Easter!

Yep, I made that! I'm pretty proud!

This year for Easter, Casey and I spent it with both our families. We really are blessed to have both families so close so we can spend holidays with both of them! We started out the day going to my parents' house in the morning around 10 to watch all our little nephews, Kylee, and my little cousins Alex, and Anya on their Easter Egg Hunt! It is too funny to watch the little ones! Tate would shake the eggs and make sure there was something inside, and when it didn't make a noise he would open it up to see if anything was inside, these ones would be the ones with dollar bills insided, but he needed make sure! I thought this was pretty funny! The Easter Bunny was pretty good this year and brought the kids those yummy different flavored milk boxes from Gossners, and some Cache valley string cheese! I don't remember the Easter Bunny bringing me stuff like that!! After they all found their treats, we all hung out outside since the weather happened to be amazing that day! We were expecting it to rain all day, so it was a nice surprise when the Sun came out!

Dax Man with the Basket Aunt Amy gave him!

T-Bone hunting easter eggs!

Casey and I

I love my siblings! I'm so fortunate that all four of us are so close! I really feel sad for all the siblings out there who aren't as cool as us! I know we would do anything for eachother! I love you guys!

Later on Casey and I went home to relax for a little while before we were expected to dinner at his parents' house at 3. When we got there both sets of his Grandparents were there, and his Aunt Susie who I love!, was there, his brother Cory and wife Kira and their crazy dog, and Tyler showed up a little later. We had an awesome meal of some yummy grilled chicken, funeral potatos, salad and jello! After dinner we all watched a video of Cory being tazered for his Officer training, which I found rather funny, becuase of his reaction to it! I totally get it freakin hurt, but is was pretty funny to watch! After that, Casey's dad brought out the old family videos, and I got to see how annoying Casey was when he was twelve, and how adorable he was when he was two! It's funny to watch those, becuase I always think, ok where was I when he was that old, who knew that would be my future husband! After watching videos for a while, we were due back at my parents' at five so that we could do some skeet shooting! Not to brag or anything, but I'm pretty good at it! Casey didn't know he had such a talented wife who could shoot clay pigeons in a dress! My dad graduated me to the big shotgun, and I did pretty good with it, but I do have a tiny bruise in my shoulder! I told Casey he could get me a shotgun for my birthday, let's see if he comes through! All in all, it was such a fun day that we got to spend with family, and we were exhausted by the end of it, but what a super fun day!

CFSC Dinner and Auction 2011

Some of you may know that My Mom and I volunteer at the Child and Family Support Center in the Circle of Friends. The Circle of Friends is a voluteer organization that comes together to organize all the fun Fundraisers! The most recent one we organized was last night at the CFSC's annual Benefit Dinner and Auction. I thought of the theme this year, and I chose "Wild Wild West!" Last year when Casey and I went on a ride with my parents to Promintory Point, they had lots of pictures set up of old saloons and things like that, and I thought hey! What a fun theme for next year's auction! Everyone loved it! Let me just tell you a little about the Center and what they do!

The Child & Family Support Center recognizes the prevention of child abuse and neglect as a community endeavor and views its services as collaborative with other local efforts. The CFSC has also established reliable stand-alone resources for the specific population—vulnerable children and families—that our nonprofit organization was created to serve. The CFSC considers its foremost focus and priority to be the safety and well-being of children and their fortifying family structures. The CFSC asserts that every child should have the privilege to grow up in a healthy, secure family environment within which to realize his/her full potential. However, families often need intervention, supportive community education, therapeutic programs and other services to assist them with the challenges of raising their children and handling the problems that arise. The CFSC believes that accessible crisis and respite care, evidence-based and well-researched prevention activities and proactive education represent essential, measurable and cost-effective strides toward viable resolution of abuse issues. We are committed to: preventing abuse and neglect of at-risk children protecting abused children from further harm and danger stopping cycles of violence and promoting stability to the greatest extent possible by facilitating and reinforcing development of healthy family systems.

I really Beleive in what this Center does! It's such a great place for kids to go to feel safe, but also that it is committed to Strengthening families is so Awesome! My family is so close, and how wonderful it would be if all families could be like that!

Now here's the fun stuff from our night last night! There is so much that goes into this Dinner and Auction. So many great people and businesses donate so many things for us to auction off, and it's amazing the money the Center brings in for this! This year we had Michelle Andrews, and her mom Joyce Murrey, and Daughter Hailey do the Decoration, and they did awesome! Everyone kept saying how this was the best auction yet! My mom gathers all the Auction items in her Basement and puts them all together into baskets, and other things. The night before my sisters and I helped wrap all the baskets, and that is quite a job! I was in charge of photos this year, So I took pictures of everyone one that came in that wanted their picture taken with John Wayne! It was fun! I dressed up as a Saloon Girl, and Casey was my Outlaw! My whole family dresses up every year, and it's so fun that we can do that together! My mom recieved an award for Volunteer of the Year, and I was so proud of her! She really beleives in what she does, and truely loves what she does!

We started going to these events in 2007 and I think this has been the most fun so far! I'm sure we will go for many years to come! Now here are some fun pictures of our evening!

Cake Crazy!!

Well Jaydale, Kylee and I have been taking some Cake Decorating classes, where we learned to frost and fill cakes and cupcakes, make different kinds of flowers out of roses, and types of boarders. We have been having alot of fun with this class and I have been practicing at home a little bit. I made a cake last week for practice will all the different flowers I have been practicing, so I just put them all on one cake, turned out very colorful! But I took it to sunday dinner, and made my family support me by eating it! I told them they will probably be eating a lot of cake for a while so I can practice! Casey was not thrilled by this, becuase he is shaping up for his Triathalon in May, but oh well, he will probably eat it anyways! This week we are starting the Fondant class, we'll be learning out to work with Fondant and Gum paste. Hopefully we can become really good at this so Jaydale and I can make her wedding cake in october. I'll keep you all posted on my Cake decorating Adventures, Hopefully I get a little better than the pictures below! But those are just fun practice cakes that were nummy to eat!

My third cake.

My second Cake

I didn't show a picture of my first, because it was before I knew how to do flowers or boarders, so it is pretty ugly, and also it was amanda's birthday cake! Sorry it didn't look as good as these ones!!

Grandma Sharon

I have never lost anyone close to me, so it is especially hard to try to beleive my Grammy is really gone. I know I will see her again, and I know that she is perfect now, without any Health issues, and although I'm happy about that, it doesn't seem to make me feel any better, since I'm left here missing her.

I decided to share this, so that I won't forget anything that happened that week.

She was able to be brought to her home to pass away, and I'm so glad that that is where she got to be, becuase all she wanted was to be home. I was in park city with my friends Chelsie and Jesika when I got the call that she was being brought home. We packed up our stuff, and I headed straight home. I didn't even actually go home, I went straight to Grandma's house, because I felt that was were I needed to be, with my family, and with my Grammy. I got to spend a few minutes with her in her room off and on, just sitting with her. I was able to say "I love you" and she was able to say it back, and that's something I'll hold onto forever. After being there all day, at 11pm I finally decided I better get home since I hadn't been all day, and hadn't really seen Casey yet. I went into her room to say a final "Goodbye" and "I love you", and hold her hand for just a minute. When I left the house and got into my car, emtion overcame me when I realized that would be the last time I would see, or talk to her till I see her again in Heaven. I cried like a big bawling baby all the way home, I probably should have pulled over, I could hardly see the road. I cried alot over the next few days, mostly cried myself to sleep. The next morning she passed, and I didn't want to be alone, so I spent the day with Jaydale, Amanda, Kylee, Wyatt and Tayten. We didn't do anything, but hang out in the living room retelling our favorite stories and favorite things about Grandma. One of my very Favorites is when we would play Uno Attack at our sunday dinners, and Grandma would always cheat, by saying she pressed the button twice, when in fact she didn't, it became a thing since then that we would say "Hey cheater, want to play Uno?!" And she would always deny it! We spent those games with alot of laughter. Another thing I will absolutely miss is walking in her house, and hearing her oldies, indicating that she was indeed home, singing along. That familiar sound is engraved in my heart now, and when I walk in her house now I want to yell "hello!" but I know she isn't there to answere, it just seems habit.

Her Viewing was held last Sunday at Allen-Hall, and a lot of people came, for which I am glad, my Grandmother was truely loved by all. I debated on whether or not I should share that my sisters and I had the honor of doing her hair, make-up, and jewelry, but I think of it as an honor that she wanted us to do that for her for the last time, and who knew her better than us to know what she would have wanted done. Amanda always did her hair and make-up, and I sometimes got the chance to do her hair, but I probably wasn't as good at it as her. And we also got to do her nails, they were always pink! But when we did this for the last time, there was just such a peaceful feeling, and it may sound weird or even a bit scary to do this, but it wasn't like that at all. I felt honored, and peaceful, like she was there, telling us we were doing well. She honestly looked beautiful when we were finished. Joyce her best friend had the honor of putting all her temple stuff on. She looked so good, and natural. Just sleeping was all. And everyone that saw her agreed. I just can't express what an honor it was to do that for her, and I'm sure my sisters feel the same.

Her Funerl was held last Monday, at the 3rd ward New Purple Church in Wellsville. Jaydale gave her life scetch, and a few memories, and my mom spoke, and it was very nice. My mom really got to express who my grandma was. Joyce sang my Grandma's favorite song, and all of us Grandchildren got up to sing I am a Child of God. Kylee read a cute little poem she wrote herself, called "Never Gone" and Amanda and I were able to get up together and express our feelings and recall our favorite memories of Her. It was a very nice funeral, and I'm glad we were able to express our lover for Her.

I also thought whether or not I should share the dream I had of her the morning she passed away, and I might as well, I don't want to forget it, although I don't think I ever will. I was sitting in the Chair next to her bed. She was sitting up in her bed, completely awake, happy, healthy, and smiling. It was like it was summer outside, bright and warm, and the windows were open, leaving her curtains fluttering in the breeze. I never realized how much I loved the sight of this until I saw it in my dream. My Grandma was looking at me and smiling and I said "Do you want me to read to you Grandma?" She nodded her head "yes", and I pulled out the book Charles Dickens, a book I had given her for Christmas that she never got to read. And there I sat next to her, reading in the warmth and brightness. It may have just been a dream, but I hope at one point maybe she was experiencing that warmth and brightness in her final moments in her bedroom. This dream I think I will hold onto forever, because these are the last moments I would have liked to spend with her, rather than me saying goodbye and bawling all the way home.

It doesn't quite seem real yet. She is on my mind all the time though. Anywhere we go I think "Grandma should be here".
I love you Grandma, Till we meet again!

This was inside her Casket. She loved her Little Red Mustang, so it was only appropriate that this be with her!

Grammy Turns 80!!!

I cannot even express how happy I am that my Grams made it to 80! The last couple of months have been crazy with her, if any of you have read my blog, then you know the details, but basically we thought we were going to lose her a few months ago! So I'm so so so happy to say she made it to 80, and is doing well!! My mom and Aunt Lynda put together an open house at the Logan Golf and Country Club, where tons of people came to tell her happy birthday and to wish her well! I think she really enjoyed it, the two of her living sisters were able to come, and I think she loved that! As usual the whole Nelson Clan was there! We never miss a chance to be together! My mom put together a little candy station, with little bags that guests could choose some treats to take home! We found some really cute valentine's cupcakes, and also had a yummy half white, half carrot cake! And some red punch that probably wasn't a good idea for the little ones, they were all walking around with red mustaches! All in all it was such a fun event, and my grandma looked so good, and I think she had a pretty good time! It was fun for her to see some people she hadn't seen in a long time!
My Pretty Grandma!

Amanda, Jaydale, me, and Mom


Casey and Me

Me and My Grammy!

Our year in 2010!!

January:
We brought in the New Year with my siblings, Jesse and his wife Jenni, and my sisters Amanda and Jaydale.

We went with my parents to visit the Golden Spike Museum, where it inspired my idea of having our next Dinner and Auction theme for the Child and Family Support Center, which is Wild Wild West!

Lost a dear, dear family friend, who will still love and miss!

February:
Not much happened, I'm pretty sure we did something for Valentine's Day!
March:
We are boring, Casey has been working at Saunders and Wainsguard, and I'm in my 3rd year of working at Mountain Crest.

We discover a family fun game called 4 square, and we go through a phase of playing this on Sunday get togethers.

April:
We spent Easter with my family. Made easter eggs with my grandma, and watched the kids hunt for eggs. We also had a fun adult hunt too, where the eggs had money inside!

My sisters and I took the kids to Baby Animal days, where we saw lots of animals, including baby bears!

We went to the Annual Child and Family Support Center Dinner and Auction, themed The Roaring 20's and had a blast!

May:
Casey Graduated from USU with a Bachelors in Accounting!

My good friend Becca married her high school sweetheart Scotty, and we attended their luncheon and reception.

We went to Hawaii!!! Casey experianced his first time skydiving, and Loved it! Funnest trip I've ever been on!

June:
My dog Spike, of 17 years left this world for Doggy Heaven. Such a feisty puppy, we miss him!

We celebrated our birthdays. For those of you who don't know, my birthday is the 15th, and Casey's is the 16th, so we celebrate together!
July:

We celebrate the 4th, with going to the cruise in, and lighting fireworks at my parent's house.

Casey used his awesome craftmanship, and build me a beautiful shelf!!

My mom celebrated her 50th birthday party. We threw her a surprise party themed Black and White, and had a ton of fun doing it, and she was completely surprised!

We went to a Bee's game with some fun friends!

I took my niece Kylee and Nephew Wyatt on his first hiking trip up to the Wind Caves. Little trooper went the whole way on his own!!

We also went to the Bee's game with fireworks with our good friends Kevin and Lyndie!

We made a fun day trip to Bear lake with my sisters and their kids!

August:
We drove to Laramie Wyoming to visit one of my best friends and her Husband, Jesika and Lane! They tood us to Denver for a Rockies Game!

Casey did the Top of Utah Half Marathon, and did Awesome!! Took 75th over all!

We went to Bear Lake for another Day trip with our friends Kevin and Lyndie!

September:
We attend, and help out in the Child and Family support center's Summer Slammer Softball Tournament!

Bought Mountain bikes, and I almost kill myself on them!

Had a baby shower for my good friend Kalei!

Celebrate my dad's 51st birthday!

Went to the Broadway Musical, Lion King!

Went on a WAY fun trip to Lake Powell with Casey's parents and sister. My first time going there, and I loved it! Hopefully they will make it a yearly thing!!

October:

I get into making those fun ladder crafts with Sandy!!

My grandma has a heart attack, and begins the long days at the hospital, and her almost dying. (She is however doing very well now, and is getting stronger!)

November:

Went to Thanksgiving at my parent's house, and not much else!

December:

Went to Vegas with Casey's work, and saw a Nathan Burton show, and the Blue Man Group

Celebrated our 2nd anniversary! We are still waiting for the hard year!

I had a fun girls night with some of my best friends!

Celebrated Christmas with both families, and got lots of fun gifts!