Coming Up for Air

Well, we have been here at orientation now for 2 weeks and I am finally able to do some blogging for the first time since we arrived. It has been a very busy time here with most of our days spent in class and most of our evenings spent trying to spend time with the kids and get our assignments completed before the next day. Although we are very excited to be here and learning all the important information, we do look forward to the weekends!

Some of you have asked what our accomodations look like. The Quads are 4 separate apartments that are combined by one large common area. We have a small kitchen, bathroom and 3 bedrooms in our apartment. It is small, but comfortable, and we spend our weekend evenings talking with other families, playing games, and working on puzzles in the common areas.

The kids are starting to adjust to life here in Rockville. They have school every day M-F. Connor has already been on one field trip to the main Richmond offices and out for Chinese for lunch. Kayleigh has made so many friends. I often see her holding hands with one of her play friends and whispering secrets back and forth. Cade is a constant bundle of energy. Most of my evenings are spent chasing him around the cafeteria, playgrounds, quad, etc...Although he still has not quite adjusted to the new routine as far as sleep goes, he does seem to love his class and enjoys his new friends as well.

There are 3 large playgrounds here, a river, a lake stocked with catfish, bass and crappy (Ken and Connor have already been fishing), some great walking/running trails, and lots of pasture and cows around. I guess it would be considered a great place to vacation if we didn't have so much work to do :)

One thing that has been emphasized here more than anything else I can say is to really increase our quiet times reading the Word and praying to the Lord. For me it has always been a challenge with three small children to do that, but now it is to be my top priority and it has been such a blessing to have that time with just God and me. Towards the end of the first week Ken and I were so tired and frazzled with the work, kids, and general adjustment. We just prayed together for God to help us to really focus on what was important. The next day they decided to send us all off with a box lunch to find a quiet place to be alone with the Lord. It was such a beautiful day. I remember writing in the journal our Sunday school class had given us Psalm 9:9-10

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stonghold in times of trouble.

Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never

forsaken those who seek you.

I thank the Lord that He will never forsake us. He is indeed our refuge and fortress!

Take It Easy

14 days ago we were given the news about our delay and asked for everyone to pray that we could find a place to take the kids that would allow Ken to study and give the kids a fun and educational time while we waited to leave. God’s blessings were really overwhelming to us as He provided a condo in Gulf Shores through a friend of Ken’s parents. What an amazing week and a half it has been!

We have been to the beach, pool, Gulf Shores Zoo, Fort Morgan, the Foley Railroad Museum, watched the Blue Angels practice and met the pilots, had a birthday party for Cade on the Lagoon, experienced a real old fashioned ice cream parlor in a drug store, caught crabs in the trap off the pier, played miniature golf, ate lots of wonderful seafood, spent time with family, met some new friends, and just reveled in the beauty that is God’s creation!

This last week and a half has really been a blessing to the Nelson family. God has been so gracious to give us this time to have that “peace, be still” moment in our lives. Our thoughts and prayers have been with many of our friends as we have had one friend lose her husband and prayed for another friend from Sunday school having serious health issues at this time.

I know that there are times in our lives when we experience the tribulations that this world can bring, but it is my prayer that through this all we as His children will be able to say that because He lives within us we can overcome this world and all of its trials. Please know that we continue to pray for all of you, our family and friends, and that we too cherish your prayers for us as well.

Go fly a kite!

We did just that as we found ourselves with 2 extra weeks on our hands. Our orientation was delayed 2 weeks due to a viral gastroenteritis outbreak in VA. So now Ken can spend the next 2 weeks studying and I get to homeschool for a couple weeks!
Yesterday we spent the evening with Ken's family in Bay Minette cooking out and playing horseshoes. Thanks Uncle Lonnie and Aunt Judy for the great food and fellowship!

Today we went to the park with Kirsten's family and cooked out. Then we flew kites with the cousins. It was such a great time this weekend with family. We are so blessed to have such wonderful family support! Thank you all. We love you and will miss you all!

A new start for 2008

This new year brings many wonderful changes for the Nelson family. We are currently in process now to become m's with the IMB. We have felt like this was God's will for us for almost a year now. Although the start of this journey seemed to drag by, we now find ourselves moving at a breakneck speed. We are amused and sometimes entertained by a few of the questions some people have asked us, like..."Do you plan to take your kids with you?"...duh! It is going to be a wonderful experience for us to be in the center of God's will, but for me the greatest part of this whole journey is that we will do this together as a family. We will be going to South America as our final destination, but we will be in Costa Rica for the first year at Spanish Language Institute.

Here are a few pictures of the campus we will have our classes at. We have already gotten to meet some of the other families that will be there with us. Ken, the kids and I are so excited about this amazing opportunity the Lord has provided for us to share His Word and the love of His Son to those in another part of the world. It is my hope and prayer that this blog will help all who read it be inspired to pray for m's all over the world and also to pray for all the unreached people groups that so desperately need to hear the good news of God's redeeming love. Please keep us in your prayers as we seek to follow the path He has chosen for us.

Not the gumdrop buttons!!!!

This year on Thanksgiving we did our annual Gingerbread house. My mother was in town as we were celebrating her birthday and of course eating lots of turkey. The kids decided to get decked out in their Indian garb (oh excuse me, Native American dress). Now my mother's and my assignment consisted of putting the actual house together. The children were in charge of decoration. Well, we put the walls up and as my Mom held one side and I held the other, one side of the roof broke in two. Now I am thinking, this can be fixed... just put a little more icing on it, stick it together, and there you go. Not that easy! After about half a bag of icing and lots of contorting I finally got the roof together. Carefully Mom and I held it in place for five full minutes and proceeded to let the kids decorate the house. About half way through the process I see we are running out of gumdrops...I also notice the telltale sign of food coloring around Kayleigh's mouth and the dazed look of a sugar rush in her eyes. Connor starts to complain, "Don't eat all the candy Kayleigh! What will we decorate the top of the roof with?" Kayleigh proudly points out, "But the roof is upside down, we can't decorate it!" What?!? Sure enough, one side of the roof (the one I so carefully fixed) is attached upside down. Time for some creative icing! Finally we get the house decorated and even have enough left for the gingerbread men. I could hear the kids say as they ate pieces of their gingerbread cookies, "Oh,no! Not the gumdrop buttons!" You've gotta love Shrek!

Strepo Boy

This year was Connor's 3rd Cheetah Charge at school. He had been battling frequent cases of strep getting ready for the race running with me, so he wasn't able to put in the mileage he normally does in preparation. We had a good pep talk the night before the race, but I knew that this year again I would miss the race because I had to work. Ken promised to be there with camera in hand and cell phone. I asked him if the batteries were fresh (last year he had a camera, but dead batteries) and he said we were good to go. I got a call while I was in the OR at 1:30 saying he was getting ready to race. I told Connor that if he did his best he would do great and that we were proud of him. Well, Connor ran his little heart out! He said that his side kept hurting (he had a hamburger for lunch an hour before I found out later) and he was really winded, but he came in fourth. Now for poor Connor that was a huge disappointment since he had come in first last year. I told him I was so proud because I knew he had run as fast as he could. Connor came home later and told me he was tired and that his throat hurt. I checked his temperature and sure enough it was over 101. The next day at the pediatrician's office they confirmed that he indeed had strep again. Now I told Connor that I knew he could do anything if he could run a race with strep! Suddenly to Connor 4th place didn't seem so bad. He decided that his nick-name Dash would have to be changed to Strepo boy!

All I Want For Christmas

All I want For Christmas
(to the tune of “All I want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth”)

Everybody pauses and glares at me
With three children in tow it’s plain to see
Lots of soiled clothes and toys, it’s a catastrophe!
But being home more I’m happy as can be.

All I want for Christmas is a good night’s sleep,
A good night’s sleep, just a good night’s sleep.
Gee, if I could only have a good night’s sleep,
Then I could wish you a “Merry Christmas”

It seems so long since Ken could say,
“I think I’ll play some golf today.”
With a brand new job at BE&K
Placing engineers will hopefully pay!

All I want for Christmas is a good night’s sleep,
A good night’s sleep, just a good night’s sleep.
Gee, if I could only have a good night’s sleep,
Then I could wish you a “Merry Christmas”

Connor aiming baseballs at the backfield fence,
Kayleigh’s taste in clothes could be a huge expense,
Little Cade’s teething diapers are a big offense,
We’ve gone from man to man now to a zone defense.

All I want for Christmas is a good night’s sleep,
A good night’s sleep, just a good night’s sleep.
Gee, if I could only have a good night’s sleep,
Then I could wish you a “Merry Christmas”

Desperate Housewife

This year Halloween came on a Tuesday. Now Tuesdays are notoriously a wasted day for me as I recover from working Monday a long shift and do the grocery shopping, run errands, etc... Of course because it was Halloween I also had to go to Connor's school and help with Fall Centers. It was fun, but now I was really behind. I knew that I needed to pick Kayleigh up at school, get her and Cade down for a nap, get the kids' costumes ready, do laundry, fix something for dinner, pick up the usual clutter, work out, get cleaned up.... Well, by the time I finished all this I was truly frazzled. I could not for the life of me muster up any energy to get ready for the trick-or-treaters, so I just put on my pjs and put my hair in curlers. I got the kids ready only to realize somebody had to answer the door while Ken took the kids out. Well, that is when I became a desperate housewife. Yes, curlers, robe, slippers and cold cream with a nice green undertone were the solution to my dilemma. It's a far cry from the Kitty cat days of 2 years ago, but what else is a mother of three to do?

Scout's Honor

Ken and I decided that Connor should participate in scouting this year. We knew that it would help him learn about team work, dedication and volunteering. Now as some of you know I am a former army reservist, so I am quite familiar with "wearing the uniform". When I was sworn in I remember Ken wishing he had been in the military. He has always had a fondness for the uniform as a former Cub Scout and ROTC member. Little did Ken know what he was in for when he went to the first pack meeting. They were desperate for some leadership help. When I saw the email asking for den leaders I did what any good scouting mom would do. I volunteered my husband. So now Ken is an assistant den leader to 18 very rowdy first grade boys. The first thing he did as a new den leader.....buy a new uniform. I mean quicker than you could say Dudley Do-Right that man had a uniform replete with new hiking boots, patches, and of course the official Scout bolo tie. I think all he needs is a campaign hat (see mounty hat) and he will look ready for the Canadian Border Patrol! The first scout outing? The fire station! Ken said the poor firemen couldn't wait for everyone to leave. Sad thing is they were only there a half hour. Let's hear it for the Hoover FD!

Kids say the darndest things

It's funny how people always ask me how the kids are doing with their new baby brother. I never got that question when it was just two kids, but I guess people just assume with three it must be complete mayhem if not anarchy at the least. So Kayleigh, being the middle child, often speaks to Cade on his level saying, "Goo-goo, ga-ga, baby, boo-boo..." Now Kayleigh likes to speak very loudly...in church, in the library, in the movie theatre... but especially when talking babytalk to Cade. One day she was right in his face doing her "goo-goo" routine and Cade started fussing. Connor, ever the watchful big brother said, "Stop it, Kayleigh! You're scaring him......You're scaring me!!!"
Now that Cade is 4 months old I sometimes pump at home if I need to do things in the evening like Kids market the other night. I was doing my best to discreetly pump a bottle for Cade, yet feeling a lot like a Holstein the whole time. Kayleigh walks up to me and just watches carefully for a good long minute. This does not help the whole milk reflex thing to have an audience, but I ask her if she needs anything. She says nonplussed, "They're both gonna win mommy!" I choke back a laugh and say, "Oh, it's a race?" " Yeah," she says. "And they're both gonna win!" OK, so now maybe I feel more like a thoroughbred.

Talladega nights

On our third day at the beach the kids wanted to go to Tracks for some games. We rode the go-carts multiple times. Connor even got a chance to ride a small go-cart by himself proving why you must be 16 to obtain a driver's license.

Chillin' at the pool

The pool at the army recreation center has a really neat waterfall in the middle of a large 1 foot platform that allows the kids to play all around it.

Probably the most time on our vacation was spent at the pool. Connor and Kayleigh have been swimming so much this summer they are like little fishes in the water. Even Cade dipped his toe in the pool.

Kayleigh felt a little of her inner diva and decided to do some modeling poolside for me.

Connor and Kayleigh both dove for objects in the shallow end (a great way to wear them out for nap time I have learned).

Captain of the ship

We crossed the Florida state line and the clouds opened up and the sun began shining. You could almost hear angels singing the halleluiah chorus. Our first day we made off to the beach for some sand and surf. Cade had his first view of the gulf water and even soaked his little toes in the warm water. We met a lady near us with a little girl Kayleigh's age that took a family photo for us. The kids enjoyed the waves but found all the seaweed to be a little yucky, especially when they found it under their bathing suits. We rented a pontoon boat and took the whole family for an hour on the Choctawhatchie Bay. Connor and Kayleigh each took a turn at the wheel. Cade was not too fond of his lifejacket, but he made the best of it and enjoyed the breeze off the water.

Beach Blanket Baby

On September 13th we took a trip to Destin, FL to the Army Recreation Center. We packed up everything including the kitchen sink, or the baby bathtub anyway. Poor Ken had to pack in the rain the night before with our neighbor Derek as we had to use our neighbor's roof carrier since it was pouring so hard and our's was not waterproof. Ken and Derek were drenched when they were done! Here we had not had any significant rain in over 3 months, but of course Murphy's law dictates we must have 24 hours of continuous rain the day before we leave. That morning in the rain we pulled out of the driveway at 6:07am headed to the beach. Thank God for DVD players and leapster games!

The last combo birthday party

The big birthday party for Connor and Kayleigh was Saturday August 12th at the fun factory. Together the kids had 25 friends with them to celebrate their special day with them. Kayleigh had a "My Pretty Pony" theme for her cake and Connor had a Batman theme. Most of Connor's class from Deer Valley came to his party, and Kayleigh had her friends from dance class and the neighborhood. A good time was had by all!

Introducing the Nelson Press

Friday, August 11, 2006

This is the first official entry of the Nelson Press blog. The Nelson family is Ken, Kirsten, Connor (6, but "turning 7 in less than 110 hours Mommy!"), Kayleigh (4), and little Cade (3 months). Cade gets his first official photo shoot on Tuesday, so I hope to get some pictures of him put in then. Until then we'll just have to use some of our crazy home pics of the kids in action.