March-April Happenings...

JOEL WAS IN A FASHION SHOW!

As a lot of you know, Joel has been working with a trainer, and watching his diet since November 2009. He has been working out at Lifetime Fitness. Lifetime decided to host a Fashion Show, with all proceeds going to the Cancer Foundation. They wanted to highlight about 28 of their members that have been successful with weight loss, and Joel was one of them. Joel is still working out, he is by no means finished with his weight loss journey, but he is nearly half way! We are so proud of him and his choice to have a healthier life style. We love you!!

Before

After 60 pounds off!

Joel values the support he gets from friends, family and his trainer. He has really had to re-program his eating habits to lose the weight he has lost. He has also sweat buckets full with his trainer, Presley. He is so so strong to take on such a large feat and be so successful. Keep it up! You are doing awesome!

I am SO glad he has such great, supportive friends! They were so awesome to show up to support Joel for his weight loss!

WE HAVE A NEW NIECE...

Charlotte Leigh Nielson was born on April 9, 2010 and weighs 7.1 pounds and 18 inches long. She is so gorgeous! She looks like a Nielson with her dark hair, olive skin and eyebrows (unfortunately I didn't obtain any of those features). We are so happy for Jeremy and Lindsay for their new arrival! We are so happy that Kennedy's (Charlottes 3 yr. old sister) baby finally got out of Lindsay's tummy ha ha!

Happy Easter!

I love how Joel's parents have cute blow up decor for every holiday. It is so fun, and the kids just love it!

Huddy had to kiss it before saying good-bye.



THE CASE OF THE SECRET ADMIRER-ER FOR JORDAN...

Her name is Josephine, she likes to door bell ditch our house, bring us yummy cookies, with a few gross ones included on the plate, and then she wrote on our window..."Josephine loves Jordan more than a girl loves chocolate". P.S. I know who his admirer-ers are!

Our neighborhood has a fun group of kids, all about Jordan's age, right now they like to pull pranks on each other...the boys pulling pranks on the girls and vice-verse. It is so fun to watch the kids grow, the weird part is, is waiting up for Jordan at night.

EASTER EGG HUNTING...

We had our annual Easter egg hunt at Aunt Karen's house this year. Jordan won the "Golden Egg" which had $5.00 in it... lucky! Huddy loved to look for the eggs and Madi got 2 buckets of eggs somehow and all her prizes.

RANDOM PICS...

Our heads are above the water now!

So, lots has happened...life has been so crazy! It has been full of sorrow, with the loss of our wonderful great grandma. She was (is) such a beautiful, caring, and loving lady. She had a love for our Heavenly Father that is far more for anyone to understand. She loved to visit, loved to take pictures, make memories, and make everyone happy who came in her path. She has a beautiful rose garden. I have to say, the loss of our great grandma has had a definite impact on our family. We love her, and we are so glad that she is able to do her work on the other side now.

The very day of great grandma's funeral, we found out that my grandma Ruth was admitted to the hospital for Pancreatitis. As of the date of this post, she has barely started to eat real food. She was hospitalized for 2 weeks and in the recovery center for another 2-3 weeks. She is a sweetheart. She is always on the go, I feel so sad that this has put her down for so long, and it will take a while before she will be able to gain her quality of life back.

Oh! So, I haven't been really up to blogging. Sometimes things are hard to put into words. But on the upside, and in the meantime of all these things, Madison is doing SO well in school, and dance and entered the Reflections Contest for her school, and she made it to the state level. She wrote the cutest story about a butterfly named "Apricot".

Jordan has a 4.0 GPA for the school year, and just received a school award called "Eagle of the Quarter". He was 1 of 4 boys that was chosen for this award in the 7th grade! He just finished up basketball season, and has taken an interest in snow skiing. So, he went snow skiing last week...and is hoping to go more often.

Hudson! He is just a ball. He grunts, snorts, growls, barks and is just a boy in every way! He is starting to talk a little...he knows how to say Madi really well, because she gets him anything he wants, and he doesn't have to say a word! Mean ol' me...I make him try to say words! Then he just wrestles and snuggles with Jordan. He is so much fun, we feel so lucky to have him.

Joel, I AM SO PROUD OF MY MAN! He has lost a lot of weight and looks awesome! He is so determined, and I admire him so much. I love him.

I will get some pictures on here. I have started taking them again, and I hope I don't fall in the slump I've been in. I have to say...the Fibro, and Dystonia have taken a huge toll on my energy level this winter, and it's hard to write about things, when sad things have happened, and my health has been what it's been. I am just so thankful for such an awesome family.

SUNSHINE AHEAD.... :)