HOT:)

I'm in love!!!!!

The Wedding Cake:)

Here's a cute picture that my mom took of us with the cake...right before we smashed it into our maid of honor and best man's faces!!!!!! HAHAHA

Hola!

Well we are still in Mexico, sneaking a few minutes on the internet!
I know you are all dying to see pics from the wedding....
FYI- go to www.arisingimages.com and click on their BLOG, scroll down and you'll see about five images....a little sneak peak!

See you soon,
love the ever-so-tan Tricia;)

Thank You Thank You Thank You

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to absolutely EVERYONE for making our wedding the night of our dreams! You all were so kind and loving and caring last night. It really was everything we have ever wanted!
Jeff and I are taking off to MEXICO for a week and will be sure to post tons of pictures upon our return.
Please check www.arisingimages.com for wedding pictures soon.
Once again, thank you ALL for making us the happiest couple in the world!
Tricia and Jeff

It's been too long....

Ok, so I haven't updated my blog in A LONG TIME. Sorry, just a few things going on right now. We've moved into the new house. Jeff and I spent a week pulling almost all nighters to paint before we moved in. We painted everything except the kitchen and the bathrooms......ugh! Talk about long days, tucking the kids into bed then going over and painting till2 or 3am- not fun, not good for your body!
But we did it and it's done (well almost). We had the big move-in last Saturday and a BBQ on sunday for father's day. Of course I have pictures, but they are locked in the vault of memory cards and not coming out yet.
Now I am in full wedding mode. Semi- I guess since my brain is still trying to digest the new house and all that needs to be done....company is coming MONDAY, TUESDAY, THURSDAY and FRIDAY before the wedding and we're going to have a houseful. Let's just hope we get all of the boxes out of the way first...haha!

So I've been asked by a few friends and family to create some sort of wedding registry, against my previous wishes, I made some this week. So, if you desire, we are registered at Target online and Bed Bath and Beyond.

I promise I will post pictures before the kids' next birthdays:)
Talk to you soon....hopefully again before the wedding but no promises, as we have NO internet yet at the new house!

Tricia

WE are OFFICIALLY Homeowners AGAIN!!!!

Today, we finally closed on our new house. It's been months in the making and it's finally done....well almost. We have to wait until monday to take possession, but that's ok:)
We can't wait to start our lives again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Olivia and Mommy

After Olivia's first year graduation of Montessori pre-school:)
She made her own flag (the country of Bolivia, haha). And she has her dipoloma in hand.

Sideways MiMaw and Olivia

MiMaw has the joy of coming to see Olivia's graduation program.
:)

(sorry it's sideways)

Billy

Olivia's school has two goats out back, Billy and Homer. She loves them and says hello to them every morning on the way in! We even brought them carrots a few times:)

Olivia and Madison, her bud from school.

Sweet Olivia, Proud of Herself:)

She was so proud, they did their program and sang songs- she didn't miss a beat!

Olivia Receiving her Diploma

Each child got to walk up in front of everyone and get their diploma from miss Lois. And then they said a sweet thank you. Shy little Olivia bolted back to her seat real fast:)

Momma Swan and her babies:)

This is the swan that lives on our lake, we've been following them since the parents made the nest a few months ago. And then we watched as the eggs hatched overnight. They are so fuzzy and so cute!

Deagan Cracks Me Up

Deagan has been teething these four inscisor (?) teeth for like six months now, and they still haven't broken the surface! Plus four molars in the back (which might actually appear first). Anyway, the kid is so outside of the mold of a normal child....
I've been rubbing Anbesol on his gums- you know, the nasty tasting stuff that numbs the whole interior of your mouth?
Yeah, well he thinks it's hillarious. I rub it on and then he runs around crazy shaking his head and making crazy eyes, and then comes and asks for more. I have to hide it from him! He loves it!
The kid CRACKS me up!
p.s.- I used to have to hold olivia down to get any in her mouth! Then I just gave up and stopped trying to help her because she hatted it so much:)

Uncle Tim and Aunt Sherry on their Wedding Day

So in love, so young, so innocent- beautiful!!!!!!

Uncle Tim

We received a call early Thursday morning from my grandma telling us of my Dad's brother's passing. He died of what they think was a heart attack in his home late Wednesday night. Uncle Tim was a great man. He was always happy to see you and so gentle and kind, saying "well hello there" with a big smile. He's the kind of guy that was always very young at heart with big aspirations. We constantly talked of trips we'd take and the wild and crazy stuff he'd done. Uncle Tim was so excited when I brough Jeff into the famliy and welcomed him with open arms. They loved to b.s. at famliy functions about camping, hiking, skydiving and anything else that happens outdoors. He's been there for all of my kids birthday parties here and countless ones of my own growing up. I'm kicking myself for not backing up my files and having my computer crash (this week of course) when I have some great pictures of him and his famliy at Deagan's birthday party!
Losing Uncle Tim is another terrible blow to this famliy. Going through the grieving process again is especially hard this time around. It seems like just yesterday we were all in this same position dealing with my brother's death. I can't believe it was actually six years ago. Does the pain ever go away? Does it ever stop cutting your heart so deep? Like it just happened! I am a very emotional person, moreso since having kids, and I just can't handle certain things well. I re-live things so deeply in an emotional way and just have a hard time letting go, not moving on, just letting go. So I try not to let myself get wrapped into the memories, but this time it was inevitable. I had to dig through it all and bring Nick right back to the surface day by day what we went through. Memories I've tucked far away. And now, thinking of everyone else on my Dad's side of the famliy and all they have been through...I wonder can it get any worse? Can the pain of loss get deeper, I hope not in my life. It's just so hard to understand. So hard to attempt to try and figure out why things happen the way they do, but the sad part is that you really can't understand it or make sense of it.
The visitation is tomorrow, keep us in your prayers!
THANK YOU!

Tim, Andy, and Tony

I am making a slideshow for my uncle's viewing on saturday, and someone gave me this picture- it's my new favorite of my Dad and his brothers! Tim is on the left, little brother Andy in the middle (a whole helmet head shorter), and my dad on the left:)

Obituary I wrote for Uncle Tim

Nelson, Timothy, 53, died at his home late Wednesday in Ann Arbor, MI on May 30th, 2007. Tim was a loving father of two, uncle, brother, husband and son. Tim was the son of Fritz Nelson of Whitmore Lake and the late John Nelson. He was born March 22nd, 1954 at the Burtonwood Air Force Base in England. During his childhood, he was the resident of many countries and states, with fond memories of growing up with his brothers and sister in Gulfport, MS and Savannah, GA. Tim graduated from St. Thomas High School in Ann Arbor in 1972. He was an avid outdoorsman who found joy in hiking, camping, kayaking and had a thrill seeker passion for skydiving. Tim enjoyed spending his free time at Isle Royale in Michigan. He was a Master Gardener from the MSU extension program that took pride in the craft. Tim perfected his skills as a mechanic and enjoyed working on cars. He is survived by his loving wife of 24 years, Sherry Nelson and their two children, Daniel and Patrick Nelson; Brother and Sister-in-law, Tony and Kathy Nelson of Brighton, MI; and Brother, Andy Nelson of Whitmore Lake, MI. A visitation service in honor of Timothy Nelson will be held at Stark Funeral Home 101 S. Washington Street in Ypsilanti, MI on Saturday, June 2nd, 2007 from 6-9pm. Funeral Services fo will be at 2pm on Sunday. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to his family for a future memorial tree to be planted in the Arboretum in Ann Arbor. Please contact Stark for more information at 734-482-4900. “When enjoying the flavor of life, take big bites…moderation is for monks!” a favorite quote of Tim’s by Robert Heinlein.

Anniversary Party

This weekend I threw (in combo with my grandparents) a surprise anniversary party for my parents. We went to a new fondue place in Novi. The food was interesting and we had a great time. I think Deagan loved it the most, we couldn't stop him from dipping!

Mmmmm....Brynn is that yummy?

love you;)

Lovin' the Fondue

Deagan was obsessed with the cheese fondue

Ring My Bell

We made them kiss about a hundred times, by ringing our wedding bells on the table. Olivia thought it was hillarious!

Olivia look at the camera please....

We had matching skirts on....

Us

Great Grandpa and Deagan

He was explaining how someday Deagan will have hands as big as his!

Cutting The Cake

I actually found their cake knife from 30years ago:)

Who is Walking Whom?

Deagan just wants to be BIG

Big Brother Helper

This car has been the best investment in a toy that we've ever made! Olivia used it at Deagan's age, and still loves it! Deagan rides in it daily....

Sweet Love!

Sleepy Stella

Stella and Deaga

Deagan insists upon coming out with us each and every time that Stella has to go (like 20 times a day). And he always wears his alligator boots. TOO CUTE!
These were from when she was just 8wks old and three inches shorter....

too tired!

Us on the Ferris Wheel

At the top...the way top! They were NOT scared at all!

Olivia doing flips on the bungee thing

We were at the fairgrounds and she went on the bungee bouncey thing....with one instruction she was doing flips!

*HaPpY 30th AnNiVeRsArY*

Thirty years ago today my parents got married! THIRTY YEARS!!!! I am very proud to say that in today's society they are celebrating their 30th anniversary. It's an amazing accomplishment and what an example to set for me and my children!
I love you guys:)

Little Moments

Every night I have the pleasure of putting Deagan to bed. Not that no one else will do it, but I don't want to share it. It's one of the best parts of my day. Deagan is about 20 months now, and still loves to be rocked before bed. It's our little moment together that we share.
Well lately he loves to draw it out a bit. I'll rock and rock, then ask him if he's ready to go in his bed....and he'll say "no, momma, rock!" So I rock and rock and rock, and we go back and forth about bedtime and rocking.
For the last year and a half, every night I sing to him "You are my sunshine." And tonight he actually started singing back. He got about every fourth word. It was amazing. To hear your little baby, all curled up on you quietly singing in your ear. It's the sweetest sound. And I'll cherish it forever! ..."pease no tate shun shine way..."
:)

Yes, I will post pictures soon!

Hello everyone! Just wanted to say sorry for the lack of pictures....since I've been out of school things have been super crazy. And I don't have access to computers with all the programs twice a week anymore!
So here's the update in a nutshell:
We are closing on a house on June 8th.
We have a new puppy, Stella, a great dane.
Olivia is riding a big girl bike with training wheels.
I graduated photography school.
Jeff is working at Quicken now.
Deagan has grown leaps and bounds in speech, mobility and height!
He got his second haircut of all time last week.
We went on a vacation to Holland for Mother's Day- to the tulip festival.
We camped in a rustic cabin and it was SUCH A GREAT TIME!
The kids love "candy samiches" aka smores.

So I do have pictures of the house, the dog, the new princess' bike, the haircut, tulips, camping....and a ton more among my 250+ files that I have to download....in my spare time.

Oh yeah, and did I mention there is a wedding in six weeks...
:)

Jeff and Dad's New "Project"

My Dad and Jeff got a little ambitious this weekend and started building a deck on the front of the house....just a little one...look to the right and then they'll send it back around the side of the house too!
they're crazy.
But it's about time:) We've all wanted a deck for FOREVER:)
I'll keep you updated on the progress of this addition.